***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[airpablo]

Is the US military really in that bad of a shape?
Is military equipment really just falling apart or is all the money going to the wrong places, and if so does throwing more at it fix it?

I know we spend more than anyone else on defense

 

[IATT]

Jeffrey A TuckerVerified account‏@jeffreyatucker 29m29 minutes ago

Can you imagine if Obama told US business from where they must purchase their inputs, regardless of cost or feasibility?

 

[ar guy]

Is the US military really in that bad of a shape?
Is military equipment really just falling apart or is all the money going to the wrong places, and if so does throwing more at it fix it?

I know we spend more than anyone else on defense

It's a bit of both. The reason we spend so much on defense is because we actually compensate our troops decently well.

 

[elpablo21]

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

I never understood why racism against jews has its own distinction.

 

[gry60]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/02/...vel-restrictions-2026-world-cup-bid-uefa.html

 

[hand2handking]

because white supremacy ensures that as a benefit of white privilege 

 

[Belgium]

This guy... 

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...-knew-that-healthcare-could-be-so-complicated

 
President Trump said Monday that "nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated," as Republicans have been slow to unite around a replacement plan for ObamaCare.

"I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject," Trump said after a meeting with conservative governors at the White House. 

The GOP governors were in town this weekend for their annual conference and met with Trump to talk about a variety of things, but it's likely the conversation largely focused on healthcare. 

Governors have been split on what should be done with ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion, which brought health coverage to many even in deep-red states. 
Trump didn't publicly address that issue Monday morning, but said ObamaCare's repeal and replacement will give states more flexibility "to make the end result really, really good for them." 
"We have come up with a solution that's really, really good I think. Very good." 

Trump also dismissed polls that show support for ObamaCare is at an all-time high. 

The latest tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that 48 percent view the law favorably compared to the 42 percent who don't. 

"People hate it but now they see that the end is coming and they say, 'Oh ,maybe we love it.' There's nothing to love. It's a disaster, folks."

 

[RustyShackleford]

because white supremacy ensures that as a benefit of white privilege 

An easy Google serach brings this up....

https://www.britannica.com/topic/anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism, hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious or racial group. The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns under way in central Europe at that time. Although the term now has wide currency, it is a misnomer, since it implies a discrimination against all Semites. Arabs and other peoples are also Semites, and yet they are not the targets of anti-Semitism as it is usually understood. The term is especially inappropriate as a label for the anti-Jewish prejudices, statements, or actions of Arabs or other Semites. Nazi anti-Semitism, which culminated in the Holocaust, had a racist dimension in that it targeted Jews because of their supposed biological characteristics—even those who had themselves converted to other religions or whose parents were converts. This variety of anti-Jewish racism dates only to the emergence of so-called “scientific racism” in the 19th century and is different in nature from earlier anti-Jewish prejudices.

And let me ask you, are you really saying that "anti-semitism" is a benefit to the Jewish community bestowed on them because they are white?

 

[EddieDoyers]

^ he's not going to answer that Rusty

 

[hand2handking]

 

im saying that the distinction is precluded into white supremacy

as a means of both control and mass indoctrination

even in your google search, arabs can be jews but what is the popularly associated image of a jew?

jews are seen as special, distinctive

so any discrimination they face is that of a protected class

whereas racism and poc are thereby seen as not distinctive or special or protected

this also serves the purpose of maintaining the false premise that anyone of any race can be racist

if that were the case, wouldnt there be -isms respective to each socially constructed categorization?

 

[RustyShackleford]

 
[thread="509493"] [/thread]

im saying that the distinction is precluded into white supremacy

as a means of both control and mass indoctrination

even in your google search, arabs can be jews but what is the popularly associated image of a jew?

jews are seen as special, distinctive

so any discrimination they face is that of a protected class

whereas racism and poc are thereby seen as not distinctive or special or protected

this also serves the purpose of maintaining the false premise that anyone of any race can be racist

if that were the case, wouldnt there be -isms respective to each socially constructed categorization?

Jewish people didn't get that term because they were protected class, they got it because they were the only major minority group around and there was a ton of hate being lobbied at them, in Germany. Think of what you are implying. It started in the 18th century in Germany, were things always sweet for them in Germany after that?

Further Googling, you find this.....

Marr took these philosophies one step further by rejecting the premise of assimilation as a means for Jews to become Germans. In his pamphlet Der Weg zum Siege des Germanenthums über das Judenthum (The Way to Victory of Germanism over Judaism, 1879) he introduced the idea that Germans and Jews were locked in a longstanding conflict, the origins of which he attributed to race—and that the Jews were winning. He argued that Jewish emancipation resulting from German liberalism had allowed the Jews to control German finance and industry. Furthermore, since this conflict was based on the different qualities of the Jewish and German races, it could not be resolved even by the total assimilation of the Jewish population. According to him, the struggle between Jews and Germans would only be resolved by the victory of one and the ultimate death of the other. A Jewish victory, he concluded, would result in finis Germaniae (the end of the German people). To prevent this from happening, in 1879 Marr founded the League of Antisemites (Antisemiten-Liga), the first German organization committed specifically to combating the alleged threat to Germany posed by the Jews and advocating their forced removal from the country.

