THE MORNING RANT: The Culture War <i>Is</i> a Kitchen Table Issue

THE MORNING RANT: The Culture War Is a Kitchen Table Issue

I’ve seen several tweets in recent weeks from Conservative, Inc. writers that either implore Republican presidential candidates to ignore the culture war, or praise them for finally focusing on “kitchen table” issues (e.g. economic issues) instead of “culture.”

My apologies for not screen-shotting those tweets at the time, but I do not possess the Twitter-searching skills to go back and find them now. But to all those who still read “conservative” writers who are working to conserve the left’s gains in the culture war, I’d like to remind them of a simple truth regarding the great political issues of the day…

…Culture is a “kitchen table” issue.

Is the government’s effort to ban your gas-powered car not worthy of a discussion at the kitchen table? Or what about soaring utility bills because elected officials are replacing inexpensive (and reliable) carbon energy with very expensive (and unreliable) “green” energy?

If you must either quit your job or submit to coerced workplace “celebrations” that are a denial of your faith, is that not a kitchen table issue? Or how about the radical agenda being taught to your kids in elementary school?

Where is the appropriate setting to discuss the children of family and friends dying from overdoses of drugs flowing across the open border?

If pro-criminal District Attorneys are refusing to prosecute career criminals, is the financial cost of being a crime victim not an issue that can be discussed at the kitchen table?

Again, culture is a kitchen table issue, and there is no such thing as fiscal conservatism that is independent of social conservatism, especially now that the “social issue” of climate change requires communist command and control over every aspect of human life and eradication of the energy that fuels civilization.

I could go on and on, and I should also acknowledge that once upon a time I was one of those “fiscal conservatives” who had no use for the GOP’s 20th Century social agenda. While not “socially liberal” I was not “socially conservative” either. I considered myself libertarian on those issues, and in 1996 I was a delegate to the Texas state Republican convention, where there was great tension between us fiscal conservatives and the social conservatives.

The social conservatives were right, I was wrong, and I subsequently became a culture warrior too.

I was not familiar with David Strom before he joined Hot Air, but he has consistently written pieces that mirror my politics and attitude about major issues. So it was very interesting to me when he wrote a recent piece about his transition from a fiscal conservative to a culture warrior. Although my epiphany was from a different catalyst than his, I understand the awakening he describes.

Why I Became a Culture Warrior [David Strom]

I was not destined to be a culture warrior. In fact, for most of my life I would have insisted that conservatives should spend less time fighting about private, cultural matters and more about public policies such as government overreach, taxes, and economic growth.
Boy was I wrong.
Not only are the cultural issues and the policy issues intertwined, but I now believe that the most important front in the war to save our Republic is the cultural one. The enemy is Marxism, and the cultural front is where the Marxists are making the most progress. And because the cultural Marxists are targeting children, winning or losing this battle will determine who owns the future of America and the world.
So what changed me into a culture warrior? And how quickly did the transformation occur?

Mr. Strom goes on to describe his revulsion when the fugitive Roman Polanski was awarded an Oscar in 2003, and America’s cultural elite lauded him and gave Polanski a standing ovation for his suffering after committing a grotesque sex crime against a 13-year old girl. The realization that the left now openly endorsed Polanski’s crime was a call to cultural war for Mr. Strom.

For me, the wake-up call was the betrayal of Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger in California and Christie Todd Whitman in New Jersey, both of whom ran as “fiscally conservate / socially liberal.”

A few years ago, I wrote here at Ace of Spades about “the fraud of the Republican who presents himself as both fiscally conservative and socially liberal.”

Invariably - well it’s actually EVERY DAMN TIME - the fiscally conservative / socially liberal (“FCSL” Republican becomes an environmental crusader, because “environmentalism” is a key component of the “socially liberal” agenda. And what is at the core of the environmental movement? Command and control of the economy. Therefore a “fiscally conservative” FCSL Republican becomes an ally of the far left on economic issues - to save the planet. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christie Todd Whitman are the poster chumps of the FCSL fraud. Both were elected governor of their respective states as FCSLs. Both of them were coopted by the left, who forced them to prove their socially liberal bona fides by embracing green economic policies. Now they are both demanding a government overhaul of the economy in a fashion consistent with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s demands, and with a government control structure that Bernie, Marx, and Engels could all support.
Nowadays, the only conservatives I trust to advocate for the economic principles I believe in are social conservatives. As Ace has pointed out, social conservatives are used to being mocked and vilified by the Washington political/media establishment. In fact, social conservatives gain fortitude when pilloried by that establishment. And ultimately, the critical issues facing our country are hard to define as strictly “economic” or “social’. The populist coalition that elected Donald Trump wants US sovereignty with secure borders, economic freedom within our borders, inoculation from importing the world’s pathologies into our country, limited government that protects its citizens’ liberties, advocacy for Americans to enjoy opportunity and prosperity above the demands of non-citizens and foreigners, and civic pride and patriotism with a respect for western civilization. Are these economic or social issues? Whatever they are, FCSLs cannot be trusted to advocate for these goals if doing so displeases the sustainable organic leftists who throw great dinner parties in Georgetown. A vilified social conservative, on the other hand, will stay true to these principles and continue to advocate for them.

With the government and media ramping up for the return of Covid protocols in 2024 - to ensure ballot box chaos again, and to give Joe Biden cover not to campaign - it’s also worth a discussion if Conservative, Inc. thinks that Covid is just another icky social issue, rather than a kitchen table issue. Owners of “non-essential” businesses that were shut down by Covid commissars in 2020 can tell you that Covid sharia is absolutely a kitchen table issue.

Although I will gladly vote for Donald Trump if he wins the nomination, I currently support Ron DeSantis because of the way he has gone on the offense in the culture wars. He has fought to get the smut out of schools, he has battled ESG in colleges, he punched Mickey Mouse in the pocketbook, he stridently defied Fauci, and he has used his authority to remove pro-crime Soros prosecutors from office.

As a result, Conservative, Inc. is desperately trying to steer DeSantis away from the culture wars and back to their agenda of corporate subservience and phony budget hawk platitudes.

There is plenty of room for differences among conservative politicians on the details of some cultural issues, but there is no room in the tent right now for those who simply choose to abstain from the fight. Abstaining from the culture wars is surrender.

This tweet below from the DeSantis War Room about “a balanced budget Amendment to the US Constitution” bothered me more than maybe it should have, but it gave me flashbacks to all the fraudulent campaigns run by GOP consultants from the Reagan era up into the 21st Century.

“We will STOP the Congress from borrowing and spending this country into oblivion. We need a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution…”@RonDeSantis will require ALL agencies “to reduce their D.C. footprint by at least 50%.” pic.twitter.com/UGPRTpLPxM
— DeSantis War Room �� (@DeSantisWarRoom) July 29, 2023

The Balanced Budget Amendment was always just a piece of faux-Budget Hawk campaign fraud designed to fool the rubes about a candidate’s commitment to fiscal discipline. It was generally part of a “21-Point” plan that was immediately discarded and forgotten in the off chance that a Republican campaigning on it actually won.

But even worse is that the whole concept of the Amendment is it’s a final capitulation to the judiciary, handing taxing authority over to unelected judges. If somehow a Balanced Budget Amendment did become the law of the land, Congress would still not have the discipline to cut spending, so if there were a budget deficit, the courts would be empowered to raise taxes so as to comply with the Constitution.

But beyond the political argument, it is distressing to hear such awful economic “consultant-speak” from a candidate with an amazing record of actual victories in the culture wars.

Be it Trump or DeSantis who gets the nomination, please promise me you’ll fight the culture wars and I’ll trust that you’ll also do the right things regarding taxes and economic policy. But please do not fall for the trap of “pivoting to the economy” at the expense of the culture war. The economy is part of the culture war. It’s all part of the culture war.

[buck.throckmorton at protonmail dot com]

Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at 11:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 It can be lunch time

Posted by: Skip at August 11, 2023 11:00 AM (FJUxs)

2 hiya

Posted by: JT at August 11, 2023 11:02 AM (T4tVD)

3 Kitchen Tables are a holdover from patriarchal colonialism. It's better if you eat in the public square with everyone else from the village, sitting in a circle in the dirt.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:02 AM (9UlRk)

4

Kitchen table? Like where you bang gay midget furries?

Posted by: Your Globopedo Betters at August 11, 2023 11:03 AM (yz2sc)

5 FIRST!!!!!

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:03 AM (Zz0t1)

6 Of course it is.

On the other hand, I read the tag end of the ONT when I got up this morning and saw people defending death on demand as a female issue that was all they cared about.

It was pretty darn depressing. I don't argue with the reasoning, I just think a 'Poverty of the Soul' is too mild a way to put it.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:03 AM (zZu0s)

7 But I thought the kitchen table was where you were supposed to berate your family and friends that supported Trump and ruin every meal for everyone?

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:04 AM (Zz0t1)

8 There should be a hyphen between “kitchen” and “table:”

“kitchen-table issue”

Omission of hyphens is one of my pet peeves.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:04 AM (xTRSc)

9 Before the GOPe surrendered on "cultural issues"

1) No one, not even gay activists wanted gay marriage
2) Trannies were considered mentally ill perverts
3) No one thought the government had a right to inject people with experimental gene therapies
4) It wasn't acceptable to hate people in public for being white, Christian, or straight

Now I guess the GOPe argument is not of those things matter because of economic issues. Well

1) Inflation is the highest in 40 years
2) Spending is the highest ever
3) The debt is the highest ever
4) The deficit is the highest ever

So this surrender has failed completely. Normally that means you CHANGE YOUR STRATEGY

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (lc5cP)

10 I always scored "social issues" as more based around cultural/morality argument. Abortion being a great example.

I never considered the 2nd Amendment a "social issue", or ESG polices.

I applaud that Trump seems to be moving more into a pro-choice (the states have decided, let's move on) position as I think that is what is destroying conservatives chances.

My issue with Trump is he talks a great game, but that's as far as things go. He doesnt really move the ball down the field.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (cOFom)

11 So this surrender has failed completely. Normally that means you CHANGE YOUR STRATEGY
Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (lc5cP)

Unless you are accomplishing your goals.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (zZu0s)

12 You either win the culture war or you lose all the other wars.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo, food, water at August 11, 2023 11:06 AM (xcxpd)

13 The social conservatives were right, I was wrong, and I subsequently became a culture warrior too.

------------

* ShainS has literally entered the chat *

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:06 AM (6VKyY)

14 You're not authentic unless you prepare your meals in the bathroom and eat them in the garage while your EV is outside charging and maybe or maybe not being consumed by a raging conflagration of burning rare earth elements.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:06 AM (9UlRk)

15
“kitchen-table issue”

Omission of hyphens is one of my pet peeves.
Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:04 AM (xTRSc)

Grammar Nazi.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:06 AM (Zz0t1)

16 Have a GREAT Weekend everyone !

Posted by: JT at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (T4tVD)

17 Conservatives should stay out of private issues.

But, sorry, those don't exist anymore.

Thanks, dems.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (KbCG3)

18 Any tyranny, any degradation, any evil is tolerable as long as women can kill their babies on demand and never have to suffer the consequences of their actions?

Fucking hell.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (zZu0s)

19 "This tweet below from the DeSantis War Room about “a balanced budget Amendment to the US Constitution” bothered me more than maybe it should have, but it gave me flashbacks to all the fraudulent campaigns run by GOP consultants from the Reagan era up into the 21st Century."

Well it certainly should have bothered you, seeing as how we passed the numerical tipping point in the early 90's.

There is a snowball's chance in hell of avoiding a default. No fucking way. This has been boilerplate GOPe unicorn farts for a generation or two; Reagan being one of the last people (via his advisors/cabinet members) who actually took real - and painful - action on the fiscal mess.

The Dems are plenty capable of teeing us up for a collapse and conveniently letting the GOP be at the helm when it happens, and the GOP is willing and able to be the bagmen. Especially if they can sell GOP legislation/policy as the proximate cause.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (oL+dz)

20 I'm actually finding it quite difficult to not drink a beer right now.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (Zz0t1)

21 Of course, of course...

FDA Drops Ivermectin Bombshell
“FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID,” Ashley Cheung Honold, a Department of Justice lawyer representing the FDA, said during oral arguments on Aug. 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Posted by: andycanuck (krqg6) at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (krqg6)

22 15 Grammar Nazi

Yep, guilty as charged.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:08 AM (xTRSc)

23 Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (lc5cP)

Good summary. Thanks

Posted by: 7man at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (qwO6y)

24
FDA Drops Ivermectin Bombshell
“FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID,” Ashley Cheung Honold, a Department of Justice lawyer representing the FDA, said during oral arguments on Aug. 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
Posted by: andycanuck (krqg6) at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (krqg6)

Yet they BANNED IT from being prescribed because "OFF LABEL IS EVIL!!!!!"

F*ck these people in their SOUL.......

Everyone that lost someone to covid should IMMEDIATELY sue like the wind.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (Zz0t1)

25 It is not so much that these people consider it an important issue, but that invalidates EVERY other consideration that makes this depressing.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (zZu0s)

26 21 Of course, of course...

FDA Drops Ivermectin Bombshell
“FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID,” Ashley Cheung Honold, a Department of Justice lawyer representing the FDA, said during oral arguments on Aug. 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Posted by: andycanuck (krqg6) at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (krqg6)

They have the authority, they just don't have the autonomy.

And that's really the most important part of the situation.

Anybody can have the authority.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (KbCG3)

27 It's hard to change strategies after you've already surrendered.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (9UlRk)

28 But the Rear Admiral insists ignoring culture is the correct lube to insert.

Posted by: henry at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (JMDly)

29
Yep, guilty as charged.
Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:08 AM (xTRSc)

I'm more of a grammar fascist.....ask my daughter.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (Zz0t1)

30 The social conservatives were right, I was wrong, and I subsequently became a culture warrior too.

+++

To be fair, social conservatives were debating some pretty "stupid" things a few decades ago.

Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc.

I consider myself personally a traditionalist, but many Republicans started sounding like the preacher in Foot Loose.

I do think Trump strikes a good balance between being right on the cultural issues and not coming off like a holy roller, but he has so many other issues that keep him from being effective.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (cOFom)

31 And from an "appeal to voters argument" perspective consider what the GOPe is trying to sell here;

We will let the left groom your kids and try to talk them into sterilizing themselves, flood your neighborhood with illegals, allow you to be fired at work if you don't say EXACTLY what we want you to say all the time, raise inflation, and start WWIII BUT...we'll lower taxes on corporations which will in part filter down to you.

I mean it might even be enough money to almost offset the inflation!

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (lc5cP)

32 The Balanced Budget Amendment was always just a piece of faux-Budget Hawk campaign fraud designed to fool the rubes about a candidate’s commitment to fiscal discipline. It was generally part of a “21-Point” plan that was immediately discarded and forgotten in the off chance that a Republican campaigning on it actually won.

=========

If there were ever a constitutional convention, I wonder how quickly the BBA would die.

First week? First day? First hour?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (LvTSG)

33 Spending, environmentalism as religion, criminal justice, the rule of law...these are all MORAL issues. An immoral society will not act morally.

You either create incentives to act socially conservative or you lose any foundation to fight the madness of the Progressives.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo, food, water at August 11, 2023 11:11 AM (xcxpd)

34 =========

If there were ever a constitutional convention, I wonder how quickly the BBA would die.

First week? First day? First hour?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (LvTSG)

"PULL!!" *BLAM*

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:11 AM (Zz0t1)

35 To be fair, social conservatives were debating some pretty "stupid" things a few decades ago.

Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc.

I consider myself personally a traditionalist, but many Republicans started sounding like the preacher in Foot Loose.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (cOFom)

The challenge is what's right versus what's realistic.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:11 AM (KbCG3)

36
I consider myself personally a traditionalist, but many Republicans started sounding like the preacher in Foot Loose.

We'd be objectively freer now if we replaced every single elected official with a clone of that guy, caricature that he was.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:12 AM (lc5cP)

37 The challenge is what's right versus what's realistic.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:11 AM (KbCG3)

I guess the abolitionists should have just gotten with the program. What did they really accomplish? Look at all the voters they drove off!

