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

[Tendrin]

Or it could be that GOP members have made themselves *that intolerable* in leadership positions.

[Tami]

New Zealand to halt removal of 'at risk' children from families

WELLINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - New Zealand said on Wednesday it will put a virtual halt to the practice of taking at-risk children away from their families, a care policy that has long angered its indigenous Maori community.

Children deemed to be facing harm have been moved into state care for decades despite Maori criticism that the process is racially skewed and a legacy of colonisation. A vast majority of the children taken, a process known locally as uplifting, are Maori.

Thousands of Maori took to the streets in 2019 in protest after media reports that the children's ministry tried to take a newnew-born baby away from her mother in hospital.

Children's Minister Kelvin Davis said on Wednesday the government has accepted all recommendations of a ministerial advisory board on how to fix the child care and the protection system. The ministry had been told that removing children should be used only as a last resort.

It's good that NZ is finally ending this practice.

There are a lot of countries that have engaged in child separation practices, it's a big issue that should get more attention.

[CSTowle]

It also seems to be holding Clinton up to the standards of today rather than the 1990s. 25ish years ago, the affair was seen as consensual, and most of the late night jokes went after Lewinsky rather than Clinton. If such a thing happened now, there would be more calls for him to resign as society now recognizes the power imbalance in such a relationship.

To say nothing of how that scandal came out of what was supposed to be an investigation into a bad real estate deal but ballooned into "keep digging until you get something" - and telling that the people involved aren't willing to hold anyone on their own side to even a fraction of that standard while simultaneously insisting that other investigations are somehow going much further into being fishing expeditions than their own.

I'd like to think most of us on the left would call for at least his resignation, given the many cases of credible sexual harassment claims outside of the Lewinsky affair and rape allegations, but after seeing the way people quickly attacked the woman making similar claims against Joe Biden this last election I'd imagine you'd see Democrats looking like Steelers fans and rallying around the candidate. #MeToo or no, when an election is on the line people are willing to overlook or outright ignore things. Same with the evangelicals and seemingly everything about Trump, and they're close to being rewarded on the abortion issue.

[Kirby101]

The allegations against Biden smelled funny to begin with and fell apart soon after. Maybe the suspicion it was a counter op was warranted? Many Democrats felt burned by what happened to Al Franken and did not want a repeat.

[worstblogever]

Democrats hold their own accountable when the replacement will be a Democrat, and it allows for messaging against Republicans in other elections.

The calls for Ralph Northam to resign ended once it seemed possible that his replacement would be a Republican, because the second in line had multiple sexual assault allegations and third in line had also done blackface in college.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/02/...-governorship/

The lie you're telling by omission, which, you have done more than once in citing this example... is the legislature would have liked to have impeached him, but there is no viable process to impeach a sitting Governor in Virginia (which came up when former Gov. Bob McDaniel was allowed to finish out his term even though he was implicated in a bribery scandal). There was no viable option TO remove Northam, nor any of the others from office. There were calls for him to resign, but it wasn't, "KEEP HIM IN OFFICE SO A REPUBLICAN DOESN'T REPLACE HIM!"

It was, "The state constitution has too high a bar for impeachment for us to give him the boot." It's like a 3/4 majority. And the offenses are supposed to have occurred WHILE they're in office, as it's written in the state constitution.

[worstblogever]

The allegations against Biden smelled funny to begin with and fell apart soon after. Maybe the suspicion it was a counter op was warranted? Many Democrats felt burned by what happened to Al Franken and did not want a repeat.

When Ronan Farrow investigates you for sexual assault... normally, he puts the story out there and strings you up by your knackers.

With this one, he investigated and came back reporting the allegation, but noting there were inconsistencies in the accuser's story. And the more she talked, the more her story kept changing.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

When Ronan Farrow investigates you for sexual assault... normally, he puts the story out there and strings you up by your knackers.

With this one, he investigated and came back reporting the allegation, but noting there were inconsistencies in the accuser's story. And the more she talked, the more her story kept changing.

Like Indiana Jones, she made it up as she went.

Meanwhile, it's looking more and more like there will be a government shutdown come 12:01 AM Friday morning. While I'm hoping for an eleventh hour reprieve, either in the form of a new spending bill or a continuing resolution that kicks the can down the road until December, I have my doubts as Kentucky Fried Turtle and the GQP are digging in with their almost annual bout of insanity, chiding Democrats for, to paraphrase McConnell, a "spending spree" that ramps up the debt, while saying nothing about the Trump/Qpublican authored tax cut a scant few years ago which actually did that very thing. As usual, the only time the GQP cares about being fiscally responsible is when a Democrat is in the Oval Office, otherwise those hypocritical bastards are spending like drunken sailors on payday. As a government worker, I'm about to become a pawn yet AGAIN. Shit like this makes me wonder why I stick around when I already have enough time in service to retire. It's all ridiculous.

[Gray Lensman]

When Ronan Farrow investigates you for sexual assault... normally, he puts the story out there and strings you up by your knackers.

With this one, he investigated and came back reporting the allegation, but noting there were inconsistencies in the accuser's story. And the more she talked, the more her story kept changing.

That's one of the big things - there is usually an initial change to the story when someone first makes a years later accusation, easily explained by the fear of retaliation by a person with power. However, after that the story stays consistent. Biden's accuser kept changing after each bluff was called. She claimed it was filed, Biden waived his right to privacy concerning the accusation, then suddenly it wasn't filed at all. Plus her description of the route not matching the layout of the area (going to the ground floor on her way between floors 2 and 3) did not hold up to scrutiny.

