American Politics VII: Virginia Reel

[San Lumen]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-leg ... l-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

[Union of Socialist Council-Republics]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

So they're comparing him to Hitler, and then saying that Hitler wasn't that bad?

[Antipatros]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

Godwin's law is in full effect.

[Necroghastia]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

Another top hit from the "LOL stop saying everyone you don't like is Hitler!" crowd.

[The Black Forrest]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

Godwin's law is in full effect.

Doesn’t say much for Alaska’s educations sytem.

[Rusozak]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

Alaska trying to remind everyone else that Alaska exists.

[Kowani]

House of Representatives passes bill blocking American defense funds from being used for the aerial spraying of coca

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill that banned American defense funds for the aerial spraying of coca, the base ingredient of cocaine, in Colombia.

The bill that was sponsored by Democratic House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez additionally bans possible US funds for arms and training of the National Police’s anti-riot unit ESMAD.

Last but not least, the bill by the New York Democrat asked the Department of Defense (DoD) to inform US Congress every six months.

Ocasio-Cortez specifically wanted the DoD to inform the US lawmakers on the human rights situation in Colombia and progress made in investigations into the mass killing of anti-government protesters earlier this year.

The increased scrutiny from US Congress comes months after the human rights commission of the Organization of American States put the Duque regime on a watchlist for despots. The financial restrictions on aerial spraying of coca are a major blow for Colombia’s far-right President Ivan Duque, who has expressed his desire to resume the controversial strategy since taking office in 2018.

In fact, the president has announced the resumption for seven times in April, despite fierce opposition against the counternarcotics even Duque’s own office called ineffective.

Both the president and Defense Minister Diego Molano have remained quiet about any kind of counternarcotics strategy since then, however.

Duque has consistently refused to implement a crop substitution strategy that is part of a peace process that has been fiercely rejected by the president’s Democratic Center party.

The United Nations on Drugs and Crime announced that Colombia’s estimated cocaine production reached a record high in June after the Defense Minister had been boasting about record coca eradication by police.

Throughout this year, police appear to have abandoned also this strategy, leaving the president and his defense minister without any coordinated counternarcotics policy.

[San Lumen]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

Godwin's law is in full effect.

What is Godwin's law?

[Lord Dominator]

Godwin's law is in full effect.

What is Godwin's law?

They who (spuriously) mentions Hitler first in an argument loses.

[The Black Forrest]

Godwin's law is in full effect.

What is Godwin's law?

Seriously?

If you go back to the olden days of usenet, if you mentioned Hitler or the Nazi’s in a discussion, you automatically ended the discussion


Nowadays? The longer a debate goes on; the increased probably of a Nazi analogy will happen.

[Forsher]

Godwin's law is in full effect.

What is Godwin's law?

P(someone mentions Hitler/the Nazis) -> 1 as t (length of conversation) -> infinity

It's often verbed... Godwinning, which is probably one more reason why it's often remembered as:

They who (spuriously) mentions Hitler first in an argument loses.

But apparently the guy who came up with it, also uses it like this.

The traditional version is more than a little bit stupid... the probability of anything being mentioned increases as the length of a conversation increases... and, similarly, as a conversation goes on longer, the need to use examples that everyone should understand increases as well. And the version LD describes is extraordinarily reductive, and therefore massively ironic in a tool that's theoretically meant to be about inspiring critical thinking. But it's definitely more sensible that Gellman (sorry, Gell-Mann) amnesia... which asserts that there is a meaningful correspondence between the quality of an article written by X and edited by Y, in newspaper Z, to a different article written by A and edited by B, also in newspaper Z. Which, of course, is also meant to be a shortcut to better thinking.

[Merrill]

Again, nothing to do with race. I don't care if someone is black, white, brown, red, or purple with green polka dots from Mars! Do they want to live free as my neighbor, or do they want to put the boot of government on my neck?

Anyone that is supported by public welfare is taking money from me by force.

