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

[Tendrin]

When enough people with big platforms decide to make someone not just an acceptable target but a righteous one the hate starts to feed into itself. I first saw that after 9/11.

It's just recycled anti-gay hokum mostly, but trans people are an easier target since people won't even stand up to the softer bigotry the way they would others. This is why the religious right in America is gladly funding anti-trans hate group, the LGB alliance, over in England, for example. The years of softer bigotry going unchallenged has lead to the BBC platforming people with genocidal intent towards trans people.

[JackDaw]

It's just recycled anti-gay hokum mostly, but trans people are an easier target since people won't even stand up to the softer bigotry the way they would others. This is why the religious right in America is gladly funding anti-trans hate group, the LGB alliance, over in England, for example. The years of softer bigotry going unchallenged has lead to the BBC platforming people with genocidal intent towards trans people.

Just had a look at LGB Alliance website. (I knew naff all about them.)

The first thing that interested me is that they have branches in Scotland and Wales as well as England, BUT no Northern Ireland branch.

I guess there must be a reason for that..clearly there are some differences in culture between Northern Ireland and rest of UK, so it might be down to some aspect of that. Or it might just be a funding or timing issue. (Or maybe Northern Ireland organisation exists and has a website I missed…not motivated to research issue!)

At first flush their website appears to be very liberal and progressive. But once I read the material under “ Biological Identity” I was startled by the intolerance of that and some related material.

One final thing: it’s a registered charity. It’s a pet peeve of mine how so many strange organisations achieve this favoured tax status.

[Tendrin]

Just had a look at LGB Alliance website. (I knew naff all about them.)

The first thing that interested me is that they have branches in Scotland and Wales as well as England, BUT no Northern Ireland branch.

I guess there must be a reason for that..clearly there are some differences in culture between Northern Ireland and rest of UK, so it might be down to some aspect of that. Or it might just be a funding or timing issue. (Or maybe Northern Ireland organisation exists and has a website I missed…not motivated to research issue!)

At first flush their website appears to be very liberal and progressive. But once I read the material under “ Biological Identity” I was startled by the intolerance of that and some related material.

One final thing: it’s a registered charity. It’s a pet peeve of mine how so many strange organisations achieve this favoured tax status.

It gets way way worse from there, I assure you.

[Tendrin]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...?ocid=msedgntp

ARepublican lawmaker in North Dakota will miss his Monday rally opposing vaccine mandates because he has COVID-19. Instead, Rep. Jeff Hoverson said he will stay home and take a cocktail of medications including the unproven anti-parasite drug ivermectine and the malaria remedy Hydroxychloroquine.

Rep. Jeff Hoverson (Handout/)

“Covid is real and like a really bad flu,” Hoverson wrote on Facebook. “I am currently quarantining and each day is getting better.”

Hoverson claims his home remedy, which is popular with right-wing pundits, should be more widely used by the public. He noted that he’s not hospitalized and said he’s on the mend.

[babyblob]

I'd also be curious which of your points he sees as false. It doesn't take much time to research if he doesn't want to take your word. Republicans haven't been shy about their obstruction of an investigation.

The GOP and their cult take pride in ignoring and dismissing facts that do not fit their narrative.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...?ocid=msedgntp

A silly question: Wouldn't people have to PAY for getting prescriptions for horse dewormer and Hydroxychloroquine rather than get a FREE and proven vaccine? Asking for a friend.

[Robotman]

A silly question: Wouldn't people have to PAY for getting prescriptions for horse dewormer and Hydroxychloroquine rather than get a FREE and proven vaccine? Asking for a friend.

Well you see, um, because socialism is bad and immigrants are gonna replace, and then 5G microchips will…Hunter Biden’s laptop?

[Gray Lensman]

Well you see, um, because socialism is had and immigrants are gonna replace, and then 5G microchips will…Hunter Biden’s laptop?

I was thinking that the fact that it is free proves those tracking microchips are in the vaccine and not the cellphone that you are paying a monthly fee for.

Chexmix, Libs!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I was thinking that the fact that it is free proves those tracking microchips are in the vaccine and not the cellphone that you are paying a monthly fee for.

Chexmix, Libs!

