All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!(Part II)

[zinderel]

So, question...

My friend and I were talking about the Republican party's many recent and ongoing atrocities: ongoing but more and more blatant acts of abject greed, overt sexism, unquestionable homophobia, unthinkable racism, and so forth. And we both got thinking that maybe there's a reason for all of it.

We all know that rich shitheads can buy anything - houses, cars, people, governments - and that bunker/safe house sales are a booming industry in those circles. What if they know something we don't and the reason that Republicans and their elite paymasters are so avidly and shamelessly fucking over everyone else while stockpiling obscene amounts of cash at the expense of the rest of us is that they plan on using that money to survive whatever they know is coming while the rest of us tear one another apart in the chaos, leaving only the elite to reshape what's left of the world in their image, once the dust settles.

Too paranoid? Not paranoid enough? What else could explain how fearless they are in their monstrousness?

[Gray Lensman]

I think there was some proof to why he became mentally ill...the wine they drank from was sweetened with something that had lead in it.

(Always liked John Hurt as Caligula in the mini series "I, Claudius"....and Jay Robinson as Caligula in "The Robe")

I'm not even sure if I can call him Benedict Donald without unfairly comparing him to someone who doesn't deserve it. Benedict Arnold DID save the country a couple of times during the Revolution, and used a lot of his own money to finance stuff he did - at least before he betrayed everyone. Trump doesn't even have that much.

[JCAll]

So, question...

My friend and I were talking about the Republican party's many recent and ongoing atrocities: ongoing but more and more blatant acts of abject greed, overt sexism, unquestionable homophobia, unthinkable racism, and so forth. And we both got thinking that maybe there's a reason for all of it.

We all know that rich shitheads can buy anything - houses, cars, people, governments - and that bunker/safe house sales are a booming industry in those circles. What if they know something we don't and the reason that Republicans and their elite paymasters are so avidly and shamelessly fucking over everyone else while stockpiling obscene amounts of cash at the expense of the rest of us is that they plan on using that money to survive whatever they know is coming while the rest of us tear one another apart in the chaos, leaving only the elite to reshape what's left of the world in their image, once the dust settles.

Too paranoid? Not paranoid enough? What else could explain how fearless they are in their monstrousness?

If it's paranoia then I've got it too. And the answer is Climate Change. If the absolute worst predictions about climate change come true, 2 Billion people will become displace from their homes and whole countries could vanish. No one is prepared for that. The sudden outrage over pitifully small numbers of refugees now, along with calls to militarize the borders, makes a lot more sense if you look at it as preparing for that.

[Rob Allen]

What if they know something we don't and the reason that Republicans and their elite paymasters are so avidly and shamelessly fucking over everyone else while stockpiling obscene amounts of cash at the expense of the rest of us is that they plan on using that money to survive whatever they know is coming while the rest of us tear one another apart in the chaos, leaving only the elite to reshape what's left of the world in their image, once the dust settles.

Too paranoid? Not paranoid enough? What else could explain how fearless they are in their monstrousness?

This guy thinks you're right: https://medium.com/s/futurehuman/sur...t-9ef6cddd0cc1

"Last year, I got invited to a super-deluxe private resort to deliver a keynote speech [...] on the subject of “the future of technology.”

Finally, the CEO of a brokerage house explained that he had nearly completed building his own underground bunker system and asked, “How do I maintain authority over my security force after the event?”

The Event. That was their euphemism for the environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear explosion, unstoppable virus, or Mr. Robot hack that takes everything down. That’s when it hit me: At least as far as these gentlemen were concerned, this was a talk about the future of technology. [...]they were preparing for a digital future that had a whole lot less to do with making the world a better place than it did with transcending the human condition altogether and insulating themselves from a very real and present danger of climate change, rising sea levels, mass migrations, global pandemics, nativist panic, and resource depletion. For them, the future of technology is really about just one thing: escape.

They were not interested in how to avoid a calamity; they’re convinced we are too far gone. For all their wealth and power, they don’t believe they can affect the future. They are simply accepting the darkest of all scenarios and then bringing whatever money and technology they can employ to insulate themselves..."

[BeastieRunner]

So, question...

My friend and I were talking about the Republican party's many recent and ongoing atrocities: ongoing but more and more blatant acts of abject greed, overt sexism, unquestionable homophobia, unthinkable racism, and so forth. And we both got thinking that maybe there's a reason for all of it.

We all know that rich shitheads can buy anything - houses, cars, people, governments - and that bunker/safe house sales are a booming industry in those circles. What if they know something we don't and the reason that Republicans and their elite paymasters are so avidly and shamelessly fucking over everyone else while stockpiling obscene amounts of cash at the expense of the rest of us is that they plan on using that money to survive whatever they know is coming while the rest of us tear one another apart in the chaos, leaving only the elite to reshape what's left of the world in their image, once the dust settles.

Too paranoid? Not paranoid enough? What else could explain how fearless they are in their monstrousness?

If there's another US Civil War, it will probably be Coasts vs. the Middle.

1%ers vs. the Rest will end with the dismantling of the 1%ers in the US. That'd be a foolish move, IMHO. There's no way the rest of the world doesn't jump in to help the non-Elite. Any chance to break up the US 1% stranglehold would be a godsend to the rest of the world.

So yeah, I don't think they're gearing up for that.

The Whigs did the same shit and it ended terribly for them. I think we're just seeing the death throes of white conservative America and perhaps the GOP if they don't change fast.

