2024 Presidential Election Thread - Let's keep the party going.

[StassneyHorn 6575]

Tell us what you want to do with billionaires

[Biff Tannen 45667]

9 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

Perhaps I'm just a pessimist, but I've read enough history to not get my hopes up that human nature will change.

There is nothing new in the world.  Since humans first gained "consciousness", we've envisioned a better world, but we're basically at the same spot we started in...the schismogenesis is strong with our kind.

I suppose I've just reached the acceptance stage of grief.

I was raised to think that America should strive to higher ideals. We’ve succeeded in a ton of ways. I think we should try and lead in other ways too. Many of these ideas will be looked at as radical. Some may be ultimately seen as mistakes. We should try these ideas, if they are put forth in good faith and with the aspirations of reaching those ideals we claim we strive for. It won’t always be comfortable or pretty. But if we can try in good faith and reassess when necessary, we can make massive strides. 
 

Your opinion may vary, but I like to think that’s why we wake up every day. 

[Biff Tannen 45667]

3 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

Too much of a simplification of the concept.

The point isn't that we should do nothing.  The point is what to do.  

I think we need to leave the past alone and focus on putting things in place to ensure a more equitable future in general, not necessarily based on  trying to rectify slavery, but just in general terms.

For example, why do billionaires exist?  Perhaps we need to understand what in our culture has lead to the acceptance of extreme gaps in wealth.

I agree with parts of this, especially the last paragraph, but you can’t ignore history and expect to learn or change. That is the essence of democracy and the American experiment. We grow and succeed by acknowledging our flaws. It’s really too grown up and mature for what we are as a whole, but it’s a good dream. 

[atomheartbevo 89630]

2 hours ago, DixonHur said:

This is the problem with trying to have an honest political debate on this board.

They all turn into this

https://www.twitch.tv/trumporbiden2024

[DixonHur 11296]

18 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I was raised to think that America should strive to higher ideals. We’ve succeeded in a ton of ways. I think we should try and lead in other ways too. Many of these ideas will be looked at as radical. Some may be ultimately seen as mistakes. We should try these ideas, if they are put forth in good faith and with the aspirations of reaching those ideals we claim we strive for. It won’t always be comfortable or pretty. But if we can try in good faith and reassess when necessary, we can make massive strides. 
 

Your opinion may vary, but I like to think that’s why we wake up every day. 

I was raise to believe in American exceptionalism too.  Probably the primary reason I enlisted in the Navy.

But the more I've traveled, read, and experienced the less I subscribe to it.

[Voldemort86 2259]

Our mortal enemy is correct.  This upcoming Tuesday is a big day on the east coast.  Need the dems to win in Pennsylvania and New York.

[SydneyCarton 48068]

9 hours ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

the fact that you think I'm parroting far right talking points when the only facts I quoted were decidedly not from a far right publication is something.  i'm a far right pawn?  and you think the blue maga stuff is just uncalled for, eh?

ok.

 

Yeah, that’s sort of the definition of horseshoe theory. Maybe you remember reading it in an earlier post of mine. 
 

oh, but your sources! I can hear anti-vax shit from a Trump rally or a healing crystal exchange party in Westlake, but the message is the message. And yours is the same one as right-wingers.
 

You were being defended by a poster you have on ignore because they’re too right wing for your taste. But you read left wing sources!

Edited February 9 by SydneyCarton

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

5 hours ago, StassneyHorn said:

Tell us what you want to do with billionaires

With a pinch of salt and a dry white wine, I say we eat them.

[DigglerontheHoof 21183]

deleted post

Edited February 9 by DigglerontheHoof

[South Austin 52459]

22 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

With a pinch of salt and a dry white wine, I say we eat them.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

14 minutes ago, South Austin said:

 

I'm hoping someone with children gets the reference! (for those who don't,  it's from the classic children's book Dr. De Soto by William Steig. It was a Newbery Honor Book and has become a classic).

[Dahobbs 17527]

7 hours ago, DixonHur said:

I'm all ears.  I haven't seen any proposals to the contrary.  But would certainly be open to non direct financial compensation as a means to right the wrongs of the past.

