The Political Junkie Thread

[Phredd3]

A couple of major books coming out, by Woodward/Costa and ex-press secretary/Melania chief of staff. The leaks have started.

Just when you think you've heard everything...

I pre-ordered the Woodward book. I think his framing of issues and descriptions are usually well-researched and easy to read, with less overwhelming partisan taint than some others.

I wonder how much is actually "leaked". Woodward wrote "Rage" off of Trump-approved, cooperative interviews from both Trump himself and Trump's staff. While I'm sure the alt-right crowd wouldn't try that again, principled conservatives might well volunteer for that, and as long as the materials aren't classified, there's a new president now, so I'm guessing he met with a good deal of helpful, overt cooperation.

[Phredd3]

If a world-renowned PhD writes an academic piece about covid, Trump supporters are suddenly experts and act like it is garbage. If someone writes a book critical of Trump, it is garbage - they will focus on a minor typo or something like that to discredit the whole thing. But they take the words of Fox News as gospel, no questions asked. Dems admittedly do this some in the opposite direction, but it is apples and oranges.

I think maybe more like apples and crab apples. They are different in degree and tolerability, but they are fairly closely related. There are a LOT of people on the left who accept whatever bias is fed to them and, while they claim to be thinking critically and will argue as if they are, they really are not receptive to contrary points of view, and don't seek out and won't accept principled, objective opposition. Many of the ones I know won't accept main stream expertise, either, although they tend to be more resistant to expertise on individual-based "trigger topics". Many that I have met will accept contrary evidence and expertise on things that don't pertain to their core-belief issues, but resist vigorously against anything that disturbs those cores. I know one who has accepted contrary evidence from a particular expert on peripheral issues, but refused to seek out or accept contrary evidence from the same expert about her core belief issues.

It's a really complex ethos. I'm tempted to call it a pathology or psychosis, but I don't know enough about those to understand whether or not it really fits within such a characterization. Either way, it is also dangerous.

[dudog]

A couple of major books coming out, by Woodward/Costa and ex-press secretary/Melania chief of staff. The leaks have started.

Just when you think you've heard everything...

I pre-ordered the Woodward book. I think his framing of issues and descriptions are usually well-researched and easy to read, with less overwhelming partisan taint than some others.

I wonder how much is actually "leaked". Woodward wrote "Rage" off of Trump-approved, cooperative interviews from both Trump himself and Trump's staff. While I'm sure the alt-right crowd wouldn't try that again, principled conservatives might well volunteer for that, and as long as the materials aren't classified, there's a new president now, so I'm guessing he met with a good deal of helpful, overt cooperation.

"Leaked" as in leaked what is written in the book. Widespread tactic with these types of books to spur sales.

[Phredd3]

"Leaked" as in leaked what is written in the book. Widespread tactic with these types of books to spur sales.

Ah, sorry. I assume "leak" means confidential sources doing things their bosses would not approve of. This kind of leaking is just free advertising and happens with most political books.

[dudog]

I have my reservation in at the library for Peril. #11 in line so I should get one from the first batch. I hope they don't spoil all the "good" stuff ahead of time for me.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

There is a rally today in support of the January 6 DC rioters. Are you kidding me? They should just lock up all of these clowns and throw away the keys. All of those who are thinking of counter-protesting should just stay far away and let the morons bask in their own stupidity. Plus, I'm guessing that a large percentage of these people are not vaccinated so it will likely be a super spreader event. It definitely will not be mistaken for a MENSA conference...

[dudog]

OMG! I agree with George Will (well, 80% anyway). He's on PBS's Firing Line, and no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, this is worth 25 minutes of your day.

https://video.wucftv.org/video/george-will-58m7eq/

[mattman91]

There is a rally today in support of the January 6 DC rioters. Are you kidding me? They should just lock up all of these clowns and throw away the keys. All of those who are thinking of counter-protesting should just stay far away and let the morons bask in their own stupidity. Plus, I'm guessing that a large percentage of these people are not vaccinated so it will likely be a super spreader event. It definitely will not be mistaken for a MENSA conference...

Lol. That was totally a set up. Hardly nobody showed up, other than a large amount of "media". This was not at all an organic event.

Seems suspicious to me. The left desperately needs something to take away from the utter failure the last 9 months have been. Nobody took the bait.

Also, who do you want to be locked up? Some people just standing around protesting? Lol. Sounds a bit fascist to me, bub.

[Phredd3]

There is a rally today in support of the January 6 DC rioters. Are you kidding me? They should just lock up all of these clowns and throw away the keys. All of those who are thinking of counter-protesting should just stay far away and let the morons bask in their own stupidity. Plus, I'm guessing that a large percentage of these people are not vaccinated so it will likely be a super spreader event. It definitely will not be mistaken for a MENSA conference...

