General politics discussion. Keep it civil.

[nick_d_240sx]

Originally Posted by deolio

And the Republican Party is so far disconnected from reality...

You know, looking back at our conversations, I've realized something important. I've been so caught up in my own beliefs and biases (and Fox News) that I never really took the time to really listen to others with an open mind. I've used words like "brainwashed" to dismiss those that have a different opinion than mine, and that's something I deeply regret. It's one thing to stand firm in your convictions, but it's another to dismiss others without understanding their perspectives.

I apologize for being so quick to label people and shut down conversations. I can see now that it's not just disrespectful, but it also limits any chance for real growth or understanding. Everyone's experiences and viewpoints are valid, and I've come to realize that I need to be more humble in how I engage with others, especially those I don't agree with.

Thank you for your patience. I'm going to do better. I promise.

[thermogod]

Originally Posted by deolio

The Democratic party is so far fucking disconnected from its base, I don't think they've heard a single thing voters have said in the last decade. They're basically Republican Party Lite? at this point. Laughable to think anyone who supported BLM would show up for the queen of the cops.

And the Republican Party is so far disconnected from reality, I fear what they'll let Trump and his cronies get away with next. Gotta have your head deep in the sand or just straight up hate America to support that guy. Delusional on another level to think he gives two shits about anything other than his own self-interest.

I'll happily support any third party that wants to put a stop to all this nonsense until the day I die. We can do much better than those two shitbird parties.

i'm voting for "big fuckin world ending meteor 2028".

[Future240]

Originally Posted by thermogod

Imagine switching your candidate out at the last minute and not even running a primary. And that candidate had like a 4% approval rating previously. And then campaigning on anything besides "we will lower prices", which is what everyone cares about. The amount of "surprised pikachu face" I see is hilarious.

The only people surprised are those who can't see reality. The moment Biden quit two months out it was sunk.

The democrats could have ran Mike Pence and they would have had a better shot.

[dizzariot]

This thread is suprisingly dead given all the vitriol that used to flow though it.

As someone living in Japan, I am immediately less worried about war with China.
As a prior service member, I am immediately relieved that the writing on the wall for the military is that the social experiments are over: fat, shitty enlisted people and incompetent, fucked-up leadership beware...
As a former CA resident, I am happy that Pelosi and Newsom will hopefully become memories of the past.

[KA24DESOneThree]

Originally Posted by dizzariot

This thread is suprisingly dead given all the vitriol that used to flow though it.

As someone living in Japan, I am immediately less worried about war with China.
As a prior service member, I am immediately relieved that the writing on the wall for the military is that the social experiments are over: fat, shitty enlisted people and incompetent, fucked-up leadership beware...
As a former CA resident, I am happy that Pelosi and Newsom will hopefully become memories of the past.

What's there to say?

Stupidity won. An inability to think critically, or ahead, won. It's been proven that the myth of American exceptionalism truly has run its course, replaced by Chinese propaganda, Russian propaganda, Iranian propaganda, and a public that doesn't even understand what the word "authoritarian" means.

How exactly is a fat, shitty president who previously led with incompetent, fucked-up leadership going to change anything? His cabinet picks show a return to the patronage/spoils system... not a positive change in the slightest.

Progressives aren't just mad anymore. We realize how stupid the people around us are, and stupid people are easily manipulated. Stupid people fuck around, and there are a lot of progressives who are willing to help them find out.

[dizzariot]

Originally Posted by KA24DESOneThree

What's there to say?

Stupidity won. An inability to think critically, or ahead, won. It's been proven that the myth of American exceptionalism truly has run its course, replaced by Chinese propaganda, Russian propaganda, Iranian propaganda, and a public that doesn't even understand what the word "authoritarian" means.

How exactly is a fat, shitty president who previously led with incompetent, fucked-up leadership going to change anything? His cabinet picks show a return to the patronage/spoils system... not a positive change in the slightest.

Progressives aren't just mad anymore. We realize how stupid the people around us are, and stupid people are easily manipulated. Stupid people fuck around, and there are a lot of progressives who are willing to help them find out.

The first part is an opinion. The middle part is part truth, part opinion.

...and the last part is the superiority complex that led to this outcome. The last sentence sounds like a threat to anyone that disagrees with you...which is also how we got here.

It is what it is. Kamala wasn't going to be the person to 'change' anything either it would have just been more of the same. Trump is the 'evil we know' and I think I personally feel relief because we can measure that out to a degree.

