All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[aja_christopher]

The problem isn't the amount of money spent on education.

With the amount of money New York state spends on education, hiring a tutor for five kids at $100,000 an year would be a reduction in costs.

I didn't say "money" -- I said "funding" and "aid" which is about a lot more than just money.

None of which addresses how Republicans repeatedly cutting or attempting to cut the education budget helps the education system regardless.

Just like curbing police violence against "minorities" is about more than just claiming you don't support it while supporting Republican candidates who vote against and "roll back" police oversight.

I don't want to "debate" you (again) on this Mets -- you've already repeatedly shown a lack of empathy and concern for facts when addressing these issues and proven to me at least why it's useless to discuss these issues and expect anything worthwhile to come out of it.

Save the talking points for someone who hasn't heard it all before and hasn't dealt with the reality of Republican racism and bigotry directly.

As stated before, regardess of your attempts at deflection there's a blatantly obvious reason why most black people don't support your party.

[Tami]

There probably isn't rise in racial crime. It's been going on for a while, but it isn't worse than before.

Trump did actually say something about it, a few hours before your post.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/...74767493148672

Federalism gives states a lot of options.

Florida and Texas make the top ten because the populatons are so big.

If you look at deaths per million, the numbers are better for red states.

1. New York
2. New Jersey
3. Connecticut
4. Massachusetts (blue state with Republican Governor)
5. DC
6. Rhode Island
7. Louisiana (Trump state with Democratic Governor)
8. Michigan (Trump state with Democratic Governor)
9. Pennsylvania (Trump state with Democratic Governor)
10. Illinois
11. Maryland (blue state with Republican Governor)

By that metric, California is also doing relatively well.

I'll note that it's probably more about population density and luck than whether Democrats are in charge, but I can understand pushback from conservatives after months of speculation that their local policies are going to result in death and mayhem, when the worst-hit states aren't the red states.

Hardest hit as of now and then, but this isn't over and many states are still at risk with infection rates climbing upwards.

Screenshot_2020-05-28 Coronavirus in the U S Latest Map and Case Count.jpg

[Tami]

Here are the top current hots spots

Screenshot_2020-05-28 Coronavirus in the U S Latest Map and Case Count per resident.jpg

[Tendrin]

"the situation looks better for red states" is just pure cringe.

[Kieran_Frost]

It's just so odd since she's not the only woman in politics, she may have risen very high except what values does Omar want? Is it about winning, or being strong while having principles closer of her own? Hillary Clinton would be a better fit with the latter. There's many, many women she could have chosen, it's juts so baffling that she chose British Reagan. Someone who is the antithesis to everything she values ideologically.

I would assume it's about what she grew up with, seeing a woman as the top political leader of such a powerful nation would have been very inspiring. Thatcher was, what? The 7th woman EVER to hold the top political office in the world (and to become the longest serving Prime Minister in 100 years). It's not always about agreeing, ideologically, with someone. Sometimes representation, in of itself, is a powerful stimuli.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Hillary Clinton lost to a deeply flawed candidate, so I could see why someone isn't eager to emulate her.

An elected official might not want to compare themselves to royalty. Mary Robinson isn't very well-known in the United States, so that isn't necessarily a comparison a politician would want to make.

Only Republicans and many on the Left despise her, they never gave her a chance - GOP propaganda saw to that, rather than facts. Trump got lucky and had to rely on things most Republicans don't to manage that win, and he still beat her in popularity. There's vastly more reasons to respect Hillary than Thatcher.

Everyone loves Princess Diana and she had a higher profile than Robinson. Robinson didn't have to be well known to be emulated, the point is to look for people who have ideologies nearer to her own then Thatcher's and that wasn't impossible to accomplish, even in 1992. It makes more sense for someone like Robinson, as obscure as she is, than Thatcher - who's against everything Omar ideologically represents. This is about ideology, not how famous a politician is.

[aja_christopher]

"Thousands of Kentucky teachers hoisted signs and chanted "we love our children" on Friday as they called on legislators to reject the Republican governor's vetoes and restore increases in education spending."

[aja_christopher]

"Three teachers in Oklahoma open up their classrooms to show the impact of funding cuts in the US state.

They explain why they're joining thousands of other teachers to skip school and protest on 2 April."

[aja_christopher]

"We Are Republican Teachers Striking in Arizona."