Then blame the military where most tax money goes and maybe increase taxes on the rich while reducing it on yourself instead of whining about people on welfare.

Yes, the military costs are too high, but it isn't anywhere near the majority of the budget. Fiscal year 2020, the military spending was 11% of the total. See https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57170. Considering that the military is pretty much the only Constitutionally authorized expense (the costs of other actually approved functions are basically rounding errors in the budget), the correct federal budget should be less than $700 billion (way less, I'd cut the military more than you think I would - again, libertarian, not traditional Republican). That means that there would be no deficit spending, and $2.7 trillion dollars available as surplus to cut taxes. Even if we kept $700 billion to pay down the debt, and serve as an emergency fund, that's still $2,000,000,000,000 to reduce taxes. We could move to a flat income tax, or a national sales tax. The best option would be to tax the states based on their populations. Then the states can choose their own methods of gathering revenue. California could "tax the rich" even more, other states could exploit resources, some states tax tourists, etc.

[Merrill]

You say that as if the right doesn’t do the same thing. Ever heard of Pinochet?

Or, like, Hitler

Pinochet was an exception, and I'm not sure military dictatorships count as "on the right". Regardless, his regime was certainly authoritarian, which I oppose regardless of economic policy.

Hitler was NOT right wing politically. That is one of the worst propaganda of the last 100 years. The National SOCIALIST Workers Party only differed from the Soviet Union in the idea of where socialism should be focused: nationally, or internationally. Fascism and Communism are both on the far left of the economic axis, with very little space between them. Post WW2, the Communists spread the idea that Fascists were "Right Wing", so that communism was defined as the center, or the norm.

[Merrill]

Then blame the military where most tax money goes and maybe increase taxes on the rich while reducing it on yourself instead of whining about people on welfare.

I don't think Merrill would support the policy of giving the rich less entitlements and probably supported the GOP tax policy in 2017. After all, corporations and corporate CEOs are the real "welfare queens" especially concerning Walmart.

Entitlements?

Who do you think pays taxes on businesses? It sure isn't the owners. Every tax is passed through to the customers. When you are demanding that Wal-Mart pay a higher tax rate, all you are accomplishing is raising prices, i.e., taxing the poor who shop there.

[Comerciante]

https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2021/09/24/alaska-legislator-compares-biden-to-hitler-shares-link-to-holocaust-denial-website/

Alaska legislator compares Biden to Hitler, shares link to Holocaust-denial website

Alaska trying to remind everyone else that Alaska exists.

Times like these I'm thankful everyone kind of forgets Hawaii exists...

[Ifreann]

House of Representatives passes bill blocking American defense funds from being used for the aerial spraying of coca

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill that banned American defense funds for the aerial spraying of coca, the base ingredient of cocaine, in Colombia.

The bill that was sponsored by Democratic House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez additionally bans possible US funds for arms and training of the National Police’s anti-riot unit ESMAD.

Last but not least, the bill by the New York Democrat asked the Department of Defense (DoD) to inform US Congress every six months.

Ocasio-Cortez specifically wanted the DoD to inform the US lawmakers on the human rights situation in Colombia and progress made in investigations into the mass killing of anti-government protesters earlier this year.

The increased scrutiny from US Congress comes months after the human rights commission of the Organization of American States put the Duque regime on a watchlist for despots. The financial restrictions on aerial spraying of coca are a major blow for Colombia’s far-right President Ivan Duque, who has expressed his desire to resume the controversial strategy since taking office in 2018.

In fact, the president has announced the resumption for seven times in April, despite fierce opposition against the counternarcotics even Duque’s own office called ineffective.

Both the president and Defense Minister Diego Molano have remained quiet about any kind of counternarcotics strategy since then, however.

Duque has consistently refused to implement a crop substitution strategy that is part of a peace process that has been fiercely rejected by the president’s Democratic Center party.

The United Nations on Drugs and Crime announced that Colombia’s estimated cocaine production reached a record high in June after the Defense Minister had been boasting about record coca eradication by police.

