• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

American politics

Thankfully the black and female vote (especially among younger people) is there to be won, and she can legitimately map out a future because she is not 103.
She'll do better with the younger voters if she takes a different stance on Gaza. Biden's current 'kill who you want' policy was driving these voters away. Needless to say it is the moral thing to do anyway.
 
Indeed mate, I agree there is a level of absurdity which is impossible not to laugh at. I do too.
But yes, the effects are already in full swing. Whatever happens, the US is on a death march to pockets of civil war. If Harris wins, trust me, some states will stick two fingers to the Federal Gvmt and adhere to state rule. That will see state troopers potentially in conflict with federal agents/military. The potential for deep fudgery is already upon us sadly...
Buy bitcoin steff, then come live with me in New Zealand.
 
She'll be 65 then. The sort of age you imagine winding down. The same as Starmer (who is the same age) is imagined to be unlikely to fancy doing a 2 termer.
No, she would be 68 at the end of her second term. Now compared to Biden who would be 86 or Trump who would be 82 at the end of their respective terms, I think that is not bad. There is absolutely no way she would consider not running for a second term unless for health reasons.
 
What would those benefits be?

Let's start with a leadership which values women's reproductive rights, black/brown people's human status, and a leadership which looks to embrace the future rather than blather on fearmongering about how fudged everything has been, and is...I should add that I called those three specific groups out as I feel those are where many, many votes can be gained. Frankly, I think anyone who ios remotely interested in preserving some semblance of a compassionate society will also benefiot greatly. Further, if you believe that there should be things such as elections and choices in major matters, 'tis another gain. Finally, if you believe that skilled people should do the jobs they're qualified to do, as opposed to hiring people who will simply do what you want them to do, then again, you will benefit. There is a genuine danger that Trump would flip Government Agency appointments into politically motivated posts. For example, under him and the 2025 Project parameters, you could speculate that depts such as the NNSA could end up being staffed by loyal Trump supporters who have good shoopfloor retail experience, and further up the chain, store dept managerial experience, but whose knowledge of nuclear/nuclear matters barely extends beyond 'don't put foil in the microwave'...I'm not joking mate. Everything would be off the table! It should scare the brick out of everyone...
 
Last edited:
Black, female, and young people will see what they have to benefit mate...

You're letting yourself fall into that trap that all young people are liberal progressives, they have all the personality faults and attitudes as old people they just haven't realised they can't change much, the people with money make and break the rules, not much has improved since I was a radical, just been given new shiny toys to distract us.
 
You're letting yourself fall into that trap that all young people are liberal progressives, they have all the personality faults and attitudes as old people they just haven't realised they can't change much, the people with money make and break the rules, not much has improved since I was a radical, just been given new shiny toys to distract us.
Well most young people in the US are liberal and progressive, and vote for the dems something close to a ratio of 80/20. The issue for the dems is motivating them to come out and vote, but they have been doing that recently. Trump is motivating them I assume. The 2022 election red wave didn't materialise largely because of this youth vote.

You are totally correct about rich fudges buying the outcomes they want though. That somehow has to change.
 
Last edited:
Well most young people in the US are liberal and progressive, and vote for the dems something close to a ratio of 80/20. The issue for the dems is motivating them to come out and vote, but they have been doing that recently. Trump is motivating them I assume. The 2020 election red wave didn't materialise largely because of this youth vote.

You are totally correct about rich fudges buying the outcomes they want though. That somehow has to change.

It is the same here, when I first voted very few of my friends bothered, they mostly wanted the world to change but were prepared to let someone else do it. Only one of my grandkids voted in last election. Back in the 60's we thought anyone over 40 was geriatric and all politions were over 50.
 
Here's an interesting slice from a Guardian article written by Steve Phillips:

First, most people in this country typically choose the Democratic nominee for president over the Republican nominee time and time again. With the sole exception of 2004, in every presidential election since 1992, the Democratic nominee has won the popular vote (Biden bested Donald Trump by 7m votes in 2020).

Those trends have only continued during the four years since the 2020 election. Since 2020, 16 million young people have become eligible to vote, and 12 million people, most of them older, have died. Biden beat Trump by 30 points among young people, according to the exit polls, and he lost among the oldest voters (52% for Trump, 47% for Biden). So the fundamental composition of our nation’s electorate is more progressive, more diverse and more favorable to Democrats right now than it was in 2020.

Second, although far too many in the media proceed from the premise that large swaths of the electorate are up for grabs each election cycle and susceptible to switching their political allegiances from one party to the other, the actual data starkly contradicts that belief.

The gold standard measure of voter behavior is the American National Election Studies (Anes), “a joint collaboration between the University of Michigan and Stanford University” that analyzes voter behavior over several decades. The Anes has found a clear and undeniable trend of swing voters virtually disappearing from the populace. In 2020, just 5.6% of voters fell into that category – down from 13% in 2008.

