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

[Revolutionary_Jack]

reshaping the federal judiciary with originalist/ textualist appointees

Considering that originalism and textualism is intellectual horsesh-t, this is something that reasonable people especially can never support. Originalism is dressed up trash and conservative propaganda, the legal equivalent of creationism.

- defeating Isis.

It was Russia that largely did that, as did the Kurds who Trump promptly stabbed in the back.

- Fast-tracking of vaccine research as part of Operation Warp Speed

Canceled by the destruction of the US Economy and the deaths of a quarter million lives.

[MiddleMan]

- moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

this was for optics, and to cater to certain political allies

- reshaping the federal judiciary with originalist/ textualist appointees

you mean installing neo conservatives to gut workplace protections, civil rights, and LGBTQ protections

- The fist step act which marked the first major legislative win in decades to address mass incarceration at the federal level, overhauled certain federal sentencing laws, reducing mandatory minimum sentences for drug felonies and expanding early-release programs, made retroactive a 2010 federal sentencing law reducing the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, and aimed to lower recidivism by offering more rehabilitation and job-training opportunities.

but it really hasn't because those rehab and job training opportunities have yet to receive the federal monies needed to do those things

- defeating Isis.

Isis was defeated when Bin-Laden was killed, they were just stubborn about it

- a decline in illegal immigration.

by caging families and unlawfully detaining people seeking asylum...people are outright SCARED to attempt to come here now and that is not a good thing

oh not to mention a majority of US illegal immigration is overstayed visas

- The US becoming a net exporter of oil, which makes it less dependent on Russia and Saudi Arabia.

we get the bulk of our oil from this hemisphere (Canada, Venezuela) and that's been the case since the early 2000s

- Fast-tracking of vaccine research as part of Operation Warp Speed

none of the vaccine manufacturers currently in phase were part of Warp Speed, Pfizer was promised funds after approval...not the same thing

- Greater role for due process in university Sexual Assault/ Harassment investigations

False, these horrible changes further the burden on accusers who are already traumatized by a system that already doesn't believe them and makes victim blaming a by product

- A cap on SALT deductions for the wealthy who previously had the federal government subsidize their state and local taxes

which isn't being enforced or audited because the IRS don't have proper funding [/QUOTE]

and Space Force is a waste of money because the Air Force ALREADY has Space Command

[thwhtGuardian]

I'm not claiming that these are all the good things the GOP has done in the last four years, but these are the things some reasonable people could support.

- moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.
- reshaping the federal judiciary with originalist/ textualist appointees
- The fist step act which marked the first major legislative win in decades to address mass incarceration at the federal level, overhauled certain federal sentencing laws, reducing mandatory minimum sentences for drug felonies and expanding early-release programs, made retroactive a 2010 federal sentencing law reducing the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, and aimed to lower recidivism by offering more rehabilitation and job-training opportunities.
- defeating Isis.
- a decline in illegal immigration.
- The US becoming a net exporter of oil, which makes it less dependent on Russia and Saudi Arabia.
- Fast-tracking of vaccine research as part of Operation Warp Speed
- Greater role for due process in university Sexual Assault/ Harassment investigations
- A cap on SALT deductions for the wealthy who previously had the federal government subsidize their state and local taxes
- Space force

When it comes to state governments, we can also consider that even though there's a relatively even split in the number of Democratic and Republican Governors, the Republican Governors are the most popular, in red states (Wyoming, North Dakota, Arkansas) swing states (Florida, New Hampshire) and blue states (Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland)

https://morningconsult.com/governor-rankings/

These sound like pretty solidly bad things, especially in terms to damage to basic human rights.

[AnakinFlair]

So which Commies was the CIA working with, now? Putin? I thought he was Trump's BFF.

Hugo Chavez, apparently.

And yes, I know he's been dead for a few years.

[babyblob]

These sound like pretty solidly bad things, especially in terms to damage to basic human rights.

How could the Space Force be a bad thing? I mean Independence Day scared the hell out of me. I am glad we are getting a jump on this.

[Farealmer]

How could the Space Force be a bad thing? I mean Independence Day scared the hell out of me. I am glad we are getting a jump on this.

A space force is a meme money sink. Any hostile alien that had the ability to cross the vast distances to reach us would obliterate us so easily it would be sad even if we had a "space force". We are a hundred plus years away from being able to do anything about a space attack. Most of which would start with tech build on earth for earth.

[Tami]

A space force is a meme money sink. Any hostile alien that had the ability to cross the vast distances to reach us would obliterate us so easily it would be sad even if we had a "space force". We are a hundred plus years away from being able to do anything about a space attack. Most of which would start with tech build on earth for earth.

I'm wondering what, if anything, President Biden is going to do with this 'Space Force'. I mean, right now he has far more pressing issues to deal with, but eventually the subject is going to come up.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

How could the Space Force be a bad thing? I mean Independence Day scared the hell out of me. I am glad we are getting a jump on this.

It's a meaningless thing. Calling it a major achievement that reasonable people should point to and get behind is laughable and childish.

A space force is a meme money sink.

Exactly.

Space Force exists to fulfill Trump's grandiose fantasy of making some big lasting contribution to US Government and qualifying by the merest "on paper" technicality.

I'm wondering what, if anything, President Biden is going to do with this 'Space Force'. I mean, right now he has far more pressing issues to deal with, but eventually the subject is going to come up.

Simple. Do nothing. All Biden has to do is "starve the beast" in terms of not sending any more funds to that stupid useless and totally not working border wall, and the Space Force which is on balance the most harmless contribution that Trump did falls under that.

