I’m not sure any of the democratic candidates really would want the job after the effects of the pandemic. The DNC can select anyone it likes, right? Maybe Elizabeth Warren will end up the surprise pick.
Politics and in-fighting. Which I guess is just politics. Or infighting
- This topic has 985 replies, 28 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 4 months ago by
.
Author
Author
-
-
Good ol’ Uncle Joe, once again proving he’s the man for the moment:
https://www.axios.com/joe-biden-defund-police-7cd5aa47-57f3-4cd0-856b-0a68792f52cd.html
Joe Biden’s campaign said in a statement Monday that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee does not support defunding police, but is pushing for police reform and more spending on community, school, health and social programs.
[…]
“As his criminal justice proposal made clear months ago, Vice President Biden does not believe that police should be defunded,” Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. “He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain.”
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
The Democrats proposed the Justice in Policing Act 2020 a few hours ago. I thought this was a good write-up: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52969375
This is the more comprehensive press release for those that don’t think TLDR https://judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3005
The Bill purports to do this:
It would eliminate the “qualified immunity” defence for both police and correctional officers where their actions have been deemed unlawful, including in excessive force cases
- Civil rights protections would be strengthened by making police liable for constitutional violations that are done “knowingly or with reckless disregard”
- It would restrict the use of lethal force to situations in which it is deemed “necessary” and after all reasonable alternatives have been exhausted
- Chokeholds and carotid holds, such as the knee-on-neck restraint that killed Mr Floyd, would be banned
- Racial profiling in federal law enforcement agencies would be prohibited
No draft appears to be made available to the public but I am itching to read it. I would love to see racial profiling be abolished by federal law enforcement, but I struggle to see that ever passing without significant amendment, even if the democrats had a supermajority in both houses.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Biden leaves a lot to be desired, but I still worry too many people are in search of Liberal perfection and won’t show up to vote in November. It’s true I wish Biden were taking bigger stances here, but with him there’s at least a chance of reform. With Trump and a GOP senate the best we’re likely to get is status quo.
I also think liberals are terrible at branding. Defund the Police on its face sounds exactly like Fix news and our dumbass president want to sell it as and not what it actually wants to do. This branding issue is a problem I’ve often found liberal movements have. For as crap as the GOP is, they know how to sell their shit ideas.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
If anything Obama proved the best that you’re gonna get from the Dems right now is the status quo, so why bother voting at all?
This current situation is one of the examples where policies implemented by Obama made a difference for the better, and were reversed by Trump:
Mr. Obama ordered a review of the Pentagon program in late 2014 after the police responded to protests with armored vehicles, snipers and riot gear. The images of police officers with military gear squaring off against protesters around the country angered community activists who said law enforcement agencies were reacting disproportionately.
In addition to the prohibitions on certain military surplus gear, he added restrictions on transferring some weapons and devices, including explosives, battering rams, riot helmets and shields.
The Pentagon said 126 tracked armored vehicles, 138 grenade launchers and 1,623 bayonets had been returned since Mr. Obama prohibited their transfer.
The program was started in the 1990s as a way for the military to transfer surplus equipment to federal, state and local police agencies fighting the drug war. More than $5 billion in surplus gear has been funneled to law enforcement agencies.
That program is one of the reasons the US military is so over-weaponised and eager to use their military weapons. Obama stopped it, Trump reversed that decision. So much about defunding.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
This current situation is one of the examples where policies implemented by Obama made a difference for the better, and were reversed by Trump:
This current situation happened multiple times under Obama too, his restrictions didn’t even remove militarised equipment from police departments they just prevented more being purchased.
Like, this is literally my point. Obama held the status quo, at best he stopped things getting worse.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Biden leaves a lot to be desired, but I still worry too many people are in search of Liberal perfection and won’t show up to vote in November. It’s true I wish Biden were taking bigger stances here, but with him there’s at least a chance of reform. With Trump and a GOP senate the best we’re likely to get is status quo.
I also think liberals are terrible at branding. Defund the Police on its face sounds exactly like Fix news and our dumbass president want to sell it as and not what it actually wants to do. This branding issue is a problem I’ve often found liberal movements have. For as crap as the GOP is, they know how to sell their shit ideas.
