U.S. Politics megathread (merged)

[Maple Leaf]

21 minutes ago, Jambo-Jimbo said:

In another backwards move by the US Supreme Court, they have limited the powers of the US Environmental Protection Agency, meaning that Biden's plan to cut US CO2 emissions by 2030 are basically fecked. 

https://news.sky.com/story/major-blow-to-bidens-domestic-climate-agenda-as-us-supreme-court-limits-federal-power-to-curb-emissions-12642464

 

This is a win for the Republican climate change deniers & the coal industry.

 

This SCOTUS is so predictable.  It is clear that they are merely an extension of the Republican Party.

[Seymour M Hersh]

I wonder if Howard Stern will actually run for President? 

[Watt-Zeefuik]

On 29/06/2022 at 13:03, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

The Senate GOP had to end debate on judicial nominees and break filibusters 314 times in President Donald Trump’s single term. To put that in perspective, every other president in the history of the United States has faced, combined, 244 of those roll-call votes over a filibuster.

 

12 hours ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

 

I wasn't narrowing down their use to only judicial nominees. The fact is when either side can use them to their own advantage filibusters are great. When they are being used against them they should be gotten rid of. I would suggest like a referee who upsets both sets of fans and the media almost always say he must have been doing something right. 

 

As an aside to you live in the US? Are you an American citizen? 

 

You literally said "end debate on judicial nominees" and now you're saying you weren't narrowing down to only judicial nominees. Stop sniveling and say what you mean if you want to make some kind of point.

 

The Democratic Senate leadership is the only party to propose a permanent end to the filibuster. Yes, until that's done, I'm sure they will use it, because unilateral de-escalation in the face of cynical powermongers is pointless, despite decades of Democrats trying it in vain optimism. However, the data and those who know the history of the Hill clearly say that escalation of the use of the filibuster has consistently been by one party—the GOP. I know it doesn't fit your whataboutery, but that's what the historical evidence says. And this is politics—there is no referee, the players change the rules as they gain power. This is how Mitch McConnell invented some rule out of thin air about nominees during an election year to block Garland, and then immediately stuck it in the dumpster when ACB's nomination came up.

 

Yes, I am a "natural-born" US citizen and continue to live in the US, as my profile info shows, though I don't know why that matters.

[JFK-1]

So a 'star" GOP lawyer says Trump will be indicted.

 

 

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Trump being indicted could actually cause his devotees to lose their shit completely. He will bloviate that the whole thing is being fabricated to stop him winning in 2024 as Washington is "scared" of him.

[Sharpie]

6 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

 

 

You literally said "end debate on judicial nominees" and now you're saying you weren't narrowing down to only judicial nominees. Stop sniveling and say what you mean if you want to make some kind of point.

 

The Democratic Senate leadership is the only party to propose a permanent end to the filibuster. Yes, until that's done, I'm sure they will use it, because unilateral de-escalation in the face of cynical powermongers is pointless, despite decades of Democrats trying it in vain optimism. However, the data and those who know the history of the Hill clearly say that escalation of the use of the filibuster has consistently been by one party—the GOP. I know it doesn't fit your whataboutery, but that's what the historical evidence says. And this is politics—there is no referee, the players change the rules as they gain power. This is how Mitch McConnell invented some rule out of thin air about nominees during an election year to block Garland, and then immediately stuck it in the dumpster when ACB's nomination came up.

 

Yes, I am a "natural-born" US citizen and continue to live in the US, as my profile info shows, though I don't know why that matters.

 

Nor do I , I think it is interesting and excellent for the group that a person from another area joins the forum, and can give the knowledgeable views you do as an American. I comment on U.S politics and matters, because I get some info from news and other sources, I live in Canada I guess I have over the fifty odd years actually have become a Canadian and have my views of the Country not only the media. That is what I enjoy about your posts.you live there you pay taxes, you are a victim of raising or lowering prices for example, you give a live persons eye view of things we discuss here from an American perspective. 

