2024 US Presidential Election Thread

[TexRex]

Infidelity is a violation of another's trust, not rights. Solicitation itself violates neither. They're not comparable things and neither are comparable to sexual predation and exploitation of minors.

Sexual intercourse with a minor isn't inherently a rights violation. One who is a minor and who engages in non-coercive sexual intercourse with another minor has violated no rights. One who is only as of recently not a minor and who engages in non-coercive sexual intercourse with a minor has violated no rights, even as one may have violated the law--termed statutory rape. It's not a perfect situation. I think statutes that provide for an age differential do a better job of protecting individual rights while respecting individual rights. Now one who engages in sexual intercourse with a minor a greater number of years their junior isn't sure to have violated another's rights, but the rate and likelihood of coercion (including that which doesn't involve physical force, as extortion or some other means) increases.

 

[Kriptical]

It isn't. Wikipedia:

"Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation."

Sex trafficking is not the same thing as sex working. Consent is the difference.

Yes. Join them.

Referring to sex with a 17 year old as "infidelity" is joining the group that is not batting an eye at sex with a 17 year old. I don't know whether it was infidelity, but if it was infidelity, it was infidelity AND, in Florida, statutory rape. So to call it infidelity is to "not bat an eye" at statutory rape.

Sex work is not the same thing as trafficking. I don't know why you would think of sex work as being equally offensive to infidelity, but neither should be illegal in my view.

What you did, from my perspective, was conflate statutory rape with something that isn't a crime.

Why do you assume I wouldn’t bat an eye? I stated, that back then they wouldn’t have batted and eye, and apparently still don’t.

Also…who said sex work = infidelity.

Im judging the ‘john,’ in this situation, not their counterpart. Degree’s of willingness’s, or ability to consent, aside. Apologies, thought that was clear.


I guess my surprise comes from people being surprised when these people reveal that they in fact, don’t really care about these things.

..i mean..generation; she was just 17, if you know what i mean, has been pretty obvious about their douche proclivities.

@TexRex hence why i provided the qualifier: ‘because, i’m not the law.’

Im glad the law(exist), but don’t need it to guide my moral compass. Personally, anyone in their 40’s dating anyone younger than about 26 is creepy af..likely predatory. But thats my opinion and doesn’t make sense as a law. Ill still be judgy about it though.

 

[Danoff]

Why do you assume I wouldn’t bat an eye?

Was this infidelity? I don't know. I don't really care, as it's not really my business whether it's infidelity. But let's suppose that it was. If that's true, then what we know of the event so far is that it's all of these things.

A) Infidelity
B) Sex Trafficking
C) Statutory Rape


It's infidelity because we're assuming that's the case. I don't know whether it's the case, but it makes this discussion easier. It's sex trafficking because the 17 year old girl cannot consent to sex work. And it's Statutory rape because he was older than the Florida statute (24 I think?) and she because she was 17.


Now you called it infidelity. The reason I say you're not batting an eye is because you completely ignored the two much more serious issues B and C when you just call it A.

I guess my surprise comes from people being surprised when these people reveal that they in fact, don’t really care about these things.

You don't help that situation when you minimize it to be A and not B or C. Especially when B and C are far more serious.

 

[Kriptical]

Was this infidelity? I don't know. I don't really care, as it's not really my business whether it's infidelity. But let's suppose that it was. If that's true, then what we know of the event so far is that it's all of these things.

A) Infidelity
B) Sex Trafficking
C) Statutory Rape


It's infidelity because we're assuming that's the case. I don't know whether it's the case, but it makes this discussion easier. It's sex trafficking because the 17 year old girl cannot consent to sex work. And it's Statutory rape because he was older than the Florida statute (24 I think?) and she because she was 17.


Now you called it infidelity. The reason I say you're not batting an eye is because you completely ignored the two much more serious issues B and C when you just call it A.

You don't help that situation when you minimize it to be A and not B or C. Especially when B and C are far more serious.

I called it A because the point was made regarding the John in the situation. The point was made regarding general observed behavior over the years, as to my original point, but i did kinda wrap gaetz in there and understand it being a bit ambiguous.

Tldr: im judging the John twice, once morally, once ethically.

I’m not helping, or hurting that situation. Its a simple attempt to highlight the absurdity of expecting these people to have a moral compass. Also, when people you think should have a moral compass and should care about this…don’t.. Possibly…it might be time to accept these people are telling you about themselves.

Obviously, this is a general sentiment.

 

[Imari]

Todays’s sex trafficking was yesterday’s high priced escort.

Yeah, that's why we now have the term sex trafficking. A lot of escorts in the past were sex trafficking victims.

Some still are, but it's hopefully less now that there's more awareness. Sex work is fine if people are doing it voluntarily, or at least as voluntarily as any other type of work. Functional coercion or slavery is no more acceptable in sex work than any other industry.

