The United States(!) of A
"What garbage clearly changes aren't made to make voting harder, they are made to make voting more secure to prevent the problem of voting fraud and other issues seen in 2021."
Voter fraud? 50 court cases later the Trumpistas have not been able to prove a single instance.
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-courts-election-idUSKBN2AF1G1
ID voter suppression is real but the thing that keeps the Republicans in the game is gerrymander they cannot win without it, note not even Trump won the popular vote but still got elected.
In the top 10 democracies of the world US isn't one of them.
In the 23 full democracies the US isn't one of them.
Go figure.
"In the top 10 democracies of the world US isn't one of them."
I don't doubt that at all but what do you base that on?
Academic paper?
Anything other than Wiki?
AndyM wrote:"In the top 10 democracies of the world US isn't one of them."
I don't doubt that at all but what do you base that on?
Academic paper?
Anything other than Wiki?
Lets start with the big one Andy, No Australian Electoral Commission type national organisation so 50 states with 50 different approaches to voting largely based on local laws / courts and gerrymandering to improve the electoral outcome for the favoured party.
The civil rights movement of the 60s-70s did make massive improvements for people of colour but those good ole boys states still fight it tooth and nail with local laws to suppress among other things free and fair voting / elections.
No probs Guy but I'm just after some reading.
I've no doubt that the U.S. is a "flawed deomocray" but apart from Wiki, how do we quantify the statement?
if you want to talk about a Flawed democracy/the Cassandra complex......https://eand.co/the-future-is-here-and-its-made-of-apocalypse-26387dc9b185
basically what's wrong and why!
AndyM wrote:"In the top 10 democracies of the world US isn't one of them."
I don't doubt that at all but what do you base that on?
Academic paper?
Anything other than Wiki?
You can start here https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2020/ but there are plenty of other reference's actually heard the numbers on Richard Fidler conversations the other day
More general notes here for anyone not wanting to wade through https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/democracy-countries
USA certainly has issues around voting, in the past I've never been in favour of compulsory voting, but ive changed my mind on that.
We are lucky in Australia we have a pretty good system.
trump's the authoritarian?
criminalising your political opposition sounds pretty authoritarian to me...
and to tulsi gabbard, ...a democrat btw...
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6292156314001/?playlist_id=5452746184001#sp=...
sypkan wrote:trump's the authoritarian?
criminalising your political opposition sounds pretty authoritarian to me...
and to tulsi gabbard, ...a democrat btw...
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6292156314001/?playlist_id=5452746184001#sp=...
Well refusing to concede after an election loss and sending your goons into the capitol to stop it being ratified seems pretty fucking authoritarian to me.
"criminalising your political opposition sounds pretty authoritarian to me..." Not if they are criminals mate. That's called justice.
But of course, you have a completely different set of standards for your orange lunatic. Remember "LOCK HER UP - LOCK HER UP" whenever Hilary Clinton was mentioned at his rallies? What was her crime?
Yes Sypkan, you have lost the plot.
so tulsi has lost the plot too?
tulsi gabbard, a democrat from hawaii, that seems one of the few sane democrats left...
but yeh... you and your angry man deranged ramblings are right...
champ
seems jeff sparrow has lost the plot too...
"...The key to defeating Trump thus lies in mobilising ordinary people to articulate their real needs.
But across the United States, the legislative response to the Capitol riot pushed by Democrats has centred not on extending democratic rights but on laws criminalising demonstrations.
As Branko Marcetic points out, the aftermath of 6 January saw “a crackdown on dissent: a dramatic increase in anti-protest bills around the country, including at least 88 that have been introduced since the Capitol riot; a massive buildup of the Capitol police into a national force to target ‘terrorism’; as well as the rollout by the Biden administration of a sweeping domestic counter-terror strategy.”
The strategy includes on its list of “domestic violent extremists” groups such as environmentalists, anti-capitalists and animal rights activists, all of whom you’d expect to play an important role in a movement against Trump to cultivate...."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/18/in-an-era-of-right...
sparrow... another person from the left... not the neoliberal stooge left though...
so you may not value his opinion mr donny lemon you ain't black wannabee...
Tulsi Gabbard for President!
Blowin wrote:Tulsi Gabbard for President!
