2020 Political Chatter

[echappist]

The irony of those decrying an infringement of free speech (i.e. Twitter, FB, Parler) today who advocated for and were thrilled about the decision in Citizens United v. FEC is pretty rank. I'm not suggesting it's particularly apples to apples, but the "corporations are people" bit doesn't quite square with the "tyranny" of a social media app suspending the account of another person who agreed to the terms and conditions. "Personal responsibility", right?

I expect nothing but cakeism from those doing the decrying. As I previously mentioned, these are the people who supported politicians who gave unfettered powers to corporations (at the expense of employees and unions), and now they are gnashing and gnawing when they realize that said corporations "are people, too, my friends" and can take various actions such as banning people from platforms, discontinuing services, and terminating employment.

Then again, in their fantasy world, they probably could have their cake and eat it...

[gregl]

Wall Street loved Trump - until it didn't. The rats continue to abandon the SS Trump: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden...965626f98c02da

Greg

[takashi]

hm what's happening at the dept of state

Screen Shot 2021-01-11 at 3.37.58 PM.jpg

[BBB]

this is a concerning article.

i sure hope we make it through the next couple weeks without any more violence.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive...170801569.html

This is all very bizarre.

Government can be a nuisance for sure, but it is also necessary. These people seem to believe in nothing other than being against the Government (whether it is Trump or Biden or whoever) and wanting to be able to carry guns.

If a rag tag bunch (and some active and retired members of the military) are successful and take over...then what? What's their plan for the roll out of the Covid vaccine? Oh that's right they believe (or seem to) that Covid was a hoax or a device to allow the Government to impose restrictions on the people. Okay, so you do nothing on that front and you get left with the sick and dying clogging up the hospital system. What do you do about that, particularly if it is one of their own who is sick or dying? Who is actually in charge? How do they propose to deal with other countries and the myriad of complexities involved ("No sorry, I can't take Borris' call right now as I am moderating a chat board...")? They seem to be pro private enterprise, but presumably they realise there are all sorts of rules and regulations enacted by Government that dictate how such businesses operate. And so on.

I am curious as to why either active or former members of the military are attracted to this type of group. Do they not realise they were Government employees and paid by the Government in that role and being anti-Government appears to be somewhat contradictory. And in executing that role, what was it that Trump, or Obama or Bush did that was so traitorous or wrong to warrant taking up arms against their former employer?

It seems to be these people just want a punch up. Running around in military gear, carrying guns and wearing Hawaiian shirts for no real concrete purpose, other than the right to carry guns, seems kind of empty and pointless. Presumably they will get the punch up they want if a repeat of last week is attempted. How do you reach out to these people? What sort of opportunities can be provided to bring them back to the fold? There's surely more to life than guns.

[ides1056]

With apologies if I am beating a dead horse, here is an interview with Timothy Snyder.

[Bob Ross]

hm what's happening at the dept of state

Screen Shot 2021-01-11 at 3.37.58 PM.jpg

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article...nding-employee

[colker]

This is all very bizarre.

Government can be a nuisance for sure, but it is also necessary. These people seem to believe in nothing other than being against the Government (whether it is Trump or Biden or whoever) and wanting to be able to carry guns.

If a rag tag bunch (and some active and retired members of the military) are successful and take over...then what? What's their plan for the roll out of the Covid vaccine? Oh that's right they believe (or seem to) that Covid was a hoax or a device to allow the Government to impose restrictions on the people. Okay, so you do nothing on that front and you get left with the sick and dying clogging up the hospital system. What do you do about that, particularly if it is one of their own who is sick or dying? Who is actually in charge? How do they propose to deal with other countries and the myriad of complexities involved ("No sorry, I can't take Borris' call right now as I am moderating a chat board...")? They seem to be pro private enterprise, but presumably they realise there are all sorts of rules and regulations enacted by Government that dictate how such businesses operate. And so on.

I am curious as to why either active or former members of the military are attracted to this type of group. Do they not realise they were Government employees and paid by the Government in that role and being anti-Government appears to be somewhat contradictory. And in executing that role, what was it that Trump, or Obama or Bush did that was so traitorous or wrong to warrant taking up arms against their former employer?

It seems to be these people just want a punch up. Running around in military gear, carrying guns and wearing Hawaiian shirts for no real concrete purpose, other than the right to carry guns, seems kind of empty and pointless. Presumably they will get the punch up they want if a repeat of last week is attempted. How do you reach out to these people? What sort of opportunities can be provided to bring them back to the fold? There's surely more to life than guns.

They believe government to be a TV show like. Whenever life interferes w/ real problems there is always a commercial and come back after parading gun; repeat the same fake facts and pronto. Something like that. It´s a cognitive impaired condition these people have. It only gets worse.

