"Charles Keatts - Desantis is just as bad." . . . I don't know how you can say this with a straight face. You may not like Desantis. But as a man, he shares very little in common with Trump.
I think trump is digging his own grave. We need to move on to pushing against DeSantis and the other autocrates who are trying to slip into the void left by trump.
I agree for the most part. We cannot exactly ignore the traitor but you are absolutely right about shining a light on those trying to replace him. IтАЩm hoping that many of them will be on will be on the 1/06 committees list of referrals to DOJ.
How tall is DeSantis? Statistically, the taller person tends to win the presidency. So we increase our chances with a person taller than he is. Does this rule out women? Anyone know how tall he is?
That's not so tall for a man. One can hope. The fact that people tend to vote for the taller person (man) suggests unconscious motives contributing to the choice.
I think De Santis is much worse. HeтАЩs not as stupid as trump and able to seem more mainstream than crazy. However, he is as determined to lay waste to democracy and create America as he wants it to be - hate and fear based, unequal, driven by bigotry, racism, misogyny, greed and power.
I concur. The State Director of Our Revolution in Texas said to me over the phone, and I am paraphasing, that if we are not careful Ron DeSantis will be our next president. I do believe he will be more dangerous than Trump.
As Governor of a Peninsula that has been a target of severe hurricane threats, what is DeSantis's position on Climate Change? Has DeSantis proposed raising the income tax in Florida, to pay for the recent damages of Hurricane Ian and create a fund to cover future hurricane destruction and sea level rise? Or is he relying mainly on the Federal Government to bail Floridians out? I've heard Ian's damage estimates are ranging as high as 258 Billion! How do DeSantis's Climate Change remediation efforts stack up against the the ever increasing environmental threats the State faces? Given the upheaval and destruction of Ian, it seems like he has no responsible choice but to raise the tax base significantly. Something that should have happened four years ago, just to deal with the other environmental problems Florida is facing, in the Everglades, Biodiversity, Invasive species, fungus endangering some non-native palms, drinking water from pollution and waste:
Will DeSantis become a responsible Governor and raise taxes sufficiently to do what is necessary to protect Floridians, or will he just hope for the best and keep listening to his major sponsor, Charles Koch, and forget about the future of Florida? Glaciers are melting in the north and the waters around the Peninsula are getting warmer. No one can say he wasn't warned, but I guess it's a lot cheaper and easier to go after Disney, get CRT out of kindergarten, grade school, and high school where it doesn't even exist, and ban and burn some books. Yale should really be ashamed graduating such an irresponsible, juvenile delinquent, and con man.
What DeSantis policy on Climate Change are you referring to? It doesn't appear he is close to being up to the task. He's been in office for four years and has invested nearly nothing on remediation compared to the immense costs incurred by climate change. Moreover he's relied and mooched off the Fed Government.
No one has any business building on the coast unless they can afford to rebuild or are insured. If you can afford to build there you can afford private insurance or self insurance. No more bailouts. That is not the purpose of government.
As for Climate Change, a mere 20,000 years ago the sea level was 120 meters lower than today. The next glaciation is expected within 10,000 years. Glaciations tend to last 200,000 years, and are more common than warm periods like today, so try to enjoy the best of times.
Somehow , "...a mere 20,000 years ago sea level was 120 meters lower than it is today" isn't that comforting when the scientific consensus is significant sea level rise will occur before 2050:
As you are aware the theory of climate change is generally based on the assumption and verification that our burning of green house gases is causing the earth to warm. Climate scientists came to this conclusion late in the 19th century. Exxon scientists confirmed this theory as early as 1980, according to their internal documents.
Also, Ian penetrated and caused damage 20 miles inland where a lot of not so rich people reside. It's not that hard to envision how much worse life can get on a Peninsula if remediation measures aren't funded and addressed. It is exactly one of the primary functions of government to inform and protect it's citizens. Millions of people living in Florida, along with all of its other environmental issues, will be impacted.
We need to start evaluating our leaders based on how they handle their State and Nation's deferred maintenance, especially when tax revenues are insufficient to adequately address our critical challenges, and not addressing a problem is prohibitively more expensive and impossible to remedy. Many of our problems are National and Global in scope, which requires our leaders to intelligent, informed, diplomatic, and persistent in working cooperatively to find solutions.
"The sea level around Florida is up to 8 inches higher than it was in 1950.1 | 2 This increase is mostly due to ice melting into the ocean and, complicated by the porous limestone that the state sits on, itтАЩs causing major issues."
Can you guess why the soil in Southern Florida is limestone?
Sea level has not risen 8 inches since 1950. This is wrong.
Take a look at the graph in the linked article. Also note that even though we are burning much more fossil fuel than we were in the 1800's, the rate of sea level rise has remained constant. It's just a continuation of the natural rise that began 20,000 years ago.
One of the first things you should understand about the consequences of climate change is they aren't distributed uniformly. The article I referred you to was focused on Florida. Had you known anything about climate science you would have understood this. Reread the article I sent to you:
Also, please comment on the inadequate amount of money DeSantis has committed to mitigate the climate crisis in relation to the astronomical costs Florida is incurring. Also note how lucky Florida has been is dodging other hurricanes like Dorian that zigged east instead of west.
For your reference: https://www.axios.com/2022/10/07/hurricane-ian-damage-estimate-costliest-storm-florida. This estimate is preliminary and not comprehensive. Most estimates are based on insured losses or only limited to property damage. The range of estimates are as high as 258 Billion and may be even higher. For a better understanding refer to the following:
DeSantis' focus has been on trying to adapt Florida to climate change, what he calls тАЬresilience,тАЭ and under his leadership, the state is starting to spend at least $1 billion to gird against impacts from future extreme weather through a new Resilient Florida program established by legislation he signed in May of 2021.Oct 13, 2022
His governance is ideologically irresponsible and juvenile. It's really hard to escape the consequences of fraud against the people of State of Florida. He needs to raise the State income revenue by 40-50% with the new revenue dedicated to CC mitigation. Instead of banning books, he needs to radically change the building codes and requirements, and alert his constituents about the New Normal and what must be done to prevent a knockout!
You should also understand that the consequences of climate change are not limited to Florida and coastal properties:
"Unfortunately, slightly higher sea levels make hurricanes even more damaging. Just a few more inches of sea level rise allow a hurricane to push more water onto the land, even if the hurricane itself doesnтАЩt make landfall."
I did read the article, and I am well aware of that factor. It's a BS argument. In New Orleans they build as much as 8 feet below sea level. It's encouraged by Government backed loans, flood insurance and FEMA rebuilding. All at our expense. This is not the purpose of Government at all. Our tax money would be better spent simply educating people in geology so that they know better what to expect.
Beach houses today are McMansions, so sure the cost of rebuilding is more. Back in my day, coastal structures were always shacks which could be easily rebuilt after a storm. The cost was minimal.
You are also forgetting that sea levels have been rising for 20,000 years (120 meters). Folks building in coastal areas should be aware of this ongoing trend. Again, Florida soil is composed of decayed sea life deposited when it was under water.
The reason hurricanes are more damaging today is because there are more expensive homes in coastal regions. Government insurance encourages it.
You do understand we are in a worsening period of both sea level rise and warmer water that after a certain point is irreversible and more destructive..
The soil in south Florida is composed of limestone. The shells of ancient sea life. You see, Florida has been submerged beneath the ocean many times before. The sea levels rise and fall naturally. Natural variability cannot be simply ignored, unless you are unfamiliar with geologic history.
Attributing climate change to human activity is the definition of hubris.
"It is exactly one of the functions of government to inform and protect it's citizens."
Do you think it is government's job to protect citizens from hurricanes? Isn't it more the citizens responsibility to get out of the way when one approaches. Government does fund our early warning mechanisms to warn citizens, and they are very good at predicting the path a few days in advance. Government has also been very good at building evacuation routes to assist in evacuation. Beyond those basic functions, Government cannot stop hurricanes from happening.
The reason we have too much government today is that people ask too much of government. Government did not stop a pandemic, nor can they stop nature from fires, floods and crop failures. It is up to the citizens to protect themselves, as it should be. Those who are irresponsible suffer the consequences.
Government has actually been counterproductive in some cases. Providing subsidized insurance in flood prone areas attracts people to those areas. It mainly attracts people who can least afford such tragedy. It should never be used to insure a mansion on the beach for a rich person. He should pay for normal private insurance or pay to rebuild out of his own pocket. The whole program is immensely wasteful. It invites tragedy to those who can least afford it.
What happened to the Democrat of my day, like JFK? What became of "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Today this sounds like a Republican motto. Democrats just keep asking for more and more from their country.
