President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

Is it me, or is that a stunning abdication of the Senate's responsibility for oversight of the Executive Branch? Jesus, I think we all expected McConnell to act in this manner, but to say it out loud?

The only reason I'm honestly surprised is that I genuinely thought senators and representatives always took some sort of pride (or even egomaniacal satisfaction) in that they were an equal branch of government with the Executive Branch. I'm really sort of stunned that they've not seen how much of their own power they're giving away. They are keeping party power, but losing actual power by supporting this buffoon.

 

It's really a dumb play politically. For Trump's "acquittal" to have any sense of credibility - the Senate has to at least appear to take their role seriously. If only to win over non-Trumpers who are undecided about impeachment. Even when your team wins on a blown call - most fans won't take a lot of satisfaction in the win.

 

We are very lucky. My wife retired after 29 years at UAB and receives an honest-to-god pension, in addition to social security. At least she will until the day comes that the Alabama legislature finds some way to screw the retirees out of it. Pensions have all but gone the way of the Dodo. There are people all over the country in all sorts of jobs whose pension plans were deliberately underfunded or plundered by corporate raiders. Google up Kentucky's pension mess for a good example.

Big corporations and billionaires are are one source of the fight to kill pensions. The Koch Brothers have funded numerous anti-pension lobbying groups and think tanks. Another big source of attempts to persuade states and corporations to go over to 401k type retirement plans is (duh) Wall Street, which stands to make huge commissions off of them.

People who have already invested thirty years of their lives based on employment benefits packages which were in place through their entire employment find the pension gone or cut back by a large percentage, and I don't see anyone offering to return those years of life to them.

See article here.

Heres proof that 401k plans are not working for most Americans can you guess who they ARE working for - MarketWatch

 

The hoax position is a shady bit of fakery, too.

 

I believed it when the Sandy Hook parents said it.

 

That word needs to be retired. Like coup. This is not what you think it means.

 

What are they saying that's revolutionary?

"We need gun control!!!" Well, duh.
You can't change the nutty gun culture in this country. You can't get rid of the NRA. You can't stop lobbying. You can't possibly hope for a constitutional amendment.

So what in the name of David Hogg are they saying that hasn't been said to death?

There are many degrees that go beyond your simple statement.

1. Climate change is real and catastrophic and man is 100 percent responsible and man must reverse it.
2. Climate change is real, and man is responsible, but we don't know what the toll will be or even if many people will actually benefit.
3. Climate change is real and very serious, but man's impact on the climate of an entire planet is statistically insignificant.
4. Climate change is real and man is likely at least partly responsible, but we don't know if it's reversible in an industrialized planet.
5. The climate is changing, has always changed, will always change. We didn't cause it, and we sure as hell can't stop it. All we can do is adapt to it.
6. Climate change is a hoax.

If 6 is stupid . . . 1 is not far behind.

The truth is somewhere between 2-5.

 

If Fatfuck "wins" in 2020, and the GOP takes control of the Senate as well, Social Security and Medicare will be terminated within three years. Terminated. Abolished. Plug pulled. No more money. To anybody. For anything. All the money will go back into the general fund (ie the Pentagon) or - of course -- to tax cuts. They've been trying for 85 years; if Fucko wins, they figure nobody can ever stop them again, on anything.

 

Would probably vote #2 on this list.

 

But you didn't when the Parkland kids did?

Hey! Hoaxers! Leave Them kids Alone!

 

So thoughts and prayers and if that's not good enough for them, fuck them?