2019-2020 US Elections Megathread I- It Begins

[Major-Tom]

She's still young, she narrowly lost a contentious Governor's race wherein Kemp abused his position as Secretary of State in his favor, etc etc. Kemp's name is pretty tainted in Georgia, which has in turn hurt the GOP there.

I have a suspicion Abrams is going to run for Senate in her home state of Georgia, and I think if she pursued that route, she would do fantastic.

Personally, too, I think if Beto opted to run for Senate in 2020 against Cornyn, that would be a better move for his career and for his party. After narrowly losing to Cruz in 2018, one can imagine his chances may even be improved in 2020 within Texas.

I don't disagree with anything you wrote here, but it's worth noting that Abrams is not significantly younger than Beto or Booker - who, admittedly, are also youngish, but against the likes of Sanders (or, later on, Trump) I think that might actually be an asset.

Abrams and Beto both lost elections in the midterms and Abrams doesn't even have experience outside of the State Leg. I admire both of them, but I don't believe they would be the top candidates if they decide to run for President in 2020.

[Bahktar]

It seems like Trump has had some luck with bringing back manufacturing. Personally, while I think it's a relic of the past, it's important and we need to more towards automation, it's good for the people that work at more qualified stuff or just aren't fit for it. I suppose Trump could get a point for that. However, for me, it still does not offset everything else he has done, personally.

[Washington Resistance Army]

It seems like Trump has had some luck with bringing back manufacturing. Personally, while I think it's a relic of the past, it's important and we need to more towards automation, it's good for the people that work at more qualified stuff or just aren't fit for it. I suppose Trump could get a point for that. However, for me, it still does not offset everything else he has done, personally.

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

[Valrifell]

It seems like Trump has had some luck with bringing back manufacturing. Personally, while I think it's a relic of the past, it's important and we need to more towards automation, it's good for the people that work at more qualified stuff or just aren't fit for it. I suppose Trump could get a point for that. However, for me, it still does not offset everything else he has done, personally.

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

Not if we transcend Capitalism, comrade. Come! The only thing you have to lose is your chains!

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

Then those plants left agan: see GM closing more plants

GM has been doing poorly for years and that has nothing to do with Trump. It has everything to do with GM releasing shit that nobody wants to buy in the States.

Still is losing plants in the states.

Also sad as it is automation being the way it is will be all around cheaper to use instead of workers for all manufacturing one day.

So, yeah those jobs are gone and when automation kicks in fully they are gone for good.

Unless something with socialism happens.

[Valrifell]

GM has been doing poorly for years and that has nothing to do with Trump. It has everything to do with GM releasing shit that nobody wants to buy in the States.

Still is losing plants in the states.

Also sad as it is automation being the way it is will be all around cheaper to use instead of workers for all manufacturing one day.

So, yeah those jobs are gone and when automation kicks in fully they are gone for good.

Unless something with socialism happens.

When those jobs vanish for good, it'll be nice accelerant for the collapse of the Capitalist system.

[Zurkerx]

It seems like Trump has had some luck with bringing back manufacturing. Personally, while I think it's a relic of the past, it's important and we need to more towards automation, it's good for the people that work at more qualified stuff or just aren't fit for it. I suppose Trump could get a point for that. However, for me, it still does not offset everything else he has done, personally.

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

It's going to happen whether you like it or not. But what automation will take, it will create, it's just a matter of reforming the workforce. Think about it this way: the military can become a huge recruiter, recruiting millions of soldiers, all under your command

[Valrifell]

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

It's going to happen whether you like it or not. But what automation will take, it will create, it's just a matter of reforming the workforce. Think about it this way: the military can become a huge recruiter, recruiting millions of soldiers, all under your command

I-I prefer fully automated luxury gay space communism over manual hereto terran military junta.

[The Black Forrest]

It seems like Trump has had some luck with bringing back manufacturing. Personally, while I think it's a relic of the past, it's important and we need to more towards automation, it's good for the people that work at more qualified stuff or just aren't fit for it. I suppose Trump could get a point for that. However, for me, it still does not offset everything else he has done, personally.