[guido]

Manatee found in Florida river with ‘Trump’ scrawled on its back: ‘One hundred percent disturbing’ | Washington Post



"The manatee lay still, floating in the shallow waters of a Florida river over the weekend when a woman on a boat noticed something odd. As she moved closer and filmed with her phone, Hailey Warrington found a one-word message scrawled on the marine mammal’s back: “TRUMP.”

“This is just disturbing. One hundred percent disturbing,” Warrington, who discovered the defaced manatee in the Homosassa River, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Now federal and local authorities are investigating who is responsible for etching the president’s name on the threatened animal’s back. Harassment of a manatee is a criminal offense punishable by a $50,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

“Endangered species are not billboards to be defaced,” Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told The Washington Post in an email. “What happened to that manatee was wrong and unlawful and the guilty party should be held accountable.”

In 1973, manatees were first classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Although the aquatic mammals have since been upgraded to a “threatened” status, scientists say the creatures continue to face serious danger. Each year, about 100 manatees die of collisions with boats, which account to about 20 percent of manatee deaths. Florida is home to more than 6,300 West Indian manatees, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Each winter, an influx of manatees seeking warmer waters arrive to the Citrus County coastline, the Chronicle reported.

Warrington was operating a manatee boat tour on Sunday when she first noticed the sleeping animal. The layer of algae covering the manatee’s skin was “pretty thick,” she told the Herald-Tribune, noting that while the message had been scraped down to the level of its skin, it didn’t appear to have left a wound.

“We don't typically see manatees harassed like that,” she told the local paper. “I started documenting so we could report it.”

Shortly after spotting the creature, Warrington said she sent video to authorities.

On Monday, the Center for Biological Diversity announced a $5,000 reward for anyone with information leading to a conviction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also opened investigations.

“However this political graffiti was put on this manatee, it’s a crime to interfere with these creatures, which are protected under multiple federal laws,” Lopez said in a statement."

[rowdyhillrambler]

This is all very bizarre.

Government can be a nuisance for sure, but it is also necessary. These people seem to believe in nothing other than being against the Government (whether it is Trump or Biden or whoever) and wanting to be able to carry guns.

If a rag tag bunch (and some active and retired members of the military) are successful and take over...then what? What's their plan for the roll out of the Covid vaccine? Oh that's right they believe (or seem to) that Covid was a hoax or a device to allow the Government to impose restrictions on the people. Okay, so you do nothing on that front and you get left with the sick and dying clogging up the hospital system. What do you do about that, particularly if it is one of their own who is sick or dying? Who is actually in charge? How do they propose to deal with other countries and the myriad of complexities involved ("No sorry, I can't take Borris' call right now as I am moderating a chat board...")? They seem to be pro private enterprise, but presumably they realise there are all sorts of rules and regulations enacted by Government that dictate how such businesses operate. And so on.

I am curious as to why either active or former members of the military are attracted to this type of group. Do they not realise they were Government employees and paid by the Government in that role and being anti-Government appears to be somewhat contradictory. And in executing that role, what was it that Trump, or Obama or Bush did that was so traitorous or wrong to warrant taking up arms against their former employer?

It seems to be these people just want a punch up. Running around in military gear, carrying guns and wearing Hawaiian shirts for no real concrete purpose, other than the right to carry guns, seems kind of empty and pointless. Presumably they will get the punch up they want if a repeat of last week is attempted. How do you reach out to these people? What sort of opportunities can be provided to bring them back to the fold? There's surely more to life than guns.

Then you have never met one of these people-there is NOT more to life than guns for them.. I’m simply unable to comprehend their ability to be so singularly focused. I live in rural TN and know plenty of them.. a guy that hauls scrap for me is one. It’s guns over god, family, abortion rights-every single thing this guy says somehow goes to a conversation on guns or ammunition. I had known him for 3 years before I knew he had kids.. he cares about nothing in this world but guns.

When he hauls my scrap away he lets me know that he made $31.37 and that’s enough to buy 400 rounds of blah blah..

And sadly, he isn’t the only one I know like that-I 100% know that he would let his family go without if it meant not feeling as though he was ‘prepped.’

[ides1056]

Here's junior at the watch party for the insurrection with the cabal of conspirators gathered to celebrate:

https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreak...party_for_the/

[htwoopup]

I just am so confused, amazed, speechless at the actions of people...how the eff does an elected official physically open a door to let in people trying to destroy the very institution that he is part and parcel of? This was in one state but it does give me pause to/ heightens my fear that on a national basis there was also more than just words of support in order to curry favor with a certain group.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-mike-nearman/

[thollandpe]

US Rep. Pramila Jaypal (D-WA) has tested positive for Covid-19, she is at least the second after fearing she was exposed during last Wednesday's siege at the Capitol. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), a 75-year-old cancer survivor, has also tested positive and she believes it was for the same reason.

