Political Discussion

[Dtknuckles]

The Onion FTW!

The Onion’s Guide To Critical Race Theory

A mounting effort by some Republican lawmakers to ban the teaching of critical race theory in U.S. schools has prompted debate about what it is and its place in American education. The Onion answers the most common questions about critical race theory and the debate surrounding its teaching.

www.theonion.com

And I just volunteered to part of the education committee for the recently formed NAACP chapter in my area.

 

[Dtknuckles]

The Onion FTW!

The Onion’s Guide To Critical Race Theory

A mounting effort by some Republican lawmakers to ban the teaching of critical race theory in U.S. schools has prompted debate about what it is and its place in American education. The Onion answers the most common questions about critical race theory and the debate surrounding its teaching.

www.theonion.com

Critical realism theory? Oh man there are some many world views out the in academia and thought in general. What is the point?

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Critical realism theory? Oh man there are some many world views out the in academia and thought in general. What is the point?

I think that’s the joke though.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Reading up on all the different articles on CRT, my basic takeaway is conservatives are dismissive of it because it challenges the status quo / institutions those in power have profited off of. Not to mention saying our institutions contain systemic racism and whites are suppressors is considered anti patriotic.

The whole Marxist comparison is just the boogieman in the room to scare those who know nothing about CRT.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Woke has become the latest socially progressive term to become an insult. Today, if someone describes you or a group of of people as "woke" it likely isn't a compliment.

The implied meaning of the word more often that not would be similar to someone calling you a snowflake, social justice warrior, white night and so on.

The definition for woke as most often used in 2021 would be the following.

Woke: People who are hyper-sensitive about certain issues to an level of absurdity.

There is also a belief among conservatives that many of the issues woke people are sensitive about do not actually exist.

 

[debianlinux]

Woke has become the latest socially progressive term to become an insult. Today, if someone describes you or a group of of people as "woke" it likely isn't a compliment.

The implied meaning of the word more often that not would be similar to someone calling you a snowflake, social justice warrior, white night and so on.

The definition for woke as most often used in 2021 would be the following.

Woke: People who are hyper-sensitive about certain issues to an level of absurdity.

There is also a belief among conservatives that many of the issues woke people are sensitive about do not actually exist.

Um, hate to tell you this, but that's been the case for some time. It's been a meme word at least since Portlandia regularly lampooned it.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is currently debating a fetal remains bill. If passed a women who has a miscarriage would be required to be required to bury or cremate the fetal remains.

A democrat lawmaker called out to the house in opposition to this bill that the GOP party is 100% white and in a chamber that is 70% male.

The GOP's action was to say he was out of line, had his mic cut off and his statement to be stricken from the record.

The point he was trying to make was this bill was created by white men telling women what they have to do.

 

[nolalady]

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is currently debating a fetal remains bill. If passed a women who has a miscarriage would be required to be required to bury or cremate the fetal remains.

A democrat lawmaker called out to the house in opposition to this bill that the GOP party is 100% white and in a chamber that is 70% male.

The GOP's action was to say he was out of line, had his mic cut off and his statement to be stricken from the record.

The point he was trying to make was this bill was created by white men telling women what they have to do.

Okay, so the real issue here is that legislators are requiring an extra step for abortion clinics and that cost is going to end up getting passed on to the women that are going to plan parenthood, or whatever other medical system. This is how they nickel and dime us into submission using the "free market". There was already a law passed in Tennessee along these lines and the direct consequence was higher prices. passed on to women. This means that the women that absolutely need these sorts of services cannot pay for them--thus, leading to illegal and dangerous back room abortions. sigh.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Okay, so the real issue here is that legislators are requiring an extra step for abortion clinics and that cost is going to end up getting passed on to the women that are going to plan parenthood, or whatever other medical system. This is how they nickel and dime us into submission using the "free market". There was already a law passed in Tennessee along these lines and the direct consequence was higher prices. passed on to women. This means that the women that absolutely need these sorts of services cannot pay for them--thus, leading to illegal and dangerous back room abortions. sigh.

So this would include abortions as well? I was wondering about that, the news clip / video I saw only mentioned miscarriages.