[Watt-Zeefuik]

20 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

 

Nor do I , I think it is interesting and excellent for the group that a person from another area joins the forum, and can give the knowledgeable views you do as an American. I comment on U.S politics and matters, because I get some info from news and other sources, I live in Canada I guess I have over the fifty odd years actually have become a Canadian and have my views of the Country not only the media. That is what I enjoy about your posts.you live there you pay taxes, you are a victim of raising or lowering prices for example, you give a live persons eye view of things we discuss here from an American perspective. 

 

Cheers. I only have a single perspective and it's obviously very biased. There are other JKB members who live here, and even a few other lifelong American citizens who got the Hearts bug. I am a bit of a recovering politics junkie, though.

[JFK-1]

You have to wonder how the GOP could extricate themselves from this if Trump were indicted and convicted. They have been backing a criminal seditionist to the hilt, how do you get out of that when it all turns to shit.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

22 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

You have to wonder how the GOP could extricate themselves from this if Trump were indicted and convicted. They have been backing a criminal seditionist to the hilt, how do you get out of that when it all turns to shit.

I actually think it would be their get out of jail free card. Cynical politics would suggest that a little dog whistle to the seething Trump acolytes, coupled with a quiet removal of the looney tune nonsense and they would look far more "professional".

[JFK-1]

11 minutes ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

I actually think it would be their get out of jail free card. Cynical politics would suggest that a little dog whistle to the seething Trump acolytes, coupled with a quiet removal of the looney tune nonsense and they would look far more "professional".

 

The GOP are an authoritarian entity up to the neck in supporting this coup attempt. They still wont concede the big lie is in fact not just a lie, but an obvious lie everybody knows is a lie. They know it's a lie.

 

This guy lays out a case suggesting that the US is heading to be a one party authoritarian state. Unless something is done, fast.

 

Jason Stanley, an expert on authoritarianism, has been an adviser to the January 6 committee. The author of "How Fascism Works" speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about the hearings and the state of democracy in America.

 

 

 

[JFK-1]

New reporting from The New York Times is raising questions about whether Trump allies may be trying to influence witness testimony in the January 6th investigation.

 

New Questions Over Potential Witness Tampering In Jan. 6 Probe

 

 

[A Boy Named Crow]

On 29/06/2022 at 03:16, FWJ said:

Will they stay Democrat voters as they age though.

As I get older the more I have to fight to suppress my inner Daily Mail.

I think the idea that people veer right as they get older is based on the Boomers, who were revolutionaries at uni in the 60's, but now vote to maintain the wealth the system afforded them.

 

Subsequent generations didn't ride that gravy train, and I think will be less inclined to sell their souls to Republicans  / Tories.

 

I was all in favour of free-market liberal economics at uni,  but now in my 40's, with a different perspective,  I am on occasions bordering on being a communist 😁

[Seymour M Hersh]

16 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

 

 

 

Yes, I am a "natural-born" US citizen and continue to live in the US, as my profile info shows, though I don't know why that matters.

 

It doesn't matter I was just curious. 

[Cade]

2 hours ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

I think the idea that people veer right as they get older is based on the Boomers, who were revolutionaries at uni in the 60's, but now vote to maintain the wealth the system afforded them.

 

Subsequent generations didn't ride that gravy train, and I think will be less inclined to sell their souls to Republicans  / Tories.

 

I was all in favour of free-market liberal economics at uni,  but now in my 40's, with a different perspective,  I am on occasions bordering on being a communist 😁

 

Correct.

Just because the Flower People of the 1960's grew up to be Nazis doesn't mean that their kids and grandkids will go the same way.

That's just lazy thinking.

[Seymour M Hersh]

AOC wonders if pro-life Democrats should continue to serve: 'We really need to reassess'

 

Stalin would be so proud. 

[Gizmo]

14 hours ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

I actually think it would be their get out of jail free card. Cynical politics would suggest that a little dog whistle to the seething Trump acolytes, coupled with a quiet removal of the looney tune nonsense and they would look far more "professional".

Makes me wonder if they are actually shitting it because Trump has cornered the market for the lunatic/Q voters and is so egotistical he could well start some 'Christian' right party and take a good number of these ****wits with him. 

