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

[BeastieRunner]

Do tell. Is that over Dolt45 having kissed up to Rocket Man in Singapore last month?

Trade reasons. Import reasons. North Korean reasons.

The usual from Trump.

[BeastieRunner]

BTW: Cohen just ended his joint defense agreement with the 45.

Michael Flynn did the same just days before he reached an agreement with Mueller.

Is Cohen about to flip?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trade reasons. Import reasons. North Korean reasons.

The usual from Trump.

Has Dolt45 squawked about the trade imbalance with Japan regarding cars, TV's and cameras? Hell, stupid as this sounds, Trump would probably complain that Japan sends too much in the way of anime to our shores, costing American animators their jobs.

[Iron Maiden]

He was willing to give a platform to a s*** like Milo Yiannopolous.

Maher thinks he's doing a service by bringing loons on to embarrass themselves, not realizing that he only is lionizing them to folks on the fringe, and normalizing them. The fact that he'll actually permit them wto go on Anti-Islamic rants... and even argue the same narratives is not a good thing. Hell, he used the n-word on air, and then the next week, invited his "black friend" out to help him explain why he's not racist. It... looked worse. Like, the details of Maher off camera, and in his personal life, he's by no stretch intolerant, but for whatever reason, when he does exhibit abhorrent behavior, he thinks he should get a pass for what good he's done, or what liberal leanings he has. And that's not a good way to conduct oneself.

I would not be upset if HBO let his contract expire, by any stretch. He's not the worst, but in no way should be be above reproach.

On the topic of religion I don't agree with Maher. As an atheist he's against all religions and he does make more remarks about the violent acts of a few. But I also confess I have questions myself about a religion where there are holy men or mullahs, who have incited acts like burning teachers alive in front of their students in schools in Pakinstan, advocate the assassination of a 15 year old girl who won the Noble Peace Prize for defying the ban against girls from attending school and other acts of savagery, hold beheadings in soccer stadiums, hang gay people from streetlights. I know these clerics are in the minority and they often manipulate young men they recruit are brainwashed into thinking the torture and killing unbelievers or sinners is OK. The Christian faith has the dark history of the Inquisition and witch trials. But that was the past. It's not like that has continued to occur.

As for the joke with Senator Sasse, that was in questionable taste to make a reference a line from the novel Gone with the Wind referring to slaves who worked in the fields as opposed to those who worked in the house. At least he did have an entire show about the incident, even if it did make him uncomfortable in parts. Ice Cube was not as tactful as Michael Eric Dyson and they did sort of a good cop/bad cop tag team. It wasn't perfect. Some of the comments made Maher a bit peevish. But the conversation was honest and real IMO. You don't see that often on these shows.

[JCAll]

This was the Republicans' plan all along -- to cut taxes for the rich, then scream that the deficit was ballooning and demand to balance it by cutting Medicaid and Medicare for the poor. But the Democrats' leaders and the news media are too busy ridiculously demanding the abolition of ICE to pay any attention to this, which would be a winning issue for the Democrats.

Yes, we know. We've known that for years. Long before Trump. It's practically part of the party platform at this point, Paul Ryan was barely able to get through an interview without salivating at the thought of cutting benefits for the poor.

[Ragged Maw]

America, you can't have a different vote, if your vote disagrees with others, or you get called a "Spoiler", or you "Threw away your vote" Even though it was YOUR vote, and who you wanted to win...

Media is partially to blame for this, but voter shaming sucks.

“something.....something........wasn’t a normal election, so 100% justified....hibbity dibbity.”

[aja_christopher]

Our Senate in action:





http://thehill.com/homenews/house/39...faces-backlash

I guess some people out there still have to wait to see the Swastika before they get the message.

[Dalak]

“something.....something........wasn’t a normal election, so 100% justified....hibbity dibbity.”

I've told people who voted for Dubyah they were wrong and why, same as ones who voted for Perot, Nader, Romney, and more. I'll say the same of anyone who didn't vote to keep Trump out of the WH and threw their votes away on Harambe or someone else they knew would never win to make a point. Has anyone got that point yet? The posts of people complaining about how the Dems aren't doing (Or doing enough of) the things they like while **** gets increasingly worse tell me that no one ever will, on either side of the issue.

[JCAll]

Our Senate in action:

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/39...faces-backlash

I guess some people out there still have to wait to see the Swastika before they get the message.

He seriously posted a Ben Garrison cartoon. I knew he was a piece of crap, but I'd have hoped he would at least have better taste in crap.

[aja_christopher]

"EU threatens $294B in retaliatory tariffs if Trump imposes foreign car levies"

"The European Union threatened retaliatory tariffs on $294 billion of U.S. exports if the U.S. imposes tariffs on cars and car parts from the EU, Reuters reported.

The EU sent a submission to the U.S. Commerce Department on Friday claiming tariffs on EU automobiles could increase costs for manufacturers in the U.S.

The submission comes as the Commerce Department investigates automobile imports to the U.S.

The EU submission also reports a 25 percent tariff could have a $13–14 billion negative impact on U.S. gross domestic product, Reuters reported.

According to the report, the EU exported $43.6 billion worth of cars to the U.S. last year, while approximately $7.2 billion worth of cars went from the U.S. to the European bloc.

Trump has slapped billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs on a number of countries in recent weeks, including tariffs on steel and aluminum from the EU.

He said in an interview on Sunday that the European Union “is possibly as bad as China, just smaller” when it comes to trade practices."

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...mposes-foreign

----------

"Trump trade policies threaten 2.6 million US jobs, Chamber of Commerce says"

"Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the business organization, issued the forecast in a memo to the board of directors Thursday that was obtained by CNNMoney.

