Board 8 > Politics Containment Topic 379: Kabulshit

(+) Yeah! (+)

red sox 777 posted...

Well he wasn't paid right? Trump agreed to pay him and then didn't.

Trump agreed to pay him upon success

you might notice he was pretty unsuccessful

---

https://twitter.com/alanrmacleod/status/1448927208400113665?s=21

---

Related:
https://twitter.com/grylxndr/status/1449157744427245576?s=21

---

The crossover we did not know this topic needed.

"I was thinking about why so many in the radical left participate in 'speedrunning'"

https://twitter.com/TurboJehtt/status/1449499315970314242

The original tweet (and thread) that this video is parodying, we're so beyond the looking glass on Poe's Law these days, I have no idea if it's satire or not but I don't care because this Sonic clip taking the absolute piss out of it is perfection and if you need to brighten your days just a bit it is here for you.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFCkaaUs83o&ab_channel=TheProblemWithJonStewart

I'm so glad Jon Stewart is back.

---

Jakyl25 posted...

https://twitter.com/alanrmacleod/status/1448927208400113665?s=21

Not to defend the Iranian theocratic dictatorship, or the US military industrial complex, but it's pretty braindead to try and compare life in the USA to life in Iran. I'm guessing this guy is a massively self-entitled plug

---

Now that Jon Stewart is back maybe he can once again use his influence to have a big rally about how it's stupid to care about issues! What a great use of influence!

---

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1450070523296243714?s=20

---

Yesmar_ posted...

Now that Jon Stewart is back maybe he can once again use his influence to have a big rally about how it's stupid to care about issues! What a great use of influence!

When did that happen?

---

TheRock1525 posted...

When did that happen?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rally_to_Restore_Sanity_and/or_Fear

I guess you could argue that the event wasn't supposed to be about how both sides are equally bad and thus nobody should take politics seriously, but that's kind of what it felt like.
---

Xeybozn posted...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rally_to_Restore_Sanity_and/or_Fear

I guess you could argue that the event wasn't supposed to be about how both sides are equally bad and thus nobody should take politics seriously, but that's kind of what it felt like.

I mean it's been years since I watched anything from that rally but I can definitely say I never got the vibe of "don't care about the issues" from it.

It was mostly about mocking Glenn Beck.

---

Shaped foreign policy, lol yeah, thats one way to put it.

---

FFDragon posted...

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1450070523296243714?s=20

Hopefully the fact that he was the first black secretary of state doesn't overshadow what an absolute puppet and borderline war criminal he was

---

TheRock1525 posted...

It was mostly about mocking Glenn Beck.

Yeah, basically. Anyone arguing otherwise doesn't actually remember what was happening at the time and is going off of a pessimistic interpretation of the premise.
---

Xeybozn posted...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rally_to_Restore_Sanity_and/or_Fear

I actually went to that

The thing I most clearly remember was running into a guy on the metro going to it who was dressed up as a colonial British soldier with a sign that said something like "repeal the Third Amendment" (also it was by far the most crowded I had even seen DC).

---

https://twitter.com/axios/status/1449866575964688394?s=21

Fuck Joe Manchin, all my homies hate Joe Manchin

---

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

https://twitter.com/axios/status/1449866575964688394?s=21

Fuck Joe Manchin, all my homies hate Joe Manchin

Both of those seem completely reasonable. Non Refundable tax credits and income limits are pretty standard across the tax code.

I don't think the government bleeding money with handouts is sustainable and we need to raise income taxes

---

masterplum posted...

I don't think the government bleeding money with handouts is sustainable and we need to raise income taxes

Maybe we should stop giving money to coal companies then, instead of middle class families who are struggling to keep up.

---

LordoftheMorons posted...

I actually went to that

The thing I most clearly remember was running into a guy on the metro going to it who was dressed up as a colonial British soldier with a sign that said something like "repeal the Third Amendment" (also it was by far the most crowded I had even seen DC).

amazing

I went to that too, but i was actually 12 then, and I don't remember a ton of the political details

---

masterplum posted...

Both of those seem completely reasonable. Non Refundable tax credits and income limits are pretty standard across the tax code.

I don't think the government bleeding money with handouts is sustainable and we need to raise income taxes

When you start means testing things like daycare coverage and child credits, you do two things: One, the people just over the borderline of the limit get punished, and two, it breeds contempt from every direction for those who do benefit.

Were talking about kids here. Say what you will about having kids responsibly or whatever, but the economy literally cant afford people to not have kids, and that includes poor and lower-middle class people.


