All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Kevinroc]

There is the Congressman officially running.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/...aryland-241132

Castro has a higher profile, although it's unclear if he's in the top tier.

I stand corrected.

Not quite. Poll numbers have been improving.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3...idterm-chances

https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/statu...04125700599808

Gallup: Trump's approval rating is 40%

Among Republicans it's up to 90%

It's been improving among Republicans. Not so much with Democrats and Independents.

https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/stat...13643339644928

He has a higher approval from GOP than ever. Big corporate tax cuts, plus the full-out assault on Mueller/FBI et al is all having the intended effect of solidifying the base.

If you like Donald Trump and his agenda, you should definitely support the Republican party. If you oppose Trump and his agenda you should oppose the Republican party.

The Koch brothers have figured this out. They understand who represents their interests. It's Donald Trump and the party he leads. They're correct!

And yet, there remains this persistent, bizarre hope from Democrats that somehow Republicans are getting their own interests wrong. That they're confused or sleepwalking and will wake up.

No! Paul Ryan is correct to support Donald Trump, just like that surgeon outside Pittsburgh is. Just like the payday lending industry is. There's no waving away politics, there's no waving away conflict. In fact, it's only going to intensify and everyone should understand that.

[Kevinroc]

Trump’s ‘marching orders’ to the Pentagon: Plan a grand military parade

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.5936b4b751e3

This is literally what strongmen do. He wants to role play as a dictator.

[Gray Lensman]

Our last President's middle name was Hussein, so why not?

But does that mean the one after that will be named either Kim or Putin (insert joke about the latter being president right now here_.

[JBatmanFan05]

This is literally what strongmen do. He wants to role play as a dictator.

Someone needs to remove that strongman dictator Emmanuel Macron in France and his Putinesque Bastille Day Military Parade. Vive la France!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastil...ilitary_parade

[Kevinroc]

Someone needs to remove that strongman dictator Emmanuel Macron in France and his Putinesque Bastille Day Military Parade. Vive la France!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastil...ilitary_parade

America doesn't celebrate Bastille Day.

[aja_christopher]

The sense is that someone who was gay or trans would be that way regardless of upbringing. Interracial relationships would seem to be in a different category.

But the ignorant and bigoted arguments challenging it are exactly the same because racism and homo/trans-phobia are very similar in their structure, especially as espoused by (often straight white male) conservatives.

The arguments against interracial marriage -- even interracial dating -- were always about how "white women" were being corrupted by non-white (especially black) men, as if the women had no agency in these relationships and were simply acting that way due to how acceptable "race-mixing" was becoming in the modern era.

The same arguments are often made against LGBT individuals and relationships, claiming that somehow people are being "turned gay" by society at large -- when in reality, it's none of your damn business what other people choose to do with their lives so long as they aren't hurting others... especially if they are choosing to do something that they feel will make them happy.

Your "question" regarding transexuality is not much different -- the only reason anyone would even bring something like this up is if they had a problem with it: whether that's you or the people you are quoting is irrelevant in that respect, as trying to "intellectualize" it doesn't make it any less offensive.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump’s ‘marching orders’ to the Pentagon: Plan a grand military parade

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.5936b4b751e3

This is literally what strongmen do. He wants to role play as a dictator.

How ironic that Cadet Bone Spurs (Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s nickname for Trump, not mine) who deftly avoided serving in the military now wants to prostitute the Armed Forces on Pennsylvania Avenue like a john showing off his hos in the red light district. Color me unimpressed with this foolishness.

[Tazirai]

Julián Castro: 'I have every interest in running' for president in 2020

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign...sident-in-2020

Castro appears to be the first Democrat to officially express an interest in 2020.

I like Castro, but he's MARGINALLY Progressive. Yes yes I know, something about Purity, and Yada Yada, We need to toss Trump, Trump bad SAD!