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:12 AM (zZu0s)

38 Only 'White People' Ever Enslaved Others, Says Black Professor

-
Didja wonder what the beautiful and charming Pofessor Brittney Cooper looked like?

https://tinyurl.com/3yz2b4xc

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (FVME7)

39 All of you homonyms!!! Into zee train!!!

Posted by: Grammar Nazi at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (krqg6)

40 culture is overrated

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (us2H3)

41 The enemy is Marxism, and the cultural front is where the Marxists are making the most progress.
---------------
This statement annoys me. Its not Marxism its Endless Struggle Sessions aimed at Guilt People. Marxism is pastiche of already litigated good sounding things stitched together to form an opus of laziness and extreme self virtue. Struggle Sessions were perfected by the Crazy Quakers who were not happy with what Jesus said and did but rather What Would Jesus Do Now. It is an attack on decency and happiness. Commies, particularly Mao, honed the Struggle Session to create robots. It works. When combined with Nihilism it is lethal. The tell is they always aim at real morality and change the definition to identity - be it economic, sex, sexual persuasion and race. It is a tiresome load of croaking frongs whining about the lack of flies.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (FndDK)

42 For me, the wake-up call was being convinced some years ago by Dennis Prager that human beings are not inherently good -- and hence the need for a moral code a la The Ten Commandments (and others that must be actively taught and actively practiced, from one generation to the next).

And this is wisdom that has been lost with the assault on, and decline, of Judeo-Christian values & ethics in The West.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (6VKyY)

43 I guess the abolitionists should have just gotten with the program. What did they really accomplish? Look at all the voters they drove off!
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:12 AM (zZu0s)

That was all a devious plot by Big Quaker to sell more oats in the maritime province and murder southerners for sport. Or something

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (9UlRk)

44 -
Didja wonder what the beautiful and charming Pofessor Brittney Cooper looked like?

https://tinyurl.com/3yz2b4xc
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (FVME7)

When you have a bucket of KFC tattooed on your ass.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (Zz0t1)

45 The Balanced Budget Amendment was always just a piece of faux-Budget Hawk campaign fraud designed to fool the rubes about a candidate’s commitment to fiscal discipline. It was generally part of a “21-Point” plan that was immediately discarded and forgotten in the off chance that a Republican campaigning on it actually won.

+++

The Overton window needs to be moved on this type of thinking.

Somehow, states have to balance their budgets, and it works fine.

The Feds take a third to one half of our income, and still run multi trillion dollar deficits.

Conservatives do need to get back to small government spending issues, Trump threw all of this out the window.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (cOFom)

46 Only 'White People' Ever Enslaved Others, Says Black Professor

If you were to take a highly educated person from say 100 years one of the things they'd be shocked about is just how ignorant our modern elites are.

You have access to all the world's history on a device you carry with you, you are particularly focused on slavery and yet...you don't know a damn thing about slavery?

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:15 AM (lc5cP)

47 As a fairly well reader of Karl Marx and his war against family values I am agreement culture war is the front line. The Cultural Marxists are out to destroy families and when they turn kids into Trannies they will win inside that person's family.

Posted by: Skip at August 11, 2023 11:15 AM (FJUxs)

48 When you have a bucket of KFC tattooed on your ass.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (Zz0t1)
---
I think she has room to tattoo the whole store on there...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 11, 2023 11:16 AM (YIVH2)

49 Only 'White People' Ever Enslaved Others, Says Black Professor

Whites were enslaved LONG before blacks, fat.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:16 AM (Zz0t1)

50 ---
I think she has room to tattoo the whole store on there...
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 11, 2023 11:16 AM (YIVH2)

Her blood type is barbeque sauce.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:16 AM (Zz0t1)

51 Hear, hear! Great, great article. I wholeheartedly agree.

Posted by: Happy at August 11, 2023 11:17 AM (IgR6I)

52 37 The challenge is what's right versus what's realistic.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:11 AM (KbCG3)

I guess the abolitionists should have just gotten with the program. What did they really accomplish? Look at all the voters they drove off!
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:12 AM (zZu0s)

More along the lines of the examples that were given in the original post. Conservatives coming across as anti-sex scolds.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:17 AM (KbCG3)

53 I blame the Quakers for Babe: Pig in the City

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:17 AM (xTRSc)

54 45 The Overton window needs to be moved on this type of thinking.

Somehow, states have to balance their budgets, and it works fine.

The Feds take a third to one half of our income, and still run multi trillion dollar deficits.

Conservatives do need to get back to small government spending issues, Trump threw all of this out the window.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (cOFom)

========

The driver of our debt is entitlements. The only thing that's going to significantly move the Overton Window on reigning in government spending to actually make a difference is a collapse.

The time to prevent it was the 60s before LBJ signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (LvTSG)

55 Her blood type is barbeque sauce.

lol

Posted by: Notorious BFD at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (Xrfse)

56 Biden's Regret About the Inflation Reduction Act: 'I Wish I Hadn't Called It That'

-
Well, the Graft Gravy Train Act would have been more accurate.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (FVME7)

57 My issue with Trump is he talks a great game, but that's as far as things go. He doesnt really move the ball down the field.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (cOFom)

Another pro-abortion concern troll pipes up. Roe vs Wade would not have been overturned without the judges appointed by DJT.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (qON3L)

58 CINO's (conservative in name only) don't want to fight any "war." Be it culture, social, actual, whatever. They make up the entirety of the Republican party. They're adverse to any and all confrontations.

Unless it's with Trump, or their own base. Those two can fuck right off.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (Q4IgG)

59 56 Biden's Regret About the Inflation Reduction Act: 'I Wish I Hadn't Called It That'

-
Well, the Graft Gravy Train Act would have been more accurate.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (FVME7)

=======

DU assured me that it worked great, and it would have worked greater if there hadn't been anti-green energy sops to Republicans put into it.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (LvTSG)

60 Really good post. Great to see this topic discussed in a non-emotive way.

I am one who thinks the word "conservative" is a logic trap. It's over-defined for a reason.

Personally, I am economically where the majority of the country is: which in the Left/Right concept is center left.

Culturally, I am a hard right Christian. Most ppl in the US are social rightists. But I am beyond them.

While I think gains can be made socially via direct action on issues, I don't think the ROI is there at all.

And, I think the ROI of action on the economic front is huge. In the sense that absent reform of who controls the economy and what the economy is meant to do, any success culturally is temporary.

Until and unless we change the US from a FIRE economy and strip the power to direct resources from Finance, the overall trends will continue. Because the current year is what Finance wants.

I like industrialism because machines are cool and because large scale industrial development is the most conducive to wealth equality. Assuming Finance is restrained from extracting the profits.

Employees struggling to survive cannot oppose the socially degenerate policies of Finance.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 11:19 AM (xk1jI)

61 43 I guess the abolitionists should have just gotten with the program. What did they really accomplish? Look at all the voters they drove off!
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:12 AM (zZu0s)
---------------
Moar Crazy Quakers. Yeah, their passive aggression got 21% of America murdered in five years. Good Job. It also was used to disguise the enslavement of the entire South for economic control of the continental US and Manifest Destiny. Oddly, Jesus never addressed slavery cuz he knew it will always be with man.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:19 AM (FndDK)

62 The driver of our debt is entitlements. The only thing that's going to significantly move the Overton Window on reigning in government spending to actually make a difference is a collapse.

The time to prevent it was the 60s before LBJ signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
+++

That's not a strategy at all, wait until everything collapses because our side is too cowardly to reign some of this in? Trump alone could have vetoed a few of those Covid bills that bailed out every corporation in the US.

Also, its a pipe dream that an economic collapse means we get some sort of pre-New Deal type economy.

Show me any example in history where this happens. A collapse will likely mean an even more authoritarian socialism in America.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (cOFom)

63 61 Moar Crazy Quakers. Yeah, their passive aggression got 21% of America murdered in five years. Good Job. It also was used to disguise the enslavement of the entire South for economic control of the continental US and Manifest Destiny. Oddly, Jesus never addressed slavery cuz he knew it will always be with man.
Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:19 AM (FndDK)

========

I know we're not supposed to do math here...

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (LvTSG)

64 As to DeSantis cutting the federal government which I certainly agree with.

I am so old I remember President Trump's first budget he sent down to Traitor Paul Ryno's HOR that slashed the federal budget and the HOR GOP leader saying that was DEAD ON ARRIVAL. Then Traitor Ryno went on to hugely increase the federal budget over what the federal government was asking for.

DeSantis has had a friendly GOP and done great work but the federal GOP will be 95% against what he wants to do.... just like what happened to Trump.

Prove me wrong, I would love that but nobody can.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (17s+e)

65 Conservatives should stay out of private issues.

But, sorry, those don't exist anymore.

Thanks, dems.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (KbCG3)

Exactly, it used to be that polite people didn't discuss politics or religion at social events. Instead they talked about health and the weather if they couldn't come up with anything better. Now progressives have made weather into a religion and, after obamacare, medical issues are political. For that matter, after covid they're pretty much a religion as well.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (nC+QA)

66 Thank you, Buck for this very balanced description of DeSantis.

He has taken several culturally conservative stands at great political cost.
He is also facing the decision of whether to collude with Conservatism, Inc. (and against us). I hope he chooses wisely.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (vNbzm)

67 Didja wonder what the beautiful and charming Pofessor Brittney Cooper looked like?

https://tinyurl.com/3yz2b4xc
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (FVME7)

Stunningly beautiful, just like Lizzo.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (qON3L)

68 53 I blame the Quakers for Babe: Pig in the City
------------------
Jeebus, that is one scary movie.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (FndDK)

69 I applaud that Trump seems to be moving more into a pro-choice (the states have decided, let's move on) position as I think that is what is destroying conservatives chances.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (cOFom)
==
He had that position in 2016. Nothing new. And he put judges in place to back it up.

What he - and other GOP types - miss, is that the amount of money going into these states on a one by one basis to tip the scales for abortion is pretty impressive. And they will work any scheme to put it in. If your state has an easily amendable constitution or ballot initiative process, beware. The big social liberals who understand marxism's march requires the spilling of children's blood and their innocence if they avoid being killed in the womb, are still coming for you. Because retreat means more than defeat - it means their destruction. If you vote democrat, you are for the death of our children - no other way to read it. You are slime.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:22 AM (UVyKP)

70 Breitbart was 100% right about this although I didn't understand it at the time he said it. Politics is downstream of culture.

Posted by: Oddbob at August 11, 2023 11:22 AM (COBwF)

71 "24
FDA Drops Ivermectin Bombshell
“FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID,” Ashley Cheung Honold, a Department of Justice lawyer representing the FDA, said during oral arguments on Aug. 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
Posted by: andycanuck (krqg6) at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (krqg6)

Yet they BANNED IT from being prescribed because "OFF LABEL IS EVIL!!!!!"

F*ck these people in their SOUL.......

Everyone that lost someone to covid should IMMEDIATELY sue like the wind.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (Zz0t1)"

Convenient reminder: the DARPA grant proposal from EcoHealth from 2015/2016 - the one outlining the research they ultimately got funding for from NIH, conducted in Wuhan, to engineer the virus - argued that the GoF risks were mitigated because several known cures existed, and listed them. Every one of them except remdesivir was blacklisted by CDC/FDA as "quackery".

They KNEW. 100%

Contrast also the Australian and Japanese experience in prescribing Ivermectin en-masse, and it's wild success.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (oL+dz)

72 Conservatives do need to get back to small government spending issues, Trump threw all of this out the window.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (cOFom)

Not Trump. W. And before that, Reagan.

W wanted to prosecute the War On Terror. Congress didn't necessarily want that - at least without getting something in return. W made a deal: you get your spending, and I get my war authorization. It got even worse with the 2008 Financial Crisis. TARP gave government a blank check to raise and spend hundreds of billions of dollars. That was so egregious that the TEA Party was formed - which the GOP destroyed, btw.

Before that, St. Ronaldus Magnus blew up the deficit with huge government spending. Yes, the economy grew, but the deficit didn't go away until Newt/Clinton - and only for a nanosecond.

So, no. Conservatives have not acted like small government folks for my entire 29 years of life.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (/iWhV)

73 I sent a link to this EU speech by James Lindsay (@ConceptualJames on X) to JackStraw about a month ago and he was impressed enough with it to link it in the comments several times. It is brilliant and explains exactly what we are up against and what can be done. If you have not seen it yet, it is well worth your time.

https://tinyurl.com/yxvns433

Posted by: IrishEi at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (3ImbR)

74 62 That's not a strategy at all, wait until everything collapses because our side is too cowardly to reign some of this in? Trump alone could have vetoed a few of those Covid bills that bailed out every corporation in the US.

Also, its a pipe dream that an economic collapse means we get some sort of pre-New Deal type economy.

Show me any example in history where this happens. A collapse will likely mean an even more authoritarian socialism in America.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (cOFom)

========

I'm not saying it's guaranteed, just that the drivers of our debt are Medicare and Medicaid. Where's the political constituency demanding that we cut those to the bone? How would a Republican office holder fare in a Republican primary who ran on that?

It's not a problem limited to Donald Trump. Trump did run on shoring up entitlements, and he won the Republican primary with that as part of his message.

I'd cut entitlements to 0 for everyone for every reason, but I'm a kook.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (LvTSG)

75 Exactly, it used to be that polite people didn't discuss politics or religion at social events. Instead they talked about health and the weather if they couldn't come up with anything better. Now progressives have made weather into a religion and, after obamacare, medical issues are political. For that matter, after covid they're pretty much a religion as well.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (nC+QA)

The use of public schools as prog factories launched this war.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (KbCG3)

76 30
' not coming off like a holy roller'

You would be a holy roller in the eyes of leftists.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (vNbzm)

77
Stunningly beautiful, just like Lizzo.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (qON3L)

Lizzo isn't beautiful on the outside and turns out isn't beautiful on the inside, either.

She's a bulbous, round mound of shit.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (Zz0t1)

78 Any tyranny, any degradation, any evil is tolerable as long as women can kill their babies on demand and never have to suffer the consequences of their actions?

Fucking hell.
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (zZu0s)

Oddly enough, that's *at least* as big a benefit for guys of bad character as it is for women.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (nC+QA)

79 The driver of our debt is entitlements. The only thing that's going to significantly move the Overton Window on reigning in government spending to actually make a difference is a collapse.

The time to prevent it was the 60s before LBJ signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:18 AM (LvTSG)

Have you seen what we admit to spending on our Mil? Imagine what the number actually is.

Entitlements are meant to be a fraction of industrial growth. We've decided industrial growth is bad. So yeah, entitlements are a problem.

We hate wages and babies. And one can't have entitlements in that culture.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (xk1jI)

80 Another pro-abortion concern troll pipes up. Roe vs Wade would not have been overturned without the judges appointed by DJT.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon
+++

Trump himself said he's pro-choice, repeatedly in his own book. He's even saying now he wants our side to drop the issue.

He said in his 2016 election, he didnt want the abortion laws to be changed at all.

Trump never wanted Roe vs Wade overturned, it just came with the package of appointing conservative justices.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (cOFom)

81 35 To be fair, social conservatives were debating some pretty "stupid" things a few decades ago.

Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc.

---

There were right about all of those things, just like they were right about the inevitable consequences of normalizing sodomy. It's been a complete disaster for society. The thing is, though, they're merely the symptoms of the moral rot, and while they do act as an accelerant and contribute to the positive feedback loop of our ongoing collapse, they're not the root cause and so banning them in and of itself is not a solution.

Posted by: BunnyFooFoo at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (0Uf+z)

82 75 Exactly, it used to be that polite people didn't discuss politics or religion at social events. Instead they talked about health and the weather if they couldn't come up with anything better. Now progressives have made weather into a religion and, after obamacare, medical issues are political. For that matter, after covid they're pretty much a religion as well.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (nC+QA)

The use of public schools as prog factories launched this war.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (KbCG3)

What I should say is, it ensured that there would BE a culture war.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (KbCG3)

83 Righteous culture is a product of the ability to self-regulate, which is only possible by subjugating one's self to a maius bonum.

The insidiousness of leftism and its religious step-children (wokism, climatism and scientism) is that it proposes a substitute for "good".

The Lord came incarnate to the earth, and confirmed to His creations what is "good", which is only the Lord God in heaven and that the tenets of the Lord are perfect and that those that follow them show themselves to love God with their heart.

