All purpose news and politics thread part VII: News & Politics Total Landscaping

[JackDaw]

Of course he’ll try and stiff someone. Cheating and grifting is as natural to Trump as breathing, he’s too old to change, even if he wanted to, and he doesn’t.

It works well for him, so it’s tough to see where motivation for change could come from.

[scourge]

It does suck when they’re forced to be honest about their goals, doesn’t it?

This has almost no chance of succeeding, thankfully. But that it’s happening at all is worth bringing up. Especially since the push contains all of the by-now familiar buzzwords and sound bites we expect from far right ‘christian’ Republicans, at this point.

They need to not be able to hide behind "But we didn't technically call them a slur!!!" type bs everywhere.


In further news of conservatives and their pathetic crying...they're currently having apoplectic fits that the Transgender Day of Visibility and Easter fall on the same day this year.

edit: AND...a certain group of bigoted 'comic creators' tried to sneak a booth or table of some sort into the C2E2 convention but were found out and banned from it. So of course that crowd is also throwing a fit and crying they're "being canceled".

[Catlady in training]

They argue that there's a Chess advantage too " The new regulations also state that if a player holds a women’s title, but changes their gender to male, their women’s title will be “abolished.”

However, if the gender change is from male to female, all previous titles will remain “eligible.”

Of course they are, didn't you know? Male brains are just superior. Must be the reason why all men are so rational and us women are always so emotional and hysterical.

Transphobia and misogyny seem to walk hand in hand.

[Mister Mets]

On the Subject of The Week

The original problem was with The Week inflating their numbers by using respondents who didn't identify as Transgender as well as Trans Women in their total which they rounded up against the rules (Another of many examples) to say they were all "students brought up as girls identifying as transgender". That is a lie in many noted ways thanks to recent reposts, but the least of which is that the results of the only study they cite do not reveal how the students were brought up or how they were assigned at birth in many cases - Just how they identify. Add in the fact that the article tries to defend 2 known peddlers of proven transphobic misinformation (Shrier & Littman) at the same time that it is making such a transphobic claim gives no room for doubt as to why they would lie in such a way. As an aside - If one were to make a reasonable attempt at making that number a legitimate one, they should remove the ones who didn't identify as transgender by any definition, and those who were openly Trans Men & Women to then calculate any potential break down based on that number first, and then add back in the ones who fit the criteria of the results you were looking for (Trans Men/Women). That result would have to take into effect any lack in self-reporting from Trans Women due to the increasing bigotry against them specifically over the years (BATHROOMS!) as well as several other serious variables that should be carefully considered in making a number that represented facts.

The new problem I've noted is that if the article is accepted in that such a spike from 1-in-2000 to 1-in-20 in identifying as transgender for 'those brought up as girls' is newsworthy, it's transphobic not to report the slightly smaller spike in 'those brought up as boys' identifying that way as well. 1-in-100 is the bar Mets set previously for such, so 1-in-40 or 1-in-60 would definitely apply compared to the original 1-in-2000. Choosing to exclude them shows the bigotry against Trans Women is a real thing that they KNOW is a real thing and they are choosing to report what they think will cause more of a moral panic aka "The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters".

Mets would rather do everything he's actively shown himself willing to do at this point to try and excuse The Week's dishonest reporting because he feels it is true despite the evidence presented, and anyone wanting to read all the posts in question could make their own laundry list of the dishonest and deceptive things in them. What he hasn't done is presented any evidence that The Week's reporters read or considered any other studies he posts, that they looked to confirm the chromosomal status of the respondents, or any of the other theories he's presented to make them seem factual.

That should be straightforward enough for anyone.

What do you mean that The Week inflated numbers by including "trans women?"

I've made this point a few times, but it would be pretty easy to remove the percentage identifying as trans women and the percentage identifying as cis men from the figures to determine what the results would be from chromosomal females, who by definition will not identify as trans women or cis men.

I don't think you're worrying about that discrepancy.

[Powerboy]

Regarding chess, I am astounded how men have any advantage? I did look at a Chess site and the general consensus was that having female and male divisions is just a combination of tradition and the fact that there are far more men that play chess than women so that inherently slants things in men's favor just by the sheer numbers.

I've found that the sheer propaganda of the Right is sickening. To hear them tell it, trans women are dominating and destroying women's sports. Jeez** C****t, Lia Thomas tied for 5th in one race, won one race, and would have come in 12th had she competed in a year when the women's NCAA swimming times were better than the abysmal overall swim times the year she and Riley Gaines competed. Thomas has also lost speed as she continues to transition. No trans women holds any all-time women's sports record. Katie LeDecky would have lapped her twice had they competed the same year. Yet the Right promotes this absolute bald-faced lie.