When I talk about reparations I'm only talking about what has been proposed thus far 

You misunderstand. I'm not suggesting not doing financial compensation. I'm suggesting that financial compensation doesn't have to add to the deficit or increase your taxes. 

As I mentioned earlier, reparations as a refundable tax credit would a pretty economically efficient tax break. The majority of the money would go to working/middle class americans. That money would return to the economy fairly quickly, increasing tax revenue. Reparations would also partially offset some other federal benefits like supplemental income. While I'm generally skeptical of arguments that tax breaks will pay for themselves, I do think this sort of break will come close to it. Spending cuts (or increases on those making 1+ million) can go the rest of the way to ensure a budget neutral effect. 

I also find the argument that money cannot help solve systemic discrimination questionable. A large part of systemic discrimination is the cycle of poverty it can create. Breaking that cycle, you know, with money, will absolutely address one of the significant aspects of systemic discrimination. 

Edited February 9 by Dahobbs

[Gap03 3304]

Sirs, this is the 2024 Presidential Election thread.  Perhaps we can create a new thread to solve that whole racism thing - I'm sure you'll have it all figured out in a couple of pages ...

[Biff Tannen 45667]

7 hours ago, DixonHur said:

I was raise to believe in American exceptionalism too.  Probably the primary reason I enlisted in the Navy.

But the more I've traveled, read, and experienced the less I subscribe to it.

Not sure if you’re saying this, but what I’m describing isn’t American exceptionalism. Far from it. 

[Neonmoon 38129]

I’m not a lawyer but I pretend to be one in the bedroom

Awarding a plaintiff monetary compensation doesn’t fix the broken back they suffered on the job due to unsafe work policy, but it alleviates some of the mental and hopefully physical pain. More importantly, an injustice was found and there were consequences. 

For someone to argue they shouldn’t get any money because it doesn’t fix the broken back seems a wee bit sophomoric. Of course it doesn’t fix the unsafe work policy. Fixing that is a given. Why would the company continue to have a policy that harms its workers? Leading to more lawsuits and monetary damages? That’s insane 

 

[Js1 85297]

Please move all your reparations discussion to

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

4 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Yeah, that’s sort of the definition of horseshoe theory. Maybe you remember reading it in an earlier post of mine. 
 

oh, but your sources! I can hear anti-vax shit from a Trump rally or a healing crystal exchange party in Westlake, but the message is the message. And yours is the same one as right-wingers.
 

You were being defended by a poster you have on ignore because they’re too right wing for your taste. But you read left wing sources!

sure, substantial criticism.  "sometimes people on the opposite ends of the spectrum agree on points!  therefore they're duped pawns!  especially if fucking facts (like number of homeless, rent prices, e.t.c) don't line up with my feelings!  they are not not great intelligent, non-swayed independent thinkers like the rest of us!"  lulz.  and the great center right circle jerk continues.

Edited February 9 by MC Fresh Breath

[gmr548 16576]

6 hours ago, Voldemort86 said:

Our mortal enemy is correct.  This upcoming Tuesday is a big day on the east coast.  Need the dems to win in Pennsylvania and New York.

D +20 in 2020 in favor of long term incumbent. Often unopposed before that.

Ds have been crushing specials given turnout advantage among more educated voters, but losing an incumbent (I don't know the circumstances). Unless it's scandal or something dragging the Democrat down, I'd want to see them get to that 60-40 margin again, ideally better.

Losing outright seems like it would be a disaster and barely on the table, and that tweet is just GOP doing election hype things.

[DixonHur 11296]

1 hour ago, Neonmoon said:

I’m not a lawyer but I pretend to be one in the bedroom

Awarding a plaintiff monetary compensation doesn’t fix the broken back they suffered on the job due to unsafe work policy, but it alleviates some of the mental and hopefully physical pain. More importantly, an injustice was found and there were consequences. 

For someone to argue they shouldn’t get any money because it doesn’t fix the broken back seems a wee bit sophomoric. Of course it doesn’t fix the unsafe work policy. Fixing that is a given. Why would the company continue to have a policy that harms its workers? Leading to more lawsuits and monetary damages? That’s insane 

 

@Js1 is right, this topic should be moved to the Reparations thread.  

But I don't know how to respond there to a post here (moderator?), so I'll respond to Thomas J Henry, er I mean @Neonmoon here.