Lastly, a reality that historians will certainly puzzle over in future years when they try to understand why Biden was forced out less than three and a half months before election day is that the economy is actually going like gangbusters. Fifteen million jobs have been created under the Biden administration and the stock market is at an all-time high, swelling 401k retirement coffers by an average of $10,000
according to Fidelity investments.
 
Quite intrigued this weekend in the presence of so many midwestern Americans while covering an Indy Car race. A large number of journalists were in the media centre when news of Biden's withdrawal came through. There was a ripple of excitement and approval from many Canadian media members around me. There was quite a bit of laughter or scorn from American counterparts.

I've covered motorsport in the US (NASCAR, Indy Car) for many years. I grew up not far from a stock car oval and from my pre-teen years remain an avid racing fan. Most of the media members I have been around at US events are blatantly Republican supporters. And I can't even fully describe the open racism I've encountered.

From fans, it's right out there in everyday language, dropping the N word as casually as drawing breath. Being a blond-haired Anglo Saxon who can easily slip into another accent when speaking (the nasal twangs of Buffalo or Detroit, cities I have worked in for many years, or the drawl of the south'n states) it's not hard to draw out personal views in casual conversations with strangers. It's more cleverly cloaked with media types while on the job.

Part of my time at the track this weekend was hanging around the race teams' spotters in an elevated position. About a dozen or so close by as I quietly worked away. Casual conversations were so dismissive of Biden and the Democrats despite the economic stats and healthy stock market outlined above. The outright mockery when Kamala Harris was discussed also ranged into misogyny. Trump's false narratives were spouted and, to nods of approval, agreed that the southern border wall be finished but also manned with snipers and, despite being the USA's largest economic trading partner, the border with Canada should be tightened. Small people in a small world.

Couldn't wait to get out of one of North America's great cities and get back over the border. Bon debarras!
 
You're letting yourself fall into that trap that all young people are liberal progressives, they have all the personality faults and attitudes as old people they just haven't realised they can't change much, the people with money make and break the rules, not much has improved since I was a radical, just been given new shiny toys to distract us.

No, I'm not trust me, I am aware of the relative ambivalence of current youth...

...where I think you're missing a dimension here is that within the younger generation in the US is a tremendous sense of entitlement and thus anger at what 'the patriarchy' is doing to them. Given that the choices last week were two very old white gentlemen, you can pretty much guarantee that young voters felt very disenfranchised and unmotivated. With Trump going off again on his border/immigration rants, and Biden doing the right thing, Harris (with the right veep nomination) offers a very clear and tangible alternative for the first time since Obama. So there is a great chance to mobilze a previously unengaged voting base to make sure the GOP and their flimflam doesn't get across the line.

Like yourself, I have a certain set of feelings towards how it all works. The cynic in me knows how little of what we currently have is down to the choice of individuals rather than the course of economics as charted by the select few who wish to mainsain their fiscal status quo. But I will say this; what is going on in the US is about as serious as it's got with regards to ripping up the way things uneasily work and replacing it with an autocratic, facist dictatorship where vital positions get held by 'friends' who will 'do the bidding' of their leader. I know some here think it's all a game -it is to an extent- but the game got very dangerous in the last 6-7 years. The Supreme Court thing is real. And whatever happens in November, the US will enter a period of either extreme dictatorship or small pocket civil war. We're there!

So we/I have to hope that there is vast tract of youth and women who've previously felt ignored that suddenly realize unless they help make the difference, their (and our) lives will be in the hands of theocratic Christian nutters, facists, and some very angry, scared people.
 
Here's an interesting slice from a Guardian article written by Steve Phillips:

First, most people in this country typically choose the Democratic nominee for president over the Republican nominee time and time again. With the sole exception of 2004, in every presidential election since 1992, the Democratic nominee has won the popular vote (Biden bested Donald Trump by 7m votes in 2020).

Those trends have only continued during the four years since the 2020 election. Since 2020, 16 million young people have become eligible to vote, and 12 million people, most of them older, have died. Biden beat Trump by 30 points among young people, according to the exit polls, and he lost among the oldest voters (52% for Trump, 47% for Biden). So the fundamental composition of our nation’s electorate is more progressive, more diverse and more favorable to Democrats right now than it was in 2020.

Second, although far too many in the media proceed from the premise that large swaths of the electorate are up for grabs each election cycle and susceptible to switching their political allegiances from one party to the other, the actual data starkly contradicts that belief.

The gold standard measure of voter behavior is the American National Election Studies (Anes), “a joint collaboration between the University of Michigan and Stanford University” that analyzes voter behavior over several decades. The Anes has found a clear and undeniable trend of swing voters virtually disappearing from the populace. In 2020, just 5.6% of voters fell into that category – down from 13% in 2008.

Lastly, a reality that historians will certainly puzzle over in future years when they try to understand why Biden was forced out less than three and a half months before election day is that the economy is actually going like gangbusters. Fifteen million jobs have been created under the Biden administration and the stock market is at an all-time high, swelling 401k retirement coffers by an average of $10,000
according to Fidelity investments.