And if that's the case, I would assume preventing abortions is the primary reason for creating this legislation.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

As warming fuels disasters, relief often favors white people

A growing body of research shows that FEMA, the government agency responsible for helping Americans recover from disasters, often helps white disaster victims more than people of color, even when the amount of damage is the same.

www.sun-sentinel.com

A growing body of research shows that FEMA, the government agency responsible for helping Americans recover from disasters, often helps white disaster victims more than people of color, even when the amount of damage is the same. Not only do individual white Americans often receive more aid from FEMA, so do the communities in which they live, according to several recent studies based on federal data.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

McConnell says 'highly unlikely' he would let Biden fill a Supreme Court vacancy in 2024 if GOP wins back Senate | CNN Politics

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday that if his party regains the majority in 2022 it's "highly unlikely" he would let President Joe Biden confirm a Supreme Court vacancy if one opened up in 2024, and was non-committal when asked about an opening at the end of 2023.

www.cnn.com

So, I guess a new precedent has been set. If the GOP wins back the senate majority in 2022 they will not let Biden fill a SCOTUS seat in 2024 deferring the vote until after the election.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

A 'Covid crime wave' is one reason these residents want to break away from Atlanta -- but critics say a split would be devastating for the city

In Atlanta's well-to-do community of Buckhead, the debate over becoming an independent city has been brewing off and on for decades. Now, amid a spike in crime, calls to split from the capital have grown louder than ever.

www.cnn.com

Atlanta's prodometly white wealthiest neighborhood, Buckhead, is looking to split off from Atlanta and become its own city.

 

[Max Sterling]

A 'Covid crime wave' is one reason these residents want to break away from Atlanta -- but critics say a split would be devastating for the city

In Atlanta's well-to-do community of Buckhead, the debate over becoming an independent city has been brewing off and on for decades. Now, amid a spike in crime, calls to split from the capital have grown louder than ever.

www.cnn.com

Atlanta's prodometly white wealthiest neighborhood, Buckhead, is looking to split off from Atlanta and become its own city.

This is a little silly... It's not a Buckhead specific problem, this wouldn't fix anything... It would only make jurisdiction and zoning a nightmare. Not to mention strip Atlanta of most of it's highest bracket tax payers. If they were using this as some sort of leverage to affect change, I'd understand, but they seem determined to try and do it themselves, which is a mistake on multiple levels.

 

[nolalady]

A 'Covid crime wave' is one reason these residents want to break away from Atlanta -- but critics say a split would be devastating for the city

In Atlanta's well-to-do community of Buckhead, the debate over becoming an independent city has been brewing off and on for decades. Now, amid a spike in crime, calls to split from the capital have grown louder than ever.

www.cnn.com

Atlanta's prodometly white wealthiest neighborhood, Buckhead, is looking to split off from Atlanta and become its own city.

Same thing was happening in Baton Rouge and it's also equally ridiculous. This is where I get worried because the rich people are trying to separate themselves and their world from degenerates that can't seem to make it into the top 10% of earners. But these same people are also running everything, so they are both trying to separate themselves from the unwashed masses while also claiming that they can effectively run companies, run our government, be federal watch dogs against corruption, write the laws and tax code, appoint judges to courts, and set effective economic policy. They live in a totally different world from most of us, and it's increasingly being made clear that these same people, are never held accountable for any bad decisions. If these folks make a mistake, you and I pay for it in the form of higher prices, more taxes, reduced services, and reduced benefits. They always get bailed out. So, we've now created a system where the rich desperately want to get away from us, while also controlling every single institution of power. This is a symptom of inequality and the non-democratic dysfunction it brings.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

@nolalady

When Baton Rouge was trying this, did they have the GOP supported legislator backing them / enabling it? Because that is what appears to be happening in Atlanta. The GOP seems to be in favor of the idea. And it very well could be passed and put onto the ballot.

 

[nolalady]

@nolalady

When Baton Rouge was trying this, did they have the GOP supported legislator backing them / enabling it? Because that is what appears to be happening in Atlanta. The GOP seems to be in favor of the idea. And it very well could be passed and put onto the ballot.

Actually, it apparently went through. But it looks like it's being challenged.

Several motions filed Friday by attorney Mary Olive Pierson, who represents the plaintiffs, claim that Chris Rials and Norman Browning, two leaders of the petition that sparked the election to incorporate the new city in southeast East Baton Rouge Parish, didn't show up for recent depositions in the case.

