All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[skyvolt2000]

No, you're right, 45's bad COVID-19 response and bad economic responses to COVID-19 aren't solely to blame.

45 changed Iranian plans, causing oil and market issues.
https://www.cato.org/publications/co...will-come-back
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trum...suffer-1424266

45 floundered the shale plan he bungled up earlier in 2018.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ergy-dominance

45's 2017 tax cut situation resulted in tax increases for nearly all households in the second, third, and fourth income quintiles. They triggered an all-time record binge of share buybacks, $800B in 2018, to be exact.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2...ple-and-planet

It's not like there have been warnings that this economy was coming. Oh wait ...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...conomy/606115/

You're right, though. 45's bad COVID-19 response and bad economic responses to COVID-19 aren't solely to blame.

It's cherry on the **** sundae of Trump's failed economic policies.

Yet some how it's all Obama's fault.

Obama who had to FIGHT with A Republican Congress to get stuff passed.

Meanwhile Trump has a Republican Senate and struggles.

[XPac]

Well, the vast majority of Sander’s supporters did turn out to vote for Clinton, and I expect the same will be true for Biden. And Sanders himself campaigned for Clinton and says he will for Biden.

As for long term effects, while I agree Biden would be good for the future Supreme Court nominations and other court appointments, I think there’s also a danger that a Biden presidency would also increase the likelihood of another Trump like candidate in four years. Simply because nothing will really change, there will still be people without healthcare, there will still be people with large college loans, there will still be people who are working for wages that don’t begin to cover their cost of living. I hope I’m wrong but I just don’t see the incremental changes Biden is proposing leading to any real change. The reality is people need big changes not little ones.

That might be more a question for Bidens running mate down the line... who knows if Biden can even go 2 terms. His VP could be the next next president of the US... and PERHAPS at person can be more policy driven than Biden. Perhaps.

[Maine Starfish]

Promoting his policies while he's still got some spotlight is really the only reason for him to hang in the election at this point.

He's not running again in 2024, so after this he's basically done. And it's not like Biden is going to pick up the torch. So if he doesn't drop soon, it'll probably be to squeeze whatever is left from the spotlight he has for what it's worth.

yeah, honestly I was a bit surprised that he ran again this time, there’s just no other real progressive candidate. Warren is ok but recently has leaned a bit more moderate. Hopefully in four years some one younger will appear to take up Sanders progressive causes. I just don’t know who that is at this point. AOC and Omar are awesome, but AOC will still be quite young in four years, and Omar I think isn’t eligible since she wasn’t born in the US.

edit, yes I’ll be interested in seeing who Biden picks as a VP.

[Bruce Wayne]

Yet some how it's all Obama's fault.

Obama who had to FIGHT with A Republican Congress to get stuff passed.

Meanwhile Trump has a Republican Senate and struggles.

That's by design though. The government that governs the least is seen as a positive thing by the GOP. They want government to wither away.

Of course they don't realize how much our modern life depends on Big Government as the coronavirus has shown front and center.

[jetengine]

That's by design though. The government that governs the least is seen as a positive thing by the GOP. They want government to wither away.

Of course they don't realize how much our modern life depends on Big Government as the coronavirus has shown front and center.

Small government is a farce anyway. If you want modern civilisation and the amenities that come with it then you need a robust government.

[Steel Inquisitor]

This is starting to feel like aguing with a flat-earther.

You're not going to get very far arguing with a discipline of Trotsky.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Well, the vast majority of Sander’s supporters did turn out to vote for Clinton, and I expect the same will be true for Biden. And Sanders himself campaigned for Clinton and says he will for Biden.

As for long term effects, while I agree Biden would be good for the future Supreme Court nominations and other court appointments, I think there’s also a danger that a Biden presidency would also increase the likelihood of another Trump like candidate in four years. Simply because nothing will really change, there will still be people without healthcare, there will still be people with large college loans, there will still be people who are working for wages that don’t begin to cover their cost of living. I hope I’m wrong but I just don’t see the incremental changes Biden is proposing leading to any real change. The reality is people need big changes not little ones.

It's a cycle, a Republican replaces a Democratic president like clockwork. Sanders or Biden, we were going to get another Trump. The GOP won't become more sane with Sanders in office, if anything he'll make it worse in their reactions like what happened with Obama.

[Tami]

My Spring Break just went from one week to INDEFINITELY in Dallas. We are shut down until further notice.

