Bar Ran Dun posted:

Cross posting something I wrote elsewhere.

If the strikers are smart they can punch way above their weight with the targeted strikes. They need to have a working knowledge of the production and supply chain at the whole system level.

A smart person can flow chart this out. Either by tracing it personally or by talking to folks at each step with knowledge of how production really works.

The unions have what they need to target effectively because they are the workers. That they are considering and proposing to strike in this way implies that someone has the background necessary to plan to do it effectively.

This is a new thing. It’s frankly quite impressively.

quote:

The Flint sit-down strike was not spontaneous; UAW leaders, inspired by similar strikes across Europe, had been planning it for months. The strike actually began at smaller plants: Fisher Body in Atlanta on November 16, GM in Kansas City on December 16 and a Fisher stamping plant in Cleveland on December 28. The Flint plant was the biggest coup, however: it contained one of just two sets of body dies that GM used to stamp out almost every one of its 1937 cars. By seizing control of the Flint plant, autoworkers could shut down the company almost entirely.

Bar Ran Dun posted:

One couldn’t model a supply chain in 1937 in the way they can be modeled now. They’ll be able to be considerably more effective.

quote:

GM’s output went from a robust 50,000 cars in December to just 125 in February.

The strikes had lasted for 44 days, left 136,000 GM workers idle and caused 280,000 cars to go unbuilt. Though much of the public was against sit-down strikes and considered labor unionists to be dangerous rabble-rousers, GM’s public image had suffered, too. And labor would never be the same. Union membership ballooned from 3.4 million workers in 1930 to 10 million in 1942, and the majority of the automobile industry swiftly unionized, gaining benefits and pay they never would have obtained without organizing.

quote:

Michigan governor Frank Murphy mobilized the National Guard. “Law and order must be maintained in Michigan,” he told the public. In the past, news of 1,200 guardsmen descending on Flint to impose law and order would have been devastating to workers, who knew they would be used as a weapon against them. But Murphy was labor-friendly, and didn’t use troops to intimidate workers. Instead, the National Guard became a peacekeeping force that ultimately protected the workers and facilitated negotiations.

Oracle posted:

Yeah it’s this. Remember how incredulous Doc Brown was in Back To the Future when he found out Ronald Reagan the actor was president in 1985? He ticks a lot of the same boxes Trump did when he first ran: media savvy entertaining telegenic guy who ‘told it like it is’ and appealed to ‘real men’ after all that touchy feely sensitive New Age Alan Alda long haired hippie freaks of the 70s bullshit. He was a rah rah military guy after the disaster of Vietnam who ‘made the country great again.’ He openly pandered to racists with the help of the infamous Lee Atwater including announcing his campaign in Neshoba County, Mississippi, right near where the three Freedom Riders were murdered in the 60s for registering black people to vote. He teamed up with Pat Robertson and the Moral Majority on abortion and prayer in schools, ignored the AIDS epidemic, was surrounded by corrupt creeps who couldn’t stop criming… I mean the parallels are downright eerie.

quote:

12/23/81

Asked to comment on his wife's unusually high disapproval rating, President Reagan says, "I just heard earlier today – and maybe Larry can tell me if this is true – I just heard that some poll or something has revealed that she's the most popular woman in the world." White House spokesman Larry Speakes says he has seen no such poll. "I tell you," says the President, "if it isn't true, it should be. I'm on her side."

Srice posted:

There's a real good book called The Clothes Have No Emperor, which was basically a journal of poo poo that happened each week during the Reagan administration. You could replace the names in many of the anecdotes, say it happened in the Trump administration and it'd be perfectly believable. I flipped it to a random page and found a perfect example of this:

Cheesus posted:

That's FDR style politicking.

Zamujasa posted:

Something along the lines of "the minimum total compensation of any employee must be at least ???% of the highest's", though this obviously handwaves a lot of the underlying assumptions.

Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:

I read a transcript of the speech and the only thing he mentioned that was sort of like this is his plan (that was previously announced) to introduce a new Department of Labor rule to require gig economy "employers" to classify people who work for them as employees instead of contractors, which means they are entitled to overtime, benefits, and their employers have to pay half of their FICA taxes for social security and Medicare.

Not sure if there is supposed to be anything else in the memos they are releasing or if that was what they were referencing.

zoux posted:

CO news got the goods

https://twitter.com/KyleClark/status/1702498583755538598

Apparently she is divorcing her sex offender husband, no word on if the new beau has exposed himself to children, but he seems fine with groping PDA.

