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

[useridgoeshere]

Rant time …

Fact is, despite all the evil they’ve done, Republicans are going to win more power in Washington and across more states barring a miracle. What’s the message? Roe v Wade, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice reform, social justice reform, gun control, climate change, health care … in theory Republicans are wrong on all of these but they’ll still gain more power, reinforcing their approach and allowing them to double down. Republicans are so much better at messaging, framing arguments in buzzwords, and sticking together than Democrats.

Most Americans don’t really care about minority rights, abortion, or mass shootings. Americans will say the right things but when it comes to voting, they’re either going to not vote at all or vote based on catchphrases and misinformation about economic policies. Democrats delude themselves into thinking their “right” on the issues and the “demographics” but more white young adults voted for Trump than Biden and Democrats are squandering any advantage they had with Hispanic voters. The Democratic Party needs a huge reset but it won’t come because of the folks in control. When Katie Porter said her colleague told her inflation wasn’t showing up in the polls as an issue, my head nearly exploded.

I’m going to vote for the very first time this year (just got my citizenship last year), but some of my co-workers, Americans by birth, who complain all the time, won’t vote in the primaries (which is the election) and some won’t even vote in the general election. They drive me crazy.

[skyvolt2000]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...d59529e033569b

In a poll taken just after the racist massacre in Buffalo, a whopping 64 percent of Republicans say discrimination against white people is “as big a problem” as anti-Black discrimination.

The suspect in last week’s terrifying racist attack — an 18-year-old White man named Payton Gendron, said in an online manifesto that he was motivated by replacement theory — an explicitly racist ideology that says, as a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll describes it, “A group of people in this country are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants and people of color who share their political views.”

Respondents to the poll were asked, “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Discrimination against White people has become as big a problem as discrimination against Black people in the U.S.”

Republican voters were twice as likely as everyone else to agree, with 64 percent saying they “Strongly agree” (35%) or “Somewhat agree” (29%), and 29 percent saying they “Somewhat disagree” (19%) or “Strongly disagree” (10%).

And an even larger 73 percent of Trump voters agreed that “Discrimination against White people has become as big a problem as discrimination against Black people in the U.S.”

[WAKANDA FOREVER!]

Plus this part

More than three-quarters (77%) of Biden voters, for instance, select racism as one of the issues that “played a role” in the Buffalo shooting. Only 42% of Trump voters say the same — roughly the same number (40%) who select “liberal media (such as MSNBC)” as a contributing factor.

Asked to choose which of eight issues played the “biggest” role in the shooting, most Trump voters pick mental illness (56%), followed by racism (15%) and liberal media (14%). Just 2% say “too many guns.”

In contrast, a plurality of Biden voters select racism (39%), followed by “conservative media (such as Fox News)” (27%), mental illness (14%) and too many guns (10%).

In that same poll, 61 percent of Trump voters — and 53 percent of Fox News viewers — agree with replacement theory, as described by the pollsters.

The poll also showed that 66 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of Trump voters are concerned “that native-born Americans are losing economic, political, and cultural influence in this country to immigrants.”

That figure represents a sharp increase — almost double — in the prevalence of this view from a study published just before the Buffalo massacre.

Seems reasonable. /s

[thwhtGuardian]

The policy response to the mass shootings is difficult.

This was an atrocious thing that happened. The details of the mass murder are sickening.

There are some people who are uncomfortable discussing tradeoffs. I suspect it's more of a Democratic problem, although there's some of it on the right. It makes policies worse if governmental officials, and the people holding them accountable are discouraged from considering relevant facets. Among other things, they're going to more vulnerable to error and manipulation.

The mass shootings discussion is complicated because we're often conflating different things, which have different solutions. It's terrible when some lunatic goes and murders as many people as he can, but that's a different category than gunfights between career criminals which are the majority of casualty statistics.

There's some overblown rhetoric here, with people suggesting that these murderers are what defines a country of 327,000,000+ people, that individuals are likely to lose loved ones to this kind of violence, that there is a serious risk of violence for tourists, etc. And that's not the case.

There seem to be three potential approaches for people who say that this is a serious topic. The stupid response is from someone who exaggerates the problem and believes their own error. They're going to spend time and energy (which is finite) on this topic, rather than something that is more consequential. Worse for their policy goals, they may end up trading away something more important that would affect more people for legislation that doesn't make a meaningful difference. The nefarious response is from someone who understands the statistics, and realizes that by exaggerating the problem, they may be able to rile up voters and win more elections. Potential downsides include encouraging copycats, making worried people on their side more anxious, and losing credibility among people who recognize the lie. The smart response would be to lower the temperature, and consider policy responses that aren't as controversial, and would be more likely to pass.

With gun violence, there is a mismatch between the so-called popular common sense solutions and the likely consequences. One reason conservatives are suspicious of things like universal background checks (which only apply to a small percentage of gun sales that are not made by licensed gun dealers) and bans on AR-15s is that they don't think it'll work, and that people who want more gun control will go further.

