***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[Sharpshoeter13]

now in YOUR opinion
do you think the MAJORITY
of asians care about the plight of black folks issues

I do, unfortunately not all. I'm disappointed in some of the Filipinos in our small community here in Boston cuz some of them support the ideas of both Trump and Duterte. I barely go on Facebook anymore cuz I know my TL is gonna be *** cuz of all garbage takes. I know some Pinoys that came here illegally yet they have the audacity to chime in on the immigration issue this country is currently facing. They're soooo infatuated with the "American Dream" that it's sad and disturbing.

About the systemic oppression African-Americans are currently facing and have endured over the years? Welp, they have their god-awful takes on that sensitive subject as well.

I strongly feel that education/understanding TRUMPS all (da iron knee).

 

[nawghtyhare]

I feel you nawghty
Nothing personal in our discussions.

Thats fine. I'm the same way. And we both aired out our differing points here.

"Slick" I meant was indirectly calling out Asians for being WS. Fine if you didn't mean all Asians in that statement, but like you said yourself you have to qualify and not speak in general.

My fault for that my dude, sorry. Thank you for what you do. It just felt like a slap in the face with your original generalized statement that Asians don't care about the plight of other minorities. Just letting you know "we" do care.

all of us coming from different backgrounds
races/ethnicities
and just different walks of life
and being able to communicate
and get our thoughts out
without disrespecting each other
is a beautiful thing
hope yall have a great rest of ur day

 

[IATT]

Fiscal.. conservatives????

 

[nawghtyhare]

I strongly feel that education/understanding TRUMPS all (da iron knee).

also empathy
i tend to notice some of the most educated
lack understanding and empathy

 

[Sharpshoeter13]

also empathy
i tend to notice some of the most educated
lack understanding and empathy

THAT, too.

 

[IATT]

 

[IATT]

 

[frink85]

A policy that did not exist, that was made by the democrats

 

[fargin]

Mueller?

I can't take this much longer, please tell me you got this.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

They are goin IN on Ivanka, replying to her tweet. Sometimes white America gives me a small glimmer of hope. Then they ruin it.

 

[Sharpshoeter13]

all of us coming from different backgrounds
races/ethnicities
and just different walks of life
and being able to communicate
and get our thoughts out
without disrespecting each other
is a beautiful thing
hope yall have a great rest of ur day

Foreal, man. It's better this way.

I wasn't born nor raised here. I moved here when I was a teenager and I immediately understood how important it is to be a better person by being respectful and like you mentioned, to have empathy towards others.

I will never fully understand how it is to be an African-American, but I was raised to know the difference between RIGHT and WRONG.

 

[putting in work]

The crazy thing is that the people that voted for Trump are happy with everything that he's done/doing.

No one will beat this dude in 2020 and he knows it. He's going to win again because everyone that voted for him will do so again.

The dude I work with every chance he gets he talks to other Trumpees to let them know to vote to keep Trump in power and all the houses vote all republican so they keep the US in control and they control the laws.

I wish I could record him, but it's against company policy.

The only one who stands a chance with beating Trump in 2020 is the one who would have actually beat him in 2016... Joe Biden. But, I know Obama and the Dems cut a deal that if Hillary would have dropped out to let Obama go in 2008 he and they would help support in 2016. If Biden would have ran with Obama right by his side they might have beat Trump.

Also, to a lot of NT'ers... if you think only whites voted for Trump you're sadly mistaken.

 

[Mark Antony]

This too much man, I can't do an extra 4 years.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

If Trump wins, it will be because Dems roll out a laugher. Not because Donald of Orange is anything special the 2nd time around. He will regurgitate all his 2016 garbage and the deplorables will be there with him.

Of course by 2020, a box of aluminum foil may be $50 for a 10ft roll so that may work against him.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

 

[MalcolmNewton]

 

[blastercombo]

“Thank you for not kicking me in the Nuts. You are the best”

 

[gry60]

Also, to a lot of NT'ers... if you think only whites voted for Trump you're sadly mistaken.

I don't think this isn't known.

Lots of Latinos voted for Trump. I personally know some Black folks who have voted for him (or supported him then). They have in common religion, wealth, ignorance of politics and of the political history of the US and any combination of the above.

