|
VitalSigns posted:The way to think of the Senate is that it's America's House Of Lords, it exists to ensure a small coterie of inbred elites can stop the popular government from doing anything that infringes too much on the power of said elites. Yeah, the sort of people who angle to make a career out of politics are not the sort of people who would ever vote to give themselves less power.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 20:39 |
|
|
# ? May 10, 2024 01:34 |
|
Old James posted:And just another rule the Democrats could change with a simple majority vote, but won't for reasons. Unanimous consent rules are in kind of a weird position. In 1914, the Senate adopted new rules requiring unanimous consent or cloture for votes and passed a resolution that those rules could only be changed by unanimous consent. Nobody has ever actually challenged or tested that out and it isn't clear if or how anyone could enforce those rules if they decided to try and change them with 51 votes. Some of the other crazy parts of Senate procedure are part of article one in the Constitution and you'd need an amendment to change them.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 20:41 |
|
There is no way to challenge senate rules, the constitution is clear that each house sets its own rules by majority vote, there'd be nowhere to go to try to enforce a rule that says you need unanimous consent to change the rule. The courts would refuse to hear the case based on separation of powers for the same reason that you couldn't enforce, say, a tax law that says going forward you need a unanimous vote to raise taxes. The people arguing that you should be able to enforce rules adopted by majority vote that cannot be changed without future supermajorities do not know what they are arguing for. They think they are protecting Democrats from criticism on the Internet but in reality they are trying to create a tool that Republicans could use to basically outlaw liberal legislation forever. Or maybe they do know what they are doing idk.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 20:52 |
|
Dr. Oz's official campaign site is up. His platform is... pretty slim. He is apparently going to try and be a blank slate. Probably not the worst plan, honestly. quote:RESPONSE TO COVID-19 quote:FIX HEALTHCARE quote:GROW OUR ECONOMY quote:RESTORE OUR FAITH quote:STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION That is literally his entire policy and issues platform. I'm not sure if "one patrolled by technological advances" means bipedal machines or literally we have to wait for advances in technology before we can secure the border. Leon Trotsky 2012 fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Nov 30, 2021 |
# ? Nov 30, 2021 20:55 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:04 |
|
VitalSigns posted:The way to think of the Senate is that it's America's House Of Lords, it exists to ensure a small coterie of inbred elites can stop the popular government from doing anything that infringes too much on the power of said elites. Not so different from the Victorian era when various autocrats would try to make lovely compromises to undermine demands for more democracy by allowing an elected lower house but then appointing an upper house of aristocrats to veto everything and be loyal to the monarchies. I think the only thing that has changed is that America became a pay to play society from day 1 of the revolution while in Europe your social standing was determined more by bloodlines and heritage. I mean there was a time you could arbitrarily scoop up cheap land, and with enough people or slaves, work it into a productive asset that made you rich. Now the avenues to which you can acquire wealth have mostly diminished to trading time for money. The problem is you never get enough money to participate in the "pay to play" society we've created so only inheritances and generational wealth can push you past those initial hurdles to where your hard work actually generates cash, assets and success. Now we are re-creating the same problems as a monarchy... consider this: With property values skyrocketing the way they have- how is that any different from a landed gentry hoarding massive estates that peasants aren't allowed to use without stiff rents and signorial dues? We only need property for residential applications nowadays but to have it we are either enslaved into unpayable debts or forced to pay rent to someone who was lucky enough to scoop the property up when it was cheap. It's not so different from when your family traces its heritage back to some barbarian raiders who stole some roman territory and built a castle on it and are now a part of a noble heritage dating back who knows when. You concentrate enough wealth, land and assets across multiple generations and eventually you'll be so big nobody can touch you. These senators? They are contacts in the cellphones of some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in their respective states. When these people call, the senators answer directly and they meet with these people directly or indirectly. They do what they are told because their political fortunes depend on the patronage of these wealth families. That is how this system works. That's fundamentally the problem here. Most of us would happily buy into the capitalist system if it actually rewarded the lower classes for their efforts. It all went wrong when the wealthy seized the system and re-created a defacto feudal system that makes it nigh impossible to have the money to do anything. Your social, political and economic privileges are directly correlated to how much wealth you have and now there's structural barriers to getting enough to have a voice in the system. Unlike the monarchies of old though this system is almost laser optimized to prevent a critical mass of dissent that could level the playing field. The military for example provides a lot of the benefits via the GI bill that every American should be legally entitled to. If you're from some remote rural region where your only job prospect is to be a poor farm hand, a priest or a truck driver, you can't afford to go to university etc. Then your only way up is with the GI bill in a lot of cases. It's why some states have entire family dynasties of military service dating back to WW2. If your