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

[Gray Lensman]

This is accurate. People like to claim that the Democrats are 'to the right' of the global left, but they mostly mean on some economic metrics. On trans rights, on gay rights, on civil rights, on abortion rights, and more, t he Dems are well to the left fo many 'leftist' parties world wide. And some of this comes from the fact the dems are the party of Joe Manchin as much as they are the party of AOC.

Additionally, the Republican party increasingly defines itself as being against anything the Democrats support. Environmental policy used to be bipartisan - the 'Obama Light Bulb Rule' Trump constantly rails against was passed under George W. Bush, and many environmental groups endorsed McCain initially. Now the Republican party is against pretty much ANY environmental regulations, including ones that are decades old.

[PaulBullion]

I mean, is there really any country with a "left" that has any power in parliament that still wants to communize corporations?

[The Cool Thatguy]

I've been in as much lockdown as possible since *February* to protect my parents. It's exhausting.

I hear that. I miss my other family members, and I was never that social to begin with

[Tami]

Trump’s Focus as the Pandemic Raged: What Would It Mean for Him?

Arrayed in front of the Resolute Desk, Mr. Trump’s advisers listened as Mr. Fabrizio presented the numbers. According to his research, some of which was reported by The Washington Post, voters believed the pandemic was bad and getting worse, they were more concerned about getting sick than about the virus’s effects on their personal financial situation, the president’s approval rating on handling the pandemic had hit new lows and a little more than half the country did not think he was taking the situation seriously.

But what set off debate that day was Mr. Fabrizio’s finding that more than 70 percent of voters in the states being targeted by the campaign supported mandatory mask wearing in public, at least indoors, including a majority of Republicans.

Mr. Kushner, who along with Hope Hicks, another top adviser, had been trying for months to convince Mr. Trump that masks could be portrayed as the key to regaining freedom to go safely to a restaurant or a sporting event, called embracing mask-wearing a “no-brainer.”

Mr. Kushner had some reason for optimism. Mr. Trump had agreed to wear one not long before for a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, after finding one he believed he looked good in: dark blue, with a presidential seal.

But Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff — backed up by other aides including Stephen Miller — said the politics for Mr. Trump would be devastating.

“The base will revolt,” Mr. Meadows said, adding that he was not sure Mr. Trump could legally make it happen in any case.

That was all Mr. Trump needed to hear. “I’m not doing a mask mandate,” he concluded.

Aside from when he was sick, he was rarely seen in a mask again.

[worstblogever]

Trump’s Focus as the Pandemic Raged: What Would It Mean for Him?

This would be a good time to remind everyone how former Speaker John Boehner summed up Mark Meadows, the man who talked Trump out of pushing the benefits of masks:

"He’s an idiot. I can’t tell you what makes him tick.”

[Mister Mets]

Hell, Kelly Loeffler's taking selfies with former Grand Wizards.

In that case, there's no indication she knew someone she took a photo with was a former member of the KKK.

She did also renounce him pretty quickly.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/31/polit...eck/index.html

Let's call that one what it was intended, the Aristocracy Prevention Tax.

It's an interesting policy question.

There seems to be more of a push on the left to end forms of inherited wealth and privilege, but I'm not sure how effective any of it will be.

Increased estate taxes will encourage the wealthy to find loopholes, such as giving more money to family members in the present.

Even if the children of the wealthy didn't inherit anything, they would still have major professional advantages (seed money for projects, private school educations, networking.)

One interesting wrinkle with the estate tax is the extent to which timing of deaths changes based on changes in estate law. It's not clear whether this is due to murder mystery situations, ex post doctoring, etc.

http://www.columbia.edu/~wk2110/bin/dying-final.pdf

[Mister Mets]

Josh Hawley is going to be president some day, and nothing in this world makes me less happy.

He probably won't, but that's because most prominent politicians don't get to be President.

We're probably only going to have five Presidents in a 32 year period. In that time, there was speculation about potential presidencies of Mario Cuomo, Colin Powell, Bob Dole, Steve Forbes, Al Gore, John Kerry, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Evan Bayh, Hillary Clinton, Mark Warner, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Jeb Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Chris Christie, David Petraeus, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and it didn't happen for them.

I think Cotton will be a candidate.

I stand by that list as people that might actually become POTUS but I really think nobody in the current GOP will be POTUS. The next R as POTUS will be another outsider but I think it will be a good 12 years.

I just think those are their best current people that actually stand a shot.

Not that I would support any of them (maybe Sasse, he seems a bit moderate at times, we'll see how that pans out, still haven't seen a decent R I would vote for in a good 12 years on any level, lots of Ls, Gs, Ds, etc.).

It's an interesting question when we'll see the next Republican President.

On this, we should distinguish between wishful thinking and analysis.

There is probably a good chance Democrats hold the White House for three terms. If Biden's a one-termer, Kamala Harris could be running for reelection in 2028, which is probably politically preferable to having an open election.

On the other hand, if 2024 is an open election, it's easier for Republicans to win, especially if Harris isn't exactly a Bill Clinton/ Barack Obama level political talent.

My guess is that Trump was a weaker than average candidate, so if he won and lost narrowly, it's possible for someone with greater political skill to do the same. Granted, it's entirely possible the party will nominate him again, which would likely be a political disaster.

[Kirby101]

There seems to be more of a push on the left to end forms of inherited wealth and privilege, but I'm not sure how effective any of it will be.