Lol. That was totally a set up. Hardly nobody showed up, other than a large amount of "media". This was not at all an organic event.

Seems suspicious to me. The left desperately needs something to take away from the utter failure the last 9 months have been. Nobody took the bait.

Ah, I see, it is suspicious to you, therefore it must have been a set-up. Pardon me if this seems like the ultimate example of confirmation bias. "I think, therefore it is." I would respectfully suggest that your advocacy for your point of view might be a touch stronger if you were to cite actual evidence in favor of your conclusions.

On the other hand:

Also, who do you want to be locked up? Some people just standing around protesting? Lol. Sounds a bit fascist to me, bub.

While I don't like your phrasing, I do pretty much agree with this sentiment. The great gift of American is that lawful, non-violent protest is not only permitted, but encouraged and guaranteed. That right means nothing if the people you disagree with most are not also permitted to exercise this freedom. And in case there is doubt, I really, really strongly disagree with the content of a rally in support of seditionists. But unless the protestors are, themselves, actively inciting sedition, this protest must be a protected activity. I don't really think CNC was being serious, but it is nevertheless an important point.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

There is a rally today in support of the January 6 DC rioters. Are you kidding me? They should just lock up all of these clowns and throw away the keys. All of those who are thinking of counter-protesting should just stay far away and let the morons bask in their own stupidity. Plus, I'm guessing that a large percentage of these people are not vaccinated so it will likely be a super spreader event. It definitely will not be mistaken for a MENSA conference...

Lol. That was totally a set up. Hardly nobody showed up, other than a large amount of "media". This was not at all an organic event.

Seems suspicious to me. The left desperately needs something to take away from the utter failure the last 9 months have been. Nobody took the bait.

Ah, I see, it is suspicious to you, therefore it must have been a set-up. Pardon me if this seems like the ultimate example of confirmation bias. "I think, therefore it is." I would respectfully suggest that your advocacy for your point of view might be a touch stronger if you were to cite actual evidence in favor of your conclusions.

On the other hand:

Also, who do you want to be locked up? Some people just standing around protesting? Lol. Sounds a bit fascist to me, bub.

While I don't like your phrasing, I do pretty much agree with this sentiment. The great gift of American is that lawful, non-violent protest is not only permitted, but encouraged and guaranteed. That right means nothing if the people you disagree with most are not also permitted to exercise this freedom. And in case there is doubt, I really, really strongly disagree with the content of a rally in support of seditionists. But unless the protestors are, themselves, actively inciting sedition, this protest must be a protected activity. I don't really think CNC was being serious, but it is nevertheless an important point.

I will reply to Phredd3 because I don't feel the need to reply to someone who calls me bub. Several months ago I attempted to have a mature conversation with you via PM to get past our differences and I appreciate that you made some effort at the time, but here we are.

Yes, I was exaggerating. I do not support people for just peacefully walking down the street, no matter how much I disagree with their ideas. Perhaps I should have been a bit more clear. My apologies. I still think that anyone who even discusses protesting the way the January 6 "protestors" were treated is a truly scary human being who has been brainwashed, and I'm still trying to figure out how to solve this problem so that they don't completely destroy our country.

I'm sure the people who "organized" this will call it a victory as "sticking it to the libs" by fooling them. Meanwhile, a lot of money and resources were wasted on this. Now they can go sit home and see how their fearless leaders (Trump and Fox News) tell them to next pledge allegiance to Trump.

[dudog]

Great piece by Robert Kagan on the current Constitutional crisis. The WaPo usually lets you have a few free articles a month so I was able to read it. If you've reached your limit, wait a few days.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... al-crisis/

And OMG, the comments section led me to this astonishingly prescient column from 2016:

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2016 ... ll-america

[CameronBornAndBred]

Great piece by Robert Kagan on the current Constitutional crisis. The WaPo usually lets you have a few free articles a month so I was able to read it. If you've reached your limit, wait a few days.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... al-crisis/

Scary stuff that rings solidly true.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Great piece by Robert Kagan on the current Constitutional crisis. The WaPo usually lets you have a few free articles a month so I was able to read it. If you've reached your limit, wait a few days.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... al-crisis/

And OMG, the comments section led me to this astonishingly prescient column from 2016:

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2016 ... ll-america

Over my WaPo limit so can't read it but read the other piece. This is exactly what so many of us were saying then (though not as eloquently) and people were telling us we were worrying too much, etc. I (and others) was saying this again on this board in advance of 2020 and some people again were saying we worry too much.