Really? Whoa! Better living through chemistry, yo!

[Xheight]

The GOP and their cult take pride in ignoring and dismissing facts that do not fit their narrative.

Just read an interesting analysis of the GOP and others approach to lies by substacker Richard Hanania

There are two ways to lie in politics. Let’s say Side A wants to spend more on government, and Side B wants to spend less. Side A might exaggerate the benefits of investing in poor communities, and Side B might tell a story about how tax cuts for the rich will pay for themselves. This can be called directional lying, with each side trying to convince you of something, and this is how politics pretty much worked until the last few years.

Republicans, because they are tribal and not ideological, do not punish their politicians for non-directional lying, or simply making things up. I already mentioned the schizophrenic messaging about Biden and crime.

Trump mostly governed like a typical Republican, and his administration pushed for things like less spending on entitlements. Republicans meanwhile have been running ads accusing Democrats of wanting to cut Medicare. The party made opposition to Obamacare maybe its central political messages across three election cycles. Before his 2018 Senate election, Josh Hawley had signed his name to a complaint that would have gotten the Supreme Court to overturn Obamacare. He also ran an ad saying he wanted to protect people with preexisting conditions from losing their health insurance. You can be generous to Hawley and assume that maybe he liked the preexisting conditions part of Obamacare, but thought the law was so bad overall it still needed to go. Still, the practical effect of voting for Hawley and other Republicans in that election was that they would make it less likely insurance companies would have to cover preexisting conditions, making this a case of non-directional lying.

Trump supporters argued he was the most pro-gay rights presidential candidate in history. Meanwhile, his administration rolled back anti-discrimination protections. You can say that “gay rights” is not synonymous with “the policy wishes of the LGBT activist community,” but that’s how most people understand these terms. Anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation and gender identity have wide popular support, meaning that when most people hear a politician saying he is pro-gay rights, they assume he supports such policies. And maybe Trump actually does, but in his administration it was social conservatives who set the agenda.

Liberals say really false things like “men can get pregnant,” “police are killing large numbers of innocent black men,” and “poor people are more likely to be fat because of food deserts.” Yet these are lies (or more usually, kinds of self-delusion) that you would expect from people who’ve adopted crazy ideological commitments: the blank slate theory of human nature, an aversion towards “blaming the victim,” championing minority sexual identities as normative ideals, and a worldview where the problems of the poor can always be blamed on their oppressors. Russiagate was a kind of paranoia of the left that was similar to the conspiracy theories of the right.

[Xheight]

At least they're becoming consistent about their policy of supporting candidates with a history of violence towards women.

toward mentally unstable violent women - correction

[Xheight]

Well you see, um, because socialism is bad and immigrants are gonna replace, and then 5G microchips will…Hunter Biden’s laptop?

Well Socialism doesn't work out too well and immigrants are perfect for replacing the working class with cheaper labor so 5G is just the next step in our Whats App 3rd world-ing of america thanks to team Biden.
If only we could be more like Venezuela I guess.

[Xheight]

Congress has the power of investigation. The DOJ enforces contempt of Congress.

Investigation for legislative purposes not to harass and persecute or are you a fan of HUAC too.

[Xheight]

I mean the fact that the GOP members of the house voted down the formation of a commission with both Dems and GOP on it. That is a fact. It was talked about heavy on the news. And the fact that Trump has sued the DOJ to prevent the release of stuff related to the 6th. Also all over the news. And the fact that so far Steve B has ignored a subpoena and Trump is encouraging everyone else to do the same. Also all over the news.

And what about your fictional statements that they called for such a commission? Or that executive privilege has ever been waved by either party holding the WH? Of course it is the right thing to do to be contemptuous of an overreaching Congress just as it was back in the day of HUAC. Organizing a political solution to a suspect election is not a crime nor does Congress have the power to investigate crimes. Wrong on two counts but hey it is okay because the Orange Man is the Devil.

[Kirby101]

Investigation for legislative purposes not to harass and persecute or are you a fan of HUAC too.

That you think the committee investigating an insurrection instigated by the President is McCarthyism shows how far down the rabbit hole you have gone. Considering you have actually endorsed McCarthy like conspiracies within the State Department.