heraplem's recent activity
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Comment on Is there a way for Donald Trump to run for US presidency for a third time? in ~society
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Comment on Is there a way for Donald Trump to run for US presidency for a third time? in ~society
heraplem (edited )Link ParentIn theory this would be just as illegal as Trump being inaugurated for a third term. The Constitution does not provide a mechanism to suspend elections. There is no "except in cases of emergency"...then declare martial law and suspend elections 'for the duration of the emergency'.
In theory this would be just as illegal as Trump being inaugurated for a third term. The Constitution does not provide a mechanism to suspend elections. There is no "except in cases of emergency" clause. A Presidential term lasts exactly four years. And Congress determines the timing of the election (in the Electoral College), not the President.
Furthermore, since the states run elections, not the federal government, the only way this would work (in non-compliant states) is if Trump somehow used the military to interfere with the election process. Is that possible? Maybe. One would hope that the military would refuse that as unconstitutional, though I guess we can't be sure. But I think that such a move would make him highly unpopular.
Thinking about it, I guess the obvious point of attack is the Electoral College. That's a much smaller number of people that you have to intimidate, and it's a lot further removed from the life of an average citizen.
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Comment on Bashar al-Assad has left Damascus, senior army officers say; Syria rebels say they are in capital in ~society
heraplem Link ParentArguably the 2021 takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban? It even has a similar dynamic of the previously-backing Great Power no longer providing support to the apparent winner. Although I think...Well, I'm trying to think of an example where a decade long stalemate suddenly changed to the underdog steamrolling the apparent winner
Arguably the 2021 takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban? It even has a similar dynamic of the previously-backing Great Power no longer providing support to the apparent winner. Although I think everyone expected the Afghani government to fall eventually, whereas this has come completely out of the blue.
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Comment on Tom Merritt's opinion on if Mozilla should join Chromium in ~tech
heraplem LinkWhat exactly would be the value proposition of a Chromium-based Firefox? I'm a Firefox loyalist because I don't want to support a browser monoculture. If Firefox switched to Chromium, I would no...What exactly would be the value proposition of a Chromium-based Firefox? I'm a Firefox loyalist because I don't want to support a browser monoculture. If Firefox switched to Chromium, I would no longer have any reason to stick with Firefox.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 2 in ~society
heraplem Link ParentMeh, I consider this perfectly acceptable. You can't hold helplessly to norms when the other side breaks them repeatedly. Norms only exist when both sides respect them. If one side is breaking a...Meh, I consider this perfectly acceptable.
You can't hold helplessly to norms when the other side breaks them repeatedly. Norms only exist when both sides respect them. If one side is breaking a norm by threatening politically-motivated persecution, breaking a norm by preemptively pardoning the people threatened with persecution is the only rational move.
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Comment on How can it take 3GHz to emulate a Super Nintendo? One man’s quest to build a perfect SNES emulator. (2011) in ~games
heraplem LinkThis is hard to come back to after what happened to Near, the author of bsnes.This is hard to come back to after what happened to Near, the author of bsnes.
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Comment on Vladimir Putin approves changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine in ~society
heraplem Link ParentI promise I am no bot. I've generally been in favor of aiding Ukraine---in fact, I think the US made a grave mistake not sending sufficient gear to completely expel Russia back when momentum was...I promise I am no bot.
I've generally been in favor of aiding Ukraine---in fact, I think the US made a grave mistake not sending sufficient gear to completely expel Russia back when momentum was on Ukraine's side. But I'm also afraid of nuclear escalation. The chances Putin would launch an ICBM over this are extremely low, but I don't think it's impossible that he would decide to use tactical nuclear weapons basically to demonstrate commitment.
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Comment on US President-Elect Donald Trump ignores transition rules in ~society
heraplem (edited )Link ParentWhoever that quote is sourced from had better be lying, because the alternative is just too stupid to be true.They were “expecting a more conventional pick,” even though Trump emphasized Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda late in the campaign, and even though Kennedy said that Trump had promised him control of HHS.
Whoever that quote is sourced from had better be lying, because the alternative is just too stupid to be true.
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Comment on Vladimir Putin approves changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine in ~society
heraplem LinkA change in doctrine seems like a much bigger deal than the sabre-rattling that Russia has heretofore engaged in. Scary stuff.A change in doctrine seems like a much bigger deal than the sabre-rattling that Russia has heretofore engaged in. Scary stuff.