Throughout this year, police appear to have abandoned also this strategy, leaving the president and his defense minister without any coordinated counternarcotics policy.

Sure to be a huge boost to the economy.

---

Or, like, Hitler

Pinochet was an exception, and I'm not sure military dictatorships count as "on the right". Regardless, his regime was certainly authoritarian, which I oppose regardless of economic policy.

Hitler was NOT right wing politically. That is one of the worst propaganda of the last 100 years. The National SOCIALIST Workers Party only differed from the Soviet Union in the idea of where socialism should be focused: nationally, or internationally. Fascism and Communism are both on the far left of the economic axis, with very little space between them. Post WW2, the Communists spread the idea that Fascists were "Right Wing", so that communism was defined as the center, or the norm.

The term "privatisation" was coined to describe Hitler's economic policies of removing industries from state control and giving them over to private interests.

[Outer Sparta]

I don't think Merrill would support the policy of giving the rich less entitlements and probably supported the GOP tax policy in 2017. After all, corporations and corporate CEOs are the real "welfare queens" especially concerning Walmart.

Entitlements?

Who do you think pays taxes on businesses? It sure isn't the owners. Every tax is passed through to the customers. When you are demanding that Wal-Mart pay a higher tax rate, all you are accomplishing is raising prices, i.e., taxing the poor who shop there.

Take a gander at this article about Walmart and McDonalds being welfare queens essentially by deliberately paying their employees bare minimum and their workers basically have to rely on government aid: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/walmart_n_4267907

Again, did you support the GOP tax scam of 2017 and felt that giving tax breaks to the Koch Brothers or other billionaire GOP donors is "good for the economy?"

[Merrill]

House of Representatives passes bill blocking American defense funds from being used for the aerial spraying of coca

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill that banned American defense funds for the aerial spraying of coca, the base ingredient of cocaine, in Colombia.

The bill that was sponsored by Democratic House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez additionally bans possible US funds for arms and training of the National Police’s anti-riot unit ESMAD.

Last but not least, the bill by the New York Democrat asked the Department of Defense (DoD) to inform US Congress every six months.

Ocasio-Cortez specifically wanted the DoD to inform the US lawmakers on the human rights situation in Colombia and progress made in investigations into the mass killing of anti-government protesters earlier this year.

The increased scrutiny from US Congress comes months after the human rights commission of the Organization of American States put the Duque regime on a watchlist for despots. The financial restrictions on aerial spraying of coca are a major blow for Colombia’s far-right President Ivan Duque, who has expressed his desire to resume the controversial strategy since taking office in 2018.

In fact, the president has announced the resumption for seven times in April, despite fierce opposition against the counternarcotics even Duque’s own office called ineffective.

Both the president and Defense Minister Diego Molano have remained quiet about any kind of counternarcotics strategy since then, however.

Duque has consistently refused to implement a crop substitution strategy that is part of a peace process that has been fiercely rejected by the president’s Democratic Center party.

The United Nations on Drugs and Crime announced that Colombia’s estimated cocaine production reached a record high in June after the Defense Minister had been boasting about record coca eradication by police.

Throughout this year, police appear to have abandoned also this strategy, leaving the president and his defense minister without any coordinated counternarcotics policy.

Sure to be a huge boost to the economy.

---

Pinochet was an exception, and I'm not sure military dictatorships count as "on the right". Regardless, his regime was certainly authoritarian, which I oppose regardless of economic policy.

Hitler was NOT right wing politically. That is one of the worst propaganda of the last 100 years. The National SOCIALIST Workers Party only differed from the Soviet Union in the idea of where socialism should be focused: nationally, or internationally. Fascism and Communism are both on the far left of the economic axis, with very little space between them. Post WW2, the Communists spread the idea that Fascists were "Right Wing", so that communism was defined as the center, or the norm.

The term "privatisation" was coined to describe Hitler's economic policies of removing industries from state control and giving them over to private interests.