Contrary to our concepts of individual liberty, which we hold dear, the kingdom of heaven is not a representative republic, it is a benevolent patriarchy. The American system is actually antithetical to a system of willing, appreciative subjugation, so there is little mystery to the reality that a culture informed by it has produced a population that abuses its freedom with excess and depravity.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (qWW+5)

84 Conservatives should stay out of private issues.

But, sorry, those don't exist anymore.

Thanks, dems.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (KbCG3)

------------

Excellent point; the "unintended consequences" of literally politicizing everything.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (6VKyY)

85 Oddly, Jesus never addressed slavery cuz he knew it will always be with man.
Posted by: Puddinhead at

I think said that they should be treated fairly.

Posted by: Braenyard at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (lCWOD)

86 DeSantis has had a friendly GOP and done great work but the federal GOP will be 95% against what he wants to do.... just like what happened to Trump.
-----------------
Can you impeach a president that doesn't spend the entire budget? Cereal question.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (FndDK)

87 Culture is a “kitchen table” issue.

Is the government’s effort to ban your gas-powered car not worthy of a discussion at the kitchen table? Or what about soaring utility bills because elected officials are replacing inexpensive (and reliable) carbon energy with very expensive (and unreliable) “green” energy?

What about your neighbor Nancy wanting to wave his dick at your kids? Not a kitchen table issue?

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:25 AM (nW4TA)

88 Generally was in your pew Buck re: culture wars etc.
As have you , did a 180. There's nothing 'Democrat' or ' democratic' about anything the Left is pushing now in the culture .
The churches Should be pushing back but all too often the churches are Leading the cultural suicide ( eg BLM).

Posted by: Beyond Norman Parameters at August 11, 2023 11:25 AM (nFXNS)

89 86 DeSantis has had a friendly GOP and done great work but the federal GOP will be 95% against what he wants to do.... just like what happened to Trump.
-----------------
Can you impeach a president that doesn't spend the entire budget? Cereal question.
Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (FndDK)

=======

Impeachment is a political act. Congress can come up with any reason it wants, and no one will step in to stop them. So, yes, if Congress wants.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:25 AM (LvTSG)

90 In the Washington Post today, Polish President Duda decides to channel Miss Lindsey:

It is very simple.

Right now, Russian imperialism can be stopped cheaply, because American soldiers are not dying.

Cheap!

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:26 AM (2tUFv)

91 So, no. Conservatives have not acted like small government folks for my entire 29 years of life.

It was St. Ronald who granted immunity to Big Pharma wrt vaccine lawsuits.

Also, let's not forget that it was Richard Nixon who gave us the EPA.

so the GOPe record has not exactly been stellar when it comes to conservative issues. Judging from what I've read, it seems Barry Goldwater is the only one who would have governed as a TrueCon.

Posted by: kallisto at August 11, 2023 11:26 AM (dCxaZ)

92 I'm beginning to think that coming down out of the trees was a bad move destined to end in tears.

Posted by: Just Lily at August 11, 2023 11:26 AM (RLLZj)

93 F*ck these people in their SOUL.......

Everyone that lost someone to covid should IMMEDIATELY sue like the wind.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:09 AM (Zz0t1)

And I'd understand completely if they did something more kinetic. Ten of thousands of people, in this country alone, were *murdered* by petty bureaucrats.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (nC+QA)

94 Given the rampant degeneracy and outright abuse of human sexuality in modern culture, quite frankly the world needs a crapload more "anti-sex scolds" if only to counter the sex-obsessed weaponized promiscuity the left uses as a recruiting tool.

Posted by: leoncaruthers at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (UfRqq)

95 85 Oddly, Jesus never addressed slavery cuz he knew it will always be with man.
Posted by: Puddinhead at

I think said that they should be treated fairly.
--------------------
Yes. That is morality not economics/warfare. Morality is invested within the individual regardless of economic title or combat. This is true of the Master and the Slave. Your soul is yours.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (FndDK)

96 Not a kitchen table issue?
Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:25 AM (nW4TA)

That's either a bedroom window issue or an upstairs gun locker issue....

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (9UlRk)

97 "The driver of our debt is entitlements. The only thing that's going to significantly move the Overton Window on reigning in government spending to actually make a difference is a collapse.

The time to prevent it was the 60s before LBJ signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison"

It's not entitlements. It's finance bullshit and currency debasement - which was used to fund entitlements to buy votes and build fiefdoms and create .gov cashflow to skim off of.

Prior to the debasement, LBJ's shit would have collapsed under its own weight. After, the damage was done past a certain point. Eliminating entitlements doesn't make the interest on the debt affordable.

This is why fiscal collapse is unavoidable - it's been a giant ponzi from the start, and after Nixon there was a SMALL window within which it could be saved. Once. Reagan's people tried and later administrations pissed it right away.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (oL+dz)

98 61 So, you’re saying we should not have ended slavery in the US because “it will always be with us?”

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (xTRSc)

99 Breitbart didn't have the info to realize that elections were fixed by both sides.

If he did, he'd have realized that politics is upstream of culture.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (xk1jI)

100 I'm not saying it's guaranteed, just that the drivers of our debt are Medicare and Medicaid. Where's the political constituency demanding that we cut those to the bone? How would a Republican office holder fare in a Republican primary who ran on that?

It's not a problem limited to Donald Trump. Trump did run on shoring up entitlements, and he won the Republican primary with that as part of his message.

I'd cut entitlements to 0 for everyone for every reason, but I'm a kook.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

+++

Its not "just" these things that are creating this debt. How about our bloated military?

Not that I support this, but somehow every European country has even more generous social safety nets when it comes to healthcare, yet have nowhere near our debt levels.

Every developed country has some form of Medicaire and they work fine.

Nobody is advocating getting rid of it, but it needs reform. Our "corporatism" with respect to health care policy needs to change. Its basically just a slush fund for Big Pharma.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (cOFom)

101 I don't disagree. Except some of the issues mentioned I don't see as "culture war" disputes. I think those are all worth fighting. But as for pure "culture war" issues, I would pick and choose my fights.

Radical indoctrination (of any kind but especially perversion) in schools? Fuck you, war.

Woke bullshit in entertainment? Meh, if a company wants to piss off half its audience, that's on them. I will just spend my money elsewhere.

Drag shows for kids? If it's compelled by schools or government, then FYW. But if fucked up parents are voluntarily taking their kids to see this perversion? Meh, that's on them. I can only hope the kids grow up and take vengeance on the parents.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (iFTx/)

102 86 DeSantis has had a friendly GOP and done great work but the federal GOP will be 95% against what he wants to do.... just like what happened to Trump.
-----------------
Can you impeach a president that doesn't spend the entire budget? Cereal question.
Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:24 AM (FndDK)

=======

Impeachment is a political act. Congress can come up with any reason it wants, and no one will step in to stop them. So, yes, if Congress wants.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:25 AM (LvTSG)
==

Beat me to that Mr. Madison.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (17s+e)

103 The culture war is important because Western Civilization was founded on Christianity. Period. The idea of ordered liberty and individual freedom can only arise out of Christian theology*.

The Progressive notion of unbridled "freedom" (license, really) is destructive of civilization. The whole point of the "freedom" movement of the 60s was to eliminate the moral boundaries on freedom - which makes it just hedonism, in the end. Of course, once they removed the Christian moral boundaries, they imposed their own - like having no right to criticize their hedonism.

None of the monetary freedoms or political freedoms can stand if Progressivism gets its way. Their way requires Big Gov't and unlimited spending. (When something runs up against reality, you can really only appear to "solve" it if you can paper it over with regulations or currency. Witness "hate" crimes and the "war on homelessness.")

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (XfCzJ)

104 Exactly, it used to be that polite people didn't discuss politics or religion at social events. Instead they talked about health and the weather if they couldn't come up with anything better. Now progressives have made weather into a religion and, after obamacare, medical issues are political. For that matter, after covid they're pretty much a religion as well.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (nC+QA)

----------

Additional excellent examples of how The Left has politicized literally everything ... and don't even get me started on sports.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (6VKyY)

105 18 Any tyranny, any degradation, any evil is tolerable as long as women can kill their babies on demand and never have to suffer the consequences of their actions?

Fucking hell.
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at August 11, 2023 11:07 AM (zZu0s)

Don't forget the part about making other people pay for it.

Posted by: XTC at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (UnA8+)

106 What about your neighbor Nancy wanting to wave his dick at your kids? Not a kitchen table issue?

Or having your kids massively discriminated against in employment for the rest of their lives, since they need to pay for the last 500 years of oppression?

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (2tUFv)

107 So is it screen-shotting or screen-shooting?

Posted by: The Grammar Police at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (qfLjt)

108 Great post Buck. Hit a lot of great notes.

It pays to note slash remember that Republicans have had a long and storied history of latching on to cultural issues as red meat to the base while eventually revealing themselves as run of the mill liberal GOP with no actual moral center.

The GOP *knows* everything we want to see and hear. That's the thing that truly frustrates me, as I watch these grifters continue to put the bag on our head and ziptie us into a kinder, gentler communism.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (QSXi6)

109 Impeachment is a political act. Congress can come up with any reason it wants, and no one will step in to stop them. So, yes, if Congress wants.
----------------
It would be interesting to test this. Say, don't spend half of the Department of Education or Department of Energy budgets and see what happens. That would be fun.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (FndDK)

110 "35 To be fair, social conservatives were debating some pretty "stupid" things a few decades ago.

Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc."

And almost all of those doing it were hucksters on some scale or other, pandering to rubes. There was a market for it, so they sold a product, and in many cases even took money from the progs because the progs saw value in having a straw man to run against.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (oL+dz)

111 Just for information purposes
I pass lots of Friends Schools, the Quakers private schools. Almost if not everyone of them have signs, banners or the like bowing down to Cultural Marxists be in BLM, Cultural Marxists flags or signs spelled it out.
Sad reality to me, see other churches doing the same.

Posted by: Skip at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (FJUxs)

112 The culture is how the Left advances their political agenda. Any "conservative" who doesn't know this is ignorant. Any "conservative" who doesn't push back is a fool. And any "conservative" who holds back those who choose to do battle is aiding the enemy.

Posted by: McLurkerson at August 11, 2023 11:30 AM (wNDOJ)

113 So is it screen-shotting or screen-shooting?

Posted by: The Grammar Police at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (qfLjt)

Taking a screen-shot.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 11:30 AM (Zz0t1)

114 Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc.

I consider myself personally a traditionalist, but many Republicans started sounding like the preacher in Foot Loose.

I do think Trump strikes a good balance between being right on the cultural issues and not coming off like a holy roller, but he has so many other issues that keep him from being effective.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (cOFom)
==
And yet even on these issues for which you feel they were prudes; they have already been proven right on three of your list.

Don't get me wrong, there is a middle ground on much of this, and we all know sex happened before marriage forever, but it was... ahem... discouraged. Porn, yeah we are discovering just how dangerous it is, and it is; and gambling at the scale we are doing it now is just starting to show its associated pathologies. For prudes, they bat for a pretty high average.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:30 AM (UVyKP)

115 Posted by: leoncaruthers at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (UfRqq)

100

I get the feeling that some of the fans of Sound of Freedom movie might not like the panel discussion that took place with the head of Angel Studios and leaders in the rehab/recovery/rescue of sex trafficked victims.

One of the remedies they offered to end sex trafficking of children and adult women was to stop watching porn. Their stats on the percentage of trafficked women who appear in porn vids are alarming.

Posted by: kallisto at August 11, 2023 11:31 AM (dCxaZ)

116 @64

>>Then Traitor Ryno went on to hugely increase the federal budget over what the federal government was asking for.

Also remember, Meatball Rob was a congressman during this time.

But yeah, Meatball is going to go to Washington and tell these humps what's what now.

It is to laugh.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at August 11, 2023 11:31 AM (HE2Ga)

117 Every developed country has some form of Medicaire and they work fine.

Weird - Britain is under the impression that the NHS is falling apart.

NHS crisis: Why is Britain's health service falling apart? | CNN

Try getting an MRI in Canada, or a knee operation.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (2tUFv)

118 4) It wasn't acceptable to hate people in public for being white, Christian, or straight

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (lc5cP)

Ironically, it was also not really acceptable to bash folks for being black or hispanic or some other religion. Those were considered to all be - at a minimum - things which are not appropriate to discuss. And you didn't talk openly about someone's sexuality, unless they were openly flaunting it.

Admittedly, some people did that. But that's why those people were not considered "polite company."

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (XfCzJ)

119 60
'Because the current year is what Finance wants.'

'Finance' is very vulnerable to: seizure of assets, seizure of DB Servers, arrest of financial leaders.

Practically no one would object if someone did these things right now, even for bogus reasons.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (vNbzm)

120 " Conservatives do need to get back to small government spending issues, Trump threw all of this out the window.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:14 AM (cOFom)"

Conservatives need to win or we're going to get fucking genocided.

Nobody is fixing this with some Newt Gingrich bullshit, no real offense meant to Newt in particular.

Win first, fix later. Yes, there is risk in that but all other paths go straight to losing, and you can't fix anything when you're dead. This is like someone getting mugged carrying on about how we need to focus on civil behavior. No, you need to shoot the mugger in the fucking face.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (oL+dz)

121 Its not "just" these things that are creating this debt. How about our bloated military?

Not that I support this, but somehow every European country has even more generous social safety nets when it comes to healthcare, yet have nowhere near our debt levels.

Because our military protects them.
Close ALL our overseas bases and bring everyone service person home. See how fast those Euro countries last.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:33 AM (nW4TA)

122 >>Then Traitor Ryno went on to hugely increase the federal budget over what the federal government was asking for.

Also remember, Meatball Rob was a congressman during this time.

But yeah, Meatball is going to go to Washington and tell these humps what's what now.

It is to laugh.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at August 11, 2023 11:31 AM (HE2Ga)
----
*Arms crossed, taps foot

I see nothing funny about this!

Posted by: Just Lily at August 11, 2023 11:33 AM (RLLZj)

123 Every developed country has some form of Medicaire and they work fine.

Nobody is advocating getting rid of it, but it needs reform. Our "corporatism" with respect to health care policy needs to change. Its basically just a slush fund for Big Pharma.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM

Not to pick nits, but before you say that other nations medicare program work fine you might want to check out the national health care system in Great Britain that is on the verge of collapse.

France and Germany are not too far behind the UK either.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at August 11, 2023 11:33 AM (QNSds)

124 Practically no one would object if someone did these things right now, even for bogus reasons.
Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (vNbzm)

True. It has to be done.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 11:33 AM (xk1jI)

125 My issue with Trump is he talks a great game, but that's as far as things go. He doesnt really move the ball down the field.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:05 AM (cOFom)

What do you consider moving the ball? He has redefined the Republican Party and empowered the base after the Tea Party iteration was put down and silenced by a targeted propaganda campaign slander and lies.

Once that deranged commie Loughner did his mass shooting, that was their opportunity and boy did they milk every drop of it. And it worked.

No one wanted to associate with the Tea Party. It became a curse word. They're trying it again with Trump and MAGA but Trump has for now kept our influence high regardless. No other Republican anywhere has that sort of power.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (QSXi6)

126 [snip]

I can only hope the kids grow up and take vengeance on the parents.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (iFTx/)

-----------

I'm predicting a crazy spike in future parricides by those recently and presently being mentally, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, socially, and physically sexualized -- if not sterilized and/or mutilated. #Soon.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (6VKyY)

127 Rick Santorum ain't walking through that door.

Posted by: XTC at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (UnA8+)

128 104
Additional excellent examples of how The Left has politicized literally everything ... and don't even get me started on sports.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (6VKyY)
----
Toilet paper type and usage, are these both politicized?

Posted by: Ciampino - 1-ply, 2-ply, 3-ply at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (qfLjt)

129 Bidenomics: Biden Reaffirms Plans to Make Oil and Gas More Expensive

-
Well, that's one promise he'll keep.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:35 AM (FVME7)

130 DeSantis has had a friendly GOP and done great work but the federal GOP will be 95% against what he wants to do.... just like what happened to Trump.

Prove me wrong, I would love that but nobody can.
Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at August 11, 2023 11:21 AM (17s+e)
==
It wasn't all that friendly when he got there. It was very GOPe like.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:35 AM (UVyKP)

131 ABC News: The Illinois State Supreme Court found a strict assault weapons ban passed after the Highland Park shooting to be constitutional in a ruling issued Friday.

