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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#242352: May 15th 2018 at 12:33:48 AM

Well, Marquis, Ambar and I do agree that students who are consistently disruptive should be removed; it just seems like we disagree on what constitutes disruptive behavior, and Marquis's posts on the last page seem to be discussing the hypothetical student who holds disruptive beliefs (e.g., fascist or genocidal views) but is not actively disrupting class with behaviors like shouting over people or so on, and that it wouldn't be proper to remove said student (please don't let me put words in your mouth, though).

I guess the confusion, at least on my part, comes from not knowing how said hypothetical student would be known to hold fascist/what-have-you beliefs without acting out, when I hold that expressing such beliefs is inherently disruptive no matter how polite you are when you do it.

If the person is willing to sit quietly and actually learn, then that's fine.

edited 15th May '18 12:35:56 AM by RedSavant

It's been fun.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#242353: May 15th 2018 at 2:58:36 AM

Fun fact people, we actully have threads for education, AI and even drone strikes, though drone strikes are at least relevant to US politics.

While I get the point about the US’s aerial strike policy leading to high civilian casualties when terrorists are targeted, I don’t realy get the others issues, the legislative branch has authorised it and the countries that said strikes occurs in have also authorised such strikes.

If anything I’d have found Hillary an improvement over Obama in that area, as Obama was always very unwilling to commit substantially to foreign conflicts, Hillary might have been more willing and thus more willing to commit to less collateral damage prone forms of strikes.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242354: May 15th 2018 at 3:57:23 AM

[up] If we're talking about issues with Obama, a big one I have looking back, is his unwillingness to be tough on Russia, and ignoring a lot of the signs that Putin wanted a Cold War part 2.

thatindiantroper Since: Feb, 2015
#242355: May 15th 2018 at 4:29:49 AM

Ironically Romney attacked him for that in ‘12. We mocked him for it.

Awkward.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#242356: May 15th 2018 at 4:35:44 AM

I’d argue that Romney was right for the wrong reasons, he wasn’t basing his logic on Russia’s modern trend under Putin (which pre-Ukraine, Syria, Brexit, Le-Pen and Trump was far from obvious) so much as holdover Cold War logic, he was right eventually and Obama failed to adapt to new information as it came in, but he was no seer.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#242357: May 15th 2018 at 4:40:14 AM

If Obama had a flaw as President, it was giving too many people the benefit of the doubt.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#242358: May 15th 2018 at 5:14:01 AM

[up][up][up]Technically, a lot of mocking of Romney was because his aides kept referring to Russia as the Soviet Union (video of one such incident in the first link) and making other outdated references, such as talking about missile defense sites in Czechoslovakia, a country which hasn't existed since 1993.

But there was some truth to things Romney and his camp said. Obama (correctly) knew that Russia had been hobbled in the geopolitical game in terms of legitimate international influence and strength, and in the normal business of nations they were stuck with a bad hand that they couldn't turn into a winning one. He didn't anticipate at the time what Russia would be willing to do through their disinformation campaigns worldwide, or how they could try to manipulate and inflame other countries into weakening themselves by exploiting divisions.

[up] True. If Obama had used his charisma and the mandate that he came into office with in 2008 ruthlessly and treated Republicans as the hinderance that they were, it would have been a very different last 8 years. And probably better for us all, as sad as it is to say that.

edited 15th May '18 5:35:12 AM by TheWanderer

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#242359: May 15th 2018 at 5:23:27 AM

Obama’s real mistake with Russia was letting them have Syria. He underestimated the lengths they were willing to go there, and paid for it.

They should have sent a poet.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#242360: May 15th 2018 at 5:29:58 AM

There's a bit of a catch-22 in that situation. If Obama goes harder on Syria, he gets accused of warmongering — particularly by folks on the left. If he goes light, he gets accused of abetting genocide and ceding power to Russia.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#242361: May 15th 2018 at 5:33:15 AM

Yeah, it was definitely a no-win situation for him.