You just have to show them stories about all the Trumpists who killed brown folks (the Indian engineer and the Quebec mosque attack) or attempted to (the bombing attempt of an apartment building occupied by Somalis) to make them reconsider. Some won't change their mind, but like I said yesterday, you can't save everybody.

 

[gry60]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/20/investing/chinese-investment-united-states-falls/index.html

Chinese investment in the United States has plummeted 92% this year

 

[blastercombo]

A kid gets hurt at school and the whole district can be sued. Kids getting choked out and put into cages by these guys and.............. nothing

 

[aepps20]

]

I don't think this isn't known.

Lots of Latinos voted for Trump. I personally know some Black folks who have voted for him (or supported him then). They have in common religion, wealth, ignorance of politics and of the political history of the US and any combination of the above.

You just have to show them stories about all the Trumpists who killed brown folks (the Indian engineer and the Quebec mosque attack) or attempted to (the bombing attempt of an apartment building occupied by Somalis) to make them reconsider. Some won't change their mind, but like I said yesterday, you can't save everybody.

I voted for him and I'm Black. OBUMMER's policies ruined my life.

 

[Belgium]

Republicans in Congress as well as Trump appointees like FBI director Wray have all cited serious national security concerns about ZTE. Even after the Senate passed an amendment with a veto-proof majority (85-10) to block any such deal with ZTE, Trump is pushing back. Republicans may look to appease Trump by passing a softer measure against ZTE that would still allow them to operate in the US commercial market, just not with the government. It remains to be seen if China's $500m investment has been well spent in providing their desired outcome but Trump has made it clear he is at least trying.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/20/zte-china-trump-republicans-sanctions-641025
White House presses Republicans to soften ZTE ban

President Donald Trump challenged Republican lawmakers during a meeting Wednesday to come up with a new solution that cracks down on Chinese telecom firm ZTE while preserving Trump’s ability to negotiate with China, attendees told POLITICO.

The White House provided no specific legislative alternative, said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas). But Cornyn came away with the impression that the administration would be fine with barring ZTE from doing business with the federal government if the firm could continue to operate in the U.S. commercial market.


“Obviously government procurement is much more sensitive when it comes to national security," Cornyn said.

The White House meeting marked the administration's latest effort to defuse the ongoing standoff with Congress over ZTE. The Senate on Monday overwhelmingly passed a defense policy bill that would revive a U.S. government ban on the Chinese company. That was a sharp rebuke to Trump, who has sought to keep ZTE in business as part of a broader trade negotiation with China.

The Senate bill must now be reconciled with the House version of the legislation, which would take a softer approach to Chinese telecoms like ZTE, preventing them from entering into federal government contracts but not restricting their commercial activity in the U.S. That's the approach Cornyn indicated the administration is willing to embrace.

But it's not clear if that lesser restriction will satisfy Congress. Members of both parties fear ZTE equipment could be used to spy on Americans, steal U.S. trade secrets or lay the groundwork for future cyberattacks. Within the Republican Party, the debate has produced a sharp split, pitting Trump allies like Sen. David Perdue of Georgia against national security hawks like Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who sponsored the Senate ZTE provision.

For the Wednesday meeting, the White House summoned GOP lawmakers from both chambers who will work to reconcile the two versions of the defense bill. Cabinet officials including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross were also present.

Although a televised portion of the meeting delved into immigration — and the now-rescinded administration policy of separating migrant families crossing the U.S.-Mexico border — lawmakers said ZTE was also on the agenda. White House spokespeople didn't respond to requests for comment on the session.

The Commerce Department in April imposed a seven-year ban on ZTE, citing the company's illegal sales to North Korea and Iran in violation of an earlier penalty agreement. But the company soon got wrapped into Trump's international wrangling with China, and the administration announced a subsequent deal in May to allow ZTE to operate in the U.S. if it pays a $1 billion fine, changes its management and embeds a compliance team.

That reversal gave a lifeline to ZTE. The company is the fourth-largest vendor of mobile phones in the U.S. but relies on U.S. chip-makers to provide many of the electronic components. ZTE said the earlier sanctions would have forced it to shut down, and the company's stock has zigzagged amid the rapidly changing situation in Washington.

While the Senate ZTE ban attracted broad bipartisan support, a number of Republicans expressed confidence they can come up with language that can appease Trump.

