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Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)


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8 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

The problem is too many people could qualify....

 

Well now that means we need a game.  Which comic, gaming, sci fi, or pulp villain is Donald Trump?  DT offers up the Wicked Witch of the West.  

 

I think I'll go with Brain for now, from Pinky and the Brain.  Besides, that way I can cast Giuliani as Pinky.

Dr. Arliss Loveless from Wild Wild West, which I guess is pulp? Steampunk? Compellingly bad?

 

edit: love me “Some More News,” along with the Worst Year Ever podcast. (The podcast was quite presciently named last fall, in honor of the upcoming interminable political season. The year immediately outstripped the plan, but sure did fit the title.)

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15 hours ago, Hermit said:

Okay, this is a pretty good speech!

 

Here's a transcript of the President's speech.

 

I was watching the inauguration with my family. When President Biden said, "Politics need not be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war," my sister shouted, "Yes! Please make politics boring again. I can't stand it anymore."

 

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Felony murder. It’s a law that states that a person is guilty of murder if a death occurred during the course of the commission of a felony by that person, regardless of the foreseeability of that death, intent to cause harm, or the cause of that death. In short, if a person’s coconspirator tazes themselves in the nuts and has a fatal heart attack while that first person is part of that active conspiracy, that person is guilty of felony murder. If a little old lady falls down the stairs and breaks her neck running away from the burglar she saw leaving her neighbor’s apartment, that burglar is guilty of felony murder. If a con man’s victim, overwrought with grief at losing everything, shoots himself, that’s still felony murder. If the swat team shoots the wrong people because they can’t aim or they went to wrong address trying to stop a hostage situation, the original defendant is still guilty of felony murder. 
 

if a conspiracy charge ties these defendants to everything that happened at the capital, there are four counts of felony murder that may be added to the charges. They are potentially in a lot of trouble, and appropriately so. Whether you incite or join a riot or an insurrection, you sign off on the idea that people might get hurt or die.  

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16 hours ago, unclevlad said:

 

Been thinking about this, and the curious incident at the inauguration.  But nothing happened at the inauguration, you say.  That was the curious incident.

 

There were 3 factors that combined, IMO, to the lack of anything notable in DC.

1.  25,000 cops and troops.

2.  The reaction to what happened at the Capitol, and the reprisals against those involved.  Legally and in terms of political support;  the public declarations of the withdrawal of campaign support by so many big corps is a Big Deal to the longer-term incumbents;  the rookies are likely to be in for a big surprise.

3.  Trump caved.

 

And I think Trump caving might overall be the most important of the three.  He was effectively the head of the snake, and when he gave in, the head was cut off.  I think it's been a "well now what can we do" moment.  I also think it was important because I haven't seen any significant agitation reported this week.  There aren't 25,000 troops in every state capital.

Point #2 reminds me of what happened after the Oklahoma City bombing. IIRC, bomber Timothy McVeigh thought his grand, vile gesture would awaken the sleeping giant of Real Americans and start the revolution. Instead, many people saw where the crazy talk actually ;led and were repulsed... and the FBI caught McVeigh and his co-conspirators PDQ, showing that the government was *not* a paper tiger that would fold under the first challenge.

 

As for the Proud Boys' rejection of Donald Trump, that's one for Mr French's argument.

 

Dean Shomshak

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7 hours ago, Starlord said:

 

Oil is a very sensitive issue in Alberta. It's still the engine driving the province's economy, although Alberta had years when oil prices were high and very profitable to invest in diversification. The province's government in those days chose to pay down deficits and debts, cut taxes, and the like, which is economically and politically understandable, but left Alberta vulnerable to the global drop in the price of oil. Much of Alberta's oil is in tar sands, which is both costly to extract and high in emissions production, and the province has been on the receiving end of much domestic and international criticism for the practice.

 

Alberta's premier, Jason Kenney, has chosen to exploit the political issues around oil, casting himself as a defender of jobs for Albertans, and exacerbating old resentments and "nationalist" sentiments in the West toward the federal government. He's something of a populist, and his provincial Conservative Party is toward the edge of the "right" in mainstream Canadian politics (which would probably make him left of center in contemporary America). ;)

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1,000 Trump supporters, staff, aides, advisors and cabinet members die and stand before St Peter at the Pearly Gates.

St Peter says, "Don't waste my time. Any of you who supported Trump, lied for him, and helped him with his devilish policies, just turn around and go straight to hell.". The group gave sheepish glances at each other and ultimately 999 of them turned around and headed downstairs to Hell.

St Peter hollered after them, "And take that deaf bastard with you!"

