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

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#244001: May 31st 2018 at 12:18:08 PM

Easing access to experimental treatment feels, to me, like a backdoor towards dismantling pharmaceutical regulation in general. Trump has been transparent in his intention to enact a general policy against the FDA.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#244002: May 31st 2018 at 12:18:16 PM

False hope is worse than no hope. Especially when the family puts themselves in debt for it.

[up] Also this. It's just more deregulation.

edited 31st May '18 12:19:00 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#244004: May 31st 2018 at 12:40:16 PM

I don't think it was all That bad.

And a reminder that the one who brought up discontent over that, The Wanted, has admitted to being an ultra conservative and Trump supporter.

So he's probably called people that and worse.

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
#244005: May 31st 2018 at 12:57:10 PM

People shouldn’t be paying to be medical guinea pigs, you get paid to do medical testing you don’t pay for the privilege.

If people want to try experimental procedures as a last ditch effort I’m okay with that, I’m not okay with companies profiting directly from that, they can profit by getting free test subjects and that should be the limit.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#244006: May 31st 2018 at 1:01:47 PM

Full list of the first wave of counter-tariffs from Canada in response to Trump's latest BS move.

https://www.fin.gc.ca/activty/consult/cacsap-cmpcaa-eng.asp

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#244007: May 31st 2018 at 1:04:34 PM

@Nick: Still, it's not exactly a "clean" insult and even though I see no problem with it personally, others do, so the right thing is to call out people on it and get them to use other words (there are no lack of creative insults in any language).

[up] The EU should also be presenting its own list soon enough, probably the same as last time the trade war was looming - orange juice and motorcycles.

edited 31st May '18 1:06:26 PM by Grafite

Life is unfair...
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#244008: May 31st 2018 at 1:07:21 PM

Apparently the EU is tariffing Whiskey, Levis and Harleys.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#244009: May 31st 2018 at 1:09:07 PM

Too much focus, on everyone's part, on red states. Should be a more general target, to put maximum pressure on Congress. Maybe they are just holding back for when Trump adds more or throws a fit and retaliates himself.

US trading partners have zero reason to spare certain states at this point, it won't help.

Republicans in Congress are starting to speak out against Trump. But we all know what their word is worth, so until action comes on tariffs.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/31/politics/republicans-gop-react-tariffs-trade-trump-aluminum-steel-imports/index.html

edited 31st May '18 1:14:37 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Larkmarn Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Hello, I love you
#244010: May 31st 2018 at 1:16:13 PM

I mean, it's less "spare certain states" and more "hurt certain states." Focusing tariffs on swing states or states with influential representatives makes sense.

Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#244011: May 31st 2018 at 1:28:26 PM

If people want to try experimental procedures as a last ditch effort I’m okay with that, I’m not okay with companies profiting directly from that, they can profit by getting free test subjects and that should be the limit.

Yeah, i can agree fully with this - though I should hope that such drugs would meet a minimum standard of testing beforehand.

And with the Country Matters comment, part of why Bee pulled the Show Some Leg card is over Donald's previous... unsettling comments regarding his daughter's attractiveness. As for using the word, it just makes me pine for the word "cur" to be brought back as an insult equivalent to calling someone a bitch.

Oh, and with Trump's possible pardoning of Martha Stewart and Rod Blagojevich, I can kind of understand doing so for Martha, but why the fuck should Blago be given clemency? The guy literally tried selling off a Senate seat!

Also, fuck Trump for pardoning D'Souza, he of hackneyed "The Democrats are the real racists!" "documentaries" such as "Obama's America" and "Hillary's America".

edited 31st May '18 1:32:08 PM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#244012: May 31st 2018 at 1:32:03 PM

I've heard D'Souza speak before. It was not a pleasant experience, but the audience seemed to love. Though considering the venue that's not exactly surprising.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#244013: May 31st 2018 at 1:45:35 PM

Blago also tried to defraud a fucking children's hospital.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich_corruption_charges

No wonder Cheeto loves him.

edited 31st May '18 1:48:54 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#244014: May 31st 2018 at 2:00:08 PM

[up]

Oh come now, he wasn't defrauding them!