Saying that since most Jewish people are classified as white and currently get most of the benefits of white supremacy and white privilege is one thing.

But a special label for the hatred that lead to an attempt to eradicate their people is not a damb benefit to the Jewish community.

------Btw, lets cut the bull ****. A black person can be bigot, they can be xenophobe, homophobes, or a antisemite. Just because the community they power impose institutionalize oppression on another group, that doesn't let the bigots, xenophobes, and antisemite within the community off the hook for their buffoonery.

And it doesn't let black people that allow other groups to be oppressed either through tacit support, or indifference, off the hook either.

 

[quise2024]

Speaking of .. we on good terms with Israel?

Im trying to cop this WBC Israel fitted but i dont need no vigilante coming for my head just for rocking a hat?

 

[rolaholic]

@lhfang:
WH officially appoints Koch lobbyist as environmental policy advisor, hedge fund lobbyist as financial policy aide https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pres...nomic-council-director-announces-senior-staff …

Gotta be the most shameless administration of all-time

Dudes are cartoonishly corrupt

Also

@peterdaou:
NEW: GOP LEADER CONFIRMS RUSSIAN MEDDLING. @SpeakerRyan says "We know that Russia meddled in the election. No one is disputing that."

I can think of a certain someone who does keep disputing that...

 

[RustyShackleford]

America was worried about Clinton's big business connections, but Trump showing the world that there is levels to this ****.

 

[EddieDoyers]

Paul Ryan is a f-boy

 

[hand2handking]

 

im not saying anti-semitism is a benefit, that its a benefit to be persecuted etc

im saying having that distinction is a benefit as it relates to the all encompassing discrimination poc face

its a benefit to have a specific term that relates to your specific "culture" when fighting injustices

its a benefit to have a universally recognized term that can be applied to institutions

and poc can be all of those things, but not racist

racism as a race we run equally is a misconception

 

[elpablo21]

 I can think of a certain someone who does keep disputing that...

I havent talked to Russia in 10 YEARS!!!

 

[Mark Antony]

Kinda glad the jobs I was contacted for Koch and Heritage pre-Trump never went through, dunno if I could do it.

 

[Belgium]

Literally can't let a single opportunity slide to try to turn something all about him 

http://www.latimes.com/politics/was...od-s-obsession-with-1488231314-htmlstory.html

 
President Trump is often loathe to accept responsibility when things go wrong, but in the case of Sunday's Oscars broadcast, he made an exception.

As he explained it Monday, it was Hollywood's obsession with attacking him that contributed to the botched best picture announcement, calling the embarrassing episode "sad," of course.

Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has apologized for the mix-up that led Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway to announce "La La Land" as the winner of the top Academy Award prize, instead of "Moonlight."

But in Trump's eyes, the blame falls more broadly on an entertainment industry so preoccupied with politics that they "didn't get the act together," he told Breitbart News .

"It took away from the glamour of the Oscars," Trump told a reporter from the website, which was once led by his chief White House strategist, Steve Bannon.

"It didn’t feel like a very glamorous evening. I’ve been to the Oscars. There was something very special missing, and then to end that way was sad," he added.

The ceremony did contain a number of slights at Trump during its telecast, some more subtle than others. Host Jimmy Kimmel openly at one point begged the president to weigh in by tweeting at him.

Trump spent part of Sunday night hosting a black-tie dinner at the White House honoring the nation's governors, who were visiting Washington for their annual winter meeting. But it appears from excerpts of the Breitbart interview that he may have spent at least part of the evening watching.

 

[AEA18]

@lhfang:
WH officially appoints Koch lobbyist as environmental policy advisor, hedge fund lobbyist as financial policy aide https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pres...nomic-council-director-announces-senior-staff …

Gotta be the most shameless administration of all-time

Dudes are cartoonishly corrupt

F'n ridiculous

 

[aepps20]

But, but Da Coal jobs are coming back B.

 

[Mark Antony]

Literally can't let a single opportunity slide to try to turn something all about him 
http://www.latimes.com/politics/was...od-s-obsession-with-1488231314-htmlstory.html
[QUOTE url="[URL]http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/27/exclusive-president-trump-oscar-fail-focused-hard-politics-not-get-basics-right/[/URL]"]
 

President Trump is often loathe to accept responsibility when things go wrong, but in the case of Sunday's Oscars broadcast, he made an exception.



As he explained it Monday, it was Hollywood's obsession with attacking him that contributed to the botched best picture announcement, calling the embarrassing episode "sad," of course.



Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has apologized for the mix-up that led Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway to announce "La La Land" as the winner of the top Academy Award prize, instead of "Moonlight."



But in Trump's eyes, the blame falls more broadly on an entertainment industry so preoccupied with politics that they "didn't get the act together," he told Breitbart News .



"It took away from the glamour of the Oscars," Trump told a reporter from the website, which was once led by his chief White House strategist, Steve Bannon.



"It didn’t feel like a very glamorous evening. I’ve been to the Oscars. There was something very special missing, and then to end that way was sad," he added.



