American Politics Thread VI: Can't We All Just Get Along?

[Diarcesia]

Biden's approval rating is net negative for the first time on 538's approval rating average

I am not surprised lol.

[Gravlen]

Florida's Senate President announces that they will be considering a model of the Texas abortion law

If a pregnant woman catches covid and dies along with the fetus due to her workplace not being allowed to check for vaccinations - will one be able to demand a bounty from the Florida lawmakers ?

There's almost no downsides to trying. Clog up those courts with frivolous lawsuits, baby!

[The Black Forrest]

Biden's approval rating is net negative for the first time on 538's approval rating average

I am not surprised lol.

The funny thing? He still rates higher then 45 even after honoring 45’s agreement with the Taliban.

[Zurkerx]

I am shocked, shocked I say.

Because that's just what they want, isn't it? To make women and trans men live in fear of their neighbours, their friends, their families, anyone they meet that might have a grudge. An incredible achievement, indeed, to create an abortion ban that primes people up for what life is like in a dictatorship, where people can't trust one another or form proper relationships because they have to be afraid that every person next to them will snitch on them for $10,000.

It's as if 1984 is coming true- the very same book they use to label Democrats as "Big Brother".

Btw, Joe Manchin really wants to piss off Democrats:

he's urging his Democratic colleagues to "hit the pause button" on a $3.5 trillion spending bill, citing more urgent priorities like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a spike in COVID-19 cases.

[The Black Forrest]

Because that's just what they want, isn't it? To make women and trans men live in fear of their neighbours, their friends, their families, anyone they meet that might have a grudge. An incredible achievement, indeed, to create an abortion ban that primes people up for what life is like in a dictatorship, where people can't trust one another or form proper relationships because they have to be afraid that every person next to them will snitch on them for $10,000.

It's as if 1984 is coming true- the very same book they use to label Democrats as "Big Brother".

Btw, Joe Manchin really wants to piss off Democrats:

he's urging his Democratic colleagues to "hit the pause button" on a $3.5 trillion spending bill, citing more urgent priorities like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a spike in COVID-19 cases.

He is a democrat?

[Antipatros]

Because that's just what they want, isn't it? To make women and trans men live in fear of their neighbours, their friends, their families, anyone they meet that might have a grudge. An incredible achievement, indeed, to create an abortion ban that primes people up for what life is like in a dictatorship, where people can't trust one another or form proper relationships because they have to be afraid that every person next to them will snitch on them for $10,000.

It's as if 1984 is coming true- the very same book they use to label Democrats as "Big Brother".

Btw, Joe Manchin really wants to piss off Democrats:

he's urging his Democratic colleagues to "hit the pause button" on a $3.5 trillion spending bill, citing more urgent priorities like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a spike in COVID-19 cases.

What is Manchin going to do about either of those things? Hold some hearings?

[Kowani]

It's as if 1984 is coming true- the very same book they use to label Democrats as "Big Brother".

Btw, Joe Manchin really wants to piss off Democrats:

he's urging his Democratic colleagues to "hit the pause button" on a $3.5 trillion spending bill, citing more urgent priorities like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a spike in COVID-19 cases.

What is Manchin going to do about either of those things? Hold some hearings?

no
it's the second part of the exxon-ordered two-step initiated by the gottheimer 9
killing the reconciliation bill (or greatly paring it back)

see the trick is that all of these people will be out of office in 6-8 years
cushy lobbying jobs and speaking gigs await them
so they don't have to worry about the party's electoral success

[The Black Forrest]

What is Manchin going to do about either of those things? Hold some hearings?

no
it's the second part of the exxon-ordered two-step initiated by the gottheimer 9
killing the reconciliation bill (or greatly paring it back)

see the trick is that all of these people will be out of office in 6-8 years
cushy lobbying jobs and speaking gigs await them
so they don't have to worry about the party's electoral success

Indeed. We should establish rules like business and non-compete laws, etc. You leave office and you should have a wait a year or so to be a lobbyist.

