Protestors storm capital
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A poor cowboy giving his horse a rest, siting in the sun on the grassy side of the pond, never really believes the news.
But the fact is, most people, even sophisticated urban wokesters, just hafta wonder sometimes at what the press is saying now.
Obviously, there's a premium on material that can push the agenda, and in the rush a whole lot of material is being pushed out. But when the rush is so strong it smells, fewer people will buy it. As in "Buy into it".
I try to do creative writing, but Thriller's post above is just too much to beat.
Conspiracy theories about Trump...... wow.....
The evil Trumpster and Roger Stone meeting in the dead of night to send Team Extortion to a state election authority to throw a dead chicken through the window, and scare the local official into cheating for Trump.
I'm claiming the book rights on that one.
But the fact is, most people, even sophisticated urban wokesters, just hafta wonder sometimes at what the press is saying now.
Obviously, there's a premium on material that can push the agenda, and in the rush a whole lot of material is being pushed out. But when the rush is so strong it smells, fewer people will buy it. As in "Buy into it".
I try to do creative writing, but Thriller's post above is just too much to beat.
Conspiracy theories about Trump...... wow.....
The evil Trumpster and Roger Stone meeting in the dead of night to send Team Extortion to a state election authority to throw a dead chicken through the window, and scare the local official into cheating for Trump.
I'm claiming the book rights on that one.
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fishonjazz
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The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I think we all have an idea...
Red
Well-Known Member
American Insurrection | FRONTLINE
Watch FRONTLINE's documentary on how far-right extremist groups have evolved from the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally to the assault on the U.S. Capitol.
www.pbs.org
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
What's the defense here? Can anyone here defend this action?
www.cnn.com
And don't tell me you want to "move on." ********. You're auditing votes in Arizona right now. If Republicans wanted to "move on" they wouldn't still be visiting Mar-a-Lago every weekend and saying that Trump won. Your side wouldn't be conducting ridiculous audits of ballots in Arizona searching for bamboo ballots sent from China. Cmon.
Let's face it, Republicans have given up on democracy. They're trying to cover up for Donald Trump, a failed authoritarian who tried to steal the election.
January 6 commission vote: Prospects bleak that 10 Republicans would buck McConnell
After the House passed a bill to establish a commission to investigate the events surrounding January 6, Senate Republicans look poised to torpedo the commission with few Republicans signaling they'd vote with Democrats to support it.
And don't tell me you want to "move on." ********. You're auditing votes in Arizona right now. If Republicans wanted to "move on" they wouldn't still be visiting Mar-a-Lago every weekend and saying that Trump won. Your side wouldn't be conducting ridiculous audits of ballots in Arizona searching for bamboo ballots sent from China. Cmon.
Let's face it, Republicans have given up on democracy. They're trying to cover up for Donald Trump, a failed authoritarian who tried to steal the election.
Red
Well-Known Member
Might only be the beginning where audits are concerned, even as the Arizona audit looks more absurd by the day:What's the defense here? Can anyone here defend this action?
January 6 commission vote: Prospects bleak that 10 Republicans would buck McConnell
After the House passed a bill to establish a commission to investigate the events surrounding January 6, Senate Republicans look poised to torpedo the commission with few Republicans signaling they'd vote with Democrats to support it.
And don't tell me you want to "move on." ********. You're auditing votes in Arizona right now. If Republicans wanted to "move on" they wouldn't still be visiting Mar-a-Lago every weekend and saying that Trump won. Your side wouldn't be conducting ridiculous audits of ballots in Arizona searching for bamboo ballots sent from China. Cmon.
Let's face it, Republicans have given up on democracy. They're trying to cover up for Donald Trump, a failed authoritarian who tried to steal the election.
As far as the support for the Big Lie, Republicans understand supporting that belief is just a ploy to continue working on their voter suppression strategy, which long predates Trump:
Trump’s ‘big lie’ is just a ploy
The preservation of popular constitutional government depends not on merely exposing Trump’s “big lie” but on stopping Republican voter suppression across the land.
thehill.com
With the Democratic majority in the House so slim, as well as in the Senate, the hyper-partisanship of the current era may result in a Republican Congress in 2022. If a Democrat president is elected in 2024, I would now expect a Republican majority Congress to overturn the results. Almost certain to happen if Trump is their candidate in 2024. The coup represented by the insurrection is not over. Certainly our democracy is in grave danger by these Republican moves....
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
Let's suppose this happens. I would say this is extremely likely. I don't believe Democrats are going to retain control of the House after 2022 but will have an excellent chance of winning the presidency in 2024 barring something unforeseen circumstances.Might only be the beginning where audits are concerned, even as the Arizona audit looks more absurd by the day:
As far as the support for the Big Lie, Republicans understand supporting that belief is just a ploy to continue working on their voter suppression strategy, which long predates Trump:
Trump’s ‘big lie’ is just a ploy
The preservation of popular constitutional government depends not on merely exposing Trump’s “big lie” but on stopping Republican voter suppression across the land.
With the Democratic majority in the House so slim, as well as in the Senate, the hyper-partisanship of the current era may result in a Republican Congress in 2022. If a Democrat president is elected in 2024, I would now expect a Republican majority Congress to overturn the results. Almost certain to happen if Trump is their candidate in 2024. The coup represented by the insurrection is not over. Certainly our democracy is in grave danger by these Republican moves....
Let's say Democrats win the popular vote by millions, eek out a victory in the electoral college, but see the election results overturned by a Republican controlled Congress. Then what? Do we do what we did when Republicans ****ed Merrick Garland only to ramrod Coney Barrett onto the Supreme Court or when they've been passing voter suppression laws at the state level, admit that what Republicans are doing is ****ed up but we can't/won't do anything about it?