It was extortion.

Abuse of power concerning release of US$8 million of state funds to Children's Memorial Hospital expecting to obtain a $50,000 campaign contribution.

edited 31st May '18 2:00:22 PM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#244015: May 31st 2018 at 2:08:59 PM

@Tobias Drake: this sort of thing is an excellent way to get middle class and poor families saddled with a LOT of medical debt, though. It's not just the rich that are going to want to do this kind of thing. This is one of the things that we're trying to prevent. Hell, my dad wasn't sick very long, but my mom was still getting bills sent to her a few years after his death. This sort of thing? It's got the very real threat of being another way to financially cripple a lot of people. That tends to stimey the concept of money going into the economy, and your post comes off as you thinking only the rich will be effected by this sort of thing. No, no, illness and death affect all financial classes of people.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#244017: May 31st 2018 at 2:37:50 PM

I have to wonder why you keep posting them then? Everyone here is basically in agreement of that, and as you said, multiple similar studies have already been posted.

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#244018: May 31st 2018 at 2:42:48 PM

Primarily for any lurkers here.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#244019: May 31st 2018 at 3:37:29 PM

You'd want to focus on pressuring red states over blue ones for the fairly obvious reasons that those are the states which are represented by people who need to be forced to do something.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#244020: May 31st 2018 at 3:41:35 PM

Though even some blue states have significant Republican representation (California, New York, etc.) and since those are the ones looking to be taken in the Blue Wave, added pressure might be good.

edited 31st May '18 3:41:46 PM by LSBK

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#244021: May 31st 2018 at 3:51:31 PM

Unlike some of the people in this thread, I am not pleased Samantha Bee resorted to such an insult, no matter who it was directed towards. For two reasons: 1) This just gives more ammo to the "look how hateful the left is!"/both sides arguments, and 2) It's more proof that civility is effectively dead. And despite Bee apologizing for "going too far", the genie isn't going back in the bottle. From here on out, insults that would normally have been relegated to comments sections are now normal on broadcast TV. Heaven help us.

edited 31st May '18 3:52:57 PM by speedyboris

Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#244022: May 31st 2018 at 4:01:11 PM

RE D'Souza, Kim Kardassian tried to persuade him to pardon non-violent offenders and probably particularly stressed the impact on people of color. I guess it worked, but not quite how she intended.

RE Blago, I actually hope his sentence is commuted. Perhaps I don't have the full facts, but it seems to me that his conduct was sleazy/meant he shouldn't be reelected, but not necessarily outright criminal. And it seemed like the judge gave him a heavy sentence to "make an example of him" because of the continued corruption of Illinois politicians, even though his actions seemed far less egregious than those of previous Governor George Ryan, whose corruption indirectly got people killed. And Ryan received a much lower sentence.

And I guess I don't think anyone should really be doing like 15+ years in prison for a non-violent crime. Well, except for Michael Cohen or Paul Manafort or anyone else in Trump's circile. But I guess I'd try to distinguish between white collar crimes that border on treason and/or which really harm the public compared to "mundane" political corruption.

NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#244023: May 31st 2018 at 4:01:56 PM

I love the way these tariffs seem designed to shoot red states in the ankle. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. This is payback for that tax bill, Repulsivecans.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#244024: May 31st 2018 at 4:29:36 PM

Remember, tariffs are not a precision instrument, and as the dispute escalates, every other party will get less selective in their targets. This is going to suck for everyone. Hopefully it causes enough damage that Republicans take the heat and/or are pressured to step in.

NAFTA is all but finished if this keeps up, Ottawa and Mexico City have little incentive to keep talking when the Orange House sanctions them for not becoming tributaries and demands poison pills like a sunset clause. Only bright spot is that the North American economy can't be split up again, even if Trump causes damage it still makes sense to work together.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#244025: May 31st 2018 at 4:31:11 PM

I'm sorry I lost the article on Reddit but the estimated job loss will be 115K for Trump's tariffs.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.

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