This is an underappreciated point. People love to point out how old Biden is (and let's be fair, he is extremely old), but Trump isn't much younger, and on top of that Biden's campaign is as much about his team as himself, while Trump's is purely cult of personality. Trump flagging hurts him more than it does for Biden.
I'm not so sure, his successor might see him as a danger to their power. Putin's been returning Russia to the old way and that augurs poorly for his former leaders.
In New Zealand we have a dedicated team of lawyers, The Parliamentary Counsel's Office, to draft laws. They also have a representative on every select committee to recommend technical amendments to bills.
I think it would be good to institute (as an informal rule at least) that no one over 65 should be nominated for their first term as President, having someone that old in such a high pressure office is just too risky.
Yeah, I mean this is lot like if a Soviet company tired to buy one of the US TV networks in the 1970s. Some of this is just Republicans being Republicans, but there are some legitimate issues here.
I've been aware of this initiative for a while, and the fact the local NIMBYs are rolling out their usual nonsense, but it isn't working because the Squamish have actual property rights is very funny to me.
As an aside, I'm also very amused that it's confounding some people who've read too much Rousseau.
And of course, if they ever got the power they craved their entire movement would collapse into brutal sectarian conflict because Christianity, once given power, cannot tolerate difference. Everything from the doctrinal intolerance of the Christian Roman Empire to the Inquisition to the European Wars of Religion proves that once Christianity gains enough power it starts eating itself.
It's one of the the reasons your Founding Fathers set up the First Amendment, they came to understand that religious freedom was the only way to keep Christianity stable.
I think its a side-effect of the way evangelical culture has isolated itself from the mainstream (mostly to avoid their children being exposed to outside ideas). The result is this weird subcultural bubble full of people who can't sensible interact with anyone from outside it.
They're practically foreigners in their own country.
I hope you're right because if Trump loses I don't think he can hold legal consequences off long enough to avoid real legal trouble, and I agree that without him, the Trumpist coalition falls apart.
The thing is, the less comfortable you are with the Democrats have full control of government, the more important it is to deal with Trump, either b y purging the Trumpists from the Republican party, or by replacing the Republican party entire.
The Republican party is not a functional opposition party right now - the choice between the Democrats and a decent chance at the end of the Republic (and very possibly World War 3 the way things are going) is no choice at all. This won't be good for the Democratic party in the long run, democracy need apposition to keep each side honest, and having to be better than MAGA is too low a bar.
That means the only way to effectively challenge the Democratic party is to get rid of Trump and the Trumpists - make it clear they can't win and the Republican party will either realign or collapse and leave room for a new right wing party to emerge. MAGA delenda est.
I mean, the Roman Empire lasted for some 300 years after they started doing it (and that's just he Western Empire), so empires can probably get away with it too.
The key is that by offering non-citizen veterans citizenships you're making sure they aren't just foreign mercenaries. Mercenaries have no connection to the community they are fighting for, but if they're going to get citizenship then they do have a stake, they come to see it as fighting for their country.
If anything, refusing to hold powerful people accountable can do damage. I'm aware of one classicist that has argued its what finished off the Roman Republic: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1692941345860489512.html
On “Campus Insurrections?”
It's almost like decades of legislative experience make you good at finding an effective compromise position.
On “Trump in Trouble”
This is an underappreciated point. People love to point out how old Biden is (and let's be fair, he is extremely old), but Trump isn't much younger, and on top of that Biden's campaign is as much about his team as himself, while Trump's is purely cult of personality. Trump flagging hurts him more than it does for Biden.
On “Dispatches from the West Virginia Tornados of 2024”
Wow, that was one hell of a week. Wishing you all the best.
On “Sam Bankman-Fried Gets 25 Year Prison Sentence”
Even if you assume that Biden would corruptly bail out a donor, it's not like SBF has any money now.
"
Why do you think Biden would pardon him?
On “Terror In Moscow Exposes Putin’s Weakness”
I'm not so sure, his successor might see him as a danger to their power. Putin's been returning Russia to the old way and that augurs poorly for his former leaders.
