Political Randomness

[Carpet_pissr]

I really needed someone to say this. It's sad that it took this level of meltdown to get very serious people to wake up and smell the coffee. Unfortunately, it appears it is likely too late to stop the disaster we were warning about.

https://twitter.com/EdwardGLuce/status/ ... 9854550017

Yeah. Six years ago, I honestly thought that more people were reasonably decent and a majority would eventually reject actions that were obviously corrupt, self-serving and antidemocratic. That got stripped away, and it's obvious to me that there aren't any checks on what they can do. I cannot fathom why this isn't obvious to more people.

Because not just more, but MOST people aren't paying attention.

[El Guapo]

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1542457927855923201

Another day in the life of our 1980s USSR leadership. At least he's not dead (yet).

[malchior]

Who would have though relying on the barely alive Leahy for anything could work against them?

[malchior]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ElieNYC/stat ... 7965329408

[Smoove_B]

This is absolutely my weekend

https://twitter.com/Stonekettle/status/ ... 9827796992

I don't know what fireworks cost nowadays, but apparently they're cheap enough that all of my dirt poor redneck neighbors who "can't afford gas lets go brandon!" can buy enough to spend 3 days exploding them into the sky for eight hours every night.

[LawBeefaroni]

Usually here it starts in mid June and this weekend I expected non-stop explosions through tonight. But I've actually noticed a lot fewer fireworks this year. My friend who complains about it every year, and makes the point that everyone must be doing well if they blow up several hundred dollars every night, said the that lack of this year is a sign that the recession is full on.

[dbt1949]

For the first time I got fireworks spam emails. How in the hell did that happen?

[Isgrimnur]

Nothing like listening to Johnny Cash’s Ragged Old Flag pumped out of the backyard speakers of my Trump-flag flying neighbor.

[YellowKing]

If firework frequency correlates to the state of the economy, several dozen people in my neighborhood apparently won the Powerball.

[ImLawBoy]

Usually here it starts in mid June and this weekend I expected non-stop explosions through tonight. But I've actually noticed a lot fewer fireworks this year. My friend who complains about it every year, and makes the point that everyone must be doing well if they blow up several hundred dollars every night, said the that lack of this year is a sign that the recession is full on.

We're in a new neighborhood this year so it's hard to compare, but the constant cacophony of fireworks was just prevalent here as it was in my old neighborhood last year.

[hepcat]

They were STILL going strong in my neighborhood this morning.

[LawBeefaroni]

Yeah, yesterday was back to normal. I can only assume that there were fewer "discretionary" fireworks and most of it got saved for the 4th.


Ma' Nature was dropping the biggest booms of the night though. That shit was insane.

[Pyperkub]

I still remember when Mrs Kub and I came out for a long 4th of July weekend in Chicago with the Dead shows and a nice visit with lawbeef! . We stayed up high at a nice hotel and just ended up watching the illegal fireworks until around 2am from the window of our room. It was pretty crazy. There were also a few shootings in/around the Rush st bars a couple of blocks away, but we only heard about those the next day.

[RM2]

This makes me want to puke frankly

https://www.yahoo.com/news/far-christia ... 33199.html

[Kraken]

Most Americans believe our system of government is broken.

A majority of American voters across nearly all demographics and ideologies believe their system of government does not work, with 58 percent of those interviewed for a New York Times/Siena College poll saying that the world’s oldest independent constitutional democracy needs major reforms or a complete overhaul.

The discontent among Republicans is driven by their widespread, unfounded doubts about the legitimacy of the nation’s elections. For Democrats, it is the realization that even though they control the White House and Congress, it is Republicans, joined with their allies in gerrymandered state legislatures and the Supreme Court, who are achieving long-sought political goals.

For Republicans, the distrust is a natural outgrowth of former President Donald Trump’s domination of the party and, to a large degree, American politics. After seven years in which he relentlessly attacked the country’s institutions, a broad majority of Republicans share his views on the 2020 election and its aftermath: Sixty-one percent said he was the legitimate winner, and 72 percent described the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol as a protest that got out of hand.
...
Democrats’ pessimism about the future stems from their party’s inability to protect abortion rights, pass sweeping gun control measures, and pursue other liberal priorities in the face of Republican opposition. Self-described liberals were more likely than other Democrats to have lost trust in government and more likely to say voting did not make a difference.

Americans’ bipartisan cynicism about government signals a striking philosophical shift: For generations, Democrats campaigned on the idea that government was a force for good, while Republicans sought to limit it. Now, the polling shows, the number of Americans in both parties who believe their government is capable of responding to voters’ concerns has shrunk.

More than half of all voters surveyed, 53 percent, said the American political system was too divided to solve the nation’s problems, an increase from 40 percent in a Times/Siena poll from October 2020. The sentiment is now most acute among Black voters and the youngest voters.

The lack of faith is starkest among the young, who have little to no memory of a time when American politics didn’t function as a zero-sum affair. Nearly half — 48 percent — of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 29 said voting did not make a difference in how their government operates.

