American Politics / Current Events Thread

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

10 hours ago, Californication said:

I've know people that had a similar outlook. I just don't understand the break between understanding how the policy will help you in a positive way to how similar policies are good for other people. 

I didn't get any money for kids, don't get food stamps, don't get ssdi, but all the same I am happy because they grow the economy not to mention that they help Americans. And from my perspective we pay into the system so it should benefit us instead of only the top 1% and corporations.

I've softened my opinions on loan forgiveness. Selling that loan forgiveness is a whole other story. Say we forgive 25k in federal loans for everyone, do we cut another check for those who chose not to take federal loans? Do we penalize the colleges/universities that were treating federal loans like blank checks by hiking tuitions to unreasonable prices?

Regardless of what the *correct* policy is on the matter, I want to wait until Trump is gone for good before pursuing it. He will spin that loan forgiveness and brand it so hard as the work of evil liberals and come back strong. That would be really bad.

In the meantime, how do you feel about continued deferred payments and eliminated interest as an idea while we kick the forgiveness plan down the road a few years?

[Californication | 1,477]

4 hours ago, Kguillemette said:

I've softened my opinions on loan forgiveness. Selling that loan forgiveness is a whole other story. Say we forgive 25k in federal loans for everyone, do we cut another check for those who chose not to take federal loans? Do we penalize the colleges/universities that were treating federal loans like blank checks by hiking tuitions to unreasonable prices?

Regardless of what the *correct* policy is on the matter, I want to wait until Trump is gone for good before pursuing it. He will spin that loan forgiveness and brand it so hard as the work of evil liberals and come back strong. That would be really bad.

In the meantime, how do you feel about continued deferred payments and eliminated interest as an idea while we kick the forgiveness plan down the road a few years?

I haven't really thought about it. But off the top of my head I think it is an okay stop measure.

Imo the problem we are going to have in the economy is the money being spent on the economy will be disproportionate by middle upper and upper classes. If the lower class and lower middle class aren't spending money at a high enough rate I think business revenue will decrease and therefore unemployment will rise.

So if student loan fees etc. being paused will increase disposable income I think it could be positive for the economy.

If people use the time to pay off the loans it won't benefit the economy until years down the road. The economy will benefit when people start using their money to purchase goods instead of paying loans.

If people are unsure about the future, and use the time to save money because they want to wait for potential loan forgiveness, it won't benefit the economy.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Californication

[Tulpa | 3,492]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/01/politics/trump-scrutiny-five-investigators/index.html?utm_content=2021-03-02T07%3A31%3A06&utm_medium=social&utm_term=link&utm_source=fbCNN&fbclid=IwAR12Ub4aP73hIOhjyQGG6ROYuGM-Ocv8p_HZTVDJvHdfDEGY7SpewnylIag

Five independently elected investigators have turned their attention to former President Donald Trump, a sign his legal woes are mounting as he no longer enjoys the protections once afforded to him by the Oval Office.

Trump is now facing inquiries run by elected officials from Georgia to New York to Washington with only their constituents to answer to. Most are Democrats, but one key investigation was launched by a Georgia Republican who has faced heavy criticism from Trump since the election.

And the former President's actions on his way out of office, including his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and to stir up his supporters with baseless claims of fraud until they stormed the US Capitol on a harrowing January day, have only added to his legal problems.

"It's never happened in our history but every single one of these prosecutors and attorneys general has more than sufficient predication to investigate what they're investigating," said Daniel R. Alonso, who was a top deputy to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance from 2010 to 2014.

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

55 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/01/politics/trump-scrutiny-five-investigators/index.html?utm_content=2021-03-02T07%3A31%3A06&utm_medium=social&utm_term=link&utm_source=fbCNN&fbclid=IwAR12Ub4aP73hIOhjyQGG6ROYuGM-Ocv8p_HZTVDJvHdfDEGY7SpewnylIag

Five independently elected investigators have turned their attention to former President Donald Trump, a sign his legal woes are mounting as he no longer enjoys the protections once afforded to him by the Oval Office.

Trump is now facing inquiries run by elected officials from Georgia to New York to Washington with only their constituents to answer to. Most are Democrats, but one key investigation was launched by a Georgia Republican who has faced heavy criticism from Trump since the election.

And the former President's actions on his way out of office, including his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and to stir up his supporters with baseless claims of fraud until they stormed the US Capitol on a harrowing January day, have only added to his legal problems.

"It's never happened in our history but every single one of these prosecutors and attorneys general has more than sufficient predication to investigate what they're investigating," said Daniel R. Alonso, who was a top deputy to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance from 2010 to 2014.

It's all noise until there's an indictment and/or arrest.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Is it poetic justice that Trump used to be known for litigating people into the ground, but probably never thought he had to go against multiple states  and DC

 

He is going to be drained.  Better start milking that base now!

 

CAN YOU BELIEVE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CANCELLED DR. SEUSS? WE WILL MATCH ANY DONATION ABOVE 5$! GIVE MY PAC SLUSH FUND ALL OF YOUR ALMOST NON-EXISTANT UNEMPLOYMENT CHECK INSTEAD OF FOOD FOR YOUR KIDS BECAUSE LESBIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS HATE YOU!!!!!

—- Donald J Trump

 

PS I wont spend it on diet coke!!!!! But if I did, the fake news media would lose their mind!!!!!

[Reed Rothchild | 9,522]

It's March 4th.  Do we have a new president yet?  Or did the date change again?