[JackDaw]

Only Republicans and many on the Left despise her, they never gave her a chance - GOP propaganda saw to that, rather than facts. Trump got lucky and had to rely on things most Republicans don't to manage that win, and he still beat her in popularity. There's vastly more reasons to respect Hillary than Thatcher.

Everyone loves Princess Diana and she had a higher profile than Robinson. Robinson didn't have to be well known to be emulated, the point is to look for people who have ideologies nearer to her own then Thatcher's and that wasn't impossible to accomplish, even in 1992. It makes more sense for someone like Robinson, as obscure as she is, than Thatcher - who's against everything Omar ideologically represents. This is about ideology, not how famous a politician is.

Has politics become so totally divided that we can’t see good qualities in people on the “other side”?

I voted for Labour throughout the Thatcher years...but I can still see things about her that any aspiring politician might usefully emulate. She wasn’t a bull **** merchant...she set out exactly what she was going to do, and got it done.

I would love to see today somebody on the left with her qualities...the desire to get things done, the honesty to set out aims, and the pragmatic ability to actually achieve real change.

On a personal level...practically everybody that writes about her agrees she was always courteous and thoughtful in the way she treated “ordinary people” (hate that phrase!).

That is always worth mentioning I think because acquaintances who have worked for high ranking Labour politicians have been very poorly treated.

[JamesonAnders]

Has politics become so totally divided that we can’t see good qualities in people on the “other side”?

I would love to see today somebody on the left with her qualities...the desire to get things done, the honesty to set out aims, and the pragmatic ability to actually achieve real change.

Barack Obama anyone? For that matter, other being in the left, you could include Donald Trump under this definition, loosely.

[JackDaw]

Barack Obama anyone? For that matter, other being in the left, you could include Donald Trump under this definition, loosely.

Yes, in terms of ability I think Barack and Mrs Thatcher were well matched. But with completely different values, of course.

I think Mrs Thatcher had bags of practical ability, a good mind (with a scientific bias, unusual for senior politicians) and was very, very decisive.

Personally I think both Barack and her were streets ahead of the Donald.

Impossible to prove what I’m going to say..but I completely believe it.

If the equivalent of a young Thatcher was in charge of Uk now, we would have seen far fewer corona virus deaths...she would have acted more quickly, more decisively, more intelligently.

[Iron Maiden]

Barack Obama anyone? For that matter, other being in the left, you could include Donald Trump under this definition, loosely.

For Trump? Yeah, very loosely if you want the EPA castrated and our national parks looted by businesses ready to take out anything they can of value when this land belongs to the people of the United States.

[babyblob]

Has politics become so totally divided that we can’t see good qualities in people on the “other side”?

Saldy that is how things are in politics today At least in America. I used to call myself a Republican but dont feel comfortable doing that any more. But there are still ideas with Republicans I agree with. There are also things in the Dems that I agree with. I call myself an independent now.

When people hear that I agree with the Republicans on some things I am labeled a Trump loving Racism Homophobe. When my republican friends hear I agree with the Dems on things I am a socialist nut job who wants to give the country to the immigrants.

This country is very divided. I have never seen anything like this before. There is no room for talk anymore. Politics is not about helping the people any more. Just about how they can hurt the other party. It makes me sick. I would like to think things are going to change but I dont see that happening. If the Trump wins again he will cause more division. And the Dems are going to be angry. If Biden wins the Republicans are going to be so butt hurt they will block anything. New leadership is needed, common sense is needed. But that is lacking with a lot of people right now. No one politician has all the right answers. o one party has all the right answers. At least to me.

[JackDaw]

Saldy that is how things are in politics today At least in America. I used to call myself a Republican but dont feel comfortable doing that any more. But there are still ideas with Republicans I agree with. There are also things in the Dems that I agree with. I call myself an independent now.

When people hear that I agree with the Republicans on some things I am labeled a Trump loving Racism Homophobe. When my republican friends hear I agree with the Dems on things I am a socialist nut job who wants to give the country to the immigrants.

This country is very divided. I have never seen anything like this before. There is no room for talk anymore. Politics is not about helping the people any more. Just about how they can hurt the other party. It makes me sick. I would like to think things are going to change but I dont see that happening.

I fear my own country is drifting the same way.

But not quite as polarised yet, and hopefully trend might be reversed.

One of the few positive aspects of the ongoing Dominic Cummings affair (where most people apart from Boris Johnson think his senior adviser broke lockdown rules) is the number of people in Boris’s own party that are willing to say outright: “Sorry, Prime Minister...you’ve just got this completely wrong”.