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

[AnakinFlair]

Never mind that the only way that Biden can keep taking small steps to try to help folks who insist on being blockheads is to minimize the number of "Independence From Covid-19..." and "Supply Chain..." fumbles for independent voters to potentially be turned off by.

Lousy deal?

Sure.

That said, you have to play on the table you are sitting at. Not a table that is as fair as it should be.

Biden.jpg

10char.....

[CSTowle]

Spreading unfounded rumors about Biden’s condition will only help get Trump re-elected.
Some people are looking for an excuse to not vote for Democrats. How about you guys quit giving them one?

Look folks, the point I’m trying to make, and frankly shouldn’t have to explain, is that nobody who doesn’t want to see Trump re-elected should be spreading unfounded rumors online about Biden’s condition.

They're not unfounded rumors I'm getting from whatever Trump's social media outlet is these days, it's observation of the man over the last two decades. Especially the time from the Obama Administration to now, which isn't a long period but looks to me (and, like most posters here and elsewhere, I'm not a medical professional so it's not a professional diagnosis) as if he's lost at least a step. Noticeably.

Other people notice it too. Including those who support him and will in 2024. Talking about it won't harm his chances, him declining further might. Thus it's not only a legitimate topic of discussion but again I'd argue a necessary one. Burying our heads in the sand and pretending the other side or those who tend to be undecided might not notice if we don't point it out is at best wishful thinking and at worst willful ignorance. Will it be exaggerated by the other side for political gain? Of course. That's politics. If it wasn't that, it'd be something else. It doesn't mean we ignore or make untouchable the people we're trying to support. We should be aware of their weaknesses and vet them fully. Otherwise we fall into the MAGA cult mindset as talked about in Tami's comment below.

Has anyone else heard the story of the police officer in Tuson who shot a shoplifter in a wheelchair in the back and side 9 times and killed him?

So the guy stole a toolbox from a Walmart. He pulled a knife out and was rolling past the officers in a moto wheelchair. he was heading into another store and was told to stop. When he didnt the officer shot him 9 times hitting him in the back and side.

So yes the guy in the wheelchair had a criminal record and a knife. But he also had his back to the officer and was you know in a slow moving moto wheelchair. The cop really had no other choice then to fire 9 bullets into his back?

I feel like coordinating with a few other people to overturn carts in his path and block him in out of arm's reach would have been a viable strategy. It's not like a guy walking/running with a knife, there are severe mobility limitations and options to block there. But I'd have to see a video and how close he was to being within stabbing distance of a civilian when the cop shot him.

Here is my thought for the day:

Historically speaking, though it still might be true in some places, Monarchs (Kings, Emperors, and so on) were seen as gods or descended from gods. Japan, Egypt, even the Roman Empire did this. In the public eye, they were assumed to have, not only a mandate from above, but supernatural powers as well.

Dictators as well have occasionally played that role, placed themselves as part of a divine pantheon.

Most countries that are not Dictatorships don't, but even in these countries, like in the US, there are people who seem to desire that in a leader. Peopel expect leaders to have the supernatural power to magically erase all problems, all ills, all things that make their lives hard. Right now the public expects Biden to magically erase COVID, and they grow impatient when he doesn't.

People like things to be simplified. You see it with the MAGA crowd, you saw it when a clearly centrist Obama ran in '08 and everyone was projecting their personal politics on him and were surprised when he was more in the Clinton mold than the Bernie one. Most left-leaning people I know don't blame Biden for not getting near 100% vaccination, they blame selfish "I don't wanna" sovereign citizen types who can't take the responsibility to get done the things none of the rest of us want to do either but do because it's the bare minimum expected. As they should.

The folks keeping us where we are and allowing things to spread because now they've gone full conspiracy and push natural immunity (which at least means they've admitted it's an actual virus and not the flu killing 700k Americans in the past 2 years) were going to do what they're doing regardless of whether it was Biden or someone else. It certainly helps them in their comfortable bubble to associate the hated vaccine with the hated Democratic President, but the few times I've seen Trump get booed is when he touted the virus and doing your civic responsibility.