Please point me in the direction of a Republican today who incorporates one trait of JFK. At least Nixon knew about foreign policy and could discuss various topics. Trump, a Republican, dealt Russia a royal flush on foreign policy and is largely responsible for Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
I do agree with you that the ultra wealthy and corporations should pay their own way and not receive government welfare, particularly when they are exempted from what use to be a progressive income system - the same one that financed and won two world wars, rebuilt Germany and Japan, and supported a rising middle-class, a higher educational system with affordable fees, and invested in our infrastructure while paying off our debt. We could be a better empire and have a better world if only we would reinstall a progressive income tax system without loopholes. No one likes paying taxes, but taxes are the price we pay for civilization, being a global leader, and having a more cohesive democracy.
One last thing. More productivity, such as oil exporting, generates more tax revenue without raising tax rates. Raising tax rates chases businesses to other countries with lower rates.
More industry, more production, more revenues for government.
Higher tax rates, less industry, less production, less revenue for government.
You are so wrong. If we were selling oil to Europe like we could be, they would not need Russian oil. There would be no war in Ukraine. It's a Democrat plan to start this war, starting with Hunter's dealings in Ukraine and leading us to the brink today. The Democrat war machine is under way.
Thousands of Venezuelans crowded at our border would beg to differ about socialist "progressivism". They have seen the pain of such policies firsthand. If they do become citizens they will turn America deeper red.
Here is an example of climate change as a religion.
Keep in mind, this woman's husband has lost his mother, and they are on the way to her funeral. I would feel sorry for him but he obviously has allowed her to ruin his life long before this event. He should have stayed on the plane and spent some time with his family.
No such thing has been verified. In fact, to the contrary. The IPCC climate model predictions have run higher than observation almost from day 1. Every paper filed with the IPCC contains the disclaimer that models cannot account for the action of clouds. Clouds just happen to be the very thing that carry heat aloft above the greenhouse blanket, and release it into space via infrared radiation. Hurricanes happen in the fall when the warm waters exceed air temperature. The imbalance creates a tropical storm which is a heat engine. The heat engine carries heat aloft and radiates it into space. That is only one mechanism not accounted for in climate models.
The entire atmosphere is constantly circulating from ground level to high altitude. As it does so it carries water vapor aloft where it radiates infrared energy. The radiation at high altitude is free to escape into space, and is blocked from coming down by the denser atmospheric blanket below. The net flow of energy is outbound. That is how the planet self-regulates temperature. That is not modeled in climate models, which is why they are always wrong on the high side.
It's 100% a scam. For Democrats, it's a substitute for religion.
Gee! I wonder why the thousands of climate scientists have never thought of that for the last 300 + years they have studied the subject and how the Exxon scientists overlooked this alternative theory, even though they were incentivized to find an alternative explanation? Yet, you discovered that there are "scientists" around that are paid to discredit the dominant theory despite its verification.
As you are aware for something to be a scientific cause it has to either occur before the event that it is hypothesized to cause or concomitantly with the event. Your explanation doesn't meet that standard. However, I understand the effects of religious conviction despite the fact that a lot of true believers have changed their thinking about climate change and its causation, in just the past six years. The world is getting hotter and green house gases are being produced in greater amounts from more sources. I think a presidential candidate who claimed that CC is a "hoax" would be laughed off the stage today. You can check your theory against this debunking site if you wish:
Desmog is not a debunking site. It's a political site.
There are not a thousand climate scientists in the world, so your comment is baloney. And I suppose you are going to tell me that they work for free.
Look at any paper in the IPCC website dealing with climate models. The actual scientists admit that they cannot adequately model the action of clouds. You won't see the disclaimers in the Summary for Policymakers because that group is political appointees. The whole organization was not arranged to prove or disprove climate change. Theirs is a foregone conclusion and their sole purpose is to design mitigation such as taxes and non-industrialization agreements to mitigate their foregone conclusion.
The purpose of the IPCC is to wage taxes on fossil fuel and redistribute wealth to poor nations in exchange for their agreement to not industrialize. They are in the business of setting up an international system of welfare states.
As a body of non-elected political appointees, the UN has no authority to wage taxes on any American. Only by treaties signed by Democrats are they able to breach our sovereignty. That is exactly what they want, to become the taxing body for the world. The very small group of scientists working for the IPCC are doing it for the money and the power. Of course they will not object to their masters leaving off the quiet part about clouds and climate models.
Desantis is absolutely scarier than TFG. I live in Florida and am ashamed of the way itтАЩs being governed. Desantis keeps a very tight circle around him and his wife is as wicked as he is but is very adept in making people believe that they are legitimate. I think, however, that he will not do very well in a presidential campaign because he wonтАЩt be able to contain the circle around him like he does now. At least, that is my hope!
I've heard that all those "DeSantis owns reporter!!!11" videos are all highly edited too and not representative of anything close to reality. That the actual events are filled with him getting all tomato-faced (probably New Jersey variety), flustered, and just losing his composure to such a degree that his team refuse the media to put out the truth. Any idea if true?
I disagree with Biden on many things but wouldn't call him wicked. I may think he is terribly misguided. Calling political opponents wicked reminds me a lot of the former President.
DeSantis is definitely clever, but whiny, with no charisma. I donтАЩt think he will do well when the rest of the country тАЬseesтАЭ him for what he is: an opportunist with no substance. But who else does that sound like?!
Or the elections are rigged in certain states...He just wanted 11,000 more in GA. In the future we will probably learn how many states and electoral college votes went rogue due to his manipulation.
Re uninformed Florida voters, so true v40 percent didn't vote for DeSantis.
Funny that if someone loses an election and claims they won is anti democratic but if someone wins an election that their voters must be anti democratic. Must be just ant democratic people who like to vote for some reason.
I did not write anti-democratic. I wrote anti-Democratic. Folks will vote (r) no matter how bad the (r) candidate is: just look at Georgia today! Why is it even a contest! Herschel Walker??? REALLY?!?!?! not enough punctuation marks
What about the democratic party do folks object to? letting folks exercise their right to vote, seriously addressing climate change, supporting medicare and social security, safe gun laws?
Safe gun laws like Chicago? Where is crime the worst? Democratic run big cities. A few Republican mayor's have done more to combat crime.
Climate change? Nothing has been done or will be done to alter the climate here. Adapt, raise countries out of poverty and by then maybe there will be workable solutions.
The Democratic solution is like a fat guy that wants to lose weight. Buying skinny jeans isn't going to make it happen.
Read Bjorn Lomborg. Not a denier or alarmist but a realist on climate change.
And when his wife says that "God" selected him for his position, unfortunately a lot of christians (deliberately lower-case) believe her. As his ad says, on the "eighth day" of creation, God needed a "protector," so God "made a fighter." Pretty heady stuff. One example of this "protection" is to allow children to go to school without masks during the pandemic. Confused? Me, too.
And let's not forget that there are hundreds of thousands of "christians" in this country who believe that the Orange Sadist is above Jesus in their religious hierarchy because he is "the Son of God", whereas Jesus was ("just") "the Son of Man". And, dear Lord, how incredibly scripturally illiterate these fools be.
Gerrymandering has nothing to do with a state wide election. For better or worse he is more popular now than 4 years ago, much moreso. That sounds like a happy electorate.
And help from corporatrocracy and putin and fox. None the less than propaganda like 1930's Germany. Americans who watch only one news show and are dumbed down with tv celebrity idols buy into his kind of charisma, like any other cult figure, he made very bad choices because his ego had to make up for all his other failings.
Unfortunately I'm moving there soon to be close to family. Despise the people who vote in the morons down there repeatedly -- against their own interests, at that. Embarrassing.
Voting against oneтАЩs own interests describes 90% of Indiana. It is a crimson red state with a few blue dots. It is also a working class/poor state (generally speaking) and the population votes for Republicans without fail.
Years ago I created a list of policies and benefits that would improve peopleтАЩs lives and asked my stepfather and mother if they would like to see those policies created. Both were quite enthusiastic how great it would be to be able to access the benefits created (healthcare, social programs, etc). Then I handed them a list of the politicians running for the next election who were campaigning on those policies. Seeing that they were Democrats made my stepfather and mother immediately curse at me, accusing me of trying to trick them, lie to them and on and on. Both proclaimed in vivid language that they would rather die than ever vote for a тАЬscum sucking DemocratтАЭ. This exchange did not happen in the last 6 years. It was 30 years ago.
It is a particularly peculiar human trait to deliberately thwart oneself. Humans would rather never change, even at great personal cost, than admit that they have been wrong. They would also rather be able to hurt others by denying them policies and benefits even if doing so hurts themselves. I canтАЩt count how many conversations (rants) I heard around the kitchen table about making sure all those тАЬdamn othersтАЭ (the most polite way to describe what was said) didnтАЩt get anything from тАЬmy governmentтАЭ.
