US Politics Thread

[Moxie]

I do not believe in wide spread voter fraud in the US but I do believe it is just a no brainer to provide an ID to vote just like they do in almost every democratically run country . Most countries have figured it out, US, the most powerful nation on earth can figure it out too, no?
Those numbers on the link you provided though...I have no way of proving they are not accurate of course but those are the instances when the fraudster was caught , right? Can there be other instances where the fraud actually worked and no one got caught? I am guessing yes. I mean, it is like, when a drunk driver gets pulled over by the cops , what are the chances that it is the first time this person has driven drunk...? Probably 0%. It is just that he got caught this time.

And what is with that 1 person can sponsor 8 others to vote in Minnesota thing? I honestly have no clue how that works but on the surface it sounds super fishy. I hope it is much more innocent than that.

And I am still waiting for my answer....

It's sort of hilarious to me how indignant you sound about us not showing ID to vote in all 50 states, given that you don't believe that voter fraud is a problem. Then why care? Just because you have to show ID? Just because your conservative tribe does?

The reasons for complaint about showing ID to vote in the US has a long historical context, which I have explained, in brief. You probably know plenty about it, or you can look it up. As you note, the incidents of voter fraud are small. They can't possibly affect the outcome of an election, so the concern is not to eliminate them altogether, as much as it should be to prevent voter disenfranchisement, or voter suppression, which are far greater threats to democracy, I think we can all agree on that. However, even as we discuss this, Trump has had some voter rolls seized, he's been trying to trade pulling ICE out of Minneapolis, in exchange for voter rolls...I mean, WHAT?? He's talking about Federalizing elections, which is unconstitutional. Focus on the real threats.

As to your question, well, it's your question, so why don't you answer it? (However much it's old news.) And you are being coy, because you said twice you already know the answer. My answering it would clearly be walking into a trap. You've essentially said as much.

 

[Moxie]

I listened to David Remnick interview Julie Brown of the Miami Herald yesterday on the New Yorker Radio Hour. Brown has been covering Epstein for years, and wrote a book about him (Perversion of Justice, 2021) and her reporting for the Herald was one of the first to seek out the victims and bring a lot of this to light.

What Donald Trump and “Everyone” Knew About Jeffrey Epstein | The New Yorker Radio Hour | WNYC Studios

In January, the Justice Department released over three million documents, including many redacted e-mails, related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Should we share the Julie Brown text with Alan ...

www.wnycstudios.org

It's interesting, but here are two takeaways related to what we've been talking about: She said she has found no evidence of foreign political connections, like Russia or the Mossad. However, she says that Epstein never missed an opportunity to make money where it presented itself. And he had a lot of international dealings and connections. She also said she absolutely does not believe that he committed suicide.

In a related matter, what about this guy, Jean-Luc Brunel? Long-time associate of Epstein's. Involved with modeling agencies in France since the 70s. Accused of drugging and sexually exploiting models as early as in the 80s.

When Jeffrey Epstein turned up dead in his jail cell, he went into hiding. The French police caught him, put him in jail, and guess what? He committed suicide in his jail cell before he went to trial.

Maybe everyone already knew this.

 

[Federberg]

I listened to David Remnick interview Julie Brown of the Miami Herald yesterday on the New Yorker Radio Hour. Brown has been covering Epstein for years, and wrote a book about him (Perversion of Justice, 2021) and her reporting for the Herald was one of the first to seek out the victims and bring a lot of this to light.

What Donald Trump and “Everyone” Knew About Jeffrey Epstein | The New Yorker Radio Hour | WNYC Studios

In January, the Justice Department released over three million documents, including many redacted e-mails, related to Jeffrey Epstein. “Should we share the Julie Brown text with Alan ...

www.wnycstudios.org

It's interesting, but here are two takeaways related to what we've been talking about: She said she has found no evidence of foreign political connections, like Russia or the Mossad. However, she says that Epstein never missed an opportunity to make money where it presented itself. And he had a lot of international dealings and connections. She also said she absolutely does not believe that he committed suicide.

In a related matter, what about this guy, Jean-Luc Brunel? Long-time associate of Epstein's. Involved with modeling agencies in France since the 70s. Accused of drugging and sexually exploiting models as early as in the 80s.

When Jeffrey Epstein turned up dead in his jail cell, he went into hiding. The French police caught him, put him in jail, and guess what? He committed suicide in his jail cell before he went to trial.

Maybe everyone already knew this.

A friend of mine is all over this. He sent me this article...

‘I woke up and he was on top of me’: six women on being abused by fashion agent Jean-Luc Brunel

The Frenchman killed himself in prison in February while awaiting trial for rape. Here, six former models speak out about him, his friend Jeffrey Epstein and an industry that turned a blind eye

www.theguardian.com

 

[Murat B.]

