US Mid-Terms 2022

[StringJunky]

1 hour ago, Phi for All said:

And in a two party system where the media entertains rather than informs, both parties are using this bumper sticker. 

For perspective here, in Colorado we have a Senate race where the incumbent Democrat is leading the Republican challenger in most polls by 7-10 points at least. FOX News ran a piece over the weekend claiming their pollsters show the race as a complete toss-up. Each party hires private firms aligned with them to run "independent" polling, and then gets to report that to the media. And ultimately, it's campaign donations from the People that help misinform the People on this grand scale. A stupid system for an uneducated, uninformed, unprepared populace. 

What I find disturbing under the justice-legal and political systems your side is people are always trying to find ways around the law. The UK system is not great by any means, but we don't seem to get litigation everytime something changes, just to see if it will stick. Brexit was probably the messiest and most litigious situation here that I can remember, finally ending up in the Supreme Court. THe UKSC cases  rarely headline and in such a protracted manner as the US system.

Edited November 7, 2022 by StringJunky

[MigL]

Biggest complaint I hear from Canadian Trump fans, is that Biden hasn't done enough in the last two years, and they see the mid-terms as a 'referendum' on the Presidency.
But given the concern over the economy, this view will turn out to be self-defeating, as a Republican controlled Congress and/or Senate will effectively 'hamstring' the President's administration, and keep him from doing anything that might help.

The checks and balances in your political system are being used as obstacles to opponents so that they can later point to their failures.
Not a sustainable, or productive, situation.

[Phi for All]

12 minutes ago, MigL said:

Not a sustainable, or productive, situation.

Money blinds people when it's always the focus. It's like looking into the sun for clarity. 

The People haven't yet figured out how to elect a politician that works for the People instead of for the wealthy. Most still think a businessperson makes a good leader, when they're really focused on making business even more profitable. So many Americans have tried to support this political system in good faith, only to be preyed upon by extremists looking to twist the advantages and take what belongs to others. We don't get any benefits from being productive any more, other than staying out of our own prisons. 

I think there are quite a number of "Americans" who've already sold out, who never liked democracy in the first place, and are looking to any number of authoritarian alternatives to take the place of a system they see as weak. These folks don't think we can fix it, and want to tear it down, which would make everything ripe for the authoritarian takeover they envision. These are the ones that scare me. I don't know what to do with that kind of dumb. These folks want there to be no public schools because they went to bad public schools, and skoff at the idea of making better ones. 

 

[StringJunky]

Any comments regarding Musk's sacking of half the Twitter staff just before todays election and overt support of the GOP?

[Phi for All]

17 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Any comments regarding Musk's sacking of half the Twitter staff just before todays election and overt support of the GOP?

Musk is a wealthy, right-wing extremist who easily embraces conspiracy and is only out for himself. All American capitalists at that level couldn't care less about how their workers are faring in life. He's almost uncaring enough to run for office. Maybe 2028, for the MAGAQANON party.

[StringJunky]

16 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

Musk is a wealthy, right-wing extremist who easily embraces conspiracy and is only out for himself. All American capitalists at that level couldn't care less about how their workers are faring in life. He's almost uncaring enough to run for office. Maybe 2028, for the MAGAQANON party.

By wanting GOP to take Congress to bring a balance of power set my BS radar off straightaway. He's wearing his GOP stripes now.

[Phi for All]

2 hours ago, StringJunky said:

By wanting GOP to take Congress to bring a balance of power set my BS radar off straightaway. He's wearing his GOP stripes now.

It wasn't that long ago that he called himself fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He's proven he's barely socially conscious, let alone liberal, and also that he's not conservative about anything. He knows the GOP is unlikely to raise his taxes, and they certainly won't set a progressive limit on his personal earnings. 

[StringJunky]

1 hour ago, Phi for All said:

It wasn't that long ago that he called himself fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He's proven he's barely socially conscious, let alone liberal, and also that he's not conservative about anything. He knows the GOP is unlikely to raise his taxes, and they certainly won't set a progressive limit on his personal earnings. 

Isn't it sad that the more money people make, the more reluctant they are to pay equitable taxes... it's as though he earned the 200B.

Edited November 9, 2022 by StringJunky

[StringJunky]

Trump threatens DeSantis:

Quote

Donald Trump has warned Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis against running for president in 2024, saying doing so would harm the Republican Party.

"I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it," the former president told Fox News.

He also threatened to release unflattering information about the 44-year-old, without providing details.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-63563862

What a lovely working team they are. Does the significant GOP lead just mean the Democratic mail-in ballots are again going to later  narrow the difference in the swing states?

[iNow]

58 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Does the significant GOP lead just mean the Democratic mail-in ballots are again going to later  narrow the difference in the swing states?

Correct. GOP more likely to vote IRL on Election Day. Dems more likely to compose the majority of the mail-in ballots which will continue getting counted for a few more days. 

[TheVat]

INow, did your state go and elect an 89 year old to six more years in the Senate meanwhile gobbling up an endless litany from the Right about how 80 year old Joe Biden is just too damn old to serve?