You may or may not like this, Chris.
A consultant I work with sent it to me just now (I think it highlights the branding issue you spoke of)
-
-
No, the current threshold is wilfullness, not recklessness.
Lowering the threshold means more ability to investigate instances of excessive force and officers cannot rely on a defence if negligence when caught to lessen their culpability.
Edit: Oh, did I misread which aspect you were quoting? Again though, no. There is currently too much discretion for cops to use lethal force.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Maybe I’m naïve, but isn’t this how it currently works anyway? I thought “minimum necessary force” was the approach. (Admittedly I’ve probably got this from watching American cop dramas.)
So first, I’m going to leave a term here for you: Copaganda
Second, I’ll note that two days ago the Seattle PD said they were going to stop deploying tear gas against protestors, and last night they were literally carpeting streets with gas to clear people out. Turns out the small print said they were still allowed to use tear gas if they asked the Chief of Police first, and turns out she’s just gonna say yes every time.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
A consultant I work with sent it to me just now (I think it highlights the branding issue you spoke of)
I know it’s not the intended message, but my strongest response from reading that is “someone needs a proofreader”. “Leniant” and “Terorrizing” are mis-spelled, among other nitpicks.
Sorry, I can’t help it.
-
-
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Yeah, the Thirteenth Amendment didn’t really end slavery, just made it less obvious.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
And Trump really can’t stop being an asshole, can he?
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Well h*ck
Support for Uprisings Against Police Brutality Jumped 20 Points in One Week
<p style=”box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; background-color: #f8f8f8;”>New polling data released on Tuesday demonstrates widespread support in favor of uprisings happening in cities across the United States in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd two weeks ago.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; clear: both; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; background-color: #f8f8f8;”>Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25 as Floyd pleaded repeatedly that he could not breathe and other officers refused to intervene. An autopsy later revealed that Floyd was killed due to asphyxiation.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; background-color: #f8f8f8;”>Following Floyd’s death, cities across the nation saw uprisings from protesters fed up with racist police violence. Results from a Washington Post/Schar School poll, conducted between June 2 and 7, finds an overwhelming number of Americans support those demonstrationsEmail</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 2; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; background-color: #f8f8f8;”>Regarding Floyd’s death itself, only 29 percent of those polled said it was an isolated incident. Meanwhile, 69 percent said his killing was indicative of broader problems in policing when it comes to the treatment of Black Americans in the U.S.</p> -
And Trump really can’t stop being an asshole, can he?
There is maybe no more powerful image of how amazing the last few days have been when the fence Trump had erected around the White House has been covered with memorials to people of colour who have been killed by the authorities while he hides inside and tweets angrily.
-
Biden leaves a lot to be desired, but I still worry too many people are in search of Liberal perfection and won’t show up to vote in November. It’s true I wish Biden were taking bigger stances here, but with him there’s at least a chance of reform. With Trump and a GOP senate the best we’re likely to get is status quo.
If supporters keep coming out to vote for bad candidates there’s no impetus for the Democrats to field good candidates though. If anything Obama proved the best that you’re gonna get from the Dems right now is the status quo, so why bother voting at all?
There are certainly election cycles where I get that attitude, but this isn’t one of them. Because while I did say “at best we’ll get the status quo” Trump is much more about rolling back and making things worse. With Biden there might be hope of reform, especially now when so many seem to finally be paying attention. It will require a lot of pressure from all over for it to happen, but there’s a chance. Trump will likely just make things worse. He already has.
To me it’s like we’re in a desert and we’re super hydrated. We’re finally coming up to a rest stop, the first and last for miles. The only options we have to drink are tomato juice and some slightly diluted bleach. I do not like tomato juice, but the bleach will do a lot of damage. If I don’t choose, someone’s just going to choose for me and there’s a very good chance I’ll be left with a cup of bleach.
And aside from that, at the very least people need to be voting down the ballot. Don’t like Trump or Biden but want real change? Cool, find some progressives on the state and local levels you can support. I certainly understand the politics has frustrated, especially nationally, but inaction is a surefire way to not fix anything.