One interesting point I heard was that there was an epidemic of workplace violence in the 90s (if anyone remembers the phrase "going postal") which have diminished, and one potential argument is that background checks work in that context. Adults who may consider murdering their coworkers likely already have a criminal record, or some kind of red flags like restraining orders, which makes it harder to buy guns. This doesn't work as well with younger shooters, who often steal weapons from relatives or are able to pass background checks at 18, because they haven't been alive long enough to commit other crimes.

This isn't just a Democrat VS Republican issue, since the policy suggestions may lead to intraparty fights. One way to reduce gun violence may be to prosecute gun violations and straw purchases more severely, although this would not fit the goals of the decarceration crowd.

There are things we can do. You're correct that the solution is not to turn these into partisan talking points, as that has the disadvantage of discouraging solutions and compromise. We could look into raising the age to buy non-hunting firearms to 21, bans on certain types of weapons that seem to have a totemic appeal to shooters (with the explanation that it is limited to a handful of models) or related tools (IE- body armor, high capacity magazines.)

All of the bold are great ideas...they are also ideas that the Republican party totally don't support.

[Gray Lensman]

All of the bold are great ideas...they are also ideas that the Republican party totally don't support.

I read something somewhere about some data driven gun control ideas, and at the strictest both required surrender with either a restraining order or domestic violence conviction and a strict licensing/training requirement for concealed carry are each as effective as a full on assault weapons ban at cutting down on gun deaths. Personally I'd like to see both - people with a proven track record of solving arguments with violence shouldn't just be handed the means to easily make those tendencies lethal, and concealed carry is something that shouldn't just be handed out like candy.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...d59529e033569b

Discrimination against whites? As big a problem as discrimination against blacks? What a load of horseshit!

Whites NEVER had to worry about being lynched like blacks

White teenage boys NEVER had to worry about getting killed for whistling at black women like Emmitt Till had for allegedly whistling at a white woman

White people NEVER have to worry about being disenfranchised at the ballot box or denied the right to vote like blacks

White people NEVER had to worry about marauding hordes of Black Panthers out to maim and kill them like blacks feared the Klan

And that’s just off the top of my head. The only thing whites fear is the country having become a melting pot and their no longer being atop the societal food chain. If they consider THAT as being discrimination, then THEY have the problem.

[GindyPosts]

All of the bold are great ideas...they are also ideas that the Republican party totally don't support.

Part of the reason is that they are all scared of losing their vaunted A or A+ rating with the NRA, even after a national tragedy. And given how much money the NRA funds campaigns of candidates they feel will freely allow unlimited gun access, that's something politicians are too chickenshit to abandon.

[babyblob]

Discrimination against whites? As big a problem as discrimination against blacks? What a load of horseshit!

Whites NEVER had to worry about being lynched like blacks

White teenage boys NEVER had to worry about getting killed for whistling at black women like Emmitt Till had for allegedly whistling at a white woman

White people NEVER have to worry about being disenfranchised at the ballot box or denied the right to vote like blacks

White people NEVER had to worry about marauding hordes of Black Panthers out to maim and kill them like blacks feared the Klan

And that’s just off the top of my head. The only thing whites fear is the country having become a melting pot and their no longer being atop the societal food chain. If they consider THAT as being discrimination, then THEY have the problem.

You are missing the big picture WPP. Black people are on tv and in commercials. Black men and woman are the Leads on Movies. Black people are getting raises and promotions. There are even black people at jobs who are bossing white people around. Blacks people are voting for black candidates in elections rather then GOP that want to strip their rights.

We had a Black man as President and a female Black woman as Vice President. How is that not Discrimination against whites?

[Tami]

Discrimination against whites? As big a problem as discrimination against blacks? What a load of horseshit!

Whites NEVER had to worry about being lynched like blacks

White teenage boys NEVER had to worry about getting killed for whistling at black women like Emmitt Till had for allegedly whistling at a white woman

White people NEVER have to worry about being disenfranchised at the ballot box or denied the right to vote like blacks

White people NEVER had to worry about marauding hordes of Black Panthers out to maim and kill them like blacks feared the Klan

And that’s just off the top of my head. The only thing whites fear is the country having become a melting pot and their no longer being atop the societal food chain. If they consider THAT as being discrimination, then THEY have the problem.

You could add a qualifier to that - except if they are mentally disabled, elderly, homosexual, maybe a few others.

It has all the earmarks of Nazi Germany, only Blacks and other Non-whites are more the targets than Jewish people, though Jewish people still are a target.

Nazi Germany didn't just kill Jews, they also killed Germans who were 'Defective'.

I guess what I am getting at is that, it's insane for any White person to think they are going to be replaced or that they are the targets of racism. It would actually be rational for White people to fear other White people. They will go after Jewish and Non-Whites, but they won't stop there.

[Malvolio]

Discrimination against whites? As big a problem as discrimination against blacks? What a load of horseshit!