---

Dancedreamer posted...

Maybe we should stop giving money to coal companies then, instead of middle class families who are struggling to keep up.

Yes?

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

When you start means testing things like daycare coverage and child credits, you do two things: One, the people just over the borderline of the limit get punished, and two, it breeds contempt from every direction for those who do benefit.

Were talking about kids here. Say what you will about having kids responsibly or whatever, but the economy literally cant afford people to not have kids, and that includes poor and lower-middle class people.

Without knowing the details, I assume it would be a phased out limit like most tax breaks. 60k should also cover most lower middle class outside of high cost of living areas.

All taxes should take into account cost of living but thats another issue entirely.

---

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

When you start means testing things like daycare coverage and child credits, you do two things: One, the people just over the borderline of the limit get punished, and two, it breeds contempt from every direction for those who do benefit.

Plus, three, it puts an additional barrier in the way causing people who should theoretically benefit from the program to decide it's just not worth the hassle of jumping through the hoops to prove they qualify and decline to take advantage of the benefit they're entitled to.

---

Not_an_Owl posted...

Plus, three, it puts an additional barrier in the way causing people who should theoretically benefit from the program to decide it's just not worth the hassle of jumping through the hoops to prove they qualify and decline to take advantage of the benefit they're entitled to.

All you need to do is file taxes right? Most of the people who would qualify would get tax refunds anyways so they are already leaving money on the table. Thats another existing issue that isnt actually related to Manchins concerns

---

masterplum posted...

Yes?

Without knowing the details, I assume it would be a phased out limit like most tax breaks. 60k should also cover most lower middle class outside of high cost of living areas.

All taxes should take into account cost of living but thats another issue entirely.

Is 60k the point where the phase out starts or ends? Either way, that's really not a lot for a family. That's 15k a person for a family of four.

---

The problem with means testing is that it's not aspirational. It isn't perceived as providing a benefit for people who aspire to do better economically. Like when you cut taxes on the rich, a lot of non-rich people expect to benefit because they expect to become rich in the future. Most of them won't, but they still like the tax cut because they expect to benefit.

---

https://twitter.com/maggienyt/status/1450455942714306566?s=21

I saw this earlier today and thought it was a parody. Shouldve known better I guess!

---

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

https://twitter.com/axios/status/1449866575964688394?s=21

Fuck Joe Manchin, all my homies hate Joe Manchin

Beyond everything everyone already brought up, that is a shockingly low limit for people living in or near any major city.

---

Suprak the Stud posted...

https://twitter.com/maggienyt/status/1450455942714306566?s=21

I saw this earlier today and thought it was a parody. Shouldve known better I guess!

Maybe not nice things, but I'm sure we'll say plenty of happy things after he's gone. I guess he'll have to settle for that.
---

Suprak the Stud posted...

Beyond everything everyone already brought up, that is a shockingly low limit for people living in or near any major city.

He's represents West Virginia, where you live like a king on $60k. He cares nothing for your liberal, coastal concerns.

---

60k for families is a joke number. That's basically a married couple both working at $15/hour.

I mean pretty much all of this has been mentioned one way or another, but pretty sure research has shown that means testing can, and has, cost more than the alleged savings beause of the administrative/bureaucratic overhead it creates in establishing the means by which vetting applicants are eligible now which it requires. Like SNAP and its associated programs was shown to basically have administrative overhead at 15 to 40 cents of every dollar of benefits.

It also erects barriers for those most in need who are also the ones least able to be able to expend the time and effort needed to jump those hurdles.

It all basically boils down to a moralistic argument from the conservative/right (and unquestionably adopted by moderate dems) that there are those people who "deserve" assistance and those who do not. And surprise, surprise research has shown that means testing creates a stigmatizing effect that also drives some away from programs which they would otherwise be eligible for. It's just another form of the absolutely grotesque worldview that gets drilled into us about "productivity" and "the dignity of work" where capitalism tries to tie self-worth to jobs rather than valuing a person as a person.

There's a reason why the participation rate in the food stamp program and Medicaid is substantially lower than in Social Security and Medicare.

---

Means testing wouldn't exist on tax filing where the code determines the amount, but 60k is dumb and why is having a kid worth more or less based on income. It's stupid.

---

Jakyl25 posted...

Trump agreed to pay him upon success

you might notice he was pretty unsuccessful

If Rudy agreed to that deal, he's really lost it. Anyone could see that Trump wasn't going to win those cases.

