The Politics Thread

[Khan]

 

Because, again, that would mean diverting gov't funds away from their pet projects: really big guns.

[marceline]

 

I've been saying for years that the abortion underground needs to get up and running again. If women aren't going to be able to get safe legal abortions then we need to make sure they can get safe illegal ones.

[Juliajms]

I honestly feel like some Republicans enjoy punishing poor people, even poor children.

It looks like it's going to come to that.

[Khan]

Actually, I'm with Whoopi Goldberg, who once said (and as always, I am paraphrasing), "If you don't want these women to have abortions, then let's them have those babies and we'll drop them off at YOUR house."

[marceline]

A former health insurance CEO explains why repeal and replace is doomed.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/obamacare-repeal-and-replace-wont-work-2016-12

 

Seriously. These ideologues are going to send us right back to the Great Depression which, ironically, happened the last time the GOP controlled all the branches of government.

[ReddFoxx]

The ACA will not be repealed, because it's too beneficial to people and there are Republicans in Congress who won't ruin their careers over repeal.

No one ever seems to really care about retail jobs, even though they are important and employ millions.

[GregNYC]

Edit

Edited January 5, 2017 by GregNYC

[Khan]

 

Maybe.

 

I suspect Republicans believe poor people choose to stay poor.  (As if poverty were a choice, right?)  To them, it's unfathomable for someone who is born impoverished to remain that way so long as he "works hard."  After all, isn't the history of this country filled with stories of men (which is to say, men who are Caucasian, heteronormal and God-fearing) who pulled themselves up by their proverbial boot straps, with absolutely no help from anyone but the Good Lord Above?  (Actually, for many of those men, God was the LAST thing on their minds as they lied, cheated, stole and even killed in their quest for success.  But that's of no importance to anyone still paying attention.)

 

I'm not saying the quintessential rags-to-riches story can't happen anymore.  It can...but not for everyone.  In fact, it never could.

 

For every man who is born into poverty, works hard and achieves that Gatsby-esque American Dream, there's another man who is born under similiar circumstances, makes the same sacrifices; yet when he dies, he's still poor.  It isn't anything they did or didn't do that would explain why they "failed."  It's just the hand the life dealt them.

 

Yet, for some damn reason, congressional Republicans, and even many average people, can't (or won't) see that.  No, poor people in this country stay poor, because they're lazy, and because the rest of us make their meager existence too comfortable for them.  (As if living on stuff like food stamps and Medicaid is the epitome of "leisure class.")  Which is how we end up with jackholes like Paul Ryan, who can't understand why many who work in fast food (like he did) don't have the luxury of seeing the job as a stepping stone toward something better (again, like he did); and who believe that the answer to all our problems would be to restrict and/or do away with entitlements and subsidies.

 

And if taking away their social and economic safety nets means they fall even further behind...?  Well, then, they just...hafta roll up their sleeves and work a little harder.

 

Because, hard work never killed anyone, right?

 

Except...it has.

 

You can work hard all your life -- sometimes, around the clock -- just to make those ends meet, or at least move closer together; and in the end, all you have to show for it are a nice-looking corpse and a grave your loved ones visit on major holidays.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Khan

[Khan]

 

And all because the GOP wanted to stick it to President Darkie.

 

Again, many see them as mere "stepping stones."  You're not supposed to make a career out of working at the Gap.  It's only there to give teenagers spending money and teach them the values of hard work and self-discipline.

 

Ah, but remember: Trump's "historic" and "landslide" victory gave Republicans on Capitol Hill a "mandate" to do that very thing.

 

Sure, we're all about to suffer, but at least part of me will get a big(ly) kick out of seeing complainers who THOUGHT TrumpCo. and Congress would replace the ACA with "something really fantastic" realize that, in fact, they got nothing.  Even the diehards who will stand by their man no matter what will twist themselves into yoga-like positions to justify why their own government has left them stranded like the Pharoah's slaves in the desert.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Khan

[ReddFoxx]

When it comes to people think, this is true. But, it couldn't be further from the truth, because when I worked in retail I worked with several older people. I was trained by a 67 year old woman who could barely make ends meet. The stores here are full of 40+ people and I see very few teens. Retail is no longer the industry of teens wanting pocket change.

[Khan]

 

Oh, I agree.  I'm sorry if I came across as someone who didn't.

[marceline]

 

Exactly but Khan's right. Whenever there's a discussion of raising the minimum wage conservatives say that you aren't supposed to be living on those jobs but that ignores that fact that some people have to. Republicans always approach problem solving by talking about how they think things should be instead of how they really are. 

[ReddFoxx]

I understood where you were coming from.

[JaneAusten]

I have to laugh. President tweety fingers is now telling the GOP to get that Obamacare replacement ready for him to sign. Lol they have none. And didn't tweety fingers say HE ALONE had a solution to Obamacare?

[ReddFoxx]

That's because they are more concerned about corporate profits. They constantly push the idea that increasing minimum wage will cause job losses, but that is a lie.