CNN on Monday also reported new details of the depth of the conspiracy to steal President Joe Biden's election win. Multiple sources said that Trump aides drafted two versions of an executive order to seize voting machines intended for the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. While the orders were never issued, they flesh out the depravity of the plotting in the final days of Trump's White House that had more in common with a developing world tyrant's desperate bid to cling to power than the conduct expected of a US President.
In another development, the National Archives on Monday also released an extraordinary statement saying that West Wing documents sent to the agency had been torn up by the former President and had to be taped up before they were handed to the January 6 committee -- casual destruction of what has now become evidence in a congressional inquiry that also serves as a fresh reminder of Trump's contempt for history and record keeping.
Donald Trump is used to trying to hide his criminality by destroying records. Thankfully others followed the law.
Well in this case the superintendent pulled the book based on a single white parent's objections to some sexually suggestive language. Pulled it in violation of his district's own policies. How would you like to bin that?
Graham isn't ignorant - he's trading is soft anti-Semitic tropes. No Christian in Kagan's place - however playfully - would be asked where they were on Passover. No this is classic high society white southern anti-Semitism in full bore.
And the Trumpists and antivaxxers were struggling to understand why the Good Samaritan did the right and just thing . . . . why Jesus ate with tax collectors, and why he fed the crowd with the 5 loaves and 2 fish instead of turning the unprepared crowd away.
If everything remains in the public square, you can't make statements about good versus evil. because its all equally good and bad to someone somewhere.
Nope - you aren't even close. We've had economic growth. We've had wage growth and wage inequality has grown faster. And we've had great wealth growth - along with great wealth concentration among a smaller and smaller percentage of the population.
Where I was going was the often ballyhooed notion that government spending, particularly on the "credit card" was a problem. Riffing off this:
Government spending has recently increased to 40% of GDP in the US. I think a little flinching now and then might be healthy.
American conservatives follow that with "we need to shrink government spending", but so far rather then cut stuff and own it, they have cut revenue for government, all the while singing a delirious tune that the economic growth you point to will overcome the initial loss of revenue. The Two Santa Clauses Theory:
First, when Republicans control the federal government, and particularly the White House, spend money like a drunken sailor and run up the US debt as far and as fast as possible. This produces three results – it stimulates the economy thus making people think that the GOP can produce a good economy, it raises the debt dramatically, and it makes people think that Republicans are the “tax-cut Santa Claus.”
Second, when a Democrat is in the White House, scream about the national debt as loudly and frantically as possible, freaking out about how “our children will have to pay for it!” and “we have to cut spending to solve the crisis!” This will force the Democrats in power to cut their own social safety net programs, thus shooting their welfare-of-the-American-people Santa Claus.
Except taxes cuts never generate the forecast growth, creating a deficit of revenue. Then, when conservatives go on to discuss cuts to government spending, its invariably focused on cuts to both discretionary and mandatory spending on social programs - "welfare."
Bluntly - American conservatives have taken a road of cutting revenues regularly without cutting spending while campaigning on cutting social support and the regulatory portion of the state.
And if that's what they want - if that's what you want - fine. but own it. Be public about it, and then follow through. Because the problem isn't the size of spending VS GDP, its the size of spending versus revenues. If spending and revenues were managed to reflect that growth curve it would work. We can't end the ballooning national debt without tacking that.
they believe that policies and institutions which foster economic growth tends to lift most boats and also generates the surplus which can be leveraged to fund social programs. Are they wrong here?
For over 40 years they have chosen to enact that belief by cutting federal taxes without any program realignments, predicated on economic growth that never materializes. And during the same period we have seen significant growth in wage and wealth inequality. If the end they claim to shooting for is in fact what they want, their methods are demonstrably not working.
Through the end of fiscal year 2021 it was 30% . . . and when you look it up, you get that "income security" was the biggest category, followed by social security, health and defense. Much of the top 5 - including a portion of defense - is the "mandatory" spending that just happens. Almost all the rest is the discretionary that Congress has to appropriate yearly (and which they can't seem to do). Your steel man may be imbedded in there somewhere, but frankly since conservatives purposely get trickle down wrong (spoiler alert it doesn't work), I don't take their arguments at face value.
a lot of libertarians often seem willfully blind to the fact that a lot of private interactions can be just as oppressive as something from the government.