Being that youтАЩre moving into someone elseтАЩs yard, you might not want to be acting like such a dick. Differences of opinion happen. If youтАЩre going to come here with this fk you attitude, IтАЩd suggest moving your relative closer to you. You donтАЩt get second chances down here.
I'd say the vast majority of DeSantis's policies clearly are dick move material. Being vocally critical of the country (or state, in this example) are signs of patriotism. What patriot wouldn't want things to improve? Critique is requisite for things to change and get better. Only an anti-American would consider being critical of their government being "a bad thing."
I do have an open mind. Lots of wonderful people here. But too many don't vote with their own interests in mind -- only the party. Party over all else. There are absolutely republicans I would vote for. I'd wager the average republican REFUSES to ever vote for the other side. That's pathetic, childish, and anti-American.
If you think the vast majority of his policies are dick moves, the chances are high that you donтАЩt know his policies and just accepted what someone else said.
ItтАЩs good to be critical, but not good to say itтАЩs badтАж ummm.. yeah, actually thatтАЩs still being critical. So far on your comments, the only thing I see thatтАЩs anti-American is you assuming what others do and being critical of your assumption. In other words, you made a completely asinine comment, and then called republicans pathetic, childish, and anti-American. Congratulations! ThatтАЩs a uni-party comment dripping of anti-American sentiment and hate. I would also like to point out only 1 very short sentence. тАЬVote blue, no matter who.тАЭ
The policies I have read or heard him speak reflect authoritarian and anti-democracy creeds. Like taking away our agreed upon rights. That is anti-democracy. Destroying our education systems. Feels exactly like what Hitler did just before he began systematically destroying lives and gassing vast amounts of human beings. Look to your history to see how tyranny begins. We are there. Brainwashing the masses via fox "entertainment" and QAnon are extremist, cult moves supported by hostile foreign interests in destroying us. If
mama people do not understand our true history and that of tyrants, they are doomed to repeat atrocities agains innocent people. Like the goddamned weapons of mass destruction on our children. WTF. Who the hell in their right mind thinks that the common man deserves to have automatic weapons. That is just toxic masculinity and fear-based living and we are sick of this propaganda. At least those of who who want to live in a decent, safe world and still have our critical thinking skills to decipher right and wrong living.
And again, youтАЩre proving by your words that you have no idea what he said or the laws heтАЩs passingтАжso how about this.. pick 1 of his policies you dislike and is anti-American. But explain what you know about it. Everything youтАЩve said is generalized dem talking points. Nothing specific which makes me believe you are going by hearsay. 1 policy. Explain it and your beef. IтАЩll respond.
Well, I can see you've drank too much (RWNJ) Kool-Aid because youтАЩre a damn fool if you try to blame the Democrats for any of this crap. WeтАЩre not the ones trying to kill the constitution and turn the country into a (While, male-dominated Christian) theocracy.
The 'racism' of the Democratic party? I get you like DeSantis, who talks about freedom as he censors everyone, fine...that is your tribe. Sadly, politics is about power. But, think man...who just sat down with two notorious racists for dinner? Who found Nazis and KKK invaders of Charlottsville had good people? Who explicitly appeals to what supremacists as a political strategy?
Democratic racism... Everything is about race. Biden picking a black woman months ahead of time. Nothing wrong with picking one if she is the best person. Few would think she has been. Ditto supreme court pick and his cabinet. Do I care if secretary of something is gay, a woman, Hispanic, etc? No, I prefer they be a good candidate. Some are but when one limits the pool the odds increase for a bad choice.
Didn't like Reagan picking O'Connor because she was a woman either
Re appealing to white supremacists, they are a small minority so not the best political strategy.
Right...in other words - "If only they were WHITE!! Then there wouldn't be the problems of racism! How is it that your own stupidity hasn't killed you by now?
I can empathize with your desire to live in a society where gender, racial, or other identity issues are disregarded because ...meritocracy. I'd like to find that one too. But, in THIS society, with its foundation in, and history of, racism, sexism, ethnic and religious discrimination... and diversity ...that is a fantasy. There are a multitude of legacy effects of all of that. redlining, ghetto-ization of black populations in communities where the tax base wouldn't pay for water, schools, services, electrification, or transit. Black farmers who couldn't get loans from the government so had to sell their land to white neighbors who could. Women who only achieved the ability to get a credit line without their husbands permission in the 1970!? Do we not need their perspective in governance and judicial decisions? And, no, white nationalism and Christian nationalism are having a moment. And much of the rage driving it is contrived issues by the propaganda arm of the Republican party. "Wokism"..."God help us if our kids learn what happened in the past." All so much "I don't see color BS".
This is spot on, James. Spot on. America needs to look in the mirror and face what her history is so she can mature up and make decisions that protect her people, all of her people. She is a melting pot and her Great Experiment is still in the adolescent stages. And based on the seditious republican party members and leaders, they are grossly reversing maturity levels.
I don't think the answer to past discrimination is more discrimination.
I do support helping those on the bottom of the ladder, be they black, white, Hispanic or anything else.
I think those who are sick of wokism just don't like the excesses, such as the 1619 project. Well, that and things like men can get pregnant, menstruating people, 3 year olds can determine they are another gender, etc. The US has done some great things and some terrible things. The millions who desire to still come here support the idea that not all is bad here and things may get better.
It's certainly very convenient to reframe "making amends for centuries of past racism" as "racism" when your forebearers benefited from the systemic inequality and you likely did too via generational wealth.
Maybe for once in your life try to put yourself into the shoes of the people who were on the worse end of slavery, oppression, and then systemic discrimination intentionally formed to keep them in a second class status in society... and then tell me again that some amount of "more discrimination" isn't a necessary solution, because we've already determined we're not going to actually PAY in straight reparations for those sins. We've given plenty of systems the chance to reform themselves and be less discriminatory, and they routinely fail to do so... When those in power can't even level the playing field NOW, let alone admit the accumulated past harms and how that put generations of people behind economically... it would be pretty silly to pretend we don't need *intentional* policies to force their reformation.
Again I say, it's VERY convenient to decide "discrimination needs to end entirely" when it's finally white men who are the ones who might be minutely affected in any way whatsoever.
But. Everything IS about race. In our racist country, most policies have been designed to maintain the unequal playing field. We started out as a racist country and have never had a national discussion, at least, a reasoned one, about how race and racism affects almost everything. And if it isn't racism, then it's sexism. We just love to punish people for how they've been categorized. DeSantis has successfully suppressed the votes of a lot of Black Floridians. Since he doesn't know any of them personally, I'd suggest it's solely because they're Black. How is that not racism?
Bingo. That is exactly the shadow we are confronted with in this bigoted, authoritarian, white male supremacist republican party petrified of what is happening about equality. Their caste system thrones are getting wobbly. And those who want to sit on thrones assume they deserve better than others due to their skin pigmentation (or lack thereof). Also there is always that tribal, gonadal thing with some men who have higher narcissism that the, normal, average human who wants All The People to be equal and live in peace and prosperity. Not just some.
The media and our entertainment are also to blame. Look to the violence and fear that floods our psyches. Violence for violence's sake. We are one warped species. Many of us want to be civilized, but then we are confronted with bizarre humans bullies with lust for power at all costs. Look into yourself to see what motivates you. And why. And for what cost to self and others?
Sorta agree, but I'd leave the vetting to the experts. Jackson is the best person for the job, way better than most in the position now, but limiting the pool to 'black women' simply degraded the process. Now she's just seen as the most qualified black woman, not the most qualified person. I have confidence that her legacy will support the latter.
Let's be real here. We have at least four partisan hacks on the court currently, who would prefer to decide law from cherry picked 17th century literature, rather than on the actual content of Constitution (and every existing legal precedent for that matter). And those people were served up as nominees by "experts" despite many of them being arguably unqualified even before they lied to us all during their confirmation hearings.
I think Biden did a very solid job of selecting someone who was both exceptionally qualified and experienced... AND who will bring a much needed cultural, social, AND LEGAL perspective to the court.
The right wing wack-a-doodle contingent of the court needed a strong countervailing influence. Not a "white supremacy" light male justice who could find just enough common ground with the right wing contingent to keep acceding influence to the ultra wealthy and already powerful on the completely facetious idea that racism is dead in America and none of us really deserve human rights if we can't afford to buy them. :P
It just so happens the black woman Biden selected for a Supreme Court nomination has better legal credentials and experience than all but one of the current justices.
It's disingenuous BS to try and pretend that a president making a point to add diversity to the highest court is "racism" in the same sense as Nazis openly marching in the streets chanting "Jews will not replace us!" and taking selfies with Republicans, and joining them for dinner at Mar-a-lago.
An acknowledgement that systemic racism has been a festering plague on our country, undermining our collective achievement & ability to have a fair and peaceable society for over 200 years AND ACTUALLY TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS IT... is called "making amends for past racism" not "racism."
