American Politics 3.0 - Back to Brunch

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Meh.. every single thing you do to Trump people argue will make him stronger. Arrest him - makes him stronger as he becomes a political prisoner. Don't arrest him - makes him stronger because he's above the law. Talk about him on TV - makes him stronger because its free advertising. Don't talk about him on TV - makes him stronger because you are afraid of him.

"If it happened to Trump, it can happen to you!"

What kind of a freedom-hating, banana republic, sh**hole country prosecutes and jails its patriotic citizens who break the law?

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

"If it happened to Trump, it can happen to you!"

What kind of a freedom-hating, banana republic, sh**hole country prosecutes and jails its patriotic citizens who break the law?

plus setting the precedent that a former president might be held accountable for their criminal actions. Who would ever want that? It's the end of the republic, obviously.

[chemgear]

lol, some reddit comments are pretty good.

"It is chilling and sobering to realize that this could happen to any one of us after using campaign funds to make hush money payments to pornstars."

"I mean ####. If campaign money isn't for paying off prostitutes then what's even the point of democracy?"

"Are they going to ban this part in the history books at school because it features a porn star?"

"His arrest on PPV could eliminate the national debt."

"Will he be tried as an adult?"

[SportsJunky]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1641992201281605633

https://twitter.com/user/status/1641991631791431681

[The Fonz]

I went to Walmart the other day, and you literally can’t buy an xbox game without someone coming up with the little key and unlocking the case. And yet, they’re worried about Donald Trump.

[Dion]

John Fetterman talks about his battle with Depression

https://twitter.com/user/status/1642515864325955589

[opendoor]

Interesting (and sobering) thread on just how bad life expectancy is getting in the US compared to peer countries:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1641799627128143873

Broken down by income, you basically have to be in the top 1-2% of income in the US to have a life expectancy near even the median in England.

Definitely doesn't bode well for the future of the country. A fast declining life expectancy in the '90s is one of the things that got Putin into power in Russia. And the reversal of that in the '00s is a huge reason why he and his policies have been popular there for the last 2 decades.

[activeStick]

It was said to France a few weeks ago and again now to the US. It seems that many African nations are tired of them going in and lecturing them on how they should govern their own countries.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1642186947006177280

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Interesting (and sobering) thread on just how bad life expectancy is getting in the US compared to peer countries:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1641799627128143873

Broken down by income, you basically have to be in the top 1-2% of income in the US to have a life expectancy near even the median in England.

Definitely doesn't bode well for the future of the country. A fast declining life expectancy in the '90s is one of the things that got Putin into power in Russia. And the reversal of that in the '00s is a huge reason why he and his policies have been popular there for the last 2 decades.

No doubt there's so many factors leading to this. The shift to processed and fast food (convenience and affordabiilty), no universal basic healthcare (ignoring bad signs which turn into more serious health issues), increasing lack of physical activity (not sure if there's data to support this), etc. There's a lot going wrong for the US.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by activeStick

It was said to France a few weeks ago and again now to the US. It seems that many African nations are tired of them going in and lecturing them on how they should govern their own countries.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1642186947006177280

The US and European narratives are losing hold on a lot of the world. The rise of institutions like the China Exim Bank and powerful new trade networks that offer routes to economic development without dependence on Global North countries are enabling nations in Africa and elsewhere in the Global South to be more outspoken.

It's a good thing.

[FlamesAddiction]

I watched a video with reactions from various people on the street, some happy about Trump being indicted, and others not. It still amazes me how crazy some of his supporters are. There was one guy saying that they needed to support Trump because he would do anything for them, and that he would even give his life and die for them. It's just bizarre that some people believe this stuff. Lot's of comments about this meaning that the U.S. is a third world banana republic now because of this. In the types of countries they are thinking of, corrupt leaders usually get away with it. The fact Trump was indicted means the opposite of what they are thinking.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

https://twitter.com/user/status/1641992201281605633

https://twitter.com/user/status/1641991631791431681

I was in a CVS in New Orleans not too long ago, and deodorant and body wash were in locked glass shelves. Seems (like always) that there is much more going on than they want to admit.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by calculoso

I was in a CVS in New Orleans not too long ago, and deodorant and body wash were in locked glass shelves. Seems (like always) that there is much more going on than they want to admit.

That seems to be pretty standard practice across the US now. I don't recall body wash but deodorant is locked up everywhere I have been.

[Sliver]

Where the #### are you guys living where deodorant is locked up? I've never heard of such a thing.

Edit: Nvm. Sorry, I see you said in the US.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by activeStick

No doubt there's so many factors leading to this. The shift to processed and fast food (convenience and affordabiilty), no universal basic healthcare (ignoring bad signs which turn into more serious health issues), increasing lack of physical activity (not sure if there's data to support this), etc. There's a lot going wrong for the US.

I saw a map the other day regarding US obesity from year 2000 on. (It might be in this thread for all I know, but I haven’t looked). At any rate, that’s an enormous problem. I couldn’t say whether the percentages are accurate, or anything else, but it’s got to have a crushing impact on their population and of course their healthcare system.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by activeStick

No doubt there's so many factors leading to this. The shift to processed and fast food (convenience and affordabiilty), no universal basic healthcare (ignoring bad signs which turn into more serious health issues), increasing lack of physical activity (not sure if there's data to support this), etc. There's a lot going wrong for the US.

I'm sure the 50,000 or so gun deaths don't help either

[opendoor]

Obesity is certainly part of it, though other countries have had rising obesity rates without their life expectancy cratering like the US.

As the thread points out, what's driving the US's drop is primarily high mortality among the 20-70 age group. So when you combine high numbers of gun deaths, drug deaths, and an unhealthy population that doesn't have universal health care, it creates a disaster.

When you look at income directly (rather than percentile) the difference is even more stark. You really see both how poorly the US is doing and how much abject poverty there is (the poorest of the poor are signfiicantly worse off in the US than England):





Combine that with some of the worst social mobility in the industrialized world, and you have the makings of a pretty ugly society with a permanent underclass. I think the US flirting with fascism is only going to get worse as long as the social and health outcomes for a huge part of the population are so poor (and getting worse).

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

The US and European narratives are losing hold on a lot of the world. The rise of institutions like the China Exim Bank and powerful new trade networks that offer routes to economic development without dependence on Global North countries are enabling nations in Africa and elsewhere in the Global South to be more outspoken.

It's a good thing.

Umm no their not. I am doubtful many here pine for a China/Russia led world. If nations think Belt and Road are better alternatives have at it I guess. Free money is great until the debt collector owns you. Which is the purpose of the program.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Umm no their not. I am doubtful many here pine for a China/Russia led world. If nations think Belt and Road are better alternatives have at it I guess. Free money is great until the debt collector owns you. Which is the purpose of the program.

They totally are. That's why the US and European leaders are actually feeling pressure to compete for attention and alignment in African countries and elsewhere. The balance of power is simply no-longer tilted so extremely in favour of the US.

And, it totally is a good thing. More widespread economic development is part of a better world.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Umm no their not. I am doubtful many here pine for a China/Russia led world. If nations think Belt and Road are better alternatives have at it I guess. Free money is great until the debt collector owns you. Which is the purpose of the program.

That isn’t really that different to the terms the West generally offers. Let our corps come in to harvest natural resources and we will lend you money to pay for those resources from our corps.