The legal challenge, in which Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and Metro Councilman LaMont Cole are the plaintiffs, asks the court to deny the incorporation of what would be a majority-White city of more than 80,000 people because of the financial impact it would have on the rest of the city-parish.


St. George was on track to become the fifth city in East Baton Rouge Parish following the October 2019 election, when 54% of the voters living within the proposed boundaries for the city in the southeastern corner of the parish voted in favor of the incorporation.

In lawsuit filed to block St. George incorporation, defendants accused of ducking depositions

Attorneys in the lawsuit seeking to block the St. George incorporation effort have accused organizers of not cooperating with recent deposition proceedings and are asking the courts to legally penalize

www.theadvocate.com

 

[nolalady]

Watching this fall out is incredible. The ultra rich don't actually pay taxes as exposed by an IRS leak, but instead of asking why billionaires aren't really paying any taxes at all, they are gunning for the whistle blower that let this info leak.

The administration’s response to the ProPublica exposé was not, as one might imagine, to seize on the revelations to end this scandalous tax avoidance. Rather, it was to move swiftly to find the culprit who carried out this public service and put them in prison, thereby sending a message to any future whistleblowers.

A Treasury spokesperson swiftly announced the leak was being investigated, with Biden’s press secretary telling reporters that “we take this very seriously.” So did the commissioner of the IRS, an agency that has admitted it mostly audits the poor because targeting the rich and powerful is too hard and expensive, letting nearly 900,000 high-income earners get away with not filing a return over 2014–16.

“We will find out about the Pro Publica article,” the IRS commissioner assured the Senate finance committee on June 8, later confirming the culprit would be prosecuted.

They were joined by attorney general Merrick Garland, who told a Senate subcommittee the next day that he would put the matter “at the top of my list.” The issue was raised by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who pointed to Richard Nixon and Watergate and the “incredible danger to private citizens and the credibility of the federal government if information is used for political or other purposes.”

The Political Establishment Doesn’t Want You to Know the Economy Is Rigged

ProPublica’s bombshell story about the financial malfeasance of the richest Americans has stirred bipartisan outrage in Washington. Unfortunately, it's mainly outraged against the whistleblower who exposed the story.

jacobinmag.com

 

[Dtknuckles]

Watching this fall out is incredible. The ultra rich don't actually pay taxes as exposed by an IRS leak, but instead of asking why billionaires aren't really paying any taxes at all, they are gunning for the whistle blower that let this info leak.

The administration’s response to the ProPublica exposé was not, as one might imagine, to seize on the revelations to end this scandalous tax avoidance. Rather, it was to move swiftly to find the culprit who carried out this public service and put them in prison, thereby sending a message to any future whistleblowers.

A Treasury spokesperson swiftly announced the leak was being investigated, with Biden’s press secretary telling reporters that “we take this very seriously.” So did the commissioner of the IRS, an agency that has admitted it mostly audits the poor because targeting the rich and powerful is too hard and expensive, letting nearly 900,000 high-income earners get away with not filing a return over 2014–16.

“We will find out about the Pro Publica article,” the IRS commissioner assured the Senate finance committee on June 8, later confirming the culprit would be prosecuted.

They were joined by attorney general Merrick Garland, who told a Senate subcommittee the next day that he would put the matter “at the top of my list.” The issue was raised by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who pointed to Richard Nixon and Watergate and the “incredible danger to private citizens and the credibility of the federal government if information is used for political or other purposes.”

The Political Establishment Doesn’t Want You to Know the Economy Is Rigged

ProPublica’s bombshell story about the financial malfeasance of the richest Americans has stirred bipartisan outrage in Washington. Unfortunately, it's mainly outraged against the whistleblower who exposed the story.

jacobinmag.com

I’m was listening g to Left, Right and Center this weekend and they had a bit of an argument out this. The conservative was saying. It’s private info and everything they have done is legal. The Left person, who is a journalism professor was concentrating on the question of if this type of thing is ethical. She mentioned that there are some countries where your tax info is not private. Can you imagine if it were that way. I’m a public employee and my salary plus benefits if public info and you can pretty much look it up. I’m ok with that, I got nothing to hide with my taxes, but honesty I don’t have anything to hide.