Whites NEVER had to worry about being lynched like blacks

White teenage boys NEVER had to worry about getting killed for whistling at black women like Emmitt Till had for allegedly whistling at a white woman

White people NEVER have to worry about being disenfranchised at the ballot box or denied the right to vote like blacks

White people NEVER had to worry about marauding hordes of Black Panthers out to maim and kill them like blacks feared the Klan

And that’s just off the top of my head. The only thing whites fear is the country having become a melting pot and their no longer being atop the societal food chain. If they consider THAT as being discrimination, then THEY have the problem.

When you're used to having the whole pie and patting yourself on the back for allowing "those" people have the crumbs that fall off your plate, it feels like you're being oppressed when "those" people demand an entire slice of the pie, even if you're still left with 80-90% of the pie.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

You are missing the big picture WPP. Black people are on tv and in commercials. Black men and woman are the Leads on Movies. Black people are getting raises and promotions. There are even black people at jobs who are bossing white people around. Blacks people are voting for black candidates in elections rather then GOP that want to strip their rights.

We had a Black man as President and a female Black woman as Vice President. How is that not Discrimination against whites?

You forgot to mention a black man recently became the new Doctor Who while fans are clamoring for Idris Elba to become the next James Bond. Damn! If that isn’t discrimination against whites, I don’t know what qualifies!

[Tami]

Homeland Security forms disinformation board to tackle Russia, migrant smugglers

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is stepping up an effort to counter disinformation coming from Russia as well as misleading information that human smugglers circulate to target migrants hoping to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The spread of disinformation can affect border security, Americans’ safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions,” the department said in a statement Wednesday. It declined The Associated Press' request for an interview.

A newly formed Disinformation Governance Board announced Wednesday will immediately begin focusing on misinformation aimed at migrants, a problem that has helped to fuel sudden surges at the U.S. southern border in recent years. Human smugglers often spread misinformation around border policies to drum up business.

Last September, for example, confusion around President Joe Biden's immigration policies combined with messages shared widely across the Haitian community on Meta's Facebook and WhatsApp platforms led some of the 14,000 migrants to the border town of Del Rio, Texas, where they set up camp. Some were ultimately expelled and were flown out of the U.S.

[kidfresh512]

Texas senator: ‘Finger pointing’ at authorities after shooting ‘destructive, distracting, and unfair’

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) argued Saturday that the focus in the aftermath of the shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school should be on the lessons learned from the incident instead of “finger pointing” at authorities.

“The second guessing and finger pointing among state and local law enforcement is destructive, distracting, and unfair,” Cornyn posted on Twitter.

He retweeted a post on Twitter from Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), whose district includes Uvalde, that included a Uvalde Police Department press release pointing to an incident in 2018 when the department identified what the congressman called “credible threats” to a local school and made arrests.

Good lord.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Homeland Security forms disinformation board to tackle Russia, migrant smugglers

That should’ve happened right after Joe Biden took office since it was hardly a secret the Ivans were peddling online garbage to influence the outcome of the last two elections.

[Amadeus Arkham]

Ukraine's intelligence chief 'fully confirms' Vladimir Putin has cancer

Vladimir Putin has cancer but won't "die tomorrow", a Ukrainian intelligence official has reportedly claimed.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, told Ukrainian news outlet Pravda that the Russian president has "several illnesses".


He told the outlet: "Yes, we fully confirm this information, that Putin has cancer.

"He has several serious illnesses, one of which is cancer.

"But it’s not worth hoping that Putin will die tomorrow. He still has at least a few years left. Whether we like it or not, that’s the truth."

Putin's state of mind has been repeatedly questioned in recent months following his order for his soldiers to invade Ukraine.


He said: "Our understanding is that there's increasing disarray in the Kremlin and chaos.

"There's no clear political leadership coming from Putin, who is increasingly ill, and in military terms, the structures of command and so on are not functioning as they should."


He added: "What we do know is that he's constantly accompanied around the place by a team of doctors."

Government meetings, of which many are televised, are having to be broken into sections due to Putin's health, Steele claimed.

"It's certainly having a very serious impact on the governance of Russia at the moment."

Last month, questions around Putin;s health increased when a video from February showed him “shaking uncontrollably” during a meeting with Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus.

That followed a report by a Russian investigative journalism group that Putin had been visited by a cancer surgeon dozens of times over a four-year period.

Moscow has not formally responded to rumours about Putin's health. However, in November 2020, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected widely reported claims that the Russian president had Parkinson's disease and was poised to quit.

“It’s absolute nonsense,” Peskov said. “Everything is fine with the president.”

It has been three months since Russian troops attempted to take control, but in that time Putin's troops have made limited gains - with Ukrainian authorities claiming almost 30,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in that time.

It was reported earlier this week that Putin was able to survive an assassination attempt two months ago.

Budanov said there was an “unsuccessful” attempt against the Kremlin leader’s life at the start of Russia’s brutal invasion of its neighbour.

"This is nonpublic information. Absolutely unsuccessful attempt, but it really took place. … It was about two months ago.”

Western officials are reportedly skeptical of the assassination claim.