America - The Official Thread

[MIE1992]

Why do so many politicians have punchable faces?

And while "cancel culture" is sort of annoying on some level, it's by no means in bed with China or Chinese Communism. If the government was censoring people, then sure, I'd agree. But when it's just a mob mentality on the Internet that's pretty far from China since the Internet is so locked down there I'm not even sure that could happen.

I usually thought that "punchable faces" were, in practice, just faces of people you didn't like for reasons other than their actual face. As far as "cancel culture" goes, I think it's right in some places (e.g. Harvey Weinstein getting ousted) and wrong in others. The applications of this supposed movement seems to be better-judged on a case-by-case basis, rather than with sweeping generalizations.

For what it's worth, I enthusiastically support Weinstein's ousting, because even if his behavior hypothetically wasn't grossly sexist, it betrays my vision of America as a meritocracy. When people like him are in power, you don't need to be a talented actor, you just need to be a pretty one. A moral producer, who I hope will replace Weinstein's niche, should pick the most qualified actor for the role(s), not which ones will sleep with him.

Fun fact: I know an NYC-based actor with the same last name, but no relation to Harvey.

 

[Famine]

Why do so many politicians have punchable faces?

He looks like if Mandy Patinkin had gone into politics and just at that moment realised he'd accidentally become a Nazi (which would be pretty awkward for a Jew).

 

[Dotini]

Wells Fargo shutting down personal lines of credit.

Wells Fargo tells customers it’s shuttering all personal lines of credit

Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf has been forced to make hard decisions during the pandemic, offloading assets and deposits and stepping back from some products.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Keef]

Wells Fargo shutting down personal lines of credit.

Wells Fargo tells customers it’s shuttering all personal lines of credit

Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf has been forced to make hard decisions during the pandemic, offloading assets and deposits and stepping back from some products.

www.cnbc.com

Coulda sworn that revolving credit was an ingenious perpetual-profit machine invented by banks but apparently I was wrong. Are they pissed off because people are actually paying back their loans and/or interest rates are too low to profit?

Should I do this with my credit union right now to consolidate my credit cards? They've taken a mighty hit while I've been off work.

 

[andrea]

He had a good ride.

 

[Danoff]

Coulda sworn that revolving credit was an ingenious perpetual-profit machine invented by banks but apparently I was wrong. Are they pissed off because people are actually paying back their loans and/or interest rates are too low to profit?

Should I do this with my credit union right now to consolidate my credit cards? They've taken a mighty hit while I've been off work.

Wells Fargo's books are capped due to their scandal a few years back. Their personal lines of credit were preventing them from expanding into credit cards (they're about to release a new VISA card). They still don't offer new HELOCs for the same reason - they can't expand. At the moment, it looks like there is no set date for their exit from the asset cap, but people are speculating next year they might be able to.

 

[JKgo]

Right now South Africa is mired in massive riots taking place in several urban centres. This whole ********* started when Jacob Zuma, the former President of RSA, was given a jail term of 15 months for contempt of court, and his "supporters" decided that it's high time to go on a rampage to free their corrupt leader.

It's a bit of a long story, so I suggest you might as well google it instead.

This situation got me thinking, though - what would happen if FBI or whoever decided to charge Trump and indict him?

The world witnessed the Jan 6 disgrace because Trump said the election was stolen from him. I can kind of imagine MAGA/QANON mob doing something even worse, maybe on the similar level of rioting going on in South Africa right now.

☹️

 

[Joey D]

This situation got me thinking, though - what would happen if FBI or whoever decided to charge Trump and indict him?

Likely the same thing going on in South Africa.

And while I'm not up and up on South African...well anything besides things like spinning, Die Antwoord, and the completely nuts Suidlanders, it seems like Zuma is sort of the South African equivalent of Trump. I have to imagine Zuma's supporters and Trump's supporters are roughly in the same mental state, so I could see the outcome being the same if Trump was indicted.

 

[JKgo]

Likely the same thing going on in South Africa.

And while I'm not up and up on South African...well anything besides things like spinning, Die Antwoord, and the completely nuts Suidlanders, it seems like Zuma is sort of the South African equivalent of Trump. I have to imagine Zuma's supporters and Trump's supporters are roughly in the same mental state, so I could see the outcome being the same if Trump was indicted.

Hopefully this possibility does not deter your authorities from trying to put Trump away if it comes to that.

As for Zuma/Trump comparison, there are times I think it's on point but some other times, Trump's nothing compared to our singing, chanting former President.

You can argue with me on this one when Trump's been charged with over 700 (!) cases of various levels of corruption. 😅

 

[GranTurNismo]

delete

 

[Danoff]

delete

I read what you had posted there, it was a nice post. I'll just say two things which sprang to mind while I was reading it. First, economic sanctions basically never work, at least as best I can tell. We have a much better track record of influencing nations by intertwining with their economics rather than by isolating from them. Second, the Fox News train is already all over democrats being supportive of communism, so backing off now would just make them look like pinkos.

 

[GranTurNismo]

I read what you had posted there, it was a nice post. I'll just say two things which sprang to mind while I was reading it. First, economic sanctions basically never work, at least as best I can tell. We have a much better track record of influencing nations by intertwining with their economics rather than by isolating from them. Second, the Fox News train is already all over democrats being supportive of communism, so backing off now would just make them look like pinkos.