[Tulpa | 3,492]

I looked up what the rationale was for that. Why all presidents and amendments are invalid after Grant and the 14th amendment (which is supposed to invalidate the 20th Amendment that moved the inauguration to January*.)

Apparently they cite the DC Organic Act of 1871 as when America became a corporation. The thing is, the Organic Act was just unifying the cities in DC (like Georgetown and Mount Pleasant) under one municipal corporation to provide basic services like roads and sanitation. That's it. It has no significance outside of DC and has no effect on the way the federal government is run.

But like many things, they twist the words around to suit their agenda.

 

*which would invalidate Trump's term, but I guess that isn't important.

 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

19 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

I looked up what the rationale was for that. Why all presidents and amendments are invalid after Grant and the 14th amendment (which is supposed to invalidate the 20th Amendment that moved the inauguration to January*.)

Apparently they cite the DC Organic Act of 1871 as when America became a corporation. The thing is, the Organic Act was just unifying the cities in DC (like Georgetown and Mount Pleasant) under one municipal corporation to provide basic services like roads and sanitation. That's it. It has no significance outside of DC and has no effect on the way the federal government is run.

But like many things, they twist the words around to suit their agenda.

 

*which would invalidate Trump's term, but I guess that isn't important.

 

Get out of here with your facts! 
 

Seriously though thanks for looking it up for me- I almost looked it up myself the other day

[avatar! | 1,811]

Speaking of Dr. Seuss...

Dr. Seuss books are taking over Amazon's bestseller list

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/04/us/dr-seuss-amazon-bestsellers-trnd/index.html

On eBay, the books are selling for $4,000.

On Amazon, copies of "If I Ran the Zoo" start at $939 and climb to $5,000.

"The Cat's Quizzer" can be yours for $875 -- or for $1,600, if you can handle a book cover with "very modest rubbing."

One listing on eBay -- five of the six discontinued books for $2,500 -- is averaging 63 views per hour.

The discontinued books became rare collectibles almost instantly, simultaneously igniting controversy over the enterprise's decision to cease publishing.

 

Ah, people... SIGH

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Companies are going to start provoking trumpers just to get free publicity and sales from the manufactured right wing outrage. 
 

3D chess!

[Tulpa | 3,492]

I can't believe people are freaking out over some of the more minor books in Seuss's library. I bet hardly anyone has read any of those six in years. It's not like they stopped printing The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham.

Also, Dr. Seuss was a pretty hardcore liberal, and many of his books often reflected that sensibility.

Edited March 5, 2021 by Tulpa

[Tulpa | 3,492]

Also, this is pretty funny.

[avatar! | 1,811]

Ah, is the little boy throwing a tantrum after his insurrection failed and he got arrested- well, I'm full of schadenfreude

 

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

We need to cancel retro sports games. I need to sell Baseball Stars on Amazon for $939.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,522]

[Tulpa | 3,492]

WTF?

https://www.newsweek.com/mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell-urges-election-criminals-surrender-him-less-prison-time-1574635?amp=1

"MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has urged "criminals" involved in a massive voter fraud conspiracy to contact him for help in arranging reduced prison sentences."

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

How long until Trump bleeds the Republicans dry? Its hilarious that his dumbass supporters are just sending him money, he isnt actually going to do shit for them. Just milk them for what little they have, then leave them out in the cold. 
 

Its satisfying to see this version of the republican party cannibalize itself over a false prophet and conspiracy theories.  
 

That and cry about Dr.Seuss and “potato head”

[Tulpa | 3,492]

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-encourages-republicans-to-donate-to-him-not-the-gop-2021-3

Yep.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

9 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-encourages-republicans-to-donate-to-him-not-the-gop-2021-3

Yep.

You can trust him, he promises to help everyone out. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,837]

On 3/4/2021 at 11:23 PM, Tulpa said:

I can't believe people are freaking out over some of the more minor books in Seuss's library. I bet hardly anyone has read any of those six in years. It's not like they stopped printing The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham.

We’ve got a copy of “And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and I’ll tell you I didn’t even know there were particularly racist bits in there.  Because it sucks.  Never made it that far in the past 3 years.

[avatar! | 1,811]

The growing GOP rebellion against Marjorie Taylor Greene

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/10/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-congress-adjourn-backlash/index.html

For the fourth time in the last two weeks, Georgia freshman Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called for a motion to adjourn the House on Thursday morning. The move has no practical effect other than to force every single House member to come to the floor to vote on, well, whether the House should adjourn. It's purely a time-waster -- and an attempt by Greene to be a fly in the ointment of the Congress...What's becoming increasingly clear as Greene pursues this pointless attention-getting effort is that even many of her Republican colleagues are losing patience with her.

She reminds me of a little kid pressing buttons on an elevator simply because she can... the difference being that a little kid in the elevator is innocent and much more intelligent than MTG.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

She looks like shes wearing a mask of her own face. 

[fcgamer | 4,723]

On 3/11/2021 at 2:52 AM, Hammerfestus said:

We’ve got a copy of “And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and I’ll tell you I didn’t even know there were particularly racist bits in there.  Because it sucks.  Never made it that far in the past 3 years.

I always liked this one, personally.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

Anyone have suggestions on how to get rid of a neighbor's prominent "White Lives Matter" flag?

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by arch_8ngel

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

2 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

Anyone have suggestions on how to get rid of a neighbor's prominent "White Lives Matter" flag?

 

Fire would do the trick.