Prelude to the Apocalypse

[GaijinPunch]

[Mischief Maker]

Looks like Batman just got cucked by the Koch brothers.

They kill his his Obamacare repeal by publicly offering bribes to politicians who vote against it and he responds by IMMEDIATELY giving them the Keystone XL pipeline they've been wanting.

(All that dirty oil's going to end up in China once it leaves the Koch's refineries, btw.)

[brokenhalo]

Republicans have had 7 years to come up with an ACA replacement, and their bill was such a raging dumpster fire that they wouldn't even bring it to a vote. Who knew healthcare could be so complicated? The answer is "Democrats". Maybe Republicans will come to realize that despite it's flaws, the ACA was a great start on healthcare reform, and they'll work to strengthen it via revisions that both parties can get behind. Wait, who am I kidding? It was passed by the Kenyan Muslim Traitor, so it must be repealed.

[Mischief Maker]

Republicans have had 7 years to come up with an ACA replacement, and their bill was such a raging dumpster fire that they wouldn't even bring it to a vote. Who knew healthcare could be so complicated? The answer is "Democrats". Maybe Republicans will come to realize that despite it's flaws, the ACA was a great start on healthcare reform, and they'll work to strengthen it via revisions that both parties can get behind. Wait, who am I kidding? It was passed by the Kenyan Muslim Traitor, so it must be repealed.

Well the real problem for Republicans is the ACA was their plan. It was designed by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation. Mitt Romney passed it at a state level in Massachusetts in 2006. There were no blocks left that could be safely removed from this Jenga puzzle.

Whether he was massively incompetent at negotiating or just craven, Obama made a move nobody was expecting. He was supposed to push for Canadian-style Single Payer healthcare, fight with Republicans over it, and compromise with a Public Option. Then when the next Republican president took office they would remove the public option and leave us with the ACA in its current state. Instead Obama and the Democrats dropped Single Payer AND the public option all on their own and started the negotiation where Republicans wanted to end up.

The Republican refusal to vote for the ACA and endless moves to repeal were entirely about optics. They had what they wanted but couldn't afford to look happy under a conservative president with a "D" next to his name!

It reminds me of Imperial China's treasure fleet. Far more technologically advanced than the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, China could have conquered the world with this fleet. But it ended up getting shitcanned. Why? Because the treasure fleet was a feather in the cap of one political faction and the other factions conspired to tear it down so their rival wouldn't look good. How'd that turn out for Imperial China in the end?

[BryanM]

We're going to do so much repeal and replacing, it's gonna make your head spin.

Who could have foreseen this was a WWE puppet show. Who coulda guessed the corporate republicans like corporate republican plans.

Next up: White house correspondent dinner minus the white house. Anything else to keep an eye on?

Far out: Chelsea getting that achievement award for being born rich. Then being handed a slot in congress like her mother before her. For long time Political Revolution thread followers, you've seen this movie before.
___

More censorship of differing opinions.

Spoiler

[BryanM]

Joe Manchin has announced his support of Trump's supreme court nominee, making him the first of the handful of democrats who'll get him instated.

Does anyone here think Manchin should get to continue to be a democrat? Is there any reason he's a democrat in the first place? Besides the money propping him up.

(Second result if you do a google search on primarying Manchin: Nate Silver's website proclaiming "Liberals Would Be Foolish To Primary Joe Manchin". Yeah. Great.)

You could not fix anything else until you fix the situation regarding money in American politics, because it effects every issue.

[Mischief Maker]

I look at the bright side!

Now the Justice Democrats and BrandNewCongress have a face to put on their abstract enemy "Corporate Democrats."

And it's a guy whose name is literally pronounced "mansion."

[Mischief Maker]

Suggestion for a new thread poll:

Which member of Trump's cabinet is gonna burn out first?

[BryanM]

I liked how what's her face lasted three weeks. Eh, there's still time for them to do the healthcare fuckery during the summer.

The flapping heads that keep saying that the unproven event of Russia sharing someone's email with us, is an act of war... that shit scares the shit out of me. Sounds like Weapons of Mass Destruction all over again.