I am always amused when I point this out to the loudest libertarians online, and then ask them how enforcement should be handled. Invariably they either advocate for the OK Corral or insist SOME government needs to exist to coercively protect THEIR rights.
I most often perceive it as a way to cast criticism at the President without putting a lot of context or thoughts into actual critiques.
Owning the Libs. That's what its mostly about. I use it to toss back at the GQP down here to remind them of what President Biden has actually accomplished. Shuts them really fast.
Civil services work better in other developed countries in part because delivering the service is the point, not the tangential junk
Please go down to your local NWS Weather Forecast office, read that to them, and see what they say. Or the social security office. Or state fish and game. Or parks and rec. Because none of us in any of those levels of civil service think that way. None. And the political appointees who are asked to "lead us" are soon disabused of that as well.
I have nieces and a nephew who are half black. I have skin. I am also attempting to raise good humans in the south . I have skin.
And Saul, as a human and an American has skin. Because he wants a better America. I want a better America. You want a better America.
To presume otherwise - to, as Koz says, believe we aren't as good as you in this fight because we aren't exactly, not quite you - is insulting. And if you happen to be a white male, then yes, you are who the system is deigned for and who the system supports. Same as me. So we both have the same skin in the game.
The student in the video clip mentions that he feels the book is problematic because of the “white savior complex.” I hear this a lot, but I also frequently hear that white people have a special responsibility to use our white privilege to stand up to racism.
Both of these things are true, and entirely consistent - if you've read any actual Black people writing on being anti-racist. And there are many. "whites" created racist systems, and we have the power because of that to break them down. That's the privilege part. That's the HOW part.
The White Savior part is about how a great many white people don't approach this work from the stand point of black people being equals as is, but needing to be "saved from the system." Its still an approach that looks down at black people. its also the WHY part.
Why? Last time I checked kids who are well read and curious can find that sort of thing anyway. Considering that that body of work focuses on a woman exploring her sexuality and becoming empowered as she does I suspect a lot of confused, sexually unsure teenagers need to read it.
And you all know I am perfectly willing to call out a bad guy, but this wasn’t bad guy stuff, it was typical male a-hole stuff.
Still wrong, not unlike Donald Trump's "grab 'em by the pu$$y" was wrong. Men who think and act like that won't ever get to date my daughters, no, they don't deserve a pass just because they come from marginalized groups.
On “Yes Virginia, There Was A Coup”
Donald Trump is used to trying to hide his criminality by destroying records. Thankfully others followed the law.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/politics/donald-trump-capitol-insurrection-house-committee-mike-pence/index.html
On “Supreme Court Justice Breyer Retiring At End Of Term”
Well in this case the superintendent pulled the book based on a single white parent's objections to some sexually suggestive language. Pulled it in violation of his district's own policies. How would you like to bin that?
"
we ought to get Andrew to start some sort of running catalogue where we can park these things.
"
Graham isn't ignorant - he's trading is soft anti-Semitic tropes. No Christian in Kagan's place - however playfully - would be asked where they were on Passover. No this is classic high society white southern anti-Semitism in full bore.
On “Let’s Go Freedom: Communing Between “Let’s Go Brandon” and “Let’s Go, Darwin””
And the Trumpists and antivaxxers were struggling to understand why the Good Samaritan did the right and just thing . . . . why Jesus ate with tax collectors, and why he fed the crowd with the 5 loaves and 2 fish instead of turning the unprepared crowd away.
On “Supreme Court Justice Breyer Retiring At End Of Term”
How do you propose to correct that?
"
If everything remains in the public square, you can't make statements about good versus evil. because its all equally good and bad to someone somewhere.
On “Let’s Go Freedom: Communing Between “Let’s Go Brandon” and “Let’s Go, Darwin””
Nope - you aren't even close. We've had economic growth. We've had wage growth and wage inequality has grown faster. And we've had great wealth growth - along with great wealth concentration among a smaller and smaller percentage of the population.
Where I was going was the often ballyhooed notion that government spending, particularly on the "credit card" was a problem. Riffing off this:
American conservatives follow that with "we need to shrink government spending", but so far rather then cut stuff and own it, they have cut revenue for government, all the while singing a delirious tune that the economic growth you point to will overcome the initial loss of revenue. The Two Santa Clauses Theory:
https://www.salon.com/2018/02/12/thom-hartmann-how-the-gop-used-a-two-santa-clauses-tactic-to-con-america-for-nearly-40-years_partner/
Except taxes cuts never generate the forecast growth, creating a deficit of revenue. Then, when conservatives go on to discuss cuts to government spending, its invariably focused on cuts to both discretionary and mandatory spending on social programs - "welfare."
Bluntly - American conservatives have taken a road of cutting revenues regularly without cutting spending while campaigning on cutting social support and the regulatory portion of the state.
And if that's what they want - if that's what you want - fine. but own it. Be public about it, and then follow through. Because the problem isn't the size of spending VS GDP, its the size of spending versus revenues. If spending and revenues were managed to reflect that growth curve it would work. We can't end the ballooning national debt without tacking that.
"
For over 40 years they have chosen to enact that belief by cutting federal taxes without any program realignments, predicated on economic growth that never materializes. And during the same period we have seen significant growth in wage and wealth inequality. If the end they claim to shooting for is in fact what they want, their methods are demonstrably not working.
On “Supreme Court Justice Breyer Retiring At End Of Term”
so if the right number is non-zero, and the data says its zero, what conclusion do you draw from that?
On “Let’s Go Freedom: Communing Between “Let’s Go Brandon” and “Let’s Go, Darwin””
great dodge by one doing the treating . . .
On “Maus and The “Ban””
I suspect several of our BDSM oriented members would like a word . . .
On “Let’s Go Freedom: Communing Between “Let’s Go Brandon” and “Let’s Go, Darwin””
And you haven't submitted such a column because . . .
On “Maus and The “Ban””
I don't vote for serial rapists, misogynistic a$$holes and narcissistic bigots.
"
I have read them all. Introduced to the collection by my wife when we were dating. And my comment still stands.
On “Let’s Go Freedom: Communing Between “Let’s Go Brandon” and “Let’s Go, Darwin””
Through the end of fiscal year 2021 it was 30% . . . and when you look it up, you get that "income security" was the biggest category, followed by social security, health and defense. Much of the top 5 - including a portion of defense - is the "mandatory" spending that just happens. Almost all the rest is the discretionary that Congress has to appropriate yearly (and which they can't seem to do). Your steel man may be imbedded in there somewhere, but frankly since conservatives purposely get trickle down wrong (spoiler alert it doesn't work), I don't take their arguments at face value.
https://datalab.usaspending.gov/americas-finance-guide/spending/categories/
"
I am always amused when I point this out to the loudest libertarians online, and then ask them how enforcement should be handled. Invariably they either advocate for the OK Corral or insist SOME government needs to exist to coercively protect THEIR rights.
"
Owning the Libs. That's what its mostly about. I use it to toss back at the GQP down here to remind them of what President Biden has actually accomplished. Shuts them really fast.
"
And now has a lot of alleged adherents who do exactly the opposite of his teachings.
"
Please go down to your local NWS Weather Forecast office, read that to them, and see what they say. Or the social security office. Or state fish and game. Or parks and rec. Because none of us in any of those levels of civil service think that way. None. And the political appointees who are asked to "lead us" are soon disabused of that as well.
On “Maus and The “Ban””
I have nieces and a nephew who are half black. I have skin. I am also attempting to raise good humans in the south . I have skin.
And Saul, as a human and an American has skin. Because he wants a better America. I want a better America. You want a better America.
To presume otherwise - to, as Koz says, believe we aren't as good as you in this fight because we aren't exactly, not quite you - is insulting. And if you happen to be a white male, then yes, you are who the system is deigned for and who the system supports. Same as me. So we both have the same skin in the game.
"
Both of these things are true, and entirely consistent - if you've read any actual Black people writing on being anti-racist. And there are many. "whites" created racist systems, and we have the power because of that to break them down. That's the privilege part. That's the HOW part.
The White Savior part is about how a great many white people don't approach this work from the stand point of black people being equals as is, but needing to be "saved from the system." Its still an approach that looks down at black people. its also the WHY part.
"
Why? Last time I checked kids who are well read and curious can find that sort of thing anyway. Considering that that body of work focuses on a woman exploring her sexuality and becoming empowered as she does I suspect a lot of confused, sexually unsure teenagers need to read it.
"
Still wrong, not unlike Donald Trump's "grab 'em by the pu$$y" was wrong. Men who think and act like that won't ever get to date my daughters, no, they don't deserve a pass just because they come from marginalized groups.
On “What America Needs for a Third Party”
There is that. Its a weird imposter syndrome.