Even trump likes her , a way better choice than biden / harris and she surfs
yep, she'd be my choice...
so smart, so resonable, so balanced, so not deranged...
kinda hot too
I was kinda joking about rogan, but there's been suggestions
Supafreak wrote:Blowin wrote:Tulsi Gabbard for President!
Even trump likes her , a way better choice than biden / harris and she surfs
Im not big on celebrity candidates, but any party that has a candidate that appeals across the political divide is on a winner
it's absolutely what is needed in these divided times...
but looking at some of the nutty vitriol filled comments on here, Im not sure even that would help... the hate runs deep...
'love trumps hate'
Remember not so long ago, the Russia Russia Russia( !!!!) dribble emanating from the Democrat warmongers in the US? Remember how that said Trump would lead us into World War 3 ?
Why am I not surprised to see this turn of events? They were going to get here with or without Hillary!
Whilst you kooks were bitchin n scratchin about The Donald...
out of the shadows came Fauci.
A bigger bunch of stooged fools I'll never meet.
Get your boosters and whack your kids ya bunch of fuckwits.
Trump has repeatedly praised Putin
While he was a private citizen, during his 2016 campaign and throughout his presidency, Trump has showered Putin with praise. He said Putin was "so nice," he called Putin a "strong leader" and said Putin has done "a really great job outsmarting our country." Trump also claimed he'd "get along very well" with Putin. Few, if any, Western leaders have echoed these comments.
Trump hired Manafort to run his campaign
Trump raised eyebrows in spring 2016 when he hired GOP operative Paul Manafort to run his presidential campaign. Manafort spent a decade working for pro-Russian politicians and parties in Ukraine and cultivated close relationships with Putin-friendly oligarchs. Manafort was sentenced in 2019 to 7.5 years prison for, among other things, evading taxes on the $60 million he had made in Ukraine. (He was released to house arrest in May 2020 amid coronavirus concerns.)
Trump suggested Russia can keep Crimea
Trump said Putin did "an amazing job of taking the mantle" when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump broke with US policy and suggested he was OK if Russia kept the Ukrainian territory. He repeated a Kremlin talking point, saying, "The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were.”
Trump aides softened GOP platform on Ukraine
Ahead of the 2016 Republican National Convention, Trump campaign aides blocked language from the party platform that called for the US government to send lethal weapons to Ukraine for its war against Russian proxies. Mueller investigated this for potential collusion but determined the change was not made "at the behest" of Russia. (The Trump administration ultimately gave lethal arms and anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian military.)
Trump made light of Russian hacking
Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump cast doubt on the US government assessment that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. At a news conference in July 2016, he even asked Russia to hack more, saying, "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,”
Trump capitalized on Russian meddling to win
Instead of condemning Russia for hacking and leaking Democratic emails, Trump eagerly capitalized on the Kremlin's meddling, and used the emails to attack Clinton on a near-daily basis in the final stretch of the campaign. The Mueller report said Trump's campaign "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts" and that top officials believed they had inside information about WikiLeaks, so they planned a strategy around the expected release of hacked emails.
Trump denied that Russia interfered in 2016
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the Senate Intelligence Committee all confirmed that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump. But Trump has repeatedly rejected this view, and publicly sided with Putin at the Helsinki summit in 2018, saying he accepted Putin's denials.
Trump transition undermined Russian sanctions
After the 2016 election, the Trump transition team asked Russia not to retaliate too strongly against new US sanctions imposed by then-President Barack Obama. The sanctions were intended to punish Russia for interfering in the election, but then-Trump aide Michael Flynn asked the Russian ambassador not to escalate the situation so they could have a good relationship once Trump took over.
Sicko boosting for war with Russia.
Ha ha, yeh i just got off the phone to Biden, said hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in yout hand?
Reality is Trump emboldened Russia.
Trump was open to lifting Russian sanctions
Days before his inauguration, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he was open to lifting sanctions on Russia. He said: "If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody's doing some really great things?" Putin has tried for years to persuade the US and European countries to end crippling sanctions on Russia's economy.
Trump refused to say Putin is a killer
Bucking other US leaders, Trump has dismissed credible allegations that Putin uses violence against his opponents. Trump said in 2015, "I think it would be despicable if that took place, but I haven't seen any evidence that he killed anybody, in terms of reporters." Asked again in February 2017, Trump deflected, saying, "There are a lot of killers. Do you think our country is so innocent?"