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

Why do you hate profit?

[The Black Forrest]

Still is losing plants in the states.

Also sad as it is automation being the way it is will be all around cheaper to use instead of workers for all manufacturing one day.

So, yeah those jobs are gone and when automation kicks in fully they are gone for good.

Unless something with socialism happens.

When those jobs vanish for good, it'll be nice accelerant for the collapse of the Capitalist system.

How is automation going to end capitalism?

[Zurkerx]

It's going to happen whether you like it or not. But what automation will take, it will create, it's just a matter of reforming the workforce. Think about it this way: the military can become a huge recruiter, recruiting millions of soldiers, all under your command

I-I prefer fully automated luxury gay space communism over manual hereto terran military junta.

But-I, I prefer full-blown automated beautiful NPC space military junta libertarianism. That way, we can spread liberty and prosperity, at the point of a gun. Sure, violates the NAP but fuck the NAP.

[Washington Resistance Army]

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

Why do you hate profit?

Because that profit disproportionately goes into the hands of the already superrich and harms low and middle class workers who will increasingly find themselves put out of jobs because it's cheaper for a machine to do it. It's a recipe for disaster.

[Ism]

Why do you hate profit?

Because that profit disproportionately goes into the hands of the already superrich and harms low and middle class workers who will increasingly find themselves put out of jobs because it's cheaper for a machine to do it. It's a recipe for disaster.

That's why we seize the means of production. Then we can benefit disproportionately while putting people out of work!

[Valrifell]

When those jobs vanish for good, it'll be nice accelerant for the collapse of the Capitalist system.

How is automation going to end capitalism?

You don't have to pay machines and they'll take over too many jobs for the distribution and flow of capital to be viable.

Not everyone currently working in manufacturing will be a robot technician and current analysis tells us that new replacement services (like Netflix) destroy more jobs than they create overall. It therefore follows that this will lead to an unsustainable amount of people without the means to get a job, and the stagnation of capital. The system would have completely failed its original purpose and would necessitate replacement, likely through very violent means.

[Germanyt]

Why do you hate profit?

Because that profit disproportionately goes into the hands of the already superrich and harms low and middle class workers who will increasingly find themselves put out of jobs because it's cheaper for a machine to do it. It's a recipe for disaster.

FiGhT dA POWeR!

[Trumptonium1]

How will a man outside of congress stay relevant long enough to reach the primaries?

As I said, I think that's his main challenge.

That said, the namesake of your nation seemed to manage.

Well unless Beto is going to go bombastic and absorb media oxygen by making outrageous or based statements for the luls, then no.

[The Black Forrest]

Why do you hate profit?

Because that profit disproportionately goes into the hands of the already superrich and harms low and middle class workers who will increasingly find themselves put out of jobs because it's cheaper for a machine to do it. It's a recipe for disaster.

Oh come now. Last I read the poor 1 percenters only have 40 percent of the national income. How can you live off of that? Well donnie probably helped a little. Aren't we supposed to take care of the wealthy else they will leave!

[The Black Forrest]

How is automation going to end capitalism?

You don't have to pay machines and they'll take over too many jobs for the distribution and flow of capital to be viable.

Not everyone currently working in manufacturing will be a robot technician and current analysis tells us that new replacement services (like Netflix) destroy more jobs than they create overall. It therefore follows that this will lead to an unsustainable amount of people without the means to get a job, and the stagnation of capital. The system would have completely failed its original purpose and would necessitate replacement, likely through very violent means.

Assumption being the humans were never considered a tool in the process.

I am sure doom and gloom was announced when Ford Sr talked about streamlining the build process.

Welcome it. For all the fearmongering about Socialized medicine and living wage; corprations will force it to happen as they desperately seek to dump the workforce as they take away from the profits.