Made a separate thread devoted to all things Cuba, and revised my original post. Thanks.

 

[huskeR32]

I’m quite sure Texas Republicans are applauding this, but they ought to be embarrassed. This is some really pathetic snowflake nonsense.

 

[Danoff]

I’m quite sure Texas Republicans are applauding this, but they ought to be embarrassed. This is some really pathetic snowflake nonsense.

How exactly do you vote to arrest someone?

 

[huskeR32]

How exactly do you vote to arrest someone?

Damn good question. I'm sure the action is toothless and utterly unfounded in any legal basis.

 

[McLaren]

Arresting your political “opponents” b/c they won’t play ball with your views.

Because that can’t possibly lead to anything bad happening….

 

[Danoff]

Damn good question. I'm sure the action is toothless and utterly unfounded in any legal basis.

Arresting your political “opponents” b/c they won’t play ball with your views.

Because that can’t possibly lead to anything bad happening….

It looks like it's not an arrest for a crime. There is some kind of provision whereby lawmakers who are delinquent in showing up to legislative sessions can be brought to the legislative session in police custody. I'm not sure exactly how something like that works, I don't think they're actually facing prosecution of a crime. "Arrest" in this case seems more like a compulsory police escort to the legislative session. I bet somewhere it says in Texas state law that this can be done to legislators, still, I actually wonder if that's constitutional.

Edit:

House Rules Section 8, "may be arrested... and their attendance secured and retained".

Embedding doesn't work for this link.

Edit 2:

I have to think there is a constitutionality question on this one as it seems on the face like it violates due process. It's a weird provision to say that someone can be arrested without being charged with a crime.

 

[McLaren]

It looks like it's not an arrest for a crime. There is some kind of provision whereby lawmakers who are delinquent in showing up to legislative sessions can be brought to the legislative session in police custody. I'm not sure exactly how something like that works, I don't think they're actually facing prosecution of a crime. "Arrest" in this case seems more like a compulsory police escort to the legislative session. I bet somewhere it says in Texas state law that this can be done to legislators, still, I actually wonder if that's constitutional.

Edit:

House Rules Section 8, may be arrested to secure the quorum.

Embedding doesn't work for this link.

I guess that's on me. When I hear arrest, I assume it's as you described.

If they are in D.C., though, how will this work? Can Texas just send officers outside the state to grab someone who's not actually committing a crime?

 

[Danoff]

I guess that's on me. When I hear arrest, I assume it's as you described.

If they are in D.C., though, how will this work? Can Texas just send officers outside the state to grab someone who's not actually committing a crime?

No, it looks like they can't get them while they're outside of the state. The vows of arrest have been made for when they "set foot" back in Texas.

 

[UKMikey]

It sounds like an episode of Walker. Although maybe not the new kitchen-sink drama reboot version.

 

[McLaren]

No, it looks like they can't get them while they're outside of the state. The vows of arrest have been made for when they "set foot" back in Texas.

So... they're basically filibustering in a way.

 

[Danoff]

So... they're basically filibustering in a way.

This is what we get for discussing the same thing in two threads. 🙂

It's like a light version of a filibuster.

The filibuster is the best possible comparison to this, and to that end, Republicans don't have the votes to clear a 60% threshold (they account for 55% of the Texas House of Representatives). I feel like if you agree with the spirit of the filibuster, you have to agree with this, but then if it wasn't for double standards, Republicans would have no standards at all.

 

[TexRex]

This is an appeal rather than any sort of command, in no small part because I have no authority.

I think the 2020 election thread is still relevant with active and pending January 6th investications investigations as well as active and pending result contests and ramifications for impropriety in contesting results, but discussion regarding things that will impact future elections, despite efforts by Republicans to make voting more difficult undoubtedly being a reaction to results of the 2020 elections, maybe ought to be kept out of it.

("Investications"?)

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

They should've went to Cancun.

 

[TexRex]

They should've went to Cancun.

 

[Joey D]

Remember when Republicans said keep politics out of sports? Pepperidge farm remembers.

Republicans take a swing in Georgia over All-Star Game's relocation | CNN Politics

Republicans are set to run ads during Tuesday night's All-Star Game blaming Democrats for fans in Georgia having to catch the action on television from Colorado -- rather than live at Truist Park in Atlanta.

www.cnn.com

Never mind that Colorado is an infinitely better place to stage an all-star game. Dingers for days.

 

[TexRex]

Remember when Republicans said keep politics out of sports? Pepperidge farm remembers.

Republicans take a swing in Georgia over All-Star Game's relocation | CNN Politics

Republicans are set to run ads during Tuesday night's All-Star Game blaming Democrats for fans in Georgia having to catch the action on television from Colorado -- rather than live at Truist Park in Atlanta.

www.cnn.com

Never mind that Colorado is an infinitely better place to stage an all-star game. Dingers for days.

 

[TexRex]

 

[TexRex]

Of course, Biden still manages to be orders of magnitude better than Trump because he doesn't operate like a ****ing despot. And how sad is that?

 

[Joey D]

Of course, Biden still manages to be orders of magnitude better than Trump because he doesn't operate like a ****ing despot. And how sad is that?

I agree. While Biden is significantly better than Trump, I don't think he's been a good president so far. This could change over the next four years since anything can happen, but I'm not confident of that. I'd love to be wrong though because I want the president to do well and lead the nation.