The Current Events, News, and Politics Thread
Boost Pope
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Going back to the earlier conversation, another example of fear-based politics from the left, with bonus commentary:
Notice that Mr. Schmidt is not advocating in favor of anything. He's not speaking to what his preferred candidate will accomplish if elected. He's merely warning that Trump must not be allowed to win, because Bad Things (from his point of view) will happen if he does.
Of course, the old chestnut "Don't threaten me with a good time" comes to mind.
I do not believe that Trump will "strip bare the federal government" any more in a hypothetical second term than he did in his prior term. If I did believe that, then I would absolutely vote for him.
Fun fact:
During the period of 2009-2016 (the entirety of Barack Obama's tenure in office), the total number of civilian Federal employees decreased from 2.78 million to 2.77 million.
After Trump took over, the total number of civilian Federal employees increased to 2.86 million by the end of 2020, which is the highest number ever in US history.
Since Biden entered office, the number has remained fairly consistent.
Boost Czar
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it's from Empire Records:
Jane:
Actually, his new album tested well among teenage males.
Lucas:
Jane, did you compare the percentage of teenage male Rex Manning fans to the incidence of homosexuality amongst teenage males?
Jane:
Actually, his new album tested well among teenage males.
Lucas:
Jane, did you compare the percentage of teenage male Rex Manning fans to the incidence of homosexuality amongst teenage males?
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What is with this country right now. Unskilled union laborers are walking off the job because they aren't making skilled trades money. And the skilled trades doesn't have the manpower to provide service to customers.
Everybody wants to do less for more I guess.
Everybody wants to do less for more I guess.
Boost Pope
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Remember when the people who bag groceries in California went on strike in 2003?
God, that was awful. We had to put our own groceries into bags.
At least the strike had a positive long-term effect, and grocery-bagging is definitely still a viable career 20 years later.
God, that was awful. We had to put our own groceries into bags.
At least the strike had a positive long-term effect, and grocery-bagging is definitely still a viable career 20 years later.
Boost Pope
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The following is not intended to be either an endorsement of a mockery of former president Trump.
I really just am kind of high right now, and on a Talking Heads binge, and it turns out that there are some really spectacular mashups out there.
I really just am kind of high right now, and on a Talking Heads binge, and it turns out that there are some really spectacular mashups out there.
Remember when the people who bag groceries in California went on strike in 2003?
God, that was awful. We had to put our own groceries into bags.
At least the strike had a positive long-term effect, and grocery-bagging is definitely still a viable career 20 years later.
God, that was awful. We had to put our own groceries into bags.
At least the strike had a positive long-term effect, and grocery-bagging is definitely still a viable career 20 years later.
A funny footnote in the grocery workers union collective bargaining in Oregon stipulated that self-service kiosks be limited so as not to interfere with jobs for grocery clerks. A job that customers can do flawlessly in the self-service line with about 5mins of training. But please cry the tears of labor oppression and the perils of your modern day triangle shirtwaist factory.
A funny footnote in the grocery workers union collective bargaining in Oregon stipulated that self-service kiosks be limited so as not to interfere with jobs for grocery clerks. A job that customers can do flawlessly in the self-service line with about 5mins of training. But please cry the tears of labor oppression and the perils of your modern day triangle shirtwaist factory.
Boost Pope
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Is it just me, or has the whole Trump-persecution industry taken a turn in the direction of "screw the election, let's just focus on hurting Trump as much as we can?"
While it has no immediately obvious direct bearing on the 2024 election which I can see, yesterday's ruling in the bank & insurance fraud case in NY is a pretty brutal one.
I'm trying to be very delicate and precise with what I write here, because this is a really complex situation involving lots of different corporations, but the condensed version is that the Judge has ordered the revocation of The Trump Organization's (and some other Trump-owned companies') license to do business in the state of New York, and the appointment of a receiver to oversee the dissolution of the companies and the liquidation of their assets.
Like, those are not speculative, forward-looking statements. They are a brief and highly simplified summary of what did actually happen yesterday. It's taking me some time to fully comprehend that.
The former President, predictably, has vented and screed about this at some length on the social media platform which he owns. One upside of this is that I have now learned the term "lawfare," which has apparently been around for a while, but of which I had been previously unaware.
I like that word. It's an accurate summary of how the legal system is in fact being used with malicious intent.
Actual photo of Justice Arthur Engoron:
While it has no immediately obvious direct bearing on the 2024 election which I can see, yesterday's ruling in the bank & insurance fraud case in NY is a pretty brutal one.
I'm trying to be very delicate and precise with what I write here, because this is a really complex situation involving lots of different corporations, but the condensed version is that the Judge has ordered the revocation of The Trump Organization's (and some other Trump-owned companies') license to do business in the state of New York, and the appointment of a receiver to oversee the dissolution of the companies and the liquidation of their assets.
Like, those are not speculative, forward-looking statements. They are a brief and highly simplified summary of what did actually happen yesterday. It's taking me some time to fully comprehend that.
The former President, predictably, has vented and screed about this at some length on the social media platform which he owns. One upside of this is that I have now learned the term "lawfare," which has apparently been around for a while, but of which I had been previously unaware.
I like that word. It's an accurate summary of how the legal system is in fact being used with malicious intent.
Actual photo of Justice Arthur Engoron:
Boost Czar
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I love when a judge just decides things without a trial.
I'm thinking about getting into the loan business, just taking peoples word for it, and hope they pay it back. worked out well for all the banks so loaned Trump funds without verifying collateral and didn't sue him.
I'm thinking about getting into the loan business, just taking peoples word for it, and hope they pay it back. worked out well for all the banks so loaned Trump funds without verifying collateral and didn't sue him.
Boost Pope
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Summary Judgement. Fairly common in cases in which the facts are not in dispute, as is the situation here. Trump's team is not contesting the claim that he falsified the valuation of his properties, repeatedly and consistently over a long period of time, for the purpose of obtaining more favorable ratings from banks and insurance companies.
The defense is merely "nobody got hurt, so who cares?"
That's part of what I'm really in shock about here. They didn't even try.
****'s getting more and more interesting...
The defense is merely "nobody got hurt, so who cares?"
That's part of what I'm really in shock about here. They didn't even try.
****'s getting more and more interesting...
Boost Pope
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Adding this as a separate post, rather than an edit.
Trump himself requested a bench trial (no jury, just the judge) specifically in the NY case. That's his right, under US law. And it answers concerns such as Brainey's "when a judge just decides things without a trial." directly.
And he is now going all-out in social media assaulting and defaming said judge, who still has matters left to decide for or against Trump. That's the part which bewilders me.
I can't even. We are so far outside the norms of judiciary precedent at this specific moment (Thursday Sep 28, 2023) that
(this space intentionally left blank)
Trump himself requested a bench trial (no jury, just the judge) specifically in the NY case. That's his right, under US law. And it answers concerns such as Brainey's "when a judge just decides things without a trial." directly.
And he is now going all-out in social media assaulting and defaming said judge, who still has matters left to decide for or against Trump. That's the part which bewilders me.
I can't even. We are so far outside the norms of judiciary precedent at this specific moment (Thursday Sep 28, 2023) that
(this space intentionally left blank)