We are heading into an era where there will be far more people then jobs. You are seeing it now with the practice of age discrimination. Small scale granted yet it's happening.....

[Hammer Britannia]

Why does every US presidential candidate have to be a meme this year?

Fix that for you. No need to thank me.

America is the only country though, all other countries are just illusions made by the Obama-Rockefeller institute.

[Hediacrana]

As I said, I think that's his main challenge.

That said, the namesake of your nation seemed to manage.

Well unless Beto is going to go bombastic and absorb media oxygen by making outrageous or based statements for the luls, then no.

I don't believe a politician needs to imitate Trump's style in order to take up excessive media oxygen, to use your expression. And I think that trying to adopt a Trump-like style of rhetoric to reach that goal would be a positively stupid strategy for a Democrat to pursue.

I'd rather say that more generally speaking, one of the factors in a politician's success is their ability to draw more media attention (preferably, but not necessarily, positive media attention), and thus control public debate to a higher degree, than one might expect of someone in their particular position or office.

Trump, prior to his election, was able to do so, as you put it, in part because of his outrageous and biased rhetoric, and in part because of his caricaturesque personality. But there are other styles of dominating discourse that have a similar effect. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for example, has a rather different style than Trump, but she played the media brilliantly since her election, given how she's had a far greater role in national debate than one would expect from a house member with so little seniority.

The question is whether Beto has a similar ability to draw media attention disproportionate to his political office (which currently means, no office at all). I don't know whether he does, but I'm pretty sure adopting Trump's style of rhetoric wouldn't be a smart strategy for him, given that Democratic voters, who on average tend to be better educated than Republican voters, can reasonably be expected to prefer their discourse a little more fact-based and conventionally "civil" than the kind of rhetoric that set Trump apart in 2016.

Edit: included a link about relative education levels, in case people doubt that particular claim.

[Thermodolia]

The underlined is a terribly bad idea.

Not if we transcend Capitalism, comrade. Come! The only thing you have to lose is your chains!

Even without capitalism it’s still shit. Automation is literally anti-worker

[Valrifell]

Not if we transcend Capitalism, comrade. Come! The only thing you have to lose is your chains!

Even without capitalism it’s still shit. Automation is literally anti-worker

Remove the need for the worker.

[Telconi]

How is automation going to end capitalism?

You don't have to pay machines and they'll take over too many jobs for the distribution and flow of capital to be viable.

Not everyone currently working in manufacturing will be a robot technician and current analysis tells us that new replacement services (like Netflix) destroy more jobs than they create overall. It therefore follows that this will lead to an unsustainable amount of people without the means to get a job, and the stagnation of capital. The system would have completely failed its original purpose and would necessitate replacement, likely through very violent means.

Like how the agricultural revolution left all the unemployed hunter gatherers as destitute charity cases?

[Valrifell]

You don't have to pay machines and they'll take over too many jobs for the distribution and flow of capital to be viable.

Not everyone currently working in manufacturing will be a robot technician and current analysis tells us that new replacement services (like Netflix) destroy more jobs than they create overall. It therefore follows that this will lead to an unsustainable amount of people without the means to get a job, and the stagnation of capital. The system would have completely failed its original purpose and would necessitate replacement, likely through very violent means.

Like how the agricultural revolution left all the unemployed hunter gatherers as destitute charity cases?

You'd have a better argument with either wave of the Industrial Revolution, since agriculture (and writing) essentially ballooned into modern civilization.

Still, what we're seeing are large tech corporations eating jobs and not replacing them with the same amount, nowhere near in fact.

[Bienenhalde]

While I’ll never understand the alt-right’s fascination with Gabbard, it is extremely worrisome that they tend to back her nonetheless. Especially figures like Bannon, and now, David fucking Duke.

If she doesn’t issue a response that tears into Duke and the reprehensible ideas he stands for, she should bow out of the race and politics in general.

Edit: Appears she has denounced Duke, but this is still immensely problematic.

It probably has to do with her support for the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and her hostility towards Islam.