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by Gizmo

[Watt-Zeefuik]

36 minutes ago, Gizmo said:

Makes me wonder if they are actually shitting it because Trump has cornered the market for the lunatic/Q voters and is so egotistical he could well start some 'Christian' right party and take a good number of these ****wits with him. 

 

 

They're all currently trying to figure out how to be the next Trump without being Trump.

 

Which is very difficult to do, given that Trump had 40 years of fawning coverage by the upper crust of the NY media bumming him up as a business genius and new wave real estate tycoon, all of which he played brilliantly, plus an entire ****ing game show based around his supposed acumen in person management.

 

People who don't follow politics have no idea who Ron DeSantis is (unless they're in Florida), but they knew who Donald Trump was long before he rode down that accursed elevator.

[JFK-1]

A British documentary maker who filmed Donald Trump and his family in the weeks following his 2020 election defeat told the BBC he has been accused of being a British or US spy, and now has two armed guards who follow him everywhere.

 

Alex Holder has been ordered to give evidence to an investigation in Georgia which is looking at whether Trump pressured state officials to influence the 2020 election in the state.

 

The documentary series, Unprecedented, will be available to watch on Discovery+

 

BBC link includes video of interview with the film-maker 

 

Jan 6 hearings: Trump film-maker now has 'two armed guards'

 

 

[JFK-1]

NBC News has confirmed that star Jan. 6 witness Cassidy Hutchinson received a concerning message from a Trump ally that appeared to be coaxing her to testify positively on Donald Trump’s behalf.

 

Trump also slandered Hutchinson in an interview with Newsmax after she gave her public testimony, saying she has “mental problems” and lives in “fantasyland.”

 

Criminal Referral? Jan. 6 Panel Eyes Witness Tampering Amid Trump Coup Plot

 

 

[Selkirk_Jambo]

 

 

[Unknown user]

16 minutes ago, Selkirk_Jambo said:

 

 

Bloody hell

[jack D and coke]

🤪😂

[Tazio]

I’m italian

I’m Irish. 
 

Bad news guys, you’re American. 

[Tazio]

Good lord. 

 

[Maple Leaf]

22 minutes ago, Tazio said:

Good lord. 

 

 

The only sensible person on that stage was Liz Cheney, and she is despised in the Republican Party.

[ri Alban]

4 hours ago, Selkirk_Jambo said:

 

 

That's not real, surely.

[ri Alban]

1 hour ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

The only sensible person on that stage was Liz Cheney, and she is despised in the Republican Party.

She's the only person with any credibility, going from that. Republican candidates are simpletons.

[Unknown user]

2 hours ago, Tazio said:

Good lord. 

 

"All the major internets do that"

[Jambo-Jimbo]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

The only sensible person on that stage was Liz Cheney, and she is despised in the Republican Party.

 

And one of the reasons she's despised, is because she's smarter than the rest, who, judging by the last couple of videos are on a Donald Trump level of smartness, in fact Trump might even just be a tad bit smarter.....maybe.

[Watt-Zeefuik]

1 hour ago, ri Alban said:

That's not real, surely.

 

Welcome to hell, mate.

 

But someone will be along shortly to tell us that the Democrats, who merely are feckless and bickering at about the standard level of your normal political party, are somehow just as bad as this shitshow.

[Jambo-Jimbo]

3 hours ago, Tazio said:

I’m italian

I’m Irish. 
 

Bad news guys, you’re American. 

 

20+ years ago, when there was very little genealogical information on the internet, I carried out work for some people in the US, and they were desperate to have Scottish and or Irish ancestry, it was a big thing for them, I think it opened up doors if they were from Clan MacGregor or Clan MacDonald or from Ireland.......it still is a big thing, just take Irish Joe for example or these people, it's a big deal to them.

[Cade]

As long as you come from a white European background, it's fine to identify as both American and as being from your family's place of origin, no matter how many generations ago that was.

If you are non-white then you are Un-American and should go back to where your family came from, no matter how many generations ago that was.

 

That's pretty much it, isn't it?

 

 

[ri Alban]

9 hours ago, Led Tasso said:

 

Welcome to hell, mate.