 

[Tornado]

Trump picks someone for Surgeon General who at least isn't outwardly an idiot (ie. pro-vaccines and seemingly somewhat supportive of Biden COVID policies at the time) and suddenly it's completely Joever for his administration for people on Twitter.


lol

 

[Joey D]

Trump pics someone for Surgeon General who at least isn't outwardly an idiot (ie. pro-vaccines and seemingly somewhat supportive of Biden COVID policies at the time) and suddenly it's completely Joever for his administration for people on Twitter.


lol

Unfortunately, she's an idiot.

She was into pseudo COVID cures:


She didn't understand why schools were closed during a pandemic:


She's anti COVID vax for kids:


She sells Dr. Oz like "natural medicines"

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She thinks Jesus cures people:

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She called the COVID vaccine a "gift from god" instead of, you know, acknowledging all her peers who made the whole thing possible.

She's the medical director for City MD, which has a decent history of Medicare/Medicaid billing fraud.

She graduated from the American University of the Caribbean, which is about as bottom of the barrel as you can get in terms of medical schools.

But she's just pro-vaccine enough to make Trump cultists hate her. I can't wait to see her and Bobby F. Brainworm in the same room with Dr. Oz (that's a medical dream time if I've ever seen one).

 

[Liquid]

She called the COVID vaccine a "gift from god"

Sometimes, just sometimes, I think that people with this mindset are worse than murderers.

 

[McLaren]

Oh boy, so she's yet another snakeoil salesman who regularly goes on Fox News. How surprising of yet another moronic pick.

 

[p78]

Pretty harsh, I know, but one can one hope, a lot of these dumb people die over the next 4 years.
But it will still be Bidens fault.

 

[Danoff]

I called it A because the point was made regarding the John in the situation.

Honestly, I still don't even know if A is an appropriate thing to call it. Not sure you do either. But yes, you're adding just a tiny bit of harm to the situation by ignoring the crime to call out the non-crime.

Tldr: im judging the John twice, once morally, once ethically.

So far I've only seen you complain about infidelity. So perhaps you have a moral and ethical issue about that.

Its a simple attempt to highlight the absurdity of expecting these people to have a moral compass. Also, when people you think should have a moral compass and should care about this…don’t.. Possibly…it might be time to accept these people are telling you about themselves.

I'm not sure who this is for. One way I could take it is that you're telling me that you think statutory rape is ok and I haven't been quick enough to accept that.

You and I are in violent agreement over Gaetz. But you're focusing your condemnation of him over a perceived break of a promise to his to a significant other. Even though as far as I know you have no evidence of such a promise and aren't privileged to any personal relationship details Gaetz has with any significant other. So as far as I know, you're condemning Gaetz for legal activity that you don't even know whether he actually did.

On the other hand, I'm condemning him for engaging in prostitution with someone who legally cannot consent to such an act under the law in the state in which the event occurred. When you made a comment about infidelity, I merely pointed you to the actual offense. For some reason, you've wanted to argue with this. I'm really not sure why. I guess you just don't mind that she was 17.

To be clear, my view on this is probably actually less judgmental than yours. You're saying you're judging him twice. I'm really only barely judging him once, and it's mostly about breaking the law. Whether a 17 year old can consent is something that a lot of states have different takes on. I do not think that Gaetz's various criminal offenses in this event would have been illegal in every state, especially if you could break them up across states. So for example prostitution is legal in Nevada. And sex with a 17 year old is ok in some states.

However...

I don't think there's any state where prostitution of a 17 year old is ok. I might be able to get on board with 17 year old sexual consent under certain circumstances. But consent to sex seems like the bare minimum prerequisite for being able to consent to sex work. Given that 18 year olds are able to consent to sex work in pornographic films (at least in some states, I don't know about all), I guess 18 seems like a fair minimum for sex work. But honestly, I think I might be in favor of raising the minimum age for sex work of all kinds over 18. 21 seems a lot more appropriate. This is the first time I've really considered this in detail.

Anyway, sex trafficking a 17 year old is and should be (morally) a criminal offense for Gaetz. Infidelity should never be. None of this has anything to do with whether I expect Gaetz to have a moral compass. I don't. I just also don't think bringing up infidelity makes a lot of sense in this particular case, for several reasons, not the least of which is that we don't necessarily know whether it was actually infidelity.

[/beating dead horse]

 

[eran0004]

She knows why you should avoid military conflicts as plague.

She categorically does not. The fact that she is supporting the aggressor in the Russia-Ukraine war shows that.

 

[Keef]

Are you guys prepared to feel absolutely ashamed of your country for the next four years as basically all of our ambassadors and representatives make a complete fool of us on the international stage? Remember how fun that was last time?

 

[Blitz24]

Are you guys prepared to feel absolutely ashamed of your country for the next four years as basically all of our ambassadors and representatives make a complete fool of us on the international stage? Remember how fun that was last time?