Everyone needs to work together here. And not just today or tomorrow or in November, but indefinitely. That’s what seems to lose people. If we can’t see results now then screw it, I’ll wait for someone who promises action now and then be upset when they don’t provide it because we stopped pushing them the moment they got elected. You can’t completely overhaul a system built on 400 years of oppression without a long period of sustained pressure.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Everyone needs to work together here.
Bleach it is.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Biden leaves a lot to be desired, but I still worry too many people are in search of Liberal perfection and won’t show up to vote in November. It’s true I wish Biden were taking bigger stances here, but with him there’s at least a chance of reform. With Trump and a GOP senate the best we’re likely to get is status quo.
If supporters keep coming out to vote for bad candidates there’s no impetus for the Democrats to field good candidates though. If anything Obama proved the best that you’re gonna get from the Dems right now is the status quo, so why bother voting at all?
There are certainly election cycles where I get that attitude, but this isn’t one of them. Because while I did say “at best we’ll get the status quo” Trump is much more about rolling back and making things worse. With Biden there might be hope of reform, especially now when so many seem to finally be paying attention. It will require a lot of pressure from all over for it to happen, but there’s a chance. Trump will likely just make things worse. He already has.
To me it’s like we’re in a desert and we’re super hydrated. We’re finally coming up to a rest stop, the first and last for miles. The only options we have to drink are tomato juice and some slightly diluted bleach. I do not like tomato juice, but the bleach will do a lot of damage. If I don’t choose, someone’s just going to choose for me and there’s a very good chance I’ll be left with a cup of bleach.
And aside from that, at the very least people need to be voting down the ballot. Don’t like Trump or Biden but want real change? Cool, find some progressives on the state and local levels you can support. I certainly understand the politics has frustrated, especially nationally, but inaction is a surefire way to not fix anything.
Everyone needs to work together here. And not just today or tomorrow or in November, but indefinitely. That’s what seems to lose people. If we can’t see results now then screw it, I’ll wait for someone who promises action now and then be upset when they don’t provide it because we stopped pushing them the moment they got elected. You can’t completely overhaul a system built on 400 years of oppression without a long period of sustained pressure.
The thing is, telling people they need to vote for this shit liberal or you get a worse conservative doesn’t work. I’m not saying this as someone further to the left than the Dems in general, it’s just the way elections work. It’s easier to get someone to vote for something than against. Obama won his first term on the platform of Hope and Change – a positive message. That he didn’t or couldn’t follow through is a problem for his successors more than him. “Have you seen the other guy?” didn’t get John Kerry elected, nor Hillary Clinton, and I doubt third time’s the charm.
The second thing to consider is that on the ground level, the ways in which Trump is making things worse don’t change the material effect on people so much. It’s like the militarisation of the cops – Sure Obama drew a line in the sand, but there were already a ton of guns and armoured cars and Warrior Training and everything else that made the cops so dangerous on his side of the line. Trump erasing the line doesn’t change that.
Biden has time to turn this around, he doesn’t even need to nail down his campaign platform until the DNC but I have little faith.
On voting down-ballot, that is vital and the Democrats’ inability to motivate voters for local and midterm elections is criminal. I’ve seen a lot of people who refuse to vote for Biden pledging to vote down-ballot and leave the Presidential slot empty or protest vote for Howie Hawkins there though.
-
I meant to add, that besides current social issues, the real reason people need to give a crap about who is president comes down to judicial appointments. 4 years of Trump has done more than enough damage there.
Anyway, I’ll shut up about it now since I’m most likely just preaching to the choir.
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
No, don’t say that. Talk more not less. I for one am enjoying listening to your point of view.
Besides, you never know who might be lurking in the shadows beyond the choir, and a choir includes a multitude of voices don’t forget.
6 users thanked author for this post.
-
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
The history of police reform in three panels.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
7 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
Is this what the kids call a spicy meme?
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
I can’t know how you’re feeling, Al (Or JR and anyone else).
I hope meaningful change comes from this.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Is this what the kids call a spicy meme?