It's not that I have no sympathy for a young woman (not Gaines) seeking out a broom closet to change clothes rather than be in a room naked with someone who was anatomically male at the time. But that problem has been long since dealt with yet conservatives keep running it into the ground as if it hasn't been adjusted for.

Then I see that hypocrite, Caitlin Jenner, siding with people who endlessly misgender her for heaven only knows what reasons. She just accused Lia Thomas of suing a swimming organization just for publicity. For f++k's sake, Riley Gaines has made a career out of her bigotry while launching a lawsuit.

[JackDaw]

Regarding chess, I am astounded how men have any advantage? I did look at a Chess site and the general consensus was that having female and male divisions is just a combination of tradition and the fact that there are far more men that play chess than women so that inherently slants things in men's favor just by the sheer numbers.

I've found that the sheer propaganda of the Right is sickening. To hear them tell it, trans women are dominating and destroying women's sports. Jeez** C****t, Lia Thomas tied for 5th in one race, won one race, and would have come in 12th had she competed in a year when the women's NCAA swimming times were better than the abysmal overall swim times the year she and Riley Gaines competed. Thomas has also lost speed as she continues to transition. No trans women holds any all-time women's sports record. Katie LeDecky would have lapped her twice had they competed the same year. Yet the Right promotes this absolute bald-faced lie.

It's not that I have no sympathy for a young woman (not Gaines) seeking out a broom closet to change clothes rather than be in a room naked with someone who was anatomically male at the time. But that problem has been long since dealt with yet conservatives keep running it into the ground as if it hasn't been adjusted for.

Then I see that hypocrite, Caitlin Jenner, siding with people who endlessly misgender her for heaven only knows what reasons. She just accused Lia Thomas of suing a swimming organization just for publicity. For f++k's sake, Riley Gaines has made a career out of her bigotry while launching a lawsuit.

In reality in chess is there actually anything in the rules that specifically stops women taking part in “mens” events? (A quick Google seems to indicate that women as well as men can take part in the British Open. I thought most of the main events followed the same policy.)

[CaptainEurope]

Trump doesn't spend his own money on his campaign. That is for suckers. He holds events at his properties and charges his campaign. It's all a big grift.

Except he hasn't held a lot of events, has he? Almost feels like he is hiding in his basement.

[CaptainEurope]

And many stock analysts predict Truth Social's stock will be cratering soon because , the site is losing money. Its not making money and the Trumpsters buying it up ala GameStop back in 2021 , are headed to a big realization once they lose their shirts on it.

Will that stop foreign governments from buying the stock to buy Trump?

[CaptainEurope]

Michigan Republican congressman suggests nuking Gaza, ending humanitarian aid

Michigan U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg suggested that nuclear weapons should be dropped on Gaza, which his office said was a metaphor to “support Israel’s swift elimination of Hamas.”

“It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Get it over quick,” Walberg says in a video circulating on social media, referencing the Japanese cities that the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on at the end of World War II.

Walberg, a Republican from Lenawee County, also is heard in the video speaking out against humanitarian aid for those in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory on the brink of famine after more than five months of Israel's war against Hamas, militant group that set off the conflict with its Oct. 7 attack on Israeli citizens, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostages.

“We shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid," Walberg said.

Walberg spokesman Mike Rorke said Saturday the eight-term congressman’s answer was in direct response to a question about American troops being deployed into Gaza to build a port to send aid to Palestinians.

I guess this will lead to more Democratic fundraisers being protested by the "River to the Sea" crowd.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Will that stop foreign governments from buying the stock to buy Trump?

Well, if memory serves, Trump did say publicly that he'd be open to being blackmailed if he doesn't win come November.

Michigan Republican congressman suggests nuking Gaza, ending humanitarian aid




I guess this will lead to more Democratic fundraisers being protested by the "River to the Sea" crowd.

Lunatics like Walberg shouldn't be allowed to speak if he's going to say crazy crap like that.

[CaptainEurope]

Well, if memory serves, Trump did say publicly that he'd be open to being blackmailed if he doesn't win come November.



Lunatics like Walberg shouldn't be allowed to speak if he's going to say crazy crap like that.

The important thing is he did not put "Nuke Gaza" on a t-shirt.

[Catlady in training]

Lukashenko discusses the possibility of invading the Suwałki corridor (the area around the border between Poland and Lithuania that connects Belarus to Kaliningrad) with his military commanders ... while holding a white fluffy dog. Looks like someone watched too many spy movies.

[Dalak]

Of course they are, didn't you know? Male brains are just superior. Must be the reason why all men are so rational and us women are always so emotional and hysterical.

Transphobia and misogyny seem to walk hand in hand.

Regarding chess, I am astounded how men have any advantage? I did look at a Chess site and the general consensus was that having female and male divisions is just a combination of tradition and the fact that there are far more men that play chess than women so that inherently slants things in men's favor just by the sheer numbers.

I've found that the sheer propaganda of the Right is sickening. To hear them tell it, trans women are dominating and destroying women's sports. Jeez** C****t, Lia Thomas tied for 5th in one race, won one race, and would have come in 12th had she competed in a year when the women's NCAA swimming times were better than the abysmal overall swim times the year she and Riley Gaines competed. Thomas has also lost speed as she continues to transition. No trans women holds any all-time women's sports record. Katie LeDecky would have lapped her twice had they competed the same year. Yet the Right promotes this absolute bald-faced lie.

It's not that I have no sympathy for a young woman (not Gaines) seeking out a broom closet to change clothes rather than be in a room naked with someone who was anatomically male at the time. But that problem has been long since dealt with yet conservatives keep running it into the ground as if it hasn't been adjusted for.

Then I see that hypocrite, Caitlin Jenner, siding with people who endlessly misgender her for heaven only knows what reasons. She just accused Lia Thomas of suing a swimming organization just for publicity. For f++k's sake, Riley Gaines has made a career out of her bigotry while launching a lawsuit.

In reality in chess is there actually anything in the rules that specifically stops women taking part in “mens” events? (A quick Google seems to indicate that women as well as men can take part in the British Open. I thought most of the main events followed the same policy.)

Stripping the titles of Trans Men but not Trans Women shows this is nothing but transphobia, it's ridiculous.

Will that stop foreign governments from buying the stock to buy Trump?

Nope, Trump's needs $ and he's open for business.

Michigan Republican congressman suggests nuking Gaza, ending humanitarian aid


I guess this will lead to more Democratic fundraisers being protested by the "River to the Sea" crowd.

Well, if memory serves, Trump did say publicly that he'd be open to being blackmailed if he doesn't win come November.

Lunatics like Walberg shouldn't be allowed to speak if he's going to say crazy crap like that.

The important thing is he did not put "Nuke Gaza" on a t-shirt.

Nuke Gaza moron isn't far from Trump's "Lets Nuke a Hurricane", but the blackmail angle here is something I've missed so far. Care to elaborate WPP?

Lukashenko discusses the possibility of invading the Suwałki corridor (the area around the border between Poland and Lithuania that connects Belarus to Kaliningrad) with his military commanders ... while holding a white fluffy dog. Looks like someone watched too many spy movies.

This and your previous post about the possibility of this leading to WW3 were important, because it shows that it's not just Russia in the area prepping for aggression. This should be sending red flags up across the globe.

[Dalak]

On The Week:

As expected, the faux ignorance & sealioning is back, which is kind of silly considering how many of the posts on the subject containing the results of the Study he's read & reposted in the last few days. The evidence of it being deliberate is how Mets answers his own question similarly to how I pointed out legitimate numbers could be reached. The Week didn't do that, in fact adding 3 words to the 1-in-20 statement would have shut me up long ago: In Our Analysis. Why? Because that would be some sort of proof they didn't use just the results of the only Study they cite unaltered or unanalyzed. As we still don't have any nor any response to how Transphobic it is to make this report without mentioning "those raised as boys identifying as transgender", it's clear exactly how much Mets cares about being factually correct or focusing on the specifics of a situation.

Why does it matter that The Week didn't do this but Mets is asking us to do it? Because without the added steps of bringing in other studies or analysis it's clear that they are just making up a transphobic lie and if WE do the work to try and prove their statement then we are supporting not only misinformation but also transphobia. If they didn't care to try and find a Study that says exactly what they say it does, why should anyone work so hard to defend a study that's only "close enough" to what The Week stated it showed outright? Only Mets can answer that question, or explain why he still won't provide proof to back up his statements & wild theories about the reporters in this case.

Conspiracy Brain time, a plausible reason for fighting so long and knowing what the writers did to check chromosomal status & the like would be if Mets is moonlighting on his teaching gig and wrote up this story for The Week. Such a conspiracy theory has no evidence nor do I advance it seriously, but at least that would be an explanation for the behavior we've seen for so long.

[Kirby101]

Except he hasn't held a lot of events, has he? Almost feels like he is hiding in his basement.

3 in March, 3 more in April. He needs the fix he gets from a crowd.