Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[zamyrabyrd]

As opposed to when a Presidential candidate suggests that he won't accept the vote if he loses. That's just fine and dandy.

He said he would have to consider it. In view of actual fraud that has already been documented, it is a reasonable assertion.

I know nothing about your claim that Obama encouraged non-citizens to vote. I certainly don't know whether the American system is sufficiently pathetic to enable non-citizens to vote, though if it does I'd say you have far bigger problems than what Obama might have said. Seriously, WTF is wrong with your electoral rolls?

This indignant Miss characterized anyone living in the US as bonafide citizens because they "contribute something to the country". Obama went a step further by saying, "When you vote, you are a citizen yourself".
Either of the two criteria, working or voting, do not make a person a citizen in any country. This is reverse reasoning but also a tacit encouragement to go out there and vote for the preferred party.

https://www.youtube.com/v/7R_aT6ucGNQ

But I also take anything you say with such a large quantity of salt, it affects my blood pressure. The real world is quite difficult enough to deal with, I simply don't have the time and energy to chase all your scatter-gun assertions that may or may not accord with the real world. Over and out.

Just because you say something doesn't make it right and I don't care if you re really a lawyer or not.

[Florestan]

Respect for your opponents,

This is conspicuously lacking on both Right and Left.

a free press

If by that you mean freedom from governmental pressure and interference, I´d say that the US press, and the Western press in general, is mostly free.

If you mean freedom from ideological rigidity (both Right and Left), political partisanship (both Right and Left) and economic vested interests (both Right and Left), things get complicated. 

transparency

That´s rather vague. What do you mean by that?

no lying

To ask a politician (both Right and Left) not to lie is to ask her/him not to try to win elections, besides being akin to asking the Nile to flow southward. 

[Madiel]

Just because you say something doesn't make it right

Right back at you.

http://www.snopes.com/obama-encouraged-illegal-aliens-to-vote/

Video editing. By Fox. Who ever would have guessed.

[The new erato]

This is conspicuously lacking on both Right and Left.

If by that you mean freedom from governmental pressure and interference, I´d say that the US press, and the Western press in general, is mostly free.

If you mean freedom from ideological rigidity (both Right and Left), political partisanship (both Right and Left) and economic vested interests (both Right and Left), things get complicated. 

That´s rather vague. What do you mean by that?

To ask a politician (both Right and Left) not to lie is to ask her/him not to try to win elections, besides being akin to asking the Nile to flow southward. 

Transparency: being clear about vested interests, as in the Clinton Foundation and Trumps alleged business empire and its varied interests, taxes and relations to Russia. Doesn't look to good......

[Florestan]

Transparency: being clear about vested interests, as in the Clinton Foundation and Trumps alleged business empire and its varied interests, taxes and relations to Russia.

One cannot expect it from the politicians sthemselves. The only way to ensure it is to have strict laws and severe penalties* in this respect. Good luck in finding politicians who are willing to make them.

* I know of nothing more severe for a politician than being banned for life from running for, or being nominated to, any political office.

[Todd]

It´s been done countless times in recorded history. Nothing new and nothing Marxist about it, actually. 

Indeed.  For instance, George Washington was not a Marxist. 

[BasilValentine]

If one subtracts the felons who voted (80,000 in Virginia), the aliens who were encouraged by Obama practically the day before and multiple voters bused in an out of cities, then Hillary probably did not have a plurality.
59 million or so votes, coming virtually out of nowhere without the support of the party who nominated him or by the entrenched media, is nothing to sneeze at.

Why would one wish to subtract felons? They have the same right to vote as anyone else, except in states where there is an attempt at voter suppression on partisan lines. There is no evidence of multiple voting, so far, except that idiot Trump supporter from Indiana. HRC's plurality is over 600,000 votes, which is more than a 1/2  percentage point. It isn't really close. 

[arpeggio]

One of the biggest frauds that has been perpetuated is the idea of a "silent majority".

The fact is this society has always been a collection of minorities.  One of the foundations of our Bill of Rights is that no matter who is in charge everyone of us has certain rights that can not be taken away from us.

