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Post by onelasttime on Aug 27, 2023 17:06:28 GMT
IMO the transformation of what the Republican Party is today started during the Clinton Administration. It may have accelerated during the Obama Administration but went into overdrive when dumpster don came down the escalator stairs.
Ben Rhodes…
“During my 20 years in politics, two destructive trends stand out: the steady radicalization of the Republican Party and the trivialization of politics, particularly the way it is covered by US media and how politicians respond to that dynamic.
The Republican debate stands out for how unsurprising it was that a stage full of people acted like a bunch of kids trying to get admitted to some fascist costume party. Kill people at the border! Prohibit women from any agency over their bodies! Side with Putin! Etc. Etc.
The bridge between radicalization and trivialization (as always) is Trump. Last night, a group of accomplished adults refused to condemn someone who has broken laws related to overthrowing the U.S. government, stealing classified information, violating campaign finance laws, etc
If I told you 20 years ago that a guy who was facing 91 felony charges, including trying to overthrow the U.S. government, would be the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination and none of his opponents would dare to criticize him, well...
There's a lot to say about the radicalization of the Republicans. I've written two books that were largely about that. Frankly, there's nothing more to say. We have a radical right-wing party. It is what it is now.
But the trivialization of politics demands as much attention and is just as important. Because without it, the radicalization would be impossible.
Last night, for instance, the GOP frontrunner talked at length on this platform about vicious mosquitos, conspiracy theories, and general nonsense. A man who said those things in a job interview for just about any other position in the world wouldn't get hired.
Trump's hack of political media has always been that he mirrors their complete lack of interest in any substance, in favor of political optics, news cycle stupidity, and performative bullshit. He is both a creation - and conductor - of the stupidity of political coverage.
It is jarring to consider how impossible Trump would have been 20 years ago. He is only possible because of a Republican party that descended into grievance based insanity after the Obama election, and too much (not all) political media that cares only about performative nonsense
Consider the fact that Vivek Ramaswamy, a man who has precisely zero interest in performing any functions of the U.S. presidency, is heralded for a performance in which he mainly demonstrated his complete lack of fitness to run for any office, nevermind the most powerful one.
Meanwhile, what's at stake? The livelihoods of Americans. A world in which there is the biggest European war since World War II and the potential for a war between nuclear-armed superpowers in East Asia. The survivability of the planet.
Until we see that these things are not trivial or entertaining; that they are serious challenges to the underpinnings of our Republic and global stability, then the radicalization will continue.
A common thread to these two trends is money - the enormous amount of money poured into corrupting our politics since Citizens United has served to fuel both radicalization and nonsense in order to serve very specific ends. That, too, is hiding in plain sight.
Meanwhile, many Americans suffer a crisis of belonging, a vulnerability to conspiracy theory, an understandable inability to make sense of it all. Because the blending of radicalization (Us v Them) and trivialization (nothing matters) leads to the destruction of objective truth.
To defeat both radicalization and trivialization, we need to get back to a democracy in which debate, disagreement, and even division can be based upon an objective reality that recognizes the stakes involved. Because all of this DOES matter. A lot.“
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Gem Girl
Pearl Clutcher
......
Posts: 2,686
Jun 29, 2014 19:29:52 GMT
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Post by Gem Girl on Aug 27, 2023 19:10:59 GMT
I've said before that I blame the start of the demise on Newt Gingrich. Yes, he was in Clinton's era, even impeaching him. He then proceeded to unravel our democracy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt_GingrichFrom the above link: As House Speaker, Gingrich oversaw passage by the House of welfare reform and a capital gains tax cut in 1997. Gingrich played a key role in several government shutdowns, and impeached President Bill Clinton on a party-line vote in the House. The poor showing by Republicans in the 1998 congressional elections, a reprimand from the House for Gingrich's ethics violation, and pressure from Republican colleagues resulted in Gingrich's resignation from the speakership on November 6, 1998.[4] He resigned altogether from the House on January 3, 1999.[5] Political scientists have credited Gingrich with playing a key role in undermining democratic norms in the United States and hastening political polarization and partisanship.[6][7][8][9][10][page needed] |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 27, 2023 19:51:30 GMT
Gingrich is still very much involved consulting and probably financing, although I just read somewhere he still has outstanding financial obligations from his political doings.
