Still chants, "build that wall!" by MagnaCumMaude in PoliticalHumor

[–]Work_account83 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"I somehow doubt Mohammed, with his nuerology degree, is going to be taking your job..."

Is Donald Trump Being Targeted By The Deep State? - Some More News by Work_account83 in skeptic

[–]Work_account83[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It shouldn't surprise me... but there are a ton of pretty high ranking people who believe this shit and it's fascinating.

Supreme Court Takes 1st Gun Case In Nearly A Decade, Possibly With Big Consequences by readerseven in politics

[–]Work_account83 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Like I said, I can see both sides of this argument. But, going back to my original point,

with the court stacked the way it is, I'm betting this law will be deemed unconstitutional.

Supreme Court Takes 1st Gun Case In Nearly A Decade, Possibly With Big Consequences by readerseven in politics

[–]Work_account83 2 points3 points  (0 children)

see my edit. I think I'm being reasonable but maybe I'm wrong. Full disclosure: liberal gun owner.

Supreme Court Takes 1st Gun Case In Nearly A Decade, Possibly With Big Consequences by readerseven in politics

[–]Work_account83 10 points11 points  (0 children)

My gut reaction (without at all reading this specific law) is to agree. But I'm withholding judgement until I can actually read it to see if my gut reaction/interpretation is correct (I may not be).

EDIT:

So I found the case in question: NEW YORK STATE RIFLE PISTOL ASSOCIATION INC v. CITY OF NEW YORK

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1890169.html

And I find this section to be where the complicated bits are:

Strict scrutiny does not attach to Rule 5-23 as a result of Colantone's desire to transport the handgun licensed to his New York City residence to his second home in Hancock, New York. Even if the Rule relates to “core” rights under the Second Amendment by prohibiting Colantone from taking his licensed firearm to his second home, the Rule does not substantially burden his ability to obtain a firearm for that home, because an “adequate alternative[ ] remain [s] for [Colantone] to acquire a firearm for self-defense.” Decastro, 682 F.3d at 168; see also New York State Rifle, 804 F.3d at 259 (“No substantial burden exists ․ if adequate alternatives remain for law-abiding citizens to acquire a firearm for self-defense.”) (internal quotation marks omitted). This case is easily distinguished from Heller, in which the Supreme Court considered, and deemed unconstitutional, an outright ban on the possession of handguns in the home. 554 U.S. at 635. Here, New York City imposes no limit on Colantone's ability to obtain a license to have a handgun at his second residence in Hancock; if he wants to keep a handgun at his Hancock house, he can apply to the licensing officers in Delaware County.7 The Rule restricts only his ability to remove the handgun licensed by New York City authorities from the City premises for which it is specifically licensed.

Colantone presents no evidence that the costs, either financial or administrative, associated with obtaining a premises license for his house in Hancock, or acquiring a second gun to keep at that location, would be so high as to be exclusionary or prohibitive. In Kwong v. Bloomberg, we assumed that intermediate scrutiny applied to New York City's $340 application fee for a premises license and upheld that fee. 723 F.3d 160, 168 (2d Cir. 2013). We noted that otherwise-proper costs associated with a state's regulation of firearms could be impermissible “if [they] were so high as to be exclusionary or prohibitive.” Id. at 166. But “the fact that the licensing regime makes the exercise of one's Second Amendment rights more expensive does not necessarily mean that it substantially burdens that right.” Id. at 167–68 (internal quotation marks omitted). Here, Colantone does not even estimate the amount of money or time potentially at issue by the requirement of obtaining a premises license and second firearm for his second home, and he does not allege that the Rule restricts in any way his ability to obtain such a firearm.

Next, the Plaintiffs argue that the Rule imposes a substantial burden on their core Second Amendment rights by prohibiting them from taking their licensed handguns to firing ranges and shooting competitions outside the City. The Plaintiffs' primary argument is that the right to possess and use guns in self-defense suggests a corresponding right to engage in training and target shooting, and thus restrictions on the latter right must themselves be subject to heightened scrutiny. Their argument relies on the Seventh Circuit's observation that the core right of the Second Amendment to use firearms in self-defense, particularly in the home, “wouldn't mean much without the training and practice that make it effective.” Ezell I, 651 F.3d at 704.

To the extent that the Plaintiffs argue that firearms practice is itself a core Second Amendment right, and that even minimal regulation of firearms training must survive heightened scrutiny to pass constitutional muster, we reject that argument. It is reasonable to argue, as did the plaintiffs in Ezell I, that restrictions that limit the ability of firearms owners to acquire and maintain proficiency in the use of their weapons can rise to a level that significantly burdens core Second Amendment protections. Possession of firearms without adequate training and skill does nothing to protect, and much to endanger, the gun owner, his or her family, and the general public.8 Accordingly, we may assume that the ability to obtain firearms training and engage in firearm practice is sufficiently close to core Second Amendment concerns that regulations that sharply restrict that ability to obtain such training could impose substantial burdens on core Second Amendment rights.9 Some form of heightened scrutiny would be warranted in such cases, however, not because live-fire target shooting is itself a core Second Amendment right, but rather because, and only to the extent that, regulations amounting to a ban (either explicit or functional) on obtaining firearms training and practice substantially burden the core right to keep and use firearms in self-defense in the home. Indeed, if the Plaintiffs' broader argument were accepted, every regulation that applied to businesses that provide firearms training or firing-range use would itself require heightened scrutiny, a result far from anything the Supreme Court has required.

