***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[shibadekobe]

 

[RustyShackleford]

Most Republicans don't really care farmers are getting a bailout, They approve massive farm subsidies every year, and they know they need to keep those votes.

The two reasons a Republican might be upset about this is for one of two reasons.

1) Trump is ******* another industry in their state, and they want a bailout for their constituents too.

2) Trump is too overt with the finesse. Republicans are a vile, hypocritical bunch, but one of the ways they can avoid every has to answer for their buffoonery in the media, and the ballot box is by controlling the messaging. Language is powerful, and the GOP is in control of how every political argument in America gets framed. One of their major successes for the past few decades has been the matter of welfare.

In American, we only think of welfare as direct payments to people in "need." Food stamps, housing assistance, disability, telecommunication subsidies, etc. But that is only half the picture. Our finance laws and tax code serve as a massive welfare system for the upper middle class, and wealthy. Stock buybacks, carried interest, low capital gains taxes, mortgage interest subsidies, etc. Now when you look at these two welfare systems, one is vilified because it disproportionately helps minorities and the "lazy undeserving poor"; while the other is talked about as a necessity because if the wealthy don't get all these tax breaks, they will somehow be unable to create jobs magically, and the economy will crash.

Trump goofed to some Republicans because his bailouts look like the type of welfare that is vilified, (while his tax break was the type of welfare that is championed by the right). So now even the media, some independent voters, and members of their base that is not getting a bailout might stop and say "Wait, hold up, I thought you guys were against this sort of thing." It would be akin to when local GOP officials go on TV and explicitly say voter ID is to suppress Democratic voters, especially black people; instead of saying "it is to protect the integrity of our elections and democracy." You have to protect the frame or these the scam gets exposed.

At the end of the day, the GOP doesn't care about bailouts. They are morally, ethically, and intellectually bankrupt. They are like a crew doing credit card scams, and Trump is the clown in the crew that is in Best Buy about to get caught. They need him to run and protect the operation, follow protocol. But instead, he is waiting at the register for a manager after the register won't take his fufu gift card; he is gonna ruin ****.

The money means nothing to them, but you gotta protect the finesse.

 

[hand2handking]

 

[rexanglorum]

Most Republicans don't really care farmers are getting a bailout, They approve massive farm subsidies every year, and they know they need to keep those votes.

The two reasons a Republican might be upset about this is for one of two reasons.

1) Trump is ****ing another industry in their state, and they want a bailout for their constituents too.

2) Trump is too overt with the finesse. Republicans are a vile, hypocritical bunch, but one of the ways they can avoid every has to answer for their buffoonery in the media, and the ballot box is by controlling the messaging. Language is powerful, and the GOP is in control of how every political argument in America gets framed. One of their major successes for the past few decades has been the matter of welfare.

In American, we only think of welfare as direct payments to people in "need." Food stamps, housing assistance, disability, telecommunication subsidies, etc. But that is only half the picture. Our finance laws and tax code serve as a massive welfare system for the upper middle class, and wealthy. Stock buybacks, carried interest, low capital gains taxes, mortgage interest subsidies, etc. Now when you look at these two welfare systems, one is vilified because it disproportionately helps minorities and the "lazy undeserving poor"; while the other is talked about as a necessity because if the wealthy don't get all these tax breaks, they will somehow be unable to create jobs magically, and the economy will crash.

Trump goofed to some Republicans because his bailouts look like the type of welfare that is vilified, (while his tax break was the type of welfare that is championed by the right). So now even the media, some independent voters, and members of their base that is not getting a bailout might stop and say "Wait, hold up, I thought you guys were against this sort of thing." It would be akin to when local GOP officials go on TV and explicitly say voter ID is to suppress Democratic voters, especially black people; instead of saying "it is to protect the integrity of our elections and democracy." You have to protect the frame or these the scam gets exposed.

At the end of the day, the GOP doesn't care about bailouts. They are morally, ethically, and intellectually bankrupt. They are like a crew doing credit card scams, and Trump is the clown in the crew that is in Best Buy about to get caught. They need him to run and protect the operation, follow protocol. But instead, he is waiting at the register for a manager after the register won't take his fufu gift card; he is gonna ruin ****.

The money means nothing to them, but you gotta protect the finesse.

Obviously, this won't cause some mass defection but yeah a small slice of the GOP constituency may feel alienated enough to simply not vote and that could literally swing several House races this fall. There are some libertarianish folks in that coalition and there are likely those who will be dismayed at special treatment for a small slice of Trump's coalition.