The law at the center of the suit prohibits assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50-caliber rifles or .50-caliber cartridges -- the type of semi-automatic weapons used in many mass shootings around the country.

I didn't realize we had so many .50 cal mass shooters out there. They must be pretty beefy, and not recoil shy. Where's Kentucky Ballistics and Demolition Ranch guy?!?

Posted by: Intercepted DU Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 11, 2023 11:35 AM (JCZqz)

132 Great points. I wonder if environmentalism was the downfall of Boris Johnson. I don't know enough about British politics to say, but he seemed to really go off the rails with his embrace of regulations to try to stop climate change.

It always seems like Republicans who embrace environmentalism lose perspective and forget completely about protecting the economy.

Posted by: Dave at August 11, 2023 11:35 AM (nLwaa)

133 To be fair, social conservatives were debating some pretty "stupid" things a few decades ago.

Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (cOFom)

None of those were stupid things to fight on. The destruction of Christian norms and morals has always been the goal of Progressives. And that will destroy your civilization faster than any gov't spending spree.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:35 AM (XfCzJ)

134 One of the remedies they offered to end sex trafficking of children and adult women was to stop watching porn. Their stats on the percentage of trafficked women who appear in porn vids are alarming.
Posted by: kallisto

One remedy is catch & kill. Not catch & release.
You don't rehab slavers and you don't rehab pedos. And I'm sick and fucking tired of paying for their prison upkeep for 30 f'n years.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (nW4TA)

135 Just for information purposes
I pass lots of Friends Schools, the Quakers private schools. Almost if not everyone of them have signs, banners or the like bowing down to Cultural Marxists be in BLM, Cultural Marxists flags or signs spelled it out.
Sad reality to me, see other churches doing the same.
Posted by: Skip at August 11, 2023 11:29 AM (FJUxs)

Well, NGOs are a Quaker innovation....

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (xk1jI)

136 Not that I support this, but somehow every European country has even more generous social safety nets when it comes to healthcare, yet have nowhere near our debt levels.

Because our military protects them.
Close ALL our overseas bases and bring everyone service person home. See how fast those Euro countries last.
Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:33 AM (nW4TA)

Gotta admit that Ben Shapiro first planted that seed for me. Defining these Euro countries as capitalistic economies with generous welfare states thanks to their ability to enjoy national defense through American tax dollars.

Another thing Trump tried to address, to the benefit of the American taxpayer, and was roundly attacked for.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (KbCG3)

137 "
Woke bullshit in entertainment? Meh, if a company wants to piss off half its audience, that's on them. I will just spend my money elsewhere.

Drag shows for kids? If it's compelled by schools or government, then FYW. But if fucked up parents are voluntarily taking their kids to see this perversion? Meh, that's on them. I can only hope the kids grow up and take vengeance on the parents.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (iFTx/)"

I think you're missing how this works. The point of the latter two there is to rub people's faces in it as obnoxiously as possible so the zampolits in HR and, increasingly in local law enforcement, can fire you/charge you for inadequate enthusiasm, hurt feelings, and using the wrong pronouns instead of made up bullshit.

The proper response to the first is ridicule and boycott. The proper response to the second is running everyone involved out of town on a rail.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (oL+dz)

138 Taking money collected for Medicare out of the general fund and putting it into a separate account would make it much more solvent.
It would also make congress spending obsession more apparent.

Posted by: Braenyard at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (lCWOD)

139 Because our military protects them.
Close ALL our overseas bases and bring everyone service person home. See how fast those Euro countries last.
Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:33 AM (nW4TA)

The UK has basically disbanded it's entire military, just to keep the NHS funded. And it's still growing. The endpoint of Government provided health care is 1/2 of the population on disability benefits, while the other 1/2 is paid by the government to take care of them fulltime. See if you can spot the potential flaw.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (i9ffA)

140 Don't get me wrong, there is a middle ground on much of this, and we all know sex happened before marriage forever, but it was... ahem... discouraged. Porn, yeah we are discovering just how dangerous it is, and it is; and gambling at the scale we are doing it now is just starting to show its associated pathologies. For prudes, they bat for a pretty high average.
Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:30 AM (UVyKP)
____________

There is almost no downside to prudish restraint. Maybe you miss out on a little fun. But going down the road of social pathologies is a dangerous road plagued with addiction and self-destruction. I'm for sure no prude. If it can do done, I've done it. But "all things in moderation." Sadly, many cannot remain moderate. Many many lives are destroyed by gambling, drugs, extreme lifestyles. No lives were ever destroyed by restraint.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:37 AM (iFTx/)

141 Conservatives need to win or we're going to get fucking genocided.

The Conservative platform should be;

1) Destroy leftwing organizations whenever possible
2) Payoffs to rightwing/winnable right leaning populations to the extent there are real improvements in their lives when conservatives get elected
3) Massive tax increases on leftwing individuals, groups, and populations

So Trump limiting mortgage deductions for rich coastal leftists? BRILLIANT. But we should have a whole platform of this kind of stuff.

I don't care if this is "small government". When my political enemies schemed to inject my family with poison this is no longer about being "small government"

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:37 AM (lc5cP)

142 BUT...

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (lc5cP)

The GOPe is full of Progressives. They're "conservative" Progressives because they want the same end result, but slower, more efficiently, and with lower taxes.

That's been my argument for 2 decades now.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:37 AM (XfCzJ)

143
As a FCSL myself, I was always annoyed with elected FCSLs' habit of shitting on social conservatives' issues, and CONSISTENTLY voting against them, even when they didn't have to.

The agreement between FCSLs and SCs was supposed to be mutual support, you vote for my conservative issues and I vote for your conservative issues. But elected FCSLs can be counted on to always vote against SC issues. Always. That's not the agreement, and it pisses me off that my FCSL viewpoint was largely destroyed because these elected FCSL cocksuckers can't keep their word.

So no, I'm not going to go full SC, but I'm going to vote that way. Because at least they are upfront and honest about what they want, which is more than I can say for a lot of my fellow FCSLs.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at August 11, 2023 11:37 AM (n+4am)

144 Because our military protects them.
Close ALL our overseas bases and bring everyone service person home. See how fast those Euro countries last.
--------------
Reading about the Pueblo Indians being conquered by the Spanish in NM and then realizing the Spanish couldn't protect them from the Comanches. Pretty soon, the Pueblos chased the Spanish out of their lands. The purpose for our continued presence in Europe is not to defend them but rather grift them. A people free of threats is a captive people.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (DmtxH)

145 Trump himself said he's pro-choice, repeatedly in his own book. He's even saying now he wants our side to drop the issue.

He said in his 2016 election, he didnt want the abortion laws to be changed at all.

Trump never wanted Roe vs Wade overturned, it just came with the package of appointing conservative justices.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:23 AM (cOFom)
==
Untrue. His position on abortion in 2016 was unequivocally that it should be left to the states. You do that one way - overturn Roe. He was for it being overturned.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (UVyKP)

146 Not to pick nits, but before you say that other nations medicare program work fine you might want to check out the national health care system in Great Britain that is on the verge of collapse.

France and Germany are not too far behind the UK either.
Posted by: Mister Scott

+++

And we're not on the verge of "collapse"?

I dont think socialized medicine "works" but our government actually spends more per person on healthcare than governments that actually have universal health care.

US healthcare is basically the worse of everything.

We're obviously never getting rid of Medicare, but it could be improved and reformed to a more market based system. More like a voucher program.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (cOFom)

147 For a “balanced budget amendment” to work, it would need to be self-enforcing. Something like, Congress can pass whatever budget they wanted. Every item in the budget will automatically be prorated down equally so that the total budget matched existing income.

The courts would only get involved to enforce that provision. Or, even better, enforcement of the provision would be: as long as the budget is not balanced, no one working for the federal government gets paid, and all federal taxes are reduced by 1/365th for every day or partial day that the constitution is ignored.

So, yeah. No one is seriously proposing a balanced budget amendment. Just an imaginary budget amendment, which is pretty much what we already have.

Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (EXyHK)

148 Because our military protects them.

I read that after transfers to Ukraine, the German army is down to 80 tanks that are actually operational.

The British Army now has 77,536 soldiers.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:39 AM (2tUFv)

149 A few years ago, I wrote here at Ace of Spades about “the fraud of the Republican who presents himself as both fiscally conservative and socially liberal.”

Buck, I remember that piece, and I love this one. FCSL is the biggest fraud that was perpetrated on the Republican Party and the Conservative movement. When push comes to shove, the FC will always lose out to the SL. Always.

By saying that you're Socially Liberal, you've basically conceded that you're little more than a political 'prostitute', in Churchill's interpretation. All that's left is negotiating the price.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at August 11, 2023 11:39 AM (/iWhV)

150 "Slavery" in the industrializing New World was a different thing than slavery in the ancient or classical world. Being able to dictate what a person's job is and how they get reimbursed for it is a far cry from saying certain people are not people and can be chained up, bred, and culled at will like livestock.

Slavery is a pretty big umbrella of a word, and whatever the hell was going on in the western hemisphere was its own brand of inhuman awfulness. And that dehumanizing mentality has never left the cliques and factions who were the biggest cheerleaders of such a system. That is to say, Democrats who pervert the rules of a system founded in liberty in order to perpetuate a system founded in barbarism. Slavery? Abortion? Doesn't matter. "You can't stop us, you don't have the votes!" And then they luxuriate in the body count and crown themselves in laurels of righteousness when sane people try to stop their barbarity.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:39 AM (9UlRk)

151 I have always been for a universal healthcare provided by the government.

But not universal healthcare being the only available care. Every country that has such a rule has the US as an outlet for non universal care.

The whole thing with Hillarycare and Obama care was an argument about fairness. It's not fair that someone has better insurance and thus better care than some other person.

Posted by: blaster at August 11, 2023 11:39 AM (Jk9SN)

152 109
'It would be interesting to test this. Say, don't spend half of the Department of Education or Department of Energy budgets and see what happens. That would be fun.'

Half?! Hell's bells, if I am getting impeached anyway it would be all with me making a referendum on whether those departments should exist as they currently do.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 11:40 AM (vNbzm)

153 Days after sparking a firestorm of criticism for his comments on abortion, Donald Trump says laws regarding abortions should remain as they are.

"At this moment the laws are set. And I think we have to leave it that way," Trump told CBS’ "Face the Nation” host John Dickerson in an interview that will air Sunday.

https://tinyurl.com/yutmnmsc

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:40 AM (cOFom)

154 Try getting an MRI in Canada, or a knee operation.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (2tUFv)

-----------

"We recommend euthanasia instead of needlessly having to wait several months, needlessly suffer, and needlessly die. Thank you, and have a nice day!"

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:40 AM (6VKyY)

155 Good rant this morning Buck.

Very on-point. I can tell you that my wife and I spend far more time discussing cultural issues at the ol' dinner table than we do the tax rates that we pay or the tax rates of the companies for which we work.

Posted by: ballistic at August 11, 2023 11:40 AM (oXNqT)

156 None of those were stupid things to fight on. The destruction of Christian norms and morals has always been the goal of Progressives. And that will destroy your civilization faster than any gov't spending spree.
Posted by: GWB at August 11

It began with the elimination of Sunday blue laws.
That's when they took God off the table.

Posted by: Braenyard at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (lCWOD)

157 When Disneyland collapses they will make it a death camp.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (DmtxH)

158 Be serious. Who the shit gives a fuck about the budget? A small subset of the voting public. The Uniparty know this which is why they stopped passing them.

I'm not saying it's not important. I'm saying anyone that thinks it's a big electoral issue has got to be fucking with you. Paul Ryan was gonna balance the budget in 10 years. By 2020. Had powerpoints and everything.

HE WAS FUCKING WITH YOU

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (QSXi6)

159 "141
The Conservative platform should be;

1) Destroy leftwing organizations whenever possible
2) Payoffs to rightwing/winnable right leaning populations to the extent there are real improvements in their lives when conservatives get elected
3) Massive tax increases on leftwing individuals, groups, and populations

So Trump limiting mortgage deductions for rich coastal leftists? BRILLIANT. But we should have a whole platform of this kind of stuff.

I don't care if this is "small government". When my political enemies schemed to inject my family with poison this is no longer about being "small government"
Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:37 AM (lc5cP)"

If zombie Franco claws out of his grave and runs for office here I will fucking vote for him in a heartbeat if he promises to run another anti-left coalition. I don't give a shit if it's small government either. Lot of people running on autopilot don't seem to understand the stakes here.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (oL+dz)

160 You have access to all the world's history

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:15 AM (lc5cP)

Well, no. You have access to all the history on the internet. Which is a collection of great stupidity. And you only get to find bits of it via word-of-mouth* or search engines that advocate for the stupidity.

(* Happy, Bulgaroctonus?

)

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (XfCzJ)

161 The torch has been passed.

Charlotte Pride Lists Child Sex Offender as Winner of Its 2023 Harvey Milk Award

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (FVME7)

162 The British Army now has 77,536 soldiers.

In 1775 the British had an army of about 45K out of a population of 8M. They currently have almost 68M.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (lc5cP)

163 I remember when the last of the specie was taken out of U.S. coinage. Tricky Dickhead who closed the international gold window, (a good thing,) was pResident when 40% silver half-dollars were converted into 100% shit-metal in 1970. After that came the Whip-Inflation-Now buttons; then later, PornHub.

Fuck Joe Biden for turning my wife and my retirement savings into a down payment on a Caribbean cruise ... and fuck Roosevelt and all of the politicians who followed him for listening to Screwtape and trashing the U.S. monetary system.

Posted by: Marooned at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (kt8QE)

164 A people free of threats is a captive people.
Posted by: Puddinhead

A people free of threats allows them to spend money on everything BUT protection.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (nW4TA)

165 Taking money collected for Medicare out of the general fund and putting it into a separate account would make it much more solvent.
It would also make congress spending obsession more apparent.

Posted by: Braenyard at August 11, 2023 11:36 AM (lCWOD)
===

Preezy SHit Midas and the democrats in congress TOOK MONEY OUT OF MEDICARE TO GIVE FREEEEEE HEALTHCARE TO THOSE THAT HADN'T PUT MONEY INTO HEALTHCARE. That really helped to keep medicare on solvent legs.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (17s+e)

166 158 Be serious. Who the shit gives a fuck about the budget? A small subset of the voting public. The Uniparty know this which is why they stopped passing them.

I'm not saying it's not important. I'm saying anyone that thinks it's a big electoral issue has got to be fucking with you. Paul Ryan was gonna balance the budget in 10 years. By 2020. Had powerpoints and everything.

HE WAS FUCKING WITH YOU
Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (QSXi6)

========

1) It's a hugely important issue that 95% of the public doesn't give a shit about.
2) I think the timeline was roughly 50 years.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (LvTSG)

167 The endpoint of Government provided health care is 1/2 of the population on disability benefits, while the other 1/2 is paid by the government to take care of them fulltime

Mark Steyn noted that being a defense minister in a Western European country is a way station enroute to having a truly important job, like being health minister.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (2tUFv)

168 87 Culture is a “kitchen table” issue.

only if you don't clean your table

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (us2H3)

169 We're obviously never getting rid of Medicare, but it could be improved and reformed to a more market based system. More like a voucher program.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (cOFom)

Funny how all your "practical conservative" solutions have a Socialist stink to them.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (qON3L)

170 Unfortunately, the credit boom that started with Reagan has been co-opted by the Marxist mills run by Academia. That is where the main front is. Taking away the easy spending on university education is a start, but I fear flowing blood is the only way to get through to these weirdos.

Posted by: observer at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (GhdPM)

171
Toilet paper type and usage, are these both politicized?
Posted by: Ciampino - 1-ply, 2-ply, 3-ply at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (qfLjt)

*ahem*

Posted by: Sheryl Crow at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (n+4am)

172 "147 For a “balanced budget amendment” to work, it would need to be self-enforcing. Something like, Congress can pass whatever budget they wanted. Every item in the budget will automatically be prorated down equally so that the total budget matched existing income.

The courts would only get involved to enforce that provision. Or, even better, enforcement of the provision would be: as long as the budget is not balanced, no one working for the federal government gets paid, and all federal taxes are reduced by 1/365th for every day or partial day that the constitution is ignored.

