All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[PwrdOn]

The problem is that the slogan isn't that direct and the public take time to accept benevolent ideas like Black Lives Matter. It took years for the latter to be accepted and that was point blank with what the goal was. Can't reform the police without putting money in it, and that's going to be a huge undertaking.

You absolutely can do that, the police already suck up a disproportionate share of most city budgets, the NYPD alone costs a whopping $6 billion per year which is more than most countries spend on their militaries. How on earth could giving them MORE money possible help matters?

[Tami]

HISTORY! Congress Poised to Get Its First QAnon Believer

A believer in a conspiracy theory the FBI classifies as a possible domestic terrorist threat is in a prime position to soon be elected to Congress, after coming in first in a Republican primary in Georgia on Tuesday.

QAnon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has frequently posted messages about the bizarre pro-Trump conspiracy theory on social media, handily leads the primary field of Republicans in Georgia’s heavily Republican 14th district. Greene, who beat her closest opponent by more than 20 percent, will head to an August run-off after receiving 41 percent of the primary vote.

Greene is an outspoken supporter of QAnon, a conspiracy theory based on a series of anonymous messages posted online by a mystery figure named “Q.” QAnon believers think that Donald Trump is engaged in a shadowy war against a cabal of global elites, including the Democratic Party, and will soon arrest or even execute top Democrats in an event they know as “The Storm.”

[AnakinFlair]

The biggest problem with the Police are the Police Unions. Using Camden as a example, in order to break free from the Union, the Camden Police Department was disbanded. It was then reformed as the Camden County Police, first without a Union, now with Union that isn't corrupt.

The Police Unions have often crossed the line, protecting bad cops, encouraging bad behavior, gobbling up money for military equipment that isn't needed, and so on.

Most Unions have a balanced view, they protect their members but don't go to dangerous lengths to do so.

If Fire Fighters had Unions like Police, houses would burn down left and right because the Unions wouldn't allow Fire Fighters to endanger themselves by getting inside a burning buildings.

THIS, absolutely. Almost every time you hear about a cop crossing the line, the union is right there to make sure he/she keeps their jobs. Break ALL of the police unions.

When it comes to spending money on law enforcement, it isn’t just the uniforms on the street, it’s forensic divisions, administration, maintenance, community outreach, training, a thousand things needed to keep a police department running smoothly. As for taking military weaponry out of the hands of cops, I’m torn about that, especially after the infamous Norco Shootout which had already been mentioned. The bad guys out there have no trouble getting their hands on hardware like AK47’s and the like, going up against that with pistols and shotguns is suicide, plain and simple. Defunding the police would have to be done judiciously, throwing the baby out with the bathwater is a trickier proposition, sure, it can be done as was the case with Camden, New Jersey, but it would be a tough road to hoe, and to do so would take money. Don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day, I’m all about police reform, the sooner, the better.

I would say allow police to carry heavier weapons in their cars for emergencies, but they don't need MRAPs and sonic cannons or heat rays.

[Steel Inquisitor]

You absolutely can do that, the police already suck up a disproportionate share of most city budgets, the NYPD alone costs a whopping $6 billion per year which is more than most countries spend on their militaries. How on earth could giving them MORE money possible help matters?

New York City is bigger than many countries. I agree the budget shouldn't be as high as it is, however, this isn't about the money it's about how the money is used. West Philly Punisher explained the details about where the funds go, and it should be restructured so it's not militarised, ripping out the racism entrenched in the police and de escalate the toxic culture they have and shifting things like mental health to people like social workers. This requires enormous amounts of money.

[Mister Mets]

Cnn posted the response to the letter they received from trump campaign demanding an apology on the poll they did showing Biden ahead.

https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/127...201576962?s=20

This would seem to have the primary effect of bringing attention to how badly Trump is doing in polls, and the secondary effect of convincing potential fundraisers that he's not taking it seriously.

The recession started before COVID-19 ...

It seems conceivable that the knowledge about the likely economic consequences of a pandemic, as well as ripple effects from the impact in Asia, played a role in a recession starting in February.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020...ably-over.html

[PwrdOn]

New York City is bigger than many countries. I agree the budget shouldn't be as high as it is, however, this isn't about the money it's about how the money is used. West Philly Punisher explained the details about where the funds go, and it should be restructured so it's not militarised, ripping out the racism entrenched in the police and de escalate the toxic culture they have and shifting things like mental health to people like social workers. This requires enormous amounts of money.

How exactly is throwing more money at a racist, dysfunctional organization going to help it function better? The idea is to strip the police of most of their duties and reassign them to various social programs that are more efficient, more peaceful, and important, MUCH cheaper. The number of situations where you absolutely need an armed goon squad to come in and lay down the law is surprisingly small if you really get down to it, even more so if you consider that police are just as prone to escalate these situations as to defuse them.

Biden and the rest of the Democrats have just been awful at addressing these protests, from the "shoot them in the leg" to the kente cloth stoles to the empty rhetoric of the mostly Democratic mayors of these cities where the protests are happening. If this isn't the chance to show some fucking leadership for once in their sorry lives, I don't know when that will be.