family is from suburban Los Angeles, chances are they have the money to put you through college or at least give you a place to live rent-free until you finish college. Your risks aren't as front loaded and already that gives you a massive advantage. But back to my original point - The system as it exists today is an optimized system of oppression where urban liberal middle classes are placated with cheap consumer goods and entertainment while the military gets benefits like the GI bill. Anyone who's anyone that could potentially change things in America by force is placated in some way that gives them something to lose. They get just enough that fighting for a better world "Isn't worth it" unless you're a hardcore ideologue. That leaves maybe 30-40 million people who are either physically unfit to serve or unwilling to serve that live in crushing poverty. With everyone else placated it because super easy to just use the legal system and state sanctioned violence to suppress these groups and keep them from ever giving you the critical mass you need to change things. From top to bottom the system is impenetrable and will remain so until climate change upsets the balance enough to cause large enough groups to change sides.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:06 |
|
VitalSigns posted:Pandering to the people who just want motion activated machine guns every 6 feet spraying lead at anything that moves within 1000 yards of the border Come on, don't be ridiculous. They want to be able to shoot the guns themselves.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:09 |
|
Dr. Oz already has his first campaign "scandal." He said in his announcement video that he "lives, votes, and loves" Pennsylvania. But, he has lived in a New Jersey suburb and commuted to Manhattan for his entire adult life. He just changed his address to Pennsylvania last year and has only ever voted in the 2020 election in Pennsylvania. https://twitter.com/PascrellforNJ/status/1465771237574156289 A Fetterman vs. Oz race would be a really weird flip where the rich, immigrant, Muslim, Harvard-educated, New York City dwelling, person of color is the Republican and the Democrat is the white former small business owner and small town Mayor.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:10 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:Dr. Oz already has his first campaign "scandal." Gotta be a weird time for all those white dudes tweeting “Vote like a black woman!” when you consider the Oprah factor in this race
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:14 |
|
selec posted:Gotta be a weird time for all those white dudes tweeting “Vote like a black woman!” when you consider the Oprah factor in this race Oz put out an editorial about "why I'm running for Senate" that only waits about 60 words to mention Oprah. His pitch is basically: - "I'm a doctor and we don't need more masks and lockdowns." - Lots of generic self-help language about spirituality and coming together. - Oprah. - My parents immigrated the right way and we need to stop people from doing it the wrong way. - Elites are bad and I will not let them tell you what to do or how to raise your kids. It's not the worst pitch ever for a Senate race in a purple state. Honestly not sure if he will be a better candidate than the wife/child abuser was before it came out that he was a wife/child abuser. I do notice the suspicious use of "our faith" and mentions that he donates to Christian charities, but nothing about being a Muslim or his belief in mysticism/transcendental meditation. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/why-im-running-to-be-a-senator-from-pennsylvania quote:Why I'm running to be a senator from Pennsylvania
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:29 |
|
White Doctor Tv star Well he's a republicans wet dream. Oh and Bates migrants.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:30 |
|
Reset the clock! https://mobile.twitter.com/ajplus/status/1465777258631737349
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:35 |
|
IBroughttheFunk posted:Reset the clock! Oh drat that's the neighboring town to where I grew up. Hell I almost worked there at some point. This country is garbage, and our response to COVID and this proves it more than anything else
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:38 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:LSU is a public school that takes in about $135 million per year. Sanguinia posted:College sports is a plague. yep.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:38 |
|
Craig K posted:yep. It's even worse now. That chart is from 2013. In 2020, it went from 8 states where a non-coach was the highest paid to 2.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:42 |
|
and still the country is full of fat fucks.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:43 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:- Elites are bad Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:- Oprah. loving love this country
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:45 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:LSU is a public school that takes in about $135 million per year. According to the financial statements at lsu.edu, you are low by an order of magnitude. e: guessing that's a figure for how much they take in in public funds from the state only. eviltastic fucked around with this message at 21:55 on Nov 30, 2021 |
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:47 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:It's even worse now. That chart is from 2013. but you see, paying the football coach ten million a year draws fans so the school can use that extra money to benefit the student experience in a way besides raising tuition! oh.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:48 |
|
Oprah has done incalculable harm to the world.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:52 |
|
Elites are bad says the Harvard-educated Columbia professor and television host worth 100 million dollars.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:55 |
|
Reading Doctor Oz's full manifesto: going pro-vax and also covid conspiracy theories is an interesting choice. Seems like the best way to piss off absolutely everyone.IBroughttheFunk posted:Reset the clock!
