Canadian stuff
Thanks for the reply. All I'll add is that the last time I visited Toronto, probably around two decades ago, I stayed with comrades with children and was mightily impressed while watching some children's television show by a sketch about asking Canadian children to sing the national anthem. None of them knew the words past the first two lines, until the end of the bit, when two adorable Asian children belted out "O Canada."
I might have told that story before, but, if so, it's probably been years.
You see that thejeff? You're encouraging anarchy.Assuming of course that there really is such a good/bad cop scam. Which I think is bull, but if there is then the only path to doing something about it is outside the political system they control.Hear! Hear!
Propaganda by the deed! Rat-a-tat-tat!
When I was a kid I could sing both English and French versions, although I mostly knew the French version phonetically. I wonder, seeing as it was a Toronto show, if the kids were trying to remember the bilingual version of the song that shifts to French for a few bars?
Couldn't say. It was on Saturday morning, it was some kind of Canadian Sesame Street, sketches intermixed with cartoons, although I don't recall any puppets. But you get the idea, a variety show.
For twenty years I took it as a healthy comment about Canada's relative lack of nationalist fervor. Didn't realize the anthem was bilingual. Makes more sense, but, gotta say, kinda disappointed now.
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It targets for elimination a lot of GOP popular targets such as the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, PBS, climate programs in the EPA, environmental regulation, What's not for them to like?Trump's proposed budget has been announced.
Shock of shockers... it would massively decrease funding for the rural white portions of the country which put him in office. That said, it is SO extreme that it has little chance of getting enough votes to pass... despite GOP control of congress.
Basically, they like winning elections more.
Trump's proposed budget eliminates the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency responsible for promoting economic growth in the coal country region. It invests in small businesses, trains workers, and improves infrastructure in the region (internet/roads/water). The commission focuses its resources on the most economically distressed communities of the region.
I suspect that Congress won't actually eliminate the commission, since it's not exactly a well known program nationally, and is popular regionally. Representatives who represent affected districts like it, and want more of it, and not less of it.
There is also something like a 20% cut to the department of agriculture, including a ton of programs that benefit farmers and folks who live in rural communities. The budget is likely dead on arrival, although I am still not exactly hopeful things like the EPA or state department are going to skirt through without massive cuts
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One interesting thing is that Trump largely skated through the last election in part because he had NO history of legislation to criticize. Whoever runs up against him in 2020 is going to have no shortage of proposals to criticize in commercials.
Assuming of course that there really is such a good/bad cop scam. Which I think is bull, but if there is then the only path to doing something about it is outside the political system they control.Hear! Hear!
How Brazil responds to budget slashing and pension reforms
National Day of Strike and Struggles puts General Strike on the Agenda
Badly translated from the Portuguese by the Morenoite comrades, but it's one of only two English-language articles I can find on the subject.
Trump's proposed budget eliminates the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency responsible for promoting economic growth in the coal country region. It invests in small businesses, trains workers, and improves infrastructure in the region (internet/roads/water). The commission focuses its resources on the most economically distressed communities of the region.
Having spent 3 years living in the Appalachian coal country and working in many of those disadvantaged communities, I can attest that there was zero visible investment in infrastructure, roads, trains. Federal or otherwise. If this supposed commission had a budget, I can't guess what it was being used for.
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Trump's proposed budget eliminates the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency responsible for promoting economic growth in the coal country region. It invests in small businesses, trains workers, and improves infrastructure in the region (internet/roads/water). The commission focuses its resources on the most economically distressed communities of the region.Having spent 3 years living in the Appalachian coal country and working in many of those disadvantaged communities, I can attest that there was zero visible investment in infrastructure, roads, trains. Federal or otherwise. If this supposed commission had a budget, I can't guess what it was being used for.
That's a pretty big area. It looks like only 200 miles of highway were actively under construction at the end of FY 2016.
