American Politics Discussion Thread

[Woden]

Or this
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opini...tudy-67929

[The Black Sword]

I don't see how you can argue in good faith that Covid is not a crisis. In that case I guess America has never had a crisis since WW2. Maybe that doesn't even count, America's ratio of death/time was probably better there than Covid.

Arguments about how to respond and whether strict conditions are necessary I can understand and sympathise to a degree, even if I currently disagree with them. I really don't know how to respond to the claim that this is not an extraordinary event.

[darrelljs]

cri·sis /ˈkrīsis/ noun; a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.

I'd say it's a crisis. The Vietnam war cost less American lives than the flu, but its was obviously a crisis. For me it's more about how you react to it and what it does to society. The direct impacts of obesity are certainly higher:

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

However, I wouldn't call Obesity a crisis as the impacts are absorbed by the "system" and are individual in nature.

Darrell

[MJW (ya that one)]

In other news GOP will replace RBG because Romney won't rebel. If he did it might have been possible for DEMs to stall for Mark Kelly to fly on into the rescue. I wonder if Hetikamp regrets her dumb abortion vote now; I'm sure she would have won and pushed Bill Nelson over the finish line (that race was tied and more enthusiastic DEMs and DEMs able to pull resources from ND would push him over the top).

[Amicalola]

I know there are lots of examples of hypocrisy from most parties in most governments in most countries, but this rushed replacement reeks worse than anything I’ve seen in a while.

[darrelljs]

Yeah, its egregious. Just admit it, don't try to play it off like its anything else.

Darrell

[Woden]

GOP announcing they have enough votes to confirm before Trump has even nominated anyone tells you what Republicans think about the an independent judiciary. They aren't even faking it this go around.

[MJW (ya that one)]

GOP announcing they have enough votes to confirm before Trump has even nominated anyone tells you what Republicans think about the an independent judiciary. They aren't even faking it this go around.

GOP benfiets from a politized judiciary because they are the anti-cosmopolitan party (and judiciary is pretty cosmopolitan) and they only amendment that favors them now is the second one, which is not enough to carry the load by itself.

[Mjmd]

This is day dreaming, but what if the courts weren't an extension of political parties........ That being said, if we have to have political parties nominate candidates can we somehow limit it to moderate candidates? More Roberts and Kennedy's? I'm ok with a slightly conservative justice that can make reasonable judgements on issues their party doesn't like......

I don't even remember the name, but was really hoping whomever Obama appointed would get in. I remember they were supposedly fairly moderate because he was trying to get the votes, but GOP went all in and gambled and won and we got Kavanaugh.....

[GeneralKilCavalry]

This is day dreaming, but what if the courts weren't an extension of political parties........ That being said, if we have to have political parties nominate candidates can we somehow limit it to moderate candidates? More Roberts and Kennedy's? I'm ok with a slightly conservative justice that can make reasonable judgements on issues their party doesn't like......

I don't even remember the name, but was really hoping whomever Obama appointed would get in. I remember they were supposedly fairly moderate because he was trying to get the votes, but GOP went all in and gambled and won and we got Kavanaugh.....

Political opinions exist, political parties then get on sides of said issues. You can't expect courts to be neutral in any way when they have the power of judicial review, and can examine the constitutionality of any law without relevant litigation. Because they operate directly within the political system, and not solely through litigation, it is impossible to separate them from politically-charged decisions.

And more Roberts and Kennedys means more decisions against unions, labor, and the economic apparatus that we call welfare, but is more aptly called the social safety net. What business do courts have ruling on Obamacare? Absolutely none.

Making a stance on allowing gay marriage and abortions is not the requirement for being a moderate, it's the requirement for not being a raving foam-at-the mouth neocon lunatic. We'll have a majority of those in the supreme court in a few months.