All Purpose News and Politics Thread Part IV: The Center Cannot Hold

[numberthirty]

As President Obama once said, elections have consequences.
Florida brought the latest reminder of that on Friday, when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that makes it much harder to change the state constitution via citizen-led ballot measures.

As Matt Shuham reports, this move puts a major dent in what is essentially the last lever of power Democrats have in the Sunshine State, which is currently overseen by a Republican governor, legislature, secretary of state and attorney general. Every member of the state Supreme Court has also been appointed by Republicans.Progressive voices have long relied on the ballot initiative process as their best last resort. In recent years, they have successfully mobilized voters to restore voting rights to felons, legalize medical marijuana, and reduce class sizes. But they now face laborious signature-gathering requirements and hundreds or thousands of dollars in fines for errors.

Elections have consequences, like the article says, and the republican party will do anything and eveything it can to keep the people from making themselves heard. How better to breed the sort of apathy that they rely on to stay in power?

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog...atives-florida

If your "Go To" is already a "Last Resort...", the approach is already all wrong.

It's always going to be something that runs the risk of getting trumped by state law. While ballot measures are great from a "Citizens Have A Voice..." angle, they were always just waiting around to get hobbled by state laws that are going to dictate how everything happens anyway.

[Tendrin]

If your "Go To" is already a "Last Resort...", the approach is already all wrong.

It's always going to be something that runs the risk of getting trumped by state law. While ballot measures are great from a "Citizens Have A Voice..." angle, they were always just waiting around to get hobbled by state laws that are going to dictate how everything happens anyway.

The point: ----
You: ....... VOV

[JackDaw]

The thing is though, racism is very much part of the foundation of Western civilization itself because modern Europe, and the UK especially, was largely built on the colonization and exploitation of the rest of the world, justified through various slapdash racial theories. Cut out the racial politics, and the entirety of Europe would be wholly unrecognizable to us today, and what we think of as America would of course not even exist. While Asians and Africans have plenty of racist viewpoints as well, they're not really central to their civilizational fabric and removing it from their value system wouldn't alter their societies nearly as much.

I will ponder on this over the next few days. It is...I think...an interesting thought experiment to wonder if racism was magically removed from World tomorrow which country...UK, Russia, Japan, South Africa, China, USA, etc would be most altered.

But let me put a challenge back to you. I suspect that 300 or 400 years ago the basic racist mindset was just as widespread as it is now. It wasn’t restricted to the UK....it was (and is) incredibly widely spread, if not universal.

So any one wanting to understand why England, France, Holland were the main colonising powers needs to look at other factors than racism to fully explain what happened.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump Launches Ugly Attack On U.S. Business Group After Trade War Criticism

The president calls a Chamber of Commerce official “not so brilliant” and questions the conservative organization’s support for the nation. THIS is what happens when you have a ridiculously thin-skinned president who is patently incapable of accepting ANY level of criticism and even sees same as direct attacks on him.

**********

John Dean: Mueller Report Is To Trump What Watergate Report Was To Nixon

Robert Mueller “has provided this committee with a road map,” the former Nixon White House counsel testified before the House Judiciary Committee. And that's where the simalarities end. As long as gutless Republicans in Congress remain under orders to protect Trump at all cost, the Mueller report won't lead to ANYTHING in the way of impeachment.

**********

Pence Confirms U.S. Rejected Embassies’ Requests To Fly Pride Flag

“When it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies,” the vice president said. No surprise, coming from a rabid homophobe like Red Grant. Hell, the order about embassies not flying the Pride Flag probably came straight from him.

**********

Joe Biden: Republicans ‘Know Better,’ Will Change After Trump

The former vice president said four years of Trump would be an “aberration,” but eight could be catastrophic. Sorry, Joe, but you're being horribly naive. Republicans most definitely will NOT change, if anything, they'll only become even more repugnant, greedy and power hungry, regardless of whether or not Trump wins next year.

**********

Kellyanne Conway Hurls Ironic Accusation At Democrats: ‘Picking Their Lawyers From TV’

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has hired over a dozen former Fox News staffers since 2017. The hypocrisy is staggering. Sewer Rat Barbie needs to check her facts before hurling barbs. Just saying.

