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

[hyped78]

This would be because you have unexamined reactionary biases you refuse to examine.

And that would be because apparently you have socialist/ woke unexamined biases you refuse to examine.

Everyone has biases. Everyone.

[Tendrin]

And that would be because apparently you have socialist/ woke unexamined biases you refuse to examine

That isn't how that works. I don't place myself as any kind of 'centrist', and don't represent any kind of broader centrist movement. What I mean is: you don't have particularly well examined political beliefs, and cast a lot of vitriol at 'ideologies', while promoting yourself as 'center left', while espousing way further right fundamental beliefs than I think you realize. This isn't an attack on you, it's a call for you to do some self-examination, because defaulting to 'BuT THe WOkE MoB' and 'everyone is SO FAR LEFT' when things broadly represent a cross seciton of moderately left people in America, with I promise you *very little* representing the actual far left here. We don't exactly have the Stalin apologists or calls to Mao up the Landlords that you see in some leftist circles, nor the actual kind of conversations you see on black twitter that represent *way* further and more active left social justice movements here. No, your idea of the far left is ... some folks who don't like Churchhill and want to take down statues.

[JB]

On thing China doesn't seem to understand is that Pelosi is allowed to do stuff on her own, without needing Biden to sign off - it's a common failing of autocracies when it comes to dealing with democracies.

Also, if they wanted to actually prevent the trip, they would have used back channels, as opposed to making the choice openly angering China or looking weak.

Very true. Though I did find it interesting that NSC's John Kirby went out there yesterday during the White House presser to reiterate that "we do not support Taiwan independence and we have said that we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means." He wanted to make it very clear that the US supports the "One China policy."

[shooshoomanjoe]

Donald Trump was IMO a great commander in chief and hope he runs in 2024.

I don't think his ego will let him run again for fear of losing the popular vote three times in a row.

[hyped78]

That isn't how that works. I don't place myself as any kind of 'centrist', and don't represent any kind of broader centrist movement. What I mean is: you don't have particularly well examined political beliefs, and cast a lot of vitriol at 'ideologies', while promoting yourself as 'center left', while espousing way further right fundamental beliefs than I think you realize. This isn't an attack on you, it's a call for you to do some self-examination, because defaulting to 'BuT THe WOkE MoB' and 'everyone is SO FAR LEFT' when things broadly represent a cross seciton of moderately left people in America, with I promise you *very little* representing the actual far left here. We don't exactly have the Stalin apologists or calls to Mao up the Landlords that you see in leftist circles, nor the actual kind of conversations you see on black twitter that represent *way* further and more active left social justice movements here. No, your idea of the far left is ... some folks who don't like Churchhill and want to take down statues.

So what do you consider yourself as, in the ideological spectrum? Center-left? Left? Far left? Or you prefer not to categorize your political beliefs into a 'bucket'?

Leftist circles that defend Stalin, Mao, etc. don't really 'exist' in 2022. Of, if they do, they shouldn't. But it's funny you bring that up, because when I mentioned that Stalin/ Mao/ Pol Pot etc. - Communism - killed 100 million people, someone (probably not you) immediately jumped up to "defend" them by saying that they had some form of justification, which Hitler didn't. It's somewhere on this thread.

Regarding my political beliefs (which are what they are, they're not perfect but so aren't yours), at least I don't lack economics knowledge to say - and this was you who said it, if I'm not mistaken - that Biden's stimulus package was "deflationary". So... yeah.

The Churchill (and FDR) statue was an example, I gave various others, but it's interesting that you choose to reduce everything to the Churchill statue, to kind of try to minimize my stance (what do you gain by that? nothing). But do you think it's "social justice" to attack, in this specific example, Churchill's statue? Or to riot and loot cities, for that matter? Do you condemn Antifa, the same way you condemn e.g. the Proud Boys? Or are Antifa nice law-abiding citizens? (not all Antifa are bad, to be clear, and I have nothing against the idea itself)

[hyped78]

I don't think his ego will let him run again for fear of losing the popular vote three times in a row.

The fact that he lost the popular vote against Hillary but won the Electoral College just shows how broken the US Presidential Election system is (and not just the Presidential elections, each state having two senators makes zero sense)

[babyblob]

Pelosi is not doing Biden any favors with this trip. On one hand he is being blamed for escalating things with China when it is not needed. On the other if he asked her not to go he is seen as backing down from China.

So either way Biden is in a no win situation because of this trip. Why did Pelosi plan it? i know standing with Free people and all of that. But it is just now win for Biden all the way.

[kidfresh512]

Senate Democrats introduced a cannabis legalization bill. Congress should pass it.

It's time to stop pretending the war on drugs ever worked. And a bill from a few Democratic members in the Senate is a step toward that.

Sen. Cory Booker, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Ron Wyden, head of the Senate Finance Committee, reintroduced a revised bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and to remove it from the schedule of federal drug offenses. Congress should pass it for two reasons:

►While attitudes about marijuana use once presented a challenge, this is no longer the case. Most Americans support the legalization of recreational and medical marijuana. Recreational marijuana is now legal in 19 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and medical cannabis is legal in 37 states.

