US Politics-2021

[Lou]

If Biden and the Democrats could get the FCC to ban robocalls, I think the next election would be won in a landslide.
Part of the problem is that elected officials like and use robocalling. But I think if we got rid of robocalls the US would rejoice. There would be dancing in the streets.
Maybe there is a petition for that.

 

[beancounter]

If Biden and the Democrats could get the FCC to ban robocalls, I think the next election would be won in a landslide.
Part of the problem is that elected officials like and use robocalling. But I think if we got rid of robocalls the US would rejoice. There would be dancing in the streets.
Maybe there is a petition for that.

Unfortunately, this is unlikely. You can opt out of robo calls...except those initiated by a political or non profit organization. So the politicians gave themselves a loophole.

 

[Lou]

Unfortunately, this is unlikely. You can opt out of robo calls...except those initiated by a political or non profit organization. So the politicians gave themselves a loophole.

I get around 4 calls a day on my land line. Most of them are the same ones. I suppose I should take a couple of minutes and report them.

 

[Lou]

Hey. I'm surprised we are not making a big deal out of this.

NYC has a vegan mayor!
​

People are all excited about the fact that he is Black. But we have had lots of Black mayors. In fact, NYC has had one already.

Besides Eric Adams being NYC's first vegan mayor. He probably is the first vegan mayor of any major city (maybe even just any city)

Can't wait till we get the first photo op of him and Cory Booker having lunch at 11 Madison Park.
Or sharing a Beyond Meat Bratwurst at Coney Island.
Or maybe a vegan pizza in Times Square.

 

[Lou]

Oh, I am getting ahead of the news.
Adams just won his primary. the Election isn't till November.
And its not unheard of for NYC to elect a Republican. Not so long ago Giuliani was mayor.

 

[silva]

Hey. I'm surprised we are not making a big deal out of this.

NYC has a vegan mayor!
​

People are all excited about the fact that he is Black. But we have had lots of Black mayors. In fact, NYC has had one already.

Besides Eric Adams being NYC's first vegan mayor. He probably is the first vegan mayor of any major city (maybe even just any city)

Can't wait till we get the first photo op of him and Cory Booker having lunch at 11 Madison Park.
Or sharing a Beyond Meat Bratwurst at Coney Island.
Or maybe a vegan pizza in Times Square.

Cleveland had a future vegan when Dennis Kucinich was mayor, in the late 70's. He became vegan in 1995.
He's running for Cleveland mayor again this Nov. He was our youngest mayor, and would be our oldest! Highly doubtful.....

 

[Amy SF]

Oh, I am getting ahead of the news.
Adams just won his primary. the Election isn't till November.
And its not unheard of for NYC to elect a Republican. Not so long ago Giuliani was mayor.

Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-1 in NYC, so the general consensus is that Adams is all but sworn in as mayor.

 

[Lou]

I think I've mentioned this before, but its worth repeating.

Voting rights is the most improtant issue we have now.

If you look at the US House - they have a slim majority. The guys who do the math say that just with Republican Jerrymanding the house will lose its majority in 2022. And with voter restrictions no way can we hold the senate either. Then Biden will be become totally impotent. And probably lose the election in 2024. And you know who the front runner is for a Rebuplcian presidential candidate? Donald J Trump. Take a moment to imagine what that would mean.

BTW with all of Trump's judicial appointees and a Supreme Court that is hostile to voter rights, we can't hope for much relief there.

Now if we can keep the house and extend our majority in the senate we are looking at a very different scenario.
And the only way we can do that is with a strong National Voter Rights protections. Make some phone calls, send some postcards, chip n $5. Now is the time. Next year it will be too late.

 

[Lou]

Please sign this petition to the U.S. Congress to impeach Brett Kavanaugh, who never should have been confirmed in a rushed, partisan process that ignored credible claims of sexual assault.

Home - People-Powered Petitions

MoveOn's petitions platform provides individuals and organizations with free tools to start petitions, organize supporters, engage decision-makers, and win their own grassroots campaigns

sign.moveon.org

 

[anarchist100]

 

[anarchist100]

 

[Sax]

^I hope you spend half as much time learning how to fix, create or grow stuff as you spend stewing in your angst. If you don't like the way the world is try bringing something positive into it.

 

[Lou]

I just thought of this so maybe I should think a little longer before I commit it to pixels....