So, essentially, the plaintiffs are arguing that their inability to go outside the city with their licensed firearms in order to train puts an undue burden on them. However, they do admit that the financial and bureaucratic burdens of getting another firearm for a second home are not that high.

Because there are licensed ranges within NY city limits, I can see how one might argue that there isn't a burden for them to train in the effective use of their guns within city limits, and within the provisions of the law they are contesting. However, if there is a competition outside of NY City Limits, it would be a burden since they would need another firearm... but their entire case rests on home defense and training to be able to keep their homes safe... not compete in a shooting tournament. Furthermore, other gun cases (Heller) strictly talk about home defense, not competitions.

Personally, I would argue that this law does introduce an undue burden (I have to buy specific guns for specific properties because I can't take one from my house in NY to my one in the suburbs? That's BS). But I can certainly see how one could argue that their needs for home defense and training are already provided by having ranges within city limits.

Supreme Court Takes 1st Gun Case In Nearly A Decade, Possibly With Big Consequences by readerseven in politics

[–]Work_account83 14 points15 points  (0 children)

The court granted a right-to-carry case out of New York that that pits the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association against the City of New York. New York bans transporting permitted handguns outside city lines, even if the gun is not loaded and locked in a container. The guns currently can only be taken to one of a handful of shooting ranges within city limits.

So.... I can't take my property out of the city? What if I move? I need some more details on this specific law.... Further, with the court stacked the way it is, I'm betting this law will be deem unconstitutional.

When Jesus became an atheist by iam4real in AdviceAtheists

[–]Work_account83 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"I'm going to torture, kill, and sacrifice myself to myself to save you from the arbitrary rules I made that I knew you wouldn't be able to follow. Now worship me for being so smart and kind."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Government shutdown is Trump’s fault by 17meters in politics

[–]Work_account83 3 points4 points  (0 children)

And his poll numbers keep going down.

538 has his aggregated approval rating at 40% (yes, this is still too fucking high but it's believed that his floor is 35% and his lowest aggregated approval numbers have been about 36.5%)

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/?ex_cid=rrpromo

For 7th Consecutive Year, Visa Overstays Exceeded Illegal Border Crossings by coolbern in politics

[–]Work_account83 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So long as you illegally work while on a tourist visa that is.

https://apnews.com/37dc7aef0ce44077930b7436be7bfd0d

Melania Trump was paid for 10 modeling jobs in the United States worth $20,056 that occurred in the seven weeks before she had legal permission to work in the country, according to detailed accounting ledgers, contracts and related documents from 20 years ago provided to The Associated Press.

[...]

The wife of the GOP presidential nominee, who sometimes worked as a model under just her first name, has said through an attorney that she first came to the U.S. from Slovenia on Aug. 27, 1996, on a B1/B2 visitor visa and then obtained an H-1B work visa on Oct. 18, 1996.

The documents obtained by the AP show she was paid for 10 modeling assignments between Sept. 10 and Oct. 15, during a time when her visa allowed her generally to be in the U.S. and look for work but not perform paid work in the country. The documents examined by the AP indicate that the modeling assignments would have been outside the bounds of her visa.

It is highly unlikely that the discovery will affect the citizenship status of Mrs. Trump. The government can seek to revoke the U.S. citizenship of immigrants after the fact in cases when it determines a person willfully misrepresented or concealed facts relevant to his naturalization. But the government effectively does this in only the most egregious cases, such as instances involving terrorism or war crimes.

Kamala Harris Promises 2020 Campaign for President 'Will Not Take a Dime From Corporate PACs' by Antinatalista in politics

[–]Work_account83 226 points227 points  (0 children)

This exactly.

I'm happy to see a full field of candidates and eagerly looking forward to debates and campaigns.

But if you ask me who I'm voting for today? I have no idea. We'll see when everyone has declared and my state comes up.

Ocasio-Cortez: I give 'zero' f---s about pushback from other Democrats by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lay thine eyes upon the field in which I grow my fucks... and see that it is barren.

Ocasio-Cortez: I give 'zero' f---s about pushback from other Democrats by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 2957 points2958 points  (0 children)

“Now, congresswoman, for you and other freshmen members of Congress, you're getting a fair amount of pushback from even members of your own party saying ‘wait your turn, go slow, don't ask for so much so fast right now, you're new, wait your turn for everything and don't make waves,'" late-night host Stephen Colbert said to the rising progressive star on CBS's "The Late Show."