Elections are a blood sport for Trump, McConnell and others. They really do not care about "making America great again." It is all about "winning" and "losing." And they have no moral qualms about rigging the game, because they believe that the ends justify the means and they have to free America from horrible Democratic leadership.

As I have said frequently before, I don't really see a good end game here. It is not just the crazed masses. There are too many people in positions of power who can really wreak havoc. And many people have a false sense of security because things "worked out" in the past election.

I am still wondering how they think the Democrats were smart enough to pull off the incredibly well orchestrated scam that Trump is accusing the Democrats of. I am still wondering who is even coming up with these ideas. I truly do believe in freedom of speech. But those people are dangerous and should be shut down, as their lies could lead to bloodshed.

[dudog]

How sweet. "Fuck Joe Biden" chants have become all the rage at sporting events.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/f ... li=BBnb7Kz

[CameronBornAndBred]

How sweet. "Fuck Joe Biden" chants have become all the rage at sporting events.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/f ... li=BBnb7Kz

""Oh my God ... who started that?" one woman can be heard asking."

It's not a matter of who started it, it's a matter of who populated it. Incredibly sad. Not because of it being over Biden, but because it is over any individual at all.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

How sweet. "Fuck Joe Biden" chants have become all the rage at sporting events.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/f ... li=BBnb7Kz

Stay classy, Trumpers. I'm still trying to figure out what they are for. They just seem to be against Democrats.

It should also be noted that the US lost the Ryder Cup when Trump was president and won when Biden was president. Not that that means anything but if it was the other way around I'm sure we would be hearing all about it. Trump probably thinks it is part of some huge Democrat orchestrated conspiracy against him.

[CameronBornAndBred]

How sweet. "Fuck Joe Biden" chants have become all the rage at sporting events.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/f ... li=BBnb7Kz

Stay classy, Trumpers. I'm still trying to figure out what they are for. They just seem to be against Democrats.

It should also be noted that the US lost the Ryder Cup when Trump was president and won when Biden was president. Not that that means anything but if it was the other way around I'm sure we would be hearing all about it. Trump probably thinks it is part of some huge Democrat orchestrated conspiracy against him.

Europe probably all had the vaccine!

[dudog]

Here's a fun poll:

The survey shows Republicans and Democrats heavily distrust one another, with 80% or more of respondents from each party saying the opposing side presents "a clear and present danger to American democracy."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... li=BBnb7Kz

[Phredd3]

Here's a fun poll:

The survey shows Republicans and Democrats heavily distrust one another, with 80% or more of respondents from each party saying the opposing side presents "a clear and present danger to American democracy."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... li=BBnb7Kz

From the article:

The results show a country at ideological war with itself: More than half of the surveyed Trump voters - approximately 52% - said the "situation is such that I would favor [Blue/Red] states seceding from the union to form their own separate country." Approximately 41% of Biden-voting respondents answered similarly.

Given that the Republican agenda appears to be an outright takeover of the country, I'm a bit surprised that the percentages aren't reversed. Maybe Democrats are more optimistic? But I'm sorta beginning to warm to the idea that half a country is better than the none I fear I may end up with if someone smarter and more covert than Trump is elected and follows that playbook. We've already reached the point where we can't enact new laws to fix what's broken because the people who broke it can and will block anything that lessens their power. I think we honestly might be just one election away from outright authoritarian rule.

This is truly the scariest political time since I've been alive.

[ArkieDukie]

Here's a fun poll:

The survey shows Republicans and Democrats heavily distrust one another, with 80% or more of respondents from each party saying the opposing side presents "a clear and present danger to American democracy."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... li=BBnb7Kz

From the article:

The results show a country at ideological war with itself: More than half of the surveyed Trump voters - approximately 52% - said the "situation is such that I would favor [Blue/Red] states seceding from the union to form their own separate country." Approximately 41% of Biden-voting respondents answered similarly.

Given that the Republican agenda appears to be an outright takeover of the country, I'm a bit surprised that the percentages aren't reversed. Maybe Democrats are more optimistic? But I'm sorta beginning to warm to the idea that half a country is better than the none I fear I may end up with if someone smarter and more covert than Trump is elected and follows that playbook. We've already reached the point where we can't enact new laws to fix what's broken because the people who broke it can and will block anything that lessens their power. I think we honestly might be just one election away from outright authoritarian rule.

This is truly the scariest political time since I've been alive.

I agree with everything you just said. I’ve seen the outright propaganda that’s being fed to those on the far right, and it is frightening.