[babyblob]

I feel like coordinating with a few other people to overturn carts in his path and block him in out of arm's reach would have been a viable strategy. It's not like a guy walking/running with a knife, there are severe mobility limitations and options to block there. But I'd have to see a video and how close he was to being within stabbing distance of a civilian when the cop shot him.

Here is a video from CNN. And the still photos from Body cam show the same thing. A second officer on scene, man in the wheelchair with his back to the officer and no ont else around to be threatened.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/1...rt-orig-me.cnn

The folks keeping us where we are and allowing things to spread because now they've gone full conspiracy and push natural immunity (which at least means they've admitted it's an actual virus and not the flu killing 700k Americans in the past 2 years) were going to do what they're doing regardless of whether it was Biden or someone else. It certainly helps them in their comfortable bubble to associate the hated vaccine with the hated Democratic President, but the few times I've seen Trump get booed is when he touted the virus and doing your civic responsibility.

I saw videos of Trump saying people need to get the shot twice and was booed both times. he has not done it in a long time from what I have heard. Could be wrong but he is not going to get booed at his own rally. He cant handle that. So even though he took credit for the vaccine he is fine with people hating it if hit gets him cheers.

[Jack Dracula]

It gets kinda messy to suggest that people shouldn't talk about something that is relevant (the health of a President) or that we shouldn't have honest conversations. We should all be as comfortable talking about Biden's mental health as we would if he were a Republican.

I don't think discussion of Biden's well-being is going to make a difference. Biden's popularity leads to this speculation rather than the other way around.

There is a very serious chance Trump will run again and be the nominee. A point commentator David Weigel made that's hard to dispute is "Weird that non-Donald Trump Republicans get discussed as possible 2024 nominees. Trump can run as the president who finally appointed enough conservative justices to overturn Roe. Nobody's beating him in a primary."

The way to avoid another term of Trump isn't by declaring legitimate topics to be taboo. That's only going to help his argument.

That's nice Mets. What's relevant to me is that if the Republicans retake the house in one short year they will proceed to cement their chances of re-electing Trump in 2024. The upcoming mid-terms and the 2024 Presidential election may be the last chance America has to retain anything resembling actual representative democracy. I'm not being hyperbolic. Those are the stakes.
Nobody thinks they make a difference but a million little holes can sink a boat as quickly as a single big one. All I'm saying is people need to watch what they let spill out of their holes when the stakes are this high.

[JB]

Symone Sanders, Harris' chief spokesperson, to leave White House
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/polit...ris/index.html

Symone Sanders, Vice President Kamala Harris' chief spokesperson and senior adviser, is leaving the Biden administration at the end of the year, according to a source familiar with the decision.

[Username taken]

Just saw the video of the policeman shooting the man in the wheelchair.

I know the officer has been fired but that’s not enough. He should be prosecuted for this.

Who shoots an old man on wheelchair from the back???

[numberthirty]

That's nice Mets. What's relevant to me is that if the Republicans retake the house in one short year they will proceed to cement their chances of re-electing Trump in 2024. The upcoming mid-terms and the 2024 Presidential election may be the last chance America has to retain anything resembling actual representative democracy. I'm not being hyperbolic. Those are the stakes.
Nobody thinks they make a difference but a million little holes can sink a boat as quickly as a single big one. All I'm saying is people need to watch what they let spill out of their holes when the stakes are this high.

The other side of that coin...

When Biden will likely be coming into whoever he will be going up against with at least some of the weaknesses Trump had last time out?

You need to be able to be about this honest about your weaknesses going into this thing.

[babyblob]

Just saw the video of the policeman shooting the man in the wheelchair.

I know the officer has been fired but that’s not enough. He should be prosecuted for this.

Who shoots an old man on wheelchair from the back???

From what I understand the police cheif has already turned the video over to the DA office. Which shocked a few people with how fast the cop was not only fired but how fast the office turned the video over to the DA. They didnt get the "The Officer is on leave while he investigate" Route. No he was fired pretty fast and the footage turned over with in a a day.