Problems arise when one of these minorities gets it into their heads that they are the only true voice of America.

[Todd]

Problems arise when one of these minorities gets it into their heads that they are the only true voice of America.

That's where checks and balances come in.  Trump will run into those quickly.

[Karl Henning]

One of the biggest frauds that has been perpetuated is the idea of a "silent majority".

The fact is this society has always been a collection of minorities.  One of the foundations of our Bill of Rights is that no matter who is in charge everyone of us has certain rights that can not be taken away from us.

Problems arise when one of these minorities gets it into their heads that they are the only true voice of America.

The Russian word bolshevik means, member of the majority.

The wry irony?  Even at the time, they were in the minority.  Just a loud minority.

[North Star]

The Russian word bolshevik means, member of the majority.

The wry irony?  Even at the time, they were in the minority.  Just a loud minority.

It was the majority faction of the Communist party members in a dispute in 1904 the name derives from, mensheviks being the minority faction of the party. The majority position wasn't constant, though.

[arpeggio]

The Russian word bolshevik means, member of the majority.

The wry irony?  Even at the time, they were in the minority.  Just a loud minority.

This is one issue I do no understand.  People are different.  We all have our differences in politics, what music we listen to and what books we read.  Yet we are always plagued by groups who can not understand this and lash out at anyone who is different than they are.

[Karl Henning]

It was the majority faction of the Communist party members in a dispute in 1904 the name derives from, mensheviks being the minority faction of the party. The majority position wasn't constant, though.

Ah, thanks!  Dang my misremembering.

[Todd]

I wanted to find the most extreme, polemical response to Trump's victory I could, and I think I did it.  As it happens, it also ties in beautifully with the title of the thread. 

Said Noam Chomsky:

"On November 8, the most powerful country in world history, which will set its stamp on what comes next, had an election. The outcome placed total control of the government -- executive, Congress, the Supreme Court -- in the hands of the Republican Party, which has become the most dangerous organization in world history.

Apart from the last phrase, all of this is uncontroversial. The last phrase may seem outlandish, even outrageous. But is it? The facts suggest otherwise.  The Party is dedicated to racing as rapidly as possible to destruction of organized human life. There is no historical precedent for such a stand."


The whole interview is available here.

Thanks, Noam, you really made my day!

[Brian]

the Republican Party, which has become the most dangerous organization in world history.

Take that, Eichmann!

[Parsifal]

Take that, Eichmann!

The Nazi's definitely win on evil intentions. However, if the most pessimistic predictions of climate change science are borne out (a big if) an abandonment of greenhouse gas controls could have more dire consequences for human civilization than even fascism.

[Jo498]

As for evil intentions the Nazis "only" started with the idea to "make Germany great again", Eichmann's business came much later.
But I agree that exaggerating comparisons are disingenious and distracting from real problems a Trump presidency may bring.

[Rinaldo]

But I agree that exaggerating comparisons are disingenious and distracting from real problems a Trump presidency may bring.

Are they exaggerated? So far, Trump's ascend to power ticks all the history boxes. Seeing intelligent folks nonchalantly discuss economy while Trump gives a white supremacist an office in the WH, that gives me chills..

[Jo498]

If you know a little about Weimar Germany you should know that they are wildly exaggerated. Do you think they will restitute the "Old South"? Segregation, slavery?
I don't know about that guy but I cannot imagine what he actually could do. Sure, the tensions in society will not improve. But apparently there was a need for "Black lives matter" under the *first black president*. Why and how should it get any worse and what would the central power in DC have to do with local problems/riots etc.? I simply do not know.
But I do not think it helps any side if one can think about the other as "Hitler". If this was remotely true, the "true Americans" (those few who aren't Nazis) would have to go into civil disobedience or civil war immediately because decisive measures are not only allowed but obligatory if the goal is to avoid another Hitler. 

[Parsifal]

No, he's not another Hiler, he's probably another Berlusconi, maybe another Chavez.