He also has things in common with TFG. Three wives, cheated on them, delusions of grandeur, unfit for public office... unpaid campaign bills.. about 4.6 million...
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,088
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Aug 27, 2023 19:54:00 GMT
I've said before that I blame the start of the demise on Newt Gingrich. Yes, he was in Clinton's era, even impeaching him. He then proceeded to unravel our democracy. Great podcast by Steve Kornacki about this: The Revolution |
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Gem Girl
Pearl Clutcher
......
Posts: 2,686
Jun 29, 2014 19:29:52 GMT
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Post by Gem Girl on Aug 27, 2023 19:56:58 GMT
I've said before that I blame the start of the demise on Newt Gingrich. Yes, he was in Clinton's era, even impeaching him. He then proceeded to unravel our democracy. Great podcast by Steve Kornacki about this: The RevolutionThank you; saved the link. |
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 27, 2023 20:08:43 GMT
And there is this guy… No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen… “Vivek Ramaswamy just blamed the Jacksonville mass shooting— where a neo-Nazi murdered Black people— on Democrats, universities, and “the media.” He says it’s their fault for creating a “racialized culture in this country in the last several years.” Floridapolitics.com. link |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 27, 2023 20:17:09 GMT
I'm posting this because it has a great response.. NRA in response to President Biden saying no one needs an AR-15 period. “Americans vehemently disagree with Joe on this. Millions of law-abiding citizens own and use AR-15s to defend themselves and their families.” Defend themselves against what?  Some threat that only exists in their head? |
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,104 
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Post by mimima on Aug 27, 2023 21:50:55 GMT
Dare I ask about the vicious mosquitos?
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Post by Scrapper100 on Aug 27, 2023 21:54:59 GMT
I'm posting this because it has a great response.. During the pandemic people wearing masks were told to "stop living in fear" by many conservatives, but so many of them are so fearful of the unknown that they need assault rifles. THIS X 1,000. Why does anyone need an assault rifle to protect their family. I see people say this that they move out of California and go into a store snd within ten minutes walk out with one. They are moving to a safer state but need one to protect their family. What the ever loving #%^#. Living in California I have never felt the need for a gun to be safe. |
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 27, 2023 22:19:22 GMT
David Hogg..
”It’s insane to me that a mass shooter has been reported to have swastikas on his semi automatic rifle and a manifesto of how much he hates Black people and the media STILL blames it on mental illness.”
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 27, 2023 22:27:19 GMT
Well duh! Mehdi Hasan… ”the report found that in school settings, closures and other distancing measures were associated with reduced Covid-19 cases” The Guardian…. link“ Lockdowns and face masks ‘unequivocally’ cut spread of Covid, report finds” From the article .. Royal Society review looks at non-pharmaceutical interventions when applied in packages of several measures Measures taken during the Covid pandemic such as social distancing and wearing face masks “unequivocally” reduced the spread of infections, a report has found. Experts looked at the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) – not drugs or vaccines – when applied in packages that combine a number of measures that complement one another. The Royal Society report, called Covid-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions, reviewed the evidence gathered during the pandemic for six groups of NPIs and their effectiveness in reducing transmission. These included masks and face coverings, social distancing and lockdowns, test, trace and isolate, travel restrictions and controls across international borders, environmental controls, and communications.” When assessed individually, there was positive – if limited – evidence of transmission reduction from many of the NPIs used in the pandemic, the review found. However, evidence of a positive effect was clear when countries used combinations of NPIs. Additionally, evidence showed NPIs were most effective when the intensity of transmission was low, supporting their use early in a pandemic and at first sign of resurgence. During the early stages of responding to an emerging infectious disease, NPIs tend to be the only controls available before the development of drug treatments and “ x.com/mehdirhasan/status/1695543971852804585?s=61&t=j45uMgNk1i8O0YllKF58nw |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 4:48:02 GMT
TFG has now demanded that McCarthy/the House impeach Biden immediately.. From his summer home in New Jersey, former President Donald Trump dictated to the House Republicans that it was time for them to impeach President Joe Biden. Taking to his personal social media website, Truth Social, on Sunday, Trump claimed that the House has already "proven" that Biden broke the law and as such it was time for them to move.
