As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
They are smashing everyone else's toys at no cost to themselves. As a result of our last round of elections they got to draw themselves some very safe electoral districts, so all they have to do is be as conservative as possible and they will get re-elected for as long as they want. On the other hand if they start to act moderate they will immediately lose the next primary in their district to someone even farther to the right.
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
It's a sad state of affairs in a democracy when the people elected to represent the citizenry are neither accountable to nor care about the voting public.
The Republicans as a party, more than anything, want to stay in power, and accumulate more power
The Democrats are pretty much the same.
The GOP, or at least a segment of it, is holding the US government hostage because if the Affordable Care Act passes then people will be able to go the the doctor care of the Democrats, which will make people like the Democrats, which will make people vote for the Democrats. And they do not want that.
The Republicans as a party, more than anything, want to stay in power, and accumulate more power
The Democrats are pretty much the same.
The GOP, or at least a segment of it, is holding the US government hostage because if the Affordable Care Act passes then people will be able to go the the doctor care of the Democrats, which will make people like the Democrats, which will make people vote for the Democrats. And they do not want that.
Well guess what the Affordable Care Act passed a long ass time ago.
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
Smash all his toys, all her toys, all their toys, and all your toys.
All toys will be smashed because the angry kid at the playground didn't get a pony for Christmas.
legislators are supposed to represent the people, and yet they are not
That's not entirely true.
Actually, in some ways that is part of the problem.
If you're a Republican from Republicanisville, Republicanista, your constituents want you to blow up Obamacare and cut taxes and raise military spending and outlaw the gays.
Many of them probably do not understand what a "government default" would mean. As in, your average constituent probably couldn't tell you the difference between raising the debt ceiling, defaulting, passing a new budget, or relying on a platinum coin exemption.
Thing is, if you're a Republican from Republicanista, and your constituents want you to blow up Obamacare, you have a weird set of incompatible goals:
Goal 1: Negotiate towards a functioning government that embodies the conservative ideals you uphold.
Goal 2: Sabotage the government by relying on minority party obstruction and attempt to mandate your agenda by threatening to inflict significant harm on the United States.
Now Goal 1 sure does sound more reasonable, but do you really want to be a fresh-faced Republican Congressfolk explaining to someone in a "DON'T TREAD ON ME / TAKE MY GUNS FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS / TAXES = SATAN" t-shirt that you need to compromise with Obama (aka "The Great Satan") and offer Democrats some concessions (like DESTROYING FREEDOM BY RAISING TAXES ON THE WEALTHY) in exchange for getting something you want?
Basically, a long list of different events have pushed the political system in the U.S. into a fiercely partisan state where compromise is difficult because of a primary system that allows parties to self-regulate without broad political considerations for viability and the capacity for a minority party out of power to sabotage the system in general.
HacksawJ. Duggan Esq.Wrestler at LawRegistered Userregular
The problem a lot of Republican Reps have is they see the US defaulting on its debt the same way they see someone declaring bankruptcy because of house payments or medical bills or whatever.
What they fail to realize is that a person is not a macro-economic force whose every move affects the global financial tides, dictating their ebb and flow at the slightest provocation.
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Big Red Tiebeautiful clydesdale style feettoo hot to trotRegistered Userregular
pretty sure they dont know anything about national debt or macroeconomics
WeaverWho are you?What do you want?Registered Userregular
The Standard & Poor's 500 index closed down 20 points, or 1.2 percent, to close at 1,655.45. It was the 11th loss in the last 14 days, and the index's biggest drop in six weeks.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 159 points, or 1.1 percent, to 14,776.53.
The Nasdaq composite fell 75 points, or 2 percent, to 3,694.83, also the largest drop in six weeks.
PwnanObrienHe's right, life sucks.Registered Userregular
"Gentlemen, our numbers with non-white and non-males and non-straights are frankly abysmal. We have to gerrymander districts to the point where they look like camouflage just to win elections. Our ideas are old, and unfavorable to the youth of America. In many ways we're on the wrong side of history.