[Malvolio]

I just can't think of any instances when it is not. Of course we are talking about Trump's lies about Biden, which he did know were not true, and used them for a political attack.
But you can keep giving Trump the benefit of the doubt, I for one will not embrace or excuse Trump's lies.

I've often said that it's the disturbing truths in between Trump's lies that we have to watch out for. The latest one is that Trump has come out talking about how bit-coin and other crypto currencies are a scam. But make no mistake. Trump doesn't really care about people losing their savings by investing in such a volatile thing as crypto currency. He just doesn't like that he's not in on it, that he's not profiting from it.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

No he was white.

Really? I'm surprised. It's hardly a secret people of color have bullseyes on their backs when it comes to being targeted by law enforcement, so I'm stunned at this revelation.

[Gray Lensman]

Really? I'm surprised. It's hardly a secret people of color have bullseyes on their backs when it comes to being targeted by law enforcement, so I'm stunned at this revelation.

I am too. I've been saying for a while that Cop Math is Black plus Gun equals Kill. It's easy to forget that they occasionally take the property and lives from white people too.

[CSTowle]

Here is a video from CNN. And the still photos from Body cam show the same thing. A second officer on scene, man in the wheelchair with his back to the officer and no ont else around to be threatened.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/1...rt-orig-me.cnn



I saw videos of Trump saying people need to get the shot twice and was booed both times. he has not done it in a long time from what I have heard. Could be wrong but he is not going to get booed at his own rally. He cant handle that. So even though he took credit for the vaccine he is fine with people hating it if hit gets him cheers.

Yeah, he was 61 and in a slow moving wheelchair near some plant stands. Knock either one of those over, or use a taser and retrieve the knife, or worst case (or what should be) use the nightstick vs the guy sitting down wielding a knife and you shouldn't have to kill him (maybe break an arm/fingers) to disarm him. Even run in front of him (he had been following him, not really hurrying) shoot into the roof and threaten to do the same if he continued. Guy may have been crazy or on drugs (hard to say, and imagine it won't be known for a bit) but that may have stopped him.

[babyblob]

I am too. I've been saying for a while that Cop Math is Black plus Gun equals Kill. It's easy to forget that they occasionally take the property and lives from white people too.

It happens and according to Fox News that is why no one is upset at this shooting. The guy was white. if the man was black the city would be on fire and BLM terrorists would be roaming the streets in bands etc... And this goes to prove that reasonable people are willing to let the system work. I mean they no longer even pretend to not be racist anymore.

[kidfresh512]

Just got to the office today reading up on the charges for this latest school shooter. Man the more you read the more that boys parents HAVE to be held accountable too. They just bought that gun and he's posting pictures on insta with it. They had to get called in for his "concerning" behavior that MORNING with school officials. And he was allowed access to guns?

[Xheight]

10char.....

Blame the victims

366,470 Americans have died from COVID-19 since President Joe Biden took office.

nice

People like things to be simplified. You see it with the MAGA crowd, you saw it when a clearly centrist Obama ran in '08 and everyone was projecting their personal politics on him and were surprised when he was more in the Clinton mold than the Bernie one. Most left-leaning people I know don't blame Biden for not getting near 100% vaccination, they blame selfish "I don't wanna" sovereign citizen types who can't take the responsibility to get done the things none of the rest of us want to do either but do because it's the bare minimum expected. As they should.

The folks keeping us where we are and allowing things to spread because now they've gone full conspiracy and push natural immunity (which at least means they've admitted it's an actual virus and not the flu killing 700k Americans in the past 2 years) were going to do what they're doing regardless of whether it was Biden or someone else. It certainly helps them in their comfortable bubble to associate the hated vaccine with the hated Democratic President, but the few times I've seen Trump get booed is when he touted the virus and doing your civic responsibility.

It isn't simplicity though but hypocrisy and that is what Biden was called on in the presser - IF Biden wanted to roll into office on this simplistic accountability then he should be judged by the same standard. I don't recall many Democrats calling for an apolitical and measured understanding of Covid when it was under Trump's watch.