[jetengine]

He's not saying racism was restricted to the uk, he's saying that colonisation (specifically ours which held 1/4 of the planet) was justified to the public BECAUSE of it. White mans burden etc.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of Texas State Senator Charles Perry, who we noted that immediately after being sworn in as a state senator, talked of a "spiritual battle" being fought over abortion and same sex marriage that he likened to stopping the Holocaust. He has tried to pass same sex marriage bans based on "state's rights", voted for "trap laws" to close down the majority, if not all abortion clinics in Texas, pushed for unnecessary Voter ID bills to combat the statistically non-existent problem of in-person voter fraud, and voted to drug test welfare recipients (still always a failed conservative experiment). While this might make him sound like a Fundamentalist Baptist pillar, there's also word that Perry frequents gentleman's clubs and has had exotic dancers accuse him of stalking them. So, add some hypocrisy to the mix. In April of 2015, Perry co-sponsored SB 2065, a "religious freedom" bill that was written to allow people to use their faith to refuse marriage services to same sex couples. But believe it or not, that isn't the worst issue position Perry took, as in July of 2015, he appeared at a "Homeland Terrorism Conference" hosted by the dodgy Christian Reporter News. (At the event, ISIS was referred to as "true Islam", to give you an idea of how intolerant their ideas are.) Oddly, their discussion of Islamic terror also delved into theories that Muslims keep male sex slaves, or have sex with donkeys. So... that's some healthy rhetoric. And it wasn't a one-off, as Charles Perry freaked right the hell out after the Paris terror attacks, where he wrote to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to ask if there were any way that the state could refuse to admit Syrian refugees. He reiterated his paranoid fears on local conservative talk radio thereafter, insisting that Texas was a target for Islamic terror, especially if they took in Syrian refugees.

But it's not like Charles Perry had to face any consequences of hanging out with hatemongers, and demonizing a whole religion in 2016, as he was allowed to run for re-election completely unopposed. Because Texas, that's why.

So then it should come as little surprise that Charles Perry has not dialed back his Fundamentalist insanity. He was a sponsor of SB 892, a religious freedom bill of sorts aimed at deferring to the “deeply held faith” of Christian adoption agencies, hoping that they might turn away prospective same sex couples looking to adopt. Perry insisted that the legislation must exist, or Christian religious organizations would ignore the various things Jesus spoke of helping children if it didn’t get passed, saying:

“This bill is not a license to discriminate. Rather, it is a license to participate.”

Based off of a lot of his other quotes and actions, we’re calling bulls***.

Now, where Charles Perry has definitely stepped up his game is in his anti-immigrant fervor. One of the bigger state level battles in Texas’ anti-immigrant law SB 4, which would ban sanctuary cities from existing within the state. Perry has not only voted for this xenophobic nightmare of a piece of legislation (using the word “legislation” loosely), but he has defended it by claiming it “upholds the rule of law”. Considering the constitutionality of the bill has been questioned because of how it empowers Texas law enforcement to racially profile people to enforce it, that’s a really interesting perspective. That does not mean, however, that he isn’t still an anti-abortion zealot, because he responded to the news of three Planned Parenthood centers opening in Texas by starting what amounted to a symbolic petition on his Facebook page, writing that “The abortion industry has officially targeted West Texas. Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, has multi-million dollar plans to re-open clinics in our communities, and they must be stopped.” (For the sake of facts, Planned Parenthood does not profit in any way from providing abortions, which is only 3% of their budget anyway, none of which comes from government funding, and it definitely is not an “abortion industry”.)


Charles Perry has been re-elected through 2020, and currently seems like he’s dedicated his focus on discriminating against the LGBTQ community, sponsoring a “religious freedom” bill, SB 17, that would allow homophobic bigots to use their faith as an excuse for hating gay people. Now would be a great time for a challenger to emerge to face him in about a year and a half…

[JackDaw]

He's not saying racism was restricted to the uk, he's saying that colonisation (specifically ours which held 1/4 of the planet) was justified to the public BECAUSE of it. White mans burden etc.

Yes, I thought that was part of PwrdOn’s “argument”. (Which I’m pondering...he may well be correct.)

One aspect I was doubtful about was extent to which racism was really driving force behind colonisation...as opposed to just desire to get hands on desirable natural resources, primarily land.

Imagine racism hadn’t existed back then..there would still have been compelling economic reasons for Europeans to migrate into the New World, and elsewhere.

[PwrdOn]

I will ponder on this over the next few days. It is...I think...an interesting thought experiment to wonder if racism was magically removed from World tomorrow which country...UK, Russia, Japan, South Africa, China, USA, etc would be most altered.

But let me put a challenge back to you. I suspect that 300 or 400 years ago the basic racist mindset was just as widespread as it is now. It wasn’t restricted to the UK....it was (and is) incredibly widely spread, if not universal.