The reality is that optics are everything, the message has to be in 140 characters or less, and the theatre is what counts. Sad times but thank goodness they woke up and realized that this is a fight which requires fists, not mittens...
 
No, I'm not trust me, I am aware of the relative ambivalence of current youth...

...where I think you're missing a dimension here is that within the younger generation in the US is a tremendous sense of entitlement and thus anger at what 'the patriarchy' is doing to them. Given that the choices last week were two very old white gentlemen, you can pretty much guarantee that young voters felt very disenfranchised and unmotivated. With Trump going off again on his border/immigration rants, and Biden doing the right thing, Harris (with the right veep nomination) offers a very clear and tangible alternative for the first time since Obama. So there is a great chance to mobilze a previously unengaged voting base to make sure the GOP and their flimflam doesn't get across the line.

Like yourself, I have a certain set of feelings towards how it all works. The cynic in me knows how little of what we currently have is down to the choice of individuals rather than the course of economics as charted by the select few who wish to mainsain their fiscal status quo. But I will say this; what is going on in the US is about as serious as it's got with regards to ripping up the way things uneasily work and replacing it with an autocratic, facist dictatorship where vital positions get held by 'friends' who will 'do the bidding' of their leader. I know some here think it's all a game -it is to an extent- but the game got very dangerous in the last 6-7 years. The Supreme Court thing is real. And whatever happens in November, the US will enter a period of either extreme dictatorship or small pocket civil war. We're there!

So we/I have to hope that there is vast tract of youth and women who've previously felt ignored that suddenly realize unless they help make the difference, their (and our) lives will be in the hands of theocratic Christian nutters, facists, and some very angry, scared people.

I sincerely hope your right, I lost faith in people with Brexit and their lack of engaging in their long term future.
 
A fair chunk of leave voters didn’t have one, and have since died in old age.
A fair chunk of leave voters didn’t have one, and have since died in old age.

I know far more under 50's than over 70's who voted to come out, it's easy to blame the old and racist but the blame lay with those who couldn't be bothered to vote.
 
It is the same here, when I first voted very few of my friends bothered, they mostly wanted the world to change but were prepared to let someone else do it. Only one of my grandkids voted in last election. Back in the 60's we thought anyone over 40 was geriatric and all politions were over 50.
When I turned old enough to vote my mother sort of persuaded me to go. Her argument was that 'thousands had made the ultimate sacrifice to give you this vote, so you can spare 20mins to go do it'. That stuck with me and it is a line I will probably use on my own kids when the time comes.

There is a reason why the right try to supress the vote and the left promote voting, and that is because the battle of ideas has well and truly been won by one side. The right could temper their arguments and move away from the less palatable policies but they don't. In fact they just turn the hate dial up another notch. Being a bigger taco is not a vote winner. And it is a crazy strategy as the shift in demographics, especially in the US, is only helping one side at this point.
 
The reality is that optics are everything, the message has to be in 140 characters or less, and the theatre is what counts. Sad times but thank goodness they woke up and realized that this is a fight which requires fists, not mittens...
I like the fact that Kamala Harris is calling Trump out as a sexual predator / fraudster / cheater / criminal.
The Dems need to go in hard, with 30 second clips. Even this speech is too long for some to digest.

 
No, I'm not trust me, I am aware of the relative ambivalence of current youth...

...where I think you're missing a dimension here is that within the younger generation in the US is a tremendous sense of entitlement and thus anger at what 'the patriarchy' is doing to them. Given that the choices last week were two very old white gentlemen, you can pretty much guarantee that young voters felt very disenfranchised and unmotivated. With Trump going off again on his border/immigration rants, and Biden doing the right thing, Harris (with the right veep nomination) offers a very clear and tangible alternative for the first time since Obama. So there is a great chance to mobilze a previously unengaged voting base to make sure the GOP and their flimflam doesn't get across the line.

Like yourself, I have a certain set of feelings towards how it all works. The cynic in me knows how little of what we currently have is down to the choice of individuals rather than the course of economics as charted by the select few who wish to mainsain their fiscal status quo. But I will say this; what is going on in the US is about as serious as it's got with regards to ripping up the way things uneasily work and replacing it with an autocratic, facist dictatorship where vital positions get held by 'friends' who will 'do the bidding' of their leader. I know some here think it's all a game -it is to an extent- but the game got very dangerous in the last 6-7 years. The Supreme Court thing is real. And whatever happens in November, the US will enter a period of either extreme dictatorship or small pocket civil war. We're there!

So we/I have to hope that there is vast tract of youth and women who've previously felt ignored that suddenly realize unless they help make the difference, their (and our) lives will be in the hands of theocratic Christian nutters, facists, and some very angry, scared people.
The big fear for me in regards to the younger voter is that now Harris has stepped up and there appears to be a groundswell of support for her the youth think will think they have already won, won't vote and will drift onto the next "event".
It's no coincidence that attention spans are being eroded.
 
Back