"You don’t need a long INQUIRY to prove it, it’s already proven," he ranted. "These lowlifes Impeached me TWICE (I WON!), and Indicted me FOUR TIMES - For NOTHING! Either IMPEACH the BUM, or fade into OBLIVION. THEY DID IT TO US!"Republicans have struggled with getting Americans behind them on the Biden investigations. Their far-right base, however, has been very loud on the subject. The most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll from mid-August revealed Americans aren't behind the investigations. Only 32 percent were "somewhat confident" the Hunter Biden ordeal "would be handled fairly," while 48 percent were not too confident. The problem is that Americans don't connect it to President Joe Biden. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Americans agreed, 51 percent to 33 percent, that Hunter Biden’s legal issues were “independent of and unrelated to” Joe Biden’s service as president. Independents agree to that by a 2-1 margin. Worst yet, even 32 percent of Republicans agree that it isn't connected to Joe Biden. Even the recent Fox News poll doesn't bode well for the GOP. While their poll respondents think Hunter Biden did something illegal, only 38 percent said Joe Biden had any connection to “his son’s business dealings.” Thus far, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been on the fence about moving forward on impeachment, but if he agrees to it now, he'll be accused of following Trump's orders.www.rawstory.com/trump-demands-biden-impeachment-immediately/ |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 5:16:13 GMT
Let us see if McCarthy proceedes... House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Sunday said that an impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden was a "natural step forward." "Well, Maria, first, you've got to understand only because Republicans took the majority have we found out what President Biden told us when he was running for office is not true," McCarthy replied. "We now found out as he was a sitting vice president, the family created 20 shell companies. They received 16 of 17 payments from Romania while he was vice president. We now found that the money would flow to nine family members." "So if you look at all the information we've been able to gather so far, it is a natural step forward that you would have to go to an impeachment inquiry," he added. McCarthy accused the Biden administration of a "culture of corruption." The Speaker has not been able to point to any payments to Biden. www.rawstory.com/kevin-mccarthy-impeachment-natural/ |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 13:11:11 GMT
GOP likely to go no where with impeachment... no evidence? House Republicans may skip past a full vote on an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, but many GOP lawmakers doubt that process will go anywhere. *** “I don’t believe that a vote of the House is required to open an impeachment inquiry,” said pro-impeachment Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). There is no constitutional requirement to hold a floor vote to formally authorize an inquiry, but they would need money to continue their investigations into the Biden administration -- which McCarthy has said would be cut off if the government shuts down at the end of next month in a budget dispute. “If we shut down, all of government shuts down -- investigations and everything else,” McCarthy said Sunday on Fox News. Republicans are investigating unverified allegations that the president profited from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, and they're also probing whether the Department of Justice interfered with investigations of the younger Biden's criminal case. *** “There’s no evidence that Joe Biden got money, or that Joe Biden, you know, agreed to do something so that Hunter could get money," said one GOP lawmaker who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. "There’s just no evidence of that, and they can’t impeach without that evidence -- and I don’t I don’t think the evidence exists.” www.rawstory.com/biden-impeachment-2664540886/ |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 15:30:34 GMT
Chutkan sets March 4, 2024 for the DC trial to start.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 16:53:17 GMT
Just another rant by TFG on his Truth Social with more lies... ..... implying that members of Congress simply voted on his impeachment without considering any evidence. "I NEVER HAD AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, I HAD AN IMPEACHMENT, WHICH I WON! IT WAS STARTED IMMEDIATELY, NO MEETINGS, NO STUDY, NO DELAYS," Trump wrote. "THE LUNATIC FASCHISTS [sic] & MARXISTS PLAY THE GAME DIFFERENTLY!!" "THEY ARE OUT TO DESTROY AMERICA. MAGA!" he concluded. Contrary to Trump's assertion, there was an impeachment inquiry and fact-finding stage both times he was impeached. Trump refused to testify in his defense in the second impeachment for inciting the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, proclaiming the proceedings were rigged from the start. www.rawstory.com/trump-impeachment-2664545698/ |
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 28, 2023 17:57:04 GMT
I do not understand why there are those in this country that seem fascinated by an enemy of this country.
Ed Krassenstein….
“Tucker Carlson is reportedly in talks to interview Vladimir Putin exclusively on X.
An American journalist interviewing the enemy, while we are supporting the country they are fighting financially, definitely seems to be quite controversial.
With that said, Putin has been interviewed in the past by plenty of US journalists, including in this NBC interview 2 years ago. Tucker is getting a ton of criticism, but did NBC get the same critique?