The latest evaluation report [PDF] would have more details of where money went, but it looks like water and wastewater projects were the focus of investments.
What counties have you worked in? You could poke around to see what projects might be active near you.
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The budget is likely dead on arrival, although I am still not exactly hopeful things like the EPA or state department are going to skirt through without massive cuts
Unless the GOP decides to ditch the filibuster entirely (or pull some other shenanigans), the Democrats should be able to block anything truly awful in the Senate.
Think of it this way, we're now 10% through the term of the 115th congress... and they haven't managed to wreck the country yet. So, we just need to repeat that nine more times and we will have a chance to vote in a better bunch.
Trump's proposed budget eliminates the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency responsible for promoting economic growth in the coal country region. It invests in small businesses, trains workers, and improves infrastructure in the region (internet/roads/water). The commission focuses its resources on the most economically distressed communities of the region.Having spent 3 years living in the Appalachian coal country and working in many of those disadvantaged communities, I can attest that there was zero visible investment in infrastructure, roads, trains. Federal or otherwise. If this supposed commission had a budget, I can't guess what it was being used for.
Their budget is pretty small (considering), it was only $90 million in FY2015 and this is supposed to cover the entire region from Mississippi to New York. In FY2014 they had a budget of $60 million and managed to help create 20,000 jobs, train 24,000 students for jobs and provide water and sewer services to 24,000 homes. Seems like a drop in the bucket, but not nothing either. Not sure how good the efficiency on all that is either.
Cutting it, without a replacement, isn't going to help though.
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The budget is likely dead on arrival, although I am still not exactly hopeful things like the EPA or state department are going to skirt through without massive cutsUnless the GOP decides to ditch the filibuster entirely (or pull some other shenanigans), the Democrats should be able to block anything truly awful in the Senate.
Think of it this way, we're now 10% through the term of the 115th congress... and they haven't managed to wreck the country yet. So, we just need to repeat that nine more times and we will have a chance to vote in a better bunch.
The first shennanigan is passing trumpcare as a budget bill, which requires a simple majority.
Also, they need to set up before they can begin the destruction. The actual amount of time that's passed is a bad way of judging what's coming so far. Its like saying someone's gone into the next room, gotten a baseball bat and taken a few warm ups, and my head doesn't hurt yet we must be fine
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It won't, unless a new plan redistricts Texas into Appalachia.
That's a pretty big area. It looks like only 200 miles of highway were actively under construction at the end of FY 2016.
I was there 2012-2015. During that time, I was on the road a lot (see below); I saw plenty of road mileage with cones and tape up, but no actual work being done.Of course, if, as you allude, most of the ARC's focus was "training students" and hooking up water, that would certainly explain the lack of visual work on roads and rails.
What counties have you worked in? You could poke around to see what projects might [have been] active near you.
Beaver County PA down through Wetzel County WV.
It won't, unless a new plan redistricts Texas into Appalachia.
Glad to be back! First day back in TX, the beltway was under repair -- I was thrilled, rather than annoyed, to see roads under construction and improvement! Now, if they would only get their act together and invest in an elevated rail system or some other reasonable form of public mass transit...
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Yeah but how is any of that helping Kirth?
That's exactly where the modern Democratic Party keeps falling down.
Dems: "We're helping the working class!"
Local People: "How, exactly? None of us are seeing it."
Dems: "Well, you're all bad people anyway, so we don't need to talk to you except by making snide remarks."
Trump: "I'll Make America Great Again (TM)!"
Local Pepple: "How, exactly? You people never do."
Trump: "No earthly idea! I've never been able to fix anything, and run all my companies into the ground! But I'm listening to you, and I understand your concerns."
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Yeah but how is any of that helping Kirth?That's exactly where the modern Democratic Party keeps falling down.
Dems: "We're helping the working class!"
Local People: "How, exactly? None of us are seeing it."
Dems: "Well, you're all bad people anyway, so we don't need to talk to you except by making snide remarks."Trump: "I'll Make America Great Again (TM)!"