The memo, citing outside studies, adds the possible job losses from tariffs both threatened and enacted by the administration, plus a possible US withdrawal from NAFTA, the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

A NAFTA withdrawal would kill as many as 1.8 million American jobs in the first year, the memo warned.

In addition, tariffs against China could cost 134,000 US jobs, steel and aluminum tariffs could cost 470,000 jobs, and tariffs on autos and auto parts could cost 157,000 jobs, Donohue warned.

He sent the memo on the same day the administration said it would impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum from three of America's biggest trading partners — Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

The trade penalties, 25% on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum, take effect at midnight. Canada, Mexico and the EU quickly announced plans to retaliate with their own tariffs on American goods.

Related: Trump hits allies with metal tariffs; Mexico, EU and Canada vow to retaliate

"On each of these issues, the Chamber has privately and publicly expressed our concerns to the administration and to Congress about the economic damage that an escalating series of back and forth tariffs would have on our own country," Donohue wrote.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the memo."

http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/31/news...obs/index.html

[Gray Lensman]

He seriously posted a Ben Garrison cartoon. I knew he was a piece of crap, but I'd have hoped he would at least have better taste in crap.

Except it isn't. The byline is doctored, the cartoon is making the alt right rounds. Slate has an article on it, but linking isn't exactly easy on my tablet.

[Mister Mets]

Except it isn't. The byline is doctored, the cartoon is making the alt right rounds. Slate has an article on it, but linking isn't exactly easy on my tablet.

Yeah, it's not Garrison's fault.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/...n-pattern.html

This does not absolve Ron Paul or whoever runs his twitter.

[zinderel]

Mets, Christian extremists vote republican in lockstep. Christian extremism is a partisan issue.

Religious bigotry is a key part of Republican politics. Religious bigotry is a partisan issue.

Overt racists who commit violent acts vote primarily Republican. Violent racism is a partisan issue.

Homophobia is a Republican party platform plank, and literally ALL homophobic rhetoric that leads to violence is spurred by the proud promotion of that platform plank on all right wing media, all the time. Homophobia is a partisan issue.

Every one of the things I mention - racism, homophobia, Christian extremism, religious bigotry - are proudly embraced positions of the leaders and members of your party. They. Are. Partisan.

I get that you don't like having it pointed out that the party you support encourages and supports those things. You don't like having to face that you support a party that gave us Trump, Ryan, Moorw, McConnell, King, and WBE's VAST LIST of hypocrites, lunatics, and monsters. But that doesn't mean you can just make up meanings for words.

Hatred, anger and prejudice aren't partisan, OBVIOUSLY. both sides feel strongly about this or that, and have a hard time changing their mind. Especially in a world where civility is going the way off the dodo. One side, however, tends to channel that into fighting for equality, protesting injustice, and supporting the greater community, even if doing so doesn't directly benefit themselves - even if doing so puts themselves at risk. The other side - your leadership in particular, but also the core voting bloc that your party courts and encourages openly - channels it into dehumanizing immigrants, demonizing LGBT+ people, subjugating women, forcing Christianity on everyone, and stealing from the coffers to enrich themselves while everyone else - ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE STUPIDLY SUPPORTING THEM! - suffers.

That is partisan. Own your party's overt bigotry, Mets. Religious extremists are part of the core of your party, from the base all the way to the vice-presidency. This is fact. Racists are a part of the core of your party, from the guys who drive cars into crowds to the guys who shoot up sikh temples because they don't know or care about the difference between Sikh and Muslim, to the President and his close advisors like Stephen Miller and Jeff Sessions. Ignorant yokels are a HUGE part of the party base Trump speaks to daily, urging them to violence against immigrants, protesters, the media, muslims, people of color, and so on. And, like the religious extremists, they are not just the core, but people with actual power like Steve King or LOUIE FUCKING GOHMERT....

Look, obviously you're an intelligent guy. And if I didn't enjoy our back and forth, I'd just block you like I have a few other people. If you don't like that your party is associated with these kind of things, then good! It means you aren't a monster like your party leadership. It means there's hope. But by continuing to support your party and it's leadership, you support their actions, their policies, their beliefs that they want to force on the rest of us. If you do nothing to combat the evil your party does daily, then you are complicit in their crimes. If you turn a blind eye to the suffering of your party leadership's preferred scapegoats because our suffering doesn't affect you personally, then you are complicit in the harm they are doing to your fellow American, to children, to refugees and women. As Republicanism SAYS it embraces Christianity to the exclusion of all else (well, also Jews, at least until the temple is rebuilt and Jesus wipes them out or converts them, anyway), it would do well for ALL Republicans to remember what their god said: "That which you do to the least among you, you also do to me."

As for 'some people' interpreting Maxine's VERY succinct, very CLEAR statement as a dogwhistle call to violence akin to, oh...lets say ANY tweet from your guy squatting in the White House? Well, those same people also like to say that Trump is a good businessman and Christian, that LGBT+ people are all child molesters who spread diseases willy-nilly, immigrants are all drug mules or gang members, and Christianity is ok with you hating people and getting rich off of other people's suffering. So...I don't give much credit to the thought processes of 'some people'.

[Gray Lensman]

Yeah, it's not Garrison's fault.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/...n-pattern.html

This does not absolve Ron Paul or whoever runs his twitter.

If anything it makes it worse, IMO.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Our Senate in action:





http://thehill.com/homenews/house/39...faces-backlash

I guess some people out there still have to wait to see the Swastika before they get the message.

Well, THAT’S fucking vulgar.