But I'm tired of these played out corporatists with Incrementalism in mind. When the DNC or DCCC sponsors you about a true Progressive. I immediately have my doubts. Especially if in the coming days, The same old guard Immediately begin to support him.

Interesting, what are Mr Castro politics, i am all for an hispanic president.

Same here. But we need a lot less incrementalism. Because Republicans sure aren't doing Incrementalism. They are ramming shit through at AMAZING speed.

It would so deliciously funny to have an US president called Castro.

Facts! Lol. COnservative heads go BOOM!

Trump's the one on record saying he wants a shutdown, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Trump is like a "Genius", or "Smart Person"

Watched it live on TV, it was both bizarre [Probably a new world record for fastest moving Car] and really cool to watch.

This was an awesome launch. Elon Musk gonna drag us into the future. Some kicking and screaming, others like me, grinning like an Idiot.

[Tazirai]

Reason 11ty Billion why Religion has NEVER been a good idea... Period.

PLEASE GET YOUR FLU SHOTS!!!



Trump Evangelical Adviser Says You Don’t Need Flu Shots When You Have Jesus
“Inoculate yourself with the word of God,” says Gloria Copeland.

[Malvolio]

How ironic that Cadet Bone Spurs (Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s nickname for Trump, not mine) who deftly avoided serving in the military now wants to prostitute the Armed Forces on Pennsylvania Avenue like a john showing off his hos in the red light district. Color me unimpressed with this foolishness.

Oh, I agree. I mean, we already have military parades on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day. Should we really have another one just to feed Trump's oh-so-needy ego?

[aja_christopher]

This was an awesome launch. Elon Musk gonna drag us into the future. Some kicking and screaming, others like me, grinning like an Idiot.

I was substitute teaching a third grade class today and once we started talking science and discussing our solar system, it felt great being able to talk them about (potentially) colonizing Mars, especially with the giant ice sheets that were recently discovered just below it's surface.

It was equally troubling talking to them about reasons why we might need to move off-planet (climate change, pollution, nuclear war, etc) but I think it's only right that they know exactly why it's important that we explore these other planets and do what we can to develop them so that they might one day be able to support human life, since it's their future we're speaking of.

Ironically enough, though, the last two days I've subbed -- while looking into teaching professionally as many people have suggested I do so -- almost all of the students I taught seemed to be more interested in my artwork than any other subject I taught: they all wanted copies, and when I told them I couldn't do that without checking with the admin, nearly 1/2 of the class decided to spend their recess period tracing my drawings instead. One of them even drew a portrait of me and gave it to me at the end of the school day, reminding me of how much of a gift art is to those who can appreciate it, no matter what the source.

Nearly all of them -- on both days, as my first day teaching was in an art class -- also said I should be a professional artist, and one kid even said he wanted to be my agent if I decided to go that route: I came out here (to Texas) to teach and work on a film with my cousin but a lot of signs seem to be pointing me back towards my childhood hobby of writing and drawing comics. Maybe both are possible, though I don't know of any precedent outside of Frank Miller, who really doesn't inspire me to follow in his footsteps.

Conversely, seeing people like Musk in action inspires me to do a lot more with my life than just draw pictures or make movies -- inspirational escapism is great for what it's worth, but using your talents and intellect to develop and perfect renewable energy resources and send people into outer space is probably one of the greatest uses of capital that I can think of, especially in the current era.

[TakoM]

Newest Brexit Joke:

Brexit: EU to have power to punish UK at will during transition

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...riod-sanctions

[JCAll]

Oh, I agree. I mean, we already have military parades on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day. Should we really have another one just to feed Trump's oh-so-needy ego?

We have to raise his spirits. After being told he couldn't have his nuclear war he's been real sad. Nobody likes a grumpy Trump.

[TheInvisibleMan]

ICE arrests Kansas professor who has been in US for 30 years

[Kirby101]

ICE arrests Kansas professor who has been in US for 30 years

ICE is Trump's Brownshirts.