Local Pepple: "How, exactly? You people never do."
Trump: "No earthly idea! I've never been able to fix anything, and run all my companies into the ground! But I'm listening to you, and I understand your concerns."
I can't decide whether to favorite this or cry; guess I'll do both.
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Yeah but how is any of that helping Kirth?That's exactly where the modern Democratic Party keeps falling down.
Dems: "We're helping the working class!"
Local People: "How, exactly? None of us are seeing it."
Dems: "Well, you're all bad people anyway, so we don't need to talk to you except by making snide remarks."Trump: "I'll Make America Great Again (TM)!"
Local Pepple: "How, exactly? You people never do."
Trump: "No earthly idea! I've never been able to fix anything, and run all my companies into the ground! But I'm listening to you, and I understand your concerns."
Im curious what all these folks who felt like Trump "got it" are feeling now.
Media "So President Trump the new GOP plan for Obamacare replacement hurts middle and lower class America"
Trump: "That's right and gives a big tax break to the wealthiest."
Media: "and you are in support of this?
Trump: "Yeap, proud of it."
I'm curious what all these folks who felt like Trump "got it" are feeling now.
He did "get it" -- he just didn't give a damn, and had absolutely no intention of actually helping them (quite the contrary, in fact). But at least he knew where they were coming from, and he used that to win the election.
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Yeah but how is any of that helping Kirth?That's exactly where the modern Democratic Party keeps falling down.
Dems: "We're helping the working class!"
Local People: "How, exactly? None of us are seeing it."
Dems:
Dems: We can't help you if you keep voting republican.
Look, I'm sorry obamacare turned out to be the 1990 republican plan. We were pushing for something better, we couldn't get it. But have you noticed that none of the rivers are on fire lately? Thank you EPA. Have you seen bald eagles making a come back? In places they haven't been since before your grandfather was a kid? Have you noticed that you retire at 65 instead of dropping dead on the floor? Overtime pay? the 40 hour work week?The only thing we've been able to do for over a generation is slow the republicans down because we haven't really been in power. Is the NSA running a satalite dish out of your colon? No? You're welcome. Any of your kids get shot in a new war? No. You're welcome.
I stated above that I wasn't really a science guy, but this article just blew away my go-to consolation: it'll all end one day.
No Big Bang? Quantum equation predicts universe has no beginning
But have you noticed that none of the rivers are on fire lately? Thank you EPA.
1972 Clean Water Act, signed into law by Richard Nixon. You'll remember he had an (R) after his name, but was pretty far left of Clinton and Obama on a number of issues.
Is the NSA running a satalite dish out of your colon? No? You're welcome. Any of your kids get shot in a new war? No. You're welcome.
If you're claiming that Obama did not increase NSA surveillance of American citizens, and did not continue our unending foreign warfare, I want tickets to that alternative universe.
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But have you noticed that none of the rivers are on fire lately? Thank you EPA.Clean Water Act, signed into law by Richard Nixon. He had an (R) after his name, but was pretty far of Clinton and Obama on a number of issues.
He also had a democratic senate force it on him, tried to get rid of it when it started doing it's job, and its been kept in place by the democrats ever since with republicans trying to de legitimize or defund it.
But that was back when the right compromised. They've learned since then....
If you're claiming that Obama did not increase NSA surveillance of American citizens
he did not. His justice department didn't fight a large number of safeguards the courts put in place to keep it to a dull roar.
and did not continue our unending foreign warfare, I want tickets to that alternative universe.
new. Wars. Or have you not noticed that every time we elect a republican we start a new war for the next democrat to clean up?
If you want no foreign warfare you have to keep electing the party of less foreign warfare and hope they get better, not the party of more foreign warfare and hope they kill everyone.
new. Wars. Or have you not noticed that every time we elect a republican we start a new war for the next democrat to clean up?
I was under the impression we started bombing Yemen, for example, in 2015.
