American Politics III: New President, Same Old Country

[Atheris]

Ultimate scam potential. What are you gonna do if he doesn't give you one, admit you tried to buy a pardon?

You know what the danger is in ripping off criminals?

"You come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married and you ask me to do pardons - for money."

[New haven america]

Actually, McDonald's in America is some of the lowest quality fast food you can get, while in other countries it's actually quite nice and respected.

Think about that, a company is worse in its home country than it is overseas.

They're actualy kinda nice in Europe and Japan.

Japan is on a whole different level.

Like yeah, Europe's Micky D's are better than America's, that not a difficult hurdle to get over, but Japan's are wild. Like, some of the stuff in their Micky D's rivals gourmet burgers over here.

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

They're actualy kinda nice in Europe and Japan.

Japan is on a whole different level.

Like yeah, Europe's Micky D's are better than America's, that not a difficult hurdle to get over, but Japan's are wild. Like, some of the stuff in their Micky D's rivals gourmet burgers over here.

Price of living and exchange rate have to be considered. Out of the US, Maccas is seen as a bit exotic and the price the market will bear is higher, so the national distributor can afford better ingredients.

Mostly. In Australia the meat patty is excellent, eggs or cheese average, and salad quite bad. Salad being a rather small part of the Australian diet (still) and having niche price. Fries are good, I guess because of cheap canola oil that can be changed often.

[Picairn]

If there’s one con that Trump pulled more successfully than any other, it’s managing to live rent-free in the heads of millions of Americans for four years.

Indeed, hate him or love him, you can't deny that he's really good at attention-grabbing, dirty tactics and whatnot.

[Atheris]

If there’s one con that Trump pulled more successfully than any other, it’s managing to live rent-free in the heads of millions of Americans for four years.

Indeed, hate him or love him, you can't deny that he's really good at attention-grabbing, dirty tactics and whatnot.

That's how he got elected, after all.

[Bombadil]

If there’s one con that Trump pulled more successfully than any other, it’s managing to live rent-free in the heads of millions of Americans for four years.

Indeed, hate him or love him, you can't deny that he's really good at attention-grabbing, dirty tactics and whatnot.

It's certainly a cause for major concern that such a sleazy, childish, criminal braggart made it to the presidency and after a disastrous 4 years still pulled in 74M votes, convinced them that the election was a fraud resulting in the invasion of the Capitol and death of 5 people.. and people still support him.

I'm not sure people are as shocked as they should be but then I'm not American, not living in the US so hard to understand the state of mind for people.

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

Giuliani associate told ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou that a Trump pardon would cost $2 million

If that did happen, the only one going down for it would be Giuliani.

The Don don't know nothing about it. That million bucks he found on his desk? Just regular remittances from his staff for the honor of serving the Family.

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

Indeed, hate him or love him, you can't deny that he's really good at attention-grabbing, dirty tactics and whatnot.

It's certainly a cause for major concern that such a sleazy, childish, criminal braggart made it to the presidency and after a disastrous 4 years still pulled in 74M votes, convinced them that the election was a fraud resulting in the invasion of the Capitol and death of 5 people.. and people still support him.

I'm not sure people are as shocked as they should be but then I'm not American, not living in the US so hard to understand the state of mind for people.

My state of mind is somewhere between "Oh God we are so fucked" and "There's still hope for America... I hope".

[Loftegen 3]

Joe Biden is my President: Unsere verleibte fuehur! Sieg hiel! Seig heil!"

[Senkaku]

Indeed, hate him or love him, you can't deny that he's really good at attention-grabbing, dirty tactics and whatnot.

It's certainly a cause for major concern that such a sleazy, childish, criminal braggart made it to the presidency and after a disastrous 4 years still pulled in 74M votes, convinced them that the election was a fraud resulting in the invasion of the Capitol and death of 5 people.. and people still support him.

I'm not sure people are as shocked as they should be but then I'm not American, not living in the US so hard to understand the state of mind for people.

I don't know if it's that shocking, empires find all sorts of ways to kill themselves.

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

Joe Biden is my President: Unsere verleibte fuehur! Sieg hiel! Seig heil!"

General is English Only, except in the marked other-language threads.

[Galloism]

Indeed, hate him or love him, you can't deny that he's really good at attention-grabbing, dirty tactics and whatnot.

It's certainly a cause for major concern that such a sleazy, childish, criminal braggart made it to the presidency and after a disastrous 4 years still pulled in 74M votes, convinced them that the election was a fraud resulting in the invasion of the Capitol and death of 5 people.. and people still support him.

I'm not sure people are as shocked as they should be but then I'm not American, not living in the US so hard to understand the state of mind for people.

Honestly, we’re suffering a bit of collective bipartisan insanity. At least enough of us to be a major problem.

But one side of that divide seems to have more of that problem than the other.

Give us a couple years of therapy and we’ll let you know how it goes.

[Myrensis]

It's certainly a cause for major concern that such a sleazy, childish, criminal braggart made it to the presidency and after a disastrous 4 years still pulled in 74M votes, convinced them that the election was a fraud resulting in the invasion of the Capitol and death of 5 people.. and people still support him.

I'm not sure people are as shocked as they should be but then I'm not American, not living in the US so hard to understand the state of mind for people.

My state of mind is somewhere between "Oh God we are so fucked" and "There's still hope for America... I hope".

I'm pretty solidly in the former camp.

Watching the GOP gleefully cast off the chains of reality has pretty much convinced me that America's long festering conservative cancer is terminal.

Biden winning and taking back the Senate is nice, but it's more like hospice care at this point. I fully expect Republicans to take back at least 1 chamber in Congress in 2022, mostly with the aid of millions of bobbleheaded centrists blithering airily about the benefits of divided government and besides it's been two whole years since the last time Republicans tried to overturn American democracy, don't they deserve a second chance?

[Cannot think of a name]

Joe Biden is my President: Unsere verleibte fuehur! Sieg hiel! Seig heil!"

This raises an interesting question, what becomes of the troll army that was nurtured around Trump for the last four years? Without a focal point will they just go back to this scatter shot nonsense, or will they find a new messiah?

[Galloism]

My state of mind is somewhere between "Oh God we are so fucked" and "There's still hope for America... I hope".

I'm pretty solidly in the former camp.

Watching the GOP gleefully cast off the chains of reality has pretty much convinced me that America's long festering conservative cancer is terminal.

Biden winning and taking back the Senate is nice, but it's more like hospice care at this point. I fully expect Republicans to take back at least 1 chamber in Congress in 2022, mostly with the aid of millions of bobbleheaded centrists blithering airily about the benefits of divided government and besides it's been two whole years since the last time Republicans tried to overturn American democracy, don't they deserve a second chance?

Tbh, given how this election went, barely holding onto the house and losing a couple more state legislatures, I think 2022 is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Nah, not a bit. Just a nightmare.

[Bombadil]

I'm pretty solidly in the former camp.

Watching the GOP gleefully cast off the chains of reality has pretty much convinced me that America's long festering conservative cancer is terminal.

Biden winning and taking back the Senate is nice, but it's more like hospice care at this point. I fully expect Republicans to take back at least 1 chamber in Congress in 2022, mostly with the aid of millions of bobbleheaded centrists blithering airily about the benefits of divided government and besides it's been two whole years since the last time Republicans tried to overturn American democracy, don't they deserve a second chance?

Tbh, given how this election went, barely holding onto the house and losing a couple more state legislatures, I think 2022 is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Nah, not a bit. Just a nightmare.

Well quite, as I told someone who was looking forward to the end of 2020.. there's no guarantee 2021 is going to be better. It'll be interesting to watch I guess.

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

It's certainly a cause for major concern that such a sleazy, childish, criminal braggart made it to the presidency and after a disastrous 4 years still pulled in 74M votes, convinced them that the election was a fraud resulting in the invasion of the Capitol and death of 5 people.. and people still support him.

I'm not sure people are as shocked as they should be but then I'm not American, not living in the US so hard to understand the state of mind for people.

Honestly, we’re suffering a bit of collective bipartisan insanity. At least enough of us to be a major problem.

But one side of that divide seems to have more of that problem than the other.

Give us a couple years of therapy and we’ll let you know how it goes.

There's a political solution to the "bipartisan insanity" problem. Saner parties, united in para-bipartisan sanity, to sweep the nation. It's the Green-Libertarian Alliance For Weed and Other Good Stuff, or GLAFWOGS party!

[Galloism]

Honestly, we’re suffering a bit of collective bipartisan insanity. At least enough of us to be a major problem.

But one side of that divide seems to have more of that problem than the other.

Give us a couple years of therapy and we’ll let you know how it goes.

There's a political solution to the "bipartisan insanity" problem. Saner parties, united in para-bipartisan sanity, to sweep the nation. It's the Green-Libertarian Alliance For Weed and Other Good Stuff, or GLAFWOGS party!

Your name is approved for usage.

[Salus Maior]

I'm pretty solidly in the former camp.

Watching the GOP gleefully cast off the chains of reality has pretty much convinced me that America's long festering conservative cancer is terminal.

Biden winning and taking back the Senate is nice, but it's more like hospice care at this point. I fully expect Republicans to take back at least 1 chamber in Congress in 2022, mostly with the aid of millions of bobbleheaded centrists blithering airily about the benefits of divided government and besides it's been two whole years since the last time Republicans tried to overturn American democracy, don't they deserve a second chance?

Tbh, given how this election went, barely holding onto the house and losing a couple more state legislatures, I think 2022 is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Nah, not a bit. Just a nightmare.

Eh, at some point the Military will have enough and coup the mess.

[Galloism]

Tbh, given how this election went, barely holding onto the house and losing a couple more state legislatures, I think 2022 is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Nah, not a bit. Just a nightmare.

Eh, at some point the Military will have enough and coup the mess.

That’s not likely to improve matters.

[Bombadil]

Tbh, given how this election went, barely holding onto the house and losing a couple more state legislatures, I think 2022 is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Nah, not a bit. Just a nightmare.

Eh, at some point the Military will have enough and coup the mess.

Not to be too doom-ery but conditions in the US are eerily similar to early 30's Germany, only takes a good old recession this next term for America to choose something even more radical.

[Salus Maior]

Eh, at some point the Military will have enough and coup the mess.

That’s not likely to improve matters.

Probably better than continuing to elect nutters who have no issue throwing the country under the bus for their own self-interest.

[Salus Maior]

Eh, at some point the Military will have enough and coup the mess.

Not to be too doom-ery but conditions in the US are eerily similar to early 30's Germany, only takes a good old recession this next term for America to choose something even more radical.

Iirc, it's not actually true that a recession was the reason for the Nazis taking control of Germany.

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

I'm pretty solidly in the former camp.

Watching the GOP gleefully cast off the chains of reality has pretty much convinced me that America's long festering conservative cancer is terminal.

Biden winning and taking back the Senate is nice, but it's more like hospice care at this point. I fully expect Republicans to take back at least 1 chamber in Congress in 2022, mostly with the aid of millions of bobbleheaded centrists blithering airily about the benefits of divided government and besides it's been two whole years since the last time Republicans tried to overturn American democracy, don't they deserve a second chance?

Tbh, given how this election went, barely holding onto the house and losing a couple more state legislatures, I think 2022 is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

Nah, not a bit. Just a nightmare.

I thought the legislative process getting jammed when one or both parties refuse to act like adults, was a feature not a bug?

What concerns me is that continuing because it seems to be gradually transferring more and more power to the Presidency. It's like the safety valve on a boiler releasing more-or-less constantly, or pretty much any machine still working, but only in its fallback fault mode.

But there's a way to reduce the power of the Presidency. It's for the President themselves to propose repeal of all those clauses in important legislation, which give discretion to the President. Surely Congress isn't so deranged and divided that it doesn't want its power back?

[A-Series-Of-Tubes]

Not to be too doom-ery but conditions in the US are eerily similar to early 30's Germany, only takes a good old recession this next term for America to choose something even more radical.

Iirc, it's not actually true that a recession was the reason for the Nazis taking control of Germany.

*cough*

Rise of the Nazis is classic threadjack material, wouldn't you say?