Nothing to argue with here except I would say the problem is not necessarily that the Senate is undemocratic per se it's the way the game is played in the modern era including but not limited to everything you say above that pushed the dysfunctionality over the edge.brettac1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 10:50 amThere is not going to be a "longer view" to take at our current rate. Climate change is here and has been here and the people in power still talk about it like it's some hypothetical thing that's coming in 50 years. Even in this supposed "climate" bill that is (maybe?) passing this week, there are provisions for fossil fuel companies. The level of corporate takeover in our government is deeply rooted.
Biden ran on "nothing will fundamentally change" and couldn't keep that promise (unless it only applied to good things). The Senate is an undemocratic institution and obviously people have been smacked in the face repeatedly about the state of the courts. There is no pathway to the type of change that is so desperately needed by just voting really hard. We're already in a position of minority rule and those folks are not giving up that power easily.
Hell, we've been in a pandemic for two+ years and couldn't even do anything to improve the healthcare system at all. That alone illustrates the level of brokenness.
The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
By now I guess word of Alito's speech in Rome has made the rounds to everyone who might be interested so no point in rehashing it. Just want to file a "placeholder" so that silence is not perceived as acquiescence, much less agreement. Alito's chutzpah is incredible. Not unlike the Freedom Caucus and their ilk he seems to take enjoyment in bringing the system down. That would be the system that pays him $265K/yr for life plus a platinum benefits package.
Last edited by beantownbubba on Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I feel that any legislative body that gives the least populated and most populated states equal representation is undemocratic at it's core, regardless of which norms are being upheld at a given time.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:00 amNothing to argue with here except I would say the problem is not necessarily that the Senate is undemocratic per se it's the way the game is played in the modern era including but not limited to everything you say above that pushed the dysfunctionality over the edge.
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I agree and I don't think it can be argued. But there is a purpose for the structure. Whether it's genius or stupidity is up to the beholder, but you try forming a union of 50 states where all representation is strictly proportional to population. It ain't easy. It was a compromise, or a negotiation if you prefer, that got us here and the plus side of that should not be disregarded because it hasn't played out the way the Framers envisioned it (or, hell, what do I know, maybe it has) or because a particular group in a particular time and place is abusing the privilege. It may be that the undemocratic nature of the Senate is inherently unstable and therefore certainly unsustainable and presumably undesirable, but I think we ought to consider not only the pluses and minuses of the current structure but also the pluses and minuses of any proposed replacement before we "burn the whole fucking thing down."brettac1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:30 pmI feel that any legislative body that gives the least populated and most populated states equal representation is undemocratic at it's core, regardless of which norms are being upheld at a given time.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:00 amNothing to argue with here except I would say the problem is not necessarily that the Senate is undemocratic per se it's the way the game is played in the modern era including but not limited to everything you say above that pushed the dysfunctionality over the edge.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
You will have ample time to contemplate, because the bastards holding power will not relinquish the reins, and half of the American public (dependent on which group of idiots is steering) are too complacent to do a goddamn thing. I can't think of a single remedy that will fix this in my lifetime. Republican minority rule is the norm without drastic (and probably violent) action.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:59 pmI agree and I don't think it can be argued. But there is a purpose for the structure. Whether it's genius or stupidity is up to the beholder, but you try forming a union of 50 states where all representation is strictly proportional to population. It ain't easy. It was a compromise, or a negotiation if you prefer, that got us here and the plus side of that should not be disregarded because it hasn't played out the way the Framers envisioned it (or, hell, what do I know, maybe it has) or because a particular group in a particular time and place is abusing the privilege. It may be that the undemocratic nature of the Senate is inherently unstable and therefore certainly unsustainable and presumably undesirable, but I think we ought to consider not only the pluses and minuses of the current structure but also the pluses and minuses of any proposed replacement before we "burn the whole fucking thing down."brettac1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:30 pmI feel that any legislative body that gives the least populated and most populated states equal representation is undemocratic at it's core, regardless of which norms are being upheld at a given time.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:00 amNothing to argue with here except I would say the problem is not necessarily that the Senate is undemocratic per se it's the way the game is played in the modern era including but not limited to everything you say above that pushed the dysfunctionality over the edge.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I know I've been pushing you on this so let me try to clarify: I agree. It will take violence to create the possibility of fundamental change. The difference between us (I think) is that I have no confidence at all that what would replace the status quo would be an improvement. Which creates a serious dilemma for me which I have not resolved to my own satisfaction much less anybody else's. I assume that at some point (which may not be in my lifetime) there will be an "either you're with us or you're against us" moment in which case in most circumstances I can imagine I'd be on the "with us" side, but that's in the extreme case, likely with only bad and less bad choices.