Like you said, the GOP has pushed far bigger AG subsidies in years passed as a matter of routine but they tend to pair it with the real as well as performative cruelty of slashing funding for the "food stamps" budget. They usually use racism as the sugar to make the redistribution of wealth to agrobusiness go down easy.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

Don't even think Bush Jr. was this bold in violating constitutional rights

White House Bans CNN Reporter Who Asked Trump About Cohen And Putin

The White House banned CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from a press event on Wednesday after she did her job and asked President Donald Trump questions about the most pressing topics of the week in the Oval Office.

 

[IATT]

 

[130122]

Bush may have been just as incompetent as trump but atleast he was sincere and seemed like a chill guy. Drumpf is a senile racist control freak . Sort of like those old wypipo that call cops on kids for selling lemonade.

 

[Sharpshoeter13]

Don't even think Bush Jr. was this bold in violating constitutional rights

White House Bans CNN Reporter Who Asked Trump About Cohen And Putin

 

[IATT]

 

[MalcolmNewton]

Bush may have been just as incompetent as trump but atleast he was sincere and seemed like a chill guy. Drumpf is a senile racist control freak . Sort of like those old wypipo that call cops on kids for selling lemonade.

Bush was incompetent but he managed to surround himself with people who could at least execute that admins crappy plans and convince the general public that they weren't crappy (in the beggining). Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Condo Rice, Chertoff...all liars, crooks and theives, but at least they acted the part like they gave a crap. It was months and years later that the general public saw how terrible Bush's policies were. When I say general public, I mean the average American who has the attention span of a 12-year old child.

A 12-year old, child can see clearly right now how much of an unmitigated disaster Trump and his cabinet is. Unless you're a MAGGOT.

 

[tomdiginson]

Nah I'm good. Not really worrying about your buffoonery.

It all makes so much sense now.

It all makes sense now. The desperation to be liked by everyone. His insecurities oozing through his posts and him pretending to be knowledgeable about a subject while trying to forcibly surround the conversation with his nonsensical illogical opinions. Soon he will start lying about knowing someone in Trump's cabinet etc.

 

[rolaholic]

 

[IATT]

 

[obeahmyal7]

Again, if you don’t know the term yet, look up “harrenvolk Democracy.”

This farm giveaway is just the latest chapter in the story of US economic history. We have subsidies, public assistance and market interventions to help those who are whiter, older, wealthier and with more social capital. Meanwhile, we ignore or actively undermine the economic lives of younger, non white, poor and marginalized people.

Sharp. Now that you mention it, "harrenvolk Democracy" might allow us to cut across the liberal-conservative, democratic-republican binaries; to land on a durable political, economic, and ideological project at the core of the 20th century racial welfare state.

 

[IATT]

 

[Belgium]

Biblethumpers back at it again
Excerpts:
The HHS Office for Civil Rights is undertaking a broad push to investigate whether state laws, hospitals or other entities are infringing on religious beliefs. The office headed by Mr. Severino, an attorney and former scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has created a new division to focus on religious rights and proposed a federal rule that would give it greater enforcement powers.

The scope of the division’s oversight could be broad. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, has issued an executive order asking the division to let child placement agencies in his state provide adoption or foster placement only to Christian couples, creating an exemption to current federal regulations.

Mr. Severino has also been involved in drafting a rule that is expected to repeal an Obama-era regulation barring health-care providers from denying care to transgender patients.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hhs-pr...-inform-women-of-abortion-services-1527793952
Trump Administration Targets State Rules That Women Must Be Told of Abortion Services
Rules in California and Hawaii face scrutiny as U.S. agency pursues aggressive enforcement strategy on abortion, contraception and transgender issues
The Department of Health and Human Services is investigating requirements by California and Hawaii that anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers” tell women about state-subsidized family-planning services including abortion, according to people familiar with the matter.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights has sent letters to the two states saying it has legal authority to investigate these requirements and is doing so, according to the people. The move is part of a new approach under the Trump administration to use civil rights law to roll back Obama-era health-care rules.

The Hawaii attorney general’s office confirmed it received a letter from the agency. A spokeswoman for the California attorney general’s office said she couldn’t comment on any pending investigation.

Roger Severino, who heads HHS’s civil rights office, said in an interview that he couldn’t comment on any specific investigation or on steps the agency may be taking.

The HHS civil rights office is also investigating California’s requirement that most health insurance plans cover abortions, people familiar with the matter said.

The investigations reflect an aggressive enforcement strategy by President Donald Trump’s HHS on abortion, contraception and transgender issues. The approach is likely to spur legal battles, and it could put millions of dollars in federal funding to the states at risk.

Crisis pregnancy centers, often sponsored by conservative Christian organizations, provide such services as pregnancy tests and ultrasounds while discouraging women from pursuing abortions. There are thousands of such facilities around the country.