The ceremony did contain a number of slights at Trump during its telecast, some more subtle than others. Host Jimmy Kimmel openly at one point begged the president to weigh in by tweeting at him.



Trump spent part of Sunday night hosting a black-tie dinner at the White House honoring the nation's governors, who were visiting Washington for their annual winter meeting. But it appears from excerpts of the Breitbart interview that he may have spent at least part of the evening watching.

[/quote]

Has he even said anything about the Indian engineer that was murdered and the others that were shot as a result of the rise in white supremacist/nationalist rhetoric that he helped spark?

Are white supremacist extremists still not going to be paid attention to? isn't this the first domestic terrorist attack under his watch?

 

[aepps20]

Has he even said anything about the Indian engineer that was murdered and the others that were shot as a result of the rise in white supremacist/nationalist rhetoric that he helped spark?

Are white supremacist extremists still not going to be paid attention to? isn't this the first domestic terrorist attack under his watch?

Probably too busy looking dapper and handsome in his youth to care B.

 

[Belgium]

Has he even said anything about the Indian engineer that was murdered and the others that were shot as a result of the rise in white supremacist/nationalist rhetoric that he helped spark?

Are white supremacist extremists still not going to be paid attention to? isn't this the first domestic terrorist attack under his watch?

He hasn't made any comments that I am aware of on the Kansas shooting.

As for white supremacists, I'd guess this is a pretty good indication of where they stand. Note that there are no reports on whether this has been finalized, but the fact that reports surfaced of the administration wanting to make that change already says a lot.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-extremists-program-exclusiv-idUSKBN15G5VO

 
The Trump administration wants to revamp and rename a U.S. government program designed to counter all violent ideologies so that it focuses solely on Islamist extremism, five people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

The program, "Countering Violent Extremism," or CVE, would be changed to "Countering Islamic Extremism" or "Countering Radical Islamic Extremism," the sources said, and would no longer target groups such as white supremacists who have also carried out bombings and shootings in the United States.

Such a change would reflect Trump's election campaign rhetoric and criticism of former President Barack Obama for being weak in the fight against Islamic State and for refusing to use the phrase "radical Islam" in describing it. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks on civilians in several countries.

The CVE program aims to deter groups or potential lone attackers through community partnerships and educational programs or counter-messaging campaigns in cooperation with companies such as Google (GOOGL.O) and Facebook (FB.O).

Some proponents of the program fear that rebranding it could make it more difficult for the government to work with Muslims already hesitant to trust the new administration, particularly after Trump issued an executive order last Friday temporarily blocking travel to the United States from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Still, the CVE program, which focuses on U.S. residents and is separate from a military effort to fight extremism online, has been criticized even by some supporters as ineffective.

A source who has worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the program said Trump transition team members first met with a CVE task force in December and floated the idea of changing the name and focus. 

In a meeting last Thursday attended by senior staff for DHS Secretary John Kelly, government employees were asked to defend why they chose certain community organizations as recipients of CVE program grants, said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

Although CVE funding has been appropriated by Congress and the grant recipients were notified in the final days of the Obama administration, the money still may not go out the door, the source said, adding that Kelly is reviewing the matter.

The department declined comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Some Republicans in Congress have long assailed the program as politically correct and ineffective, asserting that singling out and using the term "radical Islam" as the trigger for many violent attacks would help focus deterrence efforts.

Others counter that branding the problem as "radical Islam" would only serve to alienate more than three million Americans who practice Islam peacefully.

Many community groups, meanwhile, had already been cautious about the program, partly over concerns that it could double as a surveillance tool for law enforcement.

Hoda Hawa, director of policy for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said she was told last week by people within DHS that there was a push to refocus the CVE effort from tackling all violent ideology to only Islamist extremism.

"That is concerning for us because they are targeting a faith group and casting it under a net of suspicion," she said.

Another source familiar with the matter was told last week by a DHS official that a name change would take place. Three other sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such plans had been discussed but were unable to attest whether they had been finalized.

The Obama administration sought to foster relationships with community groups to engage them in the counterterrorism effort. In 2016, Congress appropriated $10 million in grants for CVE efforts and DHS awarded the first round of grants on Jan. 13, a week before Trump was inaugurated.

Among those approved were local governments, city police departments, universities and non-profit organizations. In addition to organizations dedicated to combating Islamic State's recruitment in the United States, grants also went to Life After Hate, which rehabilitates former neo-Nazis and other domestic extremists.

Just in the past two years, authorities blamed radical and violent ideologies as the motives for a white supremacist's shooting rampage inside a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina and Islamist militants for shootings and bombings in California, Florida and New York.

One grant recipient, Leaders Advancing & Helping Communities, a Michigan-based group led by Lebanese-Americans, has declined a $500,000 DHS grant it had sought, according to an email the group sent that was seen by Reuters. A representative for the group confirmed the grant had been rejected but declined further comment. 

"Given the current political climate and cause for concern, LAHC has chosen to decline the award," said the email, which was sent last Thursday, a day before Trump issued his immigration order, which was condemned at home and abroad as discriminating against Muslims while the White House said it was to "to protect the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals."