Politics Super Thread - keep it all in here

[jadtiger]

It looks like Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is going to ***ignore all convention*** and nominate a judge before the election.His tame leader in the senate has already said he will support the nomination despite this being the exact opposite of his stance in 2016 when he stated the american public should have the say by electing a new president.
All my life i have never trusted politicians and they never fail to prove they are beneath contempt

This is absolute rubbish. Im not having a go at you @jadtiger you are just parroting the media narrative.

There is no convention. In 2016 Obama ***did EXACTLY the same as what Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is doing.*** EXACTLY. On Mar 16 2019 Obama nominated Merrick Garland for a vacancy less than a month after Antonin Scalia died. Obama was trying to get it through before the election, exactly the same as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is trying to do. The only difference being that in both cases the Republicans controlled the Senate and Obama couldnt push it through.

So there is no convention, its made up rubbish. It has never happened prior to Obama doing exactly the same thing as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon in 2016.

The media are making a big point that McConnell blocked Obama doing the same thing in 2016 however it is unlikely that they will report that at the time the Democrats argued *"the U.S. Constitution obliged the president to nominate and obliged the Senate to give its advice and consent in a timely manner."*

Obama nominated 8 months before the election was due and the republicans effectively stopped it.There is now 6 weeks before the election and the republicans now feel it is fine surely you can see the hypocracy of the situation.

 

[Tiger5150]

It looks like Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is going to ***ignore all convention*** and nominate a judge before the election.His tame leader in the senate has already said he will support the nomination despite this being the exact opposite of his stance in 2016 when he stated the american public should have the say by electing a new president.
All my life i have never trusted politicians and they never fail to prove they are beneath contempt

This is absolute rubbish. Im not having a go at you @jadtiger you are just parroting the media narrative.

There is no convention. In 2016 Obama ***did EXACTLY the same as what Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is doing.*** EXACTLY. On Mar 16 2019 Obama nominated Merrick Garland for a vacancy less than a month after Antonin Scalia died. Obama was trying to get it through before the election, exactly the same as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is trying to do. The only difference being that in both cases the Republicans controlled the Senate and Obama couldnt push it through.

So there is no convention, its made up rubbish. It has never happened prior to Obama doing exactly the same thing as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon in 2016.

The media are making a big point that McConnell blocked Obama doing the same thing in 2016 however it is unlikely that they will report that at the time the Democrats argued *"the U.S. Constitution obliged the president to nominate and obliged the Senate to give its advice and consent in a timely manner."*

Obama nominated 8 months before the election was due and the republicans effectively stopped it.There is now 6 weeks before the election and the republicans now feel it is fine surely you can see the hypocracy of the situation.

Yes of course I can seen the hypocrisy of the Senate Republicans, in particular McConnell but that has nothing to do with your post that I replied to.

In your post you note that Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon (President of US) is ignoring convention. There is no convention. Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is doing exactly what his Democratic predecessor did.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

The blame is squarely at McConnell’s feet. In 2016 he said he wanted the voters to decide, and that was in March of that year. Yet, 6 weeks out this time round, he wants to ram it through.

 

[Tim Sheens]

It looks like Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is going to ***ignore all convention*** and nominate a judge before the election.His tame leader in the senate has already said he will support the nomination despite this being the exact opposite of his stance in 2016 when he stated the american public should have the say by electing a new president.
All my life i have never trusted politicians and they never fail to prove they are beneath contempt

This is absolute rubbish. Im not having a go at you @jadtiger you are just parroting the media narrative.

There is no convention. In 2016 Obama ***did EXACTLY the same as what Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is doing.*** EXACTLY. On Mar 16 2019 Obama nominated Merrick Garland for a vacancy less than a month after Antonin Scalia died. Obama was trying to get it through before the election, exactly the same as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is trying to do. The only difference being that in both cases the Republicans controlled the Senate and Obama couldnt push it through.

So there is no convention, its made up rubbish. It has never happened prior to Obama doing exactly the same thing as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon in 2016.

