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

[JCAll]

The rise of this perplexes me, since it is in direct opposition to one of the most famous sayings from Jesus himself (at least according to the Bible). Prosperity Gospel Christians make as much sense to me as the Anti-Semetic Sect of Judaism from early South Park. At least the latter knew it was a farce.

The Prosperity Gospel guys worship money, to them Jesus is either just an easy way to scam or one more thing they can own to take it away from everyone else.

[Jack Dracula]

Debunked Biden accuser Tara Reade appeared on Russian propaganda outlet Sputnik alongside former Russian spy and NRA mole Maria Butina to announce that she, Reade, has defected to Russia.

Not making this up.

An interesting turn of events. Probably an equally interesting story behind it.

[Kirby101]

Which fits the idea that nearly all of the negative changes in Conservative politics and policy which ultimately led to Trump’s MAGA movement are rooted in a long-term collective rejection of the Civil Rights Movement.

Absolutely. The switch in Party for Southern Democrats to Republicans was all race. They were Democrats for generations because Lincoln was a Republican who freed the slaves and beat them in the Civil War. When LBJ got the Civil Rights Act passed, he said we lost the South for a Generation, but it was longer than that. Nixon, and then Reagan openly looked for the support of Southern bigots. The GOP has become the Party of prejudice whose base is those traitor Southern States. Being the Party of White Supremacist is not a hidden thing anymore. It is now the identity that keeps people in the GOP. (except for those who are willfully blind).

[CastletonSnob]

Ken Paxton ADMITS to stopping 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Texas during the 2020 election.

https://twitter.com/CollinDems/statu...75630593847300

[Iron Maiden]

Ken Paxton ADMITS to stopping 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Texas during the 2020 election.

https://twitter.com/CollinDems/statu...75630593847300

So Texas could have gone blue with Ted Cruz probably perhaps losing to Beto O'Rourke!

[Username taken]

Ken Paxton ADMITS to stopping 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Texas during the 2020 election.

https://twitter.com/CollinDems/statu...75630593847300

It's like this guy WANTS to go to jail.

[Deathstroke]

It's like this guy WANTS to go to jail.

Almost as much as anyone with common sense wants him too.

[Deathstroke]

I can't find the link now, but earlier today I read an article that one of those Patriot Front assholes who want Jewish people hung and calls all LGBTQ+ people groomers and pedos has admitted to owning a bunch of porn of the child variety. Oh wait, here's the article link.

Color me unsurprised. This particular guy is the one whose mother threw him out of the house when she found out what he was doing.

[Dalak]

This is not about what I “think” — this is about facts and evidence.

Nothing is being misinterpreted — if you support candidates who promote white nationalism and homophobia then you support it as well.

If you disagree then provide counter evidence to the evidence already provided.

Hear Hear!

There's nothing to be persuaded about...he's very clearly endorsed and passed anit-lgbtq laws. It's not something open to interpretation.

The extent of this issue alone is more than enough to keep any "moderate" conservative from voting for DeSantis as you've rightly pointed out multiple times now. If that's not enough to prevent a vote to someone, they aren't a moderate.

*taps the sign*

I posted tha a while back, I love Moxon's writings. I enjoy his parable on gun control titled, "A good guy with a dinosaur"

Hey, don't exaggerate the constant threats & attacks against liberal "communists", the LGBT, people all shades of brown, any faith that isn't Evangelical Christianity (Considering the Pope-Hate from the GoP) School (Teachers & Students) or the reflexive attacks at any attempt to moderate their behavior by other conservatives. The GoP is just fine, and it doesn't matter how many news reports say otherwise.

Most people get along just fine with people who disagree with them on political issues. I have friends with whom I disagree on economic policies, health care, environment, etc. Friends are more right than me or more left.

But why should anyone treat someone with respect who wants to erase or eradicate them? Why should I treat people who want to deny basic human rights to me with respect when they're dead set on mistreating me? Republicans demand to be treated with respect while giving none. As a party, in their official platforms and in the legislation they pass, want to deny rights to LGBTQ+. They want to eradicate Trans people. They consistently pass laws against women, Black and Hispanic people, like taking power away from Black voters over police, education and judicial systems throughout the south.

Human rights are only a "political issue" for Republicans. There are no "two sides" or "common ground" possible with bigots who would deny me or others basic human rights.

It was a another misrepresentation regardless — the argument was that you should “be nice”.

The counter argument was that Obama was “nice” and that many Republicans during his presidency revealed that “nice” does not matter to them — both elected officials and voters alike.

Better to be truthful and effective than to “be nice” to those who show you enmity — Obama treated Republicans with more kindness and respect than most political adversaries and got nothing for his efforts but complete obstruction and a blocked Supreme Court Justice appointment.

In reality there are those who would use your kindness against you and it is foolish to give them that opportunity repeatedly — especially when democracy itself is at risk.

Certain views have no viable middle ground, clear prejudice aka bigotry aka hate is one of my big ones. While being nice in a debate is preferred, when certain behaviors are repeated ad-nauseum until they cannot be denied (aka to the level of Trolling) then standard niceties go out the window as far as I'm concerned. If they wanted things to remain respectful, they should have showed some in the first place. I cannot be friends with Hate: those who have it, those who support it, those who allow it to flourish because it's too much to stop it, and those who choose to defend it and obfuscate it's effects at every opportunity. I can be civil in those cases, but I'll only give as much respect as I am given in turn.

Acknowledging the Hate which drives modern conservatism, top to bottom, is the first step to successfully dealing with it. Whether that is to get the extremists out of the GoP, for reasonable people to leave the republican party until it's no longer run by loons embrace Lies in the face of Reality, Hate before helping others, and Politics over Policy no matter how much illegality and immorality they have to work past.

North Carolina Rep Dan Bishop just became the first House Republican to threaten to oust McCarthy over the debt ceiling compromise.

And an example of what we as a people have to work past in order to progress as a society that can last.

Yes, the spineless cowards who rode the crazy train to the point they saw where it was really headed and jumped off instead of trying to hit the brakes. The anti-government rhetoric which led to the 2010 Teaparty wave and the shameless stoking of anti-Muslim sentiment during the Obama administration were clear indicators, but none of them spoke up for decency and ethical standards.

It's the people who are staying on the train no matter how much they say they disagree with the course, they are what gives the GoP any veneer of legitimacy left. Those people aren't capable of admitting how much things have changed, and so in response to clear evidence of the GoP's repeated lows they claim things are exaggerated without even looking at the evidence provided.

Edit: Never mind. Dalak beat me to it.

When it comes to remembering outrageous things of the past still happening, like the perennial classic of Holocaust denial, I can't be beat!

Which fits the idea that nearly all of the negative changes in Conservative politics and policy which ultimately led to Trump’s MAGA movement are rooted in a long-term collective rejection of the Civil Rights Movement.

Absolutely. The switch in Party for Southern Democrats to Republicans was all race. They were Democrats for generations because Lincoln was a Republican who freed the slaves and beat them in the Civil War. When LBJ got the Civil Rights Act passed, he said we lost the South for a Generation, but it was longer than that. Nixon, and then Reagan openly looked for the support of Southern bigots. The GOP has become the Party of prejudice whose base is those traitor Southern States. Being the Party of White Supremacist is not a hidden thing anymore. It is now the identity that keeps people in the GOP. (except for those who are willfully blind).

I wish that hate wasn't such an immortal-cockroach of an impulse. Paradoxically it's about the only thing I can truly say I hate.

Something strange and disturbing is the rise and spread of the Prosperity Gospel, which teaches that wealthy people are blessed by God. Something which should surprise no one is Trumps religious advisor was a prominent leader of one of these groups.

The rise of this perplexes me, since it is in direct opposition to one of the most famous sayings from Jesus himself (at least according to the Bible). Prosperity Gospel Christians make as much sense to me as the Anti-Semetic Sect of Judaism from early South Park. At least the latter knew it was a farce.

It’s essentially a con game enabling Christian “Ministers” to fleece the poorest and desperate in their flock.
John Oliver did an entertaining bit on it. I can’t link it right now, but will try to later, after work.
Again, no surprise Trump had one of these people as his religious advisor. “Birds of a feather” and all that.

The Prosperity Gospel guys worship money, to them Jesus is either just an easy way to scam or one more thing they can own to take it away from everyone else.

Like so many here it's one of my hangups with Evangelism which should have it's own sub-cult. No one who flies in the face of so many of Jesus' words can be said to follow his teachings.

Debunked Biden accuser Tara Reade appeared on Russian propaganda outlet Sputnik alongside former Russian spy and NRA mole Maria Butina to announce that she, Reade, has defected to Russia.

Not making this up.

Reality is still stranger than fiction.

[Dalak]

Ken Paxton ADMITS to stopping 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Texas during the 2020 election.

https://twitter.com/CollinDems/statu...75630593847300

So Texas could have gone blue with Ted Cruz probably perhaps losing to Beto O'Rourke!

