American Politics 3.0 - Back to Brunch

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Josh

I'm fortunate that I could bring my job to Canada. I have reservations in doing so because my kids were born down here and therefore have their friends and roots here in the US.

Otherwise I'd have been long gone by now.

I don’t think that’s a good reason to stay in a country that’s spiralling into anarchy. Your kids would find new friends.

[Senator Clay Davis]

"Spiralling into anarchy" is definitely not melodramatic at all. Not saying it's a great time in America, but it's also not on the verge of becoming Somalia either.

[Dion]

New bill would prevent Trump from killing criminal cases if re-elected

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is introducing legislation that would prevent Donald Trump from ending his criminal prosecutions if re-elected to another term as president.

“This is about protecting our democracy and ensuring a president can’t place themselves above the law,” Schiff said “There is every indication that Donald Trump will use the Justice Department to do away with any effort to hold him accountable.”

“The need for swift passage of this bill could become even more pressing,” Schiff added, “depending on the outcome of the election.”

Schiff's bill would require a sworn statement from the attorney general whether a dismissal was ordered by the president or anyone acting on their behalf, and any request for dismissal would be evaluated by a three-judge panel to ensure the decision was not made unilaterally.

The panel could impose sanctions if a motion to dismiss was found lacking in good cause, and any finding that a dismissal was requested by the president would be reported to Congress by the Department of Justice's inspector general.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/polit...4c5f8a83&ei=10

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s not really a problem. It’s a basic function of being a human being. People like to laugh at things even in the face of bad situations.

Literally every one of those things has also been discussed here in the last week (or two) in some capacity of another. Seeing a few posts laughing at a watch and suggesting everyone is ignoring bigger issues is nonsensical.

So much so that you could probably lump “focusing on what a few people say on a message board” in the same category as “focusing on a dumb watch.” Neither are as important as reproductive rights, and yet… here the two of you go about it.

My post was meant to be an observation about society in general, not a swipe at CP or its posters. However, I did not make that clear initially, so my apologies there.

There's nothing wrong with keeping a sense of humor to help get through hard times. I love political comedians such as Stewart, Colbert, Meyers, etc.

It does, however, become a problem when people keep themselves constantly distracted with alcohol, entertainment, humor, and other distractions that have nothing to do with politics, as a way of avoiding paying any attention to what's happening in the world and society around them.

Among some (not necessarily including anyone on CP, but not necessarily including no one on CP), there's a lack of realization about the gravity of the situation. The possibility of the US becoming the fourth Reich if Trump is elected, is very real, it's not some imaginary pie in the sky scenario. Trump is completely devoid of any kind of morality; he will not hesitate to do anything he has the power to do and thinks he can get away with. Case in point, he's already promising concentration camps for undocumented immigrants.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Laugh all you want, but Canada is not far behind. I would argue Canada is in worse shape in many ways.

Really? Sure Pierre wants to be a mini Trump but I don't think we have idiotic 300 year old gun laws and lifetime appointments for our all powerful Supreme Court.

and seriously... abortion bans in 2024? kyithole country

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Whynotnow

Curios position to take and this may not be the best thread for it but I’m having a tough time agreeing with you here.

I didn't think anyone would agree with the statement, because Canadians have always been blind to American influence on the culture and country as a whole. In comparison right now, Canada is vastly superior, but all the #### that has made the US a festering sore is finding its way up north. Crazies on the right gaining traction and too large a voice? Check. Reactionaries on the left that make pendulum swings that much more extreme? Check. A growing divide between conservatives and liberals viewed as threats to democracy? Check. Nut bar politics in the evangelical set? Check. An underlying minority anti-immigration sentiment with economic axes to grind? Check. Racism on the rise? Check. Increasing economic inequality? Check. Poverty continuing to grow? Check.

The United States didn't turn bat#### crazy overnight. It took time. But many of the reasons it did were cause by the issues Canada is now just feeling. Ignoring these issues while they are relatively small is a sure way to let them blossom. All you'll need is a "Canadian Trump" and #### will go sideways quickly. Imagine a country where voices like Gavin Mcinnis, Jordan Peterson, Ezra Levant, Faith Goldy, Lauren Southern, and Theo Fleury get that much more airtime and considered a credible source of information. Yeah, it's not that far off.

