K-9

Nope, no waste here. The hypocrisy is laughable. Why do I doubt that Faux News and the other far right propaganda outlets will even bother to report it.

We better hope we don’t have another pandemic with a deadly disease because if we do, we stand to lose more people than we did with the previous one. RFK Jr. is nothing short of a mentally deranged conspiracist totally unfit for the job.

Trump has long been suspected of laundering money for various Russian interests. Indeed, it was Russian money that saved his businesses. Trump used to boast about how he never used cash to transact business; that it was always smarter to use various forms of credit vs your own money. When American banks would no longer give him loans due to his multiple bankruptcies he had to find other streams of finance. Enter those various Russian oligarchs, Russian mafia, etc. and his business model changed overnight. Eric Trump even boasted that they no longer needed the banks as they now did everything on a cash basis. The old man shut him up quick on that one. I wonder if those Russian mobsters still have residences in Trump Tower, Unit 63A.

Thank you. It’s NOT legal as only Congress controls the purse strings and the appropriation of funds. The Executive branch simply has no authority to re-direct funds already approved and appropriated by Congress. The ignorance of our Constitution and laws by people sworn to protect and defend as well as those who never took the oath in the first place (Musk) is staggering. And it’s a shameful indictment of our patriotism that so many are OK with it.

It’s called leaving a vacuum and bad actors will soon seek to fill it. IMO, unless you’ve been on the ground and have seen first hand the tangible results of our influence in various places around the world, then you just can’t appreciate the importance of the work. By all means, root out and prosecute the corruption and fraud, but by all means, continue to do the work. We seem to have a collective amnesia as to why these agencies were created in the first place. They are even more important today.

Just to be clear, that doesn’t mean the states can’t freely give their assistance in federal law enforcement if authorized to do so. They just can’t be ordered to by the feds.

The 10th Amendment usually does take precedence in favor of the states, thus the difference in drug laws, etc. The supremacy clause comes into play when laws conflict and the federal law always prevails. With regard to this lawsuit over immigration in NY, the federal government is prohibited from using states as the instrument to enforce them and I don’t see the conflict in the actual laws, but it will be interesting to see how the state law that says the DMV must inform people when their information is requested by federal authorities, is challenged.

Phucking. Moron.

She’s been peddling her pro Russian propaganda for a while now. A couple of long time intelligence officials I’ve known for years are genuinely concerned over her nomination today.

That would actually make things more efficient which is what I thought DOGE was for. Instead, it is a witch hunt full of lies and unproven accusations.

Other than your position on a gun law designed to help prevent criminals and mentally unstable people from gaining easy access to guns, I pretty much agree with what you posit here. But I am surprised by your take on taxes as it’s interesting to me how one tax (FICA) is an infringement on your personal freedom while others are not a bad thing when used properly.

GOP Congressman from Georgia, Earl Carter actually introduced a bill that would give permission for Cheeto Man to enter into negotiations to acquire Greenland and rename it Red White and Blue Land. There is simply no end to the GOP’s bull$hit. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/11/buddy-carter-greenland/78422602007/

So would invading Greenland. But once again the media is getting sucked into his bat$hit crazy rhetoric instead of focusing on the actual threats to our democracy.

Yep, it will be published alright. Just as soon as their fictional narrative is ready for the presses.

You didn’t trigger anything. If it talks like a fascist, walks like a fascist, and follows a fascist manifesto, then it’s a fascist. The fascist in chief and the complete disdain he and his henchmen have for our Constitution is what triggers me. I took my oath to the Constitution seriously as it’s the most precious thing we Americans share. And it’s certainly worth defending as we’ve had to since our inception. Damn right I’m triggered, but you don’t need to take credit for that.

One would think that seeking opposing viewpoints is a sign of curiosity and intelligence as well as a healthy mental outlook. But facts, while certainly open to editorial opinion, are simply not subjective. Unfortunately, we live in an age where there are “alternative facts” as KellyAnne Conway articulated and supposedly “responsible” news organizations are all for it.

Nowadays people don’t require proof as they are only willing to believe in whatever narrative confirms their biases. And I’d be interested in knowing if Faux News, Newsmax, or any other far right source will even bother to report the facts to their audiences. They are notorious for not doing so but their viewers/listeners are so uncomfortable outside their safety bubbles, it’s no surprise they wouldn’t bother to seek the truth in the first place.

If you completely recall it, then you know I wasn’t saying SS had anything to do with denying people medical care, preventing marriage choice, or the ability to serve in the military. So I’m glad we’re clear on that. As for all the rest of it, I appreciate your taking the time to expand on your viewpoints. I meant to add that I agree 100% with your take on religion. It has no place in our politics, let alone any direct influence on our laws. But the GOP uses it like a cudgel to divide this nation.

The opportunity to make history like the Chiefs had last night doesn’t come along often, if at all. It’s understandable why Chiefs fans may feel so miserable about it.

I fully understand and respect where you’re coming from here. I get the concern how sometimes information meant to inform of dangers may very well serve as advice for evil doers. As for 1984, nothing put forth by Orwell in his novel was anything new in terms of ideas for how to make a bad government. Those ideas have existed since we first thought it wise as a species to formulate governmental structures. The best ideas for how to form a government are what created ours with the central tenet being the “of, by, and for the people” and it has been under attack since our inception, but we have always weathered those threats. While I agree that “both sides” have had occasion to muck it up at times, both sides always put country before party in the past. But that isn’t the case currently. There is only one side creating a Constitutional crisis at the moment, only one side has issued a manifesto for how to destroy our institutions, and only one side is so willing to see our representative republic form of democracy trashed. Only one side is a clear and present danger and the “both sides do it” argument just doesn’t apply here.

Perhaps your should re-read what started our entire debate on the subject in the first place. I had listed several examples of GOP policies that DIRECTLY infringed on personal freedoms. You said “both sides” do that. I disagreed and asked you to give me examples of Dem policies that infringed upon our personal freedoms. You responded by citing social security, NY’s SAFE Act, and another law I don’t recall at the moment. In my post from earlier today above, as a way to emphasize the difference in our positions, I was again pointing to the difference between actual policies championed by the GOP by saying that SS never denied those individual freedoms, like medical coverage, etc. that GOP policies do. From what I can gather from your examples, it isn’t that SS so much infringes upon your freedoms as it is that you simply disagree with the law. Fine. But SS has never prevented you from enjoying the freedoms that the GOP seeks to deny others.

1984 gave people bad ideas? First I’ve ever heard that. Not sure how an allegory warning about a totalitarian society and written not long after after similar real life events occurred gave people bad ideas. Maybe people need to read it again. Before it’s banned because of the clear warnings it offers about today’s political atmosphere that is.

Reminds me when we went to see ‘Hamilton’ and the guy behind us exclaimed, “I didn’t know there was gonna be this stupid rap music!” I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry that he would just never get what Miranda was getting at. On the plus side, he had no complaints about black actors playing several founding fathers. Yay progress!

Thinkpol: a newspeak word to describe the secret police of Oceania, who are responsible for the detection, prosecution, and elimination of unspoken beliefs and doubts that contradict the Party. They use audio-visual surveillance via the telescreens and offender profiling to monitor the populace. George was so prescient.

JD Vance with the latest display of Constitutional ignorance today as he claims courts have no right to check presidential orders. That is even more egregious than Tommy “the three branches of government are the House, Senate, and the Executive” Tuberville. One would think that elected federal office holders should know something taught in basic elementary school civics lessons would be a minimum requirement to hold office. Then again …