[Electricmastro]

What seems like an insight on the structure of police training as told by Officer A. Cab:

https://www.reddit.com/r/news/commen...y_now/ftlpw3z/

[Steel Inquisitor]

How exactly is throwing more money at a racist, dysfunctional organization going to help it function better? The idea is to strip the police of most of their duties and reassign them to various social programs that are more efficient, more peaceful, and important, MUCH cheaper. The number of situations where you absolutely need an armed goon squad to come in and lay down the law is surprisingly small if you really get down to it, even more so if you consider that police are just as prone to escalate these situations as to defuse them.

The police being a horrible organisation is because of how racist and corrupt it's been, not because the money made them do it. They do need to be reformed from top to bottom, but we do need organisations like that they simply failed in protecting the public. This has been a long time coming. You're right that the police need to reformed completely and they don't need to take guns or try to intimidate and kill people for the simplest of things and they also need to be restrained in how to interact with the public and marginalised groups, and money should be going to other departments in the government properly suited for the work. This isn't about draining them entirely of money, it's about reform them so they'll be doing what they were meant to do. The purse strings should also be used by mayors and governments to have a greater influence on their unions and departments so they have more control (within reason) rather than being overruled by a group who exist outside the government like the police have.

Biden and the rest of the Democrats have just been awful at addressing these protests, from the "shoot them in the leg" to the kente cloth stoles to the empty rhetoric of the mostly Democratic mayors of these cities where the protests are happening.

Biden's bad at messaging, I agree.

The Democrats mayors should be harder on them, except it's not just that which is the problem it's that their control over the police isn't absolute and any politician who tried to attack them will get reprisals or ignored, that's why we need more mechanisms to hold police to account. The police have been able to get away with too much because they operate like the mob to evade being held accountable by authorities. Look at DeBlasio, that idiot has tried debasing himself before them to gain their favour and all he got was them going to war with him and his daughter being held hostage. The Democrats are part of the solution but they're going to need more to back up their words to get true accountability to break the police's power.

If this isn't the chance to show some fucking leadership for once in their sorry lives, I don't know when that will be.

Leadership isn't just about being as radical as possible and burning everything to the ground, it's about making justice possible and be able to address the systemic problems with the government - like racism, corruption and lack of accountability.

[worstblogever]

HISTORY! Congress Poised to Get Its First QAnon Believer

It's... going to be a long haul to prevent her from winning, too. Georgia's 14th Congressional District has a +27 Republican lean. She's likely headed to DC to become a true Lady Gohmert.

And she'll likely be re-elected unless the GOP run a real candidate to primary her, or that redistricting after 2020 makes the partisan lean of this district a little less ridiculous.

[Tendrin]

It's... going to be a long haul to prevent her from winning, too. Georgia's 14th Congressional District has a +27 Republican lean. She's likely headed to DC to become a true Lady Gohmert.

And she'll likely be re-elected unless the GOP run a real candidate to primary her, or that redistricting after 2020 makes the partisan lean of this district a little less ridiculous.

Your liver may never recover.

[Electricmastro]

It very much has become apparent that many have been led to be believe that it’s objectively impossible to reform the police in such a way all quality of life, including black lives, are respected as needed at all times while being properly balanced with self-defense. I could say that I want to believe that people, including the police, can turn over a new leaf despite bad pasts, but I suppose even I’m not that naive to believe that turning over a new leaf and reform is easy either. In case the possibilty of every police department disbanding turns into reality, then what would you guys suggest would be the best course of action to take then in your opinion?

[PaulBullion]

538 adjusts the polls and says Ras is really 39 - 56.

You know, I made fun of right wingers "unskewing the polls" years ago and I am uncomfortable with Silver "adjusting" polls.

[Tendrin]

https://twitter.com/maobxby/status/1270735459623276544

The UK, as it says, is not immune.

[Tendrin]

You know, I made fun of right wingers "unskewing the polls" years ago and I am uncomfortable with Silver "adjusting" polls.

Silver's adjustments are professional rather than mere wishful thinking, however. He tends to adjust for statistically notable 'house effects' since some pollsters have a partisan lean, like Rasmussen.

But I get the discomfort.

[sammy_hansen]

When it comes to spending money on law enforcement, it isn’t just the uniforms on the street, it’s forensic divisions, administration, maintenance, community outreach, training, a thousand things needed to keep a police department running smoothly. As for taking military weaponry out of the hands of cops, I’m torn about that, especially after the infamous Norco Shootout which had already been mentioned. The bad guys out there have no trouble getting their hands on hardware like AK47’s and the like, going up against that with pistols and shotguns is suicide, plain and simple. Defunding the police would have to be done judiciously, throwing the baby out with the bathwater is a trickier proposition, sure, it can be done as was the case with Camden, New Jersey, but it would be a tough road to hoe, and to do so would take money. Don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day, I’m all about police reform, the sooner, the better.

It’s fascinating that the response to a deadly shooting in USA is to get more and bigger guns whereas in my country (Australia) the solution was to eliminate most firearms.