USA Politics

[Todd]

The Republicans are working for it thou and Trump has been appointing tons of judges and already 2 justices, all of them religious and concervative lunatics.

That's one way to look at things.  One that is not fact-based.

And abortion in the US is clearly such a potent wedge issue that Europeans cannot help themselves from commenting on it.

[Jo498]

There have been very few Christian Theocracies; I think the last major one was the Cromwell period in Britain almost 400 years ago. No matter what interesting SF books Atwood wrote 40 years ago, neither a Cromwell nor a Handmaid's tale scenario is very likely.

[Todd]

New York will honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg with statue in Brooklyn

Maybe one day it will be torn down by a mob, who knows.

[arpeggio]

Most Trump conservatives do not understand that at the most they are only 30% of the electorate.

They live in a dream world where they feel that they can impose their agenda on the 70% and they are going to roll over and play dead.

If they try to use guns they do not understand that the other side also has guns.

[Daverz]

There have been very few Christian Theocracies; I think the last major one was the Cromwell period in Britain almost 400 years ago. No matter what interesting SF books Atwood wrote 40 years ago, neither a Cromwell nor a Handmaid's tale scenario is very likely.

As Atwood explained it:

  "I made a rule for myself: I would not include anything that human beings had not already done in some other place or
  time, or for which the technology did not already exist. I did not wish to be accused of dark, twisted inventions, or of
  misrepresenting the human potential for deplorable behavior. The group-activated hangings, the tearing apart of
  human beings, the clothing specific to castes and classes, the forced childbearing and the appropriation of the results,
  the children stolen by regimes and placed for upbringing with high-ranking officials, the forbidding of literacy, the
  denial of property rights—all had precedents, and many of these were to be found, not in other cultures and religions,
  but within Western society, and within the "Christian" tradition itself."

https://lithub.com/margaret-atwood-on-how-she-came-to-write-the-handmaids-tale/

The novel also has some rather mordant and dark humor; it's not a humorless feminist tract.

[Herman]

Anyways, the Dems impeached Trump at the start of this year and now he gets to nominate another SC justice and make the court decidedly conservative. (Karma is a you know what, folks.  ) No more worrying about Roberts flaking out or swing votes.

The future belongs to the conservatives and after Trump wins re-election there's gonna be four more years of winning.

Look who's dancing on RBG's grave, yelling "winning!" counting 200.000 dead.
Who knows how many more dead in four more years? Winning!

[krummholz]

Most Trump conservatives do not understand that at the most they are only 30% of the electorate.

They live in a dream world where they feel that they can impose their agenda on the 70% and they are going to roll over and play dead.

If they try to use guns they do not understand that the other side also has guns.

A cautionary note: even Bob Woodward, opining on Washington Week this past Friday, gave some credence to the idea of a "silent Trump voter" contingent. These would be people who don't admit their fealty to Trump, even to their spouses, and certainly not to pollsters. I'm not sure there are enough of them to swing the election, but it's reason to take the current polls with a grain of salt.

[Herman]

Yes, the silent Trump voter is a big factor, and the Trump campaign is trying to yank his or her crank all the time, with these appeals to white people's fears.

[arpeggio]

Look who's dancing on RBG's grave, yelling "winning!" counting 200.000 dead.
Who knows how many more dead in four more years? Winning!

+1

[Karl Henning]

Look who's dancing on RBG's grave, yelling "winning!" counting 200.000 dead.
Who knows how many more dead in four more years? Winning!

Well, Trump didn't get where he is today by appealing to decency.

[Todd]

'Nothing is off the table': Supreme Court fight could reshape the Senate

Democrats are vowing to hit back at Republicans if they fill the vacant Supreme Court seat before January.

It did not take long for things to get good.  Cryin' Chuck is threatening to destroy the legislative filibuster, if not directly, then not at all subtly.  Other Democrats are throwing preemptive temper tantrums and making very, very scary threats. 

...Other Democrats suggested the party should move to pack the Supreme Court with additional justices in order to dilute the power of the conservative majority. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) tweeted on Friday that if McConnell moves to fill Ginsburg's seat this year and Democrats win control of the Senate and the White House, "we must abolish the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court."

There has even been talk in Democratic circles of having the House impeach any justice placed on the high court by Trump and McConnell's maneuvers, although it would still take a two-thirds vote by the Senate to remove that person from the Supreme Court. Similar sentiments were floated by Democrats during the Kavanaugh fight but went nowhere...