White men with money got to be 100% of the supreme court bench composition for 95% of it's existence. ALL but 7 of the justices for all of time have been white men. Perhaps it's not "too much" to give women and minorities their day on the bench after all this time... even if that means 5 of the 7 ever given the privilege are on the bench currently.
It seems intentionally obtuse to pretend these are in any way the same thing.
A good possibility. Although women can be as nefarious as men, they often have a higher tipping point, and usually have to work harder and be smarter to attain the same levels of achievement as men.
I don't care if the court is all women, men, gay, Hispanic, Chinese, etc if they do a good job. I just don't want the president to limit the pool months ahead of time, be the president Biden or Reagan.
I thought that Biden really undercut whomever he would pick for VP by saying ahead of time that his pick would be a woman and a person of color. He could have kept his mouth shut and simply picked Harris and then defended his choice on her credentials. He undercut her authority and credentials by making the gender/color proclamation first. There will always be people who say she was chosen solely due to her gender and color because of that.
We absolutely need all those in positions of authority to be a mix of genders and ethnicities that represent our entire population - fair representation by all for all. I am not against his picks at all but I am against the grandstanding proclamations beforehand. He really undercut Harris by doing that.
I do care, because we've had to deal with the judgements of all men on SCOTUS for centuries, so it does matter. Just as in our country, men still have male privilege. And, my original question was, how would people feel if for the next 200 years, we had an all female SCOTUS? People's reactions would tell us that it does matter.
My question was if he lived in Florida, and Desantis had his way, would he be able to get married, get the same healthcare rights, with his partner/husband, as heterosexual couples. Desantis doesn't even want to acknowledge that some children have gay parents. (For example: The school library book censorship issue) Another example: He took away Disney's tax benefit to punish the company's CEO for speaking out to represent their gay employees, which only hurt all employees of Disney, I'm sure.
That is an interesting topic and the subject of a lot of debate.
One thing that bugs me is will people just get married strictly to take advantage of government benefits?
Our social safety nets are under a great deal of strain already without people abusing it further. How would we prevent sham marriages strictly for benefits?
The only solution I see is the civil union idea.
Why does any marriage require the legal acknowledgement of Government in the first place, if not strictly for government benefits?
If everyone paid their fair share, the strain would be lifted. I am middle-class and am totally fine paying my fair share to help others make our country a better place to live. But I suffer from empathy and a sense of how a democracy is supposed to work For All The People. Past and modern slavery needs to be abolished in all ways.
Capitalism needs constraints in order to work well and maintain a healthy democracy. But people are too greedy and money is like an addiction, and power tool over others. Just look at how crazy musk and trump are. They could have done amazing things for the world, but they are narcissists and can only think about themselves.
Money is simply a storage battery for our labor. Is it greed for a man to protect his wealth from thieves?
I don't envy those who have been successful. I would rather work for a rich man than a poor one. I've done both and the former is much better.
Musk and Trump both are taking great risk doing what they do. They both could retire and live in the lap of luxury. Musk in particular is one of my favorite rich people. He absolutely cares about making the world a better place and he's putting his money where his mouth is. I like that he also has a sense of humor in the process.
Calling people Narcissist is a trained habit of Democrats. The word has been cheapened by its constant use as a bludgeon against people. Democrats have done more to dilute the language than any group in history. It's based on raw emotion combined with ignorance of language.
You and I have been in this conversation elsewhere, Gandalf. Your thought processes are definitely different from my analysis and experience of this world.
How old are you, actually? You sound really immature and unable to have empathy or place your self in another person's experience... I am sorry to implicate you are mature, because I have seen white men in their 80's not be able to empathize about other's lives either, despite studying Christianity their entire lives, they still cannot empathize about other's like their idol, Jesus supposedly did.
"There are several times in the Bible that are recorded where Jesus is trying to teach an important lesson, in particular his disciples who he spent most of his time with. One of those times is in the book of John where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. This was typically done by servants back in that time.
It would have shocked the disciples because they would not have expected someone like Jesus, who was their leader, to do something like this. Jesus washing feet does have a purpose. It would teach the disciples about a new way of life that he was going to usher in with his death and resurrection."
What do you think that story was teaching? Humility? Empathy? Love for another? Many so-called christians in the R party seem to have missed a lot of the points of the biblical stories, or perhaps they suffer from dyslexia and processing issues...like trump. The teachings must reach your mind and heart to be effective. Not spouted like automatons in an unthinking, un-empathetic army. Critical thinking skills are reduced or numbed out in trump rallies and stations like fox entertainment. Just watch one of Jordan Klepper's interviews at trump rallies...it is petrifying to watch such vacancy of thought in humans.
Clearly you do not have a gay or trans child so you can say this cavalierly. You might have a Sub stack newsletter but I fear you delude yourself and cannot interpret the facts as they present themselves. I also fear you may be a spreader of disinformation.
I'd have him or her treated for the mental delusion he or she is suffering from. Affirming that which is not true is not responsible. I certainly wouldn't allow surgery or treatment that was permanent.
Why can't you live and let live? How does it impact your life in any way? Look to your own life. Stop telling others how to behave when it is none of your business if it does not impact your personal world.
My evangelical christian neighbor was so upset about gay marriages in this state. The whole state was turned inside out with half of the state thinking gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of their marriages. It was an awful two years of fighting for people's rights to choose. I thought some of the folks on our road would go apoplectic if civil unions passed. Well, it did pass and nothing happened to other's marriages. We all just went on living our lives as if nothing happened. They made such a big stink about it and then just moved on when it passed. None of it impacted the sanctity of their marriages, but made a lot of couples very happy whose love for one another could now be recognized and sanctified by the state...and world. It is hardly a big deal for anyone except those who allow it to wrinkle their brows.
Having an entire party like this is also tough. Desantis is just as bad. Hopefully Georgia will help. Go Warnock! We need all the help we can get.
"Charles Keatts - Desantis is just as bad." . . . I don't know how you can say this with a straight face. You may not like Desantis. But as a man, he shares very little in common with Trump.
I think trump is digging his own grave. We need to move on to pushing against DeSantis and the other autocrates who are trying to slip into the void left by trump.
I agree for the most part. We cannot exactly ignore the traitor but you are absolutely right about shining a light on those trying to replace him. IтАЩm hoping that many of them will be on will be on the 1/06 committees list of referrals to DOJ.
How tall is DeSantis? Statistically, the taller person tends to win the presidency. So we increase our chances with a person taller than he is. Does this rule out women? Anyone know how tall he is?
mansplaining much?
?
I just found that he is 5' 9". He could look a bit taller with shoes on!
Check those white boots...
That's not so tall for a man. One can hope. The fact that people tend to vote for the taller person (man) suggests unconscious motives contributing to the choice.
Yes, and perhaps more dangerous!
I think De Santis is much worse. HeтАЩs not as stupid as trump and able to seem more mainstream than crazy. However, he is as determined to lay waste to democracy and create America as he wants it to be - hate and fear based, unequal, driven by bigotry, racism, misogyny, greed and power.
I concur. The State Director of Our Revolution in Texas said to me over the phone, and I am paraphasing, that if we are not careful Ron DeSantis will be our next president. I do believe he will be more dangerous than Trump.
Whoever follows Trump in his direction will be building on the incredible damages Trump has wrought.
As Governor of a Peninsula that has been a target of severe hurricane threats, what is DeSantis's position on Climate Change? Has DeSantis proposed raising the income tax in Florida, to pay for the recent damages of Hurricane Ian and create a fund to cover future hurricane destruction and sea level rise? Or is he relying mainly on the Federal Government to bail Floridians out? I've heard Ian's damage estimates are ranging as high as 258 Billion! How do DeSantis's Climate Change remediation efforts stack up against the the ever increasing environmental threats the State faces? Given the upheaval and destruction of Ian, it seems like he has no responsible choice but to raise the tax base significantly. Something that should have happened four years ago, just to deal with the other environmental problems Florida is facing, in the Everglades, Biodiversity, Invasive species, fungus endangering some non-native palms, drinking water from pollution and waste:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Florida
Will DeSantis become a responsible Governor and raise taxes sufficiently to do what is necessary to protect Floridians, or will he just hope for the best and keep listening to his major sponsor, Charles Koch, and forget about the future of Florida? Glaciers are melting in the north and the waters around the Peninsula are getting warmer. No one can say he wasn't warned, but I guess it's a lot cheaper and easier to go after Disney, get CRT out of kindergarten, grade school, and high school where it doesn't even exist, and ban and burn some books. Yale should really be ashamed graduating such an irresponsible, juvenile delinquent, and con man.
https://sealevelrise.org/states/florida/
His policy on climate change has no effect on the current hurricanes.