So, yeah. No one is seriously proposing a balanced budget amendment. Just an imaginary budget amendment, which is pretty much what we already have.
Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (EXyHK)"

It doesn't matter if you balance it or not. Default is unavoidable now. Legislative or constitutional controls to prevent it recurring are irrelevant until after the default.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (oL+dz)

173 151 I have always been for a universal healthcare provided by the government.

But not universal healthcare being the only available care. Every country that has such a rule has the US as an outlet for non universal care.

The whole thing with Hillarycare and Obama care was an argument about fairness. It's not fair that someone has better insurance and thus better care than some other person.
Posted by: blaster at August 11, 2023 11:39 AM (Jk9SN)

One reason I may be in favor: using the UK as an example, it could hasten the elimination of gender-affirming care.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (KbCG3)

174 Toilet paper type and usage, are these both politicized?

Posted by: Ciampino - 1-ply, 2-ply, 3-ply at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (qfLjt)

-------------

Heh. After what happened during the Covid reaction insanity, I seriously have a mudroom filled with stacks of toilet paper -- so, in a way, yes! And don't get me started on low-flush toilets ...

With the toilet paper, food, and ammo reserves, I'll be one of the richest dudes in Bartertown when and if the Burning Times arrive before I'm gone.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (6VKyY)

175 It began with the elimination of Sunday blue laws.
That's when they took God off the table.
Posted by: Braenyard

____

To me, that's a perfect example of really dumb SoCon type laws.

Outlaw alcohol on Sunday to try and make people go to Church.

Not much different than Prohibition.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (cOFom)

176 His position on abortion in 2016 was unequivocally that it should be left to the states. You do that one way - overturn Roe. He was for it being overturned.
Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (UVyKP

Trump wants to get the federal government out of our business.

Posted by: Braenyard at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (lCWOD)

177 I applaud that Trump seems to be moving more into a pro-choice (the states have decided, let's move on) position as I think that is what is destroying conservatives chances.

"Abortion hurt conservatives" is an unproven psyop.

Abortion has polled steadily worse every year since the 90s, no reversals. Even hardcore Democrats barely give a shit about it now because trannies sucked all the dicks out of the room.

Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (2ocoG)

178 Moving Junior-ette into her dorm room here at UAH.

Nice place, seems secure. All the doors have cameras on them. The only doors that are not alarmed when opened are the front doors, and those have a badge reader and 24x7x365 guard to keep the kids safe. Only three floors high, so fire truck ladders can reach any window necessary.

Posted by: BifBewalski's Phone at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (7/jYr)

179 well, from my perspective, Merica isn't suffering from culture

it is suffering from lack of culture and good taste

and has been for quite a some time

but what the fuck would I know ?

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (us2H3)

180 "1) It's a hugely important issue that 95% of the public doesn't give a shit about.
2) I think the timeline was roughly 50 years.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (LvTSG)"

No, he was fucking with us, because anyone paying attention knows it's kabuki theater. There is literally NOTHING Paul Ryan, or anyone else, could do to salvage the fiscal situation at that point in time. He's not stupid - he was just selling a bill of goods.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (oL+dz)

181 "We recommend euthanasia instead of needlessly having to wait several months, needlessly suffer, and needlessly die. Thank you, and have a nice day!"

The fact that some Canadian health care workers are now suggesting euthanasia instead of treatment for severely depressed people is repulsive.

Not even the Nazis proposed killing depressed people.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (2tUFv)

182 The whole thing with Hillarycare and Obama care was an argument about fairness.

The argument about Obamacare was about fairness. The design of Obamacare was to destroy medical insurance, destroy affordable care, and micromanage health care providers at every level so minutely that they don't have time to provide care.

It’s the same thing with electricity. The argument is about saving the world, the environment, clean air; the actual design they keep pushing destroys the environment, destroys clean air technologies, and turns United States power generation into a third-world mess of power outages and massive fires while simultaneously destroying people’s ability to drive anywhere.

Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (EXyHK)

183 152 109
'It would be interesting to test this. Say, don't spend half of the Department of Education or Department of Energy budgets and see what happens. That would be fun.'

Half?! Hell's bells, if I am getting impeached anyway it would be all with me making a referendum on whether those departments should exist as they currently do.
-------------
Sometimes incrementalism is workable. Dems always over react. So you pinch them here and then pinch them later over there and soon the overall budget gets reduced and there are less Deep State Apparatchiks in DC. See? Rinse and repeat and suddenly you get your country back.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (DmtxH)

184 I don't think a BBA is possible, and I also think it's far too late for it to make any difference if it did. The only "fix" is for the financial system to completely melt down and for all credit to be destroyed for all parties; then in the aftermath, something a bit more sensible may be built from the ashes. But yeah, everyone is going to have to lose everything first.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (i9ffA)

185 The fact that some Canadian health care workers are now suggesting euthanasia instead of treatment for severely depressed people is repulsive.

3% of Canadians deaths were formal suicides last year.

Their plan is "working"

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (lc5cP)

186 In 1775 the British had an army of about 45K out of a population of 8M. They currently have almost 68M.
Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (lc5cP)

Now run those numbers w.r.t. square miles.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (9UlRk)

187 1) It's a hugely important issue that 95% of the public doesn't give a shit about.

the budget and the deficit only showed up on the electorate's radar when Ross Perot ran for President.

And then he got forced out of the race

Posted by: kallisto at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (dCxaZ)

188 166 158 Be serious. Who the shit gives a fuck about the budget? A small subset of the voting public. The Uniparty know this which is why they stopped passing them.

I'm not saying it's not important. I'm saying anyone that thinks it's a big electoral issue has got to be fucking with you. Paul Ryan was gonna balance the budget in 10 years. By 2020. Had powerpoints and everything.

HE WAS FUCKING WITH YOU
Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (QSXi6)

========

1) It's a hugely important issue that 95% of the public doesn't give a shit about.
2) I think the timeline was roughly 50 years.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:42 AM (LvTSG)
______________________

I doubt 5% of the public can even coherently explain the issue. But surely at least 95% don't care.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (iFTx/)

189 The whole thing with Hillarycare and Obama care was an argument about fairness. It's not fair that someone has better insurance and thus better care than some other person.
Posted by: blaster

It's not fair that some people have 2023 Bugattis while I'm driving a 13 yr old Dodge.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (nW4TA)

190 Funny how all your "practical conservative" solutions have a Socialist stink to them.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon
++

You think that's more or less socialist than current Medicare? To reform it to be more market based instead of a blank check that it is now?

Trump is actually running against DeSantis because he said he wants to eliminate MediCaire. A common Dem talking point.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (cOFom)

191 160 Actually, in that case the hyphens aren’t necessary, because the noun phrase “word of mouth” is not being used to modify another noun phrase.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (xTRSc)

192 'It would be interesting to test this. Say, don't spend half of the Department of Education or Department of Energy budgets and see what happens. That would be fun.'
===

FUN FACT: When the department of education was created 43 years ago the USA was number 1 in educating children K-12 in the developed world. Now with the wise guidance of the DOE we are at number 41 and falling like a rock.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (17s+e)

193 "Abortion hurt conservatives" is an unproven psyop.

Abortion has polled steadily worse every year since the 90s, no reversals. Even hardcore Democrats barely give a shit about it now because trannies sucked all the dicks out of the room.
Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (2ocoG)

GOP donor class core value: abortion.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (xk1jI)

194 One reason I may be in favor: using the UK as an example, it could hasten the elimination of gender-affirming care.

LOL.

The Left will eliminate heart surgery before they eliminate "gender-affirming care".

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (2tUFv)

195 t's not entitlements. It's finance bullshit and currency debasement - which was used to fund entitlements to buy votes and build fiefdoms and create .gov cashflow to skim off of.

Prior to the debasement, LBJ's shit would have collapsed under its own weight. After, the damage was done past a certain point. Eliminating entitlements doesn't make the interest on the debt affordable.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:27 AM (oL+dz)
==
You need to read the budget. The top 5 are Medicare, Medicaid, Financing the Debt, SS, and Military. Medicare is exploding. The Debt is probably moving up because of interest rates. Obviously the spending around covid juiced the debt spending, but it is isolated. It ends, and is ending. Medicaid and Medicare are continuing obligations with accelerating costs. And no end in site. It will continue to eat up all the federal budget.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (UVyKP)

196 As the philosopher said, "TeePee ... TeePee for my bunghole."

Posted by: Marooned at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (kt8QE)

197 The fact that some Canadian health care workers are now suggesting euthanasia instead of treatment for severely depressed people is repulsive.

3% of Canadians deaths were formal suicides last year.

Their plan is "working"
Posted by: 18-1

Always homicide. Never suicide.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (nW4TA)

198 "Heh. After what happened during the Covid reaction insanity, I seriously have a mudroom filled with stacks of toilet paper -- so, in a way, yes! And don't get me started on low-flush toilets ...

With the toilet paper, food, and ammo reserves, I'll be one of the richest dudes in Bartertown when and if the Burning Times arrive before I'm gone.
Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (6VKyY)"

The TP thing always drives me batshit when people mock TP stacking. Anyone who has been through rough times knows TP disappears: this is because it's bulky, hard to store, and vulnerable to pests and water, therefore your typical apartment dwellers/lazy suburbanites have like 6 extra rolls on hand on the assumption they can just buy more... AND when things go to shit, you GET the shits.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (oL+dz)

199 177 "Abortion hurt conservatives" is an unproven psyop.

Abortion has polled steadily worse every year since the 90s, no reversals. Even hardcore Democrats barely give a shit about it now because trannies sucked all the dicks out of the room.
Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:44 AM (2ocoG)

========

If Dobbs was such a downer on Republicans, then why did Schumer win his senate race by 14 points in 2022 when he won by 43 points in 2016?

Posit: Dobbs hurting Republicans in elections was narrative cover for steals in purple states.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (LvTSG)

200 Posted by: blaster at August 11, 2023 11:39 AM (Jk9SN)

The key is it's not "Universal Care" unless EVERYONE contributes.
In other countries it is closer to the "everyone contributes" model than we will ever be. And those models such.

But there is no way in our system that everyone will contribute.

So, shocker, it's all just a bait and switch for top down control.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (QSXi6)

201 The argument about Obamacare was about fairness. The design of Obamacare was to destroy medical insurance, destroy affordable care, and micromanage health care providers at every level so minutely that they don't have time to provide care.
---------------
That and reward CT for its support. CT is the Health Insurance State. DE the Loan Shark State. NJ the Pharma State. NY is the Big Finance State. PA is just broken but once was something.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (Z6LNn)

202 It's "Grammar-Nazi."
Und, "Kulturkampf."

By Culture War, every single co-optator means "abortion," and they do not mean anything else. Period. Let us be clear.

Posted by: Way, Way Downriver at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (4PZHB)

203 187 1) It's a hugely important issue that 95% of the public doesn't give a shit about.

the budget and the deficit only showed up on the electorate's radar when Ross Perot ran for President.

And then he got forced out of the race
Posted by: kallisto at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (dCxaZ)
_________

I recall the issue -- and more specifically, the surplus (remember those?) -- also came up during Bush v Gore. But nobody really cared other than to push for money for their hobby-horses.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (iFTx/)

204 I too am on the Trump train but if he's locked up in solitary I will get on the Vivek train.

Posted by: Dingbat at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (TQFkT)

205 Trump is actually running against DeSantis because he said he wants to eliminate MediCaire. A common Dem talking point.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (cOFom)

Oh, THAT'S why. I was wondering.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (9UlRk)

206 The fact that some Canadian health care workers are now suggesting euthanasia instead of treatment for severely depressed people is repulsive.

WEF and Gates have been very open about needing billions of people to die in order to achieve their utopia. If you frame everything major governments are doing with that, it all makes sense. Eliminating farms? Check. Euthanasia? Check. The vaxx? Check.

Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (2ocoG)

207 156 You’re in favor of Sunday blue laws? Seriously?

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (xTRSc)

208 PA is just broken but once was something.

I assume we handle all the landfills or something related to garbage, as befits us.

Posted by: BlackOrchid at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (AcWfM)

209 The "I'm telling you right now that motherf***er back there is not real" "lady" speaks! She offers no apology or explanation for going batshit but does complain that she's been treated unfairly.

https://tinyurl.com/y7d9crr3

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (FVME7)

210 By Culture War, every single co-optator means "abortion," and they do not mean anything else. Period. Let us be clear.
Posted by: Way, Way Downriver at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (4PZHB)

It may have widened out to "anything involving genitals". But yeah, basically.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (9UlRk)

211 Abortion has polled steadily worse every year since the 90s, no reversals. Even hardcore Democrats barely give a shit about it now because trannies sucked all the dicks out of the room.
Posted by: Ian S.

++

And yet every time the issue goes in front of voters, the pro-choice position wins. Even in traditional red states.

That ballot issue for Ohio is a great example. that was all about abortion in the background.

Dems hit pay dirt with Roe vs Wade, my guess is it will save them again this election.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (cOFom)

212 If Sunday Blue Laws get leftists to leave your city/state...

VOTE FOR BLUE LAWS.

Posted by: leoncaruthers at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (UfRqq)

213 101 Woke bullshit in entertainment? Meh, if a company wants to piss off half its audience, that's on them. I will just spend my money elsewhere.

Drag shows for kids? If it's compelled by schools or government, then FYW. But if fucked up parents are voluntarily taking their kids to see this perversion? Meh, that's on them. I can only hope the kids grow up and take vengeance on the parents.
---
The Left, on the other hand, was smart enough to understand that controlling the institutions of media and entertainment would give them a direct line in to the brain of every person in America. They used this "bullshit in entertainment" to reshape the minds of the entire western world, which is how we went from Christian families to tranny kids.

I'm afraid the usual CoNsErVaTiVe playbook of apathy, followed by wishing for someone else to provide a solution that will never arrive, has proven to be a losing strategy and does nothing but enable the pure, Satanic evil consuming our society.

Posted by: BunnyFooFoo at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (0Uf+z)

214 The social conservatives were right, I was wrong, and I subsequently became a culture warrior too.

Explains the upright bass thingy.

https://tinyurl.com/35ys6wp4

Posted by: Sock Monkey * Ungovernable at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (tjmGT)

215 Didja wonder what the beautiful and charming Pofessor Brittney Cooper looked like?

https://tinyurl.com/3yz2b4xc
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (FVME7)

She's lucky a poacher hasn't sawn off the horn on her forehead.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (VwHCD)

216 The "I'm telling you right now that motherf***er back there is not real" "lady" speaks! She offers no apology or explanation for going batshit but does complain that she's been treated unfairly.

https://tinyurl.com/y7d9crr3
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks

I don't care about an apology, but an explanation would be helpful.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (nW4TA)

217
If Dobbs was such a downer on Republicans, then why did Schumer win his senate race by 14 points in 2022 when he won by 43 points in 2016?

In 2020;

Republicans did very, very well in both dark red and dark blue areas

Republicans did unexpectedly poorly in purple areas with poor vote fraud protections

One obvious answer to this is that the Dems couldn't cheat in the dark red areas and didn't feel the need to do more then the normal amount of cheating in dark blue areas, but then cheated their brains out in those purple areas where fraud was easy.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (lc5cP)

218 "You need to read the budget. The top 5 are Medicare, Medicaid, Financing the Debt, SS, and Military. Medicare is exploding. The Debt is probably moving up because of interest rates. Obviously the spending around covid juiced the debt spending, but it is isolated. It ends, and is ending. Medicaid and Medicare are continuing obligations with accelerating costs. And no end in site. It will continue to eat up all the federal budget.
Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:46 AM (UVyKP)"

What fucking budget? We haven't passed a real budget since 2008. Don't simply look at one years' worth of outlays, look at known future outlays.

Simple entitlements would be recoverable; stop paying them (social whiplash aside, you could literally do this overnight). The problem is that our debt structure is mathematically unrecoverable. You can't just stop paying the interest, and the future curve is, and has been for quite some time, not sustainable.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (oL+dz)

219 217 One obvious answer to this is that the Dems couldn't cheat in the dark red areas and didn't feel the need to do more then the normal amount of cheating in dark blue areas, but then cheated their brains out in those purple areas where fraud was easy.
Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (lc5cP)

=======

We just need a better candidate.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:50 AM (LvTSG)

220 Posted by: BunnyFooFoo

Long time no see.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at August 11, 2023 11:50 AM (IG4Id)

221 If Dobbs was such a downer on Republicans, then why did Schumer win his senate race by 14 points in 2022 when he won by 43 points in 2016?

