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

[Jack Dracula]

Trump wanders off the stage at G20 summit, leaving Argentinian President Macri Puzzled.

On some audio captured from the video, Trump is heard telling the aide that comes to get him back "Get me out of here"

I guess he's upset that Putin is cheating on him right out in public with the murderous Saudi Prince.

The mentally ill often exhibit odd behaviour.

[Tami]

Thread From Twitter:

Okay. I wanna say something about this obsession with rural white America. This is gonna be a thread.

[Tami]

This Australian politician called out her sIut-shaming bullies: 'Real men don’t insult and threaten women'

At a Senate chamber session in Australia, Hanson-Young took down her seχist bullies, singling them out individually. “I will name you because you are not fit to be in this chamber, you’re not fit to represent your constituents, and you’re not fit to call yourselves men,” she boldly declared.

The South Australia senator’s blistering speech came as a response to comments made by Sen. Barry O’Sullivan who insinuated that Hanson-Young had seχual relations with former Sen. Nick Xenophon. O’Sullivan went as far as saying, “There’s a bit of Nick Xenophon in her. I don’t mean that to be a double reference, but there’s a bit of Xenophon in her.”

Australian Green Party leader Richard Di Natale immediately called out O’Sullivan for being “a pig” and protested the toxic environment in the country’s federal parliament that allows for “seχist filth” to deter female representatives from running.

The heated argument came hours after Australian Sen. Julia Banks announced her resignation from O’Sullivan’s party, citing a culture of bullying and harassment in Australia’s Liberal National Party. She will continue to legislate on the “crossbench” as an independent senator.

Hanson-Young then took the floor to defend herself.

[jetengine]

Thread From Twitter:

I thought it was pretty clear that Bernies always been full of shit ? Guy thinks exporting Socialism that even we (the left leaning europeans) think is a tad much to a nation who's left wing is our right will work ? Even before the current hyper partisan times that was never going to work.

[Powerboy]

Thread From Twitter:

I grew up in the country in a rural area and, sadly, the remark that hurt Hilary was basically true: that half the Trump supporters are your deplorables, you're racists, sexists and general bigots. They may seem nice if a bit ignorant except when they get challenged on those issues. Some are more blatant. Some don't want to admit even to themselves that those are the real reasons. But it's hard to bother try to win them when you want to pretend it's the economy rather than admit that maybe you have to try to win elections without winning them over.

I'm 60 and I have to say I think it's more important to win young voters than to worry about ignorant bigots who will die soon and make room for a new generation.

[Mister Mets]

I grew up in the country in a rural area and, sadly, the remark that hurt Hilary was basically true: that half the Trump supporters are your deplorables, you're racists, sexists and general bigots. They may seem nice if a bit ignorant except when they get challenged on those issues. Some are more blatant. Some don't want to admit even to themselves that those are the real reasons. But it's hard to bother try to win them when you want to pretend it's the economy rather than admit that maybe you have to try to win elections without winning them over.

I'm 60 and I have to say I think it's more important to win young voters than to worry about ignorant bigots who will die soon and make room for a new generation.

The thread from twitter was from someone talking with voters who were seen as persuadable (a field organizer isn't going to waste time on people who will always vote Republican) so it gets a bit more complex since her comments weren't about the most conservative voters; it was essentially about moderates.

Granted, plenty on the left make the mistake of thinking everything comes down to economic issues, when there are significant cultural issues as well. Rural voters won't be easily convinced that a baker should be legally mandated to make a cake for a gay wedding, that the government should pay for transgender surgery for prisoners, that there should be free tuition for college courses promoting activism, etc.

[zinderel]

Little bit of delightful schadenfreude:

Milo Yiannopoulos is DEEPLY in debt.

The gay community's very own 'Uncle Tom', selling out his people to rich, white, old paymasters for money and passes to the hottest gatherings of other rich, white, old men. The man who threw verbal molotovs at women, gay people, trans people, poor people, people of color, liberals, leftists, progressives in general, and even more people I don't remember off the top of my head. The gay man beloved by the rich, white old men of the Republican party, who enjoyed that Milo's 'provocative', offensive 'humor' served as a regular distraction from their ongoing rape of the planet, their theft from the poor, and hoarding of resources. After all, what's more entertainting - and distracting - than an effeminate, dramatic gay man imploding in a spotlight and taking people with him?