Again, the unifying trait among all MAGA republicans is that they are just the biggest rear end in a top hat you ever met

quote:

After attacks, British prime minister says American XL Bully dogs are dangerous and will be banned

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described American XL Bully dogs as a “danger to our communities” and announced plans to ban them following a public outcry after a series of recent attacks

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday described American XL Bully dogs as a “danger to our communities” and announced plans to ban the breed following a public outcry after a series of recent attacks.

Sunak said he has asked government ministers to bring together police and canine experts to legally define the characteristics of the American XL Bully, which is not recognized as a breed by groups such as the Kennel Club in Britain or the American Kennel Club in the United States.

“It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen fast,’’ Sunak said in a video statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.’’

The government has been under pressure to take action after an 11-year-old girl was attacked and seriously injured by an American XL Bully on Saturday in Birmingham, England. Those concerns deepened on Thursday after a man was killed in an attack that may have involved this type of dog.

“The American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children,’’ Sunak said. “I share the nation’s horror at the recent videos we’ve all seen.’’

Four breeds of dogs are currently banned in the United Kingdom: the pitbull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the dogo Argentino and the fila Brasileiro.

Some campaigners have called for the American XL Bully, which was originally bred from the American pit bull terrier, to be added to the list because they believe dangerous characteristics have been bred into the animals.

The XL Bully is not recognized as a breed by the U.K.’s Kennel Club, which has argued that no breed of dog is inherently dangerous. The organization says breed-specific bans do not address the most important factors contributing to attacks, primarily irresponsible dog owners who train their dogs to be aggressive.

The bully breeds get their name because they were originally used in blood sports, such as bull baiting. The dogs have a muscular build and a heavier bone structure than pit bulls.

quote:

If he wins the presidency next year, he’ll be the oldest person ever elected to the White House.

Yes, that would be President Joe Biden. But it would also be former President Donald Trump.

Biden was the oldest presidential winner ever, when he won in 2020. The fact that he’d beat his own record is a historical footnote that has voters concerned.

Trump is no spring chicken either. In fact, he’s just three years younger than Biden. But he’s not facing nearly the same scrutiny for his age.

quote:

“Trump just comes off as a much younger person,” said Renee King, a two-time Trump voter in Mondamin, Iowa, who is undecided for 2024. (King declined to give her age.) “Just the way he speaks, the way he walks. Just everything he does.”

quote:

“He’s more into social media,” said Jane Story, 56, a Trump supporter in Ames, Iowa. “I mean, anybody has to learn with the times. And I just feel as though Trump has moved with the times and Biden has not.”

quote:

Dawn Brockett, 57, an independent from Hampton, New Hampshire, said Trump seems like he’s “blessed with that ability to — like a Mick Jagger, like he’ll be young forever.”

quote:

“No doubt in my mind, I will vote for Biden. But we need age limits in politicians, and I would like to see much younger candidates,” said Tammy, a Democratic voter in Geauga County, Ohio, who declined to give her last name.

quote:

Mary Miller, 60, from Novelty, Ohio, voted Republican much of her life but supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. She is happy with Biden’s performance but says she does worry about his age.

“When I listen to him speak publicly, I kind of hold my breath sometimes,” she said. “But you know, he’s the guy we’ve got, and … I don’t think it’s such a bad thing.”

quote:

When it came to Biden and Trump, some also thought the age gap was bigger than it really is.

quote:

Lisa Dumont, 49, a voter from Salem, New Hampshire, who voted for Trump twice but now backs former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, said Biden’s age was a “huge problem” because Biden “can barely speak.”

She guessed the president was 86 (he’s 80) and Trump is 75 (he’s 77).

quote:

Story, from Iowa, shaved some years off both men, guessing “70-something” for Biden and “60-something” for Trump.

quote:

“It’s genetic,” said Ilia Charlat, 53, from Bedford, New Hampshire, who plans to back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis next year. “It comes from that, and lifestyle, but just you can see that … Biden is just an older person. … You can see [with] Trump how quick he is.”

quote:

"Trump is among the fittest president we have ever had. Look at the way he moves and his marks from his doctors. Even the doctors are blown away by how good he is."

quote:

Several voters also picked up on unproven or false talking points on the right, including that Biden may have dementia or even that his occasional stuttering is proof of his decline. (Biden has stuttered since he was a child and has spoken openly about working to overcome it.)

Virgil Thorstenson, 74, an ardent Trump supporter from Waukon, Iowa, had an even more dramatic theory of what’s going on with Biden: “His cognitive abilities have deteriorated greatly. … I don’t think Biden is in control. I think he’s a puppet being controlled by somebody else.”

quote:

Maxine Wheling, 62, a Republican voter from Gering, Nebraska, said she feels “bad” for the president.