[PaulBullion]

2 days back to back of massive stock market losses have analysts wondering, again, if the party is finally over.

[BeastieRunner]

2 days back to back of massive stock market losses have analysts wondering, again, if the party is finally over.

The magic number is 4.

4 days in a row or 4 days in 5.

Then it is panic time.

[zinderel]

If there's another US Civil War, it will probably be Coasts vs. the Middle.

1%ers vs. the Rest will end with the dismantling of the 1%ers in the US. That'd be a foolish move, IMHO. There's no way the rest of the world doesn't jump in to help the non-Elite. Any chance to break up the US 1% stranglehold would be a godsend to the rest of the world.

So yeah, I don't think they're gearing up for that.

The Whigs did the same shit and it ended terribly for them. I think we're just seeing the death throes of white conservative America and perhaps the GOP if they don't change fast.

Ultimately, that is the direction I leaned towards too. It's what I want to believe. But ugh...this world gets shittier by the day, and it's hard to keep any sense of optimism...

Edit: How sad have things gotten that hoping for "Civil War 2" is 'optimism'...?

[zinderel]

This guy thinks you're right: https://medium.com/s/futurehuman/sur...t-9ef6cddd0cc1

"Last year, I got invited to a super-deluxe private resort to deliver a keynote speech [...] on the subject of “the future of technology.”

Finally, the CEO of a brokerage house explained that he had nearly completed building his own underground bunker system and asked, “How do I maintain authority over my security force after the event?”

The Event. That was their euphemism for the environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear explosion, unstoppable virus, or Mr. Robot hack that takes everything down. That’s when it hit me: At least as far as these gentlemen were concerned, this was a talk about the future of technology. [...]they were preparing for a digital future that had a whole lot less to do with making the world a better place than it did with transcending the human condition altogether and insulating themselves from a very real and present danger of climate change, rising sea levels, mass migrations, global pandemics, nativist panic, and resource depletion. For them, the future of technology is really about just one thing: escape.

They were not interested in how to avoid a calamity; they’re convinced we are too far gone. For all their wealth and power, they don’t believe they can affect the future. They are simply accepting the darkest of all scenarios and then bringing whatever money and technology they can employ to insulate themselves..."

This doesn't surprise me at all. The wealthy elite have turned into pulp sci fi/horror bad guys in front of our eyes, and we're too dumbed down and distracted to do anything about it...

[InformationGeek]

This whole thing... I'm so looking forward to Saturday Night Live.

“I love Hillary. I love everyone, but the campaign ‘I’m with her’ just didn’t make me feel — as a guy … it was something about this hat that made me feel like Superman,” famed musician Kanye West said of his MAGA hat while discussing masculinity, the economy and his brand

“What I need Saturday Night Live to improve on. What I need the liberals to improve on is, if he don't look good — we don’t look good. This is our president,” musician Kanye West said of the late night show that consistently mocks Donald Trump

"When we make everything in China and not in America, then we're cheating on our country. And we're putting people in positions to have to do illegal things to end up in the cheapest factory ever — the prison system," Kanye West said.

[BeastieRunner]

2012: "Shame on Obummer for campaigning during a hurricane! Sad!"

2018: *Trump campaigns during a hurricane*

[kidfresh512]

This whole thing... I'm so looking forward to Saturday Night Live.

Are Taylor Swift albums going to be burned and Kanye's bought now by the trump circle?

The whole thing is ridiculous. Trump is so desperate to prove "a black" likes him he invites this idiot to the WH.

Honestly I wish media would ignore it.

[Tami]

8 Female Veterans and Federal Agents Appear Together in a Powerful New Campaign Video

The theory that the 2016 election might inspire women to run for all levels of political office proved true within moments of the presidential inauguration, when hundreds of women signed up for seminars on running successful campaigns. Now, less than a month before the 2018 midterm elections on November 6, women hold a record number of spots on ballots across the country.

Among the women inspired to run are eight whose work for the country started years ago, just in another form. In a new campaign video, debuting exclusively on Cosmopolitan.com, eight women who served in the U.S. Navy, Marines Corps, Air Force, and CIA–Abigail Spanberger and Elaine Luria from Virginia, Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, Gina Ortiz Jones and MJ Hegar from Texas, Amy McGrath from Kentucky, Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey, and Elissa Slotkin from Michigan–speak about how their service inspired them to run for office this year.

[numberthirty]

Are Taylor Swift albums going to be burned and Kanye's bought now by the trump circle?

The whole thing is ridiculous. Trump is so desperate to prove "a black" likes him he invites this idiot to the WH.

Honestly I wish media would ignore it.

Yeah...

That ain't gonna happen.

Why cover something like the current state of affairs in Flint when they could be covering the really important stuff like this?

[Kal-El Summers]

Checking in to give y'all an update:

House made it through fine aside from some shingles getting blown off the roof. I think the wind gusts that hit here were stated to be over 100 MPH and judging from watching 20+ foot tall pecan trees almost literally touching the ground, I'd say that's pretty accurate.

Power has been out since around 2:30 yesterday and the power company has said that the damage was much worse than they thought it'd be, but they said we maybe could get power back tonight which would be an absolute godsend considering how hot it was today.

Drove through the city a bit and the amount of trees that were down was staggering. It's gonna take a minute to recover from this one.

Gotta charge my phone in my truck again, so later for now.