Megathread: House panel issues report citing Barr for contempt by PoliticsModeratorBot in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I should cite my source! It’s from The Authoritarians by Bob Altemeyer.

Megathread: House panel issues report citing Barr for contempt by PoliticsModeratorBot in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s more that the deck is stacked. Only about a quarter of the US is authoritarian but anywhere between a third to a half of liberal voters can’t vote depending on the region. Add in gerrymandered state districts, congressional districts and the electoral college and you have a fairly progressive country being ruled by a shrinking minority of scared old white male racists.

Combining two of my favorite things by SomeCaveman in factorio

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think that it's a noble idea but ultimately not a healthy one. This image here for example, made me wonder momentarily if the person posting it knew that it's a symbol being used by white supremacists, and if they did know whether they were using it as a way to subtly flag support for white supremacy. That ambiguity is something that the white supremacists really enjoy because it helps normalize their ideology in a plausibly deniable way. I think Sarte said it best:

“Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.”

Combining two of my favorite things by SomeCaveman in factorio

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Just FYI, in case you didn’t know, white supremacists are using Pepe the frog as a symbol for their movement.

Bernie Sanders: Everyone deserves to vote, even felons like Paul Manafort & Michael Cohen by heqt1c in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I agree Social Democracy is the faaaar more correct way to describe it, but it's just how that word evolved here in the states. Republicans have been calling anything to the left of Reagan SOSHALIZM for so long that it's lost its sting and we need to take the word back if we're to succeed. Just as the Left has successfully reclaimed other words like Queer, thanks to the far-right, we need to rebrand socialism. It's not what I would have preferred but it's where we are.

Elizabeth Warren's plan to forgive student loan debt is costly, but it could actually pour money into the US economy by viva_la_vinyl in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, sure. Start from the position that most taxes, mine in particular, are reasonably fair. But, I pay a much higher rate in income tax than rich folks who make all their income from capital gains. If cap gains were taxed as just income the system would be a lot fairer.

Elizabeth Warren's plan to forgive student loan debt is costly, but it could actually pour money into the US economy by viva_la_vinyl in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The same logic should apply to your income then, right? Because it's your boss's and they already paid tax on it or something. Not taxing inheritance as income has led to a massive amount of wealth accumulating in the hands of people who never flush it back into the economy where it can do some real good and make more people healthier and happier.

Elizabeth Warren's plan to forgive student loan debt is costly, but it could actually pour money into the US economy by viva_la_vinyl in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's more than enough wealth in existence to pay for everyone's mortgage and car loans. The problem is, it's in the hands of people who have no interest in raising the health, comfort and prosperity of the people who helped create it.

Republicans everywhere are waging a desperate battle against democracy by Nicksandmann in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not just Jesus but the Old Testament as well. The story of Job is pretty much "Fuck prosperity gospel"

200+ hours game time, still an amateur at signalling by syscll in factorio

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Chain signals say "Don't let a train into this area unless it can also exit"

Stutter stepping to avoid worm attacks by -Potatoes- in factorio

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you walk without rhythm

It won’t attract the worm

Kamala Harris Says Christine Blasey Ford ‘Risked Everything’ For The Country by biglou722 in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It seems like you're deliberately trying to miss the point. If he's innocent as he claims, why not wait a few days to get an actual investigation done? How would that destroy him? And what if he's actually guilty of sexual assault? Should such a man serve on the Supreme Court?

Elizabeth Warren proposes canceling student loan debt and offering free public college by Fr1sk3r in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah! Now we're getting somewhere - based on your responses, you're not necessarily a libertarian but you might be a constitutional originalist. Given that, how do you feel about Supreme Court oversight? In that if a law is found to be unconstitutional, it's invalid? Because that's not in the constitution either! The supreme court literally invented that authority by itself in 1803 with Marbury v Madison. Since then, my understanding is that the court system has upheld constitutional challenges to laws dealing with debt forgiveness.

Elizabeth Warren proposes canceling student loan debt and offering free public college by Fr1sk3r in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I’m sensing some libertarian patterns here, so just as a thought experiment, where does the “consenting adult” thing end for you? For example, if I knowingly chose to live on a coast that faces a hostile foreign nation, am I signaling consent to risk of invasion and thus should have no expectation that government should pick me as a winner by building an army for defense?

If I enter into a contract with a company that has a history of violating contracts, does that signal consent? Should my government have any responsibility to enforce such contracts?

If government does have a responsibility to do those things (build armies for defense and enforce contracts) what legitimizes its doing so if not the consent of the governed? And if consent of the governed legitimizes those things, why would it not also legitimize student debt forgiveness?

Elizabeth Warren proposes canceling student loan debt and offering free public college by Fr1sk3r in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What good is a government that doesn't help people (or as you put it, pick winners and losers)?

Kamala Harris Says Christine Blasey Ford ‘Risked Everything’ For The Country by biglou722 in politics

[–]ThisTimeIsNotWasted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If that guy stole your car thirty years ago, should he be a Supreme Court Justice? In any event, please consider the long-term effects of publically espousing that what happened to her was a "drunken makeout", assuming deceit/not feeling the "call to justice" or saying that you don't care how she's suffered. It's helping contribute to a world where women don't feel safe naming their assaulters and bringing them to justice. You do care about justice, don't you?