But have you noticed that none of the rivers are on fire lately? Thank you EPA.1972 Clean Water Act, signed into law by Richard Nixon. You'll remember he had an (R) after his name, but was pretty far left of Clinton and Obama on a number of issues.
Is the NSA running a satalite dish out of your colon? No? You're welcome. Any of your kids get shot in a new war? No. You're welcome.If you're claiming that Obama did not increase NSA surveillance of American citizens, and did not continue our unending foreign warfare, I want tickets to that alternative universe.
I'm not saying either of those things didn't happen, I just don't think there was one moment where Obama decided to sign those particular executive orders because he thought it was a really great idea, if you see what I mean.
Oops, ninja'd by BNW while I was composing my post. (And going to the bathroom on the way to fetching another beer, but let's not get too personal, shall we?)
It won't, unless a new plan redistricts Texas into Appalachia.Glad to be back! First day back in TX, the beltway was under repair -- I was thrilled, rather than annoyed, to see roads under construction and improvement! Now, if they would only get their act together and invest in an elevated rail system or some other reasonable form of public mass transit...
Thrilled unless you're referring to I-35, which will still be under construction long after we're all dead.
US conflicts/wars of past 100 years
C/W initiated with a Republican president in office:
Gulf War, War on Terror
Total U.S. troop casualties- 4,976 as of August 2010
C/W initiated with a Democratic president in office:
WW1 WW2 Korea Vietnam
Total U.S. troop casualties- 636,438
US conflicts/wars of past 100 years
C/W initiated with a Republican president in office:
Gulf War, War on Terror
Total U.S. troop casualties- 4,976 as of August 2010C/W initiated with a Democratic president in office:
WW1 WW2 Korea Vietnam
Total U.S. troop casualties- 636,438
The U.S. would most likely have entered WWII regardless of the administration at the time. Subtracting it out still leaves a vast disparity and makes your point stronger, IMHO.
Obama did not start the war in Yemen, he intervened in an existing war. Which I believe is the pattern with all the military actions Obama has taken. OTOH, we started the war in Iraq.
One could argue that Bush Sr. didn't start Desert Storm, but merely intervened in an existing war, and that Dubya's invasion was a continuation of that conflict. I personally wouldn't buy that argument at all (well, at least not the second half of it), but one could make that argument.
One could also argue that the Afghanistan war was started by the Taliban, by sheltering Bin Laden. Most of the world, at the time, was willing to accept that interpretation. The continuation of that war is exactly what most people are now condemning.
Obama did not start the war in Yemen, he intervened in an existing war. Which I believe is the pattern with all the military actions Obama has taken. OTOH, we started the war in Iraq.One could argue that Bush Sr. didn't start Desert Storm, but merely intervened in an existing war, and that Dubya's invasion was a continuation of that conflict. I personally wouldn't buy that argument at all (well, at least not the second half of it), but one could make that argument.
One could also argue that the Afghanistan war was started by the Taliban, by sheltering Bin Laden. Most of the world, at the time, was willing to accept that interpretation. The continuation of that war is exactly what most people are now condemning.
Well, and the expansion into Iraq, but yeah.
At this point I'm much less worried about which party has started more wars while their President was in office (look, whatever, that grammatical construction is rock solid) than about how President Trump will deal with the North Korea Nuclear Warhead Delivery System issue. I really, really think Trump's term in office is going to do more harm than good.
new. Wars. Or have you not noticed that every time we elect a republican we start a new war for the next democrat to clean up?I was under the impression we started bombing Yemen, for example, in 2015.
This simplistic, deliberately missing the point argumentation is why democrats can't get anywhere. Because reality is complicated and democrats are sadly our one remaining reality based party but people don't bother with reality in politics.
Yes. We intervened in Yemen. From the air and a few special forces. To the total loss of somewhere between 1 and a few dozen american lives and a few billion dollars. That is not the same as the war in iraq which costs at LEAST 2 trillion dollars, 4,500 american lives, and at LEAST 100,000 civilian casualties.