The media are making a big point that McConnell blocked Obama doing the same thing in 2016 however it is unlikely that they will report that at the time the Democrats argued *"the U.S. Constitution obliged the president to nominate and obliged the Senate to give its advice and consent in a timely manner."*

Obama nominated 8 months before the election was due and the republicans effectively stopped it.There is now 6 weeks before the election and the republicans now feel it is fine surely you can see the hypocracy of the situation.

Having already changed the rules from requiring 60 votes to now a simple majority for court appointments to enable their shoeing in of nominees, only 2 Republicans have shown some morality thus far, with one of the previously most vocal on final term year appointments in Lindsey Graham showing his unbridled hypocrisy overnight.

That Graham is the Chair of the Judiciary Committee makes his lies and posturing even worse.

Edit; Still, what makes it totally ridiculous and in this instance, as it is not prior to the caucuses and following nominations, because of the lateness downright wrong, in that actual voting has already begun, with people having cast votes literally the day after Ginsberg passing and likely many millions by the time a nominee is named.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1307492421572472836

 

[Tiger5150]

The blame is squarely at McConnell’s feet. In 2016 he said he wanted the voters to decide, and that was in March of that year. Yet, 6 weeks out this time round, he wants to ram it through.

Its politics, pure and simple, nothing to do with anything else.

I would actually suggest that they did the wrong thing in 2016, not this year. IMO in both instance they should have forced through a new nomination and judge.

It is pretty likely that they could need a full bench of Supreme Court to make decisions over the result of the upcoming election as they did in Bush v Gore.

 

[The_Return]

It looks like Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is going to ***ignore all convention*** and nominate a judge before the election.His tame leader in the senate has already said he will support the nomination despite this being the exact opposite of his stance in 2016 when he stated the american public should have the say by electing a new president.
All my life i have never trusted politicians and they never fail to prove they are beneath contempt

This is absolute rubbish. Im not having a go at you @jadtiger you are just parroting the media narrative.

There is no convention. In 2016 Obama ***did EXACTLY the same as what Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is doing.*** EXACTLY. On Mar 16 2019 Obama nominated Merrick Garland for a vacancy less than a month after Antonin Scalia died. Obama was trying to get it through before the election, exactly the same as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is trying to do. The only difference being that in both cases the Republicans controlled the Senate and Obama couldnt push it through.

So there is no convention, its made up rubbish. It has never happened prior to Obama doing exactly the same thing as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon in 2016.

The media are making a big point that McConnell blocked Obama doing the same thing in 2016 however it is unlikely that they will report that at the time the Democrats argued *"the U.S. Constitution obliged the president to nominate and obliged the Senate to give its advice and consent in a timely manner."*

Obama nominated 8 months before the election was due and the republicans effectively stopped it.There is now 6 weeks before the election and the republicans now feel it is fine surely you can see the hypocracy of the situation.

Having already **changed the rules from requiring 60 votes to now a simple majority** for court appointments to enable their shoeing in of nominees, only 2 Republicans have shown some morality thus far, with one of the previously most vocal on final term year appointments in Lindsey Graham showing his unbridled hypocrisy overnight.

That Graham is the Chair of the Judiciary Committee makes his lies and posturing even worse.

Edit; Still, what makes it totally ridiculous and in this instance, as it is not prior to the caucuses and following nominations, because of the lateness downright wrong, in that actual voting has already begun, with people having cast votes literally the day after Ginsberg passing and likely many millions by the time a nominee is named.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1307492421572472836

The hypocrisy of McConnell is disgusting.

I dont think the 'nuclear option' is the best way to go to get a SCOTUS appointee but i dont think (with the exception of the 2 RINOs you mentioned) we would ever see the 2 parties working together to ever put anyone through there is so much hate for each other.

In 2013 when Obama's Democrats changed it from 60 to a majority to get their nominees pushed though the Senate, inevitably it was only a matter of time before it was done for a Supreme Justice.

Like Tiger5150 just said, Im sure theyll push it through so they have a full bench of SCOTUS to make a decision in the election. God help the word if there is no result and Nancy Pelosi gets the keys to the red button.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

So it was ok for Obama to do it in 2016 ? yet Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon can't....

 

[Tim Sheens]

So it was ok for Obama to do it in 2016 ? yet Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon can't....

Yes it was okay in 2016, just as it has been and done on many occasions prior to McConnell with others deciding to change the standard that year. The difference here is two fold, as most of the current senate majority set that precedent, including their leadership, who used an argument way inferior to the current circumstances, one in which the election process had already begun (even voting in this case) and there is precedent in delaying a vote because of just that.

 

[Tim Sheens]

It looks like Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is going to ***ignore all convention*** and nominate a judge before the election.His tame leader in the senate has already said he will support the nomination despite this being the exact opposite of his stance in 2016 when he stated the american public should have the say by electing a new president.
All my life i have never trusted politicians and they never fail to prove they are beneath contempt

This is absolute rubbish. Im not having a go at you @jadtiger you are just parroting the media narrative.

There is no convention. In 2016 Obama ***did EXACTLY the same as what Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is doing.*** EXACTLY. On Mar 16 2019 Obama nominated Merrick Garland for a vacancy less than a month after Antonin Scalia died. Obama was trying to get it through before the election, exactly the same as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon is trying to do. The only difference being that in both cases the Republicans controlled the Senate and Obama couldnt push it through.

So there is no convention, its made up rubbish. It has never happened prior to Obama doing exactly the same thing as Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon in 2016.

The media are making a big point that McConnell blocked Obama doing the same thing in 2016 however it is unlikely that they will report that at the time the Democrats argued *"the U.S. Constitution obliged the president to nominate and obliged the Senate to give its advice and consent in a timely manner."*

Obama nominated 8 months before the election was due and the republicans effectively stopped it.There is now 6 weeks before the election and the republicans now feel it is fine surely you can see the hypocracy of the situation.

Having already **changed the rules from requiring 60 votes to now a simple majority** for court appointments to enable their shoeing in of nominees, only 2 Republicans have shown some morality thus far, with one of the previously most vocal on final term year appointments in Lindsey Graham showing his unbridled hypocrisy overnight.

That Graham is the Chair of the Judiciary Committee makes his lies and posturing even worse.

Edit; Still, what makes it totally ridiculous and in this instance, as it is not prior to the caucuses and following nominations, because of the lateness downright wrong, in that actual voting has already begun, with people having cast votes literally the day after Ginsberg passing and likely many millions by the time a nominee is named.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1307492421572472836


The hypocrisy of McConnell is disgusting.

I dont think the 'nuclear option' is the best way to go to get a SCOTUS appointee but i dont think (with the exception of the 2 RINOs you mentioned) we would ever see the 2 parties working together to ever put anyone through there is so much hate for each other.

In 2013 when Obama's Democrats changed it from 60 to a majority to get their nominees pushed though the Senate, inevitably it was only a matter of time before it was done for a Supreme Justice.

Like Tiger5150 just said, Im sure theyll push it through so they have a full bench of SCOTUS to make a decision in the election. God help the word if there is no result and Nancy Pelosi gets the keys to the red button.

Pretty sure that the Supreme Court was specifically excluded from that senate legislation due to the importance of such appointments and the need for some semblance of bipartisanship, with a later McConnell introduced bill bringing a simple majority in for the SCOTUS?

 

[tigger]

The weird thing about this is that courts, by their very nature and purpose, are supposed to be impartial. Yet the highest court in the US is so politicised that it results in this sort of skulduggery so that one party can gain an advantage over the other within the legal system.

I don't get the impression that the yanks even appreciate how bizarre that is. They seem to be as blinkered over systemic issues like this as they are on the subject of gun ownership.

With a system that is that screwy it's no wonder that they are so susceptible to conspiracy theories.

And, sadly, where their leaders go ours are quick to follow.

 

[Tiger5150]

The weird thing about this is that courts, by their very nature and purpose, are supposed to be impartial. Yet the highest court in the US is so politicised that it results in this sort of skulduggery so that one party can gain an advantage over the other within the legal system.

I don't get the impression that the yanks even appreciate how bizarre that is. They seem to be as blinkered over systemic issues like this as they are on the subject of gun ownership.

With a system that is that screwy it's no wonder that they are so susceptible to conspiracy theories.

And, sadly, where their leaders go ours are quick to follow.

The nominations to SCOTUS are ***exactly*** the same as gun ownership (2nd amendment) and it is a feature, not a bug. The US constitution is framed in the aftermath of a civil war and pretty much the entire constitution is written with the intention of overcoming conflicts and establishing checks and balances. Antagonism is set into the system.

The US constitution is weirder than most peoples perception of "democracy", its not written that way. It is written to constantly check itself and provide an alternative and an antidote to totalitarianism.

Its easy to point to the US and identify weirdness and things that are different, particularly excess but if you boil it down, it has enabled a century of exceptionalism that has underpinned strength in the western world which has enabled an unprecedented era of growth and safety that has sparked incredible technological development and has dragged more people out of poverty than at any other time in history.

There are obviously massive flaws as well, but Im not a fan of the "burn it to the ground" model. Additionally I think many Aussies watch what is going on in the US with either apathy or amusement but this point of view sells short the role the US play in the world and does not consider what will potentially fill the vacuum (spoiler alert...it wont be better).

 

[tigger]

The weird thing about this is that courts, by their very nature and purpose, are supposed to be impartial. Yet the highest court in the US is so politicised that it results in this sort of skulduggery so that one party can gain an advantage over the other within the legal system.

I don't get the impression that the yanks even appreciate how bizarre that is. They seem to be as blinkered over systemic issues like this as they are on the subject of gun ownership.

With a system that is that screwy it's no wonder that they are so susceptible to conspiracy theories.

And, sadly, where their leaders go ours are quick to follow.


The nominations to SCOTUS are ***exactly*** the same as gun ownership (2nd amendment) and it is a feature, not a bug. The US constitution is framed in the aftermath of a civil war and pretty much the entire constitution is written with the intention of overcoming conflicts and establishing checks and balances. Antagonism is set into the system.

The US constitution is weirder than most peoples perception of "democracy", its not written that way. It is written to constantly check itself and provide an alternative and an antidote to totalitarianism.

Its easy to point to the US and identify weirdness and things that are different, particularly excess but if you boil it down, it has enabled a century of exceptionalism that has underpinned strength in the western world which has enabled an unprecedented era of growth and safety that has sparked incredible technological development and has dragged more people out of poverty than at any other time in history.

There are obviously massive flaws as well, but Im not a fan of the "burn it to the ground" model. Additionally I think many Aussies watch what is going on in the US with either apathy or amusement but this point of view sells short the role the US play in the world and does not consider what will potentially fill the vacuum (spoiler alert...it wont be better).

That's a really interesting perspective on the US constitution. I hadn't considered it from that point of view.

Although it doesn't make it any less weird (from an Australian viewpoint, that is).

I certainly prefer a justice system that is not quite as mired in the political process as the US justice system seems to be.

I spent a little bit of time studying in the US many years ago and came away with the view that their political parties were far more ideologically driven than ours (although that's changed for the worse in Australia, I think). The Australian parties of both persuasions seemed to adopt a far more pragmatic view on issues such as welfare safety nets and universal healthcare.

I don't have an anti US view. I think they have some cracks in their system (in the broader sense, not just political) and I think that this president, who is particularly polarising, is causing those cracks to deepen.

They could do with a calm and healing presence at the helm for a while. I'm not at all sure that Biden can do that. Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon certainly can't.

 

[Tiger5150]

The weird thing about this is that courts, by their very nature and purpose, are supposed to be impartial. Yet the highest court in the US is so politicised that it results in this sort of skulduggery so that one party can gain an advantage over the other within the legal system.

I don't get the impression that the yanks even appreciate how bizarre that is. They seem to be as blinkered over systemic issues like this as they are on the subject of gun ownership.

With a system that is that screwy it's no wonder that they are so susceptible to conspiracy theories.

And, sadly, where their leaders go ours are quick to follow.


The nominations to SCOTUS are ***exactly*** the same as gun ownership (2nd amendment) and it is a feature, not a bug. The US constitution is framed in the aftermath of a civil war and pretty much the entire constitution is written with the intention of overcoming conflicts and establishing checks and balances. Antagonism is set into the system.

The US constitution is weirder than most peoples perception of "democracy", its not written that way. It is written to constantly check itself and provide an alternative and an antidote to totalitarianism.

Its easy to point to the US and identify weirdness and things that are different, particularly excess but if you boil it down, it has enabled a century of exceptionalism that has underpinned strength in the western world which has enabled an unprecedented era of growth and safety that has sparked incredible technological development and has dragged more people out of poverty than at any other time in history.

There are obviously massive flaws as well, but Im not a fan of the "burn it to the ground" model. Additionally I think many Aussies watch what is going on in the US with either apathy or amusement but this point of view sells short the role the US play in the world and does not consider what will potentially fill the vacuum (spoiler alert...it wont be better).

Good post.

That's a really interesting perspective on the US constitution. I hadn't considered it from that point of view.

Although it doesn't make it any less weird (from an Australian viewpoint, that is).

I certainly prefer a justice system that is not quite as mired in the political process as the US justice system seems to be.

For me a great analogy for the weirdness between a US & Aus perspective is gun laws. I am anti gun and very grateful for our gun laws. I think it makes Australia a safer place. I am pro-US gun laws and grateful that *they* have those laws because the way their society is set up, they need them and it gives a layer of stability to the largest global superpower which benefits the western world a great deal. It prevents insurgency. You only need to see what is happening over there now to understand that. In many large cities, mobs of Antifa and BLM have been rioting and destroying property nightly, in Portand for over 100 straight nights. IMO one of the reasons this hasnt degenerated in total disintegration and war is the high level of gun ownership and the constant threat of someone being armed. over 30 dead already which is insane but IMO a relatively low number for could be.


I spent a little bit of time studying in the US many years ago and came away with the view that their political parties were far more ideologically driven than ours (although that's changed for the worse in Australia, I think). The Australian parties of both persuasions seemed to adopt a far more pragmatic view on issues such as welfare safety nets and universal healthcare.


My point of view on this is kind of the opposite. IMO in Australia our parties are more likely to agree in VERY big picture things, welfare, healthcare...agree in principles and direction but never have a bipartisan approach when it comes to details. You will never get bipartisanship or agreement on an individual bill. Where is the US you will never get agreement on the big picture, they are diametrically opposed but MUCH more likely to have bipartisan bills and they cross the floor MUCH more often than in Aus.

IMO a major part of the reason that the parties in the US are so binary and so far apart ideologically is that they dont have compulsory voting. They are not competing in the middle for votes because the assume the middle are less likely to vote and so they are playing to the edges to fire up the committed voting supporters.

They could do with a calm and healing presence at the helm for a while. I'm not at all sure that Biden can do that. Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon certainly can't.

They desperately need exactly that and neither of the candidates can provide it. Biden is the nice peaceful harmless old man avatar for the DCP machine.

The best thing for the US and the world would have been if the GOP had subbed in a moderate candidate instead of Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon. He or she would have won in a landslide and been exactly what the US need in the face of the neo-marxist revolution that has already started.

 

[Snake]

200 million have died up to today ... sleepy Joe announces today , how anyone could vote for this guy 😂😂😂😂. No need for two hundred word posts these gaffs are right where things are , dangerous times ahead !

 

[tigger]

The weird thing about this is that courts, by their very nature and purpose, are supposed to be impartial. Yet the highest court in the US is so politicised that it results in this sort of skulduggery so that one party can gain an advantage over the other within the legal system.

I don't get the impression that the yanks even appreciate how bizarre that is. They seem to be as blinkered over systemic issues like this as they are on the subject of gun ownership.

With a system that is that screwy it's no wonder that they are so susceptible to conspiracy theories.

And, sadly, where their leaders go ours are quick to follow.


The nominations to SCOTUS are ***exactly*** the same as gun ownership (2nd amendment) and it is a feature, not a bug. The US constitution is framed in the aftermath of a civil war and pretty much the entire constitution is written with the intention of overcoming conflicts and establishing checks and balances. Antagonism is set into the system.

The US constitution is weirder than most peoples perception of "democracy", its not written that way. It is written to constantly check itself and provide an alternative and an antidote to totalitarianism.

Its easy to point to the US and identify weirdness and things that are different, particularly excess but if you boil it down, it has enabled a century of exceptionalism that has underpinned strength in the western world which has enabled an unprecedented era of growth and safety that has sparked incredible technological development and has dragged more people out of poverty than at any other time in history.

There are obviously massive flaws as well, but Im not a fan of the "burn it to the ground" model. Additionally I think many Aussies watch what is going on in the US with either apathy or amusement but this point of view sells short the role the US play in the world and does not consider what will potentially fill the vacuum (spoiler alert...it wont be better).


Good post.

That's a really interesting perspective on the US constitution. I hadn't considered it from that point of view.

Although it doesn't make it any less weird (from an Australian viewpoint, that is).

I certainly prefer a justice system that is not quite as mired in the political process as the US justice system seems to be.

For me a great analogy for the weirdness between a US & Aus perspective is gun laws. I am anti gun and very grateful for our gun laws. I think it makes Australia a safer place. I am pro-US gun laws and grateful that *they* have those laws because the way their society is set up, they need them and it gives a layer of stability to the largest global superpower which benefits the western world a great deal. It prevents insurgency. You only need to see what is happening over there now to understand that. In many large cities, mobs of Antifa and BLM have been rioting and destroying property nightly, in Portand for over 100 straight nights. IMO one of the reasons this hasnt degenerated in total disintegration and war is the high level of gun ownership and the constant threat of someone being armed. over 30 dead already which is insane but IMO a relatively low number for could be.


I spent a little bit of time studying in the US many years ago and came away with the view that their political parties were far more ideologically driven than ours (although that's changed for the worse in Australia, I think). The Australian parties of both persuasions seemed to adopt a far more pragmatic view on issues such as welfare safety nets and universal healthcare.


My point of view on this is kind of the opposite. IMO in Australia our parties are more likely to agree in VERY big picture things, welfare, healthcare...agree in principles and direction but never have a bipartisan approach when it comes to details. You will never get bipartisanship or agreement on an individual bill. Where is the US you will never get agreement on the big picture, they are diametrically opposed but MUCH more likely to have bipartisan bills and they cross the floor MUCH more often than in Aus.

IMO a major part of the reason that the parties in the US are so binary and so far apart ideologically is that they dont have compulsory voting. They are not competing in the middle for votes because the assume the middle are less likely to vote and so they are playing to the edges to fire up the committed voting supporters.

They could do with a calm and healing presence at the helm for a while. I'm not at all sure that Biden can do that. Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon certainly can't.

They desperately need exactly that and neither of the candidates can provide it. Biden is the nice peaceful harmless old man avatar for the DCP machine.

The best thing for the US and the world would have been if the GOP had subbed in a moderate candidate instead of Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon. He or she would have won in a landslide and been exactly what the US need in the face of the neo-marxist revolution that has already started.

I understand what you are saying in relation to gun ownership. I feel, without any evidence to support this statement, that the number of guns in US communities is a significant contributor to shooting deaths by police. Imagine being a cop and having to respond to a call out in the US. Who's carrying, who isn't? (When you want to go home to see your kids tonight you make sure that you shoot first). Some of the deaths of black people in the US probably stem from this issue.

But, there is an element within the BLM protests that has piggy-backed onto a legitimate issue to create mayhem. I'm not sure how much of the violence and looting is opportunistic and how much is planned.

Most of my time in the US was in Philadelphia and it has some really scary neighbourhoods that I was strongly advised to stay away from. The people that live in those areas are really disenfranchised. I can see how these protests could quickly get out of hand.

You are absolutely right about the impact of compulsory voting. I hope we never lose it. There is an argument, occasionally put forward, that voting is a right but that our rights should not be made compulsory. An alternative view is that voting is an obligation. I subscribe to the alternative view

There is also an underlying attitude in the US that all forms of welfare are an evil in themselves. Some historians/commentators have suggested that this is a throwback to the prosperity doctrines preached by the pilgrims and the puritans, who did have a substantial impact on white US society. (That is, if you are a good Christian, God will reward you with prosperity, if not.....). I don't know whether those commentators' views are valid, but I do know that the US attitude towards welfare safety nets seems to leave a lot of people strewn in its wake.

 

[Tim Sheens]

The weird thing about this is that courts, by their very nature and purpose, are supposed to be impartial. Yet the highest court in the US is so politicised that it results in this sort of skulduggery so that one party can gain an advantage over the other within the legal system.

I don't get the impression that the yanks even appreciate how bizarre that is. They seem to be as blinkered over systemic issues like this as they are on the subject of gun ownership.

With a system that is that screwy it's no wonder that they are so susceptible to conspiracy theories.

And, sadly, where their leaders go ours are quick to follow.

Very pertinent regarding the court's bias in relation to your following posts, none more worrying than the potential for similar decisions to the partisan decision on repealing part of the voting rights act (Amendment in 60's) several years ago. It has again since been used by states to influence voting eligibility by suppression that disproportionately affects the poor and minorities. Sad, as it in many of the same states that the civil rights movement fought so hard against such injustices. Any fair minded person would say that a third conservative SCOTUS appointment in a single term due to abuse of power is just not right, nor good for a democracy and should not occur.

The gerrymandered areas that still remain for congressional seats, whilst somewhat better upon court rulings, are also a disgrace and why voices such as Jim Jordan's with his ridiculously shaped electorate get traction that they don't deserve. Not to mention of course the ridiculousness of two senate seats for each state regardless of population, especially when there is up to a seventy fold odd discrepancy in their populations, seven with a multiplier above 4000%. Those are huge imbalances, far from democratic and further millions of constituents in many other states also have a disproportionately large say in the national direction.

 

[Tim Sheens]

But, there is an element within the BLM protests that has piggy-backed onto a legitimate issue to create mayhem. I’m not sure how much of the violence and looting is opportunistic and how much is planned.

Would be funny if not so serious, just how upset some people get when the downtrodden, after not being allowed to convey their message peacefully because of continually being told to find another way, finally get jack of it at the point of virtually being forced to physically confront oppression, remembering of course that some 95% is totally peaceful and a large portion of the violence is carried out by agitators from BOTH sides, often from outside areas. Pertinent here also are the words of the late Ginsberg herself and to paraphrase "All I ask is that they take their feet off our necks.” I must also state that I don't condone violence by aggressors, especially premeditated, nor those taking advantage in looting.

The country has systemic issues that have been smouldering for a long time, increasingly so over the last several decades with a rising flicker of flames that has erupted under this administration, now into an inferno since Barr was appointed and hence further enabled Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon through abuse of the justice department.

 

[TrueTiger]

200 million have died up to today ... sleepy Joe announces today , how anyone could vote for this guy 😂😂😂😂. No need for two hundred word posts these gaffs are right where things are , dangerous times ahead !

From what I have been told,Donny will romp it in .....Joe Biden cant keep awake at pressers and needs a prompter to read from ,but cant do that well also...thank God I live in Australia the best country in the world..

 

[Tiger5150]

But, there is an element within the BLM protests that has piggy-backed onto a legitimate issue to create mayhem. I’m not sure how much of the violence and looting is opportunistic and how much is planned.

Would be funny if not so serious, just how upset some people get when the downtrodden, after not being allowed to convey their message peacefully because of continually being told to find another way, finally get jack of it at the point of virtually being forced to physically confront oppression,

Im betting the hundreds of people who have had property and businesses destroyed, many of them black and minorities are seeing the humour or the point.

 

[tigger]

The best thing for the US and the world would have been if the GOP had subbed in a moderate candidate instead of Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon. He or she would have won in a landslide and been exactly what the US need in the face of the neo-marxist revolution that has already started.

I'm sceptical about the neo-marxist revolution. Obviously there is violence happening, but I have some doubts about the degree of coordination involved and I feel that labelling it as a neo-marxist revolution gives it greater credence that it deserves. It wouldn't be the first time that the threat of socialism has been used as a scare campaign would it?

Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon, because he is such a polarising figure, creates a beacon for this sort of reactive behaviour. And he actually thrives on it. It allows him to run his "Laura Norder" campaign and rally his supporters around it.

Once the White House has a more moderate inhabitant (from either party) I think the so called neo-marxist revolution will quietly disappear. Perhaps it will go off to join company with the "domino theory". Remember that one? (If Vietnam falls to the Vietcong then the rest of South East Asia will fall to communism like a row of dominos). Hmmm.