America - The Official Thread

[Outspacer]

Very thorough. Good stuff. I was legitimately interested so I took the time to watch the whole thing, which is unusual for me with random internet videos.

Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, sorry, I guess mentioning that he's a mathematician would've made it a less of a random drop.

7.7k dislikes on that video. Wow. Clearly that means a lot of people were displeased that it didn't affirm their beliefs. Of course I had to check the math on my hypothesis, so I crunched the numbers and it turns out a significant percentage of dislikes were, at least according to my calculations, displeased that he was drinking from a white mug. Weird.

(It should be super obvious that I didn't actually do any number crunching.)

I'm sure it tells us something... but not that

He got 1,500 downvotes on a video (with about the same number of views) about Monopoly somehow. Maybe a similiarity to the election one - perhaps the math didn't reveal how to win?!

 

[Danoff]

November '22 can't come soon enough so that I can put my vote in to hopefully get this piece of 🤬 moron out of office.

I was chatting about this with my wife, who works for a very large company (more than the 100 employee minimum for the OSHA vaccination thing). That company currently has in place a set of stricter standards than the "Biden Mandate". So her question to me was... is that "following the vaccine mandate" and therefore should be subject to the penalty? Or is it not because it's stricter.

How funny would it be if this fine, which puts companies in a no-win scenario, effectively forces them all to be more strict than the new requirement so that they can say they complied with both?

 

[McLaren]

DeSantis Warns Businesses Who Follow Biden's Vaccine Mandate Will Be Fined

"We are going to stand for the men and women who are serving us. We are going to protect Florida jobs," the Florida governor said.

www.newsweek.com

Florida man... DeSantis is off his rocker.

"We are going to stand for the men and women who are serving us. We are going to protect Florida jobs," the governor said. "We are not going to let people be fired because of a vaccine mandate."

OSHA's effectiveness is also undermined by its shortage of inspectors and resources. While OSHA is empowered to fine employers up to $13,600 per violation of the new rule, it is spread too thin to catch some violators.

Biden vaccine mandate will test OSHA, U.S. workplace regulator

The U.S. agency in charge of the Biden administration's new rules requiring COVID-19 vaccination at many private workplaces faces stiff challenges in developing and enforcing the mandate.

www.reuters.com

Protecting Florida jobs by deciding a $5K fine for each violation following the mandate or a $14K fine for each violation not following the mandate. Fine job with that proposal, DeSantis.

 

[Danoff]

My take on it right this second is... fine... good. Republicans can take on the crybaby mantle. I'm good with it.

And now, as a result, fraud has been claimed in what is obviously an overwhelming win for Newsom. Seems like a backfire for conspiracies.

 

[UKMikey]

And now, as a result, fraud has been claimed in what is obviously an overwhelming win for Newsom. Seems like a backfire for conspiracies.

Wait... so Newsom survived the recall? That sounds like a whole bunch of money flushed down the drain to achieve... what exactly?

 

[Danoff]

Trump... again...

Trump Calls Allies to Demand General Be Arrested for Treason

The former president hit the phones, and then went on his former press secretary’s Newsmax show to make the case himself.

www.thedailybeast.com

This can't be real can it?

 

[UKMikey]

Trump... again...

Trump Calls Allies to Demand General Be Arrested for Treason

The former president hit the phones, and then went on his former press secretary’s Newsmax show to make the case himself.

www.thedailybeast.com

This can't be real can it?

Does it count as TDS when he won't shut the hell up?

 

[TexRex]

Wait... so Newsom survived the recall? That sounds like a whole bunch of money flushed down the drain to achieve... what exactly?

A loss is less of a loss if it still accomplishes something, and this loss is likely to motivate the base for...something.

Trump... again...

Trump Calls Allies to Demand General Be Arrested for Treason

The former president hit the phones, and then went on his former press secretary’s Newsmax show to make the case himself.

www.thedailybeast.com

This can't be real can it?

How can it not?

 

[Danoff]

Trump... again...

Trump Calls Allies to Demand General Be Arrested for Treason

The former president hit the phones, and then went on his former press secretary’s Newsmax show to make the case himself.

www.thedailybeast.com

This can't be real can it?