Rather than the hype from Gore, try looking at science based recommendations, namely adaptation and reducing worldwide poverty first.
What DeSantis policy on Climate Change are you referring to? It doesn't appear he is close to being up to the task. He's been in office for four years and has invested nearly nothing on remediation compared to the immense costs incurred by climate change. Moreover he's relied and mooched off the Fed Government.
We could certainly learn a lot from the Dutch regarding adaptation
No one has any business building on the coast unless they can afford to rebuild or are insured. If you can afford to build there you can afford private insurance or self insurance. No more bailouts. That is not the purpose of government.
As for Climate Change, a mere 20,000 years ago the sea level was 120 meters lower than today. The next glaciation is expected within 10,000 years. Glaciations tend to last 200,000 years, and are more common than warm periods like today, so try to enjoy the best of times.
Somehow , "...a mere 20,000 years ago sea level was 120 meters lower than it is today" isn't that comforting when the scientific consensus is significant sea level rise will occur before 2050:
https://sealevelrise.org/states/florida.
As you are aware the theory of climate change is generally based on the assumption and verification that our burning of green house gases is causing the earth to warm. Climate scientists came to this conclusion late in the 19th century. Exxon scientists confirmed this theory as early as 1980, according to their internal documents.
Also, Ian penetrated and caused damage 20 miles inland where a lot of not so rich people reside. It's not that hard to envision how much worse life can get on a Peninsula if remediation measures aren't funded and addressed. It is exactly one of the primary functions of government to inform and protect it's citizens. Millions of people living in Florida, along with all of its other environmental issues, will be impacted.
We need to start evaluating our leaders based on how they handle their State and Nation's deferred maintenance, especially when tax revenues are insufficient to adequately address our critical challenges, and not addressing a problem is prohibitively more expensive and impossible to remedy. Many of our problems are National and Global in scope, which requires our leaders to intelligent, informed, diplomatic, and persistent in working cooperatively to find solutions.
Robert,
This line from your article:
"The sea level around Florida is up to 8 inches higher than it was in 1950.1 | 2 This increase is mostly due to ice melting into the ocean and, complicated by the porous limestone that the state sits on, itтАЩs causing major issues."
Can you guess why the soil in Southern Florida is limestone?
Sea level has not risen 8 inches since 1950. This is wrong.
Take a look at the graph in the linked article. Also note that even though we are burning much more fossil fuel than we were in the 1800's, the rate of sea level rise has remained constant. It's just a continuation of the natural rise that began 20,000 years ago.
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level#:~:text=April%2019%2C%202022-,Highlights,3.8%20inches)%20above%201993%20levels.
One of the first things you should understand about the consequences of climate change is they aren't distributed uniformly. The article I referred you to was focused on Florida. Had you known anything about climate science you would have understood this. Reread the article I sent to you:
https://sealevelrise.org/states/florida/
Also, please comment on the inadequate amount of money DeSantis has committed to mitigate the climate crisis in relation to the astronomical costs Florida is incurring. Also note how lucky Florida has been is dodging other hurricanes like Dorian that zigged east instead of west.
For your reference: https://www.axios.com/2022/10/07/hurricane-ian-damage-estimate-costliest-storm-florida. This estimate is preliminary and not comprehensive. Most estimates are based on insured losses or only limited to property damage. The range of estimates are as high as 258 Billion and may be even higher. For a better understanding refer to the following:
https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/calculating-the-cost-of-hurricane-ian
What is Florida doing about climate change?
DeSantis' focus has been on trying to adapt Florida to climate change, what he calls тАЬresilience,тАЭ and under his leadership, the state is starting to spend at least $1 billion to gird against impacts from future extreme weather through a new Resilient Florida program established by legislation he signed in May of 2021.Oct 13, 2022
His governance is ideologically irresponsible and juvenile. It's really hard to escape the consequences of fraud against the people of State of Florida. He needs to raise the State income revenue by 40-50% with the new revenue dedicated to CC mitigation. Instead of banning books, he needs to radically change the building codes and requirements, and alert his constituents about the New Normal and what must be done to prevent a knockout!
You should also understand that the consequences of climate change are not limited to Florida and coastal properties:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2022/fema-flood-risk-maps-failures/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=wp_energy_and_environment&wpisrc=nl_green
Reread the article:
"Unfortunately, slightly higher sea levels make hurricanes even more damaging. Just a few more inches of sea level rise allow a hurricane to push more water onto the land, even if the hurricane itself doesnтАЩt make landfall."
I did read the article, and I am well aware of that factor. It's a BS argument. In New Orleans they build as much as 8 feet below sea level. It's encouraged by Government backed loans, flood insurance and FEMA rebuilding. All at our expense. This is not the purpose of Government at all. Our tax money would be better spent simply educating people in geology so that they know better what to expect.
Beach houses today are McMansions, so sure the cost of rebuilding is more. Back in my day, coastal structures were always shacks which could be easily rebuilt after a storm. The cost was minimal.
You are also forgetting that sea levels have been rising for 20,000 years (120 meters). Folks building in coastal areas should be aware of this ongoing trend. Again, Florida soil is composed of decayed sea life deposited when it was under water.
The reason hurricanes are more damaging today is because there are more expensive homes in coastal regions. Government insurance encourages it.
You do understand we are in a worsening period of both sea level rise and warmer water that after a certain point is irreversible and more destructive..
Here is a clue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_sea_level
I love it when folks begin with "You do understand..". Especially when they are so wrong.
You do understand why the soil in South Florida is composed of Limestone, right? Same with the Yucatan Peninsula.
Explain sea level rise and warming oceans since we started pumping mega doses of green house gases into the atmosphere?
The soil in south Florida is composed of limestone. The shells of ancient sea life. You see, Florida has been submerged beneath the ocean many times before. The sea levels rise and fall naturally. Natural variability cannot be simply ignored, unless you are unfamiliar with geologic history.
Attributing climate change to human activity is the definition of hubris.
First answer my question. Why is the soil in Southern Florida limestone?
Robert,
"It is exactly one of the functions of government to inform and protect it's citizens."
Do you think it is government's job to protect citizens from hurricanes? Isn't it more the citizens responsibility to get out of the way when one approaches. Government does fund our early warning mechanisms to warn citizens, and they are very good at predicting the path a few days in advance. Government has also been very good at building evacuation routes to assist in evacuation. Beyond those basic functions, Government cannot stop hurricanes from happening.
The reason we have too much government today is that people ask too much of government. Government did not stop a pandemic, nor can they stop nature from fires, floods and crop failures. It is up to the citizens to protect themselves, as it should be. Those who are irresponsible suffer the consequences.
Government has actually been counterproductive in some cases. Providing subsidized insurance in flood prone areas attracts people to those areas. It mainly attracts people who can least afford such tragedy. It should never be used to insure a mansion on the beach for a rich person. He should pay for normal private insurance or pay to rebuild out of his own pocket. The whole program is immensely wasteful. It invites tragedy to those who can least afford it.
What happened to the Democrat of my day, like JFK? What became of "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Today this sounds like a Republican motto. Democrats just keep asking for more and more from their country.
Please point me in the direction of a Republican today who incorporates one trait of JFK. At least Nixon knew about foreign policy and could discuss various topics. Trump, a Republican, dealt Russia a royal flush on foreign policy and is largely responsible for Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
I do agree with you that the ultra wealthy and corporations should pay their own way and not receive government welfare, particularly when they are exempted from what use to be a progressive income system - the same one that financed and won two world wars, rebuilt Germany and Japan, and supported a rising middle-class, a higher educational system with affordable fees, and invested in our infrastructure while paying off our debt. We could be a better empire and have a better world if only we would reinstall a progressive income tax system without loopholes. No one likes paying taxes, but taxes are the price we pay for civilization, being a global leader, and having a more cohesive democracy.
One last thing. More productivity, such as oil exporting, generates more tax revenue without raising tax rates. Raising tax rates chases businesses to other countries with lower rates.
More industry, more production, more revenues for government.
Higher tax rates, less industry, less production, less revenue for government.
You are so wrong. If we were selling oil to Europe like we could be, they would not need Russian oil. There would be no war in Ukraine. It's a Democrat plan to start this war, starting with Hunter's dealings in Ukraine and leading us to the brink today. The Democrat war machine is under way.
JFK is rolling in his grave.
Thousands of Venezuelans crowded at our border would beg to differ about socialist "progressivism". They have seen the pain of such policies firsthand. If they do become citizens they will turn America deeper red.
Here is an example of climate change as a religion.