“I feel like he’s being pressured and propped up, which I don’t feel is right,” she said. “I think he’s lived out his life. Enjoy his retirement time with his family.”

quote:

Tom Johnson, 59, a Trump supporter from Rapid City, South Dakota, said he felt like a big difference was that the former president’s wits have been tested.

“I look at what they did to President Trump,” Johnson said. “They tested him as far as they gave him this test on his IQ. I mean, he aced it. And, you know if Joe Biden could do that, fine. But we know that he can’t.”

quote:

My real concern as a Democrat with Biden is that he won’t serve that whole second term,” said Thalia Floras, 75, a Democrat from Nashua, New Hampshire.

“We are in a country that is primarily controlled by older people, people who maybe have like five, 10, maybe one year left running,” said Gabriel Reynolds, 19, from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, who is a registered independent but leans Democratic.

quote:

Roger Stephenson, 66, is a Stratham, New Hampshire, voter who voted for Biden in 2020 and would consider voting for him again. He was a Republican but switched away from the party to undeclared after Trump won in 2016.

Trump, he said, “has bigger problems than his age.”

cat botherer posted:

Can the American XL bully dogs fit in small boats?

I'm sure the British media will get tired of this after a couple weeks and move onto the next thing.

TheDisreputableDog posted:

American XL Bully Dog sounds like a clothing line someone with a “Salt Life” sticker on their truck would wear.

Queering Wheel posted:

I feel like Biden's age is ultimately a non-issue for Dems. They'll complain about it but come home and vote for Biden in the end, because what are you gonna do about it, vote Trump?

Queering Wheel posted:

I feel like Biden's age is ultimately a non-issue for Dems. They'll complain about it but come home and vote for Biden in the end, because what are you gonna do about it, vote Trump?

Main Paineframe posted:

Stay home and not vote for either candidate because they don't find Biden compelling enough to get off their asses and head to the polls.

That said, it's not hard to see from Leon's quotes how people's perception of the age issue is vastly impacted by their partisan preconceptions. Just look at all those two-time Trump voters gushing about how young and energetic and hip with the times Trump is.

OctaMurk posted:

biden is literally more fit than trump

zoux posted:

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1702679061787766829

Do we think that only Trump can get away with this stuff, or does the GOP voter base no longer give a poo poo about marital fidelity? Interesting that it's the Daily Mail, what has Governor Noem done to threaten the Big Man

Also, ew.

zoux posted:

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1702679061787766829

Do we think that only Trump can get away with this stuff, or does the GOP voter base no longer give a poo poo about marital fidelity? Interesting that it's the Daily Mail, what has Governor Noem done to threaten the Big Man

Also, ew.

Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:

Democrats also think Biden is old by large margins and don't think of Trump as that old. So it isn't just partisanship. Part of it is the old thing has been a focused attack on Biden and he hasn't been able to shake it. Trump is basically the same age and more incoherent, but that is part of his brand and he isn't attacked on it.

The partisan part of it is pretty amazing. I will never get over the woman describing Trump as "Mick Jagger-like" and someone who is ageless and "will stay young forever."

Or the guy who thinks Trump is blowing away doctors in the medical community with his superhuman health and genes.

Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:

The original source is the Daily Mail, but some other places have been reporting similar things as rumors without photos before. I wouldn't take it as 100% confirmed, but seems likely.

I continue to be surprised by how many women are willing to ruin their marriages to sleep with Corey Lewandowski. He is like a matrimonial wrecking ball for major conservative political figures.

zoux posted:

Does Corey Lewandowski have Big Dick Energy?

Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:

Captain_Maclaine posted:

Romney's position was we needed yet another massive increase in defense spending because Russia was scary again and had rebuilt its military to or near to its Soviet-era apex, which was a load of poo poo then and even moreso these days as demonstrated by its three-day war in Ukraine now dragging on into its second year. Obama was right to dunk on him because what he was calling for in broader terms was dumb and wrong.

negativeneil posted:

"old" is just an inverse proxy for "energetic". That's it. Biden looks tired all the time and trips over his words. Trump looks like he just chewed 3 Adderall before an interview and never finishes a sentence because a new, cracked out thought just took precedence in his stream of consciousness. It doesn't matter that Biden has more coherence between sentence fragments. It's not about coherence.

People are perceiving things correctly, it's the vocabulary that needs work.

Boris Galerkin posted:

Just ban all dog breeds so people will stop breeding them for fucks sake. I’m not saying ban dogs just dog breeding. Leave those poor dogs alone and stop breeding them to have deformities and health issues just because they look cute.

Killer robot posted:

Biden's the guy that visibly jogs around more than he probably should with brittle old bones and somehow that itself gets cast as lack of energy while Trump lumbers around and rambles. It's totally about how propaganda works.