Looks like the Senate might retain its Dem majority.  Glad to see Dr. Snake Oil get beaten in Pennsylvania.  Now he can go home to his mansion in New Jersey.  

[StringJunky]

22 minutes ago, TheVat said:

INow, did your state go and elect an 89 year old to six more years in the Senate meanwhile gobbling up an endless litany from the Right about how 80 year old Joe Biden is just too damn old to serve?

Looks like the Senate might retain its Dem majority.  Glad to see Dr. Snake Oil get beaten in Pennsylvania.  Now he can go home to his mansion in New Jersey.  

Reading comments about GOP voters thoughts on a Trump return appear to not be a majority. 6 out of 10 think he shouldn't run because he's too divisive and will be 78 in 2024. Sleepy Ol' Joe would be replaced by a Sleepy Ol' Trump.

Edited November 9, 2022 by StringJunky

[iNow]

32 minutes ago, TheVat said:

INow, did your state go and elect an 89 year old to six more years in the Senate meanwhile gobbling up an endless litany from the Right about how 80 year old Joe Biden is just too damn old to serve?

Yes, and then some. 

[Sensei]

18 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Isn't it sad that the more money people make, the more reluctant they are to pay equitable taxes..

"equitable" is the key word.. from person to person different meaning.

I think if everyone had a 10% or 15% PIT, I would say it's a equitable tax.

The more complicated the tax system, the more opportunities there are to bend it, even fully legally, in order to avoid it.

I was/am against the stock market tax.. and against the cadastral tax.. They force people to do things (against the community and their own family wealth) that they would not do if such taxes did not exist..

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Sensei

[CharonY]

2 hours ago, Sensei said:

"equitable" is the key word.. from person to person different meaning.

I think if everyone had a 10% or 15% PIT, I would say it's a equitable tax.

You mean as the same PIT for everyone? That would be equal, but not equitable. A person with low income would have to use a higher percentage of their income on essentials (housing, food, etc.) so will end up with with less disposable income as part of their overall salary than a person with a higher income and the same tax rate.

An equitable approach would tax folks with higher income more (but a would also need to close loopholes for them to get around those). One common issue is that many super rich actually do not have an income per se, but most of it is based on assets/wealth. So to pay for things they borrow against their wealth and while they spend a lot, they do not need to pay income tax (or barely any at all). Which is why wealth taxes are under discussion, but apparently difficult to implement. 

[Ken Fabian]

So much being said about Elon Musk right now but surely it is as simple as him being a bog standard anti-tax, anti-regulation, anti-union free market Libertarian who's commercial successes give him an inflated idea of his own insights in other areas. His Longtermist human destiny to leave Earth behind thing is a bit idiosyncratic but the temptation to try and remake the greater nation, economy, society more to his liking is not so unusual - just most people don't have the money or influence for it. More to his liking will almost certainly pare down to the same old unexceptional "what is good for my business is good for the nation" that other wealthy industrialists espouse. Which puts him firmly in the US Republican camp irrespective of how welcome the successes of EV's and batteries are to those concerned with the climate problem - who, by the failure of those on the Right to treat it seriously, are more likely to lean Left. The significance of social democratic policies (even the US has them, even if explicitly not referred to as such) to the opportunities for long term capitalist wealth creation won't get any credit.

Like other rich and successful entrepreneurs his dealing with politicians and political parties will, unlike ordinary citizens, come with high levels of personal access and is likely to be a lot less ideological than it is transactional, especially given one of his major businesses depends on bidding for taxpayer funded contracts... but not his taxes.

[iNow]

No matter what happens in Georgia, democrats won both Arizona and Nevada and thus will retain control of the senate 

[TheVat]

Good news from Clark County last night, but control is debatable.  Unless Warnock can de-Manchinize the Senate by getting that 51st seat in Georgia runoff, we would still have the Coal King of Obstruction up to his party mischief.  Yeah, that grimy Manchin shadow may not motivate a lot of voters, and so election fatigue will take over and a smaller turnout could hurt Warnock in the runoff.  The bloc of voters who had to jump the most hurdles last week might not all show up in December.  I think Georgia's election law is idiotic.  

[iNow]

Good point. Sinema is another wrench in the gears. More seats is more better. 

[toucana]

DJT is clearly having an atomic scale meltdown about his stolen 'Electron':

[iNow]

Buzzing mosquito needs squashing 🦟 🩸 

[TheVat]

Quote

They stole the Electron from Blake Masters

Well, Masters didn't want people to unionize....

[geordief]

1 hour ago, toucana said:

DJT is clearly having an atomic scale meltdown about his stolen 'Electron':

Don't they add up the electrons inside the voting machines.

I wonder how many electrons are missing this time.

Maybe some got superimposed?

 

Or was it just destructive  interference from Venn Aswalia?

[iNow]

Kari Lake, election denying trump game playing candidate for Arizona Governor, has officially lost the election there

[MigL]

I cannot wait for the announcements of nominations for 2024.
It won't be a 'family squabble' for the Republicans; it'll be a bloodbath.