They say that the first step of fixing a problem is recognizing you have a problem.
But they also say, that if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like nails.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Bill failed. Dear America, Please get rid of the filibuster now for the sake of the world as well as the US.

I changed my mind somewhat since I wrote this last month. I did some reflecting on it and read a couple of articles some days ago and it looks like Republicans are predicted to do well in 2022 which I didn´t realize.

Also, if Republicans vote as a bloc and oppose any major Democratic bills, then the Democrats are limited to pass anything that the somewhat conservative Democrat Joe Manchin would approve.

I think they should only get rid of the filibuster at this point if they know in advance they have got the votes to pass some big stuff including a big climate change bill.

Otherwise review after 2022 elections.

 

[Tom L.]

I get around 4 calls a day on my land line. Most of them are the same ones. I suppose I should take a couple of minutes and report them.

Whoa! I don't get that many, and I thought I got lots of them....

One thing: You know how a robocall often gives you the option to "Press 0..." or some other number if you don't want to be called again? I've heard or read someplace that this doesn't work; it only verifies your number. I usually don't hang up or press anything- I just wait for their system to disconnect me.

 

[Lou]

I changed my mind somewhat since I wrote this last month. I did some reflecting on it and read a couple of articles some days ago and it looks like Republicans are predicted to do well in 2022 which I didn´t realize.

Also, if Republicans vote as a bloc and oppose any major Democratic bills, then the Democrats are limited to pass anything that the somewhat conservative Democrat Joe Manchin would approve.

I think they should only get rid of the filibuster at this point if they know in advance they have got the votes to pass some big stuff including a big climate change bill.

Otherwise review after 2022 elections.

Yeah its complicated....

Both the majority in the house and senate are SO slim. Some of the guys that do the math think that with the present level of voter suppression and gerrymandering, the democrats are doomed to lose the majority

Whoa! I don't get that many, and I thought I got lots of them....

One thing: You know how a robocall often gives you the option to "Press 0..." or some other number if you don't want to be called again? I've heard or read someplace that this doesn't work; it only verifies your number. I usually don't hang up or press anything- I just wait for their system to disconnect me.

I don't even answer my phone. just let the answering machine talk to it.

 

[vegana9]

Speaking of climate change, I had an interesting thought. So, democrats, for the most part, believe that climate change is real. So do I, FYI. But why do I see so many democrats not using solar panels on their homes, or even driving hybrids? Sure, asking them to do the BEST thing for the planet and go vegan may be too much, but driving a hybrid or electric(if they can afford one)? I know plenty of democrats who believe in climate change and yet they drive large cars, expensive cars, getting only 14mpg. They don't even have kids to justify a large car.

I think we are past the point of any return to a healthy planet for humans. The earth will heal itself and life will return but not before the human species becomes extinct. That's just inevitable. What is funny about that is that humans have to be out of the picture in order for the earth to start healing.

We can't even convince Democrats to drive hybrids! Sheesh!

We really are a pleasure-seeking, self-destructive species.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

In the case of COVID-19, we saw much more altruistic behavior. Climate change as a problem is not well turned to human psychology, e.g. in the way we react to nearby, immediate threats.

It´s certainly true that most democrats accept the science but don´t cut their emissions much. There is a hypocrisy there. You are right about that.

We are not past the point of no return thought, and human extinction due to climate change is unlikely.

I was reading last night and this morning about loss aversion. We are more affected by losses of something we already have than gains of something of equal value. For example, in an experiment, people were given a nice chocolate bar as a prize for participating but as they left, and after they already had the chocolate in their hands, were offered the chance to change it for a quality pen of similar value. The majority of the people preferred to stay with what the chocolate they already have.

However, when the experiment was reversed it was also the case that the majority given the pen first also rejected the last minute switch.

Another example was how people will pay say $200 for a ticket to a concert to see their favourite singer. Then, when they find out the tickets can be sold on for $1000 do not do so, even though they would have never paid $1000 to get the ticket in the first place.

I wondered if this loss aversion, which could be linked to general resistance to change may explain why people are unwilling to make the kind of changes we know are beneficial from a climate change standpoint. They tend to involve giving something up while gaining something.

Loss aversion could also be related to political conservatism?

Source:

Thinking, Fast and Slow​

Book by Daniel Kahneman

 

[Lou]

And...
I think, just like many other things, there is a spectrum.

How committed you are, and how much self sacrifice are you willing to endure.

 

[anarchist100]