But then, had to suggest that a boy being molested by an older man wasn't so bad off and should enjoy himself and the opportunity. And that pretty much forced all the rich, white, old men of the Republican party who had paid him for his buffonery cut him off. Never mind that they had turned a blind eye towards - or eagerly encouraged - him when he was a sexless twink for Trump joking about the threats of sexual assault, stalking, murder, and torture that his Twitter followers leveled against his critics. That was not enough for them, nor was 'joking' about gay bashing, lynching, corrective rape, stripping civil rights from people, and more.

But then AGAIN, this was before Joe Arpaio or Bret Kavanaugh or any of a dozen or so other sexual predators who were also Republican party darlings made headlines. Back then, being associated with a defender of pedophilia/ephebophilia and sexual assault was something that cost politicians the support of voters in those heady, long-ago golden days of a whole year or two ago.

Imagine if Milo had lionized men who prey on children now!? He'd be in Trump's cabinet, not nearly homeless and in crippling debt.

[Tazirai]

Thread From Twitter:

I agree with her on some things and disagree on others. If she literally thinks Bernie is ONLY trying to reach White voters she's deluded. Even the Mainstream Media like MSNBC and others think Working Class mean Whites only. I wish people listened more than paid attention to what they wanted to hear.
Working Class doesn't mean white.
Urban doesn't mean Black.

I thought it was pretty clear that Bernies always been full of shit ? Guy thinks exporting Socialism that even we (the left leaning europeanst hink is a tad much) to a nation who's left wing is our right will work ? Even before the current hyper partisan times that was never going to work.

REALLY? You study politics I hope since you are posting on this thread?

You do know the difference Between What Bernie and AOC are asking for versus Venezuela right?
I get it, many Centrists, "PRAGMATISTS", Incrementalists, and corporate Establishment types despise Bernie and us Bernie-bros/Bernie-SISTAHS? For whatever reason. But HONESTY seems to be lacking on the Left and the Right about what he advocates for, No matter how many times we tell people. It's sickening.

You dislike him cool, but be fuckin honest at least. The US already has Socialism, has ALWAYS had it.

59b0c216071ca1b5197ed761fdadda81.jpg672c83f4f104d54b6d68db26cef11e63.jpg3b03bb4c55f443f5f284d05281d756ee.jpg

[Malvolio]

I grew up in the country in a rural area and, sadly, the remark that hurt Hilary was basically true: that half the Trump supporters are your deplorables, you're racists, sexists and general bigots. They may seem nice if a bit ignorant except when they get challenged on those issues. Some are more blatant. Some don't want to admit even to themselves that those are the real reasons. But it's hard to bother try to win them when you want to pretend it's the economy rather than admit that maybe you have to try to win elections without winning them over.

I'm 60 and I have to say I think it's more important to win young voters than to worry about ignorant bigots who will die soon and make room for a new generation.

My aunt was like that. She would say things like "Oh he's one of the good ones," about our Black neighbor. Or she would say, "You're probably right, but you know me..." which meant that even though she knew she was wrong, she would still do things her way, because change was more terrifying for her than anything else. She passed away in 2014, but I'm sure she would have voted for Trump if she had lived until 2016.

All that said, what do we do about the young bigots? You know, the ones we saw on those clips from Charlottesville. They're not going anywhere any time soon.

[Tazirai]

My aunt was like that. She would say things like "Oh he's one of the good ones," about our Black neighbor. Or she would say, "You're probably right, but you know me..." which meant that even though she knew she was wrong, she would still do things her way, because change was more terrifying for her than anything else. She passed away in 2014, but I'm sure she would have voted for Trump if she had lived until 2016.

All that said, what do we do about the young bigots? You know, the ones we saw on those clips from Charlottesville. They're not going anywhere any time soon.