We will all see.

[KA24DESOneThree]

It's a threat to anyone who helps him become a "dictator on day one."

It's a threat to anyone who helps him usurp the rule of law.

It's a threat to anyone who forgets that America is a constitutional democratic republic and acts against it.

Similar, in fact, to your oath of service- specifically, the "and domestic" part.

There is no superiority complex. He constantly and consistently has presented himself as an imbecile, and stupid people voted for him. He debased himself to leaders of nations hostile to us while debasing the leaders of nations allied to us for decades. He showed complete inability to grasp simple ideas.

If you are insulted by me calling you stupid, assuming you voted for him, I am completely and totally unapologetic. There is no kindness anymore, no willingness to forgive. When the tariffs make your life harder and the deficit increases, I've no "welp, you made a mistake but you can change" for you. We told you, you listened to a charlatan and malefactors instead of your countrymen.

[thermogod]

oh no! my groceries were too expensive. good thing i voted for someone who has committed to tariff the people we import groceries from. that'll absolutely fix my problem. wait, i thought he promised to lower prices? maybe mexico and canada will pay for those tariffs instead of the end consumer.

...morons.

[dizzariot]

Originally Posted by KA24DESOneThree

It's a threat to anyone who helps him become a "dictator on day one."

It's a threat to anyone who helps him usurp the rule of law.

It's a threat to anyone who forgets that America is a constitutional democratic republic and acts against it.

Similar, in fact, to your oath of service- specifically, the "and domestic" part.

There is no superiority complex. He constantly and consistently has presented himself as an imbecile, and stupid people voted for him. He debased himself to leaders of nations hostile to us while debasing the leaders of nations allied to us for decades. He showed complete inability to grasp simple ideas.

If you are insulted by me calling you stupid, assuming you voted for him, I am completely and totally unapologetic. There is no kindness anymore, no willingness to forgive. When the tariffs make your life harder and the deficit increases, I've no "welp, you made a mistake but you can change" for you. We told you, you listened to a charlatan and malefactors instead of your countrymen.

Since we are diving right off into insult territory I will point out that your response is 'typical' to that of someone on 'your side' and it's really a bummer given our rapport in this thread previously...and it reeks of 'superior being'. How you (again) fail to see why Americans are tired of being preached to by 'your side' is a mystery to me.

My birthday is on Sunday. I won't disclose the age here but I'm old enough to not be offended on the internet (unless it's about car/part prices on Zilvia) or by people that have not done what I have done to get where I'm at. So you're good there...it's just a bummer you are writing me off as the enemy when 'your side' has preached that Trump-voters are the ones pushing division in the country.

Please note my grip tightening on the mirror I'm holding up.

Here's the cherry on top: I didn't vote for Trump...but there you are again embodying the condescending, assumption- making, holier-than-thou stereotype that forced voters out to get the W for your opposition.

Really bummed out...the difference is I didn't have to draw a line in the sand based of some fucking figurehead in an office on the other side of the world. Crazy.

[KA24DESOneThree]

Hope you had a happy birthday regardless of my ranting. Your contributions to the forum are appreciated.

The you was royal, but I'd be lying if I wasn't planning to include you- albeit with a slight out by including "assuming you voted for him" because you hadn't shown yourself to be a bootlicker and I wasn't certain.

The enemy has to be those who voted for an autocrat. The United States split from autocracy, has fought wars against it, and has also been the boot of oppression with enough time passed to be able to reflect upon itself.

We cannot allow autocracy. The State must be kept in shackles, by force if necessary. To support it because the other side is condescending? Fuck your feelings turned out to be projection writ large.

I am going through things while I think about the results of this election. I'm going to be an uncle a second time over, this time to a niece. I recently started only the third job of my life, this time as sole breadwinner and making 70% of what I did previously. Tariffs wouldn't have hurt me five years ago but are literally the difference between living paycheck to paycheck and having savings now.

It was something different before there were little people I cared about involved. This hits harder, and I feel like I'm willing to lose more to protect them. I voted to protect them, and I didn't vote to remove anyone else's freedom in the process.

[Future240]

It is an interesting point to note, the Repubs cleaned up this election season. Won the senate, won the house, won the presidency and had more governors elected than dems. Regardless of who you vote for, this goes to show the Dems need to get their game up as a lot of the country is leaning red so something they are doing is resonating with the american populace.