Posit: Dobbs hurting Republicans in elections was narrative cover for steals in purple states.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (LvTSG)

Not sure this Schumer stat is all that convincing.

2016 election was presi election featuring Hilldabeast.

2022 was mid-term with no real threat to Schumer.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (KbCG3)

222 I have advocated for a number of years something better (IMNSHO) than a balanced budget act....

Every act passed by Congress is only allowed one purpose, defined by paragraph of the Constitution.
All budget bills must be passed separately in accord with authorized branches, agencies, purposes, stipulated by law or in the Constitution. They must also be by line item including exact number of employees and offices.
All bills are required a "reading time" after introduction (at any level - committee, general session, re-introduction because of amendments from the other house, etc.) of 1 working day per 5 pages of legislation - in a reasonable font size, page size, and margin.
This is per session of Congress. If you get to the end of a session of Congress and the reading days have not elapsed, they must restart at 0 in the next Congress. (Normally you have to reintroduce a bill, anyway, but this makes it explicit.) Oh, and only one bill could be in "reading days" at a time.

Much more and Pixy will call me a spambot, so...
It would restrict all legislation to about 60 pages, and otherwise keep the legislature from breaking things.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (XfCzJ)

223 No Monkey.

Left grumpier than usual.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (qPw5n)

224 Look at where the expenditures are going. Look at the pie chart.

No one is going to stop the spending until it stops itself. It is a baked into the cake impossibility. You can fire the whole DC federal workforce and without eliminating welfare and medicaid and slashing the military (two HUGELY electorally unpopular ideas) it would make an imperceptible dent in our problem.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (QSXi6)

225 You only have to look at the Mike Pence ad to know 2 things:

1) he perfectly represents the majority of the GOP elites.
2) none of them saw--or see--anything wrong with the ad. To them, it's a perfect campaign ad (to fool the rubes)

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (hP+39)

226 Fighting the culture war means taking on all of media
tall order

Posted by: DB - culture worrier at August 11, 2023 11:52 AM (geLO8)

227
Try getting an MRI in Canada, or a knee operation.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 11, 2023 11:32 AM (2tUFv)

Hell, even here it's a problem. I was at a local customer's studio yesterday, and he was dealing with a rather nasty hernia. As he put it "I can't even lift a sandwich". Even though he's in pain, he still has about 2 weeks to wait until he can get a CT scan so that the docs can even SEE the issue so that they can set up a treatment plan.

And this is with pretty good insurance. I shudder to thing of what would happen if I was going through the same thing.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at August 11, 2023 11:52 AM (n+4am)

228 To me, that's a perfect example of really dumb SoCon type laws.

Outlaw alcohol on Sunday to try and make people go to Church.

Not much different than Prohibition.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:43 AM (cOFom)
----

Georgia has by far the dumbest version of this, whereby you can't buy any beer, wine, or liquor in a store to take home and drink alone, but all the bars are open and you can damn sure go to one of those and get shitfaced, then drive home.

Good work, retards.

Posted by: ballistic at August 11, 2023 11:52 AM (oXNqT)

229 Watced a bit of a sport called "slamball" last night...basketball w/no fouls...and trampolines.

Posted by: BignJames at August 11, 2023 11:52 AM (AwYPR)

230 124
'True. It has to be done.'

Make those 'leaders' of finance understand that they exist and do business at the pleasure of the American people.

Have a few arrested, force them to blubber for mercy in court like they do in China, to avoid capital punishment.

I think that would be persuasive for the rest.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 11:52 AM (vNbzm)

231 221 Not sure this Schumer stat is all that convincing.

2016 election was presi election featuring Hilldabeast.

2022 was mid-term with no real threat to Schumer.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (KbCG3)

=======

In 2018, Cuomo won the governor's race by 23%.

In 2022, Hochul won by less than 7%.

Really. If Dobbs was a huge downer on Republicans, why did Republicans perform so well in NY, a deeply blue state?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (LvTSG)

232 >We just need a better candidate.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison

vote louder
I mean really loud

Posted by: DB - culture worrier at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (geLO8)

233 It would restrict all legislation to about 60 pages, and otherwise keep the legislature from breaking things.
Posted by: GWB

Every law would sunset after ten years. If it's that important, it can be re-passed.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (nW4TA)

234 "Dems hit pay dirt with Roe vs Wade, my guess is it will save them again this election.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (cOFom)"

GOPe buys votes and stakes out districts and a seat at the trough with pro-life positions they don't mean/don't care about while the Progs gleefully run against it.

If you are fighting an enemy murdering their own kids, defeat them first and then fix the problem rather than wasting all of your time crying about THEM killing THEIR kids. This is retarded church hand-wringing cat lady level bullshit from people incapable of making serious decisions.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (oL+dz)

235 at this point, a BBA would be impossible to accomplish

would be like Lizzo running a marathon

it's not bad enough that we have 33 trillion in National debt and soon to go to 36-37 trillion by Jan 2025, it's the composition of the debt that's a killer

at least 15 trillion of low interest bonds are soon to mature and will be re upped at much higher rates

that will blow a gigantic hole in the budget

GIGANTIC

first 6 months of 2023, the national debt went up by 1.85 trillion

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (us2H3)

236 101 I don't disagree. Except some of the issues mentioned I don't see as "culture war" disputes. I think those are all worth fighting. But as for pure "culture war" issues, I would pick and choose my fights.

Radical indoctrination (of any kind but especially perversion) in schools? Fuck you, war.

...

Drag shows for kids? If it's compelled by schools or government, then FYW. But if fucked up parents are voluntarily taking their kids to see this perversion? Meh, that's on them. I can only hope the kids grow up and take vengeance on the parents.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (iFTx/)

This is kinda where I am. I still consider myself a "social libertarian". As long as it remains untethered to gov't/policy, I may disagree I often don't really care or at least it's not a top priority.

Or it wasn't; the problem is of course "the personal is political" dogma of the modern Left. The thing I guess I didn't see coming is that now these people run the HR dept's and are forcing it on their employees, often in connection with gov't.

And so now we're all dragged in. I still just want to be left alone, but I guess those days are gone.

Posted by: Dr. Fausti - I AM The Science at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (lg881)

237 Did you get your $900 worth?

U.S. Aid to Ukraine Equals $900 Per Household

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:54 AM (FVME7)

238 Not that I support this, but somehow every European country has even more generous social safety nets when it comes to healthcare, yet have nowhere near our debt levels.

Every developed country has some form of Medicaire and they work fine.

Nobody is advocating getting rid of it, but it needs reform. Our "corporatism" with respect to health care policy needs to change. Its basically just a slush fund for Big Pharma.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (cOFom)
==
Yeah, they don't work all that fine. Some are ok, some are miserable. Their outcomes are generally poor, but they are helped by the poor health status of the US population, and our oh-so healthy low fat diet spree. And our debt has exploded, not because of defense spending but because of all the covid spending. And the enduring spending pressure we have will come from entitlements.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 11:54 AM (UVyKP)

239 182 The whole thing with Hillarycare and Obama care was an argument about fairness.

The argument about Obamacare was about fairness. The design of Obamacare was to destroy medical insurance, destroy affordable care, and micromanage health care providers at every level so minutely that they don't have time to provide care.

It’s the same thing with electricity. The argument is about saving the world, the environment, clean air; the actual design they keep pushing destroys the environment, destroys clean air technologies, and turns United States power generation into a third-world mess of power outages and massive fires while simultaneously destroying people’s ability to drive anywhere.
Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (EXyHK)

This!!! So much this!

And I will add that destruction of tried and true methods of farming has nothing to do with saving the planet and everything thing to to with reducing the excess population to one that is more easily managed.

Posted by: Just Lily at August 11, 2023 11:54 AM (RLLZj)

240 Dems hit pay dirt with Roe vs Wade, my guess is it will save them again this election.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (cOFom)

Sorry. Killing babies for votes sounds kind of shortsighted to me. On a cosmic level I mean.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (QSXi6)

241 Schwarzenegger took on the public employee unions withbhis ballot initiatives but overplayed his hand and lost, he shifted big time left after that, for a man who claimed to have a photo of Reagan on his office wall he's got no principles other than staying popular.

Posted by: JEM at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (8erNz)

242 Pretty sure the goal of the culture war is to make everyone at the kitchen table hate you. So culture issues ought to be considered kitchen table issues.

Posted by: that guy who always says its begining at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (fKIdX)

243 off sock

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (fKIdX)

244 It would restrict all legislation to about 60 pages, and otherwise keep the legislature from breaking things.
Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:51 AM (XfCzJ)
----
Thinking that any members of Congress actually read the text of the bills on which they vote, lmfao.

Reality: There may be a handful of lawyers in Congress that can read *and understand* legislative/legal text. The other 520 of them never lay eyes on the text. You can pass all the Constitutional amendments you want, but the staffers and lobbyists are still doing the work. You can't mandate competence.

Posted by: ballistic at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (oXNqT)

245 Fighting the culture war means taking on all of media
tall order
Posted by: DB - culture worrier at August 11, 2023 11:52 AM (geLO

Not really. Or at least not as much as it might seem.

Media is dying. The prime vectors of brainwashing LIVs, namely television comedians and network news, are nowhere near the cultural forces they once were. They've gotten lazy and dumb and have wrecked their brands. Cable news has always been a joke, preaching to no one but zealots, so they can be ignored.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (9UlRk)

246 In 2018, Cuomo won the governor's race by 23%.

In 2022, Hochul won by less than 7%.

Really. If Dobbs was a huge downer on Republicans, why did Republicans perform so well in NY, a deeply blue state?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (LvTSG)

Can I say candidate quality?

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (KbCG3)

247 215 Didja wonder what the beautiful and charming Pofessor Brittney Cooper looked like?

https://tinyurl.com/3yz2b4xc
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:13 AM (FVME7)
__________

They all look the same. Like, EXACTLY the same. It's not a coincidence. They are fat and ugly, nobody wants them, and they hate the world. To be sure, every once in a while one of these women come alone and aren't fat hideous pigs. But only very rarely.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (iFTx/)

248 204 I too am on the Trump train but if he's locked up in solitary I will get on the Vivek train.
------------------
If Trump is locked up you will be on the death train.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (Z6LNn)

249 Aren't kitchen tables racist now?

I'm pretty sure I read that on Twitter!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (w/RvR)

250 You cannot fix anything balancing a budget now. The debt structure forces us into default, official or otherwise. The numbers are what they are and have been for years and all talk of deficits is arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

It's like we're in a plane arguing about the rate of descent, when there is no aerodynamically permissible maneuver that can prevent us from going splat. Either we're going to plow into the ground, or the wings are going to snap off (and then we plow into the ground), or some/all passengers bail out (and then we plow into the ground).

This is a litmus test for serious understanding of what is happening and serious discussion of what to do about it.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (oL+dz)

251 Every law would sunset after ten years. If it's that important, it can be re-passed.
Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (nW4TA)

With the massive amount of laws already on the books, they'd spend all their time just debating the existing stuff.

Hmm....

Posted by: Dr. Fausti - I AM The Science at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (lg881)

252 When Disneyland collapses they will make it a death camp.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:41 AM (DmtxH)

-------------

Out: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
In: Big Thunder Mountain Cattle Cars.

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (6VKyY)

253 207 156 You’re in favor of Sunday blue laws? Seriously?
Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (xTRSc)

so called "Blue Laws" had nothing to do with "God". For example, in Texas it used to be against Blue Laws to sell cars on Sunday. That wasn't done because of "God", it was done by all the dealerships who got together and decided they all wanted to have one guaranteed day a week off for their employees, and they didn't want any upstarts out there messing up the plan by trying to run sales on the day everyone else was closed. It was the big players using government powers to keep their competitors in line, that's what all Blue Laws were. (it's also what a lot of regulations in general are)

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (i9ffA)

254 To be fair, social conservatives were debating some pretty "stupid" things a few decades ago.

Pornography, gambling, birth control, abstinence only sex ed etc.

Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:10 AM (cOFom)

I see ConInc is in the chat. You are arguing the same thing, ignore the culture war and it's all fine. In 10 years, you would be saying "SoCons were arguing against stupid things like trannies in schools."

Posted by: WOPR at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (Ix9FU)

255 246 In 2018, Cuomo won the governor's race by 23%.

In 2022, Hochul won by less than 7%.

Really. If Dobbs was a huge downer on Republicans, why did Republicans perform so well in NY, a deeply blue state?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (LvTSG)

Can I say candidate quality?
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (KbCG3)

Btw, I'm not saying your Dobbs point is wrong. Just that the Schumer stat is meh to me in proving this point.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (KbCG3)

256 Politics is downstream of culture.
Posted by: Oddbob at August 11, 2023 11:22 AM (COBwF)

Even more than that. The current politics are because a religion has taken control of our institutions, and it's not Christianity. It is a totalitarian religion, and will gladly use politics to achieve its ends. It really does believe in a theocracy - though it's one of "Reason" instead of a less materialist god.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (XfCzJ)

257 Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 11:28 AM (iFTx/)

This is kinda where I am. I still consider myself a "social libertarian". As long as it remains untethered to gov't/policy, I may disagree I often don't really care or at least it's not a top priority.

Or it wasn't; the problem is of course "the personal is political" dogma of the modern Left. The thing I guess I didn't see coming is that now these people run the HR dept's and are forcing it on their employees, often in connection with gov't.

And so now we're all dragged in. I still just want to be left alone, but I guess those days are gone.
Posted by: Dr. Fausti - I AM The Science at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (lg881)

I think of it like the biological concept of 'herd immunity'. If we have a society that runs on traditional Judeo-Christian values in the vast majority, then a liberal society can tolerate a relatively small number of libertine/libertarian activity. If the proportions are reversed, however, you get a societal death spiral. Which we have now.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (/iWhV)

258 The thing I guess I didn't see coming is that now these people run the HR dept's and are forcing it on their employees, often in connection with gov't.

Real world example of this...

One of my cow-workers is a dumpy balding 40 year old guy. He decides he is now a she and starts wearing school girls outfits and puts his remaining hair in pigtails.

My choices:
Leave the company (and likely run into this in the next company)
Pretend he is now really a woman and a 40 year old dressing like a 12 year old is normal
Not "affirm" him and get fired.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (lc5cP)

259 249 Aren't kitchen tables racist now?

I'm pretty sure I read that on Twitter!
Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (w/RvR)

Kitchen tables imply that you have a kitchen big enough to have a table in it. Classist at the very least.

Posted by: Dr. Fausti - I AM The Science at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (lg881)

260 240 Sorry. Killing babies for votes sounds kind of shortsighted to me. On a cosmic level I mean.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (QSXi6)

========

I do think that pro-life activists and politicians need to be more tactical about their approaches in a post-Roe world.

Going for the jugular and getting hit down by the voters really just opens up new avenues of attack from the pro-choice side of things.

Start with something like a late term abortion ban. Get that victory in the tank, then work towards 20 weeks, or something. Getting swamped on a complete abortion ban, or some tactic to try and make it impossible for there ever to be a pro-abortion law passed in the state ever, seems like an effort to lose on the issue intentionally, almost like the GOPe is pushing pro-lifers to be as radical as possible, knowing that the voters will reject it.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (LvTSG)

261 Dems hit pay dirt with Roe vs Wade, my guess is it will save them again this election.

Still no proof has been offered, and you're a new poster, so please accept this "Hello, fellow conservatives" sticker.

Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (2ocoG)

262 And I will add that destruction of tried and true methods of farming has nothing to do with saving the planet…

Yes, I expect it goes through everything on the left: what they say they want to save, they act as if they want to destroy.

Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (EXyHK)

263 In 2018, Cuomo won the governor's race by 23%.

In 2022, Hochul won by less than 7%.

Really. If Dobbs was a huge downer on Republicans, why did Republicans perform so well in NY, a deeply blue state?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

___

Um...because crime is so now bad in NY?

Also, Zeldin (Hochul's opponent) was pro-choice.

But keep whistling past the graveyard that we win on every issue, it's just the fraud. Just like what happened in Ohio a week ago. Must be the fraud.

Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (FT0bB)

264 I met Henry Wade in the 70's at my dad's home

He was an old friend of my Dad's

I think they went to UT at the same time

and he was a real crook, like my pop

birds of a feather and all

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (us2H3)

265 If you are fighting an enemy murdering their own kids, defeat them first and then fix the problem rather than wasting all of your time crying about THEM killing THEIR kids.
----------

I'm the son of a leftard from a leftard area. My life wasnt worth protecting? Give me a fucking break. You're complaining about voting for people without proper moral grounding - it sounds like they represent you just fine.

Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (QSXi6)

266 You’re in favor of Sunday blue laws? Seriously?
Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 11:48 AM (xTRSc)

Oh no, we have one day where most people can be guaranteed a day off. How will we ever survive? The apocalypse is nigh!

Posted by: WOPR at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (Ix9FU)

267 It's like we're in a plane arguing about the rate of descent, when there is no aerodynamically permissible maneuver that can prevent us from going splat. Either we're going to plow into the ground, or the wings are going to snap off (and then we plow into the ground), or some/all passengers bail out (and then we plow into the ground).

This is a litmus test for serious understanding of what is happening and serious discussion of what to do about it.
Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:56 AM (oL+dz)

I hate to say that I agree with you completely...

but I agree with you completely. We've already hit the iceberg, it's kind of dumb to talk about trying to avoid it now.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (i9ffA)

268 Aren't kitchen tables racist now?

No, but Millennials/Gen Z hate them. Formal dining rooms are "for Boomers". Your entire first floor must now be one room (including the toilet) and you eat on stools at the kitchen island.

Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:59 AM (2ocoG)

269 237 Did you get your $900 worth?

U.S. Aid to Ukraine Equals $900 Per Household
------------------
Shouldn't we be issued a Ukrainian Au Pair to take in and cuddle?

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:59 AM (Z6LNn)

270 246 Really. If Dobbs was a huge downer on Republicans, why did Republicans perform so well in NY, a deeply blue state?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (LvTSG)

Can I say candidate quality?
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (KbCG3)

========

Sure. Why not?

But then you get into issues of, "Why did issues land here and not there?" If it was THE overriding issue of the 2022 election that damaged the entire GOP brand, how does candidate quality help at all? If Lindsey Graham's 15 week abortion ban bill hurt everything, why not in certain pockets? Why did DeSantis win by 19 points?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:59 AM (LvTSG)

271 My choices:
Leave the company (and likely run into this in the next company)
Pretend he is now really a woman and a 40 year old dressing like a 12 year old is normal
Not "affirm" him and get fired.
Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (lc5cP)

I remember when we laughed at the college "wokies" and said "Wait until they graduate and try to find a job in the real world".

Posted by: Dr. Fausti - I AM The Science at August 11, 2023 12:00 PM (lg881)

272 Greetings, fellow conservatives! I’m just gonna fill up muh truck with some go go juice and dump some groceries down muh neck.

WILL SOMEONE TURN OFF THAT FUCKING BEEPER!

Posted by: Mike Pence at August 11, 2023 12:00 PM (u73oe)

273 Even more than that. The current politics are because a religion has taken control of our institutions, and it's not Christianity. It is a totalitarian religion, and will gladly use politics to achieve its ends. It really does believe in a theocracy - though it's one of "Reason" instead of a less materialist god.
Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (XfCzJ)

It's just Finance doing financial things.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 12:00 PM (X1EMB)

274 Still no proof has been offered, and you're a new poster, so please accept this "Hello, fellow conservatives" sticker.
Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (2ocoG)

Concern troll, it is.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at August 11, 2023 12:00 PM (qON3L)

275 241 Schwarzenegger took on the public employee unions withbhis ballot initiatives but overplayed his hand and lost, he shifted big time left after that, for a man who claimed to have a photo of Reagan on his office wall he's got no principles other than staying popular.
Posted by: JEM at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (8erNz)

This. I'm not Ahnold fan now, but he did make one frontal assault with those ballot intiatives. Unfortunately for him, he didn't follow his relatives' advice and go around the Maginot Line of the unions but took them on directly. They threw everything back at him, won, then he was left limping along with Maria's people to stay in the governor's mansion.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at August 11, 2023 12:00 PM (/iWhV)

276 255 Btw, I'm not saying your Dobbs point is wrong. Just that the Schumer stat is meh to me in proving this point.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (KbCG3)

==========

I get it.

However, the narrative is that abortion cost Republicans elections, and the evidence presented is races with...questionable election outcomes like AZ and PA. Go to places where there were races that weren't on anyone's radars (or in places where elections are pretty clean), and you just don't see the effects.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:01 PM (LvTSG)

277 263 Um...because crime is so now bad in NY?

Also, Zeldin (Hochul's opponent) was pro-choice.

But keep whistling past the graveyard that we win on every issue, it's just the fraud. Just like what happened in Ohio a week ago. Must be the fraud.
Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (FT0bB)

=======

Trump is pro-choice, too.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:01 PM (LvTSG)

278 No, but Millennials/Gen Z hate them. Formal dining rooms are "for Boomers". Your entire first floor must now be one room (including the toilet) and you eat on stools at the kitchen island.
Posted by: Ian S. at August 11, 2023 11:59 AM (2ocoG)

Man, isn't that a nutshell of current year death cult?

If your shitter ain't got no door or no walls, your whole house is the shitter.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 11, 2023 12:01 PM (9UlRk)

279 141
'I don't care if this is "small government". '

Small government doesn't happen until the communists are crushed.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 12:02 PM (vNbzm)

280 I too am on the Trump train but if he's locked up in solitary I will get on the Vivek train.

Posted by: Dingbat at August 11, 2023 11:47 AM (TQFkT)

-----------

Trump can still run if he's imprisoned, unless one or more "battleground states" prevent his name from appearing on the ballot (and they'd ignore any write-ins, especially if he won that way).

But yeah, no way they let him win -- and if he miraculously did, they'll assassinate him before the inauguration. Who's gonna stop them?

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 12:02 PM (6VKyY)

281 In 10 years, you would be saying "SoCons were arguing against stupid things like trannies in schools."

The flip side of this, I've had this discussion with some more reasonable leftists. Take whatever the issue of the day is, and point out that not only did they disagree with it 10 years ago, they argued that no one would ever want that.

The answer? Well, I know more now!

So then the follow up - so which of your current dearly held core beliefs will you also claim in 10 years are fundamentally wrong?

And the answer? I never got a good one. Mostly "oh that will never happen!". In some of the smarter leftists I posed the question to I could see a look of fear in their eyes while considering this point.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 12:02 PM (lc5cP)

282 However, the narrative is that abortion cost Republicans elections, and the evidence presented is races with...questionable election outcomes like AZ and PA. Go to places where there were races that weren't on anyone's radars (or in places where elections are pretty clean), and you just don't see the effects.
---------------
True. Abortion is a fundraising issue for Dems. Its not a real issue issue.

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 12:02 PM (DmtxH)

283 However, the narrative is that abortion cost Republicans elections, and the evidence presented is races with...questionable election outcomes like AZ and PA. Go to places where there were races that weren't on anyone's radars (or in places where elections are pretty clean), and you just don't see the effects.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:01 PM (LvTSG

The abortion and gun issues are fig leafs to justify fraud and the cockamamie demographics of the DEM coalition necessitated by said fraud.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (X1EMB)

284 anyone who would vote solely on abortion

as a con, you have no chance in reaching

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (us2H3)

285 My choices:
Leave the company (and likely run into this in the next company)
Pretend he is now really a woman and a 40 year old dressing like a 12 year old is normal
Not "affirm" him and get fired.
Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (lc5cP)

Choice D: figure that with all this shit going on internal controls have gone to hell, so say whatever they want while you figure out how to steal as much as you can before it all blows up.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (i9ffA)

286 Yes. The problem is we need people like DeSantis right where they are. People often don't see beyond the surface of things.

The IRS has power to get into your personal life because we have asked them to tax your personal income. Getting rid of that (and I almost don't care what it's replaced with) would solve so many downstream problems, including ones that cause people to have the naive notion of "fiscally conservative/socially liberal" in the first place.

Posted by: Darel at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (mAN58)

287 246 In 2018, Cuomo won the governor's race by 23%.

In 2022, Hochul won by less than 7%.

Really. If Dobbs was a huge downer on Republicans, why did Republicans perform so well in NY, a deeply blue state?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (LvTSG)

Because Cuomo was still a potential Presidential candidate and needed a strong showing. It's more of reversion to the mean, and Kathy Hochul is underwhelming, also. I'd look to Congressional districts in 2020 for a clearer picture.

Reps in NY were among the inventors of the losers who tried really hard. It's tough to disaggregate any effect of Dobbs from the general unready, unwilling, and unable NY state R's.

Posted by: Bilwis Devourer of Innocent Souls, I'm starvin' over here at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (z+89e)

288 Every law would sunset after ten years. If it's that important, it can be re-passed.
Posted by: rickb223 at August 11, 2023 11:53 AM (nW4TA)

Yeah, that was in the further explanation I couldn't fit in.
Though I would like to restrict that to any legislation not directly spelled out in the Constitution - so, the Post Office might get to stick around, and laws about treason and such wouldn't necessarily have to be re-upped. But that might not be very easy to actually enact (without setting up stupid loopholes later).

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (XfCzJ)

289 Shouldn't we be issued a Ukrainian Au Pair to take in and cuddle?
Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 11:59 AM (Z6LNn)

Paging the poster (Tom Servo or Joe Mannix, I forget atm sorry!) who would say "This Ukranian Au Pair thinks you shouldn't have to spend $900 to get a cuddle".

Posted by: Dr. Fausti - I AM The Science at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (lg881)

290 So conservatives Inc. Want the Republicans to focus on financial issues, which they will surrender to the Demoncrats asap. Do I understand correctly?

Posted by: That Northernlurker what lurkd at August 11, 2023 12:04 PM (HfNu5)

291 For The Horde, there is one kitchen table to be feared above all others.

Ben Had's.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 11, 2023 12:04 PM (a3Q+t)

292 US healthcare is basically the worse of everything.

We're obviously never getting rid of Medicare, but it could be improved and reformed to a more market based system. More like a voucher program.
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:38 AM (cOFom)
==
No - it is the most expensive, and has become so because of LBJs great society programs of Medicare and Medicaid. Yes, Medicare is going nowhere, I absolutely agree. I'd love to see some reform, but am not convinced it will ever happen.

We do more "preventative" care, are the center of excellence for acute care for the world, and actually prop up the Canadian health care program by providing services and access the Canadians cannot or won't provide. We provide most of the $$ for pharma research, because every other country cost controls it. Our increasingly unholy alliance of the pharma and regulators skewing it even worse.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 12:04 PM (UVyKP)

293 True. Abortion is a fundraising issue for Dems. Its not a real issue issue.
Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 12:02 PM (DmtxH)

It's a fig leaf for fraud. That's why the GOP sent Graham out to push his bill.

DEM fundraising is just Blackrock etc etc. It's a fig leaf there too, to hide the money laundering.

Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 12:04 PM (X1EMB)

294 Check out King Harv on the water with bikini broads and a friggin machine gun, laying waste and flinging brass.....

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 12:05 PM (Zz0t1)

295 276 255 Btw, I'm not saying your Dobbs point is wrong. Just that the Schumer stat is meh to me in proving this point.
Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at August 11, 2023 11:57 AM (KbCG3)

==========

I get it.

However, the narrative is that abortion cost Republicans elections, and the evidence presented is races with...questionable election outcomes like AZ and PA. Go to places where there were races that weren't on anyone's radars (or in places where elections are pretty clean), and you just don't see the effects.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:01 PM (LvTSG)
_____________

I don't think Dobbs or abortion had any effect on the elections. What it did do is give Dumocraps an excuse to cover up their election fraud. "See? We told you all those polls showing the GOP candidate out in front were wrong! Women marched out in force to vote because of abortion!"

That being said, the GOP did the usual terrible job of taking a win with Dobbs and turning it into a loss generally. Walker in GA was an example of this. He flubbed and stepped on his dick over the issue.

Posted by: Elric Blade at August 11, 2023 12:05 PM (iFTx/)

296 my guess is 80% of dims fundraising is illegal

Posted by: REDACTED at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (us2H3)

297 nood, through both action and inaction.

Posted by: Lithiated gp For Refreshment at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (MvF+J)

298 287 Because Cuomo was still a potential Presidential candidate and needed a strong showing. It's more of reversion to the mean, and Kathy Hochul is underwhelming, also. I'd look to Congressional districts in 2020 for a clearer picture.

Reps in NY were among the inventors of the losers who tried really hard. It's tough to disaggregate any effect of Dobbs from the general unready, unwilling, and unable NY state R's.
Posted by: Bilwis Devourer of Innocent Souls, I'm starvin' over here at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM (z+89e)

========

The GOP gained 5 seats in 2022 in the NY Assembly from 2020. They also gained a seat in the Senate.

Granted, those are small moves, but they are overall positive moves with an inept GOP state apparatus and "the narrative" against them.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (LvTSG)

299 anyone who would vote solely on abortion

as a con, you have no chance in reaching

This meshes with my experience. The abortion focused leftists I know are all in on everything leftwing. If you discuss pro-abortion Republicans they are racist, or hate immigrants, or hate the earth or whatever so the pro-abort extremists can't vote for THEM either.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (lc5cP)

300 Did you get your $900 worth?

U.S. Aid to Ukraine Equals $900 Per Household

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 11:54 AM (FVME7)

----------

Next you'll be telling me that we're paying for all their pensions, too.

Oh, wait ...

Posted by: ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (6VKyY)

301 I am Ben Had.

Posted by: Marooned at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (kt8QE)

302 It's tough to disaggregate any effect of Dobbs from the general unready, unwilling, and unable NY state R's.
Posted by: Bilwis Devourer of Innocent Souls, I'm starvin' over here at August 11, 2023 12:03 PM

To be fair, given that they were also unrested and, most especially, untanned, what would you expect?

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (a3Q+t)

303 Danté Stewart (Stew)
@stewartdantec
It’s not fair that the worst of Christianity (white conservative Christians) gets to continue to speak for the rest of Christianity. Christianity in America is more than white evangelicals and sadly the American public doesn’t seem to think so.

-
You can have my snake when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (FVME7)

304 NOODlum.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Joe Biden at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (Zz0t1)

305 You can't mandate competence.
Posted by: ballistic at August 11, 2023 11:55 AM (oXNqT)

Oh, I'm not expecting competence out of it. But it forces them to actually make readable bills (sort of) and gives their constituents a better ability to hold their feet to the fire. "What do you mean you didn't read it? The Constitution gives you time to do so. It's your job. You're fired!"

But it very much restricts the amount of stupidity they can hide in a bill. No more omnibus spending bills. And it would also require that any bill modified in the other house would get the required reading days and be re-voted on - no reconciliation bullcrap.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (XfCzJ)

306 "At this moment the laws are set. And I think we have to leave it that way," Trump told CBS’ "Face the Nation” host John Dickerson in an interview that will air Sunday.

https://tinyurl.com/yutmnmsc
Posted by: Kukui at August 11, 2023 11:40 AM (cOFom)
==
If you can still find it - look at his position papers in 2016. He knew and supported state primacy on abortion. In writing. And he said it as well. He is moving now because he thinks it will help him with Independents and wine moms.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (UVyKP)

307 253 Thanks for the explanation, Tom. That makes sense.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (xTRSc)

308 Special counsel Robert Hur trying to interview Biden in classified docs probe

LOL. What a farce. biden will get a pass

Posted by: Nevergiveup at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (pVWRI)

309 293 True. Abortion is a fundraising issue for Dems. Its not a real issue issue.
Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 12:02 PM (DmtxH)

It's a fig leaf for fraud. That's why the GOP sent Graham out to push his bill.

DEM fundraising is just Blackrock etc etc. It's a fig leaf there too, to hide the money laundering.
-----------
So, like Crypto Coins, rite?

Posted by: Puddinhead at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (MbgKo)

310 I get it.

However, the narrative is that abortion cost Republicans elections, and the evidence presented is races with...questionable election outcomes like AZ and PA. Go to places where there were races that weren't on anyone's radars (or in places where elections are pretty clean), and you just don't see the effects.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
___

A winning issue doesn't automatically mean every candidate running on it prevails.

