The Real timschochet

Looks like the Democrat is going to win to replace Santos. That might be a message that this whole panic over immigration is not going to be the issue that Republicans hope that it’s going to be. If that is the case, then after Biden’s re-election and the House changes hands there will be some kind of deal reached regarding immigration but it will be much friendlier to what Dems want than the current deal that Trump blew up. In other words, the Republicans really screwed up here and they will regret killing this bill.

No it wasn’t. 1. People say the Clinton impeachment was weak because he lied about sex. But he DID lie under oath. 2. People say the first Trump impeachment was weak because it was about a phone call and they don’t think it rose to the level of impeachment. But he DID attempt to blackmail a foreign leader for political purposes. 3. People say the second Trump impeachment was weak because it was unclear what Trump’s role was in the January 6 riot, and because he was already out of office when he was impeached, But it’s pretty clear that he tried to subvert the political process; we will see how guilty he is. My point: one can reasonably debate the merits of all 3 of these modern impeachments, but none of them were about policy. This current impeachment is about policy. (However, one could argue that the Andrew Johnson impeachment in 1868 was about policy- northern hardliners thought he was too soft on Reconstruction of the South.)

You are getting the benefit. You’re complaining about the price of your IPhone and your car but if they were all made here your prices would be much higher.

Please explain how this hurts us. Would you rather we pay higher prices for the products we consume?

“Something has to be done”. OK what? What are you proposing?

Look while I totally appreciate what you’re saying here I can never buy into this “we can’t afford to spend the money” argument for the simple reason that we’re talking about a tiny amount of the total budget; not spending it will have no impact whatsoever on the total debt or deficit. Our national debt is a huge problem no doubt, but at this point it is so large that we will never be able to solve it by cutting spending, because the American public would never tolerate the amount of drastic cuts we would have to make. Therefore the only solution is to grow the economy. That means more trade, that’s ultimately the only way to do it. We need to oppose the Trumps on one side and the AOCs and Bernie Sanders on the other side and promote policies that will bring us more trade.

No. If we help make those countries better, less will want to leave. But I still want the ones that do. They’re apt to be the toughest, the strongest of will, the most courageous.

Yes. And as much as I love Ronald Reagan and believe him to be the greatest President of my lifetime, I also hold him responsible for changes to the system in California that made it more difficult to care for mentally ill people. My grandmother was mentally ill. All throughout my childhood my mom tried to place her in facilities but she wouldn’t stay. Then she lived like a homeless person and my mom couldn’t find her. It was terrible.

Agreed though it IS also about guns to the extent that, as I wrote yesterday, I would like to keep them out of the hands of mentally ill people. Bur to your point- what as a society can we do better regarding the mentally ill? I have no specific ideas but it seems like whatever we do will involve spending a lot more money than we are now. Is this a worthy taxpayer investment?

Putting aside your attempt at levity, I certainly wouldn’t mind some sort of mental competency test for anyone seeking to purchase a firearm. But I suspect it would probably infringe on the 2nd.

I would prefer it if mentally ill people were not allowed to possess firearms. Is there a way to do this without violating the 2nd Amendment? I want good rational people to have the freedom to own firearms; they don’t bother me.

So history repeats itself: just as in 1938-1941, a handful of Republicans and isolationists are going to keep us from helping to prevent aggression in Eastern Europe. We will regret the results.

Mike Johnson signals he will not allow the foreign aid bill to be voted on: https://www.axios.com/2024/02/13/mike-johnson-senate-national-security

https://abc7.com/amp/lake-arrowhead-store-owner-killed-mag-pi-clothing-laura-ann-carleton/13673754/ I’ve actually been to that store. What the hell is wrong with people? Why can’t they leave gays and trans alone?

Strength? Are you for real? Putin knows that if Trump is re-elected Russia will get everything they want. Biden is the strong one not Trump. Biden is the one who has unified NATO and the world against Russia. Trump wants to tear NATO down. Biden is the tough guy, the alpha, defending America. Trump is a weak coward, an appeaser.. Stop with the nonsense about strength, or at least get your facts right.

Thats a reasonable position, though I would point out that by continuing aid we make it far more likely that Putin will come to the negotiating table. Let’s be honest: the reason he has not done so yet is because he’s waiting to see how Congress reacts, and he’s waiting to see if Trump gets re-elected.

I’m not willing to go that far. Most of them seem to believe that it is somehow beneficial to the United States to allow Russia to defeat Ukraine. Or they think it’s none of our business, we shouldn’t get involved. That makes them wrong and stupid IMO but not traitors. Hence the old phrase “useful idiots” is an accurate one.

I could, but I don’t want to, because my point is it’s irrelevant to the current question: regardless of who is to blame for the past, should we continue to support Ukraine right now? Yes or no?

You’re incorrect about this (the timing of Putin’s invasions are unrelated to who was in office) but let’s say you’re right. Let’s say it’s all the fault of Obama and Biden. So what now? Are we going to help Ukraine defend themselves? Or are we going to turn our backs and see them get overrun? That is the immediate choice we have to make. If we don’t pass this aid bill and next year Russian forces are in Kiev are you good with that result? I am not.

And BTW if you’re a conservative who wants to help Ukraine but supports Trump for other reasons, this isn’t about you. I am not criticizing you on this subject. This thread is specifically about those conservatives who are objecting to helping Ukraine- they are useful idiots who are making us and the world less safe. They are doing damage and helping murderous dictators in real time.

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/01/why-does-putin-have-superfans-among-the-us-right-wing Putin is a white nationalist, homophobic, misogynist…do these have anything to do with it? The Guardian thinks so…

This would have rather difficult to accomplish.

You do realize that there were black slaves who murdered their own babies rather than see them grow up in slavery, right? And that there were babies that were sold away from their parents right after being born, or as young children? And that husbands were sold away from their wives and vice versa? And that this lasted for hundreds of years, not for a couple of terrible years? So please stop with this comparison. It’s offensive.

Is that you, President Biden?

Yes I know all about the Death Ships. I’ve read a few books on the Great Famine in my time. It was a horrible time. And it was completely preventable. Potatoes were the only crop that failed- Ireland produced plenty of food to feed the natives but it was shipped to England by the British landlords who were in debt. These same landlords also prevented the peasants from fishing in order to protect land ownerships for the Scots Protestants they had imported in Ulster. It was a terrible time. But trying to compare it to the centuries of American black slavery is just absurd and awful.