OMG

Unbelievable. I'm at a loss. Not only is this deeply anti-American, but it's also politically stupid.

 

[UKMikey]

A loss is less of a loss if it still accomplishes something, and this loss is likely to motivate the base for...something.

It's certainly a fiscal loss for California's taxpayers but at least they won't have an anti-vaxxer for a governor.

 

[Joey D]

Not only is this deeply anti-American, but it's also politically stupid.

If you looked up Marjorie Taylor Greene in the dictionary, this would be the definition.

 

[TexRex]

Unbelievable. I'm at a loss. Not only is this deeply anti-American, but it's also politically stupid.

I don't know what I was expecting at the other end of that notification, but I don't think I'd ever have expected that response.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

As much as Fox News like to suggest that California is some sort of progressive dystopia, in my experience, outside of places like Oakland and parts of LA and San Francisco, I'd say its more of a moderate population when it comes down to it. Even San Francisco, home of Nancy herself, is a lot more moderate than you would expect...certainly moreso than Oakland or Berkeley which are not very large....and even THOSE cities are probably not more than 50% progressive ideologically.

All of which to say is this: Gavin Newsom's emphatic smackdown of the recall attempt is a really bad sign for the current GOP. I consider myself a moderate and at the moment I will gladly pay whatever it costs in "fees" (aka costs associated with having democratic leadership) to avoid having the absolutely bat**** crazy, lunatic, escaped the nuthouse current incarnation of the republican party having power. I should be up for grabs, the GOP should be like, "how can we get this guy's vote?" But all I need to see is MTG or that nutjob from CO and I run for the hills. The fact that the opposition to the recall was so motivated (turnout was impressively high for such an odd election) should also worry the GOP. People aren't just voting against them, they are rushing to vote against them.

I like Gavin - I used to think he was smarmy and fake...but the longer I've lived in Marin county, the more I realize he's just basically a Marin dude, hairstyle and all. He probably wears flip flops and shops at REI. He seems like a totally reasonable and level headed guy, he's governed in good faith, and the recall effort was a transparent partisan hack. My vote NO was as much about preserving that dude's political future as it was about preventing nutjob #4582 from stealing the office (and probably replacing Dianne Feinstein, who for the love of god needs to retire.)

 

[Danoff]

I don't know what I was expecting at the other end of that notification, but I don't think I'd ever have expected that response.

Hopefully we didn't miscommunicate there. I'm linking MTG's response to the article I posted - meaning that she's obviously bringing Trump's talking point (baldy) to twitter for him as directed. And that she's parroting trump's deeply troubling, politically stupid rehtoric.

 

[TexRex]

Hopefully we didn't miscommunicate there. I'm linking MTG's response to the article I posted - meaning that she's obviously bringing Trump's talking point (baldy) to twitter for him as directed. And that she's parroting trump's deeply troubling, politically stupid rehtoric.

Oh, no, not at all. It's just that I'd quoted a post of yours recently and while I wouldn't have known what sort of response to it I should expect, I definitely wasn't expecting a response to a [relevant] post from another thread.

I do think @Eunos_Cosmo calling you a nutjob may have been a bit harsh. Maybe you're an acquired taste.

 

[Danoff]

I guess I should go ahead and clarify why I think it's politically stupid too, because I read back through it and it took me a second to even remember what I was getting at there. My line of reasoning is that Gen. Mark Milley has said some pretty terrible things about Trump. He's all over the news (though I think it's disproportionately CNN), and his comments are the stuff of nightmares. What went down in the final days of the Trump Presidency, especially with Gen. Milley covering his bases, was exactly that stuff everyone was worried about. I'm glad someone at the top was paying attention.

So with that background, why the hell would Trump (and MTG) direct people's attention to this guy's statements? He's saying absolutely damning stuff, and with some level of credibility at that. Their base is blissfully unaware of anything that doesn't make it to OAN (and I'm reasonably sure Milley's statements aren't making headlines on OAN, even if I don't check the site). Why would you encourage your followers, with their blinders so securely fashioned, to look exactly where you don't want them to?

 

[TexRex]

What went down in the final days of the Trump Presidency, especially with Gen. Milley covering his bases, was exactly that stuff everyone was worried about.