Keep in mind, this woman's husband has lost his mother, and they are on the way to her funeral. I would feel sorry for him but he obviously has allowed her to ruin his life long before this event. He should have stayed on the plane and spent some time with his family.
https://youtu.be/8nOu0WiuSIo
No such thing has been verified. In fact, to the contrary. The IPCC climate model predictions have run higher than observation almost from day 1. Every paper filed with the IPCC contains the disclaimer that models cannot account for the action of clouds. Clouds just happen to be the very thing that carry heat aloft above the greenhouse blanket, and release it into space via infrared radiation. Hurricanes happen in the fall when the warm waters exceed air temperature. The imbalance creates a tropical storm which is a heat engine. The heat engine carries heat aloft and radiates it into space. That is only one mechanism not accounted for in climate models.
The entire atmosphere is constantly circulating from ground level to high altitude. As it does so it carries water vapor aloft where it radiates infrared energy. The radiation at high altitude is free to escape into space, and is blocked from coming down by the denser atmospheric blanket below. The net flow of energy is outbound. That is how the planet self-regulates temperature. That is not modeled in climate models, which is why they are always wrong on the high side.
It's 100% a scam. For Democrats, it's a substitute for religion.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-global-warming-computer-model-11642191155?st=5eotefamj84zvvz&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Gee! I wonder why the thousands of climate scientists have never thought of that for the last 300 + years they have studied the subject and how the Exxon scientists overlooked this alternative theory, even though they were incentivized to find an alternative explanation? Yet, you discovered that there are "scientists" around that are paid to discredit the dominant theory despite its verification.
As you are aware for something to be a scientific cause it has to either occur before the event that it is hypothesized to cause or concomitantly with the event. Your explanation doesn't meet that standard. However, I understand the effects of religious conviction despite the fact that a lot of true believers have changed their thinking about climate change and its causation, in just the past six years. The world is getting hotter and green house gases are being produced in greater amounts from more sources. I think a presidential candidate who claimed that CC is a "hoax" would be laughed off the stage today. You can check your theory against this debunking site if you wish:
https://www.desmog.com/
Robert,
It's not "my theory". Here is one of many scientists who know a bit about atmospheric dynamics.
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/asl.219
Desmog is not a debunking site. It's a political site.
There are not a thousand climate scientists in the world, so your comment is baloney. And I suppose you are going to tell me that they work for free.
Look at any paper in the IPCC website dealing with climate models. The actual scientists admit that they cannot adequately model the action of clouds. You won't see the disclaimers in the Summary for Policymakers because that group is political appointees. The whole organization was not arranged to prove or disprove climate change. Theirs is a foregone conclusion and their sole purpose is to design mitigation such as taxes and non-industrialization agreements to mitigate their foregone conclusion.
The purpose of the IPCC is to wage taxes on fossil fuel and redistribute wealth to poor nations in exchange for their agreement to not industrialize. They are in the business of setting up an international system of welfare states.
As a body of non-elected political appointees, the UN has no authority to wage taxes on any American. Only by treaties signed by Democrats are they able to breach our sovereignty. That is exactly what they want, to become the taxing body for the world. The very small group of scientists working for the IPCC are doing it for the money and the power. Of course they will not object to their masters leaving off the quiet part about clouds and climate models.
He lives under a rock. From what IтАЩve heard, he doesnтАЩt even believe in climate change, and he will never ever raise taxes.
HeтАЩs dangerous
Desantis is absolutely scarier than TFG. I live in Florida and am ashamed of the way itтАЩs being governed. Desantis keeps a very tight circle around him and his wife is as wicked as he is but is very adept in making people believe that they are legitimate. I think, however, that he will not do very well in a presidential campaign because he wonтАЩt be able to contain the circle around him like he does now. At least, that is my hope!
I've heard that all those "DeSantis owns reporter!!!11" videos are all highly edited too and not representative of anything close to reality. That the actual events are filled with him getting all tomato-faced (probably New Jersey variety), flustered, and just losing his composure to such a degree that his team refuse the media to put out the truth. Any idea if true?
I disagree with Biden on many things but wouldn't call him wicked. I may think he is terribly misguided. Calling political opponents wicked reminds me a lot of the former President.
The things Desantis does and say prove otherwise. Thank you
60 percent of voters disagree. That's democracy in action.
DeSantis is definitely clever, but whiny, with no charisma. I donтАЩt think he will do well when the rest of the country тАЬseesтАЭ him for what he is: an opportunist with no substance. But who else does that sound like?!
Ah, but he was just re-elected. Many of the voters in Florida are either uninformed or anti-democracy.
Or the elections are rigged in certain states...He just wanted 11,000 more in GA. In the future we will probably learn how many states and electoral college votes went rogue due to his manipulation.
Re uninformed Florida voters, so true v40 percent didn't vote for DeSantis.
Funny that if someone loses an election and claims they won is anti democratic but if someone wins an election that their voters must be anti democratic. Must be just ant democratic people who like to vote for some reason.
I did not write anti-democratic. I wrote anti-Democratic. Folks will vote (r) no matter how bad the (r) candidate is: just look at Georgia today! Why is it even a contest! Herschel Walker??? REALLY?!?!?! not enough punctuation marks
... most just vote (r) out of habit ... and certainly ARE anti-Democratic.
What about the democratic party do folks object to? letting folks exercise their right to vote, seriously addressing climate change, supporting medicare and social security, safe gun laws?
Safe gun laws like Chicago? Where is crime the worst? Democratic run big cities. A few Republican mayor's have done more to combat crime.
Climate change? Nothing has been done or will be done to alter the climate here. Adapt, raise countries out of poverty and by then maybe there will be workable solutions.
The Democratic solution is like a fat guy that wants to lose weight. Buying skinny jeans isn't going to make it happen.
Read Bjorn Lomborg. Not a denier or alarmist but a realist on climate change.
You are misinformed. Gun laws reduce crime. If your kid was killed in a massacre, you might sing a different song, mightn't you?
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2022-01-21/report-states-with-strong-laws-see-less-gun-violence
Most massacres recently have been with legally bought guns. A number with regular old pistols.
Red flag laws didn't stop a few from obtaining guns.
or perhaps just the name, with a capital 'D'.
He governed 4 years and went from a very close race to winning by nearly 20 percent so not sure he lacks charisma.
And when his wife says that "God" selected him for his position, unfortunately a lot of christians (deliberately lower-case) believe her. As his ad says, on the "eighth day" of creation, God needed a "protector," so God "made a fighter." Pretty heady stuff. One example of this "protection" is to allow children to go to school without masks during the pandemic. Confused? Me, too.
And let's not forget that there are hundreds of thousands of "christians" in this country who believe that the Orange Sadist is above Jesus in their religious hierarchy because he is "the Son of God", whereas Jesus was ("just") "the Son of Man". And, dear Lord, how incredibly scripturally illiterate these fools be.
Gerrymandering was a big help.
Gerrymandering has nothing to do with a state wide election. For better or worse he is more popular now than 4 years ago, much moreso. That sounds like a happy electorate.
I stand corrected.
I support your gerrymandering theory. It has made all the difference in the world.
And help from corporatrocracy and putin and fox. None the less than propaganda like 1930's Germany. Americans who watch only one news show and are dumbed down with tv celebrity idols buy into his kind of charisma, like any other cult figure, he made very bad choices because his ego had to make up for all his other failings.
Nazi Germany comparisons don't usually work.
Putin does a lot in the US for a guy that can't beat a much smaller neighbor. He elected Trump, helped DeSantis and caused all our inflation.
What's wrong with charisma? Obama, Bill Clinton, Reagan and JFK had it.
True but that only means that he is more dangerous.
To a Democrat, winners are dangerous. Losers and victims are potential votes to be bought with a promise of a check...next year.
The country has seen how dangerous he is and the republicans donтАЩt care!
I agree! But TFG had experience with TV that unfortunately made a lot of people think he is something that he is definitely not!
Yes, he presented a persona that was powerful , successful and decisive. People didnтАЩt realize he was vile, impulsive, shallow and amoral.
And misogynistic. I saw nothing in him but one who is a wannabe king willing do anything to get that power. Same as his spawn.
From what I've read on various sites over the years, most everyone who lived in NYC knew.
... possibly. But with the right spin doctors, anything is possible.
You are so right. I live in Florida and IтАЩm horrified and terrified that DeSantis might become president.
Unfortunately I'm moving there soon to be close to family. Despise the people who vote in the morons down there repeatedly -- against their own interests, at that. Embarrassing.
Voting against oneтАЩs own interests describes 90% of Indiana. It is a crimson red state with a few blue dots. It is also a working class/poor state (generally speaking) and the population votes for Republicans without fail.
Years ago I created a list of policies and benefits that would improve peopleтАЩs lives and asked my stepfather and mother if they would like to see those policies created. Both were quite enthusiastic how great it would be to be able to access the benefits created (healthcare, social programs, etc). Then I handed them a list of the politicians running for the next election who were campaigning on those policies. Seeing that they were Democrats made my stepfather and mother immediately curse at me, accusing me of trying to trick them, lie to them and on and on. Both proclaimed in vivid language that they would rather die than ever vote for a тАЬscum sucking DemocratтАЭ. This exchange did not happen in the last 6 years. It was 30 years ago.
