The 2017 General Political discussion thread, Part 2!

[jamil]

Are you saying Trump, right or wrong? Because a lot of folks here act like Trump can do no wrong. Or are you saying Trump, when righter than the alternative? I'd accept the latter as not tribal.

 

[2A_Tom]

I wouldn't "defend" Trump's frequent thin-skinned, sophomoric behavior. His official ACTIONS, however, have been quite defensible and completely within the four corners of constitutional powers afforded the person occupying the office of President.

Obama wrote and spoke about his disdain for the restraints imposed by the Constitution, and especially in his second term, basically ignored the Constitution in his official ACTIONS.

Both Presidents took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. I'm not aware that either took an oath not to be a dumb-a** on twitter. One of the two is infinitely more important to me... if that puts me in a tribe, a tribe who believes in the Constitution versus those who do not, then that makes me nothing but proud.

THIS^^^^^

 

[indiucky]

I can't say for sure "Canadian" would be equivalently pejorative to "Kenyan", I mean, it's Canada, the essense of innocence.

Are we talking "Canadian" as in anyone north of Seymour or "Canadian" like these guys???

 

[SheepDog4Life]

Are you saying Trump, right or wrong? Because a lot of folks here act like Trump can do no wrong. Or are you saying Trump, when righter than the alternative? I'd accept the latter as not tribal.

I agree with the vast majority of Trump's campaign policy statements. I think he chose them because of their popularity (or intensely felt and ignored) on a point-by-point basis, not out of any basis of principal, so I'm definitely not in the Trump-can-do-no-wrong crowd. He can, does, and will.

The schadenfreude of Dems (which includes most mainstream media) losing their ever-living minds over Trump using the same hysterical. overwrought tactics that Dems have used for decades is nothing short of hysterically funny. Pot-meet-kettle, goose-meet-gander, et al.

 

[Leadeye]

Are we talking "Canadian" as in anyone north of Seymour or "Canadian" like these guys???

The difference?

 

[bwframe]

Is "tribal" the new racist?

 

[Alpo]

Wanting to see where the science leads us is fine, but it seems strange to ignore the current scientific consensus when it conflicts with your world view.

This topic got me interested in doing a bit more research. I watched the BBC series "The Celts" on youtube (good series, by the way) and did some further reading.

As to "scientific consensus": there is none. What appears to be known at this point is that the earliest Irish settlers are likely to have come from along the Atlantic coast of Europe and Iberia. Celtish language appears to have been broadly spread across Europe from north of the Alps to the eastern seaboard to the Russian steppes. Many anthropologists believe it to be the "lingua franca" of the time period, allowing all tribal groups the ability to communicate and trade. However, there is not much in the way of written documentation from the bronze or early iron age on the language, so though this explanation appears to have merit, it is somewhat speculative. Based on the widespread discoveries of Celtic crafts, it seems to be a reasonable conclusion.

The Celts arrived "late" in Ireland which had a healthy indigineous people and culture. DNA evidence (more than the above study of a single individual from antiquity) has been gathered from current residents in Britian. What seems to be indicated is that much of the mitochondrial DNA indicators show that in western Scotland, Corwall, Wales and Ireland (those groups bordering the Irish Sea) there is not much historical influence in the DNA; more indication of Iberian influence.

So, I'd say my world view as influenced by my family appears to be consistent with much of the present research.

 

[indiucky]

The difference?

Point....I see whut you are talking aboot....

 

[BugI02]

I remember the talk about Cruz's citizenship, I don't remember there being implied derision by repeatedly calling him "The Canadian." And I certainly haven't ever seen McCain referred to as "The Panamanian." But's lets say you're right about there being some parity between Cruz and Obama (which is laughable). I'll just ask this question. Is Cruz a minority?

Does he self-identify as one? Or does he think it is more important to be American?

What about that other guy?

 

[jamil]

Is "tribal" the new racist?

No. Can be, but no.

 

[bwframe]

Is "tribal" the new racist?

No. Can be, but no.

Looks strangely similar.

 

[2A_Tom]

Are you saying Trump, right or wrong? Because a lot of folks here act like Trump can do no wrong. Or are you saying Trump, when righter than the alternative? I'd accept the latter as not tribal.

Who said that?

Is "tribal" the new racist?

No. Can be, but no.

Looks strangely similar.

You are a __________! Enter pejorative of your choice.

 

[Alpo]

You are a _____

_____! Enter pejorative of your choice.

 

[bwframe]

...You are a __________! Enter pejorative of your choice.

There are those that try WIN their argument by nullifying/shutting up those that don't agree with them. Negative branding is used often as it has worked in recent times.

The libs have successfully done this for years. A lot of the reason our Republican majority has been "do nothing" is that they are deathly afraid of the "racist, bigot, misogynist, *___phobe" branding that the left pulls out whenever they are losing.

 

[Alpo]

I don't think branding is necessary in the case of Trump, The Mitch, and Ryan. Look at what has been accomplished. I tend not to listen to opinions about who they are...I look at what they do.

By the way, that is the same way I looked at Obama and came away with the feeling he was mediocre in his presidential capacity.

 

[2A_Tom]

Yeah they had every republican on their side and failed. Then they gave up and will now sit on their hands and do nothing.

 

[BugI02]

Yessss. Was listening to #@$&%@## McCain talking about how he won't vote for the latest ACA repeal and how we should do something bipartisan, not rammed through on party lines like the ACA
So we get shoved three steps back by the ACAparty line vote, and we're supposed to recover a half step forward by doing things to stabilize the exchanges in all 50 states and leave the monstrosity in place

Hell no. Restore the status quo with straight repeal, then we can talk about something bipartisan. Propping up the ACA is doomed to fail because there is nothing at work to control costs

McCain is now lumped in with the likes of Sherrod Brown and Kasich. Not with a bang but with a whimper

 

[jamil]

There are those that try WIN their argument by nullifying/shutting up those that don't agree with them. Negative branding is used often as it has worked in recent times.

The libs have successfully done this for years. A lot of the reason our Republican majority has been "do nothing" is that they are deathly afraid of the "racist, bigot, misogynist, *___phobe" branding that the left pulls out whenever they are losing.

If you think that's what I'm saying when I post against being part of a tribe, you're obviously mistaken.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Yessss. Was listening to #@$&%@## McCain talking about how he won't vote for the latest ACA repeal and how we should do something bipartisan, not rammed through on party lines like the ACA
So we get shoved three steps back by the ACAparty line vote, and we're supposed to recover a half step forward by doing things to stabilize the exchanges in all 50 states and leave the monstrosity in place

Hell no. Restore the status quo with straight repeal, then we can talk about something bipartisan. Propping up the ACA is doomed to fail because there is nothing at work to control costs

McCain is now lumped in with the likes of Sherrod Brown and Kasich. Not with a bang but with a whimper

The most charitable thing I can say for McCain is that the Vietnamese must have smacked him in the head with a blunt instrument a few times too many. He seems to have no capacity for reason, just parroting the the lines that the party of (in)tolerance tells him he has to or else they will call him a poopyhead.

 

[bwframe]

If you think that's what I'm saying when I post against being part of a tribe, you're obviously mistaken.

Don't think so.

The most charitable thing I can say for McCain is that the Vietnamese must have smacked him in the head with a blunt instrument a few times too many. He seems to have no capacity for reason, just parroting the the lines that the party of (in)tolerance tells him he has to or else they will call him a poopyhead.

McCain is only about McCain. If he cannot go out being the hero of the Republicans, he'll go out as the hero of the Dems.