They should have sent a poet.
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#242362: May 15th 2018 at 5:45:59 AM

If we're going to be bringing up issues involving Romney, Syria, and geopolitics, can we also get a laugh out of Romney's claim that Syria was "Iran's route to the sea", which ignores that Iran's entire southern border runs along the Persian Gulf, which empties into the Arabian sea, or that Iran would need to cut through either Northern Iraq or Southern Turkey to use this "route to the sea"?

Romney must have been playing 4th dimensional chess too.

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#242363: May 15th 2018 at 5:59:39 AM

For that I do understand Romney’s point, that Iran’s access though the Persian gulf is something the US can control, access via the Med is not controllable by the US, also Iran has been cutting though northern Iraq and south-eastern Turkey for years now, at least via air they have.

Even when Romney and a valid point he communicated it horribly though.

edited 15th May '18 6:00:02 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#242364: May 15th 2018 at 7:20:27 AM

More to the point, Romney's way of "confronting" Russia would likely have escalated things further and faster than what actually ended up happening. While most people here seem to grasp the gravity of the situation, and just how dangerous tensions between the United States and Russia are, I've seen far too many people who don't, ie one person suggesting it would be a good idea to retaliate against Russian cyberespionage by sabotaging their power grid and infrastructure (which crosses over into cyberwarfare), seemingly not understanding how big of an escalation that would be, and that Russia is more than capable of responding in kind.

edited 15th May '18 7:21:38 AM by CaptainCapsase

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242365: May 15th 2018 at 9:16:50 AM

One thing, I've been wondering, how do we respond to Russia's attack on Western democracies, once we get angry orange traitor out.

We are effectively paralyzed right now, because of Trump's love affair with Russia, but once we get rid of him, then what?

edited 15th May '18 9:18:05 AM by megaeliz

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#242366: May 15th 2018 at 9:19:31 AM

Bigger,longer harder sanctions,harshest they can impose

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#242367: May 15th 2018 at 9:25:06 AM

Sanctions, investment in industries that draw money away from Russian industries, more heavy support for reasonable enemies of Russia, possibly even direct retaliation against the Russian intelligence services.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#242368: May 15th 2018 at 9:27:19 AM

What kind of retaliation?

Bear in mind they want the US to retaliate,hence the cold war,aka the biggest game of chicken but with nukes

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Mio Since: Jan, 2001
#242369: May 15th 2018 at 9:28:00 AM

Going all in on green energy and electric transport.

There is no better way to hurt Russian then making their most important industry irrelevant.

danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#242370: May 15th 2018 at 9:34:43 AM

Plus it would have the added benefit of cutting into China's green energy market. But of course, Trump is suddenly all buddy-buddy with China now, so I guess that isn't as important anymore.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#242371: May 15th 2018 at 9:50:48 AM

[up]X3 The elimination of Russian intelligence operatives is worth considering, Moscow has been assassinating people who turned to the West for years, there’s always the very extreme option of calling Russia’s bluff on the little green men and providing direct aid against them for nations.

Also Russia’s wants shouldn’t be the main priority, getting them to back off should be, it’d be nice if we didn’t give Putin stuff he could use for progoganda but that’s not a must.

edited 15th May '18 9:52:10 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#242372: May 15th 2018 at 9:51:12 AM

One thing that has been used small scale in countries like India, is harnessing biogas created from kitchen waste

Basically, it's a small biogas digester that captures the methane that is given off by food biodegrading under anaerobic conditions. Generally smaller ones are used to run gas stoves or other smaller things, but might be able to be scaled up.

The end product is methane, and compost.

edited 15th May '18 9:54:46 AM by megaeliz

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#242373: May 15th 2018 at 10:03:49 AM

I bet it would work.

I also bet Trump would subcontract it out and that's how we'd get the Blob,

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#242374: May 15th 2018 at 10:10:46 AM

No, it's how we end up with Bio Meat: Nectar.

edited 15th May '18 10:11:08 AM by danime91

fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#242375: May 15th 2018 at 10:11:27 AM

I’m looking forward to when this recent generation of authoritarians (trump, bibi, xi, ergodan) all get ousted. Putin is at the center of all of them.


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