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A bit of humor from the Marketplace public radio program. First there was "Hamilton." Biden joked that there sjould be a musical about his Treasury nominee, former Fed chai Janet Yellen. Marketplace contacted someone named Dessa, who was on the "Hanilton" mixtape, and, well, here it is. Or at least a 90 second song.

 

  • A "Hamilton"-style song about Janet Yellen by Dessa - Marketplace

    www.marketplace.org/2021/01/21/yellen-hamilton...

    When then-President-elect Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Janet Yellen for secretary of the treasury, he joked that “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda should write a musical ...

     

    [HOOK]
    Oooo, who’s Yellen now?
    Who’s Yellen, who’s Yellen now?

    [VERSE 1]
    Doves on the left
    Hawks on the right
    Crosstalk in the flock tryna fight mid-flight
    But here comes Yellen with that inside voice
    Never mind the mild manner, policies make noise
    She’s five foot nothing, but hand to god
    She can pop a collar, she can rock a power bob
    Bay Ridge represent!
    Brooklyn’s in the cabinet!
    Damn, Janet, go and get it—
    Fifth in line for president!
    She knows the kinda stimulus it takes to pass a buck
    I heard she called the housing crisis
    She’s qualified as ffff—
    It only took a couple centuries
    The first female secretary of the treasury

    [BRIDGE]
    Don’t want no tax evasion
    Forgers faking
    In her treasury
    Trying for higher wages
    For the nation
    Less disparity

    [VERSE 2]
    Watch your step, there's busted glass
    Janet broke another ceiling
    You can bet your brass
    That the Lego guy is leaving
    Last check to cash
    —'Scuse me, Janet has a briefing and a flight to catch
    And Janet
    She’s the first that’s led
    The Council of Economic Advisors, Tresh, and the Fed
    She needs a three-sided coin that always comes up heads
    To put the triple crown down when she goes to bed
    Call the decorators
    New boss in the office
    Spenders and the savers
    Watch the confirmation process
    We got to meet her
    Now let’s let her settle in
    And lift up your mojitos—
    Cause she manages the mint

    [HOOK]

     

    Dean Shomshak

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Oh, and last week All Things Considered interviewed the content director for Forbes magazine. He had a warning for any company that hires any of Trump's former press people for their publicity teams: Forbes will assume that any press release from that company is a lie. Because you don't hire shameless liars unless you plan on telling shameless lies.

 

Dean Shomshak

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And it's also being reported that another bank and law firm distanced themselves from Trump's business side today.  And business is way down at 2 of his properties which both carry heavy debt loads.  That was LAST year, before The Big Stupid.  And ya gotta figure that hotel space for at least the next several months will be relatively easily available, so corporate travel offices will probably have little difficulty avoiding them.  (Even if the company policy doesn't outright ban staying at them.)

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Trump, with the assistance of Lindsay Graham, finally found a lawyer willing to represent him in the impeachment trial.

 

Butch Bowers has represented South Carolina politicians before in court but apparently hasn't done anything so far which would have brought him nationwide attention.

 

(Note: Butch Bowers is a real person and is not fictional the abusive racist from the recent Steven King clown movie.)

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13 minutes ago, BNakagawa said:

I hope he's willing to work Pro Bono.

 

I'd guess that he's pro Cher. ;) 

 

But even if Trump refuses to pay him, working such a high-profile case will likely be great for his career...even when he loses.

 

He'll be able to land more high-profile cases and networks will pay him to appear and offer his legal opinion on whatever is happening.

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3 hours ago, archer said:

 

I'd guess that he's pro Cher. ;) 

 

But even if Trump refuses to pay him, working such a high-profile case will likely be great for his career...even when he loses.

 

He'll be able to land more high-profile cases and networks will pay him to appear and offer his legal opinion on whatever is happening.

 

I'd hope Bowers is planning to use the notoriety bump this will give his career, given Trump's history of non-payment/litigation around payment of his debts. 

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3 minutes ago, Lectryk said:

 

I'd hope Bowers is planning to use the notoriety bump this will give his career, given Trump's history of non-payment/litigation around payment of his debts. 

 

Also, I wonder what his track record has been with his other clients (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/us/politics/butch-bowers-donald-trump-impeachment.html).  Anybody know if Trump can assert ineffectiveness of counsel in case of a conviction in the Senate?

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12 hours ago, archer said:

Trump, with the assistance of Lindsay Graham, finally found a lawyer willing to represent him in the impeachment trial.

 

Butch Bowers has represented South Carolina politicians before in court but apparently hasn't done anything so far which would have brought him nationwide attention.

 

(Note: Butch Bowers is a real person and is not fictional the abusive racist from the recent Steven King clown movie.)

 

So far as we know.

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