 

[nolalady]

I’m was listening g to Left, Right and Center this weekend and they had a bit of an argument out this. The conservative was saying. It’s private info and everything they have done is legal. The Left person, who is a journalism professor was concentrating on the question of if this type of thing is ethical. She mentioned that there are some countries where your tax info is not private. Can you imagine if it were that way. I’m a public employee and my salary plus benefits if public info and you can pretty much look it up. I’m ok with that, I got nothing to hide with my taxes, but honesty I don’t have anything to hide.

Yes, the leak was illegal, but it's something the American people should know. I contest that they should know this because these billionaires have real power over our government, our commerce, our news, and our economy. If there was some mechanism that allowed for someone to not ever amass this much power, then I would agree that it's wrong to leak this information. However, if these billionaires are off shoring money to avoid paying taxes, or using the tax code itself to their benefit (the same tax code that the senators that these billionaires were giving direct and indirect campaign contributions to revised from the Obama and Trump eras), then I think the American people should know about it. The official narrative is that the top 1% pays more than it's fair share, but if you look at the numbers, these billionaires are claiming that their income is, things don't add up:

Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2023 Update

The latest IRS data shows that the U.S. federal individual income tax continued to be progressive, borne primarily by the highest income earners.

taxfoundation.org

I'm going off of the table with the incomes and it shows that of the 1,443,179 returns from the 1%, it claims that they made (adjusted gross that is) $2,420,025,000,000 for all of 2018. If you divide the money by the number of returns filed, you get an average adjusted income of $1,676,870.99, or approximately $1.7M as the average income of the top 1% in this country. This is definitely not correct. There is no way that Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates can be in that bucket and only rake in $1.7M in income in one year. Sorry, not buying that. And yes what they do is legal, because their main strategy is to take out loans that are higher than their incomes and make business decisions to do things like not pay out dividends--thus decreasing their capital gains tax while increasing their stocks thus giving them collateral for all of the loans they are taking out.

So if these very rich individuals are giving dark money to candidates, helping to appoint people to political offices like the IRS, the FDA, NSA, CIA, FBI, ect. and promising them jobs or speaker gigs when they leave office, then they have more power than you or I, and they need to be held accountable for this vast power. This leak just proved what most Americans suspected, that the rich get out of paying their fair share of taxes, and they do it through legal, but questionable avenues, that are only available to the ultra rich. This realization is just another piece of evidence of the erosion of our democracy. It tells the world that we are for sale to the highest bidder.

 

[Dtknuckles]

Yes, the leak was illegal, but it's something the American people should know. I contest that they should know this because these billionaires have real power over our government, our commerce, our news, and our economy. If there was some mechanism that allowed for someone to not ever amass this much power, then I would agree that it's wrong to leak this information. However, if these billionaires are off shoring money to avoid paying taxes, or using the tax code itself to their benefit (the same tax code that the senators that these billionaires were giving direct and indirect campaign contributions to revised from the Obama and Trump eras), then I think the American people should know about it. The official narrative is that the top 1% pays more than it's fair share, but if you look at the numbers, these billionaires are claiming that their income is, things don't add up:

Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2023 Update

The latest IRS data shows that the U.S. federal individual income tax continued to be progressive, borne primarily by the highest income earners.

taxfoundation.org

I'm going off of the table with the incomes and it shows that of the 1,443,179 returns from the 1%, it claims that they made (adjusted gross that is) $2,420,025,000,000 for all of 2018. If you divide the money by the number of returns filed, you get an average adjusted income of $1,676,870.99, or approximately $1.7M as the average income of the top 1% in this country. This is definitely not correct. There is no way that Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates can be in that bucket and only rake in $1.7M in income in one year. Sorry, not buying that. And yes what they do is legal, because their main strategy is to take out loans that are higher than their incomes and make business decisions to do things like not pay out dividends--thus decreasing their capital gains tax while increasing their stocks thus giving them collateral for all of the loans they are taking out.

So if these very rich individuals are giving dark money to candidates, helping to appoint people to political offices like the IRS, the FDA, NSA, CIA, FBI, ect. and promising them jobs or speaker gigs when they leave office, then they have more power than you or I, and they need to be held accountable for this vast power. This leak just proved what most Americans suspected, that the rich get out of paying their fair share of taxes, and they do it through legal, but questionable avenues, that are only available to the ultra rich. This realization is just another piece of evidence of the erosion of our democracy. It tells the world that we are for sale to the highest bidder.

Yea go check out the latest episode of Deconstructed. Tapes of Manchin talking to super pac donors.