[deolio]

Originally Posted by Future240

It is an interesting point to note, the Repubs cleaned up this election season. Won the senate, won the house, won the presidency and had more governors elected than dems. Regardless of who you vote for, this goes to show the Dems need to get their game up as a lot of the country is leaning red so something they are doing is resonating with the american populace.

Because the Republicans sell the easy button. No, you don't have to accept accountability, blame the poor. No, you don't have to think critically, blame the scientists. No, you don't have to apologize, blame the minorities. No, you don't have to be inclusive, blame the bible.

[KA24DESOneThree]

To be fair, the Democrats also sell easy buttons.

Want to solve violence? Ban guns.

Want to solve global warming? Install solar panels and drive an EV and be vegan.

So much of our politics revolves around people dodging the hard answers. Only now, it comes with an extra helping of authoritarianism.

Right-wing governments cleaned up, at the expense of the world. Every time we regress, part of the next term has to be spent unfucking.

Stupid people are being led wrong directions by sheepherders who are on the payroll of the enemies of freedom, democracy, and secularism.

[Future240]

Originally Posted by KA24DESOneThree

To be fair, the Democrats also sell easy buttons.

Want to solve violence? Ban guns.

Want to solve global warming? Install solar panels and drive an EV and be vegan.

So much of our politics revolves around people dodging the hard answers. Only now, it comes with an extra helping of authoritarianism.

Right-wing governments cleaned up, at the expense of the world. Every time we regress, part of the next term has to be spent unfucking.

Stupid people are being led wrong directions by sheepherders who are on the payroll of the enemies of freedom, democracy, and secularism.

Agreed. The problem with the dems they keep pandering to the minority.

Let's take EV's as car guys yea we are not on the EV train, but a simple glance of America would clearly show how our infrastructure is not ready for EV's. Yea sure there are are hella charging stations in places like LA but what about say rural Alabama?

Yes america has a gun problem but bans (aka prohibition) will not work consider the popularity of guns and the sheer amount of them in the wild, yet you keep having dems push the issue.


There could have been so many paths to victory

ACTUAL Marijuana legalization
Use the proceeds from MJ to reinvest into our infrastructure creating tons of jobs across the nation
A national cap on predatory interest
student debt reduction
Higher corporate tax, buuuuuuuuut
Tax incentives for companies that raise wages for people making say under 150K
Tax incentives for companies that provide more vacation time to their employees.
Tax incentives for companies reducing their carbon footprint
Tax incentives for companies giving paid maternity/paternity leave
Reigning in cost of healthcare
Expand the FDA. It is becoming more widely known America allows stuff in our food that is banned in MOST 1st world countries.


There are a lot of replublicans who would be down with the above let alone dems, but of course none of that would ever happen. The dems are out of touch with America arguably more so than the repubs.

[KA24DESOneThree]

The problem with marijuana legalization is that it's a monopolistic/oligopolistic pipeline- the cost of adhering to government standards consolidates the market. Market consolidation is never good.

The problem with tax incentives is that there are already actual profit incentives to raise wages and provide vacation time and giving paid maternity/paternity leave. If a company's not willing to make the investment and get better, more productive employees, why should they be taxed less to make more?

You cannot rein in the cost of health care with a Republican majority. Period. Healthcare spending is considered big-government spending, even though every. single. other. major developed nation has cheaper healthcare. Our "freedom" costs us money and all that extra money floating around still hasn't stopped the impending implosion of the system. The Orange Fuck's pick isn't going to help, at all.

[Future240]

Originally Posted by KA24DESOneThree

The problem with marijuana legalization is that it's a monopolistic/oligopolistic pipeline- the cost of adhering to government standards consolidates the market. Market consolidation is never good.

The problem with tax incentives is that there are already actual profit incentives to raise wages and provide vacation time and giving paid maternity/paternity leave. If a company's not willing to make the investment and get better, more productive employees, why should they be taxed less to make more?

You cannot rein in the cost of health care with a Republican majority. Period. Healthcare spending is considered big-government spending, even though every. single. other. major developed nation has cheaper healthcare. Our "freedom" costs us money and all that extra money floating around still hasn't stopped the impending implosion of the system. The Orange Fuck's pick isn't going to help, at all.

Market consolidation is better than people getting locked up for a plant.

As for the tax incentive I should have mentioned the other part. We need to DRAMATICALLY raise corporate tax then provide the incentives for companies to do the right thing.