Or put another way, I believe the "American experiment" is/was the world's best chance at meaningful self-government for the benefit of most while protecting the least. The fact that it has not lived up to its promise does not mean that there's a better alternative out there. Cf. Winston Churchill to the effect that democracy is messy and extremely problematic but it's better than any of the other choices.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
There is a better alternative out there. The Benign Dictatorship Of Todd.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... p_opinionsbeantownbubba wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:24 amI must have missed when Congress passed the law that requires that all laws be given incredibly awkward names in order to create cutesy acronyms, but in any case, assuming it actually passes, the "fun" part of the Inflation Reduction Act is for me the revenue side. The spending on the climate/energy side is obviously crucial but it is also obvious. Much more subtle is the 15% minimum tax on large businesses, the increased funding for enforcement for the IRS and, my favorite by far, the end of the carried interest loophole. To me, if it takes hold, this will represent a sea change in the way this country thinks about the revenue (i.e. mostly tax) side of the equation, all for the better. Yes, there's still a long way from here to there but it's not a bad start. By way of awkward analogy, imho this bill advances important changes to the tax system more than the recent gun control bill advanced gun control.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Sandel is a really smart, really impressive guy who is always worth reading/listening to (though I have not read the book referenced in the column) and Gerson's summary is a lot easier to read than Sandel's generally academic prose.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... p_opinions
Echoes of LJ (!):
"One of Sandel’s ideas — eliminating the payroll tax and replacing it with taxes on consumption, wealth and financial transactions — might be revolutionary in a good way. It would certainly symbolize a shift in our country’s attitude toward labor."
I can't remember if LJ ever said anything about taxing wealth and financial transactions (I suspect not) but he sure was big into a consumption tax replacing the income tax.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... p_opinions
Echoes of LJ (!):
"One of Sandel’s ideas — eliminating the payroll tax and replacing it with taxes on consumption, wealth and financial transactions — might be revolutionary in a good way. It would certainly symbolize a shift in our country’s attitude toward labor."
I can't remember if LJ ever said anything about taxing wealth and financial transactions (I suspect not) but he sure was big into a consumption tax replacing the income tax.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
As your Secretary of Benign Communication (via haiku)
I vow to replace
"Definitely Not on Drugs"
for "In God We Trust"
We got messed up minds for these messed up times...
Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
God Emperor Todd.
If not that, any flavor of dictatorship of the proletariat seems worth a shot. However, I do not share the (from my perspective) optimism that I'll ever see such a moment arise. There's next to zero class consciousness in this country thanks to generations of indoctrination. For like 30% of the country, "Marxism" is when someone uses they/them pronouns or says you can't say the n-word on Facebook.
I do see small glimmers of hope in the labor uprisings that have been occurring lately but so far not enough to feel confident in the chances of even something like a general strike happening, let alone a revolution. If any kind of action takes place in the near future, it feels like it'd be by the 1/6 folks, only with a lot more of the ziptie guys and fewer of the 70 year-old retired jetski dealership owners who were falling down and having heart attacks. Which is not ideal.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Love that wry, dry, droll Midwestern understatement.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
On the other hand:
Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution
That's a big deal in more ways than one.
Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution
That's a big deal in more ways than one.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I'm just gonna give myself a pat on the back for being out in front on this onebeantownbubba wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:24 amhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... p_opinionsbeantownbubba wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:24 amI must have missed when Congress passed the law that requires that all laws be given incredibly awkward names in order to create cutesy acronyms, but in any case, assuming it actually passes, the "fun" part of the Inflation Reduction Act is for me the revenue side. The spending on the climate/energy side is obviously crucial but it is also obvious. Much more subtle is the 15% minimum tax on large businesses, the increased funding for enforcement for the IRS and, my favorite by far, the end of the carried interest loophole. To me, if it takes hold, this will represent a sea change in the way this country thinks about the revenue (i.e. mostly tax) side of the equation, all for the better. Yes, there's still a long way from here to there but it's not a bad start. By way of awkward analogy, imho this bill advances important changes to the tax system more than the recent gun control bill advanced gun control.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... 00007F7AB9
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I suppose it's small potatoes in contrast to the significance of the result, but it seems to me that there's a lot to ponder about the way anti-abortionists and Republicans went about trying to change the state constitution in KS. For one thing, they scheduled the vote on primary day, instead of general election day, a well known tactic to suppress the vote and obtain an "insider's" outcome in the face of popular disapproval. They structured the resolution so that voting to keep abortion access constitutional in KS required voting "no" on the resolution, confusing at best. Panicking at the 11th hour, they mounted an email campaign to try to convince potential voters that voting "yes" would save abortion access, an outright lie and manipulation of the electoral process. And they still got their heads handed to them. This suggests two things to me: The major players are immoral and corrupt, willing to do anything to win and those players absolutely positively know that their position is not popular and cannot stand up to fair voting. Whether that reality will influence the outcome of the November elections is uncertain, but if you see Republicans and anti-abortionists running scared, getting increasingly loud, combative and aggressive and increasingly relying on dirty tricks to try to save their electoral prospects well, it's because they're a minority attempting to impose their will on the majority and they've been sucker punched into believing otherwise by their echo chamber.John A Arkansawyer wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 12:01 amOn the other hand:
Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution
That's a big deal in more ways than one.
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Senate passes long-sought bill to help veterans affected by burn pitsJohn A Arkansawyer wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2022 8:18 amI expect that aid package to happen no later than spring 2023, maybe a lot sooner.
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The bolded part is far too pessimistic. It's certainly going to affect the outcome; the question is, by how much?beantownbubba wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 4:02 pmI suppose it's small potatoes in contrast to the significance of the result, but it seems to me that there's a lot to ponder about the way anti-abortionists and Republicans went about trying to change the state constitution in KS...And they still got their heads handed to them. This suggests two things to me: The major players are immoral and corrupt, willing to do anything to win and those players absolutely positively know that their position is not popular and cannot stand up to fair voting. Whether that reality will influence the outcome of the November elections is uncertain, but if you see Republicans and anti-abortionists running scared, getting increasingly loud, combative and aggressive and increasingly relying on dirty tricks to try to save their electoral prospects well, it's because they're a minority attempting to impose their will on the majority and they've been sucker punched into believing otherwise by their echo chamber.
Here's a tense half-hour radio show about high-stakes politics.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I don't understand why we argue about things that we agree about.
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Because we don't really agree?
I specifically don't agree that there is a causal relationship from violence to fundamental change. We're in a time of uncertainty and open possibilities, among them violence and fundamental change. Those possibilities often correlate because (I think) they have common causes, not because of direct causality. I still believe there is a lot to be gained by political means and--here's why it's worth arguing about--this is a prime moment for it. Between the massive overreach of Dobbs and the ever-growing exposure of the 1/6 plot, it's possible to make significant political gains. But right now's the time.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
i am waiting for the Finally Acting Responsibly Today act.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:24 amI must have missed when Congress passed the law that requires that all laws be given incredibly awkward names in order to create cutesy acronyms, but in any case, assuming it actually passes, the "fun" part of the Inflation Reduction Act is for me the revenue side. The spending on the climate/energy side is obviously crucial but it is also obvious. Much more subtle is the 15% minimum tax on large businesses, the increased funding for enforcement for the IRS and, my favorite by far, the end of the carried interest loophole. To me, if it takes hold, this will represent a sea change in the way this country thinks about the revenue (i.e. mostly tax) side of the equation, all for the better. Yes, there's still a long way from here to there but it's not a bad start. By way of awkward analogy, imho this bill advances important changes to the tax system more than the recent gun control bill advanced gun control.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Because it's easier to win the argument?
