leh-nerd skin-erd

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify. What made me think you had tunnel vision was when you said "righties here will mock it because it's not maga enough". Off the top of my head, I have encountered 3 or 4 different versions of conservatism from people who clearly identify as 'rightie" out of the handful that post here. From my perspective only, I wouldn't identify as "maga", didn't call the new group "rhinos" and indicated the plan was "interesting enough". I don't understand the jump from my post to you ruminating about not despising the constitution, I can't see where my post implied or suggested that. If you're upset because you're a Chik fil-A or Arby's guy and I left them out of my franchise analogy, I want you to know I just ran out of time. Btw...remember the lessons of the original L. Ron, don't take yourself so seriously.

Or, perhaps it's better to think of this group as a franchise. See, some folks like your McDonald's because they like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and the crispy french fries. Some might like Burger King, preferring the Classic Chicken sandwich and Onion rings. Still others might think Wendy's for a Frosty, or maybe Popeye's chicken niblets suits a particular fancy. In fact, there are people who prefer the anit-biotic-free chicken of a Chipolte (they swaddle in comfort and love before the slaughter). Or, put another way...does every political group aligned with your party preference ring your bell with regularity?

That's ok. I'm not 7, and understand that I won't get invited to everyone's birthday party. It's liberating. Which rule of law are you referencing? Be specific, this is your mic drop moment.

Sounds interesting. One of the guys was appointed by W Bush, a guy libs say is a war criminal who never sniffed the inside of a courtroom (like other notable American politickers Clinton, Clinton, Spitzer and the like). The other guy likes to do his personal laundry in the public eye, and his family seems to be a mess. Not for me.

That’s the nature of politics today, Frenx. Started in 2015…Russians and whatnot. Illegitimate elections. 2019…. https://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-klobuchar-wyden-and-pocan-investigate-vulnerabilities-and-shortcomings-of-election-technology-industry-with-ties-to-private-equity The stage was set if things went south again.

The guy in the video is far from normal. He’s unhinged, unable to control his emotions and rambled on using extremist talking points someone else has fed him. It’s impossible to know what lead him to this point in his life, where he’s trying to intimidate a fellow citizen actively engaging in our election process, once referred to as Barracking the vote. It likely goes back to his upbringing, feelings of insecurity, abandonment or unaddressed sociopathic tendencies. The main tell here is after losing control with the poll worker, he decides he’s got to share his critical message with an uninvolved third party, who looks an awful lot like he wants to get away from him before he completely loses it and goes full Ted Bundy.

I watched the clip, and thought he did a decent job outlining the challenges. I'm not sure what's particularly powerful about it, or what's particularly nuanced here.

Good perspective, the door knocking part, but that's not the way the law in civilized society works. There's all sorts of people telling all sorts of other people what to do. Tax law. Gun ownership. DMV. Payroll tax. Work comp insurance requirements. Building permits. Variances. Environmental rules. Parking laws. In fact, yesterday, Ohio voters decided abortion into the 6th month was a constitutional right, with additional rights to terminate a pregnancy through the duration of the pregnancy if there is a threat to the life or health of the person carrying the child. The flip side of that argument, of course, is that, assuming no threat to the life/health of the pregnant person, and beyond the early part of the 6th month--the right to choose is taken off the table and the path decided has been decided on the behalf of the pregnant person. That's some straight up door knocking. My assumption, too, is that in the case of a full term pregnancy and childbirth, there are guidelines dictating responsibilities of the sperm merchant involved, when in fact, that person might not want anything to do with the child or formerly pregnant person, especially financially. Yet, doors get knock on, people get told how they need to live and what they need to do, like it or not. You may believe abortion to the point of conception is fair game if you're not involved in the decision, or maybe especially when you're involved in the decision. Maybe you don't. We share our thoughts by casting our votes.

I see. Makes me wonder about all that poverty, violence and being budget deficits, $34b light on obligations to pensioners, challenges with infrastructure management, but I guess if you don’t include all thay and focus on the wealthy, everything is rosy. The high class folk did ok on the Titanic too, what with lifeboats and such.

Different argument and Tibs has already hijacked the thread.

Remember that Rasputin was a man of science and decorum of the day. The science was mysticism, of course, but still.

Oh God yes. The streets are paved with gold. I really thought everything we ever needed to know we already did. Friggin cholera!

