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

[aja_christopher]

Politics is not about helping the people any more. Just about how they can hurt the other party.

Asking for more police oversight, business regulations to protect consumers, quality medical coverage for all Americans, fair labor laws to protect workers, civil rights and marriage rights and protections against police brutality (etc) is all about helping people and not "hurting the other party".

It was a Trump supporter claiming that Trump wasn't "hurting the right people".

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"“He’s not hurting the people he needs to be”: a Trump voter says the quiet part out loud"

“I voted for him, and he’s the one who’s doing this,” Minton told Mazzei. “I thought he was going to do good things. He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.”

He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.

Think about that line for a second. Roll it over in your head. In essence, Minton is declaring that one aim of the Trump administration is to hurt people — the right people. Making America great again, in her mind, involves inflicting pain.

This is not an accident. Trump’s political victory and continuing appeal depend on a brand of politics that marginalizes and targets groups disliked by his supporters. Trump supporters don’t so much love the Republican party as they hate Democrats, a phenomenon political scientists call “negative partisanship.” They like Trump not because he sells them on the GOP, but because they believe he’ll stick it to the Democrats harder than anyone else.

The president’s particular brand of identity politics — the racist attacks on blacks and Latinos, the Muslim ban, his cruel treatment of women — similarly depends on negative rather than positive appeals. Antoine Banks, a political psychologist at the University of Maryland, wrote a book on the connection between anger as an emotion and racial politics. When politicians gin up anger, an emotion that necessarily has a negative target, voters tend to think about the world in more racial (and racist) terms. Trump makes his voters angry, he centers that anger on hated targets, and that makes them want to take his side.

This is what makes Trumpism work. This is the dark heart of our political moment. Even people who are tremendously vulnerable themselves, like Crystal Minton, support Trump because of his capacity to inflict pain on others they detest."

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...-voter-florida

[babyblob]

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”.

Must be nice to have people in the party stand up to their own leader. Here the Republicans are so brainwashed by Trump they wouldnt go against him on anything. And the few Republicans who do speak out against him or dont agree with him are bullied, shouted down, insulted.

[babyblob]

Asking for more police oversight, business regulations to protect consumers, quality medical coverage for all Americans, fair labor laws to protect workers, civil rights and marriage rights and protections against police brutality (etc) is all about helping people and not "hurting the other party".

It was a Trump supporter claiming that Trump wasn't "hurting the right people".

I agree with you. The Dems do good things and have good ideas. But to Republicans not all of their ideas are good. I wasnt saying that one party doesnt have good ideas and tries to help. Like I said I agree with things from both parties. I disagree with things from both parties.

But with the divide in the country to many Republicans the Dems ideas hurt the country. To the Dems the Republican ideas hurt the country. Its an all or nothing thing for people in the parties. Im not saying its like that for all. But with the hardcore on each side it is. That is all I was trying to say.

[aja_christopher]

I agree with you. The Dems do good things and have good ideas. But to Republicans not all of their ideas are good. I wasnt saying that one party doesnt have good ideas and tries to help. Like I said I agree with things from both parties.

I agree with this.

But the problem with this logic -- and I'm sure you see it as well -- is their current lack of integrity with regards to things like fiscal responsibility, respect for military (and civilian) servicememebers, foreign interference in our elections, election disenfranchisement and voter suppression, allowance for corruption within the White House (etc, etc, etc).

If the Democrats get in office and behave in a similar fashion -- and not just by wearing a tan suit or using dijon mustard -- then it makes sense to hold them equally accountable.

But as it stands it seems completely unwarranted to act as if Democrats are part of that problem, and one could argue it's been that way at least since the days of Newt Gingrich, if not Nixon.

Trump is just the end result of a long line of lies and deceit.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Asking for more police oversight, business regulations to protect consumers, quality medical coverage for all Americans, fair labor laws to protect workers, civil rights and marriage rights and protections against police brutality (etc) is all about helping people and not "hurting the other party".

It was a Trump supporter claiming that Trump wasn't "hurting the right people".