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

I didn't think anyone would agree with the statement, because Canadians have always been blind to American influence on the culture and country as a whole. In comparison right now, Canada is vastly superior, but all the #### that has made the US a festering sore is finding its way up north. Crazies on the right gaining traction and too large a voice? Check. Reactionaries on the left that make pendulum swings that much more extreme? Check. A growing divide between conservatives and liberals viewed as threats to democracy? Check. Nut bar politics in the evangelical set? Check. An underlying minority anti-immigration sentiment with economic axes to grind? Check. Racism on the rise? Check. Increasing economic inequality? Check. Poverty continuing to grow? Check.

The United States didn't turn bat#### crazy overnight. It took time. But many of the reasons it did were cause by the issues Canada is now just feeling. Ignoring these issues while they are relatively small is a sure way to let them blossom. All you'll need is a "Canadian Trump" and #### will go sideways quickly. Imagine a country where voices like Gavin Mcinnis, Jordan Peterson, Ezra Levant, Faith Goldy, Lauren Southern, and Theo Fleury get that much more airtime and considered a credible source of information. Yeah, it's not that far off.

Well to be fair we all reacted that way because you said it was worse. Some of what you say is true, but we are also less tribal in general - for now. I think Britain is maybe a good one to watch, they may be steering away with their recent election. In Canada it’s almost inevitable that PP is gonna be the next PM which does suck and concern me though.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Whynotnow

Well to be fair we all reacted that way because you said it was worse.

In some ways it is worse. Canada doesn't have the economic or political power of the United States. Canada has almost no military to enforce its sovereignty. Canada doesn't have common mindset of Americans (indoctrination) that pulls the country together in a bind. Canada has more of a concentrated population which exacerbates the regional divides and sets up political disenfranchisement. Canada has the indigenous issue the United States does not feel in the same way. Canada has the "unique culture" issue with Quebec that the United States doesn't deal with. Canada has plenty of challenges that could make the issues the United States has dealt with, and Canada is sure to feel in the near future, that much more difficult to address. The American approach to forcing assimilation has certainly caused problems, but at the same time made them easier to address.

[PepsiFree]

These are somehow worse than the posts that took the limited perspective of a Canadian expat in Arizona and turned it into a series of “this is all of America and nobody here understands but me” posts.

[GGG]

I enjoy how post 21606 directly contradicts his earlier post and yet the post is written with a degree of confidence and arrogance that implies he was and continues to be right and anyone who challenges him his stupid.

Really my favourite poster.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

See I consider PP to be more of a Ted Cruz like figure.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

See I consider PP to be more of a Ted Cruz like figure.

Well, that makes it so much better…

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I mean Ted Cruz is a real POS but he's not a threat to democratic norms really. Just a calculating, opportunistic right wing politician that also happens to be extremely unlikable.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Hmmmmmm. Women are losing reproductive rights and the ability to have control over their bodies in general. Minorities are being attacked and vilified at every turn. Voter suppression is happening across the nation and it is not even being done on the down low. A very influential think tank has a plan to turn the United States into an authoritarian dictatorship. But the discussion is about a ####ing watch being used to grift the cult? Focus has been lost.

Honestly do not understand why you still live in the US.

Why aren't you moving?

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by GGG

I enjoy how post 21606 directly contradicts his earlier post and yet the post is written with a degree of confidence and arrogance that implies he was and continues to be right and anyone who challenges him his stupid.

Really my favourite poster.

Doesn't contradict anything. The issues as identified are there regardless of how I fram them and you try and reframe me as bringing them to the front. That's always the funny thing about these debates, you never discuss the issues raised, you just try and debate the individual instead of the point they are making. I always get #### upon for engaging the RW dip####s, but I do so on their on the errors in their posts. You (GGG), PepsiFree, and your ilk always attack the individual instead of the argument because you can't defeat the argument. You can only sway people to disagree with the poster on a false argument rather than the content. You have no argument, otherwise you would focus on those points rather than the ad hominem attacks you use so often.

