easymac's recent activity
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Comment on Jeff Sessions: "We don't want to separate parents from kids" in ~news
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Comment on Jeff Sessions: "We don't want to separate parents from kids" in ~news
easymac Link ParentI was thinking more of the last battle over immigration ethics where the Democrats decided to shut down the government over DACA. Then, not two days later, they admitted defeat and capitulated...I was thinking more of the last battle over immigration ethics where the Democrats decided to shut down the government over DACA.
Then, not two days later, they admitted defeat and capitulated without getting anything at all in return.
The next week they did the exact same thing: shut down the government on February 9th and capitulated nine hours later without receiving anything at all in return.
That made it quite clear to me that immigration isn't an issue Democrats are willing to face political pressure over--perhaps because they believe it's a losing fight?
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Comment on Jeff Sessions: "We don't want to separate parents from kids" in ~news
easymac LinkThere's a certain irony in Trump's stated regret for picking Jeff Sessions as his AG. Jeff Sessions is perhaps the cabinet member with views on immigration most aligned with Trump's own. They're...There's a certain irony in Trump's stated regret for picking Jeff Sessions as his AG.
Jeff Sessions is perhaps the cabinet member with views on immigration most aligned with Trump's own.
They're both shockingly scummy: they create a humanitarian crisis to try to force Congress to pay $25BN for the wall. Then, they say, they will stop creating the humanitarian crisis.
It seems to me that Trump is trying to negotiate with Republican members of Congress. A government shutdown in September and overseeing abject cruelty aren't things that would harm the minority party.
Ted fucking Cruz is going to introduce legislation to end the practice because he knows Beto O'rourke is gunning for his senate seat and has already begun successfully campaigning on this issue.
Perhaps he's telling Republicans that if they want to have a chance in the midterms, they must provide full funding for the wall--or at least come up substantially from the $1.5BN they're currently agreeing on.
The problem, I hope, is that there will be zero Democrats willing to capitulate and vote yes on any funding bill until the practice of separating young children from their parents (who are legally seeking asylum) is permanently ended.
But I'm not optimistic as far as that's concerned: Democrats haven't shown much spine during Trump's tenure. The GOP only needs nine Democrats.
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Comment on What Thing Do You Wish More People Knew About? in ~talk
easymac Link ParentMany seem to be concerned that faked videos will be maliciously passed off as real but I think what you're describing here is a greater concern to the health of democratic societies in general. I...Many seem to be concerned that faked videos will be maliciously passed off as real but I think what you're describing here is a greater concern to the health of democratic societies in general.
I expect that this will be the response to the next Access Hollywood-type tape.
Already we have a problem with people only believing in things that support their worldview. The understanding that all forms of evidence can be faked will only reinforce that behavior.
If it was strategic, I can't imagine it being good strategy. Polling at the time showed that people both felt that the shutdown was unnecessary and that Congressional Democrats and Trump, not Congressional Republicans, were responsible.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna840246
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/24/government-shutdown-2018-poll-365467
I recognize that this data isn't particularly meaningful ten months later in the midterms, but neither will be the shutdowns--which is a further argument that it was bad strategy.