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

[numberthirty]

Never mind that "Abortion..." is in the same neck of the woods as "War In The Middle East..."

If that number reflects that folks do not care about Gaza, then abortion doesn't matter much to them either.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Kristi Noem kills puppy, unites America

Kristi Noem is not going to be vice president. But history could remember her as one of the most unifying politicians of her generation.

In her new autobiography — her second in two years …. who knew there was so much going on in South Dakota? — Noem tells the story of killing a 14-month-old puppy because it misbehaved on a hunting trip and subsequently killed some chickens. Noem decided the puppy was “dangerous” and that she “hated” it so she took it out to a gravel pit and shot it.

Noem thinks this story shows that she’s able to make tough decisions; most everyone else thinks it shows that she might be a sociopath with anger management issues.

Got that right. It's been said that people who abuse animals eventually graduate to abusing humans, and who's to say Noem is any different?

[Mister Mets]

I think we need to set up a swear jar for Mets and get him to put in a quarter every time he demands we ask "non-loaded questions. "

I didn't make any demand. I'm just saying what I think. As far as I know, the rules of the board aren't that people get to insult me personally and I'm not allowed to respond.

I think it's reasonable that before somebody accuses me of being evasive, they should be willing to ask a non-loaded question on the topic. If they can't do that, why should they expect a response?

Would it make as much money compared to putting a quarter in every time some one complained about him rather than staying on topic?

The board would be rich!

He's the one not discussing the topic of conservative racism and bigotry -- the evidence proves that others are discussing the topic while he is the one complaining about others while providing no factual counter-evidence.

He can easily discuss the topic of conservative bigotry instead of repeatedly trying to deflect from it -- the pattern is that he doesn't address the topic or evidence but instead complains about not being "asked" for his opinion.

Feel free to explain why you think it's acceptable for someone to support an overtly racist political party and to try to "limit" and police the responses to said racism instead of simply addressing the bigotry in question.

The topic is news and current events. It's not limited to why Republicans are bad or why Democrats are good. I have been told that this is not a Democratic party appreciation thread, and no one here expects it to be that.

In most cases, however you expect the other side to treat people on your side is how you should treat people on the other side. I think if the situation were reversed, and on a message board where most of the regulars were conservative, a partisan Republican responded to a less partisan Democrat (and the less partisan Republicans) the way you respond to me (and to at least two other left-leaning posters), you would consider that individual's behavior to be extreme.

If you'd like me to discuss the topic of conservative bigotry, you could ask me a non-loaded question about it.

If you don't want to do that, it seems hypocritical to accuse me of being evasive.

We're probably going in circles on this, and I'm not sure there's more to add.

[Zelena]

Great points here. I think a lot of the protesters just don't think things through. They have a simplistic understanding of the issues and don't want to listen to anyone else. Kind of sad really.

Isn’t that the case when you are young and want to change the world… for the better?

Emotions run high when you see on TV scenes of destruction, people looking for members of their family among the debris of their home, and so on… It’s frustrating to feel powerless.

So I wouldn’t be that harsh: the problem is not people who have an opinion, whatever this opinion is but people who are violent.

Edit: Especially considering that’s is not their opinion in itself that will help the Palestinians:

“No Palestinian is safe under Israel’s occupation today. How many more lives will have to be taken before UN member states, especially those demonstrating genuine concern for human rights globally, act to protect the Palestinians?” she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/li...easefire-talks

[Deathstroke]

Kristi Noem kills puppy, unites America



Got that right. It's been said that people who abuse animals eventually graduate to abusing humans, and who's to say Noem is any different?

She's a republican so technically she's already been abusing humans.

[Catlady in training]

I think we have to remember that many of these college protesters are 18, 19, or 20 years old. Still basically kids.

I understand this argument, but you know that people will use it to try to raise the voting age, right? If you think that 18,19 or 20 year olds shouldn't be fully responsible for their actions because they are still "kids", people of other political beliefs will use the same argument to help their own goals.
As if the "your brain doesn't mature until you're 25" theory hadn't already done enough damage.

IsnÂ’t that the case when you are young and want to change the worldÂ… for the better?

Emotions run high when you see on TV scenes of destruction, people looking for members of their family among the debris of their home, and so onÂ… ItÂ’s frustrating to feel powerless.

So I wouldnÂ’t be that harsh: the problem is not people who have an opinion, whatever this opinion is but people who are violent.

But people are complaining about those who are violent and using hostile language, not those who are peacefully protesting.

It's not just young people who feel hopeless. I feel fucking hopeless and desperate every day, often even suicidal, watching the news, but I'm not attacking the politicians who are passing the laws that are opposite to my beliefs, I'm not screaming on TV that Russia should be nuked (though it would be a tremendous relief if it just ceased to exist), or destroying public property because people don't take climate change seriously. It would be counterproductive and in some cases illegal. And as was already said, this behavior is actually harming the cause. If the protesters don't even pay attention to the people they are claiming they want to help when they say they are causing harm, well, it is fair to say that they probably don't really care that much and it's more about performative activism for them. And that goes not just for those protesters, but all those twitter activists who just harass others online. Not productive at all. I thought progressives were all about uplifting others, letting them tell their experiences and educating oneselves about others' viewpoints. But if they are ignoring what the marginalized people are saying and don't even bother to learn what the language they use actually means to different people, they probably aren't really as progressive as they would like to think.

[aja_christopher]

Republican extremism.