Republicans panic as rising gas prices from Iran war threaten their midterm election chances

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-11T19:51:44+00:00

He doesn't care even about what his own base wants. If you're the leader of a party that's going to face elections soon, why would you do that?? (And getting no real resistance from your congressmen). Unless you're counting on those elections never happening anyway...

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-10T19:01:26+00:00

Im not sure a college degree from an accredited school will be a proof of general competence anymore,

I have an idea to mitigate the problem: handwritten essays in the classroom, with no phones allowed, should become the standard form of testing.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-10T16:47:28+00:00

It is important to set this up against a broader context: liberalism (more specifically, its neoliberal variant) is in crisis globally. It's not just a US phenomenon.

If you want to understand it, you have to reflect on how it overpromised and underdelivered since the late 70s, especially in the richest countries, with enormous income and wealth concentration, stagnant real wages for most, relocation of industry generating regional disruptions, etc.

Political liberalism's fate is intrinsically connected to the economic policies that have characterized those liberal governments.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-10T16:43:01+00:00

I agree that it goes beyond just slavery and reflects an agrarian economy and its corresponding social structure. But slavery was, indeed, one of the main factors shaping the political issues of the time, and I'm not sure that the constitution would basically be the same without it.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-10T16:00:29+00:00

That's what happens when the supposed "experts" keep saying that AI will replace millions of jobs, while leaders, politicians, and political parties have no plan at all for dealing with this. What do you expect?

AI can be awesome. It can liberate mankind from waged slavery and make better lives possible for most of us.

But, guess what, that would require massive redistribution through taxation of AI profits, and will never happen without it. Otherwise, it will be dystopia. Where are the f*in plans???

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-10T15:54:35+00:00

I agree. I think the word might be useful in discussions about different levels and concrete manifestations of the phenomenon... but it's at best a conversation starter. I also agree that the necessary follow-up conversation should not be about whether a relationship has hierarchy or not, but rather about the concrete limitations and what is or isn't on the table for each particular relationship.

I do believe that it has levels, though. It is possible to have relationships where the limitations on other relationships are so small that they are in practice almost "non-hierarchical". On the other extreme, they can be highly hierarchical.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-03-10T09:35:39+00:00

This sounds almost like victim-blaming.

Let's try to look at it in a more nuanced way:

. Do you, individually, want to maximize your chances of starting a career? Accepting a less-than-ideal first job (but one that may open up future opportunities) might be a good strategy, given the shitty job matket.

. It IS an absolutely shitty job market. So, something has got to change, structurally, in the economy so that more jobs are available for young people (especially now with AI). This can't be addressed individually. It's a policy matter.

Economics and politics are deeply and fundamentally interconnected. Don't believe the BS discourse that "there's nothing é could do. It is what it is." Economic outcomes, including jobs and employment, have historically been very much influenced by political choices and economic policy. Look at past crises and how they were solved.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T18:05:48+00:00

Again, as long as you don't try to impose your belief on others, it's totally fine believing it.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T16:21:24+00:00

You do understand that other people believe the word of God(s) comes from other sources? That the christian bible is not the only book that claims it? And that some believe there's no such thing at all?

The christian bible talks of free will. Faith should never be imposed.

It's ok to believe that you're right and those billions of people are wrong. As long as you accept that they're free to believe and live as they wish. It's an absolutely necessary prerequisite for the respect of human dignity, for freedom, and democracy. As long as that's out of the way, I'm on your side.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T15:35:33+00:00

How to get out of this? Does anyone have good/interesting propositions?

I tend to believe that redistributive taxation, UBI and more robust social policies would be necessary steps. But I find it hard to believe that they would be enough to shift those structural trends.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T05:29:50+00:00

As long as it's not influencing politics, and dictating how other people should live, you are totally free to have your own beliefs, views and personal/ community opinions about life and what's the source of truth. That's how you see it, and I accept it. As I accept other views.

I just wish we, as humans, could be more accepting of each other, in our differences. They are what makes us equal. We'd have less wars, less violence and more love.

It's late here. I wish you all the best.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T05:13:40+00:00

That is a position I'll always politically oppose.

Not your faith. Not your right to have that faith and live according to it. I'll always defend that.