[Kirby101]

What a joke that Mets keeps defending the SALT cap. Part of a bill that was the biggest give away to the rich and corporations in history, a deficit busting tax cut for the 1%. This was a dirty hit at Blue States that have higher property taxes.

[Mister Mets]

From a non US perspective I’d argue that Trumps attempt to put pressure on other NATO members to actually meet the commitments they have signed up to were eminently reasonable.

And in general..I’ve always felt that there was no real chance of him starting a major conflict abroad.

Those are two good points.

I suspect Biden is going to keep with the idea of making sure that other countries pay for international defense.

https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/24/new...nato-spending/

My family is from Estonia, which was one of the five nations paying NATO's targeted defense spending when the Trump presidency began. The UK was another.

Considering that originalism and textualism is intellectual horsesh-t, this is something that reasonable people especially can never support. Originalism is dressed up trash and conservative propaganda, the legal equivalent of creationism.



It was Russia that largely did that, as did the Kurds who Trump promptly stabbed in the back.



Canceled by the destruction of the US Economy and the deaths of a quarter million lives.

The question is whether Republicans did anything good, not whether there was other stuff people might disagree with.

Originalism and textualism are generally quite misunderstood. It's the idea that the law should be changed through amendments or legislation.

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/j...ginalists-now/

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/project...aw/interp.html

How could the Space Force be a bad thing? I mean Independence Day scared the hell out of me. I am glad we are getting a jump on this.

Space force is largely misunderstood.

https://www.npr.org/2019/12/21/79049...hat-it-will-do

It's a branch of the military taking over existing military missions in space (IE- securing satellites), where jurisdiction is currently fragmented.

[Kirby101]

Originalism and textualism are generally quite misunderstood. It's the idea that the law should be changed through amendments or legislation.

Except when the Roberts Courts wants to invalidate parts of The Voting Rights Act or the ACA.
So it is really bullshit.

[babyblob]

Guys I was joking about the Space Force But it is cool that you all took me seriously and posted all kinds of arguments against it. Just shows how hated Trump is that we cant even joke about the things he has done lol.

[MiddleMan]

Except when the Roberts Courts wants to invalidate parts of The Voting Rights Act or the ACA.
So it is really bullshit.

when the VRA was gutted, within the year over 800 polling places in the South were shuttered - largely in rural and urban areas

how is that beneficial?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Originalism and textualism are generally quite misunderstood.

No it's not.

It always was and will always be a reactionary fanfiction concept with nothing to do with reality, with history, with the actual manner in which the original constitution was drafted, written, argued, and understood.

The Founding Fathers would have found the concept that the constitution be interpreted as closely as possible to the 1790s to be laughable and absurd. It was always envisioned as a living document that would evolve. Even the Supreme Court wasn't sacrosanct as Thomas Jefferson openly tried to impeach a SCOTUS. Orignalism as a doctrine was dreamed up in the 1980s and it was largely with a view to essentially overturn the Civil Rights Legacy, Robert Bork was an obvious example, Scalia too, John Roberts likewise.

[Mister Mets]

What a joke that Mets keeps defending the SALT cap. Part of a bill that was the biggest give away to the rich and corporations in history, a deficit busting tax cut for the 1%. This was a dirty hit at Blue States that have higher property taxes.

It was a subsidy for wealthy blue-staters.

A space force is a meme money sink. Any hostile alien that had the ability to cross the vast distances to reach us would obliterate us so easily it would be sad even if we had a "space force". We are a hundred plus years away from being able to do anything about a space attack. Most of which would start with tech build on earth for earth.

It's more about satellite repair than anything to do with aliens.

I'm wondering what, if anything, President Biden is going to do with this 'Space Force'. I mean, right now he has far more pressing issues to deal with, but eventually the subject is going to come up.

I'd imagine he'll keep it as it is useful, or fold it into an existing military structure, to get the benefits of one branch that has a unique jurisdiction while also knocking Trump.

this was for optics, and to cater to certain political allies

So?

you mean installing neo conservatives to gut workplace protections, civil rights, and LGBTQ protections

Reasonable people can believe that judges should not make the law. They're supposed to enforce it.

Legislators can put in reasonable protections.

but it really hasn't because those rehab and job training opportunities have yet to receive the federal monies needed to do those things

The Biden administration can go further, building on the passed legislation.

Isis was defeated when Bin-Laden was killed, they were just stubborn about it

Isis became a major force post-Bin Laden.

by caging families and unlawfully detaining people seeking asylum...people are outright SCARED to attempt to come here now and that is not a good thing

oh not to mention a majority of US illegal immigration is overstayed visas

We can simultaneously go after visa overstayers (whose names are in the system) and protect the border.

we get the bulk of our oil from this hemisphere (Canada, Venezuela) and that's been the case since the early 2000s



none of the vaccine manufacturers currently in phase were part of Warp Speed, Pfizer was promised funds after approval...not the same thing

Part of Operation Warp Speed is the fast-tracking of the approval process.

False, these horrible changes further the burden on accusers who are already traumatized by a system that already doesn't believe them and makes victim blaming a by product

The earlier situation had major excesses under the Obama administration's Title 9 directives.

https://www.theatlantic.com/educatio...ssault/539211/

Due process remains important, especially when these regulations are more likely to target men of color.

What specifically do you object to in Devos' changes?

which isn't being enforced or audited because the IRS don't have proper funding

The Biden administration can go with more aggressive enforcement.

and Space Force is a waste of money because the Air Force ALREADY has Space Command

The Air Force does have its own priorities beyond outer space, due its emphasis on air dominance, which was evident by a lack of higher ranking officials with any space experience. The idea for a separate branch came from a bipartisan proposal by former members of Congress.

https://spacenews.com/congressman-ro...is-inevitable/