I guess what I'm saying here is...
...how can we piss off corporations?"
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Options
WeaverWho are you?What do you want?Registered Userregular
The California Republican Party is throwing the full weight of its political muscle behind an effort to repeal the state’s ban on discrimination against transgender kids. According to BuzzFeed’s Tony Merevik, far-right conservatives and tea party operatives have made overturning the recent protections enacted for transgender teens in public schools the center of the party platform.
Today at work we had to sit through a thing about anarchist extremists causing arson to fight gentrification in neighborhoods and the like. This lead to everybody asking what gentrification was and when I explained it as basically poor people being forced to leave an area so middle/upper class people could move in, someone said, "That's a good thing, they pay more taxes and create jobs and there's less crime!" :rotate:
The California Republican Party is throwing the full weight of its political muscle behind an effort to repeal the state’s ban on discrimination against transgender kids. According to BuzzFeed’s Tony Merevik, far-right conservatives and tea party operatives have made overturning the recent protections enacted for transgender teens in public schools the center of the party platform.
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
If you look at the numbers, 2010 happened because the independents who voted for Obama in 2008 didn't turn out again. I'm expecting the same thing in 2014 because Americans are nothing if not immensely lazy.
Thing is, if you're a Republican from Republicanista, and your constituents want you to blow up Obamacare, you have a weird set of incompatible goals:
Goal 1: Negotiate towards a functioning government that embodies the conservative ideals you uphold.
Goal 2: Sabotage the government by relying on minority party obstruction and attempt to mandate your agenda by threatening to inflict significant harm on the United States.
Now Goal 1 sure does sound more reasonable, but do you really want to be a fresh-faced Republican Congressfolk explaining to someone in a "DON'T TREAD ON ME / TAKE MY GUNS FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS / TAXES = SATAN" t-shirt that you need to compromise with Obama (aka "The Great Satan") and offer Democrats some concessions (like DESTROYING FREEDOM BY RAISING TAXES ON THE WEALTHY) in exchange for getting something you want?
I think part of the problem is also that the Republican Congressfolk in question is also a Tea Party true believer
there's no motivation to try to explain the benefits of Goal 1 at all, because they don't even think Goal 1 is reasonable. they're basically the person in the t-shirt except with more money/connections and therefore more ability to get elected in the first place
The California Republican Party is throwing the full weight of its political muscle behind an effort to repeal the state’s ban on discrimination against transgender kids. According to BuzzFeed’s Tony Merevik, far-right conservatives and tea party operatives have made overturning the recent protections enacted for transgender teens in public schools the center of the party platform.
it probably won't happen, but it takes seriously cold-hearted people to go after kids like that
takes enough moxie to come out, let alone even question your gender at that age, they really don't need to put up with discrimination too. plus, they're already dealing with the bullying authority figures don't know or care about as well
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
If you look at the numbers, 2010 happened because the independents who voted for Obama in 2008 didn't turn out again. I'm expecting the same thing in 2014 because Americans are nothing if not immensely lazy.
I'm hoping that this latest round of bullshit is making people angry enough to not be apathetic, but elections are still a ways off.
+1
Options
Shortytouching the meatIntergalactic Cool CourtRegistered Userregular
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
If you look at the numbers, 2010 happened because the independents who voted for Obama in 2008 didn't turn out again. I'm expecting the same thing in 2014 because Americans are nothing if not immensely lazy.
yeah, and it would be wise to ask why that is
perhaps it's because Obama didn't follow through on pretty much anything he promised aside from the ACA and in fact turned out to be far worse on first-amendment issues than anyone could possibly have forseen
perhaps it's because the wholly-democrat congress failed to accomplish anything worthwhile (again, aside from the ACA) despite being filibuster-proof for two years
it is no mystery why voter turnout isn't very high in this country
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
If you look at the numbers, 2010 happened because the independents who voted for Obama in 2008 didn't turn out again. I'm expecting the same thing in 2014 because Americans are nothing if not immensely lazy.
yeah, and it would be wise to ask why that is
perhaps it's because Obama didn't follow through on pretty much anything he promised aside from the ACA and in fact turned out to be far worse on first-amendment issues than anyone could possibly have forseen
perhaps it's because the wholly-democrat congress failed to accomplish anything worthwhile (again, aside from the ACA) despite being filibuster-proof for two years
it is no mystery why voter turnout isn't very high in this country
Who wants to internalize the failings of Obama's '09 majority?