In reviewing some risk management schedules for the city years ago, I learned that the guy on the back of a garbage truck picking up trash is in a higher risk category than police officers and firefighters.
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
In reviewing some risk management schedules for the city years ago, I learned that the guy on the back of a garbage truck picking up trash is in a higher risk category than police officers and firefighters.
Yeah, I’ve seen similar lists, Cops and firefighters aren’t even in the top 5 most dangerous jobs, IIRC.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
Well, the bigger question is whether gradual change for the better is something worth fighting for, or if it’s too little, too late and should thus be rejected. At least that’s how I would summarise our recent discussions in a nutshell. Personally, I do think it is past time for big sweeping change, but I’ll take slow incremental one over nothing, or over change for the worse.
The alternative, of course, is the view that it’s better for things to escalate to a crisis point that leaves no alternative to real, sweeping change bar bloody civil war. This is probably an approach that Zizek and other neo-Marxists would subscribe to, but I am wary of the potential of crises for change for the better.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
-
The PR:
The thing I find most mind-boggling here is that these people think their PR is going to work, when the reality is going to be all over social media within 30 seconds. They are so out of touch with how the world works now. Even if I were a Tory supporter, I would feel embarrassed to vote for people as obviously clueless as these.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
The PR will work for those who want it to or only see the first image in a paper or refuse to counter anything outside their reality. They’ll say Winston the cleaner’s photo is fake news or an old image.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
The PR will work for those who want it to or only see the first image in a paper or refuse to counter anything outside their reality. They’ll say Winston the cleaner’s photo is fake news or an old image.
That or they’ll make excuses, note that the text is that they were “helping out members of the public” clean the graffiti – it’s an out for someoen to argue the point on social media.
You see the same thing a lot when it comes to justifying police brutality, interestingly enough. Saw a lot of assholes pushing back on people sympathising with George Floyd by claiming he held a gun to a pregnant woman’s head at some point. And like maybe he did, but that doesn’t justify him being murdered over a potentially counterfeit £20 bill.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
They’ll spin it in some way, for sure. I don’t know how you counter willful blindness or the refusal to acknowledge systemic racism even exists in the first place.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Based on what Lorcan posted, that Kerry and Hilary did not get in by the notion that the other guy is a lot worse, if Biden thinks he will win by default, he is in for a shock.
There was voter suppression recently with long waits to vote, machine problems, etc. and it can be seen as a prelude to Nov. and this stalling by the GOP to vote by mail…
November will be interesting.
Shifting gears…
I mentioned in my postings about the teachings of the alt right anticipating some future race apocalypse/war which accounts for their stockpiling arms. Aside from some of the slave uprisings, the closest thing I can think of was Bosnia, which IIRC, was an ethnic battle between the Serbians and Croatians. Also, future forecasts of American demographics have minorities like Latinos and blacks growing and therefore America will be less white, so there is a fear with the alt right as well of the future.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I wish I could be amazed at how tone-deaf the cops are being right now. But this is another level. “If you defund us we’ll make sure the first thing to go is the unit that helps reduce the problems you have with us”
They’re fucking children who want to hold on to their shiny toys and play with them all day long.
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Speaking as someone who’s been called an Accelerationist in the past, there’s definitely a subset of Accelerationists who believe that violent uprising is the only option. Personally I hope they’re wrong, but history does show that sweeping change is often only possible during a violent transition period.
It does. Unfortunately, it also often shows that the change you end up getting isn’t the one you were hoping for but rather the opposite.
I wish I could be amazed at how tone-deaf the cops are being right now. But this is another level. “If you defund us we’ll make sure the first thing to go is the unit that helps reduce the problems you have with us”
To be fair, I don’t think the “we’ll make sure” part is what they’re trying to say. They’re trying to demonstrate that they’re putting their funding to good use and that this good use would fall victim to budget slashes if there’s only enough funding left to run essential services.
I do agree they’re not making their point well.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I have more mixed feelings about the police than the fairly one-sided take that’s present in the media and across social media at the moment, but even given that I think that Tweet is fucking stupid.
The “choose wisely” really makes it seem that the intention is to hold it as leverage over the people campaigning to defund the police, essentially saying “we’ll make sure the things most important to you go first”.