So assuming the dude with a broken back died in, let's say 1865, should we pay the great-great- grandchildren of the plaintiff?

I'm totally down with paying claims to any former slaves, but there probably aren't many still alive.

The fact is that despite systematic racism, the US is by far the best country for black people to obtain wealth.

Of the top 17 black billionaires, 10 are Americans, or in Rhianna's case became wealthy in America.

 

Edited February 9 by DixonHur

[hobbes2702 13031]

Why do you care?

[SydneyCarton 48068]

12 minutes ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

sure, substantial criticism.  "sometimes people on the opposite ends of the spectrum agree on points!  therefore they're duped pawns!  especially if fucking facts (like number of homeless, rent prices, e.t.c) don't line up with my feelings!  they are not not great intelligent, non-swayed independent thinkers like the rest of us!"  lulz.  and the great center right circle jerk continues.

I like watching your efforts to explain and defend how you could be lumped in with Incredulity while absolutely not insisting you're a duped pawn, only to turn around and dismiss everyone who disagrees with your viewpoints as idiot pawns in a "center-right jerkoff." You're super comfortbale doing what you insist is being done to you. 

I'm not going to bother defending myself as something other than what you think I am, becuase convincing you is a waste of time and serves no purpose, and I'm pretty comfortable with who I am, my actions, and general behavior as a human being at this point. But you and incredulity can get together and boycott a Target or something. 

[Js1 85297]

5 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Why do you care?

About something that isn’t an official party of the U.S. Democratic Party or Joe Biden. But hey let’s talk about it instead of the actual 2024 issues. 

[SydneyCarton 48068]

6 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Why do you care?

Maybe he thinks that cash payouts from taxpayer dollars to a group of people would only further inflame racial issues and resentments, and won't in fact turn the temperature down or address systemic racism? Maybe that's why he cares? I don't know, I'm not an expert, but considering the number of motherfuckers who can't handle fucking DEI and think affirmitive action in school admissions and jobs is pure discrimination, well, I'm guessing cash payments that would come from a tax increase on others will be poorly recieved. Which could lead to further violence and the entrenching of already shitty racial discord. 

I'm not saying don't do it. But lets not pertend there aren't ramifications people don't expect or predict as a possible outcome, so a flippant "Why do you care" seems like a stupid fucking resposne. 

[David Dennison 18851]

1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

Maybe he thinks that cash payouts from taxpayer dollars to a group of people would only further inflame racial issues and resentments, and won't in fact turn the temperature down or address systemic racism? Maybe that's why he cares? I don't know, I'm not an expert, but considering the number of motherfuckers who can't handle fucking DEI and think affirmitive action in school admissions and jobs is pure discrimination, well, I'm guessing cash payments that would come from a tax increase on others will be poorly recieved. Which could lead to further violence and the entrenching of already shitty racial discord. 

I'm not saying don't do it. But lets not pertend there aren't ramifications people don't expect or predict as a possible outcome, so a flippant "Why do you care" seems like a stupid fucking resposne. 

Mustn't upset the wypipo.

[SydneyCarton 48068]

1 minute ago, David Dennison said:

Mustn't upset the wypipo.

Sadly, that's a concept that needs to be taken into consideration. But as others have pointed out, lets take it to the appropriate thread. 

Edited February 9 by SydneyCarton

[hobbes2702 13031]

8 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Maybe he thinks that cash payouts from taxpayer dollars to a group of people would only further inflame racial issues and resentments, and won't in fact turn the temperature down or address systemic racism? Maybe that's why he cares? I don't know, I'm not an expert, but considering the number of motherfuckers who can't handle fucking DEI and think affirmitive action in school admissions and jobs is pure discrimination, well, I'm guessing cash payments that would come from a tax increase on others will be poorly recieved. Which could lead to further violence and the entrenching of already shitty racial discord. 

I'm not saying don't do it. But lets not pertend there aren't ramifications people don't expect or predict as a possible outcome, so a flippant "Why do you care" seems like a stupid fucking resposne. 

[DixonHur 11296]

38 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Why do you care?

Why do you?  I'm just responding to other people's points/questions.

[hobbes2702 13031]

2 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

Why do you?  I'm just responding to other people's points/questions.