Accusing half of the entire nation of racism is so much easier
Thing is, if you're a Republican from Republicanista, and your constituents want you to blow up Obamacare, you have a weird set of incompatible goals:
Goal 1: Negotiate towards a functioning government that embodies the conservative ideals you uphold.
Goal 2: Sabotage the government by relying on minority party obstruction and attempt to mandate your agenda by threatening to inflict significant harm on the United States.
Now Goal 1 sure does sound more reasonable, but do you really want to be a fresh-faced Republican Congressfolk explaining to someone in a "DON'T TREAD ON ME / TAKE MY GUNS FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS / TAXES = SATAN" t-shirt that you need to compromise with Obama (aka "The Great Satan") and offer Democrats some concessions (like DESTROYING FREEDOM BY RAISING TAXES ON THE WEALTHY) in exchange for getting something you want?
I think part of the problem is also that the Republican Congressfolk in question is also a Tea Party true believer
there's no motivation to try to explain the benefits of Goal 1 at all, because they don't even think Goal 1 is reasonable. they're basically the person in the t-shirt except with more money/connections and therefore more ability to get elected in the first place
Its not necessarily being a "true believer."
The parties are becoming more ideologically disciplined. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it marks the end of the "Democrat who hates gays and black people and poor people," but it also means that each party has less incentive to compromise.
The U.S. political system offers few systemic advantages to compromise (a minority party has plenty of incentive to sabotage, less to cooperate).
Plenty of "moderate" Republicans have faced primary challenges from the right.
As a Non-Us-Citizen looking in on this thread for just trying to figure out how this is a thing that can even happen. ( Also for tips on pies and butts)
Am I missing something in that this is starting to feel like the angry kid at the playground ready to smash all his toys so no one else can play with them, no matter the cost to himself?
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
If you look at the numbers, 2010 happened because the independents who voted for Obama in 2008 didn't turn out again. I'm expecting the same thing in 2014 because Americans are nothing if not immensely lazy.
yeah, and it would be wise to ask why that is
perhaps it's because Obama didn't follow through on pretty much anything he promised aside from the ACA and in fact turned out to be far worse on first-amendment issues than anyone could possibly have forseen
perhaps it's because the wholly-democrat congress failed to accomplish anything worthwhile (again, aside from the ACA) despite being filibuster-proof for two years
it is no mystery why voter turnout isn't very high in this country
Turnout always dips in midterms. You vastly overestimate how much people pay attention to politics.
Also, that 60-seat majority in the Senate only lasted about 7 months (Franken wasn't seated until July 2009, then Scott Brown won the special election in MA and was seated in Februrary 2010).
I wasn't aware that anyone particularly enjoyed smugness, except those being smug. It's kind of a shitty quality.
My entire life is a lie.
No seriously though, the last time I can remember being justified in being remotely smug was when I lived with a pothead. He and a few of his fellow tokers were monopolizing the TV in the living room with what was yet another 12 hour online-multiplayer-Halo-marathon. I didn't necessarily agree with the assertion that pot made people better Halo players and he thought my enjoyment of an alcoholic beverage during a video game diminished any and all credibility I had in the argument.
Several hours into the evening (after what was already a long day of gaming), I came back from hanging with some tabletop-buddies and popped open a bottle of whiskey I had purchased on the way home.
