A place to chunter about anything that isn't Womad

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Little whispers on FB allegedly from "insiders in Government in the know" of plans for a General Election to coincide with the May 2019 Local Elections ........... So just AFTER the Brexit deal is sealed ........... Get the feeling The Tories maybe wanting to hand the problem over to Labour after they have tied Labours hands with a crap deal? Makes you almost want The Tories to win so they can suffer the fallout........

[Zenrider]

That is the conservative play book. Screw things up, let the liberals do the unpopular things to fix things. Campaign real hard, rinse repeat.

The USA was on a strong economical recovery path, but now we are back to ridiculous levels of spending, with less tax revenue due to tax cuts the wealthy not only didn't need, but didn't deserve.

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Attachment Deleted

[Zenrider]

Well, at least you haven't had yet another mass shooting at a school. Of course, the conservative response was to send people out to hold anti abortion banners above the highways as a distraction. Not the first time they've done such a thing, but the first time I've really made the correlation. It's kind of a new thing. Shows the are desperate for a distraction.
Perhaps because of the absurdity. Wish I had time to talk to one of them and ask them (would have if I knew that's what the guy on the bridge was up to) if perhaps a "It's time for responsible gun control laws!" sign might be more appropriate in light of recent news.

The only people that are afraid of background checks, spouse abusers, and people with mental health issues that would keep some people from getting guns, is they are afraid they won't be allowed to have a gun. To that, if you are worried you wouldn't be able to get a gun with responsible gun control laws in place, perhaps you shouldn't own a gun. Frankly, I've always thought people should have to pass a basic written gun safety test before obtaining a license to own a gun. I often run into some opposition when I mention that. I finally realized it's because they are afraid they won't pass. Or more so, they would have to accept there is no such thing as an accidental discharge of a firearm, but a careless discharge of a firearm.

BTW, in the case of the vast majority of mass shootings, the shooters have been shown to overwhelmingly hold white supremacists ideals. Not all, but far more than enough to recognize we have a white national terrorist problem in the USA.
They also are most likely to have abused a significant other physically, mentally, or both.
It was far under reported, but the shooter in Las Vegas fit all of the above. Although, he went to some extremes to hide his white supremacists views. In fact, may have made some effort to make it appear he was the opposite. However, it's hard to hide years of a white supremacist conservative views with a few Liberal searches.

However, since that seems to be a demo graph that also holds the power of the Republican Party who are happy to commit treason as long as the few of them get all they want. So, getting something done about that, or profiling correctly the greatest threat in the USA, will be difficult. With Russian interference, not only with propaganda, but quite possibly hacking voting machines, the USA is probably in the darkest place it's ever been.

The larger thing you need to fear is the NRA, gun lobbies as they have a product they think everyone should have and are making big strides in Russia, but would to expand to a greater European market.

The proof is to the contrary, Australia took away the assault weapons, mass shootings became pretty much non existent. The USA gets rid of gun restrictions, particularly the end to the assault weapon ban under George W. Bush. A ban his own father had supported. In a very short time have had a record number of mass shootings. Which with Trump being inaugurated our president the problem has rocketed out of control.
It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out more guns, mean more deaths. Not to mention all the other deaths by guns that have increased exponentially. Toddlers shooting their mothers when sitting in a shopping cart with a purse with a loaded gun in it. Just a few years ago a combat Marine was killed by his toddler that picked up a gun his friend had sitting loaded on a table. It's just ridiculous.

BTW, they are trying to scapegoat the FBI with the Florida shooting, but one has to remember, they deal with over 1,300 tips just like that one on a daily basis. They don't have the manpower or financial backing to detain every person someone thinks may become a mass shooter.
The blame needs to remain where it belongs, the conservatives that have allowed weapons to have become the symbol and control of their party.

[mikey]

It is really bad to read about any shootings but ones that are so high in casualties, so frequent and targeting youngsters are just so awful on another level again.
Trump, funded by the NRA is scapegoating the mentally challenged and fails to blame the gun culture. Yet the f’n b*stard repealed a law from Obama’s time which insisted on mental health background checks for anyone buying a weapon. Strangely, the whitehouse have no photos of him grinning (like when he signed away women’s right to health around the world) when he removed that piece of statute.
There must come a time when there will be a direct cause and effect between Trump repeal of gun control law, a mass shooting and the families holding him personally responsible. Until then how does this hypocritical lying b*stard sleep at night? Probably on a big stack of money donated by the NRA

[mikey]

Hopefully we will not be opening the floodgates of weaponry from the us sponsored by the NRA but it is worrying. This article perhaps supports what you were saying Zen.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/17/revealed-us-uk-rightwing-thinktanks-talks-to-ditch-eu-safety-checks?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Brexit will leave us exposed without the protection that the EU gave us.

On a plus side, big arms manufacturers in the US are going bankrupt. Arms sales soared under Obama as the right wing supporters bought shedloads to counter any threat to control gun sales. This threat no longer exist and sales have fallen dramatically. Doubt it will make a real difference but nice to think of the death makers losing their fortunes.

