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

[Tuck]

No one is arguing for different policies for the side we “think” is morally just. It’s not about sides. The morally just argument is always correct. Period.
No one is arguing for a “gatekeeper”. Moral or ethical correctness is the metric to judge whether a policy or argument is valid.
Moral or ethical ambiguity leads to partisan misinterpretation. The second amendment would be an example of that.

What?

[InformationGeek]

Oh WBE! Been a bit but I got someone special for you. Have you covered this guy yet, Brian Mast?

Florida Representative Brian Mast made the horrifying comment when confronted by Code Pink protesters outside his office on Wednesday.

In a video, Mast can be seen calmly telling the demonstrators, “It would be better if you kill all the terrorists and kill everyone who are supporters.”

When asked if he has seen the images of Palestinian babies killed in Israeli attacks, Mast says, “These are not innocent Palestinian civilians.”

“The babies?” the activists asks in astonishment.

Mast then says that the “half a million people starving to death” should have elected a pro-Israel government.

When one protester points out that much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, Mast says, “And there’s more infrastructure that needs to be destroyed.”

“Did you not hear me? There’s more that needs to be destroyed,” he says again for emphasis.

...

Mast’s horrific comments—and the chilling way in which he delivered them—should come as no surprise. In November, just a few weeks after the war began, Mast compared Palestinian civilians to Nazis and implied that they are all guilty for Hamas’s atrocities.

“I would encourage the other side to not so lightly throw around the idea of ‘innocent Palestinian civilians,’ as is frequently said,” he said on the House floor.

“I don’t think we would so lightly throw around the term ‘innocent Nazi civilians’ during World War II.”

[aja_christopher]

We can't have different policies for the side that we think is morally just.

And yet nearly every day for years you have focused on ignoring Republican “policies” that attack minorities and the rights of women because to discuss them objectively would expose the Republican Party for what it is now: a fascist white nationalist party led by Trump.

Republicans are the ones repeatedly violating laws and “policies” to the point where the majority of them now support a known racist and liar with 91 felony counts and a track record of failure as a Republican president and leader.



Don’t presume to preach to others about “policy” and law when it’s obvious that you don’t hold Republicans to the same standard — your repeated use of “loaded questioning” after criticizing others for the same is just another example of said blatant Republican hypocrisy.

There is no “we” on this issue: it is Republicans who follow laws only when they agree with them.

[Tendrin]

I remember when Mets lectured me as anti-trans bill after anti-trans bill was introduced into GOP legislatures that these bills didn't REALLY have a lot of support and asked 'how many voted for them'. Now that these bills have majority support, demonstrably, of republican legislatures across the country and are accelerating in their impact on not just trans children, but trying to delegitimize the transitions of transgender adults, his silence speaks for itself.

[aja_christopher]

I remember when Mets lectured me as anti-trans bill after anti-trans bill was introduced into GOP legislatures that these bills didn't REALLY have a lot of support and asked 'how many voted for them'. Now that these bills have majority support, demonstrably, of republican legislatures across the country and are accelerating in their impact on not just trans children, but trying to delegitimize the transitions of transgender adults, his silence speaks for itself.

“Slippery slope” hypocrisy — par for course.

And no words of concern or even consideration for those imperiled by Republican policies.

Anyone who was truly concerned about “slippery slopes” would first address those close to home.

Instead there is repeated ignorance and deflection when discussing actual Republican behavior.

This is why Trump has become their leader as hypocrisy and dishonesty and bigotry are repeatedly rewarded by Republican voters (Trump, Abbott, DeSantis, Cruz, McConnell, etc) — until they address their own faults then it’s clear others will have to do it for them, if only to protect the sanctity of American democracy and curb the influence of their rampant bigotry on our society at large.

[CaptainEurope]

Republicans are even getting criticized in the safe space, Fox News. Neil Cavuto ripping GOP Rep. Warren Davidson a new one for wasting time on a pointles Mayorkas impeachment and not taking the tough border bill the Senate came up with.

[kidfresh512]

King Charles III diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace says

King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, says Buckingham Palace.

It is not prostate cancer, but was discovered during his recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.
The type of cancer has not been revealed, but according to a palace statement the King began "regular treatments" on Monday.
Buckingham Palace says the King "remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible".
He will postpone his public engagements and it is expected other senior royals will help to stand in for him during his treatment.
No further details are being shared on the stage of cancer or a prognosis.
The King, 75, returned to London from Sandringham in Norfolk on Monday morning and the palace says he has commenced treatment as an outpatient.

[Jack Dracula]

What?

Okay, I’m getting out in the weeds a little bit.
My point is, we should want systems of government that allow for rules of conduct to be bent or broken occasionally when the cause is morally or ethically just. The representatives from Tennessee did that for the betterment and safety of their community.
The representatives Mets was comparing them to were doing the opposite in an effort to preserve the status quo and make the situation arguably worse for vulnerable members of their community.
The two situations are not equivalent.
I don’t think I can make it any simpler.

