mtutiger

Think this is probably right... He's seen his popularity decline and is doing a lot of unpopular stuff. The Epstein thing might be an offramp for some folks who have been uneasy with some of the actions but ultimately have stuck by Trump

I do think things are functionally different insofar that there are a bunch of tech guys who have since traded sides (ie. Zuckerberg, Bezos, Andreessen, etc.) that are absolutely weighing the scales towards the GOP now. And in terms of net wealth, these guys have are on another planet than almost everybody on your long list of people. And sure, you may say that I'm only pointing this out because of how these guys have changed her behavior, but I've always hated these ***holes

After watching Merrick Garland operate for four years, I kinda think this is the base case

In practical terms, they don't have the numbers or the political standing...

I have long thought that Epstein was less than meets the eye, but man, he's working overtime to make me question my priors

I don't know what to say.... I don't know why anyone would give money to the Times or Athletic until they fix their editorial issues.

I've been on the sidelines of the Epstein stuff for the most part... But an AG going out and saying there's a list, then contradicting themselves five months later? That would be a career killer in any other administration

Flashback:

I ran into this conversation shortly after the Minnesota shootings with a family member... Made a comment about how it might have been a left winger, and had to correct the comment. While they acknowledged they may have been wrong, when I commented about the fact that these guys lie through their teeth, lie as they breathe and that you cannot trust them (ie. GOP politicians, right wing radio), it ended up in some combination of "well, both sides are the same" and "nothing I can do, it's all in Jesus' hands" To be clear, I am a Catholic who, while not attending as much as I should, tries my best to adhere to the faith. If anything I have moved back toward the church over the past year. But I have a wife and two kids and want more than anything else to hand them over a better situation than the one I had when I was a kid. I feel like I do my best within the things that I can control, but I see that sort of nihilism and it enrages me. It's selfish, and when you read Matthew in particular, you begin to wonder what these guys think Jesus would think of their nihilism.

I would add that I caught a few clips of the press conference yesterday that Governor Abbott and other officials spoke at, including Kristi Noem... The amount of genuflecting toward the President at a time when people want details and information, it's just beyond words.

This is a moment when the feds having a scintilla of credibility matters a lot. I'm of the belief that this is more about local leaders pushing blame off the feds... But this government since Trump took office has squandered a lot of credibility by indiscriminately slashing budgets. Including at the very agencies that exist to provide accurate weather information to the public. It's the throughline to other discussions we have had on this board, including about immigration and deportations... But while disasters are a time when the federal government needs people to view them credibly, it's hard to blame anyone who has a hard time trusting the federal government right now. And that's a shame.

Click to read through the entire thread... But man, it says a lot about how far the Times has fallen as an organization. At the very minimum, they need to bring back an actual public editor to really stress test the pieces going out the door. Otherwise I don't understand how they retain any credibility

If you remove the references to Louisiana and Calvin Coolidge in Randy Newman's song "Louisiana 1927" and replace them with references to Texas's Hill Country and Donald Trump respectively, it lines up almost perfectly. He doesn't give a **** about any of those being impacted by these floods

I won't, I can tell you that right now. And I believe whoever comes after Trump has a moral obligation to attempt to fix the crisis that he's creating here.

Ahh yes, Shylocks and bad people... definitely no antisemitism going on here lol

Not sure if you're a Calvin and Hobbes guy, but their rulings remind me a lot of Calvinball at this point. And it's a shame. Institutions, if they cared about rules (ie. The Constitution, precedent), would work to adhere to those things above all else. And they haven't. Your question is a fair one.... if you have a trust in an institution and someone else has lost trust in that same institution, I don't know how you resolve that.

For what it's worth, and @Tiger337 knows this because of some of the arguments we have had, it pains me to ask this question. I am an institutionalist at heart, but man, I have a lost a lot of faith in this country since that ruling (just barely one year ago). In a lot of ways, it doesn't feel like the same country anymore.

After watching the last year, why should any of us trust the Supreme Court? Honest question. "I believe I've already said that CECOT is most likely not a nice place to be." What do you think CECOT is.... and explain to me why Garcia or his lawyers might be lying to me. Honest question, really try to convince me.

I believe in due process and believe that sending people who aren't from South Sudan to South Sudan is a bunch of bull****. Regardless of whatever the Supreme Court, of Trump v. US fame, thinks. You did, but that account was from Garcia, who you accused of lying. Do you think Garcia's account of keeping him up past the point of exhaustion, forcing him to kneel between the hours 2100 and 0600, striking them when they fall, and denying him bathroom access / allowing themselves to soil himself was a case of him lying?

Deportation to ****ing South Sudan?

Setting aside the fact that we could easily imprison murders and rapists in our own country (because we have done it already in literally all 50 states).............. Congratulations, you got me again, well done. Getting back to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, why did he need to be sent to a torture prison run by a dictator in Central America exactly? And does keeping people up past the point of exhaustion, forcing them to kneel between the hours 2100 and 0600, striking them when they fall, and denying them bathroom access / allowing themselves to soil themselves seem out of character for said dictator? You seem evasive on this question....

Congratulations, you got me sir. Which murder or rape did Kilmar Abrego Garcia commit, exactly? That's news to me.

1.) Do you think Donald Trump is immune from prosecution? 2.) This Supreme Court, in large part because of that particular ruling, has breached the trust that I had in it. Am I supposed to just suck it up and swallow whatever they say after that?

Oh well, that solves it then.... seriously, this ****ing Supreme Court? The one that gave us Trump v. US last year? Case closed, lol

I am advocating for due process. Shipping people who commit immigration infractions who have no ties whatsoever to South Sudan to South Sudan is pretty much the opposite of that. Aside from that, we have plenty of murderers and child rapists locked up in our own country. Is your position that we are unable to lock up murderers and child rapists who commit infractions in the United States... in the United States? I don't get your argument.