[Kowani]

Steve Bannon has apparently been leading thousands of election deniers to take over local county level positions to take control of the electoral machinery next time around

[San Lumen]

Steve Bannon has apparently been leading thousands of election deniers to take over local county level positions to take control of the electoral machinery next time around

Great just what we need to politicize elections results and refuse to accept outcomes unless one's candidate wins. These people should be thrown of the election board or disqualified as poll workers if they pull these stunts.

[North Washington Republic]

Steve Bannon has apparently been leading thousands of election deniers to take over local county level positions to take control of the electoral machinery next time around

Unironically, it’s MAGAs that are trying to steal elections.

[The Reformed American Republic]

Steve Bannon has apparently been leading thousands of election deniers to take over local county level positions to take control of the electoral machinery next time around

Unironically, it’s MAGAs that are trying to steal elections.

And if they do, we can easily become a Dominant-party republic, where one party stays in power through electoral fraud and illegal maneuvering, and that's barely one step above a one party state.

[North Washington Republic]

Unironically, it’s MAGAs that are trying to steal elections.

And if they do, we can easily become a Dominant-party republic, where one party stays in power through electoral fraud and illegal maneuvering, and that's barely one step above a one party state.

I think especially among younger MAGAs, they’re contempt for representative democracy and constitutional republicanism is quite clear and very explicit.

[The Reformed American Republic]

And if they do, we can easily become a Dominant-party republic, where one party stays in power through electoral fraud and illegal maneuvering, and that's barely one step above a one party state.

I think especially among younger MAGAs, they’re contempt for representative democracy and constitutional republicanism is quite clear and very explicit.

Ironically, they've gotten me to question the wisdom of democracy, but for opposite reasons.

[North Washington Republic]

I think especially among younger MAGAs, they’re contempt for representative democracy and constitutional republicanism is quite clear and very explicit.

Ironically, they've gotten me to question the wisdom of democracy, but for opposite reasons.

What I don’t like is that they’re convincing older MAGAs that they’re actually defending our Democratic-Republic.

[Kowani]

How long will it take seniors to get new expanded medicare dental benefits if the budget passes? 3-5 years

[The Reformed American Republic]

Ironically, they've gotten me to question the wisdom of democracy, but for opposite reasons.

What I don’t like is that they’re convincing older MAGAs that they’re actually defending our Democratic-Republic.

No, they like to pretend that's what they're doing.

Unfortunately, we're already more of an Oligarchic-Republic now adays.

[The Black Forrest]

Steve Bannon has apparently been leading thousands of election deniers to take over local county level positions to take control of the electoral machinery next time around

Of course. If a Republican Trumpist looses, it's only because the election was stolen.

[Farnhamia]

How long will it take seniors to get new expanded medicare dental benefits if the budget passes? 3-5 years

How long if it doesn't?

[San Lumen]

Steve Bannon has apparently been leading thousands of election deniers to take over local county level positions to take control of the electoral machinery next time around

Of course. If a Republican Trumpist looses, it's only because the election was stolen.

I find this whole thing very concerning. Poll workers and election boards are supposed to be non partisan.

[Kowani]

How long will it take seniors to get new expanded medicare dental benefits if the budget passes? 3-5 years

How long if it doesn't?

um

never?


(assuming no new bill is created to do it afterwards)

[Tarsonis]

Of course. If a Republican Trumpist looses, it's only because the election was stolen.

I find this whole thing very concerning. Poll workers and election boards are supposed to be non partisan.

Just like the court right?

[San Lumen]

I find this whole thing very concerning. Poll workers and election boards are supposed to be non partisan.

Just like the court right?

Counting ballots is not partisan. Bannon is under the delusion that poll workers and election officials can just refuse to count ballots or certify elections they don't like the outcome of. That's now how it works but it is also a very dangerous door to open.

[Proctopeo]

[*]Teachers shouldn't be compelled to discuss controversial events

The whole field of history is about "controversial events". So are geopolitics. And in the mind of GOP legislators, I'm pretty sure even mundane, long established scientific facts like evolution or vaccine being safe and efficient are "controversial" too.