It is a particularly peculiar human trait to deliberately thwart oneself. Humans would rather never change, even at great personal cost, than admit that they have been wrong. They would also rather be able to hurt others by denying them policies and benefits even if doing so hurts themselves. I canтАЩt count how many conversations (rants) I heard around the kitchen table about making sure all those тАЬdamn othersтАЭ (the most polite way to describe what was said) didnтАЩt get anything from тАЬmy governmentтАЭ.
Which Desantis policies do you disagree with? Should Disney Corp. continue to get a huge tax break? Should our southern border remain open?
Being that youтАЩre moving into someone elseтАЩs yard, you might not want to be acting like such a dick. Differences of opinion happen. If youтАЩre going to come here with this fk you attitude, IтАЩd suggest moving your relative closer to you. You donтАЩt get second chances down here.
I'd say the vast majority of DeSantis's policies clearly are dick move material. Being vocally critical of the country (or state, in this example) are signs of patriotism. What patriot wouldn't want things to improve? Critique is requisite for things to change and get better. Only an anti-American would consider being critical of their government being "a bad thing."
I do have an open mind. Lots of wonderful people here. But too many don't vote with their own interests in mind -- only the party. Party over all else. There are absolutely republicans I would vote for. I'd wager the average republican REFUSES to ever vote for the other side. That's pathetic, childish, and anti-American.
If you think the vast majority of his policies are dick moves, the chances are high that you donтАЩt know his policies and just accepted what someone else said.
ItтАЩs good to be critical, but not good to say itтАЩs badтАж ummm.. yeah, actually thatтАЩs still being critical. So far on your comments, the only thing I see thatтАЩs anti-American is you assuming what others do and being critical of your assumption. In other words, you made a completely asinine comment, and then called republicans pathetic, childish, and anti-American. Congratulations! ThatтАЩs a uni-party comment dripping of anti-American sentiment and hate. I would also like to point out only 1 very short sentence. тАЬVote blue, no matter who.тАЭ
The policies I have read or heard him speak reflect authoritarian and anti-democracy creeds. Like taking away our agreed upon rights. That is anti-democracy. Destroying our education systems. Feels exactly like what Hitler did just before he began systematically destroying lives and gassing vast amounts of human beings. Look to your history to see how tyranny begins. We are there. Brainwashing the masses via fox "entertainment" and QAnon are extremist, cult moves supported by hostile foreign interests in destroying us. If
mama people do not understand our true history and that of tyrants, they are doomed to repeat atrocities agains innocent people. Like the goddamned weapons of mass destruction on our children. WTF. Who the hell in their right mind thinks that the common man deserves to have automatic weapons. That is just toxic masculinity and fear-based living and we are sick of this propaganda. At least those of who who want to live in a decent, safe world and still have our critical thinking skills to decipher right and wrong living.
And again, youтАЩre proving by your words that you have no idea what he said or the laws heтАЩs passingтАжso how about this.. pick 1 of his policies you dislike and is anti-American. But explain what you know about it. Everything youтАЩve said is generalized dem talking points. Nothing specific which makes me believe you are going by hearsay. 1 policy. Explain it and your beef. IтАЩll respond.
Perhaps some yards need to be cleaned up in order to keep our democracy.
That last sentence made me think you were describing the Democratic party, especially the racism and power part.
Well, I can see you've drank too much (RWNJ) Kool-Aid because youтАЩre a damn fool if you try to blame the Democrats for any of this crap. WeтАЩre not the ones trying to kill the constitution and turn the country into a (While, male-dominated Christian) theocracy.
report the troll
The 'racism' of the Democratic party? I get you like DeSantis, who talks about freedom as he censors everyone, fine...that is your tribe. Sadly, politics is about power. But, think man...who just sat down with two notorious racists for dinner? Who found Nazis and KKK invaders of Charlottsville had good people? Who explicitly appeals to what supremacists as a political strategy?
Daniel Patrick is a troll. I got into it with him once, so you should just ignore him.
report the troll
Doesn't seem to help.
I said DeSantis not Trump.
Democratic racism... Everything is about race. Biden picking a black woman months ahead of time. Nothing wrong with picking one if she is the best person. Few would think she has been. Ditto supreme court pick and his cabinet. Do I care if secretary of something is gay, a woman, Hispanic, etc? No, I prefer they be a good candidate. Some are but when one limits the pool the odds increase for a bad choice.
Didn't like Reagan picking O'Connor because she was a woman either
Re appealing to white supremacists, they are a small minority so not the best political strategy.
Right...in other words - "If only they were WHITE!! Then there wouldn't be the problems of racism! How is it that your own stupidity hasn't killed you by now?
Gtfoh, you RACIST POS.
I can empathize with your desire to live in a society where gender, racial, or other identity issues are disregarded because ...meritocracy. I'd like to find that one too. But, in THIS society, with its foundation in, and history of, racism, sexism, ethnic and religious discrimination... and diversity ...that is a fantasy. There are a multitude of legacy effects of all of that. redlining, ghetto-ization of black populations in communities where the tax base wouldn't pay for water, schools, services, electrification, or transit. Black farmers who couldn't get loans from the government so had to sell their land to white neighbors who could. Women who only achieved the ability to get a credit line without their husbands permission in the 1970!? Do we not need their perspective in governance and judicial decisions? And, no, white nationalism and Christian nationalism are having a moment. And much of the rage driving it is contrived issues by the propaganda arm of the Republican party. "Wokism"..."God help us if our kids learn what happened in the past." All so much "I don't see color BS".
This is spot on, James. Spot on. America needs to look in the mirror and face what her history is so she can mature up and make decisions that protect her people, all of her people. She is a melting pot and her Great Experiment is still in the adolescent stages. And based on the seditious republican party members and leaders, they are grossly reversing maturity levels.
I don't think the answer to past discrimination is more discrimination.
I do support helping those on the bottom of the ladder, be they black, white, Hispanic or anything else.
I think those who are sick of wokism just don't like the excesses, such as the 1619 project. Well, that and things like men can get pregnant, menstruating people, 3 year olds can determine they are another gender, etc. The US has done some great things and some terrible things. The millions who desire to still come here support the idea that not all is bad here and things may get better.
It's certainly very convenient to reframe "making amends for centuries of past racism" as "racism" when your forebearers benefited from the systemic inequality and you likely did too via generational wealth.
Maybe for once in your life try to put yourself into the shoes of the people who were on the worse end of slavery, oppression, and then systemic discrimination intentionally formed to keep them in a second class status in society... and then tell me again that some amount of "more discrimination" isn't a necessary solution, because we've already determined we're not going to actually PAY in straight reparations for those sins. We've given plenty of systems the chance to reform themselves and be less discriminatory, and they routinely fail to do so... When those in power can't even level the playing field NOW, let alone admit the accumulated past harms and how that put generations of people behind economically... it would be pretty silly to pretend we don't need *intentional* policies to force their reformation.
Again I say, it's VERY convenient to decide "discrimination needs to end entirely" when it's finally white men who are the ones who might be minutely affected in any way whatsoever.
I might add, that what he may mean by "more discrimination" is that white male privilege is curtailed. That is not discrimination.
Thank you. So well stated.
But. Everything IS about race. In our racist country, most policies have been designed to maintain the unequal playing field. We started out as a racist country and have never had a national discussion, at least, a reasoned one, about how race and racism affects almost everything. And if it isn't racism, then it's sexism. We just love to punish people for how they've been categorized. DeSantis has successfully suppressed the votes of a lot of Black Floridians. Since he doesn't know any of them personally, I'd suggest it's solely because they're Black. How is that not racism?
Bingo. That is exactly the shadow we are confronted with in this bigoted, authoritarian, white male supremacist republican party petrified of what is happening about equality. Their caste system thrones are getting wobbly. And those who want to sit on thrones assume they deserve better than others due to their skin pigmentation (or lack thereof). Also there is always that tribal, gonadal thing with some men who have higher narcissism that the, normal, average human who wants All The People to be equal and live in peace and prosperity. Not just some.
The media and our entertainment are also to blame. Look to the violence and fear that floods our psyches. Violence for violence's sake. We are one warped species. Many of us want to be civilized, but then we are confronted with bizarre humans bullies with lust for power at all costs. Look into yourself to see what motivates you. And why. And for what cost to self and others?
Sorta agree, but I'd leave the vetting to the experts. Jackson is the best person for the job, way better than most in the position now, but limiting the pool to 'black women' simply degraded the process. Now she's just seen as the most qualified black woman, not the most qualified person. I have confidence that her legacy will support the latter.