Originally Posted by Azure

Honestly do not understand why you still live in the US.

Why aren't you moving?

Same reason you still live in Canada. You still believe you can make a difference, which is why I still live her and work in government. Make change happen from the inside, but as election interference has shown, that is very hard to battle. Operational becomes political because di####s like yourself make it that way. It's why so many are pulling the plug in government, especially in battleground districts like Maricopa, Erie, Wayne, Kent, Wake, and Clark. Project 2025 is an attack on our freedom and liberty, but why discuss that when Trump watches are more outrageous? Oh my God, a fake watch? People are so ####ing stupid, and the latest grift is example of that. That's exactly why the US is on a road to fascism and why Canada is not that far behind. Stupid people focus on the stupid issues rather than recognizing the real threats to democracy and threats to our freedoms.

[GGG]

I didn’t attack you as a poster. I really enjoy reading the arrogance and confidence in which you post with while being incorrect.

In general I choose not to engage with your content because you are willing to type more words than I am.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The arrogance, the condescension, it's all pretty breathtaking. Like somehow laughing at the concept of the man who is in a coin flip race to become the next President of the "greatest country on earth" is looking like a coke-less Billy Mays hawking poor quality watches and Bibles and his NFT cards and his own crypto coin means we can't recognise what a debacle he will be to the US and beyond if he wins. Are we really supposed to take every waking moment taking this whole thing as serious as a heart attack? We know it's serious, but we've known that for quite a while. Choosing not to make every post the same "Holy #### Trump is Hitler reborn" post isn't ignoring the issue, believe it or not a lot of us can indeed walk and chew gum at the same time.

[Mathgod]

NSFW!

https://twitter.com/user/status/1840126743371493448

"Shouldn't be allowed"

Now he even has Fox in his crosshairs.

Yet another reminder, he's going to shut down any media that doesn't give him friendly coverage 24/7.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by GGG

I didn’t attack you as a poster. I really enjoy reading the arrogance and confidence in which you post with while being incorrect.

Sure you did. It's how you do you. You make passive aggressive attacks and claim someone is incorrect but provide nothing to support your claim. Your thing is just making a proclamation and then not back up, hoping one of your little buddies will pile on and obfuscate the fact you didn't actually bring anything that counters the argument at hand. No evidence of anything provided to back up your claim. And just so we are clear on what I have posted that is "incorrect" here are the citations to support my claims.

Crazies on the right gaining traction and too large a voice?

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti...nada-1.6070585

https://time.com/6696097/canadian-far-right/

Reactionaries on the left that make pendulum swings that much more extreme?

https://angusreid.org/canada-centris...ievre-trudeau/

A growing divide between conservatives and liberals viewed as threats to democracy?

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magaz...-the-pandemic/

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magaz...tation-canada/

Nut bar politics in the evangelical set?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fun...ment-1.6793677

https://globalnews.ca/news/10604598/...al-christians/

https://macleans.ca/facebook-instant...ght-in-canada/

An underlying minority anti-immigration sentiment with economic axes to grind?

https://theconversation.com/whats-be...-levels-219193

https://www.reuters.com/world/americ...ge-2024-09-06/

https://theconversation.com/most-can...persist-196558

https://theconversation.com/canada-a...titudes-232579

Racism on the rise?

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-he...ting-hate.html

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crr...rvey-1.6234946

Increasing economic inequality?

https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2022/07/...paper-2022-16/

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magaz...th-inequality/

https://www.tvo.org/article/by-the-n...statcan-report

Poverty continuing to grow?

https://globalnews.ca/news/10572959/...-banks-canada/

https://theconversation.com/child-po...effects-221565

https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-r...021009-eng.cfm

What's funny is my comment was made at the outrageous claim that the United States - the top of the food chain power on the face of the globe - is a third nation country, and I had the audacity to counter that, and dare say that Canada wasn't the absolute bastion of all that is righteous, instead pointing out that many of the same things that affect the United States and threaten its place of dominance is also impacting Canada and its culture, in many ways worse. Sooooooooo wrong and outrageous.

[Harry Lime]

The world is lucky if I read more than one full article a day. Holy crap.