[*]Discussions of controversial events should be impartial and come from many perspectives

Yeah, it's only fair to speak about WW2 when Nazi apologists are given as much time than victims of the Holocaust, or to speak about the KKK when its supporters are given as much time as their victims.

current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs

This is the exact text. My phrasing was certainly not the most accurate, but you could've at least bothered to read it, given that I directly linked to the text of the bill in my post.

[*]Teacher training and orientation shouldn't engage in stereotyping on race or sex, or blame any racial or sexual group for societal ills

Is saying things like "the Constitution was framed by white mostly slave-owning males, which contributes to explain why it supported slavery and didn't give voting rights to women" allowed ?

I'm not a Texan lawmaker, but in my unprofessional opinion, there are some ways you could frame it that would go against the law. For the most part, it should be.

If not, it's not like you can teach history or civics anymore.

High school history generally doesn't go very in-depth, fwiw. Moralizing about the Constitution is usually reserved for higher education.

[*]No course should be supremacist, present a race or sex as evil, support discrimination, teach students to feel guilty for the "sins of the father"

Wait wait wait... does that include "sins of the mother" ? If so, I suspect teaching about the Bible and the whole Eve "original sin" story will be banned, I'm glad GOP lawmakers finally act against that nonsense !

But more seriously this banning something which doesn't exist, but in a way that can be used to censor speaking about real issues, such as how slavery and segregation still have consequences nowadays on why black people are more likely to live in poverty, be incarcerated and die young than white people. That doesn't mean "all white people are evil", but that's what the law intents to censor.

This feels like quite the stretch...

or teach that meritocracy and hard work are racist or sexist

It's more that meritocracy doesn't actually exist,

The concept that people should be vested with power and influence due to their skill, effort, and talent doesn't exist? Generally in these cases, when people are discussing "meritocracy", they aren't saying that there is currently a meritocratic system in place, but more towards the idea that the most qualified people for a position should hold that position. The inclusion of this line is possibly inspired by that "facets of whiteness" poster that the Smithsonian made (that they quietly got rid of a few months later because it looked like white nat propaganda)

and that the fiction it actually does favors those born with privileges, ie white men, and therefore is racist and sexist, shouldn't teachers be allowed to discuss that fact ?

If they can manage it in a way that isn't itself racist or sexist, sure.

It's a knee-jerk reaction to people accusing everything of being terrorism, combined with it being rather early in the morning; people accusing every politician they didn't like of engaging in terrorism poisoned the well.
Though it stands to question here, is the intention to cause terror?


Here's the text of HB3979. If you note, little of this pertains to "a field of legal studies that's only taught in law schools".

You might think that, but in fact "House Bill 3979 is a strong move to abolish critical race theory in Texas".

Though, if critical race theory weren't in schools, why would the largest teacher's union be going to bat for it?

The summary:

• Teachers shouldn't be compelled to discuss controversial events
• Discussions of controversial events should be impartial and come from many perspectives
• Students shouldn't be required to partake in lobbying or activism
• Teacher training and orientation shouldn't engage in stereotyping on race or sex, or blame any racial or sexual group for societal ills
• No course should be supremacist, present a race or sex as evil, support discrimination, teach students to feel guilty for the "sins of the father", or teach that meritocracy and hard work are racist or sexist

Which, overall, seems very anti-racist and anti-sexist to me.

Sounds like the ban critical race theory law is being used to sneak some social engineering into schools.

This is pretty much the whole law. They don't mention "critical race theory", though its body of prohibitions against racism and sexism do ban it by definition.

Now, fwiw, I don't actually know what's being taught in schools currently, since I graduated 5 to 6 years ago. A lot can change in that time, and what's the case in my state may not be the case in Texas. The only thing I'm actively aware of is that grade schools are now using new and confusing methods to teach students basic math and nobody is happy.

[Tarsonis]

Just like the court right?

Counting ballots is not partisan. Bannon is under the delusion that poll workers and election officials can just refuse to count ballots or certify elections they don't like the outcome of. That's now how it works but it is also a very dangerous door to open.

I mean in theory yes. But let's be quite clear. Nobody is non-partisan. Nobody.