"Experts" like the Federalist Society?
Let's be real here. We have at least four partisan hacks on the court currently, who would prefer to decide law from cherry picked 17th century literature, rather than on the actual content of Constitution (and every existing legal precedent for that matter). And those people were served up as nominees by "experts" despite many of them being arguably unqualified even before they lied to us all during their confirmation hearings.
I think Biden did a very solid job of selecting someone who was both exceptionally qualified and experienced... AND who will bring a much needed cultural, social, AND LEGAL perspective to the court.
The right wing wack-a-doodle contingent of the court needed a strong countervailing influence. Not a "white supremacy" light male justice who could find just enough common ground with the right wing contingent to keep acceding influence to the ultra wealthy and already powerful on the completely facetious idea that racism is dead in America and none of us really deserve human rights if we can't afford to buy them. :P
It just so happens the black woman Biden selected for a Supreme Court nomination has better legal credentials and experience than all but one of the current justices.
It's disingenuous BS to try and pretend that a president making a point to add diversity to the highest court is "racism" in the same sense as Nazis openly marching in the streets chanting "Jews will not replace us!" and taking selfies with Republicans, and joining them for dinner at Mar-a-lago.
An acknowledgement that systemic racism has been a festering plague on our country, undermining our collective achievement & ability to have a fair and peaceable society for over 200 years AND ACTUALLY TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS IT... is called "making amends for past racism" not "racism."
White men with money got to be 100% of the supreme court bench composition for 95% of it's existence. ALL but 7 of the justices for all of time have been white men. Perhaps it's not "too much" to give women and minorities their day on the bench after all this time... even if that means 5 of the 7 ever given the privilege are on the bench currently.
It seems intentionally obtuse to pretend these are in any way the same thing.
And, just think, how would many men feel if we decided to actually make it balanced and have over 200 years of an all female SCOTUS?
They'd probably do better, no?
A good possibility. Although women can be as nefarious as men, they often have a higher tipping point, and usually have to work harder and be smarter to attain the same levels of achievement as men.
Can't women be given credit here?
I don't care if the court is all women, men, gay, Hispanic, Chinese, etc if they do a good job. I just don't want the president to limit the pool months ahead of time, be the president Biden or Reagan.
I thought that Biden really undercut whomever he would pick for VP by saying ahead of time that his pick would be a woman and a person of color. He could have kept his mouth shut and simply picked Harris and then defended his choice on her credentials. He undercut her authority and credentials by making the gender/color proclamation first. There will always be people who say she was chosen solely due to her gender and color because of that.
We absolutely need all those in positions of authority to be a mix of genders and ethnicities that represent our entire population - fair representation by all for all. I am not against his picks at all but I am against the grandstanding proclamations beforehand. He really undercut Harris by doing that.
I do care, because we've had to deal with the judgements of all men on SCOTUS for centuries, so it does matter. Just as in our country, men still have male privilege. And, my original question was, how would people feel if for the next 200 years, we had an all female SCOTUS? People's reactions would tell us that it does matter.
Disgruntled white man says whatтАж
uh huh...more delusion
Honestly, who would you vote for if you had a gay son or daughter and lived in Florida?
I'm not voting for someone to care for my son or daughter. I care for my children until they are 18, and then they care for themselves.
What has happened to the Democrat Party?
This kind of question just drives people away.
My question was if he lived in Florida, and Desantis had his way, would he be able to get married, get the same healthcare rights, with his partner/husband, as heterosexual couples. Desantis doesn't even want to acknowledge that some children have gay parents. (For example: The school library book censorship issue) Another example: He took away Disney's tax benefit to punish the company's CEO for speaking out to represent their gay employees, which only hurt all employees of Disney, I'm sure.
That is an interesting topic and the subject of a lot of debate.
One thing that bugs me is will people just get married strictly to take advantage of government benefits?
Our social safety nets are under a great deal of strain already without people abusing it further. How would we prevent sham marriages strictly for benefits?
The only solution I see is the civil union idea.
Why does any marriage require the legal acknowledgement of Government in the first place, if not strictly for government benefits?
Because healthcare insurance companies make decisions based on if a couple is married. For Coverage, healthcare proxy etc.
If everyone paid their fair share, the strain would be lifted. I am middle-class and am totally fine paying my fair share to help others make our country a better place to live. But I suffer from empathy and a sense of how a democracy is supposed to work For All The People. Past and modern slavery needs to be abolished in all ways.
Capitalism needs constraints in order to work well and maintain a healthy democracy. But people are too greedy and money is like an addiction, and power tool over others. Just look at how crazy musk and trump are. They could have done amazing things for the world, but they are narcissists and can only think about themselves.
I don't agree with much of what you wrote.
Money is simply a storage battery for our labor. Is it greed for a man to protect his wealth from thieves?
I don't envy those who have been successful. I would rather work for a rich man than a poor one. I've done both and the former is much better.
Musk and Trump both are taking great risk doing what they do. They both could retire and live in the lap of luxury. Musk in particular is one of my favorite rich people. He absolutely cares about making the world a better place and he's putting his money where his mouth is. I like that he also has a sense of humor in the process.
Calling people Narcissist is a trained habit of Democrats. The word has been cheapened by its constant use as a bludgeon against people. Democrats have done more to dilute the language than any group in history. It's based on raw emotion combined with ignorance of language.
You and I have been in this conversation elsewhere, Gandalf. Your thought processes are definitely different from my analysis and experience of this world.
Have you never met a wealthy person who is also very generous?
In my experience, most want to help those in need, but also do not coddle those who refuse to try to help themselves.
DeSantis, the best guy for the job of governor.
How old are you, actually? You sound really immature and unable to have empathy or place your self in another person's experience... I am sorry to implicate you are mature, because I have seen white men in their 80's not be able to empathize about other's lives either, despite studying Christianity their entire lives, they still cannot empathize about other's like their idol, Jesus supposedly did.
"There are several times in the Bible that are recorded where Jesus is trying to teach an important lesson, in particular his disciples who he spent most of his time with. One of those times is in the book of John where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. This was typically done by servants back in that time.
It would have shocked the disciples because they would not have expected someone like Jesus, who was their leader, to do something like this. Jesus washing feet does have a purpose. It would teach the disciples about a new way of life that he was going to usher in with his death and resurrection."
What do you think that story was teaching? Humility? Empathy? Love for another? Many so-called christians in the R party seem to have missed a lot of the points of the biblical stories, or perhaps they suffer from dyslexia and processing issues...like trump. The teachings must reach your mind and heart to be effective. Not spouted like automatons in an unthinking, un-empathetic army. Critical thinking skills are reduced or numbed out in trump rallies and stations like fox entertainment. Just watch one of Jordan Klepper's interviews at trump rallies...it is petrifying to watch such vacancy of thought in humans.
It all comes down to color for Democrats. Which party is the racist party again?
If Jesus only "supposedly empathized" I guess that reveals a bit about your reading comprehension.
You are only trolling
Yes he is and I, for one, am tired of his crap. He is a troll and should be removed!
DeSantis is a dictator just like TFG
The last line is a fact.
Now who is censoring?
Clearly you do not have a gay or trans child so you can say this cavalierly. You might have a Sub stack newsletter but I fear you delude yourself and cannot interpret the facts as they present themselves. I also fear you may be a spreader of disinformation.
He definitely is.
I wonder if this fellow gets something out of being a provocateur.
J Nol, possibly he's in training to become a lawyer for the RNC.
We disagree. I thought one could do that in a Democracy.
Will you respond to my question, Daniel? How would you lovingly care for a teen trans child in DeSantis' Florida?
Of course we can disagree. Just help me understand how you would care for your teen trans child in Florida.
I'd have him or her treated for the mental delusion he or she is suffering from. Affirming that which is not true is not responsible. I certainly wouldn't allow surgery or treatment that was permanent.
Why can't you live and let live? How does it impact your life in any way? Look to your own life. Stop telling others how to behave when it is none of your business if it does not impact your personal world.
My evangelical christian neighbor was so upset about gay marriages in this state. The whole state was turned inside out with half of the state thinking gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of their marriages. It was an awful two years of fighting for people's rights to choose. I thought some of the folks on our road would go apoplectic if civil unions passed. Well, it did pass and nothing happened to other's marriages. We all just went on living our lives as if nothing happened. They made such a big stink about it and then just moved on when it passed. None of it impacted the sanctity of their marriages, but made a lot of couples very happy whose love for one another could now be recognized and sanctified by the state...and world. It is hardly a big deal for anyone except those who allow it to wrinkle their brows.
good Lord
whatever shall we Do
with all the Gay* Animals?
God fucked
that one up
too didn't
He?
*perhaps they're merely
God's Creatures of
Convenience
but Who
can Say?
oh boy, white jacket please