Any talk of taking classes online, distance learning? Some schools are taking that route, or trying to.

[Celgress]

And that's because Trump botched the federal response to the corona virus and the slack had to be picked up by local government. Everyone, corporations included, are in panic mode right now because of how the administration has not done enough and downplayed the issue in those crucial early weeks.

Yeah, but every other stock market around the world has also crashed. I'm no fan of Trump but I'm not going to twist facts. If Covid-19 hadn't happened there would likely be no crashes around the world or at home. I seriously doubt if Obama was still in office the stock market wouldn't have crashed. Maybe it would have been less but it still would have taken a nosedive.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Update: flew to Tortola this morning to get off the island a day before they close entry. Then flew up San Juan. So I’m in America. Flying to my hometown in an hour with my family. Trying to stay WFH for a bit then going to fly back to my place in Colorado

That’s certainly good news. Glad to hear you made it back okay.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Well, the vast majority of Sander’s supporters did turn out to vote for Clinton, and I expect the same will be true for Biden. And Sanders himself campaigned for Clinton and says he will for Biden.

As for long term effects, while I agree Biden would be good for the future Supreme Court nominations and other court appointments, I think there’s also a danger that a Biden presidency would also increase the likelihood of another Trump like candidate in four years. Simply because nothing will really change, there will still be people without healthcare, there will still be people with large college loans, there will still be people who are working for wages that don’t begin to cover their cost of living. I hope I’m wrong but I just don’t see the incremental changes Biden is proposing leading to any real change. The reality is people need big changes not little ones.

A lot will depend on if Democrats can reclaim the Senate, if they don’t, expect more obstruction from Moscow Mitch who’s already on record saying he’ll block any and all bills that land on his desk if Trump loses. I fear incremental change might be the best that can happen.

[XPac]

A lot will depend on if Democrats can reclaim the Senate, if they don’t, expect more obstruction from Moscow Mitch who’s already on record saying he’ll block any and all bills that land on his desk if Trump loses. I fear incremental change might be the best that can happen.

For better or for worse, I think our system is basically designed for incremental change. It's hard in the system we have, with all it's checks and balances to do anything drastic. Good in a sense that we likely will never get a Senator Palpatine come in with an iron fist and procueed to conquer the world with the United Empire of America. But bad if you're a progressive trying to reform things like social security and welfare. Change is slow and gradual by design. They favored stability over effeciency.

[Tami]

U.S. Justice Dept. abandons prosecution of Russian firm indicted in Mueller election interference probe

The U.S. Justice Department moved Monday to drop its two-year-long prosecution of a Russian company charged with orchestrating a social media campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The stunning reversal came weeks before the case — a spin off of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe — was to go to trial.

Assistants to U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea of Washington D.C., and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers cited an unspecified “change in the balance of the government’s proof due to a classification determination,” according to a nine-page filing accompanied by facts under seal.

Prosecutors also cited the failure of the company, Concord Management and Consulting, to comply with trial subpoenas and providing a “misleading” affidavit by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a co-defendant and the company’s founder. Prigozhin is a catering magnate and military contractor known as “Putin’s chef” because of his ties to Russian President Vladi*mir Putin.

[PwrdOn]

For better or for worse, I think our system is basically designed for incremental change. It's hard in the system we have, with all it's checks and balances to do anything drastic. Good in a sense that we likely will never get a Senator Palpatine come in with an iron fist and procueed to conquer the world with the United Empire of America. But bad if you're a progressive trying to reform things like social security and welfare. Change is slow and gradual by design. They favored stability over effeciency.

Well, we didn't need an emperor to prod us to conquer the world, our democratic government of for and by the people has somehow managed to do it anyway. And funny enough, because even though we have military bases and factories in all of these countries, because we never bothered to officially annex most of it as American territory, the people living there, though effectively living under the thumb of American policy, don't have any say in it! Fun how that works out for us.

[Malvolio]

A lot will depend on if Democrats can reclaim the Senate, if they don’t, expect more obstruction from Moscow Mitch who’s already on record saying he’ll block any and all bills that land on his desk if Trump loses. I fear incremental change might be the best that can happen.

McConnell is already taking his time having the Senate vote on a bill that would provide paid sick leave, testing and food security for citizens at risk for the Covid 19 virus. Trump has even agreed to sign it when it reaches his desk, the House has already voted for it, but McConnell is taking his time. SMH