Trump mulled returning spy bases to Russia
The Washington Post reported in May 2017 that the Trump administration considered returning two diplomatic compounds to Russia. The Obama administration expelled Russian diplomats and seized the compounds in New York and Maryland after the 2016 election, claiming they were used for "intelligence" purposes. The compounds were never returned to Russia.
Trump gave Russia classified intelligence
In a shocking move during the early months of his presidency, Trump shared highly classified intelligence with two senior Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting in May 2017. The intelligence, which was about ISIS, was sensitive enough that it could have exposed a vulnerable source. The unplanned disclosure by Trump rattled even many of his Republican allies.
Trump criticized and alienated NATO allies
Trump has repeatedly attacked NATO, aligning himself with Putin, who wants to weaken the alliance. Trump said NATO was "obsolete," rattling European leaders. At his first NATO summit in May 2017, Trump scolded other countries for not spending enough on defense and declined to commit to NATO's mutual defense pledge. (Trump later said he supported the mutual defense provision.) He has also said he wanted to withdraw from NATO, according to The New York Times, though it hasn't happened.
Trump was reluctant to sign Russian sanctions
Lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill in July 2017 imposing new sanctions against Russia, even though Trump administration officials reportedly tried to water down the language. Trump reluctantly signed the bill, but claimed the new law contained "clearly unconstitutional provisions." Trump had little choice in the matter because the bill had passed with veto-proof majorities: 419-3 in the House and 98-2 in the Senate. (The Treasury Department followed up with several rounds of hard-hitting sanctions.)
Shall I go on?
Your needed on the other thread , Donald is running amok
Definitely worth watching this short video in order to be aware of the intentions of the US warmongers and their Democrat / media enablers.
They are pushing the world towards bloody conflict for profit and political opportunity.
Totally normal. Not in obvious cognitive decline at all.
Just think…the Democrats knew this to be the case when they anti-democratically rigged the system so that Biden would get up over other potential Democrat candidates. I don’t think the plan to insert the unloved Kamala Harris into the Presidency will run too smoothly either.
They could have had Tulsi Gabbard instead. This shows perfectly just how little respect the DNC holds for the people of the US and how cravenly they demand power.
And this is the person walking the world towards war.
What is happening? pic.twitter.com/7Fs4N4bv5A
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 19, 2022
The US will not be involved in any war over Ukraine beyond logistic help. It is up to Europe to act....and they are unliklely to do much. But in the end Trump created the mess by encouraging Russia to invade Crimea. Now where was I? Oh yeh
Trump proposed a cyber unit with Russia
After the July 2017 meeting of G20 leaders, Trump said he had spoken with Putin about "forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit" to combat "election hacking." Trump quickly backtracked after lawmakers from both parties said it would be ridiculous to work with Russia on cybersecurity because Russia was responsible for egregious hacks against American targets, including during the 2016 election.
Trump thanked Putin for expelling US diplomats
Trump thanked Putin for expelling hundreds of US diplomats from Russia in August 2017, saying, "I want to thank him because we're trying to cut down our payroll." Putin kicked out the officials to retaliate against US sanctions. Trump's comments conflicted with the State Department, which said the mass expulsion was "uncalled for." (Trump later said he was being sarcastic.)
Trump eased sanctions on Deripaska
The Treasury Department in 2018 sanctioned Russian oligarch and Putin ally Oleg Deripaska, along with three companies linked to him, over his support for Russian interference in the 2016 election. But by January 2019, the Trump administration lifted some of these sanctions. In a bipartisan rebuke, 11 Senate Republicans supported a Democratic resolution calling for the sanctions to remain.
Trump congratulated Putin on his sham election
Ignoring the advice of several top national security aides, Trump congratulated Putin on his March 2018 reelection victory. Putin got 77% of the vote, but Western observers declared that the election "lacked genuine competition" and took place in an "overly controlled legal and political environment." Trump's critics said he had given the election legitimacy it did not deserve.
Did you watch the video I recommended Sicko?
I watched 10s during which Tucker Carlson thought it was either relevant or funny to say "Omicron" loudly in a peculiar voice. I then realised that I was watching Fox News. So no. Now hat are we up to? Got it.