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Comment on United States Department of Justice will push Google to sell Chrome to break search monopoly in ~tech
heraplem Link ParentBoth sides of the aisle have a grudge against Big Tech, so I could see it continuing.Both sides of the aisle have a grudge against Big Tech, so I could see it continuing.
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Comment on What's the biggest YouTube channel still run by just one person? in ~creative
heraplem Link ParentCGPGrey definitely has a team, as described here.CGPGrey definitely has a team, as described here.
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Comment on Joe Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with US long-range missiles in ~society
heraplem Link ParentAppeasing Putin by freezing the war will do nothing to prevent future conflict. There's nothing to stop Putin from, years down the line, deciding that, actually, he does want all of Ukraine,...Appeasing Putin by freezing the war will do nothing to prevent future conflict. There's nothing to stop Putin from, years down the line, deciding that, actually, he does want all of Ukraine, thanks. From that perspective, giving in increases the risk of nuclear war later on.
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Comment on Churchil Solitaire - The game that turned me off from buying mobile games in ~games
heraplem LinkIs this the same Churchill Solitaire that was developed with the involvement of Donald Rumsfeld?Is this the same Churchill Solitaire that was developed with the involvement of Donald Rumsfeld?
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Comment on The resistance is not coming to save you. It’s tuning out. in ~society
heraplem Link ParentSorry, but I see no reason to believe that there's even this much rational thought behind it. The big advantage of the trans issue is that the Republican base eats it up, and their motivation...this solves both the problem of there being trans people in public AND decreases costs
Sorry, but I see no reason to believe that there's even this much rational thought behind it. The big advantage of the trans issue is that the Republican base eats it up, and their motivation certainly has nothing to do with healthcare costs.
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Comment on James Webb Space Telescope finds stunning evidence for alternate theory of gravity in ~space
heraplem Link ParentAny alternative theory of gravity needs to explain slam-dunk observations like the Bullet Cluster.Any alternative theory of gravity needs to explain slam-dunk observations like the Bullet Cluster.
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Comment on I was brusque with my family today in ~society
heraplem LinkNothing you've said sounds wrong to me. I can at least see why Trump is appealing to a low-information American voter. I have no idea how "America First" can sound good to anyone who doesn't live...Nothing you've said sounds wrong to me. I can at least see why Trump is appealing to a low-information American voter. I have no idea how "America First" can sound good to anyone who doesn't live in America.
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Comment on Who is allowed to practice identity politics? in ~society
heraplem Link ParentPeople by and large vote on vibes, not policy. And the vibes are: I had more money back when Donald Trump was president (probably before COVID).vote a billionaire who ran on the exact same plan as something he did in 2018. To the effect of costing America hundreds of billions in an unnecessary trade war.
People by and large vote on vibes, not policy. And the vibes are: I had more money back when Donald Trump was president (probably before COVID).
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Comment on Sorry for the mess (post mortem for a Topic that went sideways?) in ~tildes
heraplem Link ParentIt might have something to do with the election. Political videos are probably getting a lot of watches right now (I know they've been getting a lot from me, though not the ones you're talking about).It might have something to do with the election. Political videos are probably getting a lot of watches right now (I know they've been getting a lot from me, though not the ones you're talking about).
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Comment on How California has been ‘Donald Trump-proofing’ itself against federal reprisal in ~society
heraplem Link ParentIt's not likely (especially considering how old he'll be by then), but it's not in principle impossible. Backsliding democracies don't usually completely get rid of elections.It's not likely (especially considering how old he'll be by then), but it's not in principle impossible. Backsliding democracies don't usually completely get rid of elections.
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Comment on Thoughts on Donald Trump, America and what this all means in ~society
heraplem Link ParentThis is the really sad thing. In the face of a wave of nationalism in the Twentieth century, the Left was still a force to be reckoned with. There's nothing like that anymore.This is the really sad thing. In the face of a wave of nationalism in the Twentieth century, the Left was still a force to be reckoned with. There's nothing like that anymore.
There actually is at least one precedent for this: the election of 1864, during the Civil War. The position of the United States government has always been that states cannot leave the Union, and on that view, the "Confederacy" was merely a group of states in rebellion. They did not send electors, so the election simply occurred without their votes.
I'm not a lawyer or a legal scholar, but I see one opening here for wiggle room: at the time, the US government simply did not recognize the governments of the states that were in rebellion. Two mostly-recaptured states, Tennessee and Louisiana, did send electors, but they were rejected on that basis. So I suppose one could argue that an election would be invalid if some state governments recognized by the United States government did not send electors. However, I think the Supreme Court would rule that, in that case, those states' votes would simply not be counted.