The Real timschochet

You’re wrong. But I’m not going to argue the point. Because Netanyahu is not to blame for this (even though about half the Israeli population now seem to think so.)

I think they help Trump way too much. They want a tight race.

Such an awful sentiment. I could just as easily blame Netanyahu for refusing to agree to a reasonable ceasefire and bringing the hostages safely out of there. Or I could blame Trump for encouraging BIbi to ignore Biden. But I won’t. Because Hamas is to blame for this and nobody else. When people blame Republicans, or Democrats, they’re being stupid and shameful.

The news that 6 of the hostages were found dead is horrible. But I’ve also been irritated by some of the reactions: 1. On CNN I watched a guy blame Netanyahu. 2. On Meet the Press I watched Tom Cotton blame Biden and Harris for not supporting Israel enough. 3. On a progressive radio station I heard a dude blame Trump for encouraging Netanyahu to ignore Biden. These responses from both left and right are a product of our age of moral relativism. So let’s be very clear. Some or all of the above people may have made mistakes depending on your point of view. But NONE of them are to blame for this. Hamas is to blame for this. Full stop. They are evil. They are terrorist. How we should respond to them is open to reasonable debate. But they are ones responsible.

Welcome back @Jon_mx! Good to see you posting again. Perhaps if you would, please address @Strike’s accusation that I am welcher on bets. TIA

This is a prime situation in which the conservative belief that the MSM promotes liberal outcomes completely fails. Because the media does NOT want Kamala to walk away with this thing; a tight race all the way to the end will result in much higher ratings. It would serve the media far better if Trump wins the debate next week. (Not to mention the fact that 4 more years of a chaotic Trump will ensure much higher ratings than if he goes away.) However, as always, they will be stuck with the truth whatever it turns out to be.

I took @Strike’s advice and changed the title.

Yeah this crossed my mind as well. But since I expect her to perform well I’m not worried about it and I think the expectations will end up helping her.

Harris continues to lead in Pennsylvania: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/pennsylvania/

More excellent polling news for Harris: https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/09/harris-vs-trump-latest-presidential-polls-headed-to-a-blowout-here-are-recent-numbers-that-support-it.html?outputType=amp Beyond a 6 point lead that has continued to grow, she is also expected to win the debate next week.

Latest polling continues the momentum for Harris- it hasn’t slowed down: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/03/poll-dems-boosted-gop-shaken-as-harris-trump-race-is-joined/74995919007/

His son died for this country too. Damn what an awful person you seem to be. Are you this much of a jerk in real life or do you only pretend to be one here? I sure hope for your sake it’s the latter.

Elon Musk posted a fake photograph of Kamala Harris in a Communist uniform. Just so sad and pathetic. This guy is a true genius, an incredible entrepreneur, I have no doubt of that. And yet he resorts to this crap like a petulant little kid. Much like Henry Ford back in the day, Musk is forever destroying his reputation.

They haven’t deteriorated at all: https://www.realclearpolling.com/betting-odds/2024/president About two weeks ago the odds rose considerably to 50%-50%. Harris has the slight edge in some, Trump in others. I think after the debate she will become a considerable favorite but we’ll see.

She does https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-31/harris-catches-up-with-trump-in-michigan-poll-signaling-momentum

Well I’ll give you credit for not making it personal. A lot of what you wrote is true. But the problem is that if those jobs are lost that means the loss was inevitable based on new technology, the laws of capitalism, and people around the world willing to work harder and longer than we do. There is also great benefit to our consumers. The answer is not to try and “protect” jobs that will be lost anyhow, but to change our industries to better reflect what we can offer the world’s marketplace that will have less competition. That is already happening, and it’s creating prosperity. Yes the rust belt of the country is going through decades of suffering, but California, the Carolinas, the south is booming with the new trade. As Kamala correctly says, we need to look forward not back.

Of course you would. I’m surprised you wish this on me and not my family members. For once try making cogent arguments with reason, and logic, if you’re capable of it, rather than always going with “I wish the worst thing possible happened to you.” That’s not an argument; it just makes you look like an idiot and an a$$hole.

Both parties just assume that the American voters are stupid. And since the voters continue to vote for them, I guess they have good reason to believe this. But it didn’t use to be that way. 30 years ago Ross Perot criticized free trade and promoted tariffs, making the exact same moronic arguments that Trump does now. Of all people, Al Gore took him on in a debate on Larry King- anyone remember this? Gore destroyed him, and Perot was never heard from again. Al Gore, the lifelong liberal and environmentalist, gave the best and most impassioned defense of free market capitalism I’ve ever heard. We need way more of that.

And she is wrong about this. Both political parties continue to pursue nativism, populism, and anti-globalism. There hasn’t been a truly pro-free trade candidate since Mitt Romney. It’s really sad.

They were given a level of political freedom, but they didn’t have economic freedom. They were prevented from freedom of movement, from agriculture, from industry, from trade. Their cities were (are) overcrowded and hopeless. There is no means of social mobility, no sense of economic stability. Under such conditions we would also elect extreme radicals who promised a violent solution.

Hamas can only be ultimately destroyed by the Palestinian people. And that can only happen when the Palestinian people have economic stability, freedom, and a certain level of pride. Therefore IMO the end game is a 3 state solution. My model is a miniature version of the British Raj in 1948: India = Israel The West Bank = Pakistan Gaza = Bangladesh

This gets to the heart of the thread. I think you misuse the word “evil” here. Evil is a deliberate attempt to do malice to others. I can assure you with 100% sincerity that I have no such motive. I honestly believe that my views will bring about good results without bringing harm to others. I could be wrong about that; I’m sure you believe I am. But if I’m wrong it’s not deliberate. Likewise I feel the same about you. I have read your views and I think many of them are wrongheaded and would bring real problems and in some instances potential catastrophe to this country if they were ever enacted. But I don’t believe that they are evil and I don’t think you are evil. Evil is Hamas and Hitler and Stalin and Charles Manson, Pol Pot, etc. The word has no place in a discussion between American liberals and conservatives. Neither Joe Biden, nor Donald Trump, nor any American politician of consequence in our history, has been evil.

It will come as no surprise to you that I strongly disagree with your opinion of how we should have handled this affair. I think the exact opposite: that we should have put MORE pressure on Netanyahu and Israel not less. I think that letting Israel do what it wanted would have resulted in more death and destruction and no solution at all and no safety for Israel. We are at complete odds here. However, this all misses the point I was trying to mistake. You can blame Biden and I can blame Netanyahu but neither is responsible for these deaths. The moral responsibility is with the terrorists , not the civilized people who try to deal with them. No matter what errors we make we are not the culprits. They are. That was my point.

You know what’s so sad and pathetic? I KNOW that you and @Patented Phil agree with me about what I wrote in the opening post. But you can’t bring yourself to acknowledge it. You can’t write “I disagree with Tim on most issues but he’s got this one right.” You can’t bring yourself to do it because your dislike of me is so great, or your tribalism is so strong, or a combination of both. So you feel the need to attack me instead. And that’s really sad. Not at all surprising coming from you but sad. I hope and pray I’m never like you.

This is a good example of what I’m talking about: in order, you attack the MSM, President Biden, and myself.