So any one wanting to understand why England, France, Holland were the main colonising powers needs to look at other factors than racism to fully explain what happened.

It's certainly a harsh assessment, but I think it helps to explain why it's proven so difficult to end racism even though most people agree that it should go away, or at the very least, should stop being an issue. Eliminating racism from American society would necessarily involve changing much of what makes America what it is, and the same goes for Britain, France, or wherever. A lot of the culture and traditions in these countries has origins in racial injustices so deep seated that most people aren't even aware of it, and to a certain segment of the population, preserving that stuff is more important than promoting equality, even if that means turning a blind eye bigotry, or even wholly embracing it like we've seen in recent times.

Yes, I thought that was part of PwrdOn’s “argument”. (Which I’m pondering...he may well be correct.)

One aspect I was doubtful about was extent to which racism was really driving force behind colonisation...as opposed to just desire to get hands on desirable natural resources, primarily land.

Imagine racism hadn’t existed back then..there would still have been compelling economic reasons for Europeans to migrate into the New World, and elsewhere.

I don't think that racism was necessarily the reason for colonization, but there was a sort of feedback loop where successful expansion fed a superiority complex, especially when relatively small European nations were able to bring down far larger and more populous empires, and this led to the development of racial theories. These in turn were then used to justify further brutality against the "lesser" races, which enabled further conquest and so on.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Can someone please beat Joe “Republicans will know better after Trump” Biden for me so I can avoid the flame war that will happen if he gets the nom. Anybody

[Tuck]

I don't think that racism was necessarily the reason for colonization, but there was a sort of feedback loop where successful expansion fed a superiority complex, especially when relatively small European nations were able to bring down far larger and more populous empires, and this led to the development of racial theories. These in turn were then used to justify further brutality against the "lesser" races, which enabled further conquest and so on.

The universalism that comes with monotheism, and more specifically The Enlightenment, is really more the foundation for justifications. When people are found not living by the "universal" truths you've discovered and not worshiping the "one true God", you can feel pretty justified in "educating" them.

This really just amplifies the idea of "our way" being better than other ways, the way it has throughout history, which is going to include "our people".

The concept of white is more complicated than that. Franklin famously bemoaned the influx of Germans to Pennsylvania and how he worried they were making it less white.

A lot of the peculiar American brand of racism was intentionally fostered by plantation owners and other wealthy people to drive a wedge between indentured whites and black slaves, to protect their own asses. (Something to keep in mind anytime one is about to praise a corporate entity for adopting (read co-opting) a progressive cause.)

[Malvolio]

Trump Launches Ugly Attack On U.S. Business Group After Trade War Criticism

The president calls a Chamber of Commerce official “not so brilliant” and questions the conservative organization’s support for the nation. THIS is what happens when you have a ridiculously thin-skinned president who is patently incapable of accepting ANY level of criticism and even sees same as direct attacks on him.

**********

John Dean: Mueller Report Is To Trump What Watergate Report Was To Nixon

Robert Mueller “has provided this committee with a road map,” the former Nixon White House counsel testified before the House Judiciary Committee. And that's where the simalarities end. As long as gutless Republicans in Congress remain under orders to protect Trump at all cost, the Mueller report won't lead to ANYTHING in the way of impeachment.

**********

Pence Confirms U.S. Rejected Embassies’ Requests To Fly Pride Flag

“When it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies,” the vice president said. No surprise, coming from a rabid homophobe like Red Grant. Hell, the order about embassies not flying the Pride Flag probably came straight from him.

**********

Joe Biden: Republicans ‘Know Better,’ Will Change After Trump

The former vice president said four years of Trump would be an “aberration,” but eight could be catastrophic. Sorry, Joe, but you're being horribly naive. Republicans most definitely will NOT change, if anything, they'll only become even more repugnant, greedy and power hungry, regardless of whether or not Trump wins next year.

**********

Kellyanne Conway Hurls Ironic Accusation At Democrats: ‘Picking Their Lawyers From TV’

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has hired over a dozen former Fox News staffers since 2017. The hypocrisy is staggering. Sewer Rat Barbie needs to check her facts before hurling barbs. Just saying.

1. Maybe Trump is right to call Biden "Sleepy Joe," because if Biden really believes that the Republicans will play nice once Trump is gone, then he really has been asleep for the past two and a half years.

