Miscellaneous news items that don't warrant their own thread

[89Hen]

libertarianism is a pipe dream. Libertarianism is a Branch Dividian cult.

EVERYONE agrees there should be some laws and some degree of liberties that have to be constrained to have a decent society. All we're really arguing about are where the lines on which it's drawn.

Shows how little you know. You conflate libertarianism with anarchy, which is only one strain of libertarian thought. If libertarians can push the duopoly toward recognizing liberty in any sector of public life, whether guns or cannabis or land use, they’ve succeeded.

But the Libertarian Party is one big dumpster fire right now.

I said everyone agrees there should be some laws and some degree of liberties that have to be constrained... that means libertarians too. How was
I ever close to saying libertarianism is like anarchy??

[Ivytalk]

Hen, your initial post incorrectly implies that all libertarians think alike (“libertarianism [small-l intended, I suppose] is a pipe dream”). Then, you call Libertarianism [cap-l intended, I suppose] a “Branch Davidian cult.” Yeah, we have a factional fight going on in the Libertarian Party, as do the two major parties, and the LP has some nasty people, as do the two major parties, but you prefer to paint with your customary overbroad brush.

If you want to learn more, read Brian Doherty’s Radicals for Capitalism, a good overview of the small-l libertarian movement in the US.

[CID1990]

Liberarianism isn't anarchy. It's not "no government." It's being free to do what you want to do unless what you do definitely harms someone else.

Establishing a system by which nobody could work for the Federal Government for more than 12 years unless they were involved in a "national security" position would be an absolute disaster.

Also, 20 years ago was 2002. In 2002 we had 2.8 million civilian Federal Employees. In 2020 we had 2.9 million. I seriously doubt that there has been a big jump since then.

I don't know what you are talking about when you say we have twice as much government now. But it's not twice as much Federal Employees.

BTW, we had 2.9 million in 2000. see https://www.statista.com/statistics/204 ... in-the-us/.

Another thing in his proposal is to cut the number of Federal Employees by 25%. Let's just assume we have 3 million right now. That would mean 2.25 million. The link I provided goes back through 1982. The lowest number during that time frame is 2.7 million.

Saying "cut the number of Federal Employees by 25%" really smacks of brain dead populism. I can pretty much guarantee you it's not based on any kind of rational analysis with respect to what would be best.

Who has said that? I haven’t seen anybody here say that.

Wut?

Jelly and klam used to imply it all the time


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[CID1990]

SC brings back the firing squad.
https://nypost.com/2021/05/17/south-car ... executions.

This article doesn’t dig quite far enough and answer the “why”.

Some states are moving away from the lethal injection and back to more antiquated execution methods because a key ingredient in the lethal injection cocktail is only produced in either Denmark or the Netherlands (I forget which one). Their parliament has placed restrictions on exporting this chemical to the US because it is being used to execute people.


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[AZGrizFan]

Who has said that? I haven’t seen anybody here say that.

Wut?

Jelly and klam used to imply it all the time


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They used to imply they wanted government employees to only work 12 years for the gov?

[CID1990]

Wut?

Jelly and klam used to imply it all the time


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They used to imply they wanted government employees to only work 12 years for the gov?

That libertarians are for no government


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[AZGrizFan]

They used to imply they wanted government employees to only work 12 years for the gov?

That libertarians are for no government


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Oh. That. Yes. I was talking about something else in that long, rambling post.

[Ibanez]

SC brings back the firing squad.
https://nypost.com/2021/05/17/south-car ... executions.

This article doesn’t dig quite far enough and answer the “why”.

Some states are moving away from the lethal injection and back to more antiquated execution methods because a key ingredient in the lethal injection cocktail is only produced in either Denmark or the Netherlands (I forget which one). Their parliament has placed restrictions on exporting this chemical to the US because it is being used to execute people.


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Also you have 4 or 5 guns, a box of bullets and you've got all the supply you need for decades.

[Pwns]

People ask me why I don't just acknowledge how uniquely awful Lauren Boehbert and Marjorie Taylor Green are and how they are a threat to Democracy and yadda yadda. I need to save this to bring it up the next time the conversation comes up.



And who get to decide what's offensive or "racist shit"?