“I think we’ll get something where we have agreement with Congress and the administration on how to handle the issue, and in the broader context, not just ZTE,” said Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota, who voted for the defense bill Monday.

“We’ve already pretty much worked it out,” Perdue told POLITICO. “The House bill’s got a solution. Tom Cotton and I have worked out a solution, and we’re on the same page. So I think we’re headed toward a solution on this thing.”

A Cotton spokeswoman declined to say whether the senator is aligned with Perdue but said the White House conversation was “constructive” and he supports continued work to find a solution that balances security and privacy concerns.

Other GOP members appeared less optimistic.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin dismissed the gathering as having produced no “definitive conclusions” on how to address ZTE. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi refused to comment, citing the off-the-record nature of the meeting.

Meanwhile, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who was not invited to the White House gathering, blasted the idea of watering down the Senate language.

"ZTE is a systemic threat to American national security. They don’t just make cellphones; they make routers and other components of our telecommunications system," Rubio said in a Facebook video. “Now we’re going to stick their machines inside our telecommunications systems so they can spy on our researchers, so they can spy on our companies, so they can continue to steal our information? Why would we want those companies to be in business in America?"

Earlier Wednesday, Ross, the Commerce secretary, came in for some intense grilling on ZTE at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tangled with Ross on the issue and stated flatly, “I consider ZTE an espionage threat."

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), who didn't attend Wednesday's meeting, pushed back against changing the substance of the Senate defense bill.

“There may be perhaps conversations in the White House today to change some lines, but I think we should continue to be as tough as we can on companies like ZTE and Huawei,” he told reporters.

 

[Belgium]

At this rate he might try to buy a home with taxpayer money for 'security reasons' at some point.
Based on the known disclosures, Pruitt has now spent around $4.6m in taxpayer dollars on 'security' expenditures.
President Trump has praised Pruitt and the job he is doing at the EPA earlier this month.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-en...-pruitt-spent-nearly-3k-on-tactical-pants-and
New disclosures show Pruitt spent nearly $3K on 'tactical' pants and polos: report

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt spent nearly $3,000 on "tactical pants" and "tactical polos," according to new disclosures cited Wednesday by The Intercept.

Records obtained by the outlet through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that Pruitt spent $2,749.62 on the clothing items as part of his security expenditures.

The disclosures showed that Pruitt spent a $288,610 on various security items, bringing the total amount of public money Pruitt has spent on security items to $4.6 million.



The amount marks a $1.1 million increase from the administrator's security costs from last month, according to the outlet.

The Hill has reached out to the EPA for comment.

Pruitt has faced backlash in recent months for his actions regarding his spending habits using taxpayer dollars.

Reports and accusations against Pruitt include that rented a condo from a lobbyist for just $50 for each night he spent there, spent $43,000 on a soundproof booth for his office, spent $3.5 million on a security detail and had aides or security staff perform personal tasks like assisting his wife find a job and trying to find a used mattress from the Trump International Hotel.

Pruitt is set to testify before the Senate the Environment and Public Works Committee in August.

Despite the public backlash against Pruitt, President Trump has offered praise for the agency head.

"Thank you Scott, very much. EPA is doing really, really well,” Trump saidearlier this month. "Somebody has to say that about you a little bit, you know that, Scott."

 

[stuntman mike]

if the dems lose, it’ll be due to the fact that people don’t get off their *** and actually do **** about the stuff that they post on facebook or wherever else they can cry and moan online. i mean, if you’re REALLY outraged and you ACTUALLY care about the issues, then get out an vote. that’s what the evangelicals do. they show up early and the show up in numbers and we can all point and laugh about how they believe the earth is solely populated by animals and people that were saved on a big boat from a flood but look who got this POS into the white house. look who’s shaping policy. look who is putting these bigoted judges in powerful places. let’s be real man. if donald trump wins in 2020, just like in 2016, it’s because apathetic, no balls, “stay woke” folk don’t head to the polls and speak truth with their vote. damn shame man.

 

[chao7]

While we're on the subject of voting, I'll ask again, because I literally don't know where to begin...

How and where can I volunteer for Democratic candidates?

Canvassing for people, registering others to vote, providing transportation for midterms, etc.