Baffling that this kind of thing could even get to the stage where it was put out as an official comment.
But for balance, here’s the follow-up. Make of it what you will.
1/4 The RPA board apologizes for how a previous tweet regarding the “de-funding” of Police was interpreted. Our intention was not meant to be harmful or distasteful.
— Regina Police Assoc. (@QueenCityPolice) June 11, 2020
2/4 It is important to recognize that the RPA represents the sworn and civilian members of the RPS. We are a labour organization at arms length of the Regina Police Service.
— Regina Police Assoc. (@QueenCityPolice) June 11, 2020
3/4 The intention of the tweet was to demonstrate how our members cherish the relationships we’ve built within our community. We’re fearful that the “de-funding” of Police will ultimately exclude our members from such valuable social programming
— Regina Police Assoc. (@QueenCityPolice) June 11, 2020
4/4 Our members love our community and want to play a role in making it safer for everyone. Again, we apologize for the misunderstanding.
— Regina Police Assoc. (@QueenCityPolice) June 11, 2020
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Yeah, should have gone with something like that in the first place, instead of “choose wisely”.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
For what it’s worth, I know that within the police it is common for people to be frustrated with under-funding and money being channelled to the wrong places, pretty much in line with the sentiments being expressed by a lot of people today. There are lots of people within the police who want the money to be used more meaningfully and are frustrated with how poorly the community is served by the police.
I think it’s worth remembering that more broadly, before the current movements, chronic under-funding of the police has been a major problem in the UK for years, and has until recently been a favourite cause of the left, who have repeatedly tried to hold the Conservative government to account over it.
So stepping back from the current issues around systemic racism – if it’s possible to do that (because I think it’s a separate but related issue) – my feelings are that if anything the police continue to be under-funded. But I also agree with the “defund the police” movement in the sense that the money has to be better spent.
My concern in all of this is that a movement under the banner of defunding the police actually plays into the Tories’ hands and creates a social climate in which police cuts are seen as far more acceptable (if not desirable), which I think would put the country in general – and minority communities specifically – in a lot worse a position overall.
Clearly there are systemic issues to address alongside this – racial bias, use of force – and they have their own solutions. And they need to go hand-in-hand with the financial reform. But I don’t think cutting funding is one of the solutions to any of this (again, acknowledging that the movement to defund the police isn’t just about cutting funding outright, even if the slogan implies that).
Spending the money differently and using it to improve things and make structural changes is definitely something I can get behind. But creating a climate where both the left and the right are happy to cut funding isn’t.
Now I just need to fit all of that on a T-shirt.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Although the movement was localised to the US the permutations have reached father afield.
In Australia, we are talking about aboriginal deaths in custody and incarceration rates of indigenous peoples. The problems are complex and bespoke to us and require different solutions then what might apply to the US, or for that matter, the UK.
The broad message is to create a fairer justice system for all communities, but the way to do that is not going to be the same across the board.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
They’re fucking children who want to hold on to their shiny toys and play with them all day long.
The problem is that one of them wants to put his knee on someone else’s shiny toys until it dies.
Was that too subtle?
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I wish I could be amazed at how tone-deaf the cops are being right now. But this is another level. “If you defund us we’ll make sure the first thing to go is the unit that helps reduce the problems you have with us”
They’re fucking children who want to hold on to their shiny toys and play with them all day long.
As I’ve said before, law enforcement had a golden opportunity over the past two weeks to say, “We’re not like those Minneapolis cops!”
Instead, they have proven they are just like them.
Way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, guys!
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Rally at your own risk: Trump campaign’s coronavirus disclaimer to supporters
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
-
In the US there is are still new cases, but the number of new cases is a little bit lower than it used to be
The size of the US makes it a little more complicated. The initial surge was centred heavily around New York and New Jersey and those numbers have reduced dramatically, they were at 11,500 in NY in mid April but around 700 now, so at less than 10% of what it was.
In some states though it’s actually increasing in recent weeks. Florida had its highest ever daily case count yesterday. Texas’ peak was 9th June so far. California has more now than it did in March and April when most of Europe was seeing a peak.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Rally at your own risk: Trump campaign’s coronavirus disclaimer to supporters
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Presumably the Democrat election strategy will be to just wait it out until all of Trump’s supporters die?