We are trying to be #1 in embarrassment.

 

[Danoff]

Are you guys prepared to feel absolutely ashamed of your country for the next four years

I'm not thinking this is over in four years.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Trump to nominate Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary, a hedge fund billionaire who spent the bulk of his career at Soros Capital Management, as in GEORGE SOROS. He would also be the first LGBT Treasury secretary thus far. Holy hell the deep state conspiracy theorists heads are going to explode and I’m here for it.

If there's any silver lining, he's been described as strongly in favor of free trade, through and through. He is more likely to act in the interest of markets and status quo and less likely to be willing to sign on to across the board tariffs, crypto BS, needless protectionism, etc, than the other option, Howard Lutnick, who was the guy Elon was cheerleading for. Seems like a continuation of Steve Mnuchin.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/22/scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-trump-00188549

 

[Touring Mars]

There's one thing worse than having a convicted criminal as President, and that's having a President who cannot be a criminal...

Jack Smith drops federal criminal cases against Trump

Jack Smith asked a judge to dismiss a federal election interference case and a classified documents case.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Fezzik]

No a president can be a criminal, just not whilst he’s president.

 

[Blitz24]

They dismissed it so they can try to bring it back in 4 years. There's no reason to keep it open as he will quash it.

 

[McLaren]

25% on Mexico & Canada, our biggest trade partners because of a boogey-man "open border" between the two.

"On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," he said in a post on Truth Social.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-promises-25-tariff-products-mexico-canada-2024-11-25/

Notice this guy also words it as Mexico & Canada being charged. What a colossally stupid ass.

 

[UKMikey]

"Remember when maple syrup was under $35 a gallon?" -- US consumers next year.

Also, "Mexico will pay for the tacos".

 

[Blitz24]

25% on Mexico & Canada, our biggest trade partners because of a boogey-man "open border" between the two.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-promises-25-tariff-products-mexico-canada-2024-11-25/

Notice this guy also words it as Mexico & Canada being charged. What a colossally stupid ass.

So the treaty we made during his administration has been ripped up. Cool.

 

[Joey D]

"Remember when maple syrup was under $35 a gallon?" -- US consumers next year.

Thankfully (or maybe unthankfully), the maple syrup from Canada is controlled by an incredibly successful cartel that is borderline a mafia with a massive stockpile of syrup (that's been heisted before) so they control prices pretty well. I imagine they'll flood the market if the tariffs get too high which will lower the overall cost of the syrup. They absolutely do not want people not buying syrup and will manipulate the market to make that happen.

 

[UKMikey]

Thankfully (or maybe unthankfully), the maple syrup from Canada is controlled by an incredibly successful cartel that is borderline a mafia with a massive stockpile of syrup (that's been heisted before) so they control prices pretty well. I imagine they'll flood the market if the tariffs get too high which will lower the overall cost of the syrup. They absolutely do not want people not buying syrup and will manipulate the market to make that happen.

Mental image of US cities being drowned by a huge wave of sticky syrup. Guess they don't want to rack up molasses more losses.

Hopefully your Mexican food suppliers have implemented similar protection rackets. I imagine anything made by your neighbours which is also made in other countries will be badly affected though.

 

[Meythia]

I imagine anything made by your neighbours which is also made in other countries will be badly affected though.

So, this actually is an intented way of reducing obesity?

 

[Scaff]

Hopefully your Mexican food suppliers have implemented similar protection rackets. I imagine anything made by your neighbours which is also made in other countries will be badly affected though.

True, but this is day 1 tariffs, I very much doubt they are the last, just the countries at the top of the Trump hate list.

 

[UKMikey]

So, this actually is an intented way of reducing obesity?

It's not just food. The article mentions car manufacturers who make vehicles in Mexico to save costs. Plus the knock on effect on American producers when the other countries inevitably impose mirror tariffs on their goods won't help the US economy.

True, but this is day 1 tariffs, I very much doubt they are the last, just the countries at the top of the Trump hate list.

****ler wants to ensure China comes off the worst. Bye bye iPhones. Regrettably there aren't such things as TrumpPhones to fill the market gap.

 

[Scaff]

It's not just food. The article mentions car manufacturers who make vehicles in Mexico to save costs. Plus the knock on effect on American producers when the other countries inevitably impose mirror tariffs on their goods won't help the US economy.

Canada also exports a large amount of raw materials used by manufacturers (I suspect the same is true for Mexico, and 100% is true for China), so even US-manufactured goods are not going to escape price rises.

Hold on...

...Trump seems to be used the impression that Canada is now a major source of crime and drugs to the US? I know attempted crossings have increased, but it's a fraction of that in the south.

 

[UKMikey]

It's the economy, and he's stupid.

 

[Blitz24]

All you have to do is find something that he likes that will cost a lot more and he will change his mind.