►No one should go to jail or be targeted by police for a nonviolent marijuana-related crime when its use is legal in most states – a point made even more obvious when we look at how ineffective, costly and harsh the enforcement of drug laws are depending on the community.

The revised version of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act tackles legal and social reform. The House attempted its own bill to legalize cannabis at the federal level in the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which passed 220-204 along party lines in April but likely won't pass the Senate.

The revised Senate legislation includes important decriminalization efforts, such as removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, as well as removing it from the purview of the Drug Enforcement Administration to that of other agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.

Critically, by decriminalizing the substance, the bill frees up access to the banking system, which marijuana-industry businesses have been barred from because of its criminalization under federal law.

I agree with the premise its way past time to decriminalize at the federal level. I don't and never have personally smoked. But, I talked to a friend that previously worked at a dispensary in Cali. and he would often talk about the banking issues they would have. Specifically because of this patchwork set of state by state laws.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Senate Democrats introduced a cannabis legalization bill. Congress should pass it.





I agree with the premise its way past time to decriminalize at the federal level. I don't and never have personally smoked. But, I talked to a friend that previously worked at a dispensary in Cali. and he would often talk about the banking issues they would have. Specifically because of this patchwork set of state by state laws.

Going to be interesting to see the number of people with psychosis increase.

[worstblogever]

Pelosi is not doing Biden any favors with this trip. On one hand he is being blamed for escalating things with China when it is not needed. On the other if he asked her not to go he is seen as backing down from China.

So either way Biden is in a no win situation because of this trip. Why did Pelosi plan it?

Well, one, standing up to China for its treatment of Taiwan is a brave and moral stance.

The cynic in me, though, realizes part of the reason Pelosi might be that her district has one of the highest Asian demographics in the nation, because it's San Francisco... the parts in particular with Chinatown. And folks from her district, specifically that part of it who are modern Chinese immigrants or the children and grandchildren of people that fled communism there, probably love her thumbing her nose at the Chinese regime.

Again, that's the more cynical view. When she does the right thing on this, or LGBTQ rights, it's because she knows who she's got to pander to in order to stay in office until she shuffles off the mortal coil and not have somebody beat her to the left.

[JB]

Pelosi is not doing Biden any favors with this trip. On one hand he is being blamed for escalating things with China when it is not needed. On the other if he asked her not to go he is seen as backing down from China.

So either way Biden is in a no win situation because of this trip. Why did Pelosi plan it? i know standing with Free people and all of that. But it is just now win for Biden all the way.

It's a very strange situation. Taiwan's foreign ministry put out a statement saying her visit shows "rock-solid" US support for Taiwan. But that's kind of the opposite of what John Kirby said yesterday when he said the US does not support Taiwan's independence. China's defense ministry is gnashing their teeth saying they're going to launch targeted military operations in response to her visit, but I highly doubt they will.

EDIT: She released an official statement through WaPo to coincide with her visit.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...n-visit-op-ed/

[Kirby101]

Going to be interesting to see the number of people with psychosis increase.

Going to be interesting to see the number of people NOT going to prison for possession of a joint.

[hyped78]

Pelosi is not doing Biden any favors with this trip. On one hand he is being blamed for escalating things with China when it is not needed. On the other if he asked her not to go he is seen as backing down from China.

So either way Biden is in a no win situation because of this trip. Why did Pelosi plan it? i know standing with Free people and all of that. But it is just now win for Biden all the way.

But do average Americans care that much? And this is not Biden or Kamala or a member of the administration going to Taiwan, it's not that they decide if Pelosi can/ can't go (I know the Chinese don't care and don't make that distinction).

[hyped78]

Well, one, standing up to China for its treatment of Taiwan is a brave and moral stance.

The cynic in me, though, realizes part of the reason Pelosi might be that her district has one of the highest Asian demographics in the nation, because it's San Francisco... the parts in particular with Chinatown. And folks from her district, specifically that part of it who are modern Chinese immigrants or the children and grandchildren of people that fled communism there, probably love her thumbing her nose at the Chinese regime.

Again, that's the more cynical view. When she does the right thing on this, or LGBTQ rights, it's because she knows who she's got to pander to in order to stay in office until she shuffles off the mortal coil and not have somebody beat her to the left.

That's a good point and I didn't know about that, but on the other hand she's been defending human rights vs. China for a long, long time. She's been standing up to China since at least 1989's Tiananmen Square massacre:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/02/p...ory/index.html

[babyblob]

But do average Americans care that much? And this is not Biden or Kamala or a member of the administration going to Taiwan, it's not that they decide if Pelosi can/ can't go (I know the Chinese don't care and don't make that distinction).

To be honest I dont think the average American does care one way or the other. The talking heads taking sides seem to take more issue with how bad it is or how great it is. I brought it up because it seems odd that a member of Biden's own party would put him in the kind of spot it is talked about so much with everything else going on.

I think Taiwan is so far down on the list of most Amercians right now. Even more so after a trip to the gas station or grocery store.

My pay day is tomorrow so I am more focused on budgetting my money for my dads meds and food then a trip over sees by the speaker.