Aside from the fact that some of the threats are mere grandstanding to placate various constituents, and also aside from the fact that Dems have demonstrated a degree of legislative and institutional incompetence when trying to make such big changes, this does indicate that Super-Creepy 46's first term could be hobbled by "ferocious" partisanship right out of the gate.  (Ferocious is in quotes because Dems are often too wimpy to do what it takes.)  Such an outcome would be very welcome.  This is a further reason for McConnell to attempt and succeed in replacing Notorious RBG.  Let the legislative filibuster die.  Then let the next all Republican government destroy the ACA, parts of the Great Society, and even part of the New Deal.  Maybe even go after some Progressive Era legislation still on the books.  The possibilities are, if not endless, then numerous and endlessly entertaining.

[Karl Henning]

+1

And of course, there are some here whose impoverished idea of entertainment is a "shitstorm."

[milk]

'Nothing is off the table': Supreme Court fight could reshape the Senate

Democrats are vowing to hit back at Republicans if they fill the vacant Supreme Court seat before January.

It did not take long for things to get good.  Cryin' Chuck is threatening to destroy the legislative filibuster, if not directly, then not at all subtly.  Other Democrats are throwing preemptive temper tantrums and making very, very scary threats. 

Aside from the fact that some of the threats are mere grandstanding to placate various constituents, and also aside from the fact that Dems have demonstrated a degree of legislative and institutional incompetence when trying to make such big changes, this does indicate that Super-Creepy 46's first term could be hobbled by "ferocious" partisanship right out of the gate.  (Ferocious is in quotes because Dems are often too wimpy to do what it takes.)  Such an outcome would be very welcome.  This is a further reason for McConnell to attempt and succeed in replacing Notorious RBG.  Let the legislative filibuster die.  Then let the next all Republican government destroy the ACA, parts of the Great Society, and even part of the New Deal.  Maybe even go after some Progressive Era legislation still on the books.  The possibilities are, if not endless, then numerous and endlessly entertaining.

let's just go back to the 19th century.

[Todd]

let's just go back to the 19th century.

You obviously completely misunderstand.  If Republicans destroy institutions and repeal laws thanks to short-sighted Democrat actions committed while Democrats are throwing a collective temper tantrum - as they have been doing since November 2016 - then Democrats can pass corrective legislation.  And then Republicans can eliminate or hobble that legislation and those institutions, too.  It would be a virtuous circle that could weaken the federal government and make it less effective.  One must always keep one's eyes on the prize.

[Todd]

Portland protests resume after hiatus, will likely continue

On the local front, dipshit protestors are back at it in Stumptown - they started back in the day after thunderstorms brought air-cleansing rains.  This indicates that there is little to no focus or organization.  More than a few locals are still reeling from the devastation of the recent fires, now mostly extinguished.  More than a few other locals are now devoting time and energy to helping those affected.  You know, people who have lost family members and homes, that sort of thing.  The protestors' messages - there are many, unfocussed messages; it's a lefty grievance grab bag - may not have as much traction for a while.  Situational awareness can be helpful in times like these.

[MN Dave]

Portland protests resume after hiatus, will likely continue

On the local front, dipshit protestors are back at it in Stumptown - they started back in the day after thunderstorms brought air-cleansing rains.  This indicates that there is little to no focus or organization.  More than a few locals are still reeling from the devastation of the recent fires, now mostly extinguished.  More than a few other locals are now devoting time and energy to helping those affected.  You know, people who have lost family members and homes, that sort of thing.  The protestors' messages - there are many, unfocussed messages; it's a lefty grievance grab bag - may not have as much traction for a while.  Situational awareness can be helpful in times like these.

Most humans are not performing  at a high level so I don't know why you expect awareness from them.

[Karl Henning]

She's trying to save her ass seat, but is it too little, too late?
Susan Collins: No Supreme Court vote before Election Day

[Todd]

Most humans are not performing  at a high level so I don't know why you expect awareness from them.

I don't.

[MN Dave]

I don't.

 

[Karl Henning]

) There will always be a wing of Trump supporters who will support him no matter how much bleach he instructs them to drink or how many war heroes he assails. But if the Supreme Court is Biden-proof, there may be just enough conservative voters willing to choose normalcy over daily insanity. (