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

[zinderel]

And should Trump lose come November, the plan will simply be renamed Project 2029. Short and sweet, these fanatics aren't going away, even if Trump and MAGA does.

Just a semi-regular reminder that Project 2025 is just the culmination of the marriage between the Seven Mountains theology/prosperity gospel faction of fundamentalist ‘christianity’, billionaire oligarchs whose only care is profit to the exclusion of all else, and white supremacists. A marriage that began under Nixon.

The GOP has been working towards a fascist theocracy for over half a century, and people have called them out repeatedly over the years, only to be waved off as ‘paranoid’ or ‘anti-Christian’ or ‘extremist’.

And now, here we are, with them going PUBLIC with the scheme they’ve played close to the chest for decades. Why? Because the GOP and its disgusting brand of ‘christianity’ are dying. Both literally and socially. So desperation is making them move openly to achieve their goal of a Christian World at ANY COST before they die and their ‘legacy’ amounts to nothing but the pain and misery they left behind them in their desperate quest for power, money and control.

[kidfresh512]

Just watching snippets of this farce Biden impeachment hearing. I mean the GOP should just want to stop the bleeding here it is utterly embarrassing. They have absolutely NOTHING and it's just giving the Dems on the committee highlight reel stuff calling out the nonsense. When Rep Lynch was calling them out for having the audacity to Zoom call in as a star witness a convicted felon who was in prison for robbing pensions you cant get any more desperate and they are just showing it.

[Mister Mets]

I'd love to learn what their rationale was for voting against the resolution....other that than they're in Putin's back pocket or are just straight up psychotic.

To give a serious answer, with Massie it may be isolationism. He may be the type who believes the US should still follow the Monroe Doctrine.

For others, I think they see Ukraine bills as virtue signaling and some kind of distraction from what really matters. And obviously the way to get attention to what really matters is to be one of nine members voting against child trafficking. A term I've heard for this is "vice signaling"- showing that they will never compromise. The rationale is deeply stupid, the equivalent of thinking that Charles Manson is okay because so many people were angry at him.

Attachment 138389

Let's see if this works.

Feels like a replay of the lavender scare, really.

I think it'll be much less effective.

The Lavender Scare led to thousands of people being fired and outed at a time when the majority of the populace did not believe that there should be any employment discrimination protections for gay people.

This type of stuff now shows that some members of Congress and state legislators are disgusting. It's not going to help in swing districts. It's coming at a time when 64 percent of the population favors laws protecting trans people from discrimination, and this is unambiguously an example of discrimination.

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-t...gender-issues/

Not sure why it's not displaying. Clicking on it works for me.

I didn't mean to respond so much to you today, but it wasn't displaying for me on three difference devices, including my personal computer, a Moto smart phone and a Macbook Air.

If Nex Bendict had been able to use the bathroom of their choice -- apparently they were trans masculine and went by he/him pronouns at school according to their friends, they likely would not have been assaulted by the girls they were assaulted by. Unfortunately, a republican bill passed in 2022 restricted them to the bathroom by assigned sex at birth. If Republicans hadn't cultivated a climate of fear and hatred around trans people, suggesting they were threats to safety. If Republicans hadn't disempowered schools from seeking safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students, didn't have prominent legislators refer to them as 'filth', and governor and legislatures engage in a full moral panic over trans people.

So, yes. Republican bigotry played a role in the death of Nex Bendict.

The altercation occurred when Nex Benedict splashed water on three girls. Nex claimed that the girls had made fun of him and his friends based on how they sounded.

As far as I know, we don't know the connection between the altercation and Nex Benedict's terrible final decision.

This is also distinct from a question of whether a high school student should be able to use the restroom that conforms to their gender of dignity, but I don't think there's any indication that teenage boys are more accepting of gender non-conforming individuals than teenage girls.

All polls suggest the reverse is true.

[AnakinFlair]

Just watching snippets of this farce Biden impeachment hearing. I mean the GOP should just want to stop the bleeding here it is utterly embarrassing. They have absolutely NOTHING and it's just giving the Dems on the committee highlight reel stuff calling out the nonsense. When Rep Lynch was calling them out for having the audacity to Zoom call in as a star witness a convicted felon who was in prison for robbing pensions you cant get any more desperate and they are just showing it.

This is what happens when the inmates run the asylum.

[Gray Lensman]

Just watching snippets of this farce Biden impeachment hearing. I mean the GOP should just want to stop the bleeding here it is utterly embarrassing. They have absolutely NOTHING and it's just giving the Dems on the committee highlight reel stuff calling out the nonsense. When Rep Lynch was calling them out for having the audacity to Zoom call in as a star witness a convicted felon who was in prison for robbing pensions you cant get any more desperate and they are just showing it.

One of the Dems showed up in a Putin mask and thanked the Republicans for amplifying his propaganda.

[Wildling]

One of the Dems showed up in a Putin mask and thanked the Republicans for amplifying his propaganda.

Without looking at any pictures about this, I thought Putin already looked like a stereotypical aging, hateful white uncle (the Rambo memes died off I think), just with enough resources to kill and hurt people he hates. No wonder conservatives love him.

[Mister Mets]

Just leaving these here for posterity if anyone else questions if The Week lied:




------


I'm relieved to hear it. If it helps you to let it out then do so carefully, but it looks like some PM action has happened that I believe we're encouraged not to share so I shall not pry.



I find it noteworthy that he's basically requiring us to throw out all reports of the bullying Nex suffered in order to inject false ambiguity into the situation aka "We don't know why Nex was bullied for sure." Whether that was the only thing Nex was bullied for, any doubt that they were bullied for their identity has to be manufactured at this point.





Being sure of one's assessment of a situation based on evidence (Both specific to this school/district/state, and generalized GoP anti-Trans bigotry) isn't overconfidence. When it is clear that someone is trying to erode another's confidence in their own judgement, there are strong words which can be used to describe such behavior.



It's easy to ignore the threats so many of these organizations are showing if you have blinders up.

Initially I thought the disagreement was about whether people who identified outside the gender binary spectrum (IE- genderqueer, nonbinary, asexual, etc.) should be considered to be transgender.

Then I thought it was about whether those outside the gender binary spectrum should only be considered to be transgender if they identified as transgender. This would have implications on employment discrimination laws if protections for transgender employees would only apply to someone who identifies as nonbinary if they also consider themselves to be transgender.

To the best of my understanding, the argument was that the writer for The Week would have no way of knowing if there were very different statistics for chromosomal males (XY chromosomes) and chromosomal females (XX chromosomes) in terms of identification as genderqueer, non-binary, agender or genderfluid, and that it was possible that a disproportionately high number of chromosomal males identified that way. It would be the equivalent of someone looking at data and assuming the average person has one testicle and one ovary.

And I've seen nothing to indicate that level of carelessness. I've noted multiple other studies suggesting that females are now more likely to identify with a gender that was not assigned at birth. It seems obvious that a reporter for a reputable newsmagazine would be able to call someone involved in a survey to determine the answers to very basic questions like whether a disproportionate number of college students identifying as being outside the gender spectrum were chromosomal males.

I'll note the term "students brought up as girls" basically means chromosomal females.

I've mentioned a study suggesting that chromosomal females are twice as likely to identify as non-binary as chromosomal males.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6906931/

As I said last November, "If you have any evidence suggesting that young males (under 25) are more likely to identify as having a gender outside of their assigned gender at birth, you're free to post it. I haven't seen it. I'm not sure if you're trolling me, if you've got some weird blind spot or if there's some view you hold that you don't want to admit."

A little bit later, I wrote "Your theories for why you think they're more likely to be wrong just aren't backed up by the math. It is an example of how people come up with weird conspiracy theories, when they fill in dots that may have other explanations. There doesn't seem to be any evidence of anyone calling out the article for something you believe to be an obvious inaccuracy, which suggests that informed people aren't bothered by it."

It was a later post when I found the Boomer with a computer meme (I kept googling "Boomer With a Modem," and I think it's apt.



