The American Politics Thread

this is the most alarming statement I have so far heard from someone of the Trump administration

http://tinyurl.com/z437vz6

this should ring every alarm bell in any person who believes in democracy. Bannon openly declares that the Trump administration wants to "deconstruct an outdated system of governance". this is extremely similar to Nazi rhetoric of the Weimar republic. "the womb is fertile still from which that crawled" (Bertolt Brecht)

JJLehto wrote: Speaking of massive tax cuts.... The latest result from Sam Brownback's "live experiment" are in: It continues to be a failure. So much so much of his party has accepted it.  So Brownback cut taxes for the wealthy and many businesses in Kansas, claiming it would spur on growth.  This never happened, just leaving them with a huge deficit, which he tried to close with drastic cuts to education and raising taxes that fell hardest on the middle down.  Guess all this still wasn't enough...the state legislature (dominated by conservative Republicans) passed a bill repealing his tax cuts Which he vetoed...and the legislature fell 3 votes short of overriding. http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article134334184.html As this article says, he's off to spend the rest of the week in DC while the state now has to grapple with a new way to close their $1 billion gap.  Class warfare exists, it's waged by the top on all the rest of us! And Brownback....what a fiscally irresponsible a****le!

nomen est omen. of course someone named "Brownback" is an a****le

js (Easy Money) wrote: Surely Trump's rise to power via immigrate bashing has scary parallels to the Nazi party, and his cozy relationship with Putin is also disturbing, but his possible impeachment would be a double-edged sword for the US. Most House Republicans would much rather work with Pence than Trump, and of course Trump's impeachment would make that possible. Whereas Trump is a mixed bag on many issues dear to Republicans, Pence is in lock step with the Republican establishment and would be able to get a lot more of their agenda accomplished. I wouldn't mind seeing Trump impeached, especially since he comes across as such a complete jerk, but the emergence of a more professional and polite President Pence does not equal sunny days ahead for the US.

timothy leary wrote: ^only if you don't care about the planet

I was being sarcastic


Edited by BaldJean - February 22 2017 at 17:46

looks as if Scott Pruit is just the right person for being head of the EPA:

http://tinyurl.com/zjoxz26

Xurtio wrote: Politics makes us mean and dumb: http://emotionresearcher.com/politics-makes-us-mean-and-dumb/

omphaloskepsis wrote: Xurtio wrote: Politics makes us mean and dumb: http://emotionresearcher.com/politics-makes-us-mean-and-dumb/ Very good article.  I wouldn't mind discussing politics sans sarcasm and meaness.  If I've offended anyone with a sarcasm or meaness; I apologize.

It's a too provocative title for my tastes, but it is an excellent article. I was familiar with the writer already. I'd like to be a Vulcan when it comes to politics -- dispassionate, logical, and open to new ideas and to the possibility of being wrong (basically following scientific methodology at coming up with likely truth and probabilities). We should all be skeptical of what we hold as true. We do all have our biases, and I think it's very important for good political deliberation to take place that people really listen to ideas that may not fit their preconceptions. Far too often political discussion ends up becoming debates where people are trying to win arguments than actually arrive at truths or gain new perspective (painful though they may be). People are inclined to be defensive and dismiss opinions that are at odds with their own, and to only seek out like-minded individuals (thinkers they agree with) to confirm their own biases -- political and confirmation biases abound.

Xurtio wrote: Politics makes us mean and dumb: http://emotionresearcher.com/politics-makes-us-mean-and-dumb/

The end is nigh.

BaldJean wrote: the conclusion is Trump is a prophet. he is the new Messiah! let us strew his path with palm leaves, let us bathe his feet, dry them with our hair and then anoint them with balm. too bad I have to pass on that due to lack of hair

I'm sorry Jean, but a prophet of doom is not a new phenomenon.