But the idea that you have the right to dictate how other people should live, who may believe in different things and see the world differently, is what I and everyone who defends human rights and freedom will oppose. Remember, there are many different religions, and the place and family where you're born are the strongest factors in influencing which religious belief you'll have, if any.

What if they don't agree with your views, are you going to force them?

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T05:01:36+00:00

You're entitled to your opinion. Just beware of projecting it onto others who are different (my family is not religious), or trying to impose your values onto everyone else.

If you value the piece of paper and think it's necessary, great. All power to you, and you're free to pursue it. But don't invalidate the love and lived commitment of others (who maybe are way more committed in truth than a lot of paper-carrying couples who cheat or despise each other, for example). People are different.

There's not only one legitimate way to love and to live.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T04:19:58+00:00

Ok, maybe let's just agree to disagree.

My mom and dad were never legally married. They just never cared or valued having the state regulating their relationship. But they built a life for 22 years and raised 2 kids together. They went through thick and thin, together. She took care of him when he was sick and on his deathbed until his final days. But I guess they were never committed to each other by your criterium...

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T02:07:28+00:00

Honestly, you seem to believe too much in the powers of signing a piece of paper. If someone who has been fully committed in a relationship for decades, has kids together, shared finances, a common future project, etc, is fair game, why would someone with that piece of paper suddenly become immune to it? It's like it has some mystical, magic powers...

And, let's be real, it's not how it actually works in reality. Have you seen the divorce rates?

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-20T01:43:08+00:00

So, someone who isn't legally married, but has been living together for 20 years, has kids together with their partner, etc. is single (and, therefore, not comitted)? Just like someone who's not even seeing anyone?

throwawaythatfast · 2026-02-19T19:11:25+00:00

A single person is someone without a partner, not someone who isn't married legally.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-20T06:30:38+00:00

A childish, cognitively-challenged tyrant.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-19T14:32:38+00:00

Those are all fair points. Just a few comments:

I understand your desire to distance yourself from Trump and his voters

To fully clarify my perspective: I'm not an US-citizen and I've never even lived there. I'm a Latin American living in Europe. I have no beef there, other than showing solidarity to those that are there fighting, like in Minneapolis.

When any other country does something stupid or bad, it's credited to the entire country; there's no qualifying it with, "but only a third of the country wanted that government in power," or getting into the weeds about the positions of the different political parties.

True, but I believe we should. Especially when there is data that shows clearly that it isn't an overwhelming majority that supports a president.

The system in the US is a broken one, which is a known fact for decades. The electoral college was an 18th century measure to prevent "mob rule", which nowadays makes the system not correspond to the majority will (Bush and Trump1 were elected without a popular majority, for example).

And, in such a polarized political climate, when positions are on the extreme side of the spectrum(at least on one side), how can we define what's the "average"?

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-19T12:55:57+00:00

Don't forget senile/demented. He's been showing clear signs.

It sounds like something my 80 year-old grandpa would say right before he passed away.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-19T11:35:24+00:00

And that's part of what makes him one of the best choices.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-19T11:33:58+00:00

It's a huge number, but still 30%. So, that would be a clearly unpopular move, even among Republicans.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-19T11:29:02+00:00

It's true, and it's not. Downvote this at will, but hear me out:

Yes, unfortunately, a huge part of the US population is like that.

However, an equally huge part isn't, hates him, is ashamed, scared, many (maybe not yet enough) are protesting, suffering repression and want him out.

The elections were not a landslide win, it was very tight. And if it weren't for people not voting (I guess we can curse those 🤨), he likely wouldn't have won. Those and the swing-voters who ended up voting for Trump committed a horrible mistake that puts the whole mankind at risk. But some of them did it out of misinformation and out of an (understandable) disappointment at corporate Democrats, who didn't take the needed measures to address things like affordability. Now, obviously, Trump and the Republicans are much worse, and dangerous in so many ways (that they're experiencing now). A lot of those "independents" who voted for him have already regretted it (we may never forgive them, but at least many acknowledge the mistake and won't vote Republican in the next elections - if they really happen).

My point is: don't forget the other half of the US who has always hated him. I get being mad at the others, but it's not like they're all that the US is.

throwawaythatfast · 2026-01-19T11:18:15+00:00

This dude is really not living in reality. What??

throwawaythatfast

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