I read a well-reasoned take that Milley, in saying what he said, doing what he did and attracting the attention that he's gotten, was effectively covering people around him. He gave people in that highly toxic environment permission to not toe the line by acting as a magnet for all of the shrapnel that was sure to fly.

Why would you encourage your followers, with their blinders so securely fashioned, to look exactly where you don't want them to?

Given religious cult parallels, this feels like a test of faith--leading the flock to temptation. The thinking, whether it's right or not, may be that a smaller, more dedicated in-group is more effective.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Oh, no, not at all. It's just that I'd quoted a post of yours recently and while I wouldn't have known what sort of response to it I should expect, I definitely wasn't expecting a response to a [relevant] post from another thread.

I do think @Eunos_Cosmo calling you a nutjob may have been a bit harsh. Maybe you're an acquired taste.

I didn't mean to discount the possibility of there being nutjobs in Texas, too.

 

[TexRex]

Twenty years ago today, Balbir Singh Sodhi, an American Sikh, was shot and killed in Mesa, Arizona in an act of hate as retaliation for the September 11th terrorist attacks.

 

[Biggles]

Twenty years ago today, Balbir Singh Sodhi, an American Sikh, was shot and killed in Mesa, Arizona in an act of hate as retaliation for the September 11th terrorist attacks.

On the other hand, in Canada:

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (Democratic Socialists), is currently polling as the most personally popular of the major parties' leaders.

 

[McLaren]

On the other hand, in Canada:

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (Democratic Socialists), is currently polling as the most personally popular of the major parties' leaders.

View attachment 1080744

I caught this guy on Twitch a couple times through various streamers. Don't know any of his politics, but outside that world, he's a really funny & chill dude.

 

[Biggles]

... and Canada's Minister of Defence, Harjjit (Badass) Sajjan :

 

[Danoff]

More on Gen. Milley:

• Milley expressed concerns about Trump's "trigger point" and told senior military officials they needed his authorization to launch a nuclear strike even if Trump ordered it, according to passages of “Peril,” a book from Woodward and fellow Washington Post reporter Robert Costa, which were reported by CNN.
• Milley had received a call from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – who contemporaneously made public her demands that Milley “[prevent] an unhinged president from using the nuclear codes” – reportedly telling her “I agree with you on everything,” after she said Trump has “been crazy for a long time.”
• Milley told a number of top military and intelligence officials, including NSA director Paul Nakasone and CIA Director Gina Haspel, to be on high alert and “aggressively watch everything,” according to the excerpts.
• Haspel reportedly expressed severe concerns to Milley, telling him, “We are on the way to a right-wing coup. This whole thing is insanity,” and accusing Trump of “acting out like a six-year-old with a tantrum.”
• Milley called his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng, on January 8 and told him, “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you,” even pledging to call Zuocheng “ahead of time” so a U.S. attack wouldn’t be a “surprise,” according to excerpts of the book reported by the Washington Post.

Trump says this is treason.

Milley Apparently said this:

According to the book excerpts, just two days after pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building in a bid to disrupt certification of the election results, Milley called a secret meeting of senior officials to review the process to launch new military action, to include the launch of nuclear weapons.

“No matter what you are told, you do the procedure. You do the process. And I’m part of that procedure,” Milley told the officers, according to the excerpts.

It's not clear to me that he was actually part of that procedure. He was potentially inserting himself into the procedure. So we have two things which could be potentially be called "treason" as best I can tell. 1) Milley inserted himself as a check into the nuclear launch procedure. 2) Milley called china to say that the US is not going to attack. I disagree that either of these could be called "treason".

Number 1 would only possibly be a problem if the president ordered them not to check with milley and they disobeyed orders and checked with him anyway. Or, assuming that didn't happen, that they check with Milley and he disagrees with the president and whoever is supposed to launch sides with Milley and not the president. That could be an official break in the chain of command and a real issue while Trump is commander in chief. But that's not what happened.

Number 2 would only possibly be a problem if Trump had intended to launch an attack against China and either Milley refused or somehow Milley told China ahead of time. Calling them to say "everything is fine" is apparently within his duties.