Now, one guy was getting his phone blown up by his girlfriend and had to bail so the trio of remaining players decided, 'well, just ask Mike to jump in, he can't be *that* bad.'
I tried to make sure this was an okay decision and was roundly rebuffed with, 'even if you suck, we got this.'
Even.
If.
I.
Suck.
And so the the next two hours passed: four-man-teams against well-honed Halo enthusiasts, 50 kill limit per match, random maps, three stoners and one bartender steadily working his way through a liter of delicious rye.
I averaged 29 kills per match, average of 7 minutes per match; they literally couldn't believe I'd never played Halo before.
Someone is paying the National Park Service thugs overtime for their efforts to carry out the order of De Fuhrer... where are our Constitutional Sheriffs who can revoke the Park Service Rangers authority to arrest??? Do we have any Sheriffs with a pair?
...
While the POTUS continues to punish the American people he keeps open his golf course, he keeps open Camp David, and he retains his and his wife's excessive staff and stable of Czars! I'll bet he has kept in service his 3 food tasters!!!
Posts
They are smashing everyone else's toys at no cost to themselves. As a result of our last round of elections they got to draw themselves some very safe electoral districts, so all they have to do is be as conservative as possible and they will get re-elected for as long as they want. On the other hand if they start to act moderate they will immediately lose the next primary in their district to someone even farther to the right.
This is exactly what it is. Republicans are mad that they lost everything in 2008, to a black man. So they've been having a temper tantrum and threatening to take their toys and go home ever since.
They only made some gains in 2010 because they pushed so very very hard on the racism angle and got enough scared old white fox news viewers to vote them back into a few seats.
The Republicans as a party, more than anything, want to stay in power, and accumulate more power
The Democrats are pretty much the same.
The GOP, or at least a segment of it, is holding the US government hostage because if the Affordable Care Act passes then people will be able to go the the doctor care of the Democrats, which will make people like the Democrats, which will make people vote for the Democrats. And they do not want that.
Well guess what the Affordable Care Act passed a long ass time ago.
the citizenry do not want the government shut down
legislators shut down the government, uncaring of what the citizenry wants
legislators are supposed to represent the people, and yet they are not
I mean the budget regarding that
Smash all his toys, all her toys, all their toys, and all your toys.
All toys will be smashed because the angry kid at the playground didn't get a pony for Christmas.
just
holy shit
I think that they want to win elections
and they think that smashing toys will win them elections
buggering arseholes
That's not entirely true.
Actually, in some ways that is part of the problem.
If you're a Republican from Republicanisville, Republicanista, your constituents want you to blow up Obamacare and cut taxes and raise military spending and outlaw the gays.
Many of them probably do not understand what a "government default" would mean. As in, your average constituent probably couldn't tell you the difference between raising the debt ceiling, defaulting, passing a new budget, or relying on a platinum coin exemption.
Thing is, if you're a Republican from Republicanista, and your constituents want you to blow up Obamacare, you have a weird set of incompatible goals:
Goal 1: Negotiate towards a functioning government that embodies the conservative ideals you uphold.
Goal 2: Sabotage the government by relying on minority party obstruction and attempt to mandate your agenda by threatening to inflict significant harm on the United States.
Now Goal 1 sure does sound more reasonable, but do you really want to be a fresh-faced Republican Congressfolk explaining to someone in a "DON'T TREAD ON ME / TAKE MY GUNS FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS / TAXES = SATAN" t-shirt that you need to compromise with Obama (aka "The Great Satan") and offer Democrats some concessions (like DESTROYING FREEDOM BY RAISING TAXES ON THE WEALTHY) in exchange for getting something you want?
Basically, a long list of different events have pushed the political system in the U.S. into a fiercely partisan state where compromise is difficult because of a primary system that allows parties to self-regulate without broad political considerations for viability and the capacity for a minority party out of power to sabotage the system in general.
If they lie about getting a bj from their secretary we can try to boot them out. But other than that, nah.
https://www.paypal.me/hobnailtaylor
What they fail to realize is that a person is not a macro-economic force whose every move affects the global financial tides, dictating their ebb and flow at the slightest provocation.