At some point all of this illiberalism and authoritarianism is going to come to a head. And then what happens?
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
great article.
Red
Well-Known Member
We don’t know yet. But it seems very possible that we will arrive at a point resembling a dictatorship of the minority. I have no idea what that will precipitate. Maybe actually passing the “We the People” act can stave off what Republicans are doing at the state level. I do not know. All I know is one of our two major parties is embracing a fictional narrative with the goal of ensuring that the will of the majority will not be a barrier to consolidating their power.
Red
Well-Known Member
How the ‘Culture War’ Could Break Democracy
Thirty years ago, sociologist James Davison Hunter popularized the concept of culture war. Today, he sees a culture war that’s gotten worse—and that spells trouble for the future of the American experiment.
www.politico.com
“Democracy, in my view, is an agreement that we will not kill each other over our differences, but instead we’ll talk through those differences. And part of what’s troubling is that I’m beginning to see signs of the justification for violence,” says Hunter, noting the insurrection on January 6, when a mob of extremist supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. “Culture wars always precede shooting wars. They don’t necessarily lead to a shooting war, but you never have a shooting war without a culture war prior to it, because culture provides the justifications for violence.”
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
It's already become acceptable in one of our two political parties to use violence as an acceptable weapon in the culture war:How the ‘Culture War’ Could Break Democracy
Thirty years ago, sociologist James Davison Hunter popularized the concept of culture war. Today, he sees a culture war that’s gotten worse—and that spells trouble for the future of the American experiment.
“Democracy, in my view, is an agreement that we will not kill each other over our differences, but instead we’ll talk through those differences. And part of what’s troubling is that I’m beginning to see signs of the justification for violence,” says Hunter, noting the insurrection on January 6, when a mob of extremist supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. “Culture wars always precede shooting wars. They don’t necessarily lead to a shooting war, but you never have a shooting war without a culture war prior to it, because culture provides the justifications for violence.”
How is a democracy supposed to function when one political party:
A) Doesn't want to govern; they want to rule
B) When they want to make it hard/impossible for certain types of people to vote
C) When they want to cover up the crimes of their own at the expense of our country (Trump's first impeachment, second impeachment, and now refusal to authorize a 1/6 commission). At some point they're going to break the government (if they haven't already).
D) Believe violence is justified against their political enemies.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
Another important point:
Republicans don't care about the filibuster unless it helps them prevent Democrats from legislating. Republican priorities are judges and tax cuts, which can be passed by a simple majority vote. Democratic priorities (actual legislation), like gun reform, health care, climate change legislation, etc requires 60 votes. So really, maintaining the filibuster only helps Republicans. Democrats don't benefit by keeping it because Republicans can pass their agenda with a simple majority.
I think one thing that would help pacify our country's population would be for Congress to be able to legislate and solve some of the big issues exacerbating frustrations and fears. Unfortunately, without the ability to pass anything in the Senate, these problems will continue to worsen.
Republicans don't care about the filibuster unless it helps them prevent Democrats from legislating. Republican priorities are judges and tax cuts, which can be passed by a simple majority vote. Democratic priorities (actual legislation), like gun reform, health care, climate change legislation, etc requires 60 votes. So really, maintaining the filibuster only helps Republicans. Democrats don't benefit by keeping it because Republicans can pass their agenda with a simple majority.
I think one thing that would help pacify our country's population would be for Congress to be able to legislate and solve some of the big issues exacerbating frustrations and fears. Unfortunately, without the ability to pass anything in the Senate, these problems will continue to worsen.
Republicans want to overturn the Clean Water and Clean Air acts, among other things that they can't do right now without 60 votes.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I'd love to give them the power to do stuff like that. I think the winning party should have the opportunity to pass/repeal legislation through majority votes. If the public doesn't like what the majority did, they can vote them out. That's how things are supposed to work. Right?
If Republicans want to repeal Clean Water Acts and take away health care to millions through their majority, have at it. If the American electorate is so dumb and bitter to "reward" Republicans for that, then we get the kind of society that we deserve. That's a democracy I can live with.
As it stands right now, the American electorate overwhelmingly desires legislation promoted by Democrats but cannot obtain it because Republicans hold the power of the filibuster. That's not a democracy and it's not something that's healthy. The filibuster is exacerbating issues by crippling the Senate's ability to respond to them.
Red
Well-Known Member
The Case for the Talking Filibuster
Sure, it has its drawbacks, but forcing politicians to stand on the Senate floor for hours at a time, monologuing, might be the only way to pass desperately needed voting rights legislation.
newrepublic.com
Red
Well-Known Member
And you can add that living at a time when conspiracy theories, and adherence to grievance, are allies and enablers, in the creation of a large enough segment of the electorate that can be manipulated, by weaponizing hyper-partisanship and understanding that extreme grievance means anything is acceptable, is something they understand and will use in their will to power. Trump showed the way. It may grow worse before something has to give. But eventually, something has to give. I can’t see rule by reactionaries lasting for generations.
idestroyedthetoilet
Well-Known Member
First time I've heard this. Googled it, found nothing.
You have the first two years under Trump. They don't want to do it in a flashy way, but they would do it piece by piece.
idestroyedthetoilet
Well-Known Member
Oh please. You have fallen for someone's fear mongering. Nobody wants dirty water or air. Pushing back against new, bureauocratic GHG regulation does not mean they want to dismantle CAA or CWA. Listing GHG as air pollutants was obviously controversial and a huge new stretch by the EPA's interpretation of CAA. Of course there would be push back. GHG pushback was wanting to repeal or dismantle? Rubbish.
Also, a couple republicans =/= republicans. You won't hear republicans from Utah for example ever talking about repealing CAA. I think you used a pretty bad example here.