Trump balked at sanctions for Skripal poisoning
Trump privately complained about US sanctions intended to punish Russia after one of its ex-spies was poisoned in the United Kingdom, according to Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton. The US and UK blamed Russia for trying to assassinate the defector, Sergei Skripal. After the sanctions were announced in August 2018, Trump tried to rescind them and said the US was "being too tough on Putin," according to Bolton's memoir.
Trump nixed US statement about Russian war
In summer 2018, Trump blocked his administration from releasing a statement on the 10th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war, according to Bolton's memoir. Bolton said European leaders noticed Trump's silence and "became even more concerned about American resolve." Russia invaded its neighbor Georgia during the five-day war in 2008, and still occupies two breakaway territories.
Trump praised pro-Russian leaders in Europe
On several occasions, Trump has praised controversial far-right European leaders who have been shunned by most US officials because of their close ties to Putin. Trump met at the White House with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a top Kremlin ally. He praised the campaign of French politician Marine Le Pen, whose party previously got millions from a Russian bank.
Trump didn't publicly condemn Russian attack
According to congressional testimony, Trump declined to publicly condemn a Russian attack against Ukrainian military vessels in November 2018, even though the State Department prepared a statement for him. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Russia's "dangerous escalation." The White House didn't say anything, but Trump canceled a meeting with Putin.
Trump defended Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
During a January 2019 Cabinet meeting, Trump defended the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. He said the Soviet Union "was right" to invade in 1979 because "terrorists were going into Russia." The comments puzzled many observers, who noted that the Soviets had invaded to bolster a communist government and the US had backed Afghan militants who fought the Soviets.
Trump asked allies to let Russia back in the G7
Breaking with American allies, Trump repeatedly called for Russia to be invited back into the Group of Seven. Russia was suspended from the working group of leading industrial nations in 2014 after Putin annexed Crimea. At the August 2019 G7 summit in France, Trump pressed the other leaders to include Russia at the 2020 gathering. They balked at the request, which would have handed a huge victory to Putin without any concessions.
KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER
Why don’t you watch the 5 minutes and comment on its content?
No one cares about your quotations from the Military Industrial Complex via their captured media outlets.
Are the MIC using the opportunity to make money? Well of course. But that misses the point entirely. The issue is how can Russia be prevented from starting a really nasty little war in which many people will die and the end result of which will be Ukraine becoming a Russian satellite state. That's Putin's objective. Historically of course, it makes sense. Russia was invaded from the west by France in the 19th Century and then by Germany in the 20th with, what was it, 10 million Russian lives lost? So you can understand them looking west a bit nervously as the 21st century rolls along.....but encouraging them? He must have owed them a favour. But I seem to have lost my place....no, found it again
Trump's Syria withdrawal gave Putin a boost
Trump announced in October 2019 that US troops were withdrawing from northern Syria. The abrupt move cleared the way for Turkey to conquer territories previously controlled by the US and allied Kurdish militias. It also gave Russia a golden opportunity to expand its influence and swiftly take over abandoned US outposts and checkpoints. Trump's move was a boon for Putin.
Trump repeated Kremlin talking points on ISIS
After announcing the Syria withdrawal, Trump repeated Kremlin talking points about ISIS. He said, "Russia hates ISIS as much as the United States does" and that they are equal partners in the fight. But Trump's comments don't reflect the reality on the ground: Since intervening in Syria in 2015, the Russian military has focused its airstrikes on anti-government rebels, not ISIS.
Trump spread Russian myths about Ukraine
During his impeachment proceedings in 2019 and early 2020, Trump said many false things about Ukraine that align with Russian disinformation about the country. This includes claims of uncontrollable corruption, improper ties between Ukrainian officials and the Obama administration, and allegations that Ukraine meddled in US elections. This helps Putin's goal of destabilizing US-Ukraine relations.
Trump temporarily froze US aid for Ukraine
As the impeachment inquiry revealed, Trump personally froze $391 million in US military and security assistance for Ukraine in mid-2019. US diplomats said Ukraine desperately needed the help for its war against Russian proxies. Previously, the Trump administration had slow-walked sales of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine because of concerns it would upset Russia, according to a State Department official.
Trump smeared US ambassador to Ukraine
For more than a year, Trump privately and publicly attacked Marie Yovanovitch, who was the US ambassador to Ukraine until he recalled her in spring 2019. One of Russia's goals is to weaken the US-Ukraine alliance -- Trump played into that by smearing Yovanovitch and undermining her diplomatic work in Ukraine. Her ouster was a major part of Trump's impeachment.