And yet those things are somehow equally as horrible because they are both "Wars"
Even when it's specifically pointed out that there is no good option, just a better one, the argument is that they're the same. Are you kidding me? There is a vast difference here.
It was Iraq that was beyond the pale.
Yes, we agree on that. Too bad more people -- in both parties -- didn't vote against it. (Yes, I know that Republicans were overwhelmingly in favor, whereas a small handful of Democrats defied the rest of their party in voting "no," but still not exactly what you'd call a clear sign of reluctance.)
Remember, no one is saying the Dems need to be perfect. Everyone here agrees the Republicans, overall, are worse, so please stop with the "just as bad" thing, because no one is saying that except defenders of the status quo, in an effort to misrepresent the people who would like to see a change in the Democrats' priorities. What some of us are saying is that "we're only 90% as bad as the Republicans!" is no longer firing up the independents and undecideds and 3rd party kooks and everyone else you need to actually retake congress or, eventually, the White House.
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The Democratic party will be just fine.
It's the country as a whole that I'm worried about if we collectively swallow the line that cutting food aid is "compassionate." What a crock of s+*~.
1972 Clean Water Act, signed into law by Richard Nixon. You'll remember he had an (R) after his name, but was pretty far left of Clinton and Obama on a number of issues.
This isn't actually true. Nixon was president at the time, but he actually vetoed the bill. The Senate and House then overrode his veto, but he never signed it.
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Hi from the other side of the pond
Seems we both have political disasters now, You with your election result, us with the devisive Brexit vote.
I'm one of our Lib Dem Party, (when I'm not playing PFS)! But the hatred I got on the web for voting 'Remain' was terrible. Put my blood pressure through the roof and I suffered a stroke on Jan 3rd. Still haven't recovered yet. So I know a bit how politics cab be devisive.
What's this about blaming GCHQ for spying on your election? We don't do things like that over here. Opinion over here is that an ex TV Personality is stroking his ego again. No facts, just innuendo.
His view that millions of illegal voters voted Democratic because he lost the popular vote is astonishing.
My condolences on the vote. I hope you get a more moderate centrist government next time, whichever party wins. Meantime we have 2 years of Brexit hell, plus a chance of Scotland breaking away from the Union after 300 years. (Like California breaking from USA).
Thanks for the chat
Paul H
(Typed with left hand since the right one don't work)
(Typed with left hand since the right one don't work)
At one point I was able to buy a left-hand keyboard. It only used the left hand keys and had a little button to switch to the right hand config. You could ptress that button and get the right hand version of the key (middle finger handled f/g and the button made j/h available, for example)
IF you are a touch typist you might find it useful to get one of those. It took a while to get used to, but it was better than dictation. You might also try switching to voice. The dictation program I used was pretty useful.
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The Democratic party will be just fine.
It's the country as a whole that I'm worried about if we collectively swallow the line that cutting food aid is "compassionate." What a crock of s@@+.
I could not agree more. If words are allowed to mean their opposite, then it's more than fact based government and credibility that has been lost.
I could not agree more. If words are allowed to mean their opposite, then it's more than fact based government and credibility that has been lost.The Democratic party will be just fine.
It's the country as a whole that I'm worried about if we collectively swallow the line that cutting food aid is "compassionate." What a crock of s@@+.
I wonder how well they'll do with a splintered constituency, because thats what they have now
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I wonder how well they'll do with a splintered constituency, because thats what they have nowI could not agree more. If words are allowed to mean their opposite, then it's more than fact based government and credibility that has been lost.The Democratic party will be just fine.
It's the country as a whole that I'm worried about if we collectively swallow the line that cutting food aid is "compassionate." What a crock of s@@+.
Did you accidentally link a different article than you intended? The one you linked not only doesn't talk about a fractured constituency, but it's also from before the election...