Goddamn, think of the history books these people are trying to write: "Chapter 12: That Time Our East Coast Was Turned Into A Wasteland Over An Email Dispute"

[BryanM]

Well... looks like Iraq war (and quite possibly Cold war) #2 is happening, despite quash's hopes to the contrary. Quite a large number of the Trump supporters online are displeased by it, though it won't translate much at the polls since the average voter only cares about what they see on TV.

Thankfully Hillary came out of the woods to join hands with this awesome plan to make the world a worse, more miserable place. I guess those "liberals" who wanted to overthrow Assad to stick it to Russia, will be pleased as punch and thrilled with Trump being president now.



Since I've been too distracted by the real life Drakengard style bleak apocalypse we've been going through, I missed out on the whole "wage cuck" meme for the past year.

Spoiler

It's a good way to encapsulate how the average voter doesn't have the time or energy to make an informed decision. Why it's so easy for actors on TV to decide the form of our demise.

[gameoverDude]

Whoa. I DON'T like it. Nor do I care for Hilary supporting Trump here, which frankly shocked the shit out of me. Someone's a bit too trigger happy. It is sad and deplorable that Assad slaughtered innocents, but should we really get involved? IMO, the USA should be more like Switzerland: using its military as a self-defense force only, but offering humanitarian affairs help. The one thing I do disagree with is compulsory military service (albeit part-time) for all males 18-34. I would change that to an all-volunteer force, with both males & females welcome to enlist.

The biggest problem, tactically, with petty negative attack ads is it makes people who like the person you're attacking shut down and stop listening to anything else you have to say. That would be fine, if you got something for that in return. But you don't: people who hate the person you're attacking were already with you in the first place and now you spent your money on bringing yourself down.

Bingo. Trump's negative attack ads against Hilary only served to annoy me into tuning him out and not giving him a chance. As for Hilary's attack ads, I took a "Well no shit, Sherlock" attitude. I was already prepared to vote for her, and ultimately did. Why don't they spend that time to play up their own strengths instead?

I seriously think there should be a minimum of 4 years prior political experience required to become President. That could be combined between State Governor, City Mayor, Judge, SCOTUS, or Congress (Senate and/or House) positions. *cough* Zero Experience Trump. His getting elected sounds like a bad April Fools' joke.

[quash]

The word right now is that Russia was warned of the strike beforehand, which makes sense if they are going to back away from Assad.

No word of casualties yet, either, and they were specifically targeting aircraft and cargo.

Now if it turns out this is what it appears to be on the surface, then I will gladly condemn Trump, but until then, I'll keep waiting for more information with the worst kind of uncertainty there is.

[Rob]

[ED-057]

Thankfully Hillary came out of the woods to join hands with this awesome plan to make the world a worse, more miserable place. I guess those "liberals" who wanted to overthrow Assad to stick it to Russia, will be pleased as punch and thrilled with Trump being president now.

Damn. So after that whole "who's the greatest evil" contest, now they're going to combine like Guren and Lagan into one, giant, even greater evil. With two faces. Donaldillary? Hillaronald?

When are the nukes going to hurry up and launch already?

[evil_ash_xero]

The quote the Dead Kennedys: "What big business wants, big business gets...it wants a war".

[BulletMagnet]

Now if it turns out this is what it appears to be on the surface, then I will gladly condemn Trump, but until then, I'll keep waiting for more information with the worst kind of uncertainty there is.

I'm sure you will (I mean, obviously he just hasn't heard yet that the gas attack was a false flag), as opposed to moving the apocalypse's goalposts for the millionth time to keep the troll going. Fuck off.

[quash]

Now if it turns out this is what it appears to be on the surface, then I will gladly condemn Trump, but until then, I'll keep waiting for more information with the worst kind of uncertainty there is.

I'm sure you will (I mean, obviously he just hasn't heard yet that the gas attack was a false flag), as opposed to moving the apocalypse's goalposts for the millionth time to keep the troll going. Fuck off.