It's sort of hilarious to me how indignant you sound about us not showing ID to vote in all 50 states, given that you don't believe that voter fraud is a problem. Then why care? Just because you have to show ID? Just because your conservative tribe does?

The reasons for complaint about showing ID to vote in the US has a long historical context, which I have explained, in brief. You probably know plenty about it, or you can look it up. As you note, the incidents of voter fraud are small. They can't possibly affect the outcome of an election, so the concern is not to eliminate them altogether, as much as it should be to prevent voter disenfranchisement, or voter suppression, which are far greater threats to democracy, I think we can all agree on that. However, even as we discuss this, Trump has had some voter rolls seized, he's been trying to trade pulling ICE out of Minneapolis, in exchange for voter rolls...I mean, WHAT?? He's talking about Federalizing elections, which is unconstitutional. Focus on the real threats.

As to your question, well, it's your question, so why don't you answer it? (However much it's old news.) And you are being coy, because you said twice you already know the answer. My answering it would clearly be walking into a trap. You've essentially said as much.

Moxie, it is super normal to agree with the need of voter id and still believe there is not a huge problem. Having a bomb on a plane is statistically miniscule but we will still ask for passports and check luggages, no? In fact we try and improve the system all the time so that the problem stays a miniscule problem. We do not say "Oh it is expensive to fly and not everyone can get a passport" and stop checking people.

"My conservative tribe"? This has to be a joke. First, I believe 100% in individualism and also know that tribalism and identity politics are leftist positions. Let me give you an example. I believe in gay marriage and I am an atheist. We discuss about these issues with my friends who are on the right all the time but none of them have ever tried to cancel me because of my beliefs. Now , YOU go to your leftists friends and say you are pro life and see how quickly they kick you out of the club. Your tribe does not allow any dissent. Your tribe's idea of diversity stops at the melanin levels of a person or whom they choose to sleep with.

Look , I understand that you cannot answer my question even though you had a year to think about it. I have asked the same question to many friends on the left and they cannot either. I am not going to push it anymore. Because I know answering that question REALLY honestly , like looking way deep into all your believes and convictions , may result in having to accept some uncomfortable truths. And nobody wants that. All good, you are off the hook.

Now I would like to leave this post on a lighter note , with a quote from Sen. Kennedy that should be a warning to everyone for the upcoming elections: " AOC is the reason there are directions on shampoo bottles"

 

[Moxie]

Moxie, it is super normal to agree with the need of voter id and still believe there is not a huge problem. Having a bomb on a plane is statistically miniscule but we will still ask for passports and check luggages, no? In fact we try and improve the system all the time so that the problem stays a miniscule problem. We do not say "Oh it is expensive to fly and not everyone can get a passport" and stop checking people.

"My conservative tribe"? This has to be a joke. First, I believe 100% in individualism and also know that tribalism and identity politics are leftist positions. Let me give you an example. I believe in gay marriage and I am an atheist. We discuss about these issues with my friends who are on the right all the time but none of them have ever tried to cancel me because of my beliefs. Now , YOU go to your leftists friends and say you are pro life and see how quickly they kick you out of the club. Your tribe does not allow any dissent. Your tribe's idea of diversity stops at the melanin levels of a person or whom they choose to sleep with.

Look , I understand that you cannot answer my question even though you had a year to think about it. I have asked the same question to many friends on the left and they cannot either. I am not going to push it anymore. Because I know answering that question REALLY honestly , like looking way deep into all your believes and convictions , may result in having to accept some uncomfortable truths. And nobody wants that. All good, you are off the hook.

Now I would like to leave this post on a lighter note , with a quote from Sen. Kennedy that should be a warning to everyone for the upcoming elections: " AOC is the reason there are directions on shampoo bottles"

You missed the conversation we had about why Trump won the last election and what all the Dems did wrong. I had plenty to say then, and I'm not repeating myself just for you. I refuse to be singled out and harangued by you over it, just because you have only just rejoined the thread. Do NOT tell me that you think I won't answer because I refuse to check in with my own beliefs. That's arrogant, and wrong of you. Why don't you examine your own intractable beliefs before you call me out for mine? Voter ID doesn't affect voter fraud, and voter fraud isn't a problem in the US, which you agree with, so why is it necessary? Oh, right, because conservatives think so. You have no good argument for why we need ID to vote in the US, and you don't understand why it's unnecessary, or else you refuse to. So, yes, I do think you're following the answers of conservatives without giving it any deep thought.

 

[Murat B.]