On “Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Struck By Container Ship, Collapses”
This is easily the best take here.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: More Nobody Saves The World”
CCGs have really powerful network effects, it's one of the reasons why MTG remains so strong after 30 years.
On “Lawsplainer: Our Three Most Recent Supreme Court Decisions”
In New Zealand we have a dedicated team of lawyers, The Parliamentary Counsel's Office, to draft laws. They also have a representative on every select committee to recommend technical amendments to bills.
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/18/2024”
On the Other hand, President Trump could do any number of things that would get Putin to make sure those debts go away.
On “Hail to the Champs”
I think it would be good to institute (as an informal rule at least) that no one over 65 should be nominated for their first term as President, having someone that old in such a high pressure office is just too risky.
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/11/2024”
Yeah, I mean this is lot like if a Soviet company tired to buy one of the US TV networks in the 1970s. Some of this is just Republicans being Republicans, but there are some legitimate issues here.
"
I've been aware of this initiative for a while, and the fact the local NIMBYs are rolling out their usual nonsense, but it isn't working because the Squamish have actual property rights is very funny to me.
As an aside, I'm also very amused that it's confounding some people who've read too much Rousseau.
On “The New Right-Wing Leftists”
And of course, if they ever got the power they craved their entire movement would collapse into brutal sectarian conflict because Christianity, once given power, cannot tolerate difference. Everything from the doctrinal intolerance of the Christian Roman Empire to the Inquisition to the European Wars of Religion proves that once Christianity gains enough power it starts eating itself.
It's one of the the reasons your Founding Fathers set up the First Amendment, they came to understand that religious freedom was the only way to keep Christianity stable.
"
But then if you're not a pragmatist, why would you reject a tactic just because it doesn't work?
On “State of the Union Open Thread”
I think its a side-effect of the way evangelical culture has isolated itself from the mainstream (mostly to avoid their children being exposed to outside ideas). The result is this weird subcultural bubble full of people who can't sensible interact with anyone from outside it.
They're practically foreigners in their own country.
"
Dead relatives sounds like a good schema to me, it honours the past but without the risk of causing confusion.
I was named after my (living at the time) grandfather but fortunately it didn't turn out to be a big problem because he always went by Jim.
"
In fairness, Heather is a perfectly normal name.
On “Nikki Haley Is Out and the GOP Migration Begins”
I hope you're right because if Trump loses I don't think he can hold legal consequences off long enough to avoid real legal trouble, and I agree that without him, the Trumpist coalition falls apart.
"
The thing is, the less comfortable you are with the Democrats have full control of government, the more important it is to deal with Trump, either b y purging the Trumpists from the Republican party, or by replacing the Republican party entire.
The Republican party is not a functional opposition party right now - the choice between the Democrats and a decent chance at the end of the Republic (and very possibly World War 3 the way things are going) is no choice at all. This won't be good for the Democratic party in the long run, democracy need apposition to keep each side honest, and having to be better than MAGA is too low a bar.
That means the only way to effectively challenge the Democratic party is to get rid of Trump and the Trumpists - make it clear they can't win and the Republican party will either realign or collapse and leave room for a new right wing party to emerge. MAGA delenda est.
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/4/2024”
Also, you what else causes heart problems? COVID.
"
I mean, the Roman Empire lasted for some 300 years after they started doing it (and that's just he Western Empire), so empires can probably get away with it too.
The key is that by offering non-citizen veterans citizenships you're making sure they aren't just foreign mercenaries. Mercenaries have no connection to the community they are fighting for, but if they're going to get citizenship then they do have a stake, they come to see it as fighting for their country.
On “I Blame Gerald Ford”
Yeah, I should have said "removed from office".
"
If anything, refusing to hold powerful people accountable can do damage. I'm aware of one classicist that has argued its what finished off the Roman Republic: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1692941345860489512.html
"
That said, if Congress had actually impeached him, then I think that could arguably have been called "reigning him in".
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.