What a straw man Mets. No the left is not trying to end inherited wealth and privileged. It is trying to reverse the Republican's successful efforts to put a larger and larger percentage of the country's wealth in fewer and fewer hands. A return to Eisenhower levels of income taxation and inheritance tax would be fine.

[Comics N' Toons]

Since this thread is summoning me once again... I will simply say... I lost my temper by calling you all right wing vipers. I can only apologize here... but I was provoked by being called a right-wing troll, which is ridiculous. Again, apologies. I have no idea what YOUR personal politics are. If you belong to the right wing, I pity you. If you are a Liberal, well, good luck with any change you hope to bring about. I really mean that. I want to see the US adopt a more humane existence for its people.

As far as personally, I want to release all non-violent offenders from prison, get healthcare to everyone, I don't have any respect for national borders, abolish billionaires, I don't really respect the US military but I do respect and support their victims... I have no national identity and consider myself a citizen of the world. I belong to the BLM movement, and want to destroy capitalism. I consider Emma Goldman a hero. I am to the left of Mao, only because Mao was a murderous head-of-state! Proudhon, Emma Goldman, Bakunin and Kropotkin, as well as David Graeber are my political brethren. I find value in the early writings of Marx and Lenin, but am not a Marxist-Leninist.

IF you have to label me... don't call me a right wing Trump apologist. Call me an anti-imperialist. I am glad you had a laugh at my expense. I don't mind being mocked if it can make you smile because... these are tough times... We need more light in the world. Apologies again... And since you labeled me a Trump apologist and think me a fool, I will leave. All I can say is... I want people to stop suffering at the hands of capitalism. Thanks folks, you've been great!

[worstblogever]

In that case, there's no indication she knew someone she took a photo with was a former member of the KKK.

She did also renounce him pretty quickly.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/31/polit...eck/index.html

"no indication"? She seems like she does this all the time...

https://newsone.com/4063143/kelly-lo...upporting-her/

[Tendrin]

Since this thread is summoning me once again... I will simply say... I lost my temper by calling you all right wing vipers. I can only apologize here... but I was provoked by being called a right-wing troll, which is ridiculous. Again, apologies. I have no idea what YOUR personal politics are. If you belong to the right wing, I pity you. If you are a Liberal, well, good luck with any change you hope to bring about. I really mean that. I want to see the US adopt a more humane existence for its people.

As far as personally, I want to release all non-violent offenders from prison, get healthcare to everyone, I don't have any respect for national borders, abolish billionaires, I don't really respect the US military but I do respect and support their victims... I have no national identity and consider myself a citizen of the world. I belong to the BLM movement, and want to destroy capitalism. I consider Emma Goldman a hero. I am to the left of Mao, only because Mao was a murderous head-of-state! Proudhon, Emma Goldman, Bakunin and Kropotkin, as well as David Graeber are my political brethren. I find value in the early writings of Marx and Lenin, but am not a Marxist-Leninist.

IF you have to label me... don't call me a right wing Trump apologist. Call me an anti-imperialist. I am glad you had a laugh at my expense. I don't mind being mocked if it can make you smile because... these are tough times... We need more light in the world. Apologies again... And since you labeled me a Trump apologist and think me a fool, I will leave. All I can say is... I want people to stop suffering at the hands of capitalism. Thanks folks, you've been great!

You need to beware and aware of the real threat of the attempts to coopt the left with horse shoe theory and red-brown alliance bullcrap. The likes of Glenn Greenwald, Michael Tracey, Walker Bragman and more. This is why some will find you suspect, and unfortunately, there's reason for it in the american political landscape as it is now.

[Kirby101]

"no indication"? She seems like she does this all the time...

https://newsone.com/4063143/kelly-lo...upporting-her/

She is also apparently not corrupt, because Mitch McConnell's Senate and Bill Barr's DOJ found she didn't violate anything when her and her husband made trades from secret information she got as a Senator.

[Tami]

Chris Murphy’s surprise floor speech raises tough questions for Democrats

If there’s one thing that widespread Republican support for President Trump’s effort to overturn the election results suggests, it’s that we’re entering into uncertain and potentially treacherous territory when it comes to the long-term viability of our democracy.

And that raises hard questions for Democrats that they haven’t seriously begun to grapple with — about how they will deal with this ultra-radicalized Republican opposition, and relatedly, about how they should communicate with the American people about the true nature of that opposition.

All this is driven home by a speech that Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) gave on the Senate floor on Friday, in which he called out his Republican colleagues. Watch this full excerpt:

[Tami]

Wisconsin hospital employee fired, arrested after 'intentionally' destroying 500 doses of Covid vaccine

A Wisconsin hospital employee has been fired and arrested after removing dozens of vials of the coronavirus vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator, intentionally destroying more than 500 doses, a hospital investigation found.

The incident happened over the weekend at the Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, north of Milwaukee. Grafton police announced the arrest of the pharmacist Thursday, but did not name the man or identify a motive.

Police said in a statement they arrested the former employee on suspicion of recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property. The damage he caused "was estimated to be between $8,000 and $11,000," police said.

Initially, it appeared that the 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine — which must be kept between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit — had been left out overnight accidentally, hospital officials said. Each vial holds approximately 10 doses of the vaccine.

But Wednesday, the Aurora Medical Center announced the hospital worker involved "acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration."

[Kirby101]

Wisconsin hospital employee fired, arrested after 'intentionally' destroying 500 doses of Covid vaccine

Wonder what the motivation was?