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:56 |
|
eviltastic posted:According to the financial statements at lsu.edu, you are low by an order of magnitude. Sorry, should have been more specific. The first figure is how much LSU's sports program takes in annually. The second figure is the entire University's endowment (~$545 million). VitalSigns posted:Reading Doctor Oz's full manifesto: going pro-vax and also covid conspiracy theories is an interesting choice. Seems like the best way to piss off absolutely everyone. To be fair, he isn't going explicitly anti-vax. He says that vaccines (brought to us by President Trump's wisdom) are good, but that people shouldn't be forced to take them. He is anti-everything else related to covid. Also, kind of funny that he never mentions Pennsylvania once, never mentions his connection to PA, and never mentions a single PA-specific issue. Leon Trotsky 2012 fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Nov 30, 2021 |
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:56 |
|
Groovelord Neato posted:Elites are bad says the Harvard-educated Columbia professor and television host worth 100 million dollars. Chuds don't care about the Elites/ Noble Capitalist Lords who agree with them: they won't even blink at this They worship a guy with an actual gold toilet seat
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:57 |
|
Craig K posted:but you see, paying the football coach ten million a year draws fans so the school can use that extra money to benefit the student experience in a way besides raising tuition! The astronomical rising costs of tuition at these schools are the result of the student loan system wanting to keep kids in debt with interest payments for most of their adult lives. Not football coaches or their programs. That’s just the recruiting tool for potential students who would never even step foot on an athletic field or court. Maybe they’ll get to use the athletic center, nah already booked by the teams.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 21:58 |
|
Dr. Oz is tv personality that people think is smart, but peddles bogus products and grifts his followers....oh
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 22:35 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:
I don't get the angle. Who's asking for that. That's the position that got Trump booed at his own rally. Just say the vaccine is a quantum microchip if you're pandering to the snake oil marks
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 22:46 |
|
Dpulex posted:Dr. Oz is tv personality that people think is smart, but peddles bogus products and grifts his followers....oh i guess we're fortunate he's only running for senate
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 22:50 |
|
My understanding is that college sports programs are at best revenue-neutral on average, since the NCAA is nominally a non-profit with questionable accounting, but then most of the expenses support scholarships and facilities and other things that don't benefit anyone besides the (unpaid) athletes. However, college administrators still want them because they also compel alumni to donate later on (whether they were themselves athletes or just Big Fans). Granted, if they're endowing the sports programs directly, then uhh they're still not really doing the school at large any good.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 22:54 |
|
VitalSigns posted:Yeah that's my point: I said he's going PRO-vax (pisses off the chuds) and anti everything else (pisses off pretty much everyone else). Oops, yeah. I misread that as anti-both. Unfortunately, he's probably reading the room correctly. Pro-vax and anti-lockdowns are both majority positions. The anti-mask stuff isnt a majority position, but it is couched as "elites" making you do things, so he can go with that angle.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 22:54 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:Oops, yeah. I misread that as anti-both. It amazes me how well Republican millionares can play the "elite" card and not be called out. Just absolutely stunning really how terrible the general and academic literacy of the population in this country is.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:02 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:Oops, yeah. I misread that as anti-both. "Anti-lockdown" may be a majority position depending on how you define that but "anti-every mandate" is certainly not. For example being anti mandating vaccines is not a majority position (60% strongly or somewhat approve of Biden's workplace vaccine mandates)
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:03 |
|
TulliusCicero posted:It amazes me how well Republican millionares can play the "elite" card and not be called out. Just absolutely stunning really how terrible the general and academic literacy of the population in this country is. Which Democrat has the standing to do this who doesn’t also meet the qualifications? I gotta be honest, after the last 20 years I am anti-elitist too. Seems dumb for Dems to not find an angle on this. Fuckin experts are usually just experts on why nothing good can happen or shouldn’t.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:05 |
|
The Angry Bum posted:The astronomical rising costs of tuition at these schools are the result of the student loan system wanting to keep kids in debt with interest payments for most of their adult lives. Not football coaches or their programs. That’s just the recruiting tool for potential students who would never even step foot on an athletic field or court. Maybe they’ll get to use the athletic center, nah already booked by the teams. I think it would be more appropriate to say that the student loan system allowed states to massively cut their public postsecondary education funding, and raise tuition a whole bunch instead. Education didn't magically become more expensive as a result of the student loan program, except in the costs of debt service to the student.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:07 |
|
TulliusCicero posted:It amazes me how well Republican millionares can play the "elite" card and not be called out.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:12 |
Republicans use it to evoke a social class, not an economic class Like there's lots of obvious overlap but they don't mean the same thing a Sanders would mean
|
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:15 |
|
selec posted:Which Democrat has the standing to do this who doesn’t also meet the qualifications? I'd say Fetterman if it was actually about like, Martha's Vineyard style elitism and not just a stand-in for ingroup/outgroup things
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:16 |
|
TulliusCicero posted:It amazes me how well Republican millionares can play the "elite" card and not be called out. Just absolutely stunning really how terrible the general and academic literacy of the population in this country is. Most voters don't really care about hypocrisy and heck, most of the time that dems try to call hypocrisy out they do it in such a pathetic way they wind up embarrassing themselves in the process.
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:21 |
|
Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:It's even worse now. That chart is from 2013. 2? Where are you getting your data from (legitimate question)? I'm only finding sources that still list: Alaska Delaware Maine Massachusetts Montana New Hampshire North Dakota South Dakota I know MA the best, living there. The Chancellor of the Medical school is at $1.1 million per year, and I know for a fact that both the men's football and men's basketball coaches are less than a million per year. Also relevant in MA, the hockey coach is less than a million. I just googled each state individually and saw that URI and UVM both have basketball coaches as their top now. The rest listed other people. Sax Mortar fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Nov 30, 2021 |
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:27 |
|
|
# ? May 10, 2024 01:34 |
|
Much like every other time US conservatives claim to be mad about something, they're not really talking about "elites" when they say "elites".
|
# ? Nov 30, 2021 23:27 |