The GQP: Trumpist Death Cult

[Foosters 17939]

NSIAP

 

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

They fucking released her with a piece of paper. 

Well, technically it's standard operating procedure for people-acting-stupid-under-the-influence-of-whiteness.

[RDCanecutter 26564]

I am NATT going to let you put your rules on me I am a woman of GADD.

[Guest Lobo]

7 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Do your thing, Lobo:

dealing with my own version of this shit on my own ISD school board election cycle.  But y'all have at her.  She managed to flunk out of Arizona State.  Which to me is more embarrassing than Boebert needing to get her GED later in life.  

The racist tirade around 1:45 is troubling.  I'm guessing part of her LT School platform is to make it "less diverse."  

I only picked on Marjorie Taylor Greene because she used the word "retarded" a half dozen times in an official Congressional twitter video.  I never thought I'd see that, even after Trump's term.  

[Anastasis 23515]

1 minute ago, Lobo said:

The racist tirade around 1:45 is troubling.  I'm guessing part of her LT School platform is to make it "less diverse."  

 

Addressing the problem of bullying appears to be one of her priority issues.  Can't make that shit up.  My wife won't stop ranting about this stupid bitch and is telling anyone and everyone to go vote against this crazy person. 

[Guest Lobo]

I mean, if somebody wanted to...like a supporter of one of her opponents, or proponent of sanity in school districts (so basically everybody except strugglebus)...they could look into why she left Arizona State University way back when.  They could look into her substance abuse problems.  I don't think addiction is anything to be shamed about, but she was headed to  that Total Wine & Spirits when she had her incident in front of Nordstrom Rack.  She drives all the way out to Sunset Valley because she got tired of being "made" at the Total Wine & Spirits in Bee Cave because a lot of LTISD voters shop there.  Nevermind the prescription drug issues.  Again, it's a disease and she's the victim of it.  But play stupid games with cops and racism, you're gonna invite stupid prizes.  

I wish her all the best in her recovery, but I think it's in everyone's interests that she not get elected this cycle to school board.  Plus she really shouldn't be on campus in her condition.  So sorry this had to be brought to light. 

[Neonmoon 38130]

My favorite part of ignorance is when ignorant people cherry pick what they want to believe. 

In Texas, she is correct, you do not have to identify yourself to a police officer...UNLESS LEGALLY DETAINED. Also, it's not common law, it's statutory law, there's a difference. 

She was accused of assault, and legally detained, thus yes, you dumb asshole, you have to identify yourself. 

Of course she tried to bring race into it because she’s a horrible sack of shit. Just be decent to other people. It’s not that hard. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Neonmoon

[RDCanecutter 26564]

6 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Addressing the problem of bullying appears to be one of her priority issues.  Can't make that shit up.  My wife won't stop ranting about this stupid bitch and is telling anyone and everyone to go vote against this crazy person. 

They'll just elect a different stupid person.

[Beau Vine 54952]

Quote

The MyPillow company, whose CEO Michael Lindell has helped former President Trump peddle baseless claims of widespread election fraud, is counter-suing Dominion Voting Systems over Dominion's defamation lawsuit against MyPillow.

In a federal lawsuit filed Monday in Minnesota seeking more than $1.6 billion in damages, MyPillow accused Dominion of "debasing the legal system" with its efforts to strike back at the right-wing campaign to discredit its voting systems.

"Dominion's purpose is to silence debate; to eliminate any challenge to the 2020 presidential election; and to cancel and destroy anyone who speaks out against Dominion's work on behalf of the government in administering the election," the lawsuit reads.

MyPillow said in its lawsuit that as a result of Lindell's advocacy, its employees have been "canceled" and subject to death threats and harassment.

"This lawsuit is brought in support of the marketplace of ideas and to remedy the grave harm that has been suffered by MyPillow as a result of Dominion's suppression of speech and attacks on the Company," the lawsuit reads.

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Beau Vine

[Red Six 131]

21 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

My favorite part of ignorance is when ignorant people cherry pick what they want to believe. 

In Texas, she is correct, you do not have to identify yourself to a police officer...UNLESS LEGALLY DETAINED. Also, it's not common law, it's statutory law, there's a difference. 

She was accused of assault, and legally detained, thus yes, you dumb asshole, you have to identify yourself. 

Of course she tried to bring race into it because she’s a horrible sack of shit. Just be decent to other people. It’s not that hard. 

Akshually... Texas Penal Code Section 38.02 only requires a person to identify himself if he is arrested. If detained, the offense is only when a person gives a false name, address, or birthdate. An argument could be made that she was under arrest at this time, because the police had probable cause to cite her and her freedom of movement was limited such that a reasonable person would believe she was under arrest. Also, in Texas, almost any offense subjects a person to custodial arrest except, I believe, speeding and open container in an automobile.

But she didn't sign up for this law, and therefore she's free to do whatever she wants, amirite?

I could go into much more detail about her, but the long and short is that she's part of a larger effort by Q's and Q-adjacents -- utilizing the GQP infrastructure -- to win low-turnout local elections and use the offices as a stepping stone to something greater.

[Biff Tannen 45780]

49 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Just be decent to other people. It’s not that hard. 

This is antithetical to the current Republican party platform.

[mchookem 16566]

6 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Answer to this GOP, answer to this. It is on you, not because the blame lies solely with you, but the percentage of the Democratic party that will not sit down and discuss amending gun laws and closing loopholes in this country in good faith is so small as to be a joke compared to the stonewalling and meaningless words that the GOP formulates. "This is the price of freedom," you say as another family, another neighborhood, another community, another state suffers the trauma of physical and mental wounds that last a lifetime.

We all know risk, it is a choice we make every single day but you have put us before a firing squad of your own devising; in the name of votes, in the name of arms sales, in the name of cowardice when faced with doing what is right. You did everything in your power to take away people's access to healthcare, and all but loaded the weapon and pressed the trigger. Sure, the young man made his choice but he was in a mental prison that you constructed. Shame. Forever shame.

 

from the article...

"We can't continue living with the constant threat of gun violence everywhere we go," said Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., whose district includes Indianapolis. "It's not normal. It will never be normal..."

🤣🤣🤣 how adorable

 

[Upgrayedd 5827]

2 hours ago, Lobo said:

She managed to flunk out of Arizona State.  Which to me is more embarrassing than Boebert needing to get her GED later in life.  

Well screw you buddy.

[Guest Lobo]

Hey, nothing against ASU.  Know several grads from there.  Just picking on her, not because of the fact she went there, but of why she flunked out.  

[Beau Vine 54952]

1 minute ago, Lobo said:

Hey, nothing against ASU.  Know several grads from there.  Just picking on her, not because of the fact she went there, but of why she flunked out.  

Hey now, plenty of ASU students go on to have productive careers after flunking out.

[Brisketexan 105647]

1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

This is antithetical to the current Republican party platform.

It's antithetical to the ONLY thing IN the GQP platform: be a dick.  You can be for or against any number of actual policies, it really doesn't matter.  So long as you 1) are a raging asshole to others, and 2) are never NOT a raging asshole to others (a sign of unacceptable weakness and insufficient lib-owning), you're golden.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 hour ago, RDCanecutter said:

They'll just elect a different stupid person.

Sadly, this.

1 hour ago, Red Six said:

 the long and short is that she's part of a larger effort by Q's and Q-adjacents -- utilizing the GQP infrastructure -- to win low-turnout local elections and use the offices as a stepping stone to something greater.

and this.

As I've mentioned on Surly, I have spent many hours volunteering within our childrens' school district. I've been through the tenure of three superintendents, and numerous changeovers in school board members. Some have been dim bulbs, some of have been meh, some have been pretty good, but I am keeping my eye out for more extremist types masquerading as sane adults. Through working on various committees on campuses, one gets an idea of the type of principal, faculty, or other staff with whom one must accomplish things. Same with the school board when working on district wide committees such as bond issue, data performance, boundary issues, etc. It doesn't take too long to figure out who ran for sb member to smooth the path for their precious and the friends of their precious (the rest of the students are of little concern), who is interested in a efficient and well-run district, who is the penny-pincher who would like to gut the music program and stick a bandage on the leaky roof because taxes, and lastly who is using the board as a launch pad. Some of these categories have cross-over, but sitting in the wings prior to the meeting and keeping the mouth closed, one hears no end of information upon which to judge when later applied in context.

It's not secret that is what is going on as @Red Six says, it was brought up earlier for precisely this reason and people need to pay attention. Seriously. For the long term and the short term effects, both locally and nationwide.

I went through a very heated boundary adjustment more than once in our district, and much of what we see playing out nationwide with the police, with housing, with everything, has a very long foundation (of which you are aware) in education. It brings out the best, but frequently the worst, in people. Because it involves their children. Any environment and especially a competitive one (and education is essentially competing on multiple levels) will bring out the real underlying sentiment in a hurry. The smarter people, especially ones trying to get whatever goals they have in mind for preserving their bubble, will couch everything in society approved terms but when the rubber meets the road, they will cuuuuuut you. I watched friendships dissolve, entire neighborhoods go to war with each other when a line was drawn in the middle for two campuses, had a friend I made through committee work receive thinly veiled threats from another parent at her home, and watched as other parents gave smug condolences to those who were carved out of the campus they wanted. Lawsuits threatened, it just gets ugly. Don't even mention bussing the wealthier students, lawd a mercy, that is untouchable. Our area has charter schools, however, so bussing isn't brought up anymore because those parents would just leave and there goes the money.

Texas has maybe seven school districts out of the entire state that even adjust for socioeconomic status within the district much less multiple districts. Socioeconomic status is one way that a district can circumvent prohibitions about using racial demographics to try and provide diversity. So whenever a boundary adjustment occurs, many parents with money either flee or fight because that is what they see as a threat, or to put in America First terms: a threat on their way of life.

It was never an issue for us because we are involved in making as many campuses successful as we can, and we have always kept our children at the campus with the higher percentage of low socioeconomic students. A choice which befuddled some of our friends, but you either get it or you don't. You don't make a school better by abandoning it, you roll up your sleeves and make it better.

Sorry, that was a rant and one I've made before. Keep an eye out for the Q/America First/extremists they are coming to take over the government from the ground up.

[elfenix 34389]

5 hours ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:

 

joke's on them:

 

[Bozo_Casanova 26689]

3 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

https://www.karabellforltisd.com/about

"born in Ohio and raised in California"

Like we didn't have enough of our own native crazies. 

[wildcat09 29453]

3 minutes ago, elfenix said:

joke's on them:

 

I was going to say, what's the point of paying her $2 million when she thinks she's prohibited by ethics rules from discussing her thoughts about the law?

[elfenix 34389]

2 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

My favorite part of ignorance is when ignorant people cherry pick what they want to believe. 

In Texas, she is correct, you do not have to identify yourself to a police officer...UNLESS LEGALLY DETAINED. Also, it's not common law, it's statutory law, there's a difference. 

She was accused of assault, and legally detained, thus yes, you dumb asshole, you have to identify yourself. 

Of course she tried to bring race into it because she’s a horrible sack of shit. Just be decent to other people. It’s not that hard. 

i wonder if all these common law sovereign citizen types realize that common law is made by judges?

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

2 minutes ago, elfenix said:

i wonder if all these common law sovereign citizen types realize that common law is made by judges?

Isn't it about time we did away with common law, and started making exceptional, even outstanding, law instead?

[NameAlreadyInUse 5139]

On 4/17/2021 at 5:56 PM, Bullneck said:

Clay Clark?  "Health?"  This guy"

I see "General Michael Flynn" is going to be there.  He's wearing his uniform in his photo.  He must be a patriot.

What is it with this new round of conservative talkers who make official posed photos of the Stanley Kubrik villain pose?  They are straight up telling you they are the villain in the story and yet conservatives still follow them around like they are Pinky or General Disarray.  And this is the same group that claims to be the people all about morality.  The thing I've struggled with more than anything is how people of the supposedly strongest morals were so thoroughly taken in by this nonsense.

 

 

On 4/17/2021 at 2:32 PM, Francisco 2.0 said:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/04/15/republican-party-big-business-georgia-voting-rights-conservative-481978

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Over the weekend, Sonnenfeld hastily organized a Zoom conference with roughly 100 major corporate executives to talk through the voter restrictions being considered by state legislatures throughout the country, and about the way top Republicans like McConnell and Ted Cruz are responding with attacks on businesses that speak up in opposition.

Most of the CEOs on the call were Republicans; Sonnenfeld himself has been an informal adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents, but he has a longstanding relationship with McConnell, and spoke at the senator’s wedding to Elaine Chao. The CEOs “ranged from amused to outraged” in their reaction to the GOP attacks on businesses, says Sonnenfeld. “Their comments ranged from talk about ‘taxation without representation’ to the paradox of ‘cancel culture’: It’s OK if they speak out, but only as long as they stay on script?”

As the GOP tries to position itself as the home of “working-class values,” capturing loyalty with a steady campaign against the perceived excesses of progressive culture, it’s running afoul of a business community that can’t simply silo off “culture war” topics. In the eyes of major corporations, issues like voting rights, immigration and transgender-inclusive restrooms have economic impact, too. The millions of people alienated by those fights aren’t just their future customers, many of whom expect to support brands they believe in, they’re the companies’ employees. 

“The bad news for Republicans is that they seem to have a 1920s view of who Big Business’ workforce is,” says Sonnenfeld. “That workforce is, at a minimum, highly diverse—and they get along. Trying to stir that up is misguided.”

The new Republican penchant for mocking corporations for being too socially aware—for instance, Sen. Ted Cruz’s Twitter threat to use the power of the state to harm Major League Baseball’s business, signing the message off with “go woke, go broke”—fundamentally misunderstands what matters to business in the 21st century, says Sonnenfeld. “Basically, business leaders believe that it’s in the interest of society to have social harmony. ... Divisiveness in society is not in their interest, short term or long term.”

If the marriage between the Republican Party and the business community is on the rocks, what does that mean for politics? What do we misunderstand about what really matters to CEOs? And why aren’t business executives more afraid of boycott threats from the right?

For answers to all of that and more, POLITICO Magazine spoke with Sonnenfeld this week. A condensed transcript of that conversation follows, edited for length and clarity.

In the last couple of weeks, we've seen major business come out in strong opposition to changes to election law in Georgia and other states. Over the weekend, you helped organize a phone call with around 100 corporate leaders to discuss it all. Tell me about that. 

Yes. As anxiety was rising, I invited 120 CEOs on 48 hours’ notice. I thought that if I was lucky—on such short notice, and on a Saturday competing with the Masters [golf tournament]—we’d get maybe 10 to show up, thanks to my personal relationships. But 90 actual CEOs and business leaders showed up, and 120 people were on the call, including the various election and legal experts.

There were some who are interested in trying to find out what happened in Georgia. There was an explanation by the Georgia business leaders of how, in fact, they were working assiduously backstage [on the Republican bills to overhaul election laws in the state] and thought they’d taken out 95 percent of the bad stuff. It turned out they'd gotten 80 percent out; they didn’t realize that left in there was the [legislature having the ability to suspend] county officials who are elected to be in charge of voting. As was pointed out, the Carter Center in Atlanta certifies elections around the world as being democratic or undemocratic on just that basis; they have poll watchers around the world to prevent this kind of thing.

But Georgia was not the focus; that was just the warning shot. The volley over the bow is that we had business leaders from Texas saying, “You don’t know what bad is,” and looking at this spread [of voting rights restrictions] to 47 state legislatures. Michael Waldman, the head of the Brennan Center, gave an analysis of how bad [the proposals are] in these different states. 

This November, for the first time in American history, [major business leaders] worked to guarantee millions of workers paid time off to vote. We've never had that before—and that's a bypass around government, with its inability to make Election Day a national holiday. So they created their own workarounds. But on top of that, they were really proud that they managed to have—these particular companies—over a million workers with a full day off not only to vote, but to help fortify elderly voting-site volunteers who were at risk for Covid and [had to handle] the tidal wave of ballots. They did so much, and they were so proud that this was the largest, fairest, most secure election in U.S. history. And to have [the election] condemned [by Republicans] after the companies put so much into ensuring that, they're pretty upset.

 

What was the reaction among CEOs to all the recent criticism from Republicans?

Well, they ranged from amused to outraged. Their comments ranged from talk about “taxation without representation” to the paradox of “cancel culture”: It’s OK if they speak out, but only as long as they stay on script?

I think the clarion call that actually got this ridiculously high participation rate on such short notice was, in fact, Senator Mitch McConnell’s paradoxical call to action for CEOs. [Last week, McConnell gave a speech in which he told corporations to “stay out of politics,” with the caveat that he did not mean that they should stop making campaign contributions.]

Despite your extraordinary range of Washington contacts, I bet I’m the only person you’ve interviewed that actually spoke at Mitch McConnell’s wedding. Only three of us spoke: It was the ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, the ambassador to Taiwan, me—and maybe Elaine [Chao’s] father. I have a nice relationship with Mitch. I admire him, and I’m glad he walked back his statement. It missed the mark.

The CEOs were across the political spectrum. But one thing they were unified about was their right to have a voice, and the importance of fortifying each other when they get out in front on an issue. 

It is kind of like 2017 after Charlottesville, when Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier spoke out against President Trump’s failure to condemn white supremacist hate groups and left Trump’s American Manufacturing Council. At first, the business community wasn’t sure if they were all going to leave [Trump’s various business advisory councils]. But some, like Dave Abney, the chairman of UPS, said Trump’s attack on the character of Ken Frazier [after Frazier resigned] was unjustified. And the Business Roundtable came out with a statement from more than 200 business leaders. They rallied around one another. That was remarkable. It was a clarifying moment, and they came out to make a unified statement—and that’s why we’re here right now.

 

Earlier you told me something that I can’t let pass by: You spoke at Mitch McConnell’s wedding?

Yeah. I’ve known them for a long time. And I’ve been friends with Elaine for some 40 years. [Pause] It’s never been mentioned anywhere before. I thought I owed you that. [Laughter]

 

I appreciate it. You mentioned this wide range of political beliefs among the business leaders on the call. I imagine that many of those CEOs are somewhat conservative. Are they alienated from the GOP? How would you characterize their politics right now?

Yes, this group was about 70 percent Republican and easily 60 percent conservative, even if they are Democrats. It was a clear act of defiance just to be on the call. But that doesn’t mean that they all agree with each other on the different options available for corporate response. 

What we're seeing right now from business leaders is sort of this gangly return to adolescence to say, “We're not going to be defined by the parentage of either political party.” Lord knows who misclassified very honorable, legitimate social democrats as “progressives.” Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, AOC—[it's] great what they do, but they’re social democrats; not “progressives.” Progressives—Teddy Roosevelt ran on that ticket. So did “Fighting Bob” LaFollette, a Republican senator [and 1924 Progressive Party presidential nominee], with Burton Wheeler, a Democratic senator, as his running mate. They were fighting for bridges and dams and immigration, for urban beautification, the settlement houses of Jane Addams, safe workplaces.

That’s what “progressivism” is and was. And that’s the theory [that animates] Joe Biden and Mayor Pete [Buttigieg] and Amy Klobuchar and maybe Mitt Romney. That’s who progressives are. And that’s where the business community is: They’re pretty much somewhere between Mitt Romney and Joe Biden.

 

Are there other issues where business leaders feel alienated from the GOP, or is it mainly around these questions of having a basic functioning democracy?

The business leaders, to a person, were trying to explain: They don’t like being politicians. They’re not public officials. But trying to create and fortify social harmony is absolutely directly in the strategic context of what CEOs do—although the Wall Street Journal editorial board [which has been critical of business leaders for speaking out against the Georgia law] doesn’t seem to understand that.

Since [Herbert] Hoover, the Republican Party has been identified as the party of Big Business. Well, the bad news for Republicans is that they seem to have a 1920s view of who Big Business’ workforce is. Whatever they have in mind when they think of “Joe Six-Pack,” the reality is really different. That workforce is, at a minimum, highly diverse — and they get along. Trying to stir that up [in a “culture war”] is misguided. The business community’s interests are not to be xenophobic. It’s not in their interests to be isolationist. It’s not in their interests to be protectionist. And the GOP, those haven’t been their positions, at least since the 1950s. But now they are.

Basically, business leaders believe that it’s in the interest of society to have social harmony. The CEOs really care about these issues. Divisiveness in society is not in their interest—short term or long term. They don’t want angry communities; they don’t want fractious, finger-pointing workforces; they don’t want hostile customers; they don’t want confused and angry shareholders. 

The political desire to use wedge issues to divide—which used to be fringe in the GOP—has become mainstream. State by state, party has taken that path. That is 100 percent at variance with what the business community wants. And that is a million times more important to them than how many dollars of taxes are paid here or there. 

If [corporate tax rates] go from 34 percent to 27 percent instead of 22 percent, they’re way less concerned about that. There’s too much focus on taxes. On taxes, what we’re seeing is, in fact, CEOs are willing to concede. There’s a lot of ground there. You’ll get anywhere from [JPMorgan Chase CEO] Jamie Dimon and Bill Gates to Jeff Bezos saying, “We'll give a couple of dollars on tax.”

They’re interested in free markets—whether or not that’s product markets, financial markets or labor markets. It’s about the image and reality of America: “Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,” Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statue of Liberty. That’s the spirit of it. But it’s also this: If the U.S. is not seen as a comfortable, attractive magnet for the world’s best talent, we’re in trouble. We don’t want all this technological expertise to be siphoned away to our trading partners, and that’s starting to happen. 

[Business leaders] are upset about immigration policies. Around this time last year and into the summer, the universities were somewhat inept in their lobbying efforts [on the issue], and even the immigration attorneys were underperforming. They were kind of relying on the same K Street nomadic lobbyists who hop around from place to place, shun controversy, don’t want to create waves, who were kind of checking boxes but not having a meaningful impact. It was the business leaders, four major tech companies in particular, who went off to see Jared Kushner—and I know this point blank; I was in the middle of it, and this has not been out there, by the way—and say, “You can’t condemn us for outsourcing this work to China or India if we can’t bring these highly skilled workers here. We’re already now leasing space in Vancouver and Toronto, and we’re working on wiring the infrastructure so this will be on U.S. time zones. If we can’t get [these skilled workers] into the U.S., we’re still going to function as a North American company with the talent we need.”

They have different priorities [than the Republican Party seems to think]. They’re upset about the [anti-LGBTQ] “bathroom bills.” They’re upset about gun violence; hundreds of companies severed ties with the NRA or stopped dealing in semiautomatic weapons—from Walmart to Dick’s Sporting Goods. As we talk about “regulatory rollbacks” during the Trump administration, they were almost entirely EPA-directed; nobody was lobbying for that in corporate America. With the automakers, it became the entire industry fighting the [Trump-era] EPA, saying, “We like working with California. We think that in addition to what we’re doing with hybrids and [electric vehicles], we are pretty sure that we can get a 50-mile per gallon efficiency in the old-fashioned internal combustion engine. Don’t stop us.” So [Attorney General Bill] Barr was told to unleash the antitrust division to sue the auto industry for conspiring in [agreeing to stricter environmental standards]. It was ridiculous.

 

You’ve spent a lot of your time at Yale working with business leaders and studying how they think. I’m curious how a CEO makes the calculation of whether or not it makes sense to speak out about an issue. Can you walk me through that?

 

Yeah, there are five parts, really. 

First, they have to know what is in the strategic interests of the business. As a steward of other people’s resources, they have to be mindful that it can’t just be their personal values alone—and when it is, then they have to be willing to put their job on the line, as Ken Frazier did at Merck [following Trump’s comments after Charlottesville]. 

Second: Is it a defining element of their brand? How does it reinforce their brand and their brand values? Google retreated from China because of invasions of privacy and theft of intellectual property. They drew a line in the sand about what their brand is. Frankly, Apple did not. 

Third: If the issue itself is divisive, who else is involved and why? With these [anti-transgender] “bathroom bills,” the companies that led the charge against the euphemistic “religious freedom” acts in Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas — amazingly — were AT&T, UPS and Doug McMillon [the CEO] of Walmart. They were out front. I mean, Patagonia was there, Howard Schultz of Starbucks was there, Nike was there, Tim Cook of Apple was there, but they joined later. It had such force because these were not considered political extremists or edgier companies; this was coming from the heartland. When companies like that get involved, it has an effect.

Fourth: Is the particular issue one where remaining silent is itself a stance? On many of these issues—such as voting access, or whether the president was elected in a truly honest election—there's no middle ground; it’s a dichotomous yes or no. Some companies waffle, trying not to make enemies. You can’t get away with that anymore. Your silence is acquiescence; it is a decision. You’re making a decision: Your silence is a decision. And when you recognize that, some of these issues are so salient and so critical that you have to take a position. 

Fifth: We know from surveys that the CEO is the most trusted voice in society right now. That wasn’t the case [years ago]. Right now, both your line of work and my line of work have lost a step [in the public eye]. Elected officials at every level—city, county, state, federal—have all been knocked down a peg. Clergy? Lord knows their standing has suffered. 

Whose standing has not only been steady, but actually, weirdly, gone up in all these polls that usually agree on very little else? Business leaders and military leaders. They are the most respected pillars in society—and the military can’t have a political voice, so [business leaders] realize they have to speak up. If they see a dangerous slide toward anti-democratic or tyrannical movements, they have to speak up, and it’s in their own self-interest.

 

And how do they consider the potential risks of coming out with a stance, like the potential for a boycott?

 

We’re seeing a courage for business leaders to speak out and not worry about being criticized as “woke” or as pressured. They have learned they can take courageous stands and maybe muscle their way through it. The blowback, they’ve learned to anticipate it. Boycotts? They have gotten through that. Some of them, like Nike, realized that they could wear it as a badge of honor.

When Matt Levatich of Harley-Davidson had to try to get product into Asia, because of retaliatory trade barriers that made it difficult to get Harley-Davidsons in Asia—this was Trump’s initiative—he had to shut down their plant in Kansas City. They still had one Racine, Wisconsin. They still had one York, Pennsylvania. But they had to shut this one down to create products inAsia for Asia. President Trump said, “Boycott Harley-Davidson.” My gosh. That’s like boycotting apple pie, baseball and Coca-Cola. I mean, the iconic symbol of Harley-Davidson is the American eagle, of all things. The president says not to buy Harley. Well, who is their only real pernicious competitor? It’s Hero Honda, which has a much larger market share worldwide. This is “Make America Great Again”? 

Same thing with what Trump did with Goodyear tires: Goodyear has had a long-standing, decades-old policy of not allowing [employees to wear] political campaign paraphernalia in the workplace. So Trump went after Goodyear [in protest of them not allowing employees to wear MAGA merchandise at work], saying, “Don’t buy Goodyear tires,” telling people to buy the competition. Well, who’s that? It’s not U.S.-based companies: It’s Italian-owned Pirelli and French-owned Michelin in Europe; it’s Japanese-owned Firestone-Bridgestone in Asia. It’s counterproductive. 

CEOs have learned to not be afraid of these boycotts. They have to take positions.

Even when you’re really beholden to very strong individual clients [the loss of which] can hurt a professional partnership, you might think they would worry [about speaking out]. But you take a look at somebody like, say, Brad Karp of [the white-shoe law firm] Paul, Weiss: Over the last week, he has 60-some of the nation's largest law firms banded together, ready at a moment’s notice to have SWAT teams of election law experts fanned out to any of these states considering legislation to restrict voting rights. They have the confidence to work collaboratively as problem solvers.

 

Last question: In terms of its political involvement, where do you see business going from here?

 

So the huge takeaway is that there are things that are specific to their industry that they can do that aren’t just uniform policy statements—as we saw with Apple and Will Smith this week [announcing they’re pulling the filming of a new movie out of Georgia in protest of the state’s new voting laws]. Some of my colleagues and people in the social advocacy fields want to have these grandiose policy statements and all these petitions. OK, great, fine. But there’s actually a whole menu of actions available that are specific to the companies. And a lot of it’ll be driven through the collective action of people who have a shared fate. 

We see this with airline industry getting together, or companies within Georgia or Arkansas or Texas getting together—wherever they have a shared fate. We’re seeing business communities finding a new sense of collective civic duty. And I have the utmost enthusiasm about that.

 

 

I was reading this and thinking "From your lips to God's ears, Politico."  This needs to be true or we're eventually lost.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

With respect to Barrett, I saw a comment that the book is supposed to be about how judges are not supposed to bring their personal feelings into how they rule, which seems rather em, extra at this point in time.

Also: Wow, these guys are amazing sometimes. The part about the land in Arizona, that "literally no one wanted." ORLY? Does he think relocation only occurred from east to west on the Trail of Tears?

 

[wildcat09 29453]

Arizona would be totally unlivable if it weren't for an enormous federal infrastructure project that isn't even in Arizona.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 minute ago, wildcat09 said:

Arizona would be totally unlivable if it weren't for an enormous federal infrastructure project that isn't even in Arizona.

He doubled down in later tweets and said people were ignorant and that there was a museum in Mesa (I think) that lays out all the history. Um, Tyler, tell me who built the museum and curated it and then we'll see because there is a museum in Kentucky where dinosaurs and humans also "worked together."

[mchookem 16566]

i guess later on he tweeted this...

which...yeah okay, all those cultures contributed to the settlement of this country, sure...but when talking about groups that are basically the core of the history and culture of this country, i'd argue that you have FOUR major groups...

Europeans (which include ALL of those he mentions), African/slaves, Mexicans, and Native Americans.

the pie chart has a lot of wedges, but some of the biggest ones aren't who he thinks. 

[Brisketexan 105647]

9 minutes ago, mchookem said:

i guess later on he tweeted this...

which...yeah okay, all those cultures contributed to the settlement of this country, sure...but when talking about groups that are basically the core of the history and culture of this country, i'd argue that you have FOUR major groups...

Europeans (which include ALL of those he mentions), African/slaves, Mexicans, and Native Americans.

the pie chart has a lot of wedges, but some of the biggest ones aren't who he thinks. 

America is diverse -- we were influenced by ALL KINDS of white people!

[Bozo_Casanova 26689]

Country AND Western

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

8 minutes ago, mchookem said:

i guess later on he tweeted this...

which...yeah okay, all those cultures contributed to the settlement of this country, sure...but when talking about groups that are basically the core of the history and culture of this country, i'd argue that you have FOUR major groups...

Europeans (which include ALL of those he mentions), African/slaves, Mexicans, and Native Americans.

the pie chart has a lot of wedges, but some of the biggest ones aren't who he thinks. 

Agree.

And as you pointed out, he mentions Spanish, which is not the same as Mexico, which itself brought various cultures. Nor are all Native Americans the same culturally any more than Asians are. Just very very myopic of him to broad brush this. Yes, white settlers worked hard and did much for this country, but one cannot distill it down to just that w/o acknowledging all the rest. It's like his version of melting pot soup leaves out everything but his white meat.

[Pescado_Rojo 19454]

I noticed he left out the Irish..

Edited April 19, 2021 by Pescado_Rojo

[Blotto 23732]

4 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I noticed he left out the Irish..

 

[Js1 85835]

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

"born in Ohio and raised in California"

Like we didn't have enough of our own native crazies. 

I thought Republicans don’t want their Texas California’d?

[hookemATL 11996]

3 minutes ago, Js1 said:

I thought Republicans don’t want their Texas California’d?

Yes but her PACI (Performative Aggrieved Cunt Index) score is off the charts, making her a model GQPer. 

[tx 3 putt 77974]

9 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

I don't even know which thread to post this in, other than ALL OF THEM!!!

 

 

lake travis area is close 2nd to the woodlands for the Karen capital of Texas !

[tx 3 putt 77974]

6 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

"born in Ohio and raised in California"

Like we didn't have enough of our own native crazies. 

[burntorangebongos 10787]

Bitch running for school board? oh nah, nope. 

[Guest Lobo]

Speaking of school board Trumpers running for office.  I got an invitation to come here a candidate for my school board speak tonight or tomorrow night about diversity and inclusion.  Why it's important, but why my school district is going about it all the wrong way including the commission of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Jews, and LGBTQ+ stakeholders is handling things.  So I look at the link.  The fucking guy's name is Nigel.  I'm sure he means well and all, but in this day and age...if you're gonna take the "I know more about DEI than these other folks" and your name is Nigel..maybe just remember that politics is about imagery.  I'm sure he's a swell candidate. 

[SydneyCarton 48409]

7 hours ago, Lobo said:

Speaking of school board Trumpers running for office.  I got an invitation to come here a candidate for my school board speak tonight or tomorrow night about diversity and inclusion.  Why it's important, but why my school district is going about it all the wrong way including the commission of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Jews, and LGBTQ+ stakeholders is handling things.  So I look at the link.  The fucking guy's name is Nigel.  I'm sure he means well and all, but in this day and age...if you're gonna take the "I know more about DEI than these other folks" and your name is Nigel..maybe just remember that politics is about imagery.  I'm sure he's a swell candidate. 

Hear

[Guest Lobo]

Yeah man, made a typo at 11pm after some yardwork and a few beers.  You got me.    

Edited April 20, 2021 by Lobo

[SydneyCarton 48409]

2 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yeah man, made a typo at 11pm after some yardwork and a few beers.  You got me.    

[Hefeweizen 5361]

7 hours ago, Lobo said:

Speaking of school board Trumpers running for office.  I got an invitation to come here a candidate for my school board speak tonight or tomorrow night about diversity and inclusion.  Why it's important, but why my school district is going about it all the wrong way including the commission of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Jews, and LGBTQ+ stakeholders is handling things.  So I look at the link.  The fucking guy's name is Nigel.  I'm sure he means well and all, but in this day and age...if you're gonna take the "I know more about DEI than these other folks" and your name is Nigel..maybe just remember that politics is about imagery.  I'm sure he's a swell candidate. 

He and Jen Stevens are trumpets trying to sabotage Eanes.  Hopefully we’ve done enough to get Spradley and Champagne reelected, because the two of those trumpies are poison for a school board.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19246]

So Kara Bell has protected the tweets on her Kara Bell for LTISD account.  Can you do that?

Did the same on her personal twitter as well.  

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

3 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

So Kara Bell has protected the tweets on her Kara Bell for LTISD account.  Can you do that?

Did the same on her personal twitter as well.  

I would think just as a candidate, yes. Once you hold office, though, that's a big "nope".

[Cousin Strawberry 1263]

I totally missed the "Q" in her twitter handle. Kara Bell, from Lake Travis, is one crazy bitch.

 

 

[Biff Tannen 45780]

8 minutes ago, Cousin Strawberry said:

I totally missed the "Q" in her twitter handle. Kara Bell, from Lake Travis, is one crazy bitch.

 

 

Odds Q is actually her middle initial?

[atomheartbevo 90119]

9 minutes ago, Cousin Strawberry said:

I totally missed the "Q" in her twitter handle. Kara Bell, from Lake Travis, is one crazy bitch.

[BrickHorn 18333]

1 minute ago, Biff Tannen said:

Odds Q is actually her middle initial?

She doesn’t have to tell you that. Is she being detained? I won’t be bullied by your lies!

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19246]

45 minutes ago, Walden Ponderer said:

I would think just as a candidate, yes. Once you hold office, though, that's a big "nope".

I am really disappointed that everything is protected.  Thank goodness Jenna has kept hers up.

[A-Tex Devil 2468]

1 hour ago, Hefeweizen said:

He and Jen Stevens are trumpets trying to sabotage Eanes.  Hopefully we’ve done enough to get Spradley and Champagne reelected, because the two of those trumpies are poison for a school board.

I’ve had friends cross paths with the Stouts.  They are pariahs in their neighborhood. Their neighbors had an HOA sports court.    Stouts had objected but lost.  

When neighbors put house for sale, Stouts put a massive sign in their backyard, visible from street saying “Buyer Beware.  Call [number]”.  Basically interfering with sale because they didn’t like the sports court.  Just total a total dick move.