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
tinnitus photography wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:35 ami am waiting for the Finally Acting Responsibly Today act.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:24 amI must have missed when Congress passed the law that requires that all laws be given incredibly awkward names in order to create cutesy acronyms, but in any case, assuming it actually passes, the "fun" part of the Inflation Reduction Act is for me the revenue side. The spending on the climate/energy side is obviously crucial but it is also obvious. Much more subtle is the 15% minimum tax on large businesses, the increased funding for enforcement for the IRS and, my favorite by far, the end of the carried interest loophole. To me, if it takes hold, this will represent a sea change in the way this country thinks about the revenue (i.e. mostly tax) side of the equation, all for the better. Yes, there's still a long way from here to there but it's not a bad start. By way of awkward analogy, imho this bill advances important changes to the tax system more than the recent gun control bill advanced gun control.
You've got a future as a congressional staffer.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
BTW, I have no idea why the White House is insisting that 2 straight quarters of economic contraction is not a recession. I suppose it's because it's easier to argue about definitions than it is to try to fix problems, but still, it's unseemly and unhelpful.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I would superficially agree with the basic premise but I do not have any faith in this iteration of the Democratic Party to do much of anything meaningful, nor do I think their congressional leadership has anything to offer aside from their trademark impotence.John A Arkansawyer wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 7:59 amBecause we don't really agree?
I specifically don't agree that there is a causal relationship from violence to fundamental change. We're in a time of uncertainty and open possibilities, among them violence and fundamental change. Those possibilities often correlate because (I think) they have common causes, not because of direct causality. I still believe there is a lot to be gained by political means and--here's why it's worth arguing about--this is a prime moment for it. Between the massive overreach of Dobbs and the ever-growing exposure of the 1/6 plot, it's possible to make significant political gains. But right now's the time.
FDR's not walking through that door. If by some miracle they maintained or increased their majorities (I'm highly skeptical of this, regardless of the positive outcome in Kansas), I don't think electing a half dozen ex-CIA operatives who ran with a "D" next to their name is going to help accomplish any kind of needed change.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I have read more than I'd like to about Pelosi's trip to Taiwan and I still don't understand it. Talk about violating political norms, what's more normal than foreign policy being mostly in the hands of the President? What's less normal than the Speaker of the House going on an official visit to a foreign country against the express wishes of the President of her own party? In relatively recent days gone by this would have been shocking; today it's just more fodder for the 8 hour news cycle, but still, I'm scratching my head.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
If the most densely populated states were solidly Republican would you still feel that way?brettac1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:30 pmI feel that any legislative body that gives the least populated and most populated states equal representation is undemocratic at it's core, regardless of which norms are being upheld at a given time.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:00 amNothing to argue with here except I would say the problem is not necessarily that the Senate is undemocratic per se it's the way the game is played in the modern era including but not limited to everything you say above that pushed the dysfunctionality over the edge.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I don't support minority rule regardless of who is doing the ruling.Cole Younger wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:29 pmIf the most densely populated states were solidly Republican would you still feel that way?brettac1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:30 pmI feel that any legislative body that gives the least populated and most populated states equal representation is undemocratic at it's core, regardless of which norms are being upheld at a given time.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:00 amNothing to argue with here except I would say the problem is not necessarily that the Senate is undemocratic per se it's the way the game is played in the modern era including but not limited to everything you say above that pushed the dysfunctionality over the edge.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Thank God somebody said this. “We’re scared this turd will get blamed on us so we will just change the meaning of a word. All done!” It would be unbelievable but I have no trouble believing that it’s happening.beantownbubba wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:58 amBTW, I have no idea why the White House is insisting that 2 straight quarters of economic contraction is not a recession. I suppose it's because it's easier to argue about definitions than it is to try to fix problems, but still, it's unseemly and unhelpful.
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
I heard that. I don’t support people being ruled.brettac1 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:35 pmI don't support minority rule regardless of who is doing the ruling.Cole Younger wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 3:29 pmIf the most densely populated states were solidly Republican would you still feel that way?
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Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
While the Kansas result is promising, I think they most immediate result is going to be other states simply not making it a ballot measure and trying to ram their beliefs through the legislature instead.
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