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
In the US there is are still new cases, but the number of new cases is a little bit lower than it used to be
The size of the US makes it a little more complicated. The initial surge was centred heavily around New York and New Jersey and those numbers have reduced dramatically, they were at 11,500 in NY in mid April but around 700 now, so at less than 10% of what it was.
In some states though it’s actually increasing in recent weeks. Florida had its highest ever daily case count yesterday. Texas’ peak was 9th June so far. California has more now than it did in March and April when most of Europe was seeing a peak.
Like Gar said, it’s increasing in several states, however it can be tough to know the context of each state since testing in the US has been an absolute mess thanks to lack of central leadership. California, for example, really started to ramp up testing in early May. Testing numbers were pretty low in much of April and March, but it seems that the positive test rate has stayed pretty steady with the increase in testing. Not sure if it’s similar in places like Texas, Florida, and Arizona or not.
I’m also unsure if hospitalization rates have been rising. Although the point still stands that the US is still in the thick of this pandemic and there’s a lot of concern about how the protests will impact infection rates all over the country.
As for Oklahoma, I believe their cases are on the rise as well with Tulsa country seeing some of the sharpest rises in the state with a 40% increase in new cases since the beginning of June. Basically this rally has all the makings of being a complete disaster in just about every way. I mean, we’re talking about a rally by a careless, racist President in Tulsa on Juneteenth as Covid cases are rising fairly rapidly in that county.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Meanwhile….
We don’t need no transition extension, full speed ahead for no deal as a Xmas prezzie for the nation!2 users thanked author for this post.
-
however it can be tough to know the context of each state since testing in the US has been an absolute mess thanks to lack of central leadership.
Which is probably true globally and why as harsh it seems the beat measure is deaths by population. Better than any of that is excess deaths by a 5 year average, where the UK figures show roughly 20,000 more than the official count.
Brazil are trying hard to pretend the whole thing doesn’t exist, but it does. The Russia numbers really don’t add up, I think they are lying.
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
I think they are lying.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
The Russia numbers really don’t add up, I think they are lying.
Next you’ll be suggesting the Chinese figures aren’t entirely accurate too!
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Next you’ll be suggesting the Chinese figures aren’t entirely accurate too!
Be careful, Dave. We don’t want chinese authorities breathing down you mods’ necks.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Wish my last name was Vigilante…
6 users thanked author for this post.
-
Wish my last name was Vigilante…
I was just looking at it going, ‘wait, really?’
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Next you’ll be suggesting the Chinese figures aren’t entirely accurate too!
How could that happen?
Funnily enough I have a little more faith in them than the others I mentioned because of the incredibly strict way they locked down Wuhan. From the footage I saw they basically erased human contact, even when people were getting groceries they were handing them over on a hook from a small gap in the doorway.
Everything that comes out of the PRC machine is controlled and manipulated hugely so I don’t trust them but I can believe they largely got a handle on it because of the comparative ease with which they can order around the population.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
Next you’ll be suggesting the Chinese figures aren’t entirely accurate too!
How could that happen?
Funnily enough I have a little more faith in them than the others I mentioned because of the incredibly strict way they locked down Wuhan. From the footage I saw they basically erased human contact, even when people were getting groceries they were handing them over on a hook from a small gap in the doorway.
Everything that comes out of the PRC machine is controlled and manipulated hugely so I don’t trust them but I can believe they largely got a handle on it because of the comparative ease with which they can order around the population.
It always amuses me when people talk abut how you can’t believe information coming out of China because it’ll be propaganda, because I always think “what, like you can believe the Americans”?
-
At least on the American side you can usually tell because the current administration is so shit at it.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
That’s part of it, If the Chinese numbers are cooked it’s likely because they have a good handle on how many cases and deaths there have been and they decided to underplay things. In the US, we can’t even trust that the data being collected is accurate.