----
"“He’s not hurting the people he needs to be”: a Trump voter says the quiet part out loud"

“I voted for him, and he’s the one who’s doing this,” Minton told Mazzei. “I thought he was going to do good things. He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.”

He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.

Think about that line for a second. Roll it over in your head. In essence, Minton is declaring that one aim of the Trump administration is to hurt people — the right people. Making America great again, in her mind, involves inflicting pain.

This is not an accident. Trump’s political victory and continuing appeal depend on a brand of politics that marginalizes and targets groups disliked by his supporters. Trump supporters don’t so much love the Republican party as they hate Democrats, a phenomenon political scientists call “negative partisanship.” They like Trump not because he sells them on the GOP, but because they believe he’ll stick it to the Democrats harder than anyone else.

The president’s particular brand of identity politics — the racist attacks on blacks and Latinos, the Muslim ban, his cruel treatment of women — similarly depends on negative rather than positive appeals. Antoine Banks, a political psychologist at the University of Maryland, wrote a book on the connection between anger as an emotion and racial politics. When politicians gin up anger, an emotion that necessarily has a negative target, voters tend to think about the world in more racial (and racist) terms. Trump makes his voters angry, he centers that anger on hated targets, and that makes them want to take his side.

This is what makes Trumpism work. This is the dark heart of our political moment. Even people who are tremendously vulnerable themselves, like Crystal Minton, support Trump because of his capacity to inflict pain on others they detest."

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...-voter-florida

And that's why Republicans won't betray Trump or even say anything mildly critical of him, because they don't want the anger of his cultists turned on them. It's like I've said numerous times in this thread: Republicans aren't afraid of Trump, they're afraid of his followers who are crazed zealots in every sense of the word.

[aja_christopher]

And that's why Republicans won't betray Trump or even say anything mildly critical of him, because they don't want the anger of his cultists turned on them. It's like I've said numerous times in this thread: Republicans aren't afraid of Trump, they're afraid of his followers who are crazed zealots in every sense of the word.

Fear over facts.

[The Cool Thatguy]

And that's why Republicans won't betray Trump or even say anything mildly critical of him, because they don't want the anger of his cultists turned on them. It's like I've said numerous times in this thread: Republicans aren't afraid of Trump, they're afraid of his followers who are crazed zealots in every sense of the word.

The irony being that the more they align themselves with Trump, the more they have to rely on his damn crazy followers.

I know plenty of Republicans who despise the man, and the party because of him.

[PaulBullion]

As a child of poor immigrants, I believe the American Dream is out there for those that seek for it. You just have to work at it, look opportunities and go over roadblocks instead of giving up when you confront them.

Countries like those in Scandinavia and Germany actually have a better chance of upward mobility, and they exploit labor a lot less and have a better social net.

[PaulBullion]

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

The US states hit the hardest by the Covid

1. New York
2. New Jersey
3. Illinois
4. California
5. Massachusetts
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Michigan
9. Florida
10. Maryland

All of the ten top hardest hit states are some of the most populated states in America and have many urban heavily-populated cities (NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Detroit)

Most of them are Democratic states, although Maryland and Massachusetts have Republican governors. Those governors especially Cuomo have a lot to answer for this Covid response.

Texas? Florida?

[worstblogever]

Agreed 100%. Turzai has been dreadful for years based on what my memory and google says, but I can't recall if WBE has profiled him before.

I almost profiled Turzai a few years ago because of his commitment to using voter suppression to win elections. He literally said it out loud.

Now, covering up potential widespread Covid-19 exposure to only his political opponents... that's some next-level f***ery.

[Tendrin]

I almost profiled Turzai a few years ago because of his commitment to using voter suppression to win elections. He literally said it out loud.

Now, covering up potential widespread Covid-19 exposure to only his political opponents... that's some next-level f***ery.

Well, I don't think there's any question he's about to jump to the front of the line /now/. :P

edit: you just know that if a bunch of the dems got sick from Covid 19, the Pennsylvania GOP would pull some North Carolina GOP style shenanigans if they could.