Trump considered visiting Putin on Russian soil
Trump said in November 2019 that he was thinking about visiting Russia, at Putin's invitation, to attend a 2020 military parade in Moscow. The US government has repeatedly called out Russia's aggressive moves around the world, so a visit from a sitting US president would be highly unusual. Obama made the last visit in 2013, when relations were warmer, before Russia invaded Ukraine. After months of speculation, Trump declined the invitation, as the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the world.
This is just sad , he’s not going to make Easter as president, someone needs to step in NOW
This is just elder abuse at this point. https://t.co/zsBKRMBCLo
— Chris "Adequate Citations" Martenson, PhD (@chrismartenson) January 20, 2022
Can someone send that to Donald and remind him he lost to that? lol
Supafreak wrote:This is just sad , he’s not going to make Easter as president, someone needs to step in NOW https://twitter.com/chrismartenson/status/1484216964981526530?s=21
sad indeed...
even if biden is not your man, there is no joy in seeing that
and just as sad, if not sadder... is this is the response from certain journalists...
Biden: A -
Press: C-— Jennifer 'pro-voting' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 19, 2022
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
washington post, long long given up anything resembling responsible reporting
Is new press conference from POTUS explain foreign policy
Biden behaving more like Trump every day!
https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-curses-at-fox-news-reporter-after-inf...
Supafreak wrote:This is just sad , he’s not going to make Easter as president, someone needs to step in NOW https://twitter.com/chrismartenson/status/1484216964981526530?s=21
That’s funny Supafreak. We’re you asleep for the 4 years of Trump? This would have been his best day.
No need to answer that rhetorical question.
batfink wrote:Supafreak wrote:This is just sad , he’s not going to make Easter as president, someone needs to step in NOW https://twitter.com/chrismartenson/status/1484216964981526530?s=21
That’s funny Supafreak. We’re you asleep for the 4 years of Trump? This would have been his best day.
No need to answer that rhetorical question.
You think Biden’s condition is funny ? Trump is an idiot I agree but do you really believe Biden is fit to be president ? I think batfink has been on the turps again.
Biden and the corporate media are going Full Weapons of Mass Destruction Retard with Russia and Ukraine.
War criminals looking for a war…..and a domestic political reset.
How in Dog’s name can Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton be put forward as President before Tulsi Gabbard?
Was it Hillary who suggested Tulsi was a Russian agent? Pretty sure it was.
Can you get your head around that?
Ive said it before and I will repeat myself Hillary Clinton is the most evil
and dangerous thing in politics. You want the world in turmoil and war
put Hillary in power.
Biden promised to unite our country. Instead he betrayed us, pouring fuel on the fire of divisiveness, tearing our country apart. Biden compares those who disagree with him to racists, traitors & enemies, & has his AG target Americans as domestic terrorists. Unfit to lead. pic.twitter.com/7GI8x3PtZm
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) February 7, 2022
Well this is a bit spooky .
Maybe this will help:pic.twitter.com/rYjfQbSQhK
— Albright (@hb348) February 12, 2022
Get yer kicks at half time 56
$40m Oz Super Bowl Rap 2022
Where the bloody hell is the end of the Queue!
CDC rates Oz highly at Level Four
Please won't someone breach our shore
EU put Aussies on their Red List
Strictly only VIPs got pissed.
UK & US are least Vaxed or able to Fly
Aussie Ad Campaign is Pie in the Sky.
If you really must enter Oz Danger Zone.
We can mandate the COVIDSafe Ringtone.
$40m Aussie Ad complies with 100% Rapbowl Terms & Conditions.
Fantastic! US budget in surplus. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-posts-119-billion-budget-surplus-jan...
I'm sure they will use the funds to fix Oakland slums!
https://sfist.com/2019/12/17/one-of-oakland-larger-homeless-encampments-...
Go get em Tulsi . Didn’t killery accuse Tulsi of being a russian spy ?
The Durham investigation makes clear that Hillary Clinton and the power elite spied on the Trump campaign and White House, undermining our democracy, launching us into a new Cold War, endangering America and the world. Clinton and her warmongers must be held accountable. pic.twitter.com/uDaeo6ak5a
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) February 15, 2022
She’s well on her way to a solid cancelling
Septic Tanks are going to Septic Tank