I stand by what I said.

[Tendrin]

I think it'll be much less effective.

It's not for lack of trying, Mets, judging by your party's rhetoric.

The Lavender Scare led to thousands of people being fired and outed at a time when the majority of the populace did not believe that there should be any employment discrimination protections for gay people.

Yes, it's not going to be as effective -- but targetting trans people in public facing jobs is something your party is doing and regularly and routinely portraying them as threats. This one sided fearmongering is ongoing, and if you think it won't cost some folks their jobs, I hate to tell you that it already has.

This type of stuff now shows that some members of Congress and state legislators are disgusting. It's not going to help in swing districts. It's coming at a time when 64 percent of the population favors laws protecting trans people from discrimination, and this is unambiguously an example of discrimination.

Yes, going after a tiny minority is not popular with broad segments of the populace who, while they may have more nuanced views and comfort levels, doesn't much like it. Unfortunately, your party isn't acting on the interests of broad sections of the electorate. It's acting in the interests of motivating and activating evangelical voters who need a wedge issue aside from abortion to feel threatened over.

I didn't mean to respond so much to you today, but it wasn't displaying for me on three difference devices, including my personal computer, a Moto smart phone and a Macbook Air.

It stopped displaying for me too, and clicking on it stopped working too. Very odd.

The altercation occurred when Nex Benedict splashed water on three girls. Nex claimed that the girls had made fun of him and his friends based on how they sounded.

We know from other trans students in the school, as I had linked to previously, that this was a common experience here.

As far as I know, we don't know the connection between the altercation and Nex Benedict's terrible final decision.

Bullying has a strong link to suicide risk. He was bullied for very obvious reasons.

This is also distinct from a question of whether a high school student should be able to use the restroom that conforms to their gender of dignity, but I don't think there's any indication that teenage boys are more accepting of gender non-conforming individuals than teenage girls.

This is why trans students should be allowed to use the bathroom they feel safest in, and not singled out by legislation as safeguarding threats for just wanting to use the bathroom. They're the ones in danger, Mets, and they are in increased danger thanks to your party.

All polls suggest the reverse is true.

Your parties rhetoric, actions, and legislation contributed to the death of Nex Benedict. Things do not happen in a vacuum. Neither did this, no matter how much ambiguity you'd like to pretend there is to escape your party's moral cuplability.

[Tami]

I was bullied in Elementary and High School, but I got off lucky for several reasons, including that those who tried to bully me were very bad at it. I can easily imagine how worse it could have been if thins had been different. Don't underestimate the terrible effects of bulling on young people, especially those who are already having trouble making connections to others in school and/or who are widely ostracized by other students.

[Tendrin]

I was bullied in Elementary and High School, but I got off lucky for several reasons, including that those who tried to bully me were very bad at it. I can easily imagine how worse it could have been if thins had been different. Don't underestimate the terrible effects of bulling on young people, especially those who are already having trouble making connections to others in school and/or who are widely ostracized by other students.

To say nothing of being in an environment where the adults who are supposed to provide safety are hostile to you backed by an administration that suggests you're a threat.

[Jimbi]

I really think Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both going to bring us the exact same thing. Misery and death.

[Tendrin]

Both sides are not the same.

[Kirby101]

I really think Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both going to bring us the exact same thing. Misery and death.

Bullshit, bullshit and bullshit. Trump brought us Misery and death. Biden has done a good job.

[Wildling]

Comparing Biden to Trump, just thinking about the pandemic decisions, makes me think bot/botsidesism.

[skyvolt2000]

Just watching snippets of this farce Biden impeachment hearing. I mean the GOP should just want to stop the bleeding here it is utterly embarrassing. They have absolutely NOTHING and it's just giving the Dems on the committee highlight reel stuff calling out the nonsense. When Rep Lynch was calling them out for having the audacity to Zoom call in as a star witness a convicted felon who was in prison for robbing pensions you cant get any more desperate and they are just showing it.

I am watching a replay of it.

My head is hurting now.

The GOP couldn't answer simple questions.