---

https://twitter.com/manmademoon/status/1450852736229003267?s=21

How hard do we think Dems get clobbered in these midterms?

The GOP is going to replace Breyer, arent they?

---

Fact: It doesn't really much matter what the Dems manage to pass (or not pass), at least as far as the midterm elections go. Whatever happens, they'll lose their House majority (probably by enough that taking it back in '24 won't happen) and about 3 Senate seats.

Don't get mad at the Democrats because doing stupid things will cost them elections. Just be mad at them for doing stupid things.
---

If you think the reason Im mad about them not doing stuff is because theyll lose elections, you must have me confused for LotM.

---

Oh, sorry about that. I just figured your question how about badly the Dems are going to lose was there because you thought things Congress does actually have much impact on election results.
---

Im pretty consistent in the belief that I Dems should do good things, regardless of the fear of backlash.

And its not so much that I think doing things wins elections, but when it comes to Democratic voters, doing nothing definitely loses them.

---

It's still really really early. We are a year removed from Trump almost so people are forgetting his insanity. My guess is Dems will poll better once campaign ads start again and remind independents why they didn't like Trump

Democrats also desperately need to stop playing defense and fight for something next year even if it doesn't pass.

Hilariously the best thing for Democrats might be the Supreme Court overturning roe vs wade

---

If the Supreme Court is actually as politically motivated as the Democrats think, they'll hold off on overturning Roe v. Wade until after the 2022 election, when Republican majorities can be elected to both houses of Congress.

---

red sox 777 posted...

If the Supreme Court is actually as politically motivated as the Democrats think, they'll hold off on overturning Roe v. Wade until after the 2022 election, when Republican majorities can be elected to both houses of Congress.

Nah,

I think the Supreme Court is conservative but they don't give a crap about politics. That's the benefit of it being a life time appointment, there isn't an incentive to swing elections

---

But it might be safer to wait until after 2024. That year should be a huge year for the GOP in the Senate based on the map. 2018 should have been too, but the blue wave covered the map weakness, leaving lots of Dem senators in red states still in the Senate.

---

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

The GOP is going to replace Breyer, arent they?

Unless Breyer retires before the end of the year absolutely.

---

masterplum posted...

Nah,

I think the Supreme Court is conservative but they don't give a crap about politics. That's the benefit of it being a life time appointment, there isn't an incentive to swing elections

That's why I'm worried about them overturning Roe v. Wade and the Dems responding by using the nuclear option to pack the court, leading to the demise of our constitutional system of checks and balances as the judiciary is transformed into a rubber stamp for whichever party is in power.

---

red sox 777 posted...

Dems responding by using the nuclear option

well don't worry about that

---

The US is pretty much doomed at this point. There's no reconciling with the heinous monsters in the Republican Party. (And before you jump on me for calling them monsters centrists, please keep in mind that Madison Cawthorn literally called for people to raise their sons to be monsters.) You can't reconcile with people who deny reality. It's just not possible. And we shouldn't even try. Because they aren't worth it.

---

Dancedreamer posted...

The US is pretty much doomed at this point. There's no reconciling with the heinous monsters in the Republican Party. (And before you jump on me for calling them monsters centrists, please keep in mind that Madison Cawthorn literally called for people to raise their sons to be monsters.) You can't reconcile with people who deny reality. It's just not possible. And we shouldn't even try. Because they aren't worth it.

Did he use the term "monsters?"

---

Maniac64 posted...

Unless Breyer retires before the end of the year absolutely.

This is exactly what's going to happen. The House and Senate go red, and therefore would block all appointments until there's a GOP President.

GOP takes the White House in 2024. NOW Breyer's seat gets filled/he decides to retire. Plus Thomas also decides to retire and they get both get filled by severe right wingers in their 40s who will hold those seats for decades.

---

They are trying to de-masculate [sic] the young men in our country because they dont want people who are going to stand up, Cawthorn told a cheering crowd in a video obtained by Right Wing Watch. If you are raising a young man, please raise them to be a monster.

---

As a reminder, historically the newly incumbent party doesn't do well in midterms regardless.

(2018 was an exception in the Senate just because so few R seats were even up.)
---

masterplum posted...

My guess is Dems will poll better once campaign ads start again and remind independents why they didn't like Trump

That's exactly what the Dems are trying in the Virginia governor race right now. The polls currently have them winning by about 3 points, which is much worse than Biden's 10 point win in last year's elections. Hopefully the polls are just wrong somehow, but it doesn't look like running against Trump is going to help Dems much now.
---