The last chemical attack was a false flag, but I digress. The best case scenario from here is only marginally better than the worst case scenario, so I'm not that far from forgetting about Trump altogether at this point.

Also, a friendly reminder that this war was an inevitability under Clinton whereas Trump was at least hopefully going to avoid it.

[Durandal]

Airstrikes against Syria intensify, Canada and Jordan applaud America

It's more surprising to me that people didn't see this coming from a mile away -- aside from those kids on the Syrian airfield.

[BryanM]

It is a bit depressing even now reading the comments of Trump supporters who essentially agree with Sanders on trade and foreign policy (which he actually has a history of supporting, when Trump has a history of the opposite), they just disagree on one issue dear to their hearts: immigration.

Nor do I care for Hilary supporting Trump here, which frankly shocked the shit out of me.

It really shouldn't, since she spent the entire campaign gushing about how big of a boner the idea of conquering Syria gave her.

Now if it turns out this is what it appears to be on the surface, then I will gladly condemn Trump, but until then, I'll keep waiting for more information with the worst kind of uncertainty there is.

In the very probable event Assad is liquefied in a missile strike or hanging from a noose, would you concede BryanM was 99% right about Trump being a neocon?

Keeping score is very important on the internet, and I can use quash points to buy myself a cool jacket on Amazon.

[quash]

Perhaps I was naively optimistic. The right's Current Year Man, Paul Joseph Watson, predicted this, and perhaps he was right.

It is kind of creepy that you mention cool jackets purchased off of Amazon, because my coolest jacket actually was purchased there, though it is no longer available.

In any case, I really hope to wake up to some 37D chess move of some sort, though I'm not particularly optimistic at this point. I've hit the bottle pretty hard today and from what I'm seeing, I may very well become an alcoholic.

[Giest118]

Gorsh darn it Turmp, you had one job.

[BryanM]

It's kind of explicit with the whole "capitalist" label. A capitalist is a person who makes their money from capital - aka, other people's work. "Neoliberal" and "neoconservative" are just sub-labels for the capitalist's interest in acquiring more capital. Taking other people's stuff and making us pay for it - it would be weird if they didn't do this kind of stuff.

I mean, what do they care if a place is a wartorn hellhole for 20 years before they start making money on it. It cost them $0 to get it, they can wait a little while for the investment to pay off.
___

As for the propaganda push for the war... that Youtube revenue thing came at a bit of an odd time, no? That would be some of the internet fuckery. They'd like to do much more.

___

A bit of an aside, but this has been on my mind lately as one of those things that they sell us on that sounds good or cute on the surface like term limits, tort reform, or the luftwaffe:

One of the more interesting aspects about them that they don't talk about is their obsession with inflation. Trade, minimum wage, healthcare and war are out in the open, but inflation goes under the radar. The capitalist cares about inflation more than anything else. Since practically everything they have is pure profit right into their savings, it hurts them far more than the average American. (Just like the income tax.) The median American only has $5,000 in the bank.

In the old days when wages and productivity were linked, the inflation rate was around 3% a year, but wages were going up 4 to 5% a year. A decent deal for workers, but not as optimal as things could be for the capitalist.

[trap15]

Aw hell yeah it's gettin' real now.

[ED-057]

Just like when David Petraeus publicly floated the idea of helping Al Qaeda (while TPTB were already doing it unofficially, of course), now we have Thomas Friedman saying "you know guyz, ISIS ain't so bad... maybe we should just let 'em do their thing for a while."

Wait, what if that was the plan all along!? Nah, couldn't be...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/opin ... .html?_r=0

[Mischief Maker]

Aw hell yeah it's gettin' real now.

Like a child rooting through his toybox.

https://youtu.be/1o_8b31GRnU

(Update that last joke with an old lady whose Meals on Wheels got slashed to pay for all this dick waving.)

[Rob]

[BryanM]

Thanks, Obama.

[Lord Satori]

Life Accordion to Trump

[Mischief Maker]

Sassy Trump

[Giest118]

So has Trump fixed all the problems yet?