The good thing is its easy to shame most of them. There are also a lot less of them. SO it will most likely be the next generation which forces them back in the closet.

[Tazirai]

This picture is everything.

[Powerboy]

My aunt was like that. She would say things like "Oh he's one of the good ones," about our Black neighbor. Or she would say, "You're probably right, but you know me..." which meant that even though she knew she was wrong, she would still do things her way, because change was more terrifying for her than anything else. She passed away in 2014, but I'm sure she would have voted for Trump if she had lived until 2016.

All that said, what do we do about the young bigots? You know, the ones we saw on those clips from Charlottesville. They're not going anywhere any time soon.

We can at least hope that there are less of them with each generation.

[Mister Mets]

My aunt was like that. She would say things like "Oh he's one of the good ones," about our Black neighbor. Or she would say, "You're probably right, but you know me..." which meant that even though she knew she was wrong, she would still do things her way, because change was more terrifying for her than anything else. She passed away in 2014, but I'm sure she would have voted for Trump if she had lived until 2016.

All that said, what do we do about the young bigots? You know, the ones we saw on those clips from Charlottesville. They're not going anywhere any time soon.

By most metrics race relations are getting better, and there are fewer racists than ever before. There's greater support for interracial marriage, or for having neighbors of a different race.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/163697/...ks-whites.aspx

Charlottesville is ugly but you're talking about a few hundred people at a highly publicized event who seemed to be outnumbered 2 to 1 by counterprotestors.

https://apnews.com/13683a34cd124ff28236cd7cbbc58b3a

There are steps we can take to reduce racism, but there is a danger of an overreaction, which can have a backlash.

[Powerboy]

The thread from twitter was from someone talking with voters who were seen as persuadable (a field organizer isn't going to waste time on people who will always vote Republican) so it gets a bit more complex since her comments weren't about the most conservative voters; it was essentially about moderates.

Granted, plenty on the left make the mistake of thinking everything comes down to economic issues, when there are significant cultural issues as well. Rural voters won't be easily convinced that a baker should be legally mandated to make a cake for a gay wedding, that the government should pay for transgender surgery for prisoners, that there should be free tuition for college courses promoting activism, etc.

That's a matter of social change. I thought we would one day have a black president, a woman as president, gay rights on the level they are starting to exist and the freedom to talk about such things on this level and so on. I just never thought these things would happen in my lifetime. I didn't think things would move that fast. I think the level of mass communication we have now has everything to do with it.

I know a guy personally, white, married to a black woman, who remembers getting death threats as late as 1989. And these were not letters or phone calls. These were people walking right up to them and threatening to kill them. He has cerebral palsy so it doesn't take a lot of guts to walk up and threaten him.

But I think our culture or a lot of it is going in a direction that is so much better. Of course, the members of what "West Wing" called "The ignorant tightasses club" are not going to see it that way. The whole Trump phenomenon, sadly, is really the backlash against all this social change though they try to pretend it's about other things. It's really about racism, sexism, culturalism, tribalism, religious bigotry, etc. In other words: fear and ignorance. And it's really hard to fight that and yet at the same time seem to not be calling racism racism, not calling a duck a duck, to get needed votes.

[Powerboy]

By most metrics race relations are getting better, and there are fewer racists than ever before. There's greater support for interracial marriage, or for having neighbors of a different race.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/163697/...ks-whites.aspx

Charlottesville is ugly but you're talking about a few hundred people at a highly publicized event who seemed to be outnumbered 2 to 1 by counterprotestors.

https://apnews.com/13683a34cd124ff28236cd7cbbc58b3a

There are steps we can take to reduce racism, but there is a danger of an overreaction, which can have a backlash.

I definitely agree with you that things are getting better though there are people who love to say things are as bad as they were decades ago. As I said, I think what we are seeing is one of those desperate backlashes against change.

I think another problem is what people perceive as racism. There are subtle forms of racism that a lot of people just don't perceive as racism and genuinely don't perceive themselves as racists and so they perceive BLM and all of that stuff as just trying to keep the hate going.