-
I’d be more likely to trust the numbers here in the Netherlands at least than China. But in the end you can never “trust” anything 100 %. I think we live in a time of grandiose theater, world events are manipulated to get people organized around agendas. It’s perception management. It’s always been like that in a way, but the media landscape and people always being connected to the internet and social media probably magnify it.
I was terribly concerned by covid and the lockdown and its effects but currently I’m in “fuck it” mode. I can’t do anything about it. So I just try to carry on as best as I can and let it bother me as little as possible.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I can’t do anything about it.
You CAN do something about it, Arjan. You can practice social distancing; you can wear a mask to protect yourself as well as the people you come into contact with; you can follow the hygiene suggestions that have been posted since this thing began in earnest.
Obviously none of those things are a guarantee against contracting COVID, or the flu, or a common cold. But taking those precautions should give you a small measure of control over your health, and that’s better than feeling totally helpless and giving up.
Depending on the regulations in your town/country, you can also start going out and supporting local businesses again to help them stay afloat during these economic hard times. As you say, carry on as best you can, and let it bother you as little as possible; we will get through this, and things are already getting better than they were 90 days ago.
Best wishes.
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
My LCS re-opened this week so I decided to support them and remain on-brand – so I bought a Transformer and a collection of old British SF comics.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
A significant part of the US, on both sides of the aisle, has lost their senses.
Again, Abolish the police does. Not. Mean. Have. No. Community. Protection.
-
-
I get the idea Al but is there really any language that will not trigger the oh-so-sensitive, safe-space-scorning, on-top-for-40-plus-years right-wing?
Right wing thought has dominated politics and economics for decades. It hogs the media. Yet, despite all this power and success, it goes straight to the victim card as fast as possible.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
It was said in the US that this “Defund the Police” slogan/chant will scare a lot of already scared whites into the conservative GOP fold. Historically it has been fairly easy to scare them. Some of the race riots/turmoil of the 60’s (ie. Watts, Newark) led to a backlash and put conservatives in office. In the late 80’s, it was a commercial of this black man Willie Horton who was released from prison to do crime again that scared whites to Bush’s fold. So there is a need for caution as another backlash will set any progressive agenda back again.
Like Ben says, you probably can’t keep the conservatives on-side. but you don’t need them. There’s a huge disparity between how Americans feel about topics and about how American voters feel, and right now Americans are angry in a way that is disproportional to the percentage that vote. And it’s honestly in both parties’ interests to calm them down before the election.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
<p style=”text-align: left;”>
Again, Abolish the police does. Not. Mean. Have. No. Community. Protection.
It was said in the US that this “Defund the Police” slogan/chant will scare a lot of already scared whites into the conservative
GOP fold. Historically it has been fairly easy to scare them. Some of the race riots/turmoil of the 60’s (ie. Watts, Newark) led to a backlash and put conservatives in office. In the late 80’s, it was a commercial of this black man Willie Horton who was released from prison to do crime again that scared whites to Bush’s fold. So there is a need for caution as another backlash will set any progressive agenda back again.</p>
You are already aware of this, Al, but the historical precedent engendering those discussions is Nixon’s election off the back of the 1968 protests. This is why Trump is literally tweeting “law and order” as that was part of the campaign slogan Nixon ran on against Hubert Humphrey, and importantly for context, George Wallace (who Trump resembles in both demeanour and policy).There’s been a number of good breakdowns about why this election is different, notwithstanding that Trump is an incumbent, and Obama made a particularly good rebuttal (although your reading of his views may be impacted by your thoughta on how effectively he governed). Which i think is linked upthrread.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Again, Abolish the police does. Not. Mean. Have. No. Community. Protection.
I wonder if the world could learn from the Gardaí when it comes to how to and how not protect the community. I’m not saying they’re without faults of their own, but not carrying firearms seems like a good place to start.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
they keep fucking it up by dropping guns out of cars and shooting bystanders by accident.
Just like dad used to say: “The day I can’t do my job drunk, I’ll turn in my badge and gun!”
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
I should probably point out the dropping the gun out of a car, and shooting a bystander by accident were two separate incidents.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
If they were part of the same incident, you could blame it on a bad day; otherwise, it’s indicative of a character flaw…
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
I should probably point out the dropping the gun out of a car, and shooting a bystander by accident were two separate incidents.