What are your thoughts? Should Tucker refrain from interviewing Putin or should he go ahead? Will he be unbiased in his interview or will his more Pro-Russian stance make the interview too one sided?”
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 19:08:33 GMT
They show Carlson's show on Russian TV.. Didn't Carlson do his show from Orban's Hungry...Or was it only Orban did his show here?
Free speech and all that crap.. that they trying to stop us from having...
As close as Marion, Kansas..
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 20:26:12 GMT
Today is the tan suit anniversary... 9 years!!
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 28, 2023 20:52:19 GMT
I get so tired of this. Rachel Maddow ”Georgia Republicans Say They'll Move to Remove Fulton County DA Fani Willis From Office With New State Law" Vanity Fair article… link“ Georgia Republicans Say They'll Move to Remove Fulton County DA Fani Willis From Office With New State Law” |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 28, 2023 21:57:29 GMT
Need I ask, what is wrong with Peter Doocy?
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dawnnikol
Prolific Pea
'A life without books is a life not lived.' Jay Kristoff
Posts: 8,552
Sept 21, 2015 18:39:25 GMT
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Post by dawnnikol on Aug 28, 2023 22:46:14 GMT
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 29, 2023 0:09:39 GMT
Sad that kids may think that way.......
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 29, 2023 0:28:55 GMT
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miascraps
Full Member
Posts: 379
Jun 26, 2014 15:37:58 GMT
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Post by miascraps on Aug 29, 2023 3:23:10 GMT
I’m a foreigner so don’t really have the right to comment on what goes on in the USA. However, this ^^^^^ makes me so sad. If I let myself, the tears would be pouring down my cheeks. |
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 29, 2023 15:12:01 GMT
What is it with these people?
No lie with Brian Tyler Cohen….
“Mark Robinson, the leading Republican candidate for Governor of North Carolina, said that public school teachers are “wicked people.”
He added that if he’s in charge, he will stop elementary school students from being taught science and social studies.”
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Post by onelasttime on Aug 29, 2023 15:19:19 GMT
More like doing away with the expertise from experienced workers. Pete Strzok. ““the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day 1 to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the 'deep state' bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers.” Unleash the partisan patronage state.” AP article link“ Conservatives are on a mission to dismantle the US government and replace it with Trump’s vision” |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 29, 2023 15:39:23 GMT
Yes it is ^^^
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 29, 2023 15:43:04 GMT
Just one piece... Former President Donald Trump has been broadly reported to have a far-reaching plan to dismantle the merit-based organization of the federal government and replace it with an army of loyalists who will reshape everything in his image, should he win in 2024. But he didn't come up with this plan alone. One of the GOP's most prominent longtime think tanks has helped craft the plan — and is actively recruiting people to join it, reported The Daily Beast on Tuesday. The coalition led by the Heritage Foundation think tank has already signed up hundreds of people as part of the effort dubbed 'Project 2025' — an unprecedented attempt to avoid the setbacks Donald Trump faced during his first term in office by having civic infrastructure immediately in place to allow a conservative president to begin implementing his or her political vision," reported Dan Ladden-Hall. "The Associated Press reports that the plan to eradicate what the GOP calls the 'deep state' would involve, in part, the firing of up to 50,000 current federal employees." Project 2025's director, Paul Dans, said, “We need to flood the zone with conservatives ... People need to lay down their tools and step aside from their professional life and say, ‘This is my lifetime moment to serve.’” www.rawstory.com/trump-project-2025/ |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Aug 29, 2023 15:48:21 GMT
Andy Clyde (R-Ga) wants to cut all federal funding for the prosecutors who have indicted TFG. Remember Clyde was us guy who claimed Jan6 was just tourists, but he was the guy standing, moving furniture against the House chamber doors with armed officers.. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) intends to use an upcoming appropriations bill to cut federal funding for Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg and special counsel Jack Smith, who all together have charged Trump with 91 criminal charges in four separate indictments, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It's not clear how much support the second-term lawmaker, who compared Jan. 6 rioters to "tourists," has from other Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, and his proposal could cause trouble for House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as he tries to hold together the GOP coalition to pass funding legislation ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to avoid a government shutdown. www.rawstory.com/andrew-clyde-trump/ |
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Some threat that only exists in their head?