Zero doubt the border is a huge winning issue for Republicans, but that alone is not enough.

Some Republicans deftly handle abortion, some don't.

But every time this issue alone goes in front of voters, the pro abortion side wins.

In AZ, the whole election was run on abortion and it worked. Republicans never pushed back on any of it. basically conceding that yes, they intended to ban it.

Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (FT0bB)

311 ShainS -- Chief 'Misinformation' Researcher at AoSHQ

Where's my stuff?

Posted by: Marooned at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (kt8QE)

312 I'm sure someone above already said this, but as the late, great Andrew Breitbart reminded us, "Politics is downstream from culture." Bill Whittle did a good video on that sometime back, and like Buck, my Twitter search skills aren't that good, but I'm sure some of you more savvy folks could find it if you're so inclined. At any rate, Buck is spot on. Win the culture, win back the Republic.

Posted by: Agamemnon at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (57sz+)

313 It's just Finance doing financial things.
Posted by: Thesokorus at August 11, 2023 12:00 PM (X1EMB)

No, there's a whole religion behind it. And it's one that is pervasive, as they've been teaching it to kids in public schools for at least 70 years.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 12:08 PM (XfCzJ)

314 What fucking budget? We haven't passed a real budget since 2008. Don't simply look at one years' worth of outlays, look at known future outlays.

Simple entitlements would be recoverable; stop paying them (social whiplash aside, you could literally do this overnight). The problem is that our debt structure is mathematically unrecoverable. You can't just stop paying the interest, and the future curve is, and has been for quite some time, not sustainable.
Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 11:49 AM (oL+dz)
==
Oh for pete's seek. Look at the fucking spending. It's not that hard.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 12:08 PM (UVyKP)

315 310 In AZ, the whole election was run on abortion and it worked. Republicans never pushed back on any of it. basically conceding that yes, they intended to ban it.
Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (FT0bB)

=======

You should see my comment at 260.

But, I just have to remember that wrong paper sizes and shut down machines in red precincts in an election run by the Democrat gubernatorial candidate don't actually mean anything about fraud.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:09 PM (LvTSG)

316 Require no spending above LAST YEAR's revenues without a declaration of War. Maybe allow for some Emergency declaration but debit the spending from this year's revenue (so it has to be covered in the next year's budget)?

Posted by: Formerly known as Skeptic at August 11, 2023 12:09 PM (FR+I0)

317 The whole thing with Hillarycare and Obama care was an argument about fairness.

The argument about Obamacare was about fairness. The design of Obamacare was to destroy medical insurance, destroy affordable care, and micromanage health care providers at every level so minutely that they don't have time to provide care.

It’s the same thing with electricity. The argument is about saving the world, the environment, clean air; the actual design they keep pushing destroys the environment, destroys clean air technologies, and turns United States power generation into a third-world mess of power outages and massive fires while simultaneously destroying people’s ability to drive anywhere.
Posted by: Stephen Price Blair at August 11, 2023 11:45 AM (EXyHK)
==
Re healthcare. Pretty accurate. As for electricity, I think you're on to something.

Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 12:10 PM (UVyKP)

318 ..Toilet paper type and usage, are these both politicized? Posted by: Ciampino - 1-ply, 2-ply, 3-ply at August 11, 2023 11:34 AM (qfLjt)

The Feds will soon issue a ruling as to hanging the toilet roll to feed "over" or "under".

They will rule, incorrectly.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Posted by: Jim at August 11, 2023 12:10 PM (e6UQI)

319 The GOP gained 5 seats in 2022 in the NY Assembly from 2020. They also gained a seat in the Senate.

Granted, those are small moves, but they are overall positive moves with an inept GOP state apparatus and "the narrative" against them.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
+++

And many (if not most) Republicans running in NY are pro-choice.

Zeldin was pro-choice (top of the ticket for Republicans) said he wanted no change in the abortion laws.

Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:10 PM (FT0bB)

320 319 And many (if not most) Republicans running in NY are pro-choice.

Zeldin was pro-choice (top of the ticket for Republicans) said he wanted no change in the abortion laws.
Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:10 PM (FT0bB)

========

Trump is the same way.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:12 PM (LvTSG)

321 James Dobson used to take a lot of heat for being socially conservative in public. His goal was to strengthen families in the midst of the culture war. All the things he warned his listeners about are the things we see tearing the nation down.

Posted by: Emmie at August 11, 2023 12:13 PM (Sf2cq)

322 Great post, Buck.

Some candidates need better political consultants.

Posted by: KT at August 11, 2023 12:13 PM (rrtZS)

323 Win the culture, win back the Republic.
Posted by: Agamemnon at August 11, 2023 12:07 PM (57sz+)

There's something really important about this, though: THIS CANNOT BE DONE VIA LEGISLATION OR VOTING.

This has to be done through evangelism. You have to talk to your neighbors and co-workers and get them to abandon a belief system (Progressivism) and take up another one (some Christianity and Americanism). If you don't do this you can never win the fight.

First, Progressivism has a huge advantage: it appeals to every part of the sinful human spirit. Lust, gluttony, covetousness, revenge, tribalism, etc.

Second, you need to believe in it yourself - enough so to talk about it when you sit down and when you rise, when you're eating and when you're walking; to teach your children to believe it, and to tell your neighbors how important it is to you.

If you don't change hearts and minds, then you can't get back our Republic, no matter how much voter fraud you eliminate.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 12:14 PM (XfCzJ)

324 You should see my comment at 260.

But, I just have to remember that wrong paper sizes and shut down machines in red precincts in an election run by the Democrat gubernatorial candidate don't actually mean anything about fraud.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
+++

Do I think .1% of the election was take away from us? yes

I think a bunch of Republican voters got tired of standing in a long line and were lazy. So they left without voting.

But knowing the players in those statewide campaigns, even Kari Lakes own campaign manager said the real issue was Lake told her people not to vote early. So everyone came on election day.

Again, last 2 Governors races were won by a Republican by double digits. Abortion never came up.

Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:14 PM (FT0bB)

325 Trump is the same way.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
+++

Yes, he is.

Saying you want no change in the current abortion laws means you are pro-choice.

NY has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the world.

Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:16 PM (FT0bB)

326 "...he has so many other issues that keep him from being effective."

I suppose so.

It seems to me that Trump is the 'General Patton' for these times; our 'Jabez,' a man generally disliked, rejected, mocked...*but* the only one who can handle the job.

If our nation's crisis passes in 4 years, then DeSantis can take over clawing the rest of the way out of the DC swamp,Trump has fought off the embedded snakes and alligator Deep Staters like nobody else could have, or would have.

Posted by: Ju at August 11, 2023 12:17 PM (aTmM/)

327 324 Do I think .1% of the election was take away from us? yes

I think a bunch of Republican voters got tired of standing in a long line and were lazy. So they left without voting.

But knowing the players in those statewide campaigns, even Kari Lakes own campaign manager said the real issue was Lake told her people not to vote early. So everyone came on election day.

Again, last 2 Governors races were won by a Republican by double digits. Abortion never came up.
Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:14 PM (FT0bB)

=========

So, what's the normal level of fraud in Maricopa?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:18 PM (LvTSG)

328 325 Yes, he is.

Saying you want no change in the current abortion laws means you are pro-choice.

NY has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the world.
Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:16 PM (FT0bB)

==========

Is that the public perception of him, though? What's the narrative say about what he is? What do the voters think of him as being? What does the media say about what he says?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, contemplating utopia with Peter Weir at August 11, 2023 12:19 PM (LvTSG)

329 Christianity in America is more than white evangelicals and sadly the American public doesn’t seem to think so.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? at August 11, 2023 12:06 PM (FVME7)

Yes, this is true. But it is NOT more than the Bible. If you're on about reparations or using gov't to cure the ills of men's souls, then you're NOT a Christian, but a Progressive.

Posted by: GWB at August 11, 2023 12:20 PM (XfCzJ)

330
3% of Canadians deaths were formal suicides last year.

Did they wear tuxedos?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 11, 2023 12:21 PM (63Dwl)

331 Politics WAS downstream of culture. And we were OK with that. Now culture is downstream of politics. That's why everything is upside down. Like the bow pushing the rudder. It doesn't work. Yet those in political office keep pushing because they want to wrest control from the people.

Posted by: Coki at August 11, 2023 12:23 PM (20dZh)

332 Excellent rant.

They have allowed tens of millions into the country, not through the legitimate refugee programs, or TPS (another f*cking mess), or visas. Often simply through walking in, flying in, and/or the Humanitarian Parolee program in the case of most of the Ukrainians and Afghans. They are steered towards shelters & social service agencies, and all wind up with a sundry of benefits dependent upon number and age of family members, children & pregnant women, in particular, and some elderly. Also important, the particular communities to which they are directed en mass thereby creating further housing problems, worse schools, greater stress and more competition for stuff. Bringing up culture/kitchen table issues if you're the wrong pedigree means you're greedy & unwelcoming. Learn to cope.

The current population of the United States of America is 340,200,218 as of Friday, August 11, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

The new projections result in a total population of 391.1 million in 2040, which is 13.0 million (3.2%) below the projection issued in 2008 and still currently recommended by the U.S. Census Bureau. Heh.

Posted by: L - Practice makes perfect. They know their enemy at August 11, 2023 12:25 PM (GshMh)

333 It's the left that makes pro-life radioactive. The left is always trying to panic people saying birth control will be outlawed or women will die from carrying babies to term or that not killing a baby resulting from true (or claimed) rape or incest is irreparably harmful.

In reality, the left's position should be radioactive. Abortion at any time within 2-6 years of conception, for any reason including getting pregnant on purpose in order to have a baby to kill, with forced (medical and financial) participation of people who loathe baby-killing.

Posted by: Emmie at August 11, 2023 12:28 PM (Sf2cq)

334
Did they wear tuxedos?

I'm differentiating hanging yourself or some such versus drinking yourself to death. The latter would not formally be labelled suicide even if in some cases it basically is.

Posted by: 18-1 at August 11, 2023 12:33 PM (lc5cP)

335 333 I forgot the exploitation of women for money and sadistic satisfaction with no concern for the woman's wellbeing, the harvesting of baby parts, the lying and manipulation to get hesitant women to abort against their better judgment....

Posted by: Emmie at August 11, 2023 12:36 PM (Sf2cq)

336 It's long past the time when groups like Moms for Liberty to stop making nice and be combative. Time to call fags and trannies what they are: pervert degenerates, and lay down the gauntlet. Stay the FUCK away from our kids, or we will kill you.

Posted by: clams on the half shell and roller skates, roller skates at August 11, 2023 12:36 PM (kvDvI)

337 336
'Stay the FUCK away from our kids, or we will kill you.'

Finally, someone is serious about this.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 11, 2023 12:51 PM (vNbzm)

338 Look, here's the bottom line on "cULtURe wAr" issues... If there is a CONSTITUTIONAL federal law that can address it, fine. If not, then it isn't a valid GOVERNMENT issue. Therefore you need to fight that battle using the same tactics that the left uses.

For instance, the "they've forgotten God" issue. Sure. And how is the GOVERNMENT going to fix that? They AREN'T.

To be honest, I'm curious what "social conservative" causes you now think we're both worth fighting and winnable. The likes of Rick Santorum was used as a major tool by the left to further move the Overton window to the left.

First of all, I disagree on what is or isn't a culture war issue. Legitimate government functions are not. Period. Half of what you list falls in this category

Posted by: Deadrody at August 11, 2023 01:05 PM (BqWhS)

339 Do I think .1% of the election was take away from us? yes

I think it's closer to 30%.

I think a bunch of Republican voters got tired of standing in a long line and were lazy. So they left without voting.

Is it fair if Republican voters must wait in long lines but Democrat voters do not?

But knowing the players in those statewide campaigns, even Kari Lakes own campaign manager said the real issue was Lake told her people not to vote early. So everyone came on election day.

Just like in the not-too-distant past, when we all used to vote on Election Day. How come we can't handle that anymore?

Again, last 2 Governors races were won by a Republican by double digits. Abortion never came up.
Posted by: Blago at August 11, 2023 12:14 PM (FT0bB)

Republican candidates will face many obstructions, including from the GOPe, if they don't toe the line on abortion rights.

Posted by: Emmie at August 11, 2023 01:13 PM (Sf2cq)

340 BTW, what is this "we" shit from DeSantis. The president has no part to play in amending the Constitution. If he wants to do that, he is in just as good of a position to start now as he will be if he miraculously becomes president. And right now there is less than zero percent chance any such amendment cones CLOSE to passing Congress, let alone the states. It is tilting at windmills in the extreme

Posted by: Deadrody at August 11, 2023 01:15 PM (BqWhS)

341 Agree, like Rush, 98.6% :-D

Trump appointed three conservative judges who overturned Roe; I seem to recall that being something of cultural significance...

DeSantis flip-flopped on his Ukraine to bend to the will of the establishment(for money). I don't trust lawyers who turn into politicians without fiduciary responsibilities(private sector responsibilities and experience).

Posted by: Danimal28 at August 11, 2023 01:15 PM (klw0w)

342 When I became conservative - around 1996 (before that I either considered myself liberal or libertarian) - I noticed right away that the only politician you could trust to be conservative in federal office was someone who was a devout social conservative. Every other genre of "conservative" (particularly the Fiscal conservative / social liberal type) almost immediately went full lefty once in federal office. Even if they had been fairly conservative at the state level.

For me, the wake-up call was the betrayal of Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger in California and Christie Todd Whitman in New Jersey, both of whom ran as “fiscally conservate / socially liberal.”

I still get POd when I think about the election of Arnold. (caveat, I like Arnold as a movie star). It was clear from the get-go that he would govern as a liberal. He was married to a kennedy family member. He was an actor in Hollywood. I argued that removing Gray Davis and replacing him with Arnold would just put the GOP imprint on all of CA's problems, which would destroy any chance of GOP success in the future of CA. But, republican voters were star-struck.

Posted by: I forgot my name b/c I haven't posted in 6 months at August 11, 2023 01:35 PM (ky+MF)

343 As for Desantis, it may be unfair to him, but the only GOP politician I trust to actually pursue a conservative agenda is Trump.

GOP "conservative" candidates have betrayed us far too many times. People who seemed very conservative at the state level. People who ran as rock-hard conservatives. Maybe Desantis would be different. But I'm unwilling at this time to take that chance. If Trump weren't around, Desantis would get my vote, but why vote for a question mark when you don't have to?

Posted by: I forgot my name b/c I haven't posted in 6 months at August 11, 2023 01:38 PM (ky+MF)

344 "265
I'm the son of a leftard from a leftard area. My life wasnt worth protecting? Give me a fucking break. You're complaining about voting for people without proper moral grounding - it sounds like they represent you just fine.
Posted by: ... at August 11, 2023 11:58 AM (QSXi6)"

If it means overall defeat, then no, it's not worth voting for politicians that LARP as Christians and don't give a flying fuck about abortion, but who are simply pandering to an audience. Because they're not serious about opposing leftists either.

The mistake people are making is in thinking this is just some sort of electoral contest. In a vacuum - yes, failing to oppose abortion just for votes is morally disgusting.

In an existential conflict where your opponents intend to enslave, at best, or genocide, at worst, YOUR children, ceding tactical, operational, and strategic advantage to protect THEIR children is completely fucking retarded.

A complete, functional understanding of the moral implications of your actions requires being honest about the actual consequences instead of parading around whining about feelings.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 01:52 PM (oL+dz)

345 "Oh for pete's seek. Look at the fucking spending. It's not that hard.
Posted by: Black JEM at August 11, 2023 12:08 PM (UVyKP)"

They can't raise interest rates enough to arrest real inflation without exploding the existing debt servicing vs. potential tax receipts. They can't leave real inflation alone without it exploding the existing debt servicing, either. You are failing to see the forest because of all of the burning trees; it doesn't matter what fraction of the budget they could slash tomorrow.

Posted by: somedood at August 11, 2023 01:56 PM (oL+dz)

346 I've never met a FCSL person who was FC at all.

"I'm FCSL!"
"Okay, how about cutting all funding for billion dollar corporation planned parenthood?"
"Reeeeeeeeee that's a social issue!!!!"

Posted by: Karen at August 11, 2023 02:49 PM (VaT9j)

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