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

[Jack Dracula]

I suppose once he became President, easy to accept that he'd be a wee bit busy to do much reading. But...the sad part is he just doesn't come across as the sort of guy to ever have been interested in reading at any point in his life.

I got stuck unexpectedly stuck at my sisters place a few months ago (bad weather stopped me driving home). Looking at her bookshelves for something to read saw something like "Oxford University Book of Famous Quotations". Not my usual type of book, but picked it up and started to read it.

All the "usual suspects" were there...Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Cervantes, Winston Churchill.

But as I read on I was more and more surprised just how many American Presidents...of all parties...had said wise and profound things. For goodness sake...it turns out that even Richard Nixon had deep and wise things to say. Sadly...I don't think the Donald will be adding to the great store of Presidential wisdom. Hope I'm wrong....

Frankly, I couldn't care less if he were reading actual literature.
The reports of him being incapable of reading intelligence briefings or economic reports, ect are what I really find troubling.
Mostly because they seem legitimate based on what we already know.

[Gray Lensman]

Frankly, I couldn't care less if he were reading actual literature.
The reports of him being incapable of reading intelligence briefings or economic reports, ect are what I really find troubling.
Mostly because they seem legitimate based on what we already know.

It's the unwillingness to be educated that most bothers me. If he was just ignorant going in, but took steps to change that, in addition to accepting that advice of those who know more things wouldn't be that bad. But Benedict thinks he is the world's foremost expert on every subject, when he really knows nothing. Except he manages to be even worse since he believes wrong things and insists on acting upon them.

[PaulBullion]

It's the unwillingness to be educated that most bothers me. If he was just ignorant going in, but took steps to change that, in addition to accepting that advice of those who know more things wouldn't be that bad. But Benedict thinks he is the world's foremost expert on every subject, when he really knows nothing. Except he manages to be even worse since he believes wrong things and insists on acting upon them.

Trump is a fascist who thinks he is genetically superior and does not need book smarts. He believes he knows more than the generals, knows more about technology than anyone etc.

[Michael Watkins]

Trump is a fascist who thinks he is genetically superior and does not need book smarts. He believes he knows more than the generals, knows more about technology than anyone etc.

i'm not sure how anyone combs that hair and sees themselves as genetically superior. now paul manafort has a eugenically sound head of hair.

[Tazirai]

http://www.wunc.org/post/why-are-mor...rest-asheville

[Tazirai]

Internet shreds Mitch McConnell after he cries ‘power grab’ over Dems effort to make Election Day a holiday

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is strongly opposed to efforts to make Election Day a national holiday.

On the Senate floor today, he derided a proposal to do that as a “power grab” by Democrats who want to win elections by having more people vote in them.

[PaulBullion]

Guys, I think Tazirai is broken. Can somebody check?
Whose turn is it?

[Tazirai]

Franklin Graham claims on MSNBC that Trump never lies — and then gets hammered for being ‘willfully ignorant’

[Mister Mets]

I hate that the false narrative 'the left makes up hate crimes all the time' is so much bigger than the actual, factually-based 'the right COMMITS hate crimes all the time, in every possible permutation of the term, at every level of government and society, in every state, in every nation, across the entire planet, for almost all of recorded time'. But I guess a small handful of women making false accusations (or, more often, not having perfect recall of a trauma from years ago, which right wingers use to demean and discredit the accuser...) is equivalent to the 7,100 actual hate crimes committed last year. Which was the third year in a row to see an increase in hate crimes...

Hmm...what was going on three years ago that might have stirred up a lot of hateful knuckledraggers to go public in an attempt to mainstream white, cis/het supremacy...? And who could possibly be creating and sustaining an environment where openly hateful asshats feel free to be openly hateful asshats...?

But 'both sides' and all that...

It's why I find it hard to rein in the sarcasm and bitterness, sometimes...but, I guess that a shorter and pithier lie will always beat a more complicated, nuanced truth, or something.

It sucks that there were about 7,175 hate crimes reported in 2017, and each should be prosecuted fully. However, this is a country of about 325,000,000 people. That's still about 1 hate crime for every 45,000 Americans.

I fully appreciate that some hate crimes will have multiple victims, that many hate crimes will go unreported, and that members of some groups (African-Americans, Jews, Sikhs) are much more likely to be victims. But we shouldn't exaggerate the scope of the problem, as this could diminish the quality of life for millions.

[jetengine]

It sucks that there were about 7,175 hate crimes reported in 2017, and each should be prosecuted fully. However, this is a country of about 325,000,000 people. That's still about 1 hate crime for every 45,000 Americans.

I fully appreciate that some hate crimes will have multiple victims, that many hate crimes will go unreported, and that members of some groups (African-Americans, Jews, Sikhs) are much more likely to be victims. But we shouldn't exaggerate the scope of the problem, as this could diminish the quality of life for millions.

"Ignore hate crimes cause they dont effect you"

What the fuck Mets

[Tazirai]

Here’s What Starbucks Is Telling Employees To Say About Howard Schultz
The coffee chain’s weekly memo discusses how to defuse the situation should someone share “aggressive political opinions.”

From the weekly update (emphasis not ours):

“... partners [i.e., employees] may be asked questions by customers or hear media speculation about Howard’s potential political intentions. We encourage you all to take a moment to review the talking points below with your partners.

If a customer asks if we are selling Howard’s book at Starbucks:

No, the books are available at bookstores and online.

If a customer attempts to investigate, or share aggressive political opinions, attempt to diffuse the situation by sharing:

We respect everyone’s opinion. Our goal is simply to create a warm and welcoming space where we can all gather, as a community, over great coffee.

If asked about Howard’s political intentions:

Howard’s future plans are up to him.

[Tazirai]

Sarah Sanders: Donald Trump Is President Because God Wanted Him There
“I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times,” the White House press secretary said.

“I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president,” Sanders said. “And that’s why he’s there and I think he has done a tremendous job in supporting a lot of the things that people of faith really care about.”

She also called Trump the “most conservative president” America has ever had.

“There’s a reason evangelicals are sticking with the president, and that’s because he’s delivered on all the things he said he would do,” she added.

A key part of Trump’s base, white Evangelical Christians especially support the president’s call for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Earlier this month, The Washington Post reported that 67 percent of white Evangelical Christians support Trump’s wall, according to the most recent Public Religion Research Institute poll taken in September 2018.

[ed2962]

So...Trump wants to keep Latin American immigrants out of the US, but he wants to invade Venezuela? Okaay...

[Robotman]

Sarah Sanders: Donald Trump Is President Because God Wanted Him There
“I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times,” the White House press secretary said.

I’m sure he does think Putin is god, so this is partially true.

[heretic]

It sucks that there were about 7,175 hate crimes reported in 2017, and each should be prosecuted fully. However, this is a country of about 325,000,000 people. That's still about 1 hate crime for every 45,000 Americans.

I fully appreciate that some hate crimes will have multiple victims, that many hate crimes will go unreported, and that members of some groups (African-Americans, Jews, Sikhs) are much more likely to be victims. But we shouldn't exaggerate the scope of the problem, as this could diminish the quality of life for millions.

I will regret asking this, I know I will, but how does "People are being assaulted or killed for being the wrong race/gender/sexual orientation/etc. and that is wrong.: adversely effect the quality of life for 'millions'?