You missed the conversation we had about why Trump won the last election and what all the Dems did wrong. I had plenty to say then, and I'm not repeating myself just for you. I refuse to be singled out and harangued by you over it, just because you have only just rejoined the thread. Do NOT tell me that you think I won't answer because I refuse to check in with my own beliefs. That's arrogant, and wrong of you. Why don't you examine your own intractable beliefs before you call me out for mine? Voter ID doesn't affect voter fraud, and voter fraud isn't a problem in the US, which you agree with, so why is it necessary? Oh, right, because conservatives think so. You have no good argument for why we need ID to vote in the US, and you don't understand why it's unnecessary, or else you refuse to. So, yes, I do think you're following the answers of conservatives without giving it any deep thought.

OK

 

[Moxie]

A friend of mine is all over this. He sent me this article...

‘I woke up and he was on top of me’: six women on being abused by fashion agent Jean-Luc Brunel

The Frenchman killed himself in prison in February while awaiting trial for rape. Here, six former models speak out about him, his friend Jeffrey Epstein and an industry that turned a blind eye

www.theguardian.com

Some things that are odd about all of this:

* Your friend is "all over this," but even he just sent you this article, which is 3 years old. Why is it taking so long for everyone to connect all of these dots? Seems very weird.

* The article is pretty long, and throws in the point that someone (or more than one person) said that Brunel had connections to the Russian mafia. Could be a story he told for self-aggrandizement, or to intimidate people. Or there could be some ring of truth in there somewhere, like a KGB connection.

* Brunel went into hiding when Epstein "committed suicide" in jail in the US. Now, if he was afraid of the police, either in the US or France, one would think he'd have gone into hiding when Epstein was arrested. So, it seems to imply that he was afraid of the people who offed Epstein.

* So, then, how come no one has "offed" Ghislaine Maxwell?

Here was my biggest laugh of today, from your article: 'Brunel’s legal team said in a statement at the time: “His distress was that of a man of 75 years old caught up in a media-legal system that we should be questioning. Jean-Luc Brunel never stopped claiming his innocence and had made many efforts to prove it. His decision [to end his life] was not driven by guilt but by a deep sense of injustice.”'

 

[Murat B.]

Oh my God, Occasional Cortex is just a gift that keeps on giving like the Jelly Of The Month Club ! This week has been gold ! First the word salad answer to Taiwan/China question, and then the miserable fail trying to refute Rubio and cowboys being rooted in Spain. She literally does not know what she does not know, but still talks with the confidence of someone who knows ! Please run for president. PLEASE !

 

[Kieran]

Oh my God, Occasional Cortex is just a gift that keeps on giving like the Jelly Of The Month Club ! This week has been gold ! First the word salad answer to Taiwan/China question, and then the miserable fail trying to refute Rubio and cowboys being rooted in Spain. She literally does not know what she does not know, but still talks with the confidence of someone who knows ! Please run for president. PLEASE ! View attachment 10596

My bro is a left wing person who knows only the talking points when it comes to politics, you know what I mean? He argued a position about something and his source was this girl, above. I informed him that it’s a rule of thumb that if Greta, and AOC, and a large number of screeching activists agree with you, you’re default setting wrong.

There is no way they’re going to be right, even individually, but collectively? It’s a default setting.

He’s finally, after all these years, beginning to wonder about it…

 

[Moxie]

Oh my God, Occasional Cortex is just a gift that keeps on giving like the Jelly Of The Month Club ! This week has been gold ! First the word salad answer to Taiwan/China question, and then the miserable fail trying to refute Rubio and cowboys being rooted in Spain. She literally does not know what she does not know, but still talks with the confidence of someone who knows ! Please run for president. PLEASE ! View attachment 10596

Do you really think an idiotic meme makes good conversation? For a guy who claims he's rather neutral, you're pretty insulting to anything left of center. Obviously, this is an old joke, and a really bad one. Attributing it to AOC doesn't make it any funnier. it actually makes more sense if they'd attributed it to a right-winger. Right?

 

[Murat B.]

Do you really think an idiotic meme makes good conversation? For a guy who claims he's rather neutral, you're pretty insulting to anything left of center. Obviously, this is an old joke, and a really bad one. Attributing it to AOC doesn't make it any funnier. it actually makes more sense if they'd attributed it to a right-winger. Right?

Forget the meme, it is just a meme. Imagine it is not there. I can delete it if you wish. Now please respond to the actual post .
Actually you don't have to..because AOC just today declared whiteness "imaginary" . I guess that makes me imaginary. You are talking to a figment of your imagination !

 

[Moxie]

Forget the meme, it is just a meme. Imagine it is not there. I can delete it if you wish. Now please respond to the actual post .
Actually you don't have to..because AOC just today declared whiteness "imaginary" . I guess that makes me imaginary. You are talking to a figment of your imagination !

