America

[morepork]

Trickle down baby.

[Digby]

The $15 min. wage was allowed to die this time around 'cause Bernie and Joe couldn't get the votes. Which in turn allows a number of people to act as has happened here. But it's not the end of the process, at a federal or state level

[morepork]

Ermmmmm...




Gunz and White Grievance.


Have I missed anything?

[paddy no 11]

Nestle be no woke organisation

[Digby]

It would be outstanding if they had eschewed women from the list, if for about 70% of the work for around 3% of the profits and they still can't catch a break that's comedy

[Eugene Wrayburn]

The $15 min. wage was allowed to die this time around 'cause Bernie and Joe couldn't get the votes. Which in turn allows a number of people to act as has happened here. But it's not the end of the process, at a federal or state level

Quite. There's a bizarre tendency to clutch at defeats and ignore significant victories. Also to think that everything could get done in the first 50 days of the administration. Never mind the fact that there was no transition to speak of and there's a razor thin majority in the Senate. The achievement of getting Manchin to sign up to $1.9 trillion of support is considerable.

[Digby]

Especially when looking at how much GOP support there's been for Biden's initial recovery/support proposals. Which as so often these days is just weird from the GOP when they're running so strongly against public opinion, they're ignoring the public, they're ignoring the Democratic votes for Trump's CARES Act, and they're really only speaking to a small group (maybe even just a group of 1) of nutcases, and they're peddling a very weird victim mentality which clashes more than a little with the idea of just pull yourself up by your bootstraps

[Sandydragon]

Especially when looking at how much GOP support there's been for Biden's initial recovery/support proposals. Which as so often these days is just weird from the GOP when they're running so strongly against public opinion, they're ignoring the public, they're ignoring the Democratic votes for Trump's CARES Act, and they're really only speaking to a small group (maybe even just a group of 1) of nutcases, and they're peddling a very weird victim mentality which clashes more than a little with the idea of just pull yourself up by your bootstraps

The GOP has a real split personality at the moment. I suspect that many of the old establishment are bitterly regretting having anything to do with the Tea Party and other right wing nutters who have now got a very strong presence in the party and who it will take years of pain to get rid of. On the other hand, the votes that come with the right wing nutters are too useful to ignore.

I read the other day that Trump is pushing his supporters to send their donations to his donation fund rather than the GOP official one. McConnell must be cursing himself for not voting to impeach Trump and at least removing that clown from the next presidential candidate race.

[Digby]

Especially when looking at how much GOP support there's been for Biden's initial recovery/support proposals. Which as so often these days is just weird from the GOP when they're running so strongly against public opinion, they're ignoring the public, they're ignoring the Democratic votes for Trump's CARES Act, and they're really only speaking to a small group (maybe even just a group of 1) of nutcases, and they're peddling a very weird victim mentality which clashes more than a little with the idea of just pull yourself up by your bootstraps

The GOP has a real split personality at the moment. I suspect that many of the old establishment are bitterly regretting having anything to do with the Tea Party and other right wing nutters who have now got a very strong presence in the party and who it will take years of pain to get rid of. On the other hand, the votes that come with the right wing nutters are too useful to ignore.

I read the other day that Trump is pushing his supporters to send their donations to his donation fund rather than the GOP official one. McConnell must be cursing himself for not voting to impeach Trump and at least removing that clown from the next presidential candidate race.

We're waiting to see if the GOP will grow a spine now Trump is going after what they'll see as their money. Which is a nonsense, it's the money of those donating it, but the GOP doesn't look a group that doesn't suffer from entitlement issues

[Digby]

We shall wait to see now if Biden's mass funding proves useful. I suspect we'll see the norm, which is that money floods upwards and you'll only get a benefit if rich people have to pay sensible taxes that sees a more equitable distribution of wealth. Still, much can be learned from this which will inform debates such as UBI. And in the case that the money floods up still in the here and now some people will be able to eat, get medical care and other such frivolous things

[morepork]

Especially when looking at how much GOP support there's been for Biden's initial recovery/support proposals. Which as so often these days is just weird from the GOP when they're running so strongly against public opinion, they're ignoring the public, they're ignoring the Democratic votes for Trump's CARES Act, and they're really only speaking to a small group (maybe even just a group of 1) of nutcases, and they're peddling a very weird victim mentality which clashes more than a little with the idea of just pull yourself up by your bootstraps

The GOP has a real split personality at the moment. I suspect that many of the old establishment are bitterly regretting having anything to do with the Tea Party and other right wing nutters who have now got a very strong presence in the party and who it will take years of pain to get rid of. On the other hand, the votes that come with the right wing nutters are too useful to ignore.

I read the other day that Trump is pushing his supporters to send their donations to his donation fund rather than the GOP official one. McConnell must be cursing himself for not voting to impeach Trump and at least removing that clown from the next presidential candidate race.

Does it fuck. Its the same Southern Strategy that they kick started in 1968. Have a look at how many civil rights bills they have blocked over the last 40 years, including the last 4. Look also at the hundreds of voter suppression bills they have submitted in the past few months.