[kidfresh512]

Sen. Ted Cruz faces backlash over his push for airport special privileges for members of Congress

HOUSTON — Three years after Sen. Ted Cruz was criticized for taking a trip to Cancun during the deadly freeze that caused statewide power outages, he's again facing backlash related to air travel.

The senator from Houston is proposing an amendment that would give members of Congress special treatment at airports, POLITICO reports. They say Cruz wants security escorts and private screening for lawmakers, White House Cabinet members and federal judges.
Cruz's amendment calls for TSA to provide security escorts for the entire time the politicians and judges are at the airport. If it's passed, they would also be able to skip the security lines and the special privileges would also apply to some family members and staff.

There are “serious security threats facing public officials,” Cruz told POLITICO. “It’s important that we take reasonable measures to keep everyone safe.”

The irony.

[Maine Starfish]

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/...st_israel_gaza

this article and interview I think explains what I agree with, the general election is going to come down to the same few states as last time, but this time no one on the ground is going to go door to door to get people out to vote, this is a real problem for Democrats this election cycle, and really they have only themselves to blame

[Username taken]

The polling and the sentiment being expressed by Americans going into the 2024 elections is weird.

It's one thing to say that Biden is too old, it's another to want to vote for a complete buffoon like Trump (who has made gaff after gaff in public and doesn't even look in good health), especially when the US isn't really experiencing a major domestic crisis at the moment.

I understand the sentiment of stuff being expensive but are things actually worse now than under Trump? The migrant problem is a problem but the US isn't really being invaded by some deadly foreigners coming in and TAKiNg ThE jObs and pouring fentanyl on the streets.

All this being said, there's been some sentiment about things persistently getting worse since Obama was elected. There's been a number of surveys that have shown that certain segments of the populace have felt "depressed" since the 2008 elections which is what ultimately led to Trump's election. Trump is the face of this "discontent" and whether the economy is booming or not, he's going to continue to get that support. The 2008 election has broken a lot of people's minds and that discontent is showing up in many different ways.

There isn't that much time before the next elections and the democrats have to get their messaging on point. I mean, there was a poll that shows Trump with a lead over Biden on the handling of the economy by 20+ points . Beyond the covid-19 emergency payouts, Trump was constantly touting the stock exchange and used that as a measuring rod of his performance- rightly or wrongly. Apparently, this has created an impression that Trump was actually better at handling the economy when he clearly wasn't. It all comes down to messaging. It's important the democrats convey the message that things aren't perfect, but things are getting better. This is going to be critical for Biden to re-build the coalition that got him the election the last time.

It has to be said that there's never been a perfect economy, lay-offs and the likes will always happen, and the current round of lay-offs (mostly in the tech sector) are probably down to them over hiring during the pandemic (also, folks in that sector really, really need to unionize, that's all I will say about that). The media has done an abysmal job of properly analyzing pertinent issues (the right-wing convoy has gotten to the border and apparently they are surprised that there aren't lines of people jumping over fences and crossing into the country https://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...t/72451333007/ ) and disinformation is running rampant, it's really up to those in power to get out the message or else.

[Maine Starfish]

I mean, my grandmother was an immigrant so I don't see an issue with migrants in general, the only people who have an issue with migrants are bigots and the democrats should obviously not be trying to win those kinds of people

but anyways I was more referring to the US support of the government of Israel and it's genocidal campaign, this is going to cause a significant number of people especially in key swing states to not vote for Biden, and sure obviously Trump is just as bad if not worse, it's an incredible low bar that Biden has the clear and he's doing his best to not clear it, all Biden has to do is not support genocide

[Maine Starfish]

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/...haddad_blinken

take this for an example, now I don't want to speak for others but its pretty understandable why someone like this wouldn't want to vote for Biden

there are countless examples of people with similar experiences especially in key sw ing states such as Michigan

[Kirby101]

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/...haddad_blinken

take this for an example, now I don't want to speak for others but its pretty understandable why someone like this wouldn't want to vote for Biden

there are countless examples of people with similar experiences especially in key sw ing states such as Michigan

To get their vote, Biden would have to abandon Israel and support a Gaza run by Hamas. And these people, whose emotions are understandable, will make sure Trump is elected, leading to the banning of Muslim immigration and the deportation of many peop0le they know. Also, Trump and Bibi are in lock step. Far more than Biden and Bibi.
If they think there is any other outcome from their stand, they will have a sorry awakening.

[Kirby101]

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/2/...st_israel_gaza

this article and interview I think explains what I agree with, the general election is going to come down to the same few states as last time, but this time no one on the ground is going to go door to door to get people out to vote, this is a real problem for Democrats this election cycle, and really they have only themselves to blame

Why would you think the Democrats have no ground game in the Swing States?