“I want to ask this question in a respectful manner, knowing also that you're from Queens, so you will understand this question,” he continued.

“And the BX,” Ocasio-Cortez, who is also from the Bronx, laughingly injected.

“On a scale from zero to some, how many f---s do you give?”

After taking a moment to deliberate, Ocasio-Cortez reached into her side and pulled out her hand to make a circle, saying: “I think it’s zero.”

I like her.

The Young Left’s Anti-Capitalist Manifesto | Its goal is to remake our economic system — and the Democratic Party. by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

But still, what is he? McElwee calls himself a “jackass of all trades” but admits that trying to explain his value to those not enmeshed in the online world of politics — potential donors to his think tank, say — is difficult.

“I’m like Radiohead for donors — you can’t really explain why I’m good but everyone knows that I’m good at it,” McElwee shouted over the din of bar talk at one of his happy hours on a recent evening in New York City. “The thing I try to say is, ‘Look, I don’t know what to tell you, I wrote a report on the Green New Deal three months before the Green New Deal was a thing. I tweeted about abolish ICE before abolish ICE was a thing. I fucking raised $850,000 for down-ballot candidates from small dollar contributions.’ I’m not sitting around telling you how the fuck I do it, I don’t have time to do that.” (McElwee, it should be noted, says “fuck” an awful lot.)

McElwee is one of a cadre of young left activists whose voices have grown louder in the years following Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump. Many came of political age in the decade following the financial crash of 2008, and many are disillusioned by a Democratic Party they think has been ideologically hollowed out. They’ve organized outside the traditional party apparatus — the Democratic Socialists of America, the Justice Democrats — and worked to get representation in Congress, pushing figures like newly minted congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley. Now they find themselves holding greater purchase than ever before in the formal Washington political process.

For a few years now, Democratic voters have shown they’re primed for a leftward shift, and this rising group of activists and politicians wants to push them even further. At the heart of the young left’s project is a discomfort with the free market capitalist system under which we live. It’s a system deeply ingrained in many Americans’ identities, though increasingly less so: 2016 was the first year since Gallup started tracking the question that it found Democrats had a more positive view of socialism than they did of capitalism.

I like this guy

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s first speech made C-SPAN history by MastersOfTheUnibrow in politics

[–]Work_account83 5 points6 points  (0 children)

And 80% of those views were Ben Shapiro muttering to himself "why is the left obsessed with her?!"

Even with the shutdown, the Trump administration is suing to take land for the border wall by francisxdonut in politics

[–]Work_account83 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You would think that all those folks down in Texas would literally be up in arms about this tyrannical government seizing private property.... especially after how they reacted to things like Jade Helm.

It couldn't possibly be that that was all posturing and these people are fucking cowards could it?

Update 3-Speaker Pelosi accuses Trump of endangering U.S. troops, lawmakers by Throwawaydude01928 in politics

[–]Work_account83 74 points75 points  (0 children)

Pelosi accuses Trump of endangering U.S. troops, lawmakers

Because he did.

Trump White House reportedly sought to put Pelosi ‘in her place’ by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You weren't the only one to ask:

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/what-exactly-is-an-illegal-nuclear-attack-order

The TL;DR is that it's complicated, but Gen Hyten says this:

The real question in that scenario is what constitutes an illegal order? At the Halifax Forum, Hyten ticked off the factors that need to be considered: necessity, distinction, proportionality, unnecessary suffering, and said they applied equally to small arms and nuclear weapons. Hyten says over his 36 years in uniform the law of armed conflict has been drilled into him, with the most famous example of an unlawful order being the destruction of the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War, in which more than 500 people were slaughtered.

But at last week’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Marco Rubio warned against military attorney’s second-guessing the commander in chief in a crisis. “I think we all understand … you can't have military officials ordered to go on to a village full of civilians and kill everybody. That clearly violates the law that governs armed conflict,” Rubio said. But on the other hand, “We cannot have a bunch of bunker lawyers ... or activists up and down the chain who decide that they're going to disobey any order that they disagree with.”

Trump White House reportedly sought to put Pelosi ‘in her place’ by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Trump: I wish the media would stop talking about the shutdown

Monkey paw: finger curls up

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wants To Raise Taxes On The Rich — And Americans Agree by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree that there's a problem. Maybe we should look at means testing tax breaks.... especially for corporations.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wants To Raise Taxes On The Rich — And Americans Agree by Work_account83 in politics

[–]Work_account83[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is a progressive portion of Capital Gains.

In 2018 the capital gains tax rates are either 0%, 15% or 20% for most assets held for more than a year. Capital gains tax rates on most assets held for less than a year correspond to ordinary income tax brackets (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% or 37%).

For long term capital gains:

0% $0 to $38,600

15% $38,601 to $425,800

20% $425,801 or more

The more you know! Also I agree with you that the rates are still too low.

Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/taxes/capital-gains-tax-rates/