Controlling "the means of production" through laws, regulations, and choosing public/private partnerships is only one small step removed from seizing them.

[Lord Dominator]

There’s quite a few steps in between those two positions, as evidenced by all the countries that regulate them but haven’t seized them despite all the people who want them too.

[Merrill]

Entitlements?

Who do you think pays taxes on businesses? It sure isn't the owners. Every tax is passed through to the customers. When you are demanding that Wal-Mart pay a higher tax rate, all you are accomplishing is raising prices, i.e., taxing the poor who shop there.

Take a gander at this article about Walmart and McDonalds being welfare queens essentially by deliberately paying their employees bare minimum and their workers basically have to rely on government aid: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/walmart_n_4267907

Again, did you support the GOP tax scam of 2017 and felt that giving tax breaks to the Koch Brothers or other billionaire GOP donors is "good for the economy?"

The one that allowed people (including Democrat billionaires like Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc.) to keep more of THEIR OWN MONEY?!? Yeah, that was a good start. Didn't go nearly far enough, though.

Do you think that the State owns everything, and that lower tax rates are some kind of gift?

[Outer Sparta]

Take a gander at this article about Walmart and McDonalds being welfare queens essentially by deliberately paying their employees bare minimum and their workers basically have to rely on government aid: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/walmart_n_4267907

Again, did you support the GOP tax scam of 2017 and felt that giving tax breaks to the Koch Brothers or other billionaire GOP donors is "good for the economy?"

The one that allowed people (including Democrat billionaires like Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc.) to keep more of THEIR OWN MONEY?!? Yeah, that was a good start. Didn't go nearly far enough, though.

Do you think that the State owns everything, and that lower tax rates are some kind of gift?

Lower tax rates for billionaires? Definitely a grift. Not sure why you think that billionaires deserve lower taxes unless you yourself have a rich portfolio to protect by voting for Trump and the GOP in 2020.

[Merrill]

There’s quite a few steps in between those two positions, as evidenced by all the countries that regulate them but haven’t seized them despite all the people who want them too.

Not really. The US government has been Fascist since FDR, it's just a question of degree.

If you think you own property, but you aren't free to use it as you want, are you really free, and do you really own it?

Same question for wage earners: If the government takes an ever increasing percentage of your income, and controls what you can do with it, aren't they stealing your labor?

[Lord Dominator]

The one that allowed people (including Democrat billionaires like Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc.)

Their politics are irrelevant to their wealth, and how deserved it is.

Do you think that the State owns everything, and that lower tax rates are some kind of gift?

It’s back pay + interest based for all the wonderful things they get free of charge from a functioning state, particularly one as globally powerful as the US.

[Outer Sparta]

There’s quite a few steps in between those two positions, as evidenced by all the countries that regulate them but haven’t seized them despite all the people who want them too.

Not really. The US government has been Fascist since FDR, it's just a question of degree.

If you think you own property, but you aren't free to use it as you want, are you really free, and do you really own it?

Same question for wage earners: If the government takes an ever increasing percentage of your income, and controls what you can do with it, aren't they stealing your labor?

If you think the US government has been fascist since FDR, which admins would you rank as most fascist in your mind?

[Lord Dominator]

There’s quite a few steps in between those two positions, as evidenced by all the countries that regulate them but haven’t seized them despite all the people who want them too.

Not really. The US government has been Fascist since FDR, it's just a question of degree.

If we’re going down this rabbit hole, please define fascism

If you think you own property, but you aren't free to use it as you want, are you really free, and do you really own it?

If I own a gun, but I’m not allowed to shoot someone with it, do I really own the gun?

Extremes aside, not being allowed to do certain things with your property doesn’t make it not your property - being told precisely what to do with it does.

Same question for wage earners: If the government takes an ever increasing percentage of your income, and controls what you can do with it, aren't they stealing your labor?

I can safely say they are not stealing my labor, particularly as I work voluntarily and they’re taking some portion of the proceeds (not the labor itself). And again, there is no control of what I do with my income.