2. Kelly Anne Conway does check her facts. They're just "alternative facts," remember?

[Tami]

Can someone please beat Joe “Republicans will know better after Trump” Biden for me so I can avoid the flame war that will happen if he gets the nom. Anybody

The Trumpies are gearing up to go after Biden the way they went after Clinton. This could prove to be a mixed blessing. If Biden takes most of the heat, it will free up the other candidates to talk policy and not be bogged down in defense mode.

[Malvolio]

On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of Texas State Senator Charles Perry, who we noted that immediately after being sworn in as a state senator, talked of a "spiritual battle" being fought over abortion and same sex marriage that he likened to stopping the Holocaust. He has tried to pass same sex marriage bans based on "state's rights", voted for "trap laws" to close down the majority, if not all abortion clinics in Texas, pushed for unnecessary Voter ID bills to combat the statistically non-existent problem of in-person voter fraud, and voted to drug test welfare recipients (still always a failed conservative experiment). While this might make him sound like a Fundamentalist Baptist pillar, there's also word that Perry frequents gentleman's clubs and has had exotic dancers accuse him of stalking them. So, add some hypocrisy to the mix. In April of 2015, Perry co-sponsored SB 2065, a "religious freedom" bill that was written to allow people to use their faith to refuse marriage services to same sex couples. But believe it or not, that isn't the worst issue position Perry took, as in July of 2015, he appeared at a "Homeland Terrorism Conference" hosted by the dodgy Christian Reporter News. (At the event, ISIS was referred to as "true Islam", to give you an idea of how intolerant their ideas are.) Oddly, their discussion of Islamic terror also delved into theories that Muslims keep male sex slaves, or have sex with donkeys. So... that's some healthy rhetoric. And it wasn't a one-off, as Charles Perry freaked right the hell out after the Paris terror attacks, where he wrote to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to ask if there were any way that the state could refuse to admit Syrian refugees. He reiterated his paranoid fears on local conservative talk radio thereafter, insisting that Texas was a target for Islamic terror, especially if they took in Syrian refugees.

But it's not like Charles Perry had to face any consequences of hanging out with hatemongers, and demonizing a whole religion in 2016, as he was allowed to run for re-election completely unopposed. Because Texas, that's why.

So then it should come as little surprise that Charles Perry has not dialed back his Fundamentalist insanity. He was a sponsor of SB 892, a religious freedom bill of sorts aimed at deferring to the “deeply held faith” of Christian adoption agencies, hoping that they might turn away prospective same sex couples looking to adopt. Perry insisted that the legislation must exist, or Christian religious organizations would ignore the various things Jesus spoke of helping children if it didn’t get passed, saying:



Based off of a lot of his other quotes and actions, we’re calling bulls***.

Now, where Charles Perry has definitely stepped up his game is in his anti-immigrant fervor. One of the bigger state level battles in Texas’ anti-immigrant law SB 4, which would ban sanctuary cities from existing within the state. Perry has not only voted for this xenophobic nightmare of a piece of legislation (using the word “legislation” loosely), but he has defended it by claiming it “upholds the rule of law”. Considering the constitutionality of the bill has been questioned because of how it empowers Texas law enforcement to racially profile people to enforce it, that’s a really interesting perspective. That does not mean, however, that he isn’t still an anti-abortion zealot, because he responded to the news of three Planned Parenthood centers opening in Texas by starting what amounted to a symbolic petition on his Facebook page, writing that “The abortion industry has officially targeted West Texas. Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, has multi-million dollar plans to re-open clinics in our communities, and they must be stopped.” (For the sake of facts, Planned Parenthood does not profit in any way from providing abortions, which is only 3% of their budget anyway, none of which comes from government funding, and it definitely is not an “abortion industry”.)


Charles Perry has been re-elected through 2020, and currently seems like he’s dedicated his focus on discriminating against the LGBTQ community, sponsoring a “religious freedom” bill, SB 17, that would allow homophobic bigots to use their faith as an excuse for hating gay people. Now would be a great time for a challenger to emerge to face him in about a year and a half…

Let's remember that as despicable as it is to hate people just for being homosexuals, we can't make that illegal. What we can and should do is make it illegal to actively discriminate against homosexuals, regardless of what religious excuse one uses for said discrimination.

[worstblogever]

Let's remember that as despicable as it is to hate people just for being homosexuals, we can't make that illegal. What we can and should do is make it illegal to actively discriminate against homosexuals, regardless of what religious excuse one uses for said discrimination.

Why, now you're just making sense of the Constitution.

[wjowski]

Is anyone really surprised? Biden is basically running the same campaign as his predecessor