Agreed on the health care thing. Repubs argue all the time healthcare is not a right and the ACA is literally the devil while providing 0 solutions. The ACA was not perfect by any means but it was a step in the right direction. The fact that the ENTIRE developed world laughs at America's healthcare should be a national imbursement. A developed nation should not have been not getting the care they need simply because they cannot afford it.

I will never forget a video I saw they went to the UK and asked random people how much they thought it cost to have a kid in America. Guesses ranged from like 2k -5k. They were floored to learn it was north of 17K.

If every other 1st world country can figure it out, why can't America?

[deolio]

Originally Posted by Future240

If every other 1st world country can figure it out, why can't America?

Because we've been taught from a young age that everyone is special. Sold the American rags to riches story that we're not poor, we just haven't gotten our break yet. That our personal wealth is more important than the health of our society. That everyone is competition and must be beaten. That the Johnsons must be obliterated. And the destruction of my counterpart ensures my success. And my success is guaranteed if I just work a little harder, a little longer, and fuck over one more person. And tomorrow is the big day and when it comes I'm going to bite off more than I can chew, more than I need, and it'll never be enough because I earned it, I'm smarter than you, AND I DESERVE IT.

[Future240]

Originally Posted by deolio

Because we've been taught from a young age that everyone is special. Sold the American rags to riches story that we're not poor, we just haven't gotten our break yet. That our personal wealth is more important than the health of our society. That everyone is competition and must be beaten. That the Johnsons must be obliterated. And the destruction of my counterpart ensures my success. And my success is guaranteed if I just work a little harder, a little longer, and fuck over one more person. And tomorrow is the big day and when it comes I'm going to bite off more than I can chew, more than I need, and it'll never be enough because I earned it, I'm smarter than you, AND I DESERVE IT.

"Trickle down economics"


sidenote: I've seen that gif in your sig for what feels like a decade at this point, and I have yet to tire of it.

[deolio]

Originally Posted by Future240

"Trickle down economics"

Maybe if we started calling it "pyramid scheme economics" people would finally stop believing it works.

"Did you hear your cousin Sue fell for another pyramid scheme economic-backing candidate? She's been posting about it all over Facebook. How embarrassing!"

Originally Posted by Future240

sidenote: I've seen that gif in your sig for what feels like a decade at this point, and I have yet to tire of it.

Haha next year will be 10 years! I'd be lying if I said I didn't stop and stare at it for a bit each time I post.

[KA24DESOneThree]

Just imagine being as dumb as Trump.

I keep trying, but then I start drooling after I've breathed through my mouth for about a minute.

[thermogod]

Originally Posted by KA24DESOneThree

Just imagine being as dumb as Trump.

I keep trying, but then I start drooling after I've breathed through my mouth for about a minute.

"did you hear what he said!?!?" nah, but im sure it was fucking stupid...

"did you hear what he did!?!?" nope, but im sure it was horrible and made peoples lives worse.

wake me up when its time to set shit on fire.

[Future240]

ERS

wow.......this is totally not " make china pay for it"
https://nypost.com/2025/01/14/us-new...-will-collect/

[deolio]

"I'll shrink the federal government" - makes up new federal agency and "department of government efficiency" (a name I'm sure Elon came up with) before he event gets into office.

[KA24DESOneThree]

Originally Posted by thermogod

wake me up when its time to set shit on fire.

It's time.

We're about to be ruled by a baker's dozen billionaires. Trump's cabinet is worth a staggering 3,898 times that of Biden's, or roughly the median lifetime earnings of 270,588 high school graduates.

These people need to be held to the highest standard, as they're obviously nearly 4,000 times smarter than this current cabinet.

[thermogod]

would you look at that. only two days of presidency and we have already achieved:

- leaving the paris climate agreement
- leaving the world health organization
- resumed oil and gas leases off Alaska's coast
- 25% tariffs on canada and mexico
- revoked the order that lowered prices on medicare and medicaid
- ended the green new deal by freezing all infrastructure projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. not just the green projects, ALL the projects funded by those two acts
- just for fun - pardoned the Blackwater contractors that fired on an unarmed crowd in Baghdad in 2007 killing 14 civilians

strange. almost like he represents the billionaires. who knew? is this the swamp that was supposed to be drained? is this the concept of a plan? i can feel the prices of eggs lowering already.

LOL, already got a private message about this post that i didn't read. i can't imagine being that angry about the things you voted for.