But it’s still something to hold onto and defend, even more so when it’s under threat. People in these other counties would kill for that. It is also feeling the same everywhere. Europe is, as with most things, about 5 or 6 years behind you but the rise of populism is getting really worrying.
Political Discussion
- Thread starter David A.
- Start date
But it’s still something to hold onto and defend, even more so when it’s under threat. People in these other counties would kill for that. It is also feeling the same everywhere. Europe is, as with most things, about 5 or 6 years behind you but the rise of populism is getting really worrying.
BjorgenFjorgen
Well-Known Member
Example 1A of how the U.S. does not really have the rule of law, though. That plus the role of big money in elections, the hopeless two-party system, the gutting of voting rights, and the complete disconnect between what citizens want and what their elected officials do (on Gaza, for one) mean it's barely a democracy in a meaningful way.
I get that but they’re not unique in the western democracies in that I could translate almost all of that to Britain right now. I could translate a fair amount to here, maybe less because we’re a shorter distance along the modernisation and globalisation road rather than any huge virtue, and to Europe. I’m sure you could do it too. Our democracies are all hugely under threat right now from vested financial interests and populism. We have immeasurably more freedoms, democracy and rule of law than the communist regimes or Russia though!
Pergo
Active Member
Californian here...many of the fast food places around here have had kiosks in place of cashiers for years already. People are just jumping on it now and acting like its new because they see it as an opportunity to further the class/culture war.
I’m Just Ken
The Man Behind The Tan
Trump hailed as "destroyer of America" on Russian state TV
Russian analysts also warned that if Democrats manage to "pin him [Trump] down," the 2024 presidential election could end in a Biden victory.
www.newsweek.com
Tennessee making its case for craziest state. How will Texas and Florida respond?
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
I lived in Tennessee and I'm glad I got out when I did. It's gotten so much crueller and extreme in the last couple years with their nut job governor.
Government salaries aren’t great in certain parts of the country.
Last nights episode of John Oliver had it's main story on Medicaid. It's a very informative episode, well worth the watch.
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
Trump's shit stock dropped below $10 this morning. 2/3 wiped out. How many of his supporters lost their shirt on this scam?
Hopefully lots and lots.
Makes me wonder what a breaking point for a Trump voter is. We've all likely seen the people that say they'd vote for him even if convicted of several crimes, even if he killed someone on the White House lawn, etc. But losing a ton of your own hard-earned money? That would seemingly hit close to home. What's the pivot? "I'll gladly lose all my money for him because I know he'll take care of us once elected."
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
I had these thoughts too, but I was reading some comments from some of his supporters who invested in it and they are brainwashed. Some were saying that they trust he has a plan and he'll get it back on track. Others said it doesn't matter because it shows him their support. It's insanity.
Bull Shannon
Well-Known Member
imo, based on the few conversations I've had which loop in Trump voters (past or present), Jan 6 did alienate quite a few people. From what I can tell, those who are sticking around are mainly in the camp of aggrieved voters who want to stick a monkey wrench in the works, whether they think Trump represents their interests or simply represents a disrupting force.
This brings me to a thought I've been having recently, which is: is Trump's lead as big as it seems? Is his base as large as they're reported to be? I'm seeing stories of misinformation being funneled to Americans which imply Trump is doing a lot better than he actually is.
What really makes my ears prick up is a poll from last weekend, in which Trump's lead is shown to be smaller than before. While that was framed as a small step forward for Biden, the underlying numbers make me wonder: the pollsters reveal they made something like 100,000 phone calls, and the poll results are based on the ~2,000 people who actually picked up the phone and answered questions.
Think about that percentage. Now think about the demographic you imagine would pick up a call from an unrecognized number and gladly sit on the line and share their political opinions. It certainly paints a portrait of a certain type of person and perspective.
Live Nation to Face Antitrust Lawsuit From Justice Department
The agency has been investigating the Ticketmaster parent company’s dominance over concert promotion and ticketing
The Republicans in the TN General Assembly are human garbage, at least the charter school 2.5 billion dollar handout seems to be on life support. Our governor is also basically trump light, he really sucks.
Polling data is definitely suspect. Especially, if your primary pool of respondents is people answering the phone.
I’m not one to bash to blame and bash media for all of our problems, but there is an incentive for mainstream media to keep people with a sense of doom and gloom to attract attention. Constantly focusing on the extremist ideologies to scare people. This all maybe backfiring as people tend to be watching less cable news and sites like Facebook are making an editorial decision to deemphasize news on their sites.
My hope is that most people are sane, see what’s going on, and vote in enough numbers to stop the fanatics from taking over.
This is a great observation; a vocal minority, which is what I'm hoping we're seeing/hearing.