I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I should probably point out the dropping the gun out of a car, and shooting a bystander by accident were two separate incidents.
I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse
It can be two things!
-
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Trump in Tulsa with a Juneteenth speech provided by Stephen Miller is straight out of Reagan’s ‘states rights’ address near Philadelphia, Mississippi.
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
Is that serious or a spoof?
The world is in a state where I honestly can’t tell any more.
-
Is that serious or a spoof?
Yes.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
So, it looks like after a lot of stopping and starting and inane bullshit there’s going to be a new government formed in Ireland… 4 and a half months after the election. The two parties that have traditionally had the largest share of seats: Fianna Fáil and Finé Gael are both economically neoliberal and fairly conservative, with the main difference in their policies being how tight they are with the purse strings. But over the last 15 ears or so their support base has eroded, and Sinn Fein, who have been using a lot of left-wing rhetoric have been bounding upwards in popularity. It’s largely expected that eventually FF and FG will probably have to go into coalition in order to keep a broad left coalition into power, and that will lead to one party or the other collapsing because they’re basically the same – so neither party has wanted to blink first, especially as Irish voters have a tendency to punish the junior partners in a coalition for betraying their ideals.
Now, Sinn Fein have never been in government in Ireland, and a lot of what they’re advocating here is the polar opposite of policies they’ve enacted in Northern Ireland – so they’re untested and inconsistent. In the last election SF got the largest vote share, and tied with Fianna Fáil for number of seats won (FF have one more seat in total because the Ceann Comhairle, our equivalent of the speaker of the house is automatically returned to the Dáil and the prior one was Fianna Fáil) – but they’ve got a stated policy of not wanting to go into coalition with FF or FG. This has lead to the almost unthinkable as FF, FG and the Green party have worked out a deal that has been approved by each parliamentary party and is now out for approval from the party rank and file. The most notable element of this agreement is that Micheal Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil will be Taoiseach for two years, followed by Leo Varadkar filling that role for the next two.
Meanwhile this how the news is being reported in Brexitstan:
-
Is that serious or a spoof?
The world is in a state where I honestly can’t tell any more.
Even if this one is a spoof, the Trump campaign has been caught hiring people to fill rallies in the past.
-
If you think your democracy is flawed, just you wait until November 3rd…
The more I read about Leo Varadkar, the more I like him.
“People are very quick to judge and lambast Leo Varadkar, particularly in the current climate as our national leader, and that comes with the territory. But people are also very quick to forget the many lives he has helped along the way, especially in his tenure as a doctor.
One story I’ve not really told anyone about for years; I remember bringing my little sister to the park in Shankill once many years ago as a teenager. It was middle of July and Ma had dropped us off before heading off to Dunnes and would pick us up in an hour, but after a while the good weather started to go. Ma rang and said she was a little delayed due to queues in the shops and traffic. My sister was getting a little agitated as we sat on the bench waiting to be collected. At this point, she started crying, almost throwing a tantrum, when Leo (as it later turned out), out walking his dog, is walking by, him being only a local GP at this stage in the early noughties.
‘Is everything alright?’ he asks me subtly with concern at my now-bawling sister. ‘Yeah its grand cheers, shes just tired and hungry, my Ma will be here in about 5 minutes’. ‘Ah dont worry about that’, he says, and ties his poodle’s leash to the bench, ‘no need to wait for mammy’. He then proceeds to unzip his Luis Vitton shellsuit and immediately starts breastfeeding her on the spot. Not a bother on him. This brought peace and calm to a very volatile situation. After a few minutes he removes himself and just said ‘….never a need for mammy’ and just walked off, didnt bother zipping up or anything.
He even left the dog there which I thought was strange at the time but I just figured that’s what people of such a high social ranking did. In any case, we did end up getting a bill from his surgery a week later but in the long run it was worth it. Dont be so quick to judge those who only want to help. We are all in this together.”
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Micheal Martin, leader of Fianna Fáil will be Taoiseach for two years, followed by Leo Varadkar filling that role for the next two
1 user thanked author for this post.
