The Politics Thread

[Vee]

Yes, but the question is how the public will feel about that line. They didn't care about leaving Afghanistan, the shame of our century according to DC press with lots of friends at the Pentagon. Which is part of why the press has doubled down on trying to catch Biden in gotchas over Ukraine.

[marceline]

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[I Am A Swede]

^^

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Edited March 27, 2022 by I Am A Swede

[DRW50]

Unfortunately I do think the media obsession has an impact with the public, as Biden's numbers fell after Afghanistan and have not significantly recovered. While I don't think this is on that level by any means (especially as there are no dead US soldiers involved), it's another club for the media to wield and a way for them to move on from talking about Clarence Thomas, which they were desperate to do. It also means they don't have to give Biden any credit for foreign policy and give another edge to Republicans. 

[Vee]

I think that's more about the constant fussing over 'inflation' and the just relentless negativity overall to try to handicap Dems. The specific tone is what got him down in numbers, while the polling reflected that no one actually gave a shít about the substance of leaving Afghanistan - something I vividly remember CNN or MSNBC grudgingly acknowledging on-air, admitting, to paraphrase, 'journalists have a different viewpoint than the public about this issue'.

[Khan]

If our evacuation from Afghanistan had occurred during any other period in our history, maybe - MAYBE - more would have cared.  But when you have thousands dying every week during a pandemic that our previous administration could have controlled, if not outright prevented, priorities tend to change.

This reminds me of when former AMC/AW/ATWT/GH/OLTL scribe Elizabeth Page wrote an article during a WGA strike detailing all the many hardships she and her family had to endure...like giving up $200 haircuts for the time being.  The more money you make, ladies and gentlemen, the more out-of-touch you become with reality.

Well, that's one way of looking at it...

...and that's another.

Me?  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't listen to polls anymore.  Period.

[Vee]

Case in point: The Y&R writing team, ensconced in very financially comfortable positions, believing Jason Thompson monologuing about vague 'wellness' and self-actualization is a viable and compelling storyline just because they enjoy a) JT and b) podcasting about upper middle class problems.

[Khan]

My theory: Josh Griffith is aware of Billy's importance to the canvas (at least in CBS and Sony's eyes) and wants to give him/JT more and better story, but either he's at a loss and afraid to admit that the character has been used up and needs a long, perhaps permanent rest* OR all the other ideas he and his team pitched have been rejected by the higher-ups and this (the podcasting business) is the best they can do under the circumstances.

But, yeah, the "story" is nonexistent and boring af.

 

(*Yes, I did say kill him off.  At the very least, the option should be on the table.)

Edited March 27, 2022 by Khan

[Vee]

I can't see this being the network's idea of a gripping story (and they've got to be pretty disinterested in the show as is). This feels personal to the writers to me due to their admiration of JT (who is talented but miscast). Anyway, we're OT.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Vee

[DramatistDreamer]

I just read that article and was wondering if it had been posted here. Thanks to @marcelineI didn't have to post it.

I read the headline out to someone who guffawed immediately. "How will they make bread?"

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If Aven believes he is being treated so unjustly by U.K. financial authorities, he can  repatriate to Russia, where his money and connections to the Kremlin will afford him a comfortable life. Nobody is bombing Russia, so he'll be fine there. It seems he wants to have his cake and eat it too. 

I have many issues with how the U.K. operates historically, politically and sometimes even culturally but this is not one those issues. The U.K. government is free to place restrictions on the flow of capital from these Russian oligarchs to insure that the flows don't eventually funnel into funding warfare that will be used to launch attacks on people hiding in shelters.

Me: squinting, looking at what thread we're in.

But as long as we're here, personally I would exile Billy. Has Griffith ever killed off a character with a story that was compelling? Why risk it? Send Billy somewhere, perhaps a more capable writer in future (should they ever decide to replace JG) may have use for him. Although Cassie's death story was very compelling and provided some story for the actors who portrayed her parent for a couple years, it was the beginning of a lot of problems for stories for characters in her age group going forward. Gaps that exits to this day.

[DRW50]

You are probably right, but I do think it is feeing into the Ukraine numbers, and is feeding into the grotesque narrative the media are using about his "inarticulate" (their words) comments yesterday. It's a way of training the public to think Biden is incapable on all fronts, compared to their big daddy heroes like Trump.

Edited March 27, 2022 by DRW50

[Vee]

Watergate II. You can't make this up.

 

[Vee]

 

[DRW50]

 

[DramatistDreamer]

With their railing in favor of parochial schools as it adheres to their "school choice" battlecry, I'm surprised they're even paying attention to public schools at all. I'm thinking it won't last. Conservative politicians and overfed think tank members are sending their kids to private schools that implement those same programs that claim to loathe. 

Now that the Oscars that most people never really care about in the first place are a memory, hopefully the focus can shift to missing phone records from the previous administration and the obvious corruption of a Supreme Court justice and his wife.