What in your post is there to respond to? I've already forgotten your meme. Right now I'm trying to remember back when you were good at conversation.

OK, forget it. Peace, brother. But stop with the dumb memes.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I don’t necessarily think Trump is racist, as such, I just think he says shit, he’s not a “politician” and as such, he’s almost comically unfiltered. But is he racist? He’s certainly portrayed as such by the people who label everyone who disagrees with them as fascist, racist and Nazi. But you know, when I see white democrats whining about something as simple and sensible as voter ID, claiming it’s racist because black people are presumably too stupid and incapable to provide some, no matter how simplistic it’s made for them, I think that in itself is racist.

This line of thinking (not just this post, but your general posts on this topic) makes me chuckle not because it's not true, it very well might be, but let's paraphrase what you're saying: "Yes, arguably the most powerful person in the world always says racist things, does racist things, and enacts racist policies, but calling him racist is a disservice to REAL racism."

 

[Kieran]

This line of thinking (not just this post, but your general posts on this topic) makes me chuckle not because it's not true, it very well might be, but let's paraphrase what you're saying: "Yes, arguably the most powerful person in the world always says racist things, does racist things, and enacts racist policies, but calling him racist is a disservice to REAL racism."

My general posts on this topic are pointing out that we can’t call Trump racist from one side while ignoring racism from the other. “The other” call everyone racist and Nazi and fascist while ignoring the racism that’s top to toe in their party. I thought that was quite clear. If Joe Biden isn’t racist enough for you when he told black people they ain’t black, then don’t go calling other people racist.

Insurgents in Minnesota called a black man the n-word and that was totally ignored by everyone. A nothing-burger, as they say. Trump is a loose cannon, rolling around the deck triggering everybody, totally unsuited in his temperament to be the president of the United States, but they should have our somebody who was suited for the job up against him, in 2016, and in 2024.

They didn’t. Meanwhile, he’s actually sane in his policies - largely - and he’s taken the Obama route in setting ICE on a difficult task, which is a good thing for Americans.

Except the treacherous sort of blinkered Americans who seem to hate their country..

 

[brokenshoelace]

My general posts on this topic are pointing out that we can’t call Trump racist from one side while ignoring racism from the other. “The other” call everyone racist and Nazi and fascist while ignoring the racism that’s top to toe in their party. I thought that was quite clear. If Joe Biden isn’t racist enough for you when he told black people they ain’t black, then don’t go calling other people racist.

Insurgents in Minnesota called a black man the n-word and that was totally ignored by everyone. A nothing-burger, as they say. Trump is a loose cannon, rolling around the deck triggering everybody, totally unsuited in his temperament to be the president of the United States, but they should have our somebody who was suited for the job up against him, in 2016, and in 2024.

They didn’t. Meanwhile, he’s actually sane in his policies - largely - and he’s taken the Obama route in setting ICE on a difficult task, which is a good thing for Americans.

Except the treacherous sort of blinkered Americans who seem to hate their country..

Joe Biden is a racist because he helped kill half a million Arabs in Gaza and didn't lift a finger to stop it when it became clear what was going to happen. The implication that I'd give a shit about the American left is funny. Joe Biden is a genocidal war mongering sociopath. I'm not going to draw the line at calling him racist. He's even worse than that. I hope that cancer he's suffering from is every bit as painful as the anything the children of Gaza endured.

 

[Kieran]

The implication that I'd give a shit about the American left is funny.

I wasn’t implying that you’d care about the American left, I was pointing out what was clear about the previous post of mine, which you were attacking..

 

[Federberg]

@Moxie is this real?

 

[brokenshoelace]

LMAO

 

[Moxie]

@Moxie is this real?

I watched the first few seconds. A) It's February...it's dark here at 5am, and also there have been piles of snow on the ground for over 2 weeks, so, no, that's not real. B) I live near a mosque and no one is blasting the call to prayer. Nothing is different. (The corner the video showed is in Brooklyn and well-known...if I looked it up, I bet there's no mosque there.)

You can add music at any level onto video. Where'd you dig that chick up?

EDIT: The big building that she pans right to in the first shot is the Williamsburg Bank Tower and it's a landmark. I can't find any mosque near it.

Also, look again...the trees have leaves on them.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I watched the first few seconds. A) It's February...it's dark here at 5am, and also there have been piles of snow on the ground for over 2 weeks, so, no, that's not real. B) I live near a mosque and no one is blasting the call to prayer. Nothing is different. (The corner the video showed is in Brooklyn and well-known...if I looked it up, I bet there's no mosque there.)

You can add music at any level onto video. Where'd you dig that chick up?

Boomers scare so easily, it's truly uncanny.