California and Hawaii are among several states, along with some municipalities, that require the centers to provide information on state-subsidized family planning.

Officials in these places say the requirements are necessary because the centers often provide incorrect, misleading or incomplete information. The centers have said the notifications violate the freedom of speech and religion.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights is undertaking a broad push to investigate whether state laws, hospitals or other entities are infringing on religious beliefs. The office headed by Mr. Severino, an attorney and former scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has created a new division to focus on religious rights and proposed a federal rule that would give it greater enforcement powers.

Supporters say the new division is needed to uphold oft-trampled religious rights. Critics say it is a way to permit discrimination against gay people, women, and transgender people.

The scope of the division’s oversight could be broad. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, has issued an executive order asking the division to let child placement agencies in his state provide adoption or foster placement only to Christian couples, creating an exemption to current federal regulations.

Gay-rights groups say such action would permit discrimination against same-sex couples.

The governor’s office didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

Groups opposed to mandatory vaccination requirements for school or work are also asking the new division to investigate. The Office for Civil Rights has said coercion and discrimination may occur when a person is required to administer or receive vaccinations with medications from fetal tissue.

Mr. Severino has said his religious and freedom conscience office will review all complaints. “We have to take them all into account,” he said.

Mr. Severino has also been involved in drafting a rule that is expected to repeal an Obama-era regulation barring health-care providers from denying care to transgender patients.

Transgender rights groups fear that could allow insurers to drop coverage of such procedures as gender-reassignment surgery, which they say would be discriminatory. Supporters say medical professionals opposed to gender reassignment shouldn’t be forced to violate their beliefs.

HHS has declined to comment on the proposal, which is expected to be released this summer. A group of 127 House Democrats recently wrote to Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, asking him to reject the rule. His office is now reviewing it, which is standard practice when regulations are proposed.

The family planning notifications in California and Hawaii are facing other legal challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in March over California’s notification requirement, with a decision expected by the end of June.

Hawaii, in a letter, viewed by The Wall Street Journal, in response to the HHS investigation, told the agency it would reply further after the Supreme Court case and separate litigation involving its law are resolved.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

Biblethumpers back at it again
Excerpts:
The HHS Office for Civil Rights is undertaking a broad push to investigate whether state laws, hospitals or other entities are infringing on religious beliefs. The office headed by Mr. Severino, an attorney and former scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has created a new division to focus on religious rights and proposed a federal rule that would give it greater enforcement powers.

The scope of the division’s oversight could be broad. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, has issued an executive order asking the division to let child placement agencies in his state provide adoption or foster placement only to Christian couples, creating an exemption to current federal regulations.

Mr. Severino has also been involved in drafting a rule that is expected to repeal an Obama-era regulation barring health-care providers from denying care to transgender patients.

White supremacist theocracy, what could be worse...

 

[AEA18]

 

[IATT]

 

[IATT]

 

[sonoftony]

@aepps20 how come you locked your account?

 

[getback]

 

[MalcolmNewton]

So we’re hoping that rich white men born in the 50s and 60s save us. Yikes

 

[gry60]

Biblethumpers back at it again
Excerpts:
The HHS Office for Civil Rights is undertaking a broad push to investigate whether state laws, hospitals or other entities are infringing on religious beliefs. The office headed by Mr. Severino, an attorney and former scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has created a new division to focus on religious rights and proposed a federal rule that would give it greater enforcement powers.

The scope of the division’s oversight could be broad. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, has issued an executive order asking the division to let child placement agencies in his state provide adoption or foster placement only to Christian couples, creating an exemption to current federal regulations.

Mr. Severino has also been involved in drafting a rule that is expected to repeal an Obama-era regulation barring health-care providers from denying care to transgender patients.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hhs-pr...-inform-women-of-abortion-services-1527793952
Trump Administration Targets State Rules That Women Must Be Told of Abortion Services
Rules in California and Hawaii face scrutiny as U.S. agency pursues aggressive enforcement strategy on abortion, contraception and transgender issues
The Department of Health and Human Services is investigating requirements by California and Hawaii that anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers” tell women about state-subsidized family-planning services including abortion, according to people familiar with the matter.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights has sent letters to the two states saying it has legal authority to investigate these requirements and is doing so, according to the people. The move is part of a new approach under the Trump administration to use civil rights law to roll back Obama-era health-care rules.

How does informing someone of their abortion rights even register as infringing on religious freedom? Does informing someone that they CAN do something imply that they HAVE TO do that thing?
No.
Where is the coercion to have an abortion then?
Or, are they complaining about their "right" to remain ignorant?
"The bliss in my brain was disturbed by all this education"

Conservatives are stupid.

 

[biggie62]

Nah we only do thoughts and prayers here.