Apparently, people who think the NYT and Russell Brand, Sam Harris, Glenn Greenwald, and Steven Pinker are right wing. Oh, but not leftists icons that signed the Harper's Letter like Noam Chomsky and Gloria Steinem, too.

I can't take seriously anyone who says cancel culture isn't an issue and complaining about that editorial from a notoriously woke publication.

[Skjellyfetti]

Everyone gets to decide for themselves what is stupid, racist shit. Or just stupid shit.

This board is a microcosm. If you say stupid shit, you are probably going to get called out and hounded on it. The 6.93 guy wasn't "cancelled." He just said something stupid and was called out on it and got grumpy and left.

If the 6.93 guy was *banned* for posting something stupid on the other hand....

[kalm]

People ask me why I don't just acknowledge how uniquely awful Lauren Boehbert and Marjorie Taylor Green are and how they are a threat to Democracy and yadda yadda. I need to save this to bring it up the next time the conversation comes up.



And who get to decide what's offensive or "racist shit"?

Apparently, people who think the NYT and Russell Brand, Sam Harris, Glenn Greenwald, and Steven Pinker are right wing. Oh, but not leftists icons that signed the Harper's Letter like Noam Chomsky and Gloria Steinem, too.

I can't take seriously anyone who says cancel culture isn't an issue and complaining about that editorial from a notoriously woke publication.

Is someone losing their right to not have their opinions criticized or feelings hurt?

Is the NYT not a privately owned company?

[Pwns]

It's not about the right to not have your opinion criticized. It's about not losing your livelihood because of them. Lieu is deliberately misinterpreting what the NYT editorial is saying, or is just stupid.

[kalm]

It's not about the right to not have your opinion criticized. It's about not losing your livelihood because of them. Lieu is deliberately misinterpreting what the NYT editorial is saying, or is just stupid.

There are many unfortunate things about cancel culture but it’s not new and has been wielded by both sides of the spectrum.

And losing your livelihood over public statements is not a rights issue but again I acknowledge the slippery slope.

What part of Lieu’s comment do you disagree with?

[Ibanez]

North Carolina's attorney general and state bureau of investigations are looking into whether Mark Meadows, former President Trump's chief of staff, committed voter fraud in the 2020 election.


The allegation of voter fraud emerged after the New Yorker reported that Meadows had registered to vote in 2020 with the address of a mobile home he neither lived in nor owned.

District Attorney Ashley Welch, who represents the area where the home is located, referred the case to North Carolina's Department of Justice's Special Prosecutions Section. Welch recused herself from investigating Meadows herself because he had contributed to her campaign and had appeared in advertisements on her behalf in 2014.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-meado ... stigation/

[SeattleGriz]

In other news. If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Warning: It's a little graphic.

Best comment.

The only smart thing here was his phone

[Ibanez]

In other news. If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Warning: It's a little graphic.

Best comment.

The only smart thing here was his phone

Is (was?) his name Darwin?

[SeattleGriz]

Oh my Lord.

[Ibanez]

Oh my Lord.

Yeah...Chicago is a good example of how to solve crime.

[Ibanez]

Yesterday:

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday withdrew his endorsement of Rep. Mo Brooks in the GOP U.S. Senate primary election in Alabama, bitingly citing Brooks’ call for fellow Republicans to stop obsessing over the 2020 presidential election results as they try to win races in 2022 and 2024.

But Trump’s move to withdraw the endorsement might have less to do with Brooks’ comment — which happened seven full months ago at a Trump rally in Cullman and drew loud boos from the crowd.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/23/trump-w ... -race.html




Today:

Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama on Wednesday said Donald Trump had asked him to “rescind” the 2020 presidential election, “remove” President Joe Biden from his office, “immediately put” Trump back in the White House and hold a new special presidential election.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/23/mo-broo ... biden.html

Hell hath no fury like a Trump scorned....7 months ago.

[AZGrizFan]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-le ... ate-letter

So, what would happen if they just stopped enforcing the rule? Why are they letting the Feds dictate here? Is there some pile of money at risk?

A group of airline CEOs sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to end the federal mask mandate on public transportation, arguing mandatory masking is"no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment."

"It makes no sense that people are still required to wear masks on airplanes, yet are allowed to congregate in crowded restaurants, schools and at sporting events without masks, despite none of these venues having the protective air filtration system that aircraft do," the letter said.

CEOs of Alaska Air, Atlas Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and Airlines for America signed the letter.

"Now is the time for the Administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions — including the international predeparture testing requirement and the federal mask mandate — that are no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment," the letter continued.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration extended the mask mandates for public transportation until April 18. All 50 states have meanwhile announced plans to drop masking requirements.

"We are encouraged by the current data and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from coast to coast, which indicate it is past time to eliminate COVID-era transportation policies," the letter to the president said.

The CEOs argued that enforcing the rules have fallen on airline employees, which has subjected "them to daily challenges by frustrated customers" and is taking "a toll on their own well-being."

[CID1990]

The USA Today “Woman of the Year” is a man

The best female collegiate swimmer in the USA this year is a man

Proving that even at being women…. men are better


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[AshevilleApp]

25 years since "Fight Night at the Joe".

https://news.yahoo.com/darren-mccarty-c ... TQQfpGTL04

[AZGrizFan]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/wh ... 023-budget

The White House will target billionaires with a new minimum tax when President Biden unveils his 2023 budget, according to a document from the administration obtained by Fox News.


Dubbed the "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax," the Biden administration proposal, as highlighted in the document, aims to "ensure that the very wealthiest Americans pay a tax rate of at least 20 percent on their full income, including unrealized appreciation."

Wealthy households who already pay 20% on their full income will not pay an additional tax under the proposal. However, the document noted that if a "tax-free unrealized income allows a wealthy household to pay less than 20 percent on their full income, they will owe a top-up payment to meet the 20 percent minimum."

The document also said the tax "will eliminate the ability for the unrealized income of ultra-high-net-worth households to go untaxed for decades or generations."

Man, this is a slippery slope. I get that it’s only targeted at the super rich, but once an idea like this gets ahold, it eventually and inevitably will wind up trickling down lower and lower on the income scale. Targeting UNREALIZED gains…..very, very bad idea. What happens when unrealized gains become unrealized losses?

[Ivytalk]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/wh ... 023-budget

The White House will target billionaires with a new minimum tax when President Biden unveils his 2023 budget, according to a document from the administration obtained by Fox News.


Dubbed the "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax," the Biden administration proposal, as highlighted in the document, aims to "ensure that the very wealthiest Americans pay a tax rate of at least 20 percent on their full income, including unrealized appreciation."

Wealthy households who already pay 20% on their full income will not pay an additional tax under the proposal. However, the document noted that if a "tax-free unrealized income allows a wealthy household to pay less than 20 percent on their full income, they will owe a top-up payment to meet the 20 percent minimum."

The document also said the tax "will eliminate the ability for the unrealized income of ultra-high-net-worth households to go untaxed for decades or generations."

Man, this is a slippery slope. I get that it’s only targeted at the super rich, but once an idea like this gets ahold, it eventually and inevitably will wind up trickling down lower and lower on the income scale. Targeting UNREALIZED gains…..very, very bad idea. What happens when unrealized gains become unrealized losses?

Liz Warren has advocated that idea for some time.

[kalm]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/wh ... 023-budget

The White House will target billionaires with a new minimum tax when President Biden unveils his 2023 budget, according to a document from the administration obtained by Fox News.


Dubbed the "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax," the Biden administration proposal, as highlighted in the document, aims to "ensure that the very wealthiest Americans pay a tax rate of at least 20 percent on their full income, including unrealized appreciation."

Wealthy households who already pay 20% on their full income will not pay an additional tax under the proposal. However, the document noted that if a "tax-free unrealized income allows a wealthy household to pay less than 20 percent on their full income, they will owe a top-up payment to meet the 20 percent minimum."

The document also said the tax "will eliminate the ability for the unrealized income of ultra-high-net-worth households to go untaxed for decades or generations."

Man, this is a slippery slope. I get that it’s only targeted at the super rich, but once an idea like this gets ahold, it eventually and inevitably will wind up trickling down lower and lower on the income scale. Targeting UNREALIZED gains…..very, very bad idea. What happens when unrealized gains become unrealized losses?

Fair point but the US is not economically sustainable under neoliberalism. No one wants to pay more taxes, but for better or worse one group is better positioned to without it affecting their standard of living.