All of this leads me to believe that Trump is furious about this because he thinks that the should have had the authority to launch a nuclear attack against China (for no apparent reason) days after January 6th without question, and/or anyone else. Trump's anger at this is extra concerning given what it means he felt he should have had the ability to do. None of this assuages Milley's fears, in fact, it makes it seem even more likely that Milley had a good read on the President's state of mind.

Trump is learning here. If he is re-elected, expect him to put in place top generals that will allow him to carry out his coup.

 

[Exorcet]

I disagree that either of these could be called "treason".

Whatever they are, they make me a bit more confident in the US military.

 

[TexRex]

On the other hand, in Canada:

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (Democratic Socialists), is currently polling as the most personally popular of the major parties' leaders.

View attachment 1080744

I'm not sure I understand how this is a response--much less an "on the other hand"--to the post of mine that was quoted.

 

[Biggles]

I'm not sure I understand how this is a response--much less an "on the other hand"--to the post of mine that was quoted.

I guess it's me saying, it's not all racist bad. Things can move on from that. There's certainly been prejudice expressed in Canada also, but we now have a prominent party leader who is a turbaned Sikh, charismatic & popular, & also a Minister of Defence who is a Sikh.

 

[UKMikey]

More on Gen. Milley:


Trump says this is treason.

Milley Apparently said this:



It's not clear to me that he was actually part of that procedure. He was potentially inserting himself into the procedure. So we have two things which could be potentially be called "treason" as best I can tell. 1) Milley inserted himself as a check into the nuclear launch procedure. 2) Milley called china to say that the US is not going to attack. I disagree that either of these could be called "treason".

Number 1 would only possibly be a problem if the president ordered them not to check with milley and they disobeyed orders and checked with him anyway. Or, assuming that didn't happen, that they check with Milley and he disagrees with the president and whoever is supposed to launch sides with Milley and not the president. That could be an official break in the chain of command and a real issue while Trump is commander in chief. But that's not what happened.

Number 2 would only possibly be a problem if Trump had intended to launch an attack against China and either Milley refused or somehow Milley told China ahead of time. Calling them to say "everything is fine" is apparently within his duties.

All of this leads me to believe that Trump is furious about this because he thinks that the should have had the authority to launch a nuclear attack against China (for no apparent reason) days after January 6th without question, and/or anyone else. Trump's anger at this is extra concerning given what it means he felt he should have had the ability to do. None of this assuages Milley's fears, in fact, it makes it seem even more likely that Milley had a good read on the President's state of mind.

Trump is learning here. If he is re-elected, expect him to put in place top generals that will allow him to carry out his coup.

If this is true, I think we finally found the Trump derangement syndrome. It seems to have been coming from inside the Trump.

I hope Lincoln Project and/or the other guys who make attack ads turn this into a hot "button" subject if he or one of his minions should run for President in 2024 or it could be bye, bye planet.

 

[TexRex]

I guess it's me saying, it's not all racist bad. Things can move on from that. There's certainly been prejudice expressed in Canada also, but we now have a prominent party leader who is a turbaned Sikh, charismatic & popular, & also a Minister of Defence who is a Sikh.

...

What?

I didn't say it's all racist bad. What I said can't reasonably be interpreted as it all being racist bad.

Balbir Singh Sodhi was an American. He was killed because other Americans were killed. His murder wasn't wrong because of his race. His murder was wrong was because it was an act of vengeance for what others did.

 

[Dotini]

The General Milley issue is getting more attention on the nightly network TV news. It seems to have implications on civilian control of the military. Perhaps this issue will forge ahead.

On a related issue, it appears that President Biden may occasionally be unplugged or censored by unknown parties (on his staff?) on a handful of recent occasions.

 

[TexRex]

Cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann indicted on allegations of lying to the FBI. Sussmann, who is linked to the 2016 Clinton campaign, is the second individual indicted in the Durham investigation into the origins of "Crossfire Hurricane," now 28 months in.

By comparison, the redacted full final Mueller report on an investigation that resulted in multiple convictions was released to the public 23 months and countless protestations by Republicans about cost and duration after special counsel's appointment.

Marcy Wheeler has been following and reporting on the Durham investigation basically from the beginning, and has an ongoing thread on today's news.