It's like this guy WANTS to go to jail.

Almost as much as anyone with common sense wants him too.

If the Texas Senate Republicans treat him like the House ones did on Saturday then I'm not sure what can save him. These little bits of Red Meat are there to get the fanatic MAGAdiots to try and influence the lawmakers like he tried to do with the House. Realizing this guy single-handedly set back the country like that really stings, as does the thought that anyone they replace him with isn't going to be much better.

I wonder who's going to claim this GoP behavior isn't country-wide.

[Iron Maiden]

They've all lost their damned minds. The only "normal" (and that is being a bit generous) ones like Mitt Romney don't say boo about any of the nonsense going on in the GOP.

[Tami]

They've all lost their damned minds. The only "normal" (and that is being a bit generous) ones like Mitt Romney don't say boo about any of the nonsense going on in the GOP.

How does the saying go? "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

They are on a power trip, blind to the potholes, warning signs, and dead ends ahead of them.

[godisawesome]

The rise of this perplexes me, since it is in direct opposition to one of the most famous sayings from Jesus himself (at least according to the Bible). Prosperity Gospel Christians make as much sense to me as the Anti-Semetic Sect of Judaism from early South Park. At least the latter knew it was a farce.

It’s essentially a con game enabling Christian “Ministers” to fleece the poorest and desperate in their flock.
John Oliver did an entertaining bit on it. I can’t link it right now, but will try to later, after work.
Again, no surprise Trump had one of these people as his religious advisor. “Birds of a feather” and all that.

There’s also, sadly, nothing new about Christianity, other religions, or even secular philosophies starting as altruistic and compassionate belief systems, and then being co-opted for generations by the elite as an endorsement of their behavior. The whole Divine Right of Kings was one of those things that both Protestants and Catholics ruthlessly clung to even when killing each other over which prayer book to read; Henry VIII of England and Louis XIV both made careers of despotism and debauchery that was flagrantly un-Christlike, but “justified” by their “holy” nature.

The American Evangelical Church (which includes white “political” Evangelicals, and the others who aren’t defined by white nationalism) has long had a fractious, feuding manner within itself towards the prosperity gospel members of the demographic… but one that it’s notable hasn’t slowed down political Evangelical support of Trump’s “spiritual advisors” coming from that brand.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Ken Paxton ADMITS to stopping 2.5 million mail-in ballots in Texas during the 2020 election.

https://twitter.com/CollinDems/statu...75630593847300

Talk about a monstrous abuse of power!

[Mister Mets]

It was a another misrepresentation regardless — the argument was that you should “be nice”.

The counter argument was that Obama was “nice” and that many Republicans during his presidency revealed that “nice” does not matter to them — both elected officials and voters alike.

Better to be truthful and effective than to “be nice” to those who show you enmity — Obama treated Republicans with more kindness and respect than most political adversaries and got nothing for his efforts but complete obstruction and a blocked Supreme Court Justice appointment.

In reality there are those who would use your kindness against you and it is foolish to give them that opportunity repeatedly — especially when democracy itself is at risk.

There is no misrepresentation. I said the following.

We should treat the other side the way we'd like them to treat us and the most sensitive people on our side. The belief that you're right doesn't mean it's a bad thing to be nice or kind to the people you disagree with.

You pushed back.

You mean like how DeSantis is "nice" to those he disagrees with?

Again with the "we" -- you need to get it straight that "we" don't always agree with what you believe to be true.

Especially when you apply completely different standards to those you are voting for versus those you are arguing with.

Not only are such comments condescending but they are also hypocritical -- you don't get to tell others they should "be nice" in the face of obvious oppression.

What "we" should do is hold people accountable for rhetoric that encourages actual violence instead of telling people to "be nice" in response.

Obama tried "being nice" to Republicans and here we are with a right-wing Supreme Court and "moderate" Republicans such as yourself now suggesting that LGBT rights don't matter and white nationalism isnt a serious issue while trying to distract from Republican policies by complaining about people not being "nice" when discussing white supremacists shooting up black churches and Jewish synagogues.

And how Republican politicans are supporting their behaviors with their rhetoric.

Maybe when you hold DeSantis to the same standard -- in both word and action -- then people can take such criticism seriously.

The same applies to the white nationalists and white supremacists whom you've criticized less than those who oppose them.

Because -- yes -- those are the people on your "side".

So you pushed back against the idea that all of us should treat the other side the way we would like them to treat people on our side.