She was locked in a room with several Republicans who refused to wear masks while they were all confined, actively refusing to wear surgical masks that were offered by Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). These jackasses included:

• Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
• Michael Cloud (R-TX)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
• Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
• Scott Perry (R-PA)

That's the brave Patriot Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) with the beard, Qanon buff Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) with the smug smile on the left, and Andy Biggs* (R-AZ) looking sanguine, seated, in the red tie.

Fucking morons. Dereliction of duty.

* Biggs, Chair of the Freedom Caucus, has been outed as one of the organizers of the January 6 event by its main organizer, Ali Alexander. He looks pretty pleased with himself, eh?

[AngryScientist]

yea, the level of schoolyard style stupidity on display is staggering. trump is going to go look at his beautiful border wall today, little does he know how much safer the other side is.

[72gmc]

The current NYT homepage is notable for what they're highlighting in images (45 + Cruz + riot footage) but what I noted first is the color of the spray coming from the rioter on the right. The light brown stuff. Pretty sure that's bear spray.

I hate how so much of this ignorance and rage is coming from people who are connected to the wilderness and natural areas that I love.

[colker]

US Rep. Pramila Jaypal (D-WA) has tested positive for Covid-19, she is at least the second after fearing she was exposed during last Wednesday's siege at the Capitol. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), a 75-year-old cancer survivor, has also tested positive and she believes it was for the same reason.

She was locked in a room with several Republicans who refused to wear masks while they were all confined, actively refusing to wear surgical masks that were offered by Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). These jackasses included:

• Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
• Michael Cloud (R-TX)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
• Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
• Scott Perry (R-PA)

That's the brave Patriot Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) with the beard, Qanon buff Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) with the smug smile on the left, and Andy Biggs* (R-AZ) looking sanguine, seated, in the red tie.

Fucking morons. Dereliction of duty.

* Biggs, Chair of the Freedom Caucus, has been outed as one of the organizers of the January 6 event by its main organizer, Ali Alexander. He looks pretty pleased with himself, eh?

these guys need to end up in jail and completely demoralized, all their supprt cut, criminalized, shamed. That´s what the germans did w/ their so called patriots.. and it worked.

[theflashunc]

This has laid bare how deep the rot is within the entire GOP. For every Mitt Romney you have dozens of House members and state officials who refuse to acknowledge the election was free, fair and Joe Biden is the next President.

And you're starting to see people like Brian Kemp in Georgia and the Texas state legislature look to restrict mail in and other voting based on the lies being repeated about the past election.

David Frum was right (not a statement I expect to say much) but when the GOP realizes they can no longer win democratic elections, they'll simply abandon democracy.

[climbgdh]

these guys need to end up in jail and completely demoralized, all their supprt cut, criminalized, shamed. That´s what the germans did w/ their so called patriots.. and it worked.

And it can’t happen quick enough IMO.

Watching these events unfold up here north of the 49th saddens me deeply..... and infuriates me immensely. I can’t imagine how 10’s of millions of Americans feel to see their country in this state.....

[sine]

US Rep. Pramila Jaypal (D-WA) has tested positive for Covid-19, she is at least the second after fearing she was exposed during last Wednesday's siege at the Capitol. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), a 75-year-old cancer survivor, has also tested positive and she believes it was for the same reason.

Did they not get the vaccine?

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/23/94924...-have-priority

[vertical_doug]

I just am so confused, amazed, speechless at the actions of people...how the eff does an elected official physically open a door to let in people trying to destroy the very institution that he is part and parcel of? This was in one state but it does give me pause to/ heightens my fear that on a national basis there was also more than just words of support in order to curry favor with a certain group.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-mike-nearman/

It's when people in the institution start believing they have sworn allegiance to the person and not the institution. Trump demanded allegiance to him. Comey would not swear allegiance so was shit canned. This starts to diffuse throughout the government. People were loyal to Trump not the institution that is what he wanted. You can say the same for the dumb congress people who cynically supported his bogus claims.

If Trump had won another term, he'd have even more viciously purged people deemed disloyal. He really would have focused on military leadership which is scary. This is what Erdogan did eventually.

[jimcav]

Did they not get the vaccine?

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/23/94924...-have-priority

unsure of the date of vaccination for these congresspersons, but the vaccine trial shows it takes on average 14 days to develop an antibody response, with the single dose generating only 52% efficacy (Pfizer) and it jumps up to 95% AFTER a similar 7-14 day period after the 2nd dose (given 21 days after the 1st vaccine). So good protection that you could "bet" your health on is closer to 1.5 months after the 1st vaccine (assuming you get the 2nd on schedule)

there are several reports of individuals getting COVID after vaccination, because there hasn't been enough time from the vaccine to develop a significant enough antibody response.