[Iron Maiden]

Asking for more police oversight, business regulations to protect consumers, quality medical coverage for all Americans, fair labor laws to protect workers, civil rights and marriage rights and protections against police brutality (etc) is all about helping people and not "hurting the other party".

It was a Trump supporter claiming that Trump wasn't "hurting the right people".

----
"“He’s not hurting the people he needs to be”: a Trump voter says the quiet part out loud"

“I voted for him, and he’s the one who’s doing this,” Minton told Mazzei. “I thought he was going to do good things. He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.”

He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.

Think about that line for a second. Roll it over in your head. In essence, Minton is declaring that one aim of the Trump administration is to hurt people — the right people. Making America great again, in her mind, involves inflicting pain.

This is not an accident. Trump’s political victory and continuing appeal depend on a brand of politics that marginalizes and targets groups disliked by his supporters. Trump supporters don’t so much love the Republican party as they hate Democrats, a phenomenon political scientists call “negative partisanship.” They like Trump not because he sells them on the GOP, but because they believe he’ll stick it to the Democrats harder than anyone else.

The president’s particular brand of identity politics — the racist attacks on blacks and Latinos, the Muslim ban, his cruel treatment of women — similarly depends on negative rather than positive appeals. Antoine Banks, a political psychologist at the University of Maryland, wrote a book on the connection between anger as an emotion and racial politics. When politicians gin up anger, an emotion that necessarily has a negative target, voters tend to think about the world in more racial (and racist) terms. Trump makes his voters angry, he centers that anger on hated targets, and that makes them want to take his side.

This is what makes Trumpism work. This is the dark heart of our political moment. Even people who are tremendously vulnerable themselves, like Crystal Minton, support Trump because of his capacity to inflict pain on others they detest."

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...-voter-florida

QFT and probably 90% of this is need to "hurt the Dems" comes from faithful viewers of Fox News. As one example of them going against their own interests, these same Fox News viewers fail to realize they will be hurting themselves if the GOP succeeds in this mad quest to dismantle the Affordable Care Act when they have absolutely nothing in the works to take its' place. And the GOP commentators and staff on Fox are always sure to refer to it as Obamacare to gin up their base.

[PaulBullion]

Are we trying to find nice things to say about Margaret Thatcher on this thread now?

Not today, Satan, not today.

[Tami]

Trump expected to sign executive order that could threaten punishment against Facebook, Google and Twitter over allegations of political bias

President Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday that could roll back the immunity that tech giants have for the content on their sites, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Trump’s directive chiefly seeks to embolden federal regulators to rethink a portion of law known as Section 230, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a document that could still evolve and has not been officially signed by the president. That law spares tech companies from being held liable for the comments, videos and other content posted by users on their platforms.

The law is controversial. It allows tech companies the freedom to police their platforms for abuse without fear of lawsuits. But critics say those exceptions have also allowed some of Silicon Valley’s most profitable companies to skirt responsibility for the harmful content that flourishes on their online platforms, including hate speech, terrorist propaganda and election-related falsehoods.

The order would prompt federal officials to open a proceeding to reconsider the scope of the law, the people familiar with the document said. A change could mean potentially dramatic free-speech implications and wide-ranging consequences for a broad swath of companies reliant on doing business on the Internet.

The order would also seek to channel complaints about political bias to the Federal Trade Commission, which would be encouraged to probe whether tech companies’ content-moderation policies are in keeping with their pledges of neutrality. It would also require federal agencies to review their spending on social media advertising, according to the people familiar with the White House’s thinking.

“In a country that has long cherished the freedom of expression, we cannot allow a limited number of online platforms to hand-pick the speech that Americans may access and convey online,” according to an undated draft version of the executive order obtained by The Washington Post late Wednesday.

[PaulBullion]

Twitter deleted the account of "John K. Stahl", the troll and surely very real person whose personal harassment against women and Democrats Trump loved to repeat.
Keep an eye on his backup account: https://twitter.com/JohnKStahl2/with_replies