And even after these holes became more and more obvious, she still didn't become a late night punchline to the degree Monica did.

[4saken1]

The demographics of the United States differ from demographics of voters.

Very true. Especially when one Party goes out of their way to make it more difficult for certain demographics to vote.

[JackDaw]

Like Indiana Jones, she made it up as she went.

Shit like this makes me wonder why I stick around when I already have enough time in service to retire. It's all ridiculous.

For me, timing of retirement was all about “will I have enough money to live fairly comfortably?” As one of my old bosses put it “No point sitting at home being worried sick about whether or not you can afford to keep the house warm”. (He was a prodigious spender, and worked on and on.)

A thing that might indicate if you are likely to struggle in retirement is how you feel towards end of a long holiday…if you feel bored and keen to get back to work, then you may find retirement a drag. (It does happen…it happened to my best friend.)

Good luck, whatever you decide.

[CSTowle]

The allegations against Biden smelled funny to begin with and fell apart soon after. Maybe the suspicion it was a counter op was warranted? Many Democrats felt burned by what happened to Al Franken and did not want a repeat.

There's also the very real fear that if there was a shred of credibility to her story or if it caught on with some on the left it would have meant the end of his campaign and a Trump reelection. I don't think that fear can be discounted. She made it very easy to dismiss by timing it as she did after he'd locked up the nomination, rather than the 8 years he was Vice President or when he was just one of many candidates in the Democratic field. Then again, you could say the same about the Trump tape (though that was in the form of the actual evidence rather than an allegation).

[WestPhillyPunisher]

For me, timing of retirement was all about “will I have enough money to live fairly comfortably?” As one of my old bosses put it “No point sitting at home being worried sick about whether or not you can afford to keep the house warm”. (He was a prodigious spender, and worked on and on.)

A thing that might indicate if you are likely to struggle in retirement is how you feel towards end of a long holiday…if you feel bored and keen to get back to work, then you may find retirement a drag. (It does happen…it happened to my best friend.)

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Oh, I'm not worried about money, I'm in good shape on that front, thankfully. It's just that I'm used to the day to day routine of going to the office, putting in my eight hours, talking sports with co-workers, then driving back home with The Beatles (Sirius XM channel 18) on the radio. I won't deny I'd miss the routine until I replaced it with something else, to paraphrase the title of a popular pop song from the 80's, I'm a man in motion, and I happen to like it. I'm only 62 and feel I still have gas left in the tank for a good several years, the last thing I want is to retire too soon, grow bored, then go back to work, that's something I very much want to avoid. Still, dealing with nonsense like government shutdowns try my patience considerably.

[CaptainEurope]

Or it could be that GOP members have made themselves *that intolerable* in leadership positions.

Plus they keep getting revealed as hypocrites.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is having an affair with Corey Lewandowski.

I would not care about their private business, but these are "Christian conservatives" who spend much of their time telling other people how they cannot spend their lives and whom they should or should not love.

Noem signed a religious refusal bill allowing businesses and individuals to deny services to LGBTQ people. I hope people see her and Corey L.

I hope people really, really see them.

[JackDaw]

Oh, I'm not worried about money, I'm in good shape on that front, thankfully. It's just that I'm used to the day to day routine of going to the office, putting in my eight hours, talking sports with co-workers, then driving back home with The Beatles (Sirius XM channel 18) on the radio. I won't deny I'd miss the routine until I replaced it with something else, to paraphrase the title of a popular pop song from the 80's, I'm a man in motion, and I happen to like it. I'm only 62 and feel I still have gas left in the tank for a good several years, the last thing I want is to retire too soon, grow bored, then go back to work, that's something I very much want to avoid. Still, dealing with nonsense like government shutdowns try my patience considerably.

That’s a great position to be in…if set-up at my old job was like that in my last couple of years, I’d have certainly stayed a few more years.

And what makes it particularly sweet is you’ve effectively got what we used to call the “golden parachute” strapped to your back. (i.e. You can pack in whenever you really, really want without money trouble.)

[Xheight]

Originally Posted by worstblogever View Post
If Democrats supposedly "don't hold their own accountable" as Xheight is floating out their for a trial balloon of "both sides" bulls***... based on a quarter century old example, no less...
Well, if they don't, Al Franken would probably still be a Senator, and Andrew Cuomo would still be a Governor.
Nice try, though.

No try needed as posters here point out the willingness of sides Dem or Rep to look the other way on past foibles and a past that is part of accountability that the left, in particular, clamors for. Be it Anita Hill or Jim Crow the past is prolog according to current left wing assumptions about character. Contra that to the born again/self invention traditions of the right. Franken and Cuomo aren't the rule but the exceptions and realistically victims of their own bungle and in the case of Cuomo worse crimes during Covid.

It also seems to be holding Clinton up to the standards of today rather than the 1990s. 25ish years ago, the affair was seen as consensual, and most of the late night jokes went after Lewinsky rather than Clinton. If such a thing happened now, there would be more calls for him to resign as society now recognizes the power imbalance in such a relationship.

To say nothing of how that scandal came out of what was supposed to be an investigation into a bad real estate deal but ballooned into "keep digging until you get something" - and telling that the people involved aren't willing to hold anyone on their own side to even a fraction of that standard while simultaneously insisting that other investigations are somehow going much further into being fishing expeditions than their own.

The point of the Clinton mention was to illustrate that very absurd insistence of rectitude from side of the political spectrum that once embraced open love and sex. (until the Dworkin Left gave us a new puritanism and PC) The reactive embrace of Trump's fouls isn't denial but out right rejection of the PC norms of the recent liberal history which has thrown away pluralism in favor of singular truths.