 

But someone will be along shortly to tell us that the Democrats, who merely are feckless and bickering at about the standard level of your normal political party, are somehow just as bad as this shitshow.

You'd think people would watch this and go . But something tells me, they'd vote for these morons. 

[ri Alban]

This is how you deal with simpletons. 

No fecking about. 

 

[Jambo-Jimbo]

14 hours ago, Cade said:

As long as you come from a white European background, it's fine to identify as both American and as being from your family's place of origin, no matter how many generations ago that was.

If you are non-white then you are Un-American and should go back to where your family came from, no matter how many generations ago that was.

 

That's pretty much it, isn't it?

 

 

 

I don't think so, how many Americans especially those in public office or business identify themselves as English, German or Romanian, compared with being Irish, Italian or even Greek or even Spanish. 

 

It seems to me that having ancestry from certain white European backgrounds is better than some other white European ancestry.

Maybe some of our American posters can clarify if this is the case or not.

[dobmisterdobster]

15 hours ago, Cade said:

As long as you come from a white European background, it's fine to identify as both American and as being from your family's place of origin, no matter how many generations ago that was.

If you are non-white then you are Un-American and should go back to where your family came from, no matter how many generations ago that was.

 

That's pretty much it, isn't it?

 

 

 

Not exactly. African Americans are considered as American as apple pie.

[Seymour M Hersh]

5 hours ago, dobmisterdobster said:

 

Not exactly. African Americans are considered as American as apple pie.

 

Mexican Americans, Japanese Americans to name but two. It would be helpful if the poster you quote occasionally engaged his brain but I'm not holding out much hope. 

[Cade]

The japanese americans that were forced into concentration camps during WW2 because of the place of origin of their ancestors?

 

Those ones?

[Watt-Zeefuik]

14 hours ago, Jambo-Jimbo said:

 

I don't think so, how many Americans especially those in public office or business identify themselves as English, German or Romanian, compared with being Irish, Italian or even Greek or even Spanish. 

 

It seems to me that having ancestry from certain white European backgrounds is better than some other white European ancestry.

Maybe some of our American posters can clarify if this is the case or not.

 

Michael Dukakis, Democratic Presidential nominee in 1988 (and an Ed Milliband-level of bad campaigner) was the child of Greek immigrants, and made a decent amount of it. There aren't many Romanian Americans period, and it's no longer the done thing to claim to be from "good Anglo-Saxon stock" but it wasn't too long ago that was the case.

 

Ethnic history, real and more often imagined, plays a big part in myth generation here.

 

13 hours ago, dobmisterdobster said:

 

Not exactly. African Americans are considered as American as apple pie.

 

behave. Did you miss how Donald Trump's political ambitions got started in the first place? Do the words "birth certificate" ring a bell?

[Maple Leaf]

13 hours ago, dobmisterdobster said:

 

African Americans are considered as American as apple pie.

 

Really?  By whom?

2 minutes ago, Led Tasso said:

 

behave. Did you miss how Donald Trump's political ambitions got started in the first place? Do the words "birth certificate" ring a bell?

Indeed.  And it wouldn't surprise me if somewhere inside the empty skull of Trump a bell went off, and he realised that there was political mileage in being a "birther", and that racism was alive and well in the USA.   

[ri Alban]

A lot of Americans used claim Scots and Ulster Scots (Scot Irish) descent. Is this still a thing?

[A Boy Named Crow]

It'd be fun if Eurpeans tried to list off all their various origins...it'd destroy the art of conversation. All you'd have is people reciting never ending lists of places 😂

 

The flip side of Americans stating where their ancestors are from is in Australia, here they acknowledge who their ancestors bumped the land off of. Again, imagine going through the list of historic claimants to land in Europe!

Edited July 4, 2022 by A Boy Named Crow

[JFK-1]

23 hours ago, Jambo-Jimbo said:

 

I don't think so, how many Americans especially those in public office or business identify themselves as English, German or Romanian, compared with being Irish, Italian or even Greek or even Spanish. 

 

It seems to me that having ancestry from certain white European backgrounds is better than some other white European ancestry.

Maybe some of our American posters can clarify if this is the case or not.

