The Political Discussion Thread

[aretood2]

I don't care if you call it white guilt, white fragility, white privilege or anything else. The idea is the same.

You don't even know what any of those words mean.

White fragility is about how and why white people get all uppity every time the subject of racism comes up. White guilt is about how white people feel overly apologetic (as in apologizing, not justifying) and unnecessarily guilty regarding racism. Two different concepts and situations that affect white people to their determent.

White privilege is a way to describe how white people, in America at least, tend not to experience racism and its effects the way minorities do thus they are blinded to problems minorities face. They are "privileged" in that they don't have the cards stacked against them. Think of a poker game where minorities have unfavorable hands while white people (through no action on the behalf of white individuals) have favorable hands.

Yes these terms are misused and are poorly coined. But they each mean something totally different and they describe the white experience in America. White Guilt, the expectation of feeling bad. White fragility, being overly sensitive to discussions regarding race. White Privilege, being blind to the plight of minorities. Anything else added to these terms is political dogma being passed of as academic analysis. Don't blame the terms for that dogma, blame the political system that adds to that dogma to those terms.

[mad_gater]

I know, right!
Economy in complete shambles. Unemployement at an all-time high! Poverty at an all-time high.

Unemployement is at an all-time low actually.



100% tax?!

What was that level of economy knowledge you claim to have?



Pfff.... you pay peanuts in taxes.



People love to complain.



I wouldn't have made it past the first 30s of his speech.



4 years ago though, the economy was different than it is 4 years later. If life is more expensive, but your wage is still at that 4-year ago point, you'll spent less.

It all comes down to that every so fascinating purchasing power:

"If one's monetary income stays the same, but the price level increases, the purchasing power of that income falls. Inflation does not always imply falling purchasing power of one's money income since it may rise faster than the price level. A higher real income means a higher purchasing power since real income refers to the income adjusted for inflation."

in socialist "utopias" the government owns everything...how is that NOT a 100% tax on....everything?

[mad_gater]

Trump's chances of winning the presidency are rather low. However, this little piece of text just made me snort a little soda through my nose:

there's a high probability of that happening if your kicker is Scott Norwood

[Coco Pops]

So let me get this straight. If Trump loses he will cry like a baby that the election was rigged, and be a total spoilt sport.. Is that right?

Also in the unlikely event he wins how will most of you guys react?

I'll be very surprised.

[Gatefan1976]

Donald Trump came out to "we are the Champions"?
He should have come out to another Queen song.......
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-2...mpaign/7768584
Another one bites the dust...........

[Gatefan1976]

Emails really do suck..............
http://www.businessinsider.com/paul-...ia-2016-8?IR=T

I want to see at least 30k emails, a request for a foreign power to "find them", a FBI investigation (preferably multiple ones) and a few thousand morons yelling "lock him up"


For a start........

[Gatefan1976]

You could not BUY a better reality check than this:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-elect...19-gqx64p.html

[Gatefan1976]

So let me get this straight. If Trump loses he will cry like a baby that the election was rigged, and be a total spoilt sport.. Is that right?

Yep, leaving some 10 million primed trump supporters with an excuse to protest. If 1% of them go nuts, that's 100k people ready, willing, and armed to perform acts of domestic terrorism.

Also in the unlikely event he wins how will most of you guys react?

I have already lent out my couches to people fleeing

I'll be very surprised.

I won't, I'll be concerned, VERY concerned.

[Coco Pops]

I won't, I'll be concerned, VERY concerned.

You know he won't be able to act half the way he is doing on the election circuit when in office don't you?

He's only acting this way to win over the far right voters. Once their votes are secured he won't care about them.

In office he will not have anywhere near the amount of freedom he thinks he will to do whatever he wants.

What's with all the doom thinking?

[Womble]

Also in the unlikely event he wins how will most of you guys react?

I'll take in American refugees.

[Gatefan1976]

You know he won't be able to act half the way he is doing on the election circuit when in office don't you?

What will stop him?

He's only acting this way to win over the far right voters. Once their votes are secured he won't care about them.

No, I don't think so. Oh, he will not care about them, I agree with that, but trump -is- trump, he is not "acting", he is a full blown -nutter-.

In office he will not have anywhere near the amount of freedom he thinks he will to do whatever he wants.

He will have enough.

What's with all the doom thinking?

Because even with something as "minor" as his trade deals, he can destabilize the global economy, and I live on the globe, let alone what he could do with the use, or non-use of American military power.

[Coco Pops]

What will stop him?

No, I don't think so. Oh, he will not care about them, I agree with that, but trump -is- trump, he is not "acting", he is a full blown -nutter-.


He will have enough.

Because even with something as "minor" as his trade deals, he can destabilize the global economy, and I live on the globe, let alone what he could do with the use, or non-use of American military power.

True but if he proves bad in office or such there are legal avenues to have him kicked out of office.

[Falcon Horus]

I would rather see it be that the employer pays the staff a reasonable wage, and make the decisions about which staff members are just phoning it in and those who are doing their jobs, and the public is not expected to tip.

It's true though that in the US you have to, or should add the tax or tip to your bill?
It's not automatically calculated in?

in socialist "utopias" the government owns everything...how is that NOT a 100% tax on....everything?

Wait, I don't live in a socialist utopia? But... but... damn it...

there's a high probability of that happening if your kicker is Scott Norwood

Oh dear...

Donald Trump came out to "we are the Champions"?
He should have come out to another Queen song.......
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-2...mpaign/7768584
Another one bites the dust...........

Notwithstanding that the remaining members of the band were none to happy to learnt that he used their music for his campaign.

You could not BUY a better reality check than this:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-elect...19-gqx64p.html

Ouch...

Though I see he will inadvertently give his vote to Trump anyway if he's voting for the Libertarian.

I have already lent out my couches to people fleeing

My flat is open to American refugees as well.

I won't, I'll be concerned, VERY concerned.

Second that.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

My flat is open to American refugees as well.

But.. but.. Where will PH sleep?

[Womble]

It's true though that in the US you have to, or should add the tax or tip to your bill?
It's not automatically calculated in?

I think it depends on the state. I know that in Oklahoma they display prices in shops and restaurants before taxes. Some states (Alaska, Delaware etc.) do not have a sales tax at all.

Tips are never part of the bill, you decide whether or not to tip and how much. But waiters in the USA often do not have the same minimum wage calculation as other employees and minimum wage for waiters in places like the American Midwest can be $2-3 per hour, so tips is how they actually reach the federal minimum wage of 7.25$ per hour in the first place.