[Zenrider]

Feb 17, 2018 18:49:12 GMT mikey said:

It is really bad to read about any shootings but ones that are so high in casualties, so frequent and targeting youngsters are just so awful on another level again.
Trump, funded by the NRA is scapegoating the mentally challenged and fails to blame the gun culture. Yet the f’n b*stard repealed a law from Obama’s time which insisted on mental health background checks for anyone buying a weapon. Strangely, the whitehouse have no photos of him grinning (like when he signed away women’s right to health around the world) when he removed that piece of statute.
There must come a time when there will be a direct cause and effect between Trump repeal of gun control law, a mass shooting and the families holding him personally responsible. Until then how does this hypocritical lying b*stard sleep at night? Probably on a big stack of money donated by the NRA

They have the photo, but won't release it. I think it may have more to do with the people in the room that day. They were likely grinning like fools and up for election this year.

Everything about this administration is Banana Republic. Sadly, our Constitution was written at a time that it could not imagine the complexities of computers and how information is shared in the world as it is today. They would have never comprehended someone like Trump even getting close to being a Presidential candidate, let alone winning. It may have taken Russians to swing the electoral vote, but the fact that anyone voted for that horrific man and would continue to support him is mind boggling. However, the Constitution was written with checks and balances that will be put to test with all this nonsense going on. We can only hope.

I still hold hope, but the 2018 elections is going to have to be like no other midterm before in voter turnout.

My state is technically a blue state, but with many red counties. Surprise, surprise, a red county is having early voting problems...
We also ended up with a minor nightmare of a businessman Governor. Of course, his business was buying and liquidating other businesses, not running a successful business. As it is, he has done something no other Governor of Illinois has ever done. He's tripled our debt. Taking it from 5 billion to 15 billion in four short years. He did this by simply not passing budgets, which caused default on loan payments and such. So, the only ones that made out from his inaction were the banks, who then got to increase interest rates and impose penalties. Conservatives like talking fiscal responsibility, but are far from fiscally responsible.

What gets me is, the facts are out there in black and white, and yet they are so programed all they will talk about is guns, gays, and god. In god, they just mean women obey and have no choices in their lives that aren't dictated by men.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. I am far too surrounded by people that think Trump is great and those that are too afraid to call bull shit.
The worst people, and perhaps the ones most at fault to where the world seems to be headed, are the ones that can't see a difference between politicians. To which I always tell them, if you think they are all the same why don't you vote for the Democrat? In that alone, they are not only lying, but totally disingenuous. Likely not a person that has the best interests for all of humanity in their heart.

[mikey]

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. I am far too surrounded by people that think Trump is great and those that are too afraid to call bull shit.
The worst people, and perhaps the ones most at fault to where the world seems to be headed, are the ones that can't see a difference between politicians. To which I always tell them, if you think they are all the same why don't you vote for the Democrat? In that alone, they are not only lying, but totally disingenuous. Likely not a person that has the best interests for all of humanity in their heart.


So true your last paragraph, people over here say the same, they are all the same and as you say, they will not vote for the ones that have some fairness and equality in the manifesto. About ten years ago we had an expenses scandal, from what I remember it was mainly Tory mp’s caught with their snouts in the trough of public money. Ironically, the stain seemed to stick more with Labour and many good candidates paid the price at the general election.

[Zenrider]

I think it's a lot about perception. For some strange reason there are a lot of people who see bullies or being a bully as being strong. Where I see bullies as being fearful and weak, even if they may be physically strong. Certainly not someone who would make a good leader. They are the ones that lash out at what they fear. Which is why they pick on people that are smarter than them. Especially, if they have physical size and strength as an advantage. Though the internet has gotten rid of that requirement. Now why anyone else would see a bully as a good leader, that is beyond my comprehension.

[Zenrider]

The good thing is, though there are many young people, such as the Florida school shooter that will follow in their families hateful footsteps, I believe they will ultimately be drowned out. Which is why those in power now are on a rampage to destroy democracy as it should be.

Here's for some hope. These kids understand more guns won't solve the problem. Arm the teachers and the students and all you will have is more dead, because the 'good guys' with guns will not be discernible from the 'bad guys' with a gun.

Here's hoping some of these kids are future politicians that can be better than so many of the old ones we have.

[mikey]

Feb 17, 2018 21:12:49 GMT Zenrider said:

The good thing is, though there are many young people, such as the Florida school shooter that will follow in their families hateful footsteps, I believe they will ultimately be drowned out. Which is why those in power now are on a rampage to destroy democracy as it should be.

Here's for some hope. These kids understand more guns won't solve the problem. Arm the teachers and the students and all you will have is more dead, because the 'good guys' with guns will not be discernible from the 'bad guys' with a gun.

Here's hoping some of these kids are future politicians that can be better than so many of the old ones we have.

www.bbc.com/news/av/embed/p05yjjdp/43099960

The second video comes up with the same link as the first.

Powerful clip and I am now certain that Trump will not get elected for a second term.  Shame On You is a far more powerful call than the pathetic and vindictive Lock her up chanted at the Trump rallies. 
Fifty eight million dollars, what a bunch of scumbags.

[Zenrider]

Just edited my post with the full version of Emma Gonzalez's speech.

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Watched this 2006 docu drama on the CIA, MI5 and The establishment working against Harold Wilson as Prime Minister, the "almost coup" by the Army and the subsequent resignation of Harold Wilson. Excellent programme, nice reminder of when we were young and how crap things were.  Well worth a watch 

[mikey]

Reasons Why we should love the French

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Mar 6, 2018 23:12:38 GMT mikey said:

Reasons Why we should love the French

wow