2025 Political Thread

[akt1985]

With the growing tensions between the U.S. and Canada, it will be interesting to see how The World Series plays out this year as the Toronto Blue Jays are the American League representative in the series.

 

[bjdeming]

This AP article on the upcoming trial in Portland about deploying the National Guard goes into details about excuses for a crackdown that will be used in other cities by any US administration, at any time, from now on for such a move against officials who stand up for their rights.

If the control freaks can get away with it now.

Trump is all about precedent, nothing more. And the socialists and other left-wingers know it and are waiting. Some people here are wise to the threat, too, as is that North Carolina Congressman mentioned earlier, but I wish more Trump supporters would wake up and smell the tear gas.

As for Portland itself, after they broke out the frog costumes I decided that it's not in my universe, let alone my state. What they need up there is grown-ups, not boots on the ground, and that has probably been true for a long time.

It's a nice city -- reminds me of Birmingham, but with a huge river (the Willamette, not the Columbia; the two rivers meet a little farther downstream).

But the last time I was up there, in 2015, I saw so much urban dirt and dysfunctionality and, as mentioned, just the two extremes: snobs and homeless camps/broken people.

All the "middle" folks have fled to the suburbs and washed their hands of the urban decay, apparently, though they seem willing enough to bask in Portland's "quirkiness" and snobbery about personal wealth (which is a widespread malady out here anyway).

Little, if any, real soul.

But they don't deserve to get a gut punch from Trump (who could have turned this state red in 2020, if he had looked beyond Portland and been willing to work at recognizing and organizing his many Oregon supporters that year; apparently even then he had a different agenda).

 

[bjdeming]

It's hard to stop caring. Anyway, applause to Senator Murkowski and her Republican colleagues.



Wonder if they have some clues as to how SCOTUS is likely to go when the tariffs case comes up soon.

 

[akt1985]

I’ve heard rumors of possible riots this weekend with SNAP benefits running out on Saturday with the government shutdown. Hopefully the food banks can step up for those who rely on SNAP.

 

[Mike S]

This is 100% on the Democrats. 100%.

Trump lost an opportunity to score political points by not getting out ahead of the SNAP funding prior to 11/1/25. Regardless, the Democratic people want people to starve and that is sad.

 

[bjdeming]

I’ve heard rumors of possible riots this weekend with SNAP benefits running out on Saturday with the government shutdown. Hopefully the food banks can step up for those who rely on SNAP.

It is for us to step up for the food banks, not out of fear rooted in the experience of past riots that were based on hate, typically but not always race-based (in Russia they riot for bread), but out of a neighborly concern.

Most banks have websites and even online donation forms, but a visit to one with bags of groceries, personal hygiene products, infant supplies, and/or pet supplies will never be rejected.
And, of course, there's also United Way, etc.

I don't have a problem with a protest, but No Kings is protesting something that doesn't exist in this country, nor will it.

Try as they might to discredit his role, Trump played a huge role in the Israeli/Hamas ceasefire/hostage exchange. My dislike for him won't cloud my judgement when he does something positive.

I didn't get those ordered right but will respond to the older one first just to say how much I admire you, Mike, for that objectivity. Can't do that yet myself for such a hate magnet but I'm working on it.

As for the kings, you're right but it's always a challenge. We're so used to it that we have forgotten or never realized just how unique the American experiment is.

Human beings have always set up royal lines and courtiers under various labels all through history. The honest, if often bad, ones called such things by their true names.

Because of US sensibilities and the institutional framework, there is dishonesty about it in this country.

Democrats, back in the 1960s, indulged in and exploited this human tendency with Camelot imagery. Power grabbers today, currently headed by but not limited to Trump or the party he has grabbed, just do it (act royally, not in accordance with checks and balances) -- but still cautiously.

I think if millions hadn't coincidentally turned out on the 18th to use -- as an expression of frustration with the way things are going -- the No-Kings framework that progressivists had set up, today's power grabbers would have felt a little better and would ramp up their efforts.

Instead, Trump was miffed enough to knock down the White House East Wing. America, punching itself in the face again.

But what else can anyone do? The first Tuesday in November is coming up in this no-general-election year and thinking about that briefly made me wish we could do the 2024 election over again.

Waste of time. We'd never get it right again because there would again be the no-alternative (Biden)/Harris block.

Interesting that both times, when Trump won, he was running against a leftist woman connected either by marriage or political administration to a very powerful man. Coincidence or (VERY deep) conspiracy?

In any event, the man just cannot stand on his own, even against Joe Biden, but he is very good at focusing attention on himself, even in his dotage. This is bad when it's in the bully pulpit.

Actually, we need to look at the puppeteers behind the scenes for all administrations this century, except possibly that of W. Bush.

But most of all, we need to govern ourselves again.

The principles that our country is based upon were very radical, back in the 1700s when Christianity, and therefore a sense of personal responsibility on the path of redemption, was taken for granted as the norm for western civilization even by those who practiced it under another label, like "deism."

Our fellow revolutionists really did drop it and consequently got Napoleon, etc. We have managed to stagger on along that path (which runs through Main Street USA, not through DC) even through today.

But the "just do it" ethos is easy and occasionally fun (if we ignore the bad stuff that always accompanies it) and so, as a nation right now we are rather fat and lazy.

And so We The People have the government we deserve.

We can do better than this. But it's on our shoulders as responsible citizens and human beings, not on The Other who we are encouraged to fear and hate.

The Other is just Us, in a mirror.