[Digby]

The voting suppression bills since Trump lost the election are astonishing. I thought the Dems might struggle to keep momentum going and then the GOP came in and allowed the moral indignation to ramp up again with their insanity in trying to block voters from voting

[Eugene Wrayburn]

The voting suppression bills since Trump lost the election are astonishing. I thought the Dems might struggle to keep momentum going and then the GOP came in and allowed the moral indignation to ramp up again with their insanity in trying to block voters from voting

Not just that but to say openly in the Supreme Court argument that they are screwed if people are allowed to vote.

[Digby]

The voting suppression bills since Trump lost the election are astonishing. I thought the Dems might struggle to keep momentum going and then the GOP came in and allowed the moral indignation to ramp up again with their insanity in trying to block voters from voting

Not just that but to say openly in the Supreme Court argument that they are screwed if people are allowed to vote.

That in fairness was comedy gold. Maybe they really think they are speaking to their own given the judges and they see nothing wrong with it, and they'd almost have to be like that to he acting like this in the first place.

[morepork]

Thoughts and prayers bitches, thoughts and prayers.

There is a special place in hell for gun lobbyists that make most of their coin in the aftermath of events like these.

The same shit happens over and over and over again.

[Which Tyler]

How many times do we offer thoughts and prayers before re-assessing the evidence base for effectiveness?

[Mikey Brown]

Not even sure which violent incident I'm referring to here, just another broad "FFS" at America in general I guess.

[Which Tyler]

Not even sure which violent incident I'm referring to here, just another broad "FFS" at America in general I guess.

The one where a cop shot a black guy; or the one where the black guy got shot by a cop - or possibly the extrajudicial execution by a cop... of a black guy.
Or have I missed another school shooting?

[Mikey Brown]

Or the pre-emptive super-soldier counter-riots. Don't forget that.

No more school shootings I don't think but can't keep track. There does seem to be an incident where a student shot at police (???) and then was killed in return. Not sure what you call that exactly.

There was that one with an ex-NFL player the other day killing 5 people. It's hard not to wonder what condition his brain was in after a football career, but he was black so maybe that's all it was.

[Which Tyler]

Or the pre-emptive super-soldier counter-riots. Don't forget that.

No more school shootings I don't think but can't keep track. There does seem to be an incident where a student shot at police (???) and then was killed in return. Not sure what you call that exactly.

There was that one with an ex-NFL player the other day killing 5 people. It's hard not to wonder what condition his brain was in after a football career, but he was black so maybe that's all it was.

A] ??? I presume I'm missing a cultural reference here - Marvel?
B] "Suicide by cop"
C] Hadn't seen that one; I'd assumed the actual comment was in relation to this one where the black guy was killed by the cop "by mistake" because she couldn't tell the difference between her tazer and her gun.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah, I realise I wasn't very clear there. Part A is the response to Daunte Wright's murder. People in Minneapolis aren't too happy about it for some reason, but now the city are facing the prospect of looting it's time to get out there in the riot gear and bash some skulls in order to maintain the peace.

[morepork]

"The officer who shot Mr Wright was named on Monday as Kim Potter, 48, who has worked for Brooklyn Center Police for 26 years.

Mr Wright was pulled over on Sunday for a traffic violation, but there was a struggle when he tried to get back into his car.

After drawing her gun, apparently by mistake, the officer said: "Holy shit, I just shot him."


Sick and tired of being sick and tired.

[Mikey Brown]

What an incredible week or two for the gun nuts. Daunte Wright’s death seems like old news at this point.

Stumbled on this, which I realise is a good few years out of date now. But an interesting glimpse in to the mindset of the David Grossman / IDF training techniques these guys use.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/reason.com ... ues/%3Famp

“one officer explaining that he enlarged photos of his own kids to use as targets so that he would not be caught off guard with such a drastically new experience while on duty“

[morepork]

Against this background of endless social inequality and unacceptable use of force by the authorities against people of colour, the Q-Barbies in government have drafted a policy platform for a new caucus founded on "Anglo Saxon political traditions". I shit you not. That is their big fancy word for "white". This is on the back of consistent social media trolling labeling protesters responding to the latest incident in a catalogue of excessive police force as Marxists, and terrorists.

I don't think the Q Brigade knows what Anglo-Saxon or Marxist means...

Sure does bring in a lot of small donations that would otherwise be spent on meth or off label opioids though!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... glo-saxon/

[Mikey Brown]

No more school shootings I don't think but can't keep track. There does seem to be an incident where a student shot at police (???) and then was killed in return. Not sure what you call that exactly.

More details now coming out about this one too, initial reports sounded very strange and now seems like the cop who got shot was either shot by his colleague or himself.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/14/us/k ... mpson.html

The last bit of this article is particularly grim-

"At the time of Monday’s shooting, Austin-East High School was still reeling from the fatal shootings of four students since January, The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported.

In late January, a 15-year-old student died after another teenager accidentally shot him in a car, the newspaper reported, citing information from the police. A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide in that shooting, the paper reported.

On Feb. 12, a 16-year-old student was shot and killed as he was driving home from school, the paper reported. Two boys, 14 and 16, were arrested and charged in connection with his death, The News-Sentinel said.

Four days later, on Feb. 16, a 15-year-old freshman was found shot outside her home and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, The News-Sentinel reported.

And on March 10, another 15-year-old student died at a hospital one day after he was found with a gunshot wound in south Knoxville."

Really hard to picture a way back against the current gun culture in the US. Is there anyone with the means or the bollocks to really do anything about it?