I guess what I'm saying here is...
...how can we piss off corporations?"
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/08/california-republicans-target-transgender-youth-protections-in-2014-push/
I always get the impression that it is super blue but I guess it has plenty of rich people with opinions
what?
I taste blood
Send help
I would very much like the chance to put my testicles on the foreheads of the members of the CRP. Bounce them around abit, see where it goes.
If you look at the numbers, 2010 happened because the independents who voted for Obama in 2008 didn't turn out again. I'm expecting the same thing in 2014 because Americans are nothing if not immensely lazy.
I think part of the problem is also that the Republican Congressfolk in question is also a Tea Party true believer
there's no motivation to try to explain the benefits of Goal 1 at all, because they don't even think Goal 1 is reasonable. they're basically the person in the t-shirt except with more money/connections and therefore more ability to get elected in the first place
oh goddamn, that is depressing
it probably won't happen, but it takes seriously cold-hearted people to go after kids like that
takes enough moxie to come out, let alone even question your gender at that age, they really don't need to put up with discrimination too. plus, they're already dealing with the bullying authority figures don't know or care about as well
I'm hoping that this latest round of bullshit is making people angry enough to not be apathetic, but elections are still a ways off.
yeah, and it would be wise to ask why that is
perhaps it's because Obama didn't follow through on pretty much anything he promised aside from the ACA and in fact turned out to be far worse on first-amendment issues than anyone could possibly have forseen
perhaps it's because the wholly-democrat congress failed to accomplish anything worthwhile (again, aside from the ACA) despite being filibuster-proof for two years
it is no mystery why voter turnout isn't very high in this country
Who wants to internalize the failings of Obama's '09 majority?
Accusing half of the entire nation of racism is so much easier
Chris Matthews has made a career on it
Its not necessarily being a "true believer."
The parties are becoming more ideologically disciplined. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it marks the end of the "Democrat who hates gays and black people and poor people," but it also means that each party has less incentive to compromise.
The U.S. political system offers few systemic advantages to compromise (a minority party has plenty of incentive to sabotage, less to cooperate).
Plenty of "moderate" Republicans have faced primary challenges from the right.
Turnout always dips in midterms. You vastly overestimate how much people pay attention to politics.
Also, that 60-seat majority in the Senate only lasted about 7 months (Franken wasn't seated until July 2009, then Scott Brown won the special election in MA and was seated in Februrary 2010).
My entire life is a lie.
No seriously though, the last time I can remember being justified in being remotely smug was when I lived with a pothead. He and a few of his fellow tokers were monopolizing the TV in the living room with what was yet another 12 hour online-multiplayer-Halo-marathon. I didn't necessarily agree with the assertion that pot made people better Halo players and he thought my enjoyment of an alcoholic beverage during a video game diminished any and all credibility I had in the argument.
Several hours into the evening (after what was already a long day of gaming), I came back from hanging with some tabletop-buddies and popped open a bottle of whiskey I had purchased on the way home.
Now, one guy was getting his phone blown up by his girlfriend and had to bail so the trio of remaining players decided, 'well, just ask Mike to jump in, he can't be *that* bad.'
I tried to make sure this was an okay decision and was roundly rebuffed with, 'even if you suck, we got this.'
Even.
If.
I.
Suck.
And so the the next two hours passed: four-man-teams against well-honed Halo enthusiasts, 50 kill limit per match, random maps, three stoners and one bartender steadily working his way through a liter of delicious rye.
I averaged 29 kills per match, average of 7 minutes per match; they literally couldn't believe I'd never played Halo before.
"How ... how are you so good at this?"
"1999, Marine Barracks, Camp Pendleton, AAV Battalion, 2nd place ... Goldeneye."
So, that's a good time to be smug.
Did you exclusively use the pistol?
@Darth Waiter, answer my questions!!!