 

I dunno, but I can tell you what it was like when I first came to Oklahoma 10 years ago then went through an immigration process to get a green card. It was easy, though I had to pay a lawyer $3,000 to do it but got 1,000 back.

 

I had initially planned to do it myself without a lawyer but this is a shitload of paperwork, and I decide feck that, I will take the hit for someone else to fill this shit in.

 

I was sent an appointment by a homeland security office and went there with the lawyer. We went in sat down the homeland security guy never said a single thing to me aside from hello etc. A greeting.

 

Then he just started filling out paperwork and chatting to the lawyer about other applicants. Everything was filled out, signatures applied. All done.

 

When we went outside I said to the lawyer is it always like that? And he said he had never seen anything like it before. But his typical such case would be hispanic.

Me, white British with the accent and everything, you decide.  

[dobmisterdobster]

11 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

Really?  By whom? 

 

Americans would never consider Michael Jackson, Louis Armstrong or Michael Jordan as foreigners even in spite of how vilified their race is in America.

[ri Alban]

Just now, dobmisterdobster said:

 

Americans would never consider Michael Jackson, Louis Armstrong or Michael Jordan as foreigners even in spite of how vilified their race is in America.

Brady, Elvis and Nicklaus are the poster boys, tho.

[Maple Leaf]

4 hours ago, dobmisterdobster said:

 

Americans would never consider Michael Jackson, Louis Armstrong or Michael Jordan as foreigners even in spite of how vilified their race is in America.

I know what you mean.  I remember a story by (I think) Eddie Murphy about him being racially abused by a group of white teenagers until one of them recognised him.  Suddenly the white punks wanted to be his best friend, asking for autographs, taking pictures with him etc.

[JFK-1]

15 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

I know what you mean.  I remember a story by (I think) Eddie Murphy about him being racially abused by a group of white teenagers until one of them recognised him.  Suddenly the white punks wanted to be his best friend, asking for autographs, taking pictures with him etc.

 

Spike Lee uses that scenario in 'do the right thing' while using Eddie Murphy as an example. Murphy wasn't in the film, it was pointed out to a racist Italian American character that his favourite actor was Eddie Murphy.

Edited July 5, 2022 by JFK-1

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Certain states have long associations with with countries because of early migrations taking place there. South Carolina attracted a lot of Scots/ Scots Irish, Minnesota a lot of Scandinavians, Wyoming has the largest group claiming German roots. France owned Louisiana and Spain most of the southwest. 

The cities have known ethnic areas, New York has just about a ' Little' everything.

[Unknown user]

1 hour ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

Certain states have long associations with with countries because of early migrations taking place there. South Carolina attracted a lot of Scots/ Scots Irish, Minnesota a lot of Scandinavians, Wyoming has the largest group claiming German roots. France owned Louisiana and Spain most of the southwest. 

The cities have known ethnic areas, New York has just about a ' Little' everything.

 

That's what was so unique about new York, most places were settled by a particular religious group seeking the right to worship freely.

 

In New Amsterdam, as was, the Dutch only really cared about beaver pelts and money though, they didn't even build a church in the first 17 years.

From the very beginning it was driven by the pursuit of wealth, and it attracted all sorts.

When the British took New Amsterdam, Pieter Stuyvesant tried to rally locals to defend the place, but they didn't care if it was the Dutch or British in charge.

 

I know I digress, but the history of New York's really interesting.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

2 hours ago, Smithee said:

 

That's what was so unique about new York, most places were settled by a particular religious group seeking the right to worship freely.

 

In New Amsterdam, as was, the Dutch only really cared about beaver pelts and money though, they didn't even build a church in the first 17 years.

From the very beginning it was driven by the pursuit of wealth, and it attracted all sorts.

When the British took New Amsterdam, Pieter Stuyvesant tried to rally locals to defend the place, but they didn't care if it was the Dutch or British in charge.

 

I know I digress, but the history of New York's really interesting.

I was in NY 25 years ago but only for a stop over. I really have to go back for long enough to see it properly. I have been watching a lot of YouTube live streaming from NY and it really whets the appetite to go back.

Appreciate your historical knowledge of the Big Apple