[Drazzil]

Most Americans believe our system of government is broken.

A majority of American voters across nearly all demographics and ideologies believe their system of government does not work, with 58 percent of those interviewed for a New York Times/Siena College poll saying that the world’s oldest independent constitutional democracy needs major reforms or a complete overhaul.

The discontent among Republicans is driven by their widespread, unfounded doubts about the legitimacy of the nation’s elections. For Democrats, it is the realization that even though they control the White House and Congress, it is Republicans, joined with their allies in gerrymandered state legislatures and the Supreme Court, who are achieving long-sought political goals.

For Republicans, the distrust is a natural outgrowth of former President Donald Trump’s domination of the party and, to a large degree, American politics. After seven years in which he relentlessly attacked the country’s institutions, a broad majority of Republicans share his views on the 2020 election and its aftermath: Sixty-one percent said he was the legitimate winner, and 72 percent described the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol as a protest that got out of hand.
...
Democrats’ pessimism about the future stems from their party’s inability to protect abortion rights, pass sweeping gun control measures, and pursue other liberal priorities in the face of Republican opposition. Self-described liberals were more likely than other Democrats to have lost trust in government and more likely to say voting did not make a difference.

Americans’ bipartisan cynicism about government signals a striking philosophical shift: For generations, Democrats campaigned on the idea that government was a force for good, while Republicans sought to limit it. Now, the polling shows, the number of Americans in both parties who believe their government is capable of responding to voters’ concerns has shrunk.

More than half of all voters surveyed, 53 percent, said the American political system was too divided to solve the nation’s problems, an increase from 40 percent in a Times/Siena poll from October 2020. The sentiment is now most acute among Black voters and the youngest voters.

The lack of faith is starkest among the young, who have little to no memory of a time when American politics didn’t function as a zero-sum affair. Nearly half — 48 percent — of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 29 said voting did not make a difference in how their government operates.

Yeah. I posted about this indirectly yesterday.

[malchior]

But what about antifa!

https://mobile.twitter.com/LailaLalami/ ... 5967709184

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, I was going to slap this in the LGBTQ thread, but it's much larger than that. It's all part of the current plan - harass people doing what you don't like until they leave.

McMahon, who has been a library director since 1995, told the Gazette some patrons informally complained about the library displaying books written by First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Rather than go through the official procedure to have the books reviewed and possibly removed, McMahon said people would just check those books out and never return them, which is theft of materials and forced the library to go through a process to get them back.

Another complaint was that the library didn’t have enough books about former President Donald Trump on display.

I'm sure there are places that are revising hiring policies for library staff and making sure they can appoint directors that follow the GOP agenda.

They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em

[LawBeefaroni]

Yep, unfortunately it's not a case of getting hat they deserve. They're getting exactly what they want. Do they still call it "winning?"

[malchior]

It is the soft violence we always see before the out in the open violence begins. They have agitated against 'the others'. The others are being threatened in pockets, then it'll expand wider as it normalizes, and one day it'll explode into the open and all the serious people will feign surprise. But it is coming.

Yeah, I was going to slap this in the LGBTQ thread, but it's much larger than that. It's all part of the current plan - harass people doing what you don't like until they leave.

Yeah I threw it here because it isn't clearly linked to any the themes but is just one tendril of creeping darkness that is spreading across this shit hole nation.

[YellowKing]

And they're going to continue to do it if we're willing to roll over and let them. While I certainly understand why library staff would want to avoid confrontation, they unfortunately did exactly what the mob mentality wanted them to do. And the mob is going to prey on the weak, because they know the weak will avoid conflict.

I have no doubt we're headed for violent confrontation, because violence is the *only* thing these bullies understand. And it's the only way they're going to be stopped.

[$iljanus]

But what about antifa!

https://mobile.twitter.com/LailaLalami/ ... 5967709184

There's only one book you need to read...

[LawBeefaroni]

And they're going to continue to do it if we're willing to roll over and let them. While I certainly understand why library staff would want to avoid confrontation, they unfortunately did exactly what the mob mentality wanted them to do. And the mob is going to prey on the weak, because they know the weak will avoid conflict.

I have no doubt we're headed for violent confrontation, because violence is the *only* thing these bullies understand. And it's the only way they're going to be stopped.

This works because it's at the local level. Are you going to move to Vinton, Iowa and work in the library? I sure won't. We have zero standing in this, we don't pay taxes there, we don't elect their officials. Even though it sounds like it was a very small number of assholes that made this happen, they have far more influence on the local library than a million outraged Twitter viewers. And in a town of less than 5,000 that's probably how it should be, for better or worse.

[Smoove_B]

Yup. I have a few towns in my surrounding area that have local Boards of Education that have passed resolutions saying they will not comply with a 2020 requirement by the state to enact new/updated health education requirements. The state has turned around and said penalties will be assessed for school districts in non-compliