American Politics / Current Events Thread

[avatar! | 1,827]

I definitely don't think anyone has to agree with Dole's stances nor am I saying he would have made a good president, but it seems like he was a good person. He certainly served his country well...

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/05/politics/bob-dole-dies/index.html

"Bob was an American statesman like few in our history. A war hero and among the greatest of the Greatest Generation. And to me, he was also a friend whom I could look to for trusted guidance, or a humorous line at just the right moment to settle frayed nerves," Biden said. "I will miss my friend. But I am grateful for the times we shared, and for the friendship Jill and I and our family have built with Liddy and the entire Dole family."

[avatar! | 1,827]

School Tries to Explain How It Missed Shooter Warning Signs

https://www.thedailybeast.com/oxford-school-tries-to-explain-how-it-missed-ethan-crumbleys-warning-signs

In a letter released Saturday, Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne admitted that school officials accepted Ethan Crumbley’s explanations into why he was looking at pictures of bullets on his phone and had drawn violent images and statements—and then sent him to class when his parents refused to take him home. “Given the fact that the child had no prior disciplinary infractions, the decision was made [that] he would be returned to the classroom rather than sent home to an empty house,” Throne wrote. “These incidents remained at the guidance counselor level and were never elevated to the principal or assistant principal’s office.”

Translation: Hey! I'm the principal and it ain't my fuckin' fault!! Sue these mother-effin counselors if you want, hell, I'm throwing them under the bus here for ya!!

“The student was immediately removed from the classroom and brought to the guidance counselor’s office where he claimed the drawing was part of a video game he was designing and informed counselors that he planned to pursue video game design as a career. The student’s parents were also called in,” Throne wrote.

Translation: I told you, the mother-effin guidance counselor is at fault!! Don't you dare sue my ass!

“While we understand this decision has caused anger, confusion and prompted understandable questioning, the counselors made a judgment based on their professional training and clinical experience and did not have all the facts we now know,” he wrote.

Translation: mother-effin guidnace counselors...

Throne said he has “personally asked for a third-party review of all the events of the past week because our community and our families deserve a full, transparent accounting of what occurred.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel publicly responded to Throne on Sunday morning, saying her office was willing to conduct a “full and comprehensive” investigation. In a tweet, she revealed that her staff had reached out to the lawyer for the school district.

Translation: I double-dog dare you to sue us! Go ahead, you'll pay for it! Yeah, we did nuffin' wrong... (silently) effin counselors...

[avatar! | 1,827]

 

[avatar! | 1,827]

Horrible...

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/12/us/survivors-deadly-storm-kentucky/index.html

If any VGS members were affected by the tornado, first I hope you are safe and healthy. Second, if you need something, perhaps even just a video game or something, send me a message, I would be happy to help in whatever way I can...

[Silent Hill | 276]

On 12/6/2021 at 1:10 PM, avatar! said:

 

lol "reign of terror". Even the CNN article points out that many other states already have 'State Defense Forces'.

Nothing to see here. 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Just here to say Fuck Rand Paul, that sniveling little gutless bitch. 
 

Phony ass libertarian lol

Screw all the other states, but if something bad happens to Kentucky, standing there with his hand out. 
 

I hope another neighbor beats his ass (again)

[avatar! | 1,827]

UPDATE: SF Mayor London Breed Announces Crime Crackdown; ‘Less Tolerant Of All The Bulls–t That Has Destroyed Our City’

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/12/15/mayor-breed-orders-crackdown-on-crime-in-san-franciscos-tenderloin-neighborhood/

Word on the net is that people in SF are leaving their cars open so that thieves see there is nothing worth taking and therefore do not break windows etc! I'll ask our resident Franciscan, @MrWunderful how true is that?

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

10 hours ago, avatar! said:

UPDATE: SF Mayor London Breed Announces Crime Crackdown; ‘Less Tolerant Of All The Bulls–t That Has Destroyed Our City’

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/12/15/mayor-breed-orders-crackdown-on-crime-in-san-franciscos-tenderloin-neighborhood/

Word on the net is that people in SF are leaving their cars open so that thieves see there is nothing worth taking and therefore do not break windows etc! I'll ask our resident Franciscan, @MrWunderful how true is that?

Thats actually been common practice for about 20 years lol. My uncle lived on Baker and haight since the late 90s, and he has done it off and on since then. 
 

I dont believe that its something that is exclusive to SF though, ive heard about others in big cities doing that as well. 
 

I still think its overblown though mostly by right wing outlets because its an easy way to make gullible people hate things. 
 

that being said, I am happy she is cracking down on it.

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

Lots of press about major tech moving from Cali to TX. Tesla, Apple, etc. Gonna be interesting in a few years when they start going blue after all the blue voting employees keep moving in. They are already knocking on the door of going purple. Might completely flip in 10 years.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

4 minutes ago, Kguillemette said:

Lots of press about major tech moving from Cali to TX. Tesla, Apple, etc. Gonna be interesting in a few years when they start going blue after all the blue voting employees keep moving in. They are already knocking on the door of going purple. Might completely flip in 10 years.

They arent really moving, just expanding. In silicon valley, there is still hundreds of billions in the pipe for new construction, and TI remodels. Not to mention fiber infrastructure, data centers etc. I wish more people would move though lol. To many god damn people around here

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

6 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

They arent really moving, just expanding. In silicon valley, there is still hundreds of billions in the pipe for new construction, and TI remodels. Not to mention fiber infrastructure, data centers etc. I wish more people would move though lol. To many god damn people around here

Either way, if democrats manage to control Texas, it's game over for an entire generation. 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Just now, Kguillemette said:

Either way, if democrats manage to control Texas, it's game over for an entire generation. 

Good. If texas wises up and votes blue, hopefully the rest of the dominos will fall and we can abolish the electoral college and have the popular vote rule. Maybe then the Trumporrist wing of GOP will die, and insurrectionist republicans will never get elected again. 

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-joe-biden-confirmed-more-110006926.html

 

I know it's not the sexiest headline grabbing thing like the major sweeping policies, but this is probably the most effective and consequential thing a president can do. This will shape the nation for decades to come and keep balance within the nation.

[Tulpa | 3,534]

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-touted-vaccines-too-old-find-obscure-website-candace-owens-2021-12?amp

"Trump told Candace Owens in an interview last week that vaccines protect people and won't kill anyone.

In response, Owens, who is anti-vax, told Instagram followers it was because Trump is "old."

His generation doesn't try to find alternative information or "obscure websites" online, she said"

So Trump got vaccinated awhile back (along with Biden and others) and while it made the news, it wasn't a huge thing when it was reported.

He mentioned it at a rally earlier this year, and got booed. Same thing happened with his tour with O'Reilly (both said they got boosters and encouraged others to do so.)

Now his base is caught up in this, some angry he took it, others saying he didn't, that it was saline, and that he's playing 5D chess or something. Biden praising Trump for Operation Warp Speed was another thing they're twisted up about.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Tulpa

[Tulpa | 3,534]

https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-rioters-called-pelosis-office-for-lost-and-found-raskin-2022-1?amp

Rioters were calling "asking whether there was a lost and found because they forgot their phone there, or they left their purse or what have you," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., told Insider on Friday in a Q&A.

Police officers swiftly took down information from the callers, Raskin said.

"The officers quickly got on the phone and said, yeah, just give us your name, your address, your social, you know, and we'll tie up those loose ends," Raskin said. "But what's so fascinating to me about that there really were people who felt as if they had been summoned to Washington by the president."

[avatar! | 1,827]

Texas rabbi: Captor grew "belligerent" late in standoff

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hostages-safe-texas-synagogue-standoff-065256937.html

A rabbi who was among four people held hostage at a Texas synagogue said Sunday that their captor grew “increasingly belligerent and threatening” toward the end of the 10-hour standoff, which ended with an FBI SWAT team rushing into the building and the captor's death.

Phew, so glad none of the hostages were hurt!

[Californication | 1,481]

On 12/21/2021 at 10:05 AM, Kguillemette said:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-joe-biden-confirmed-more-110006926.html

 

I know it's not the sexiest headline grabbing thing like the major sweeping policies, but this is probably the most effective and consequential thing a president can do. This will shape the nation for decades to come and keep balance within the nation.

I mean it's a drop in the bucket at this point. But ya, Joe Bidden probable shitty liberal/centrist Democrats are better than the idiots Trump filled the courts with.

Edited January 16, 2022 by Californication

[Californication | 1,481]

On 12/16/2021 at 11:42 AM, MrWunderful said:

Good. If texas wises up and votes blue, hopefully the rest of the dominos will fall and we can abolish the electoral college and have the popular vote rule. Maybe then the Trumporrist wing of GOP will die, and insurrectionist republicans will never get elected again. 

Democrats are stuck with their finger in their butt no matter what.

The Republicans have gerrymandered the districts, have gotten all kinds of voter suppression laws are on the books, and they have the courts that oversee the laws.

And on top of all the Democrats argument to voters is, we won't fix anything, but we'll try not to screw things up.

Americans are fuk.

 

[avatar! | 1,827]

NYT: Good morning. We explore why murders surged in the U.S.

From 1991 to 2014, America’s murder rate plummeted by more than half. Experts still don’t agree on why that happened. Among the many possibilities: mass incarceration, changes in policing, reduced exposure to lead and video games keeping more young men occupied.

I don't know what "reduced exposure to lead" is supposed to mean, but it's nice to hear video games are keeping people occupied that would otherwise shoot things up
Those of us old enough remember when games were demonized as inciting violence - And here, research shows it's the exact opposite!

Anyway, solutions to violence -

In the short term, there’s solid evidence for policing — specifically, more focused policing, targeting the people and places most likely to be violent. With some of these strategies, the police work with other social services to lift violent perpetrators out of that life.

I think many people have been saying that, and of course the evidence always showed that. Unfortunately the "defund the police" movement took its toll...

[Tulpa | 3,534]

2 hours ago, avatar! said:

I don't know what "reduced exposure to lead" is supposed to mean

They literally mean lead, the metal. It used to be in practically everything, and it's been linked to making people go nutty. It's been curtailed pretty drastically in the last few decades.

[avatar! | 1,827]

25 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

They literally mean lead, the metal. It used to be in practically everything, and it's been linked to making people go nutty. It's been curtailed pretty drastically in the last few decades.

Thanks, I knew exposure to lead was dangerous, but I wonder how they can say that it leads to gun violence? Unless of course they're referring to...

[Californication | 1,481]

Why would you say the defund the police movement had an effect on something when it was never implemented in a material way?

Edited January 19, 2022 by Californication

[Link | 2,726]

The slogan should have been "Refocus the police to partner more effectively with social services"

That would be way more effective and convincing. People would definitely pay attention to that.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Link
typo

[avatar! | 1,827]

1 minute ago, Californication said:

Why would you say the defund the police movement had an effect on something when it was never implemented in a material way?

It wasn't defunding per se but the pressure put on police resulted in many officers feeling alienated, unwanted, even hostility by the community. Thus many police officers quit/retired after seeing little support from politicians. Others continued with their jobs but had much less street presence and this all snowballed into one of the deadliest years in USA history. 

[Tulpa | 3,534]

1 hour ago, avatar! said:

Thanks, I knew exposure to lead was dangerous, but I wonder how they can say that it leads to gun violence?

Not just gun violence. It screws with brain chemistry in general, making people more impulsive and less concerned with consequences. Guns just happen to be one of the more dangerous things in possession by a person exposed to that much lead.