Ah, you may be including the unfunded pension liabilities of the city in Tibsy’s Other Factors that Go Into It. Those stand at $34 billion. All you really have to do is move the number from one side of the page to the other. https://www.civicfed.org/blog/how-the-chicago-pension-funds-fared-in-2022#:~:text=Over the past ten years,FY2021%2C or by 2.1%. Over the past ten years, the unfunded liabilities of the four pension funds combined have grown by $13.8 billion, or 68.6%, from $20.1 billion in FY2013. The total unfunded liabilities of the four funds increased to nearly $34.0 billion in FY2022 from $33.3 billion in FY2021, or by 2.1%.

I’m confident in my ability, but I don’t believe I could dumb things down enough to put words in your mouth and make it sound authentic. Question for you on one of the richest cities in the world….when the budget shortfall went from $122 million to $558 million, was Chicago more rich or less rich? Tibs math it for me.

And prohibition.

Corruption and grift are always profitable for some, not so much for the many. But, if your contention is that Chicago’s past is squeaky clean, you’re beyond help. Btw Chicago is rich in the $538 million budget shortfall in 2024 sorta way.

Yes, the history of the city of Chicago was free of corruption, poor decision making, bureaucratic incompetence, organized crime and before 2015. A true shiny beacon on the hill, reverting to the norm post-2020. 😂

Yes, you’re right. Abortion is a mainstream issue, and large numbers of the population seem to feel that abortion on demand is the right choice. Finding some balance there was important, and that hasn’t happened. The far right offers no reasonable solution. If I’m understanding it correctly, the people of Ohio decided abortion into the 6th month of pregnancy represents the freedom people desire. Is that a reasonable solution? With notable exceptions, it’s grotesque imo…but mainstream. I have these moments in my life where I realize I was wrong thinking reasonable people could agree on certain issues. I always thought most reasonable people became ‘pro life’ on behalf of the child at some point. 10 weeks. 12 weeks. 14 weeks. I was wrong.

“Gig jobs”. 🤦🏼‍♂️ People who do not meet the threshold for taxation are not the people I was referring to, but at this point we’re going in circles. I’ll end it where I started—I understand your feelings, I just don’t share them.

I know I’m repeating myself, but the amount of revenue going through the system in 2023 exceeds $4,300,000,000,000. How come we can’t do all is good, important stuff at the $4.3 trillion mark? I also want to be clear—I don’t care about the cash side hustle, people working hard and trying to pocket some cash. That’s all good as far as I’m concerned, I just was responding to Fergies noble, but naive, quote.

But they are, some people get a better deal than others. Stepping back from the über-wealthy, for ordinary folks, many get their income directly from an employer and it’s recorded on a W2. Many folks get cash—hairdressers, electricians, painters teachers working after hours—and don’t report the side hustle income. Is that fair to all concerned? Some things…just are.

I don’t see the point of pretending that something that was, wasn’t. In this case, I simply offered what people have said, and they have. On the tax issue, tax revenue for 2023 is projected to exceed $4.3 trillion. I understand your point—putting aside for a moment the questions of unrealized gain, differing tax rates for different types of income etc—-but whether or not Elon Musk, Bill Gates or Joe Biden get dinged for additional $$$$ has no impact on my life, nor do I think will it ultimately impact the lives of people not as fortunate to be in the 35% federal tax bracket. I think the 35% is too high, btw, but would bet a large segment of the population would favor bumping you to 45%, if it meant dropping their rate by 6, 7, 8% in return. I’m all about trying stay positive and be grateful these days, and the fact is most of the good things in my life have very little to do with +/- tax rate. Why get upset about it?

As I said, impressive coordination by any account.

That type of coordination would be impressive on just about any level.

No, I didn't read any comments. You could be 100% correct, at least based on what they say, but think what we really have the usual mix of obstructionism, special interestism, whatsinitformeism, and more than a fair bit of anti-semitism reflected in the nays. The yays, I suspect, follow a similar pattern except we swap out those distrustful of Palestinians and Islamaphobia or anti-semitism. Whatever barnyard explosion being pitched as **** being unfair doesn't bother me in the least. It never has, and as I have said previously, I believe paying a fair and reasonable tax is part of the cost of patriotism. I think tax rates, generally, are too high but that is what it is. Not much I can do about it beyond vote, and even then, some folks claim elections are illegitimate and others say they can be stolen. So, I keep my head down, pay my taxes, contribute where I can to charity and try to be a good citizen. Some most definitely have it better than I do, financially anyways. As a retired doctor, I'd bet you're loaded and are probably top 2% or better. I don't begrudge you that, though you're rates are too high, the waiting room is cold, and %$#@ you for making me have to wait so long!! Anyway--I'd think this subject--aid approved to an ally after a vicious attack, would be widely seen as positive, yet here we are.