I don’t. That’s the point. Other people getting something doesn’t affect me in any way. It’s simply not a problem.

[C-Man 27198]

10 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Nails it on so many levels.  Dems are god damn horrible at politics.  And that’s a big problem when the only other party out there is a modern day nazi regime.  FML

Yeah, I kind of just said the same thing on the Biden thread. Bill Barr never would've let a special investigator release the findings that were released this week. What a fucking disaster. Trying to do the 'right' thing seems to ALWAYS come back to haunt Democrats. If liberals had just a smidge of political shiftiness the MAGATs have in spades, the GQP would be done-and-dusted.

[BillyBadAss 189]

1 hour ago, hobbes2702 said:

I don’t. That’s the point. Other people getting something doesn’t affect me in any way. It’s simply not a problem.

I don't have an informed opinion either way on the root topic here, but if the govt pays out billions+ for anything, it does affect us all. The money doesn't appear out of thin air - there'd  be some combination of higher taxes, increased debt, lowered services elsewhere, inflation, etc. as a result. 

[hobbes2702 13031]

49 minutes ago, BillyBadAss said:

I don't have an informed opinion either way on the root topic here, but if the govt pays out billions+ for anything, it does affect us all. The money doesn't appear out of thin air 

Ok lol

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

6 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

I like watching your efforts to explain and defend how you could be lumped in with Incredulity while absolutely not insisting you're a duped pawn, only to turn around and dismiss everyone who disagrees with your viewpoints as idiot pawns in a "center-right jerkoff." You're super comfortbale doing what you insist is being done to you. 

I'm not going to bother defending myself as something other than what you think I am, becuase convincing you is a waste of time and serves no purpose, and I'm pretty comfortable with who I am, my actions, and general behavior as a human being at this point. But you and incredulity can get together and boycott a Target or something. 

holy fuck  did you just write something with that amount of idiocy in only two paragraphs?   I can't even.  Esp the hypocrisy on labelling and what started this exchange in the first place.

And now I'm a racist protesting Targets.  Holy fuck.  There's not really much of an effort on my part to explain or defend because your criticism (well, your attempts at trying to lump me in with those you view as stupid) just doesn't land.   And you aren't fucking worth it.  But on thing you're 100% right--the exchange has no purpose.  I might as well just say why don't you go find some brown people to bomb and label them anti-Semitic and call it a day.

[4th&Five 41519]

 

[David Dennison 18851]

24 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

 

Unfortunately, the media loves a horse race.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

 

Edited February 10 by cactusflinthead

[TexEx15 17509]

This is appalling.

[David Dennison 18851]

JFC

[Js1 85297]

2 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

This is appalling.

CNN: but Biden forgot something from 6 years ago so really, Trump ain’t that bad 

[BamaATL 16593]

14 minutes ago, Js1 said:

CNN: but Biden forgot something from 6 years ago so really, Trump ain’t that bad 

Not a damn word on CNN's website as this moment.  Infuriating.  

[Neonmoon 38129]

This country is so fucked 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

 

[tx 3 putt 76880]

Putin’s puppet 

 

[atomheartbevo 89630]

5 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Putin’s puppet 

Republicans cowering and bending the knee and kissing the ring of Alpha Male Putin.

[Js1 85297]

Anyone who still claims the media is biased towards democrats should be kneed in the balls 

[tx 3 putt 76880]

Big picture - this in only Feb Trump. Election is 9 months out, he’s only go grow his nato and round up stories. He’s going to give more and more details. He’ll soon brag about being in constant with putin ….

 

[BamaATL 16593]

21 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

Yes, but is siding with the bad guys in World War 3 REALLY a bigger story than the latest viral dance video on TikTok?

It's a new dance from Psy, I'll be honest, I'd be torn.  I missed out on the initial fun of Gangum Style.  

[tx 3 putt 76880]

 

 

[tx 3 putt 76880]

 

[Red Five 40847]

15 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

[/url]  

I made this exact joke on one of these threads a few days ago. As a joke on what you might see on CNN these days. Like basically word for word.

Edit: Not sure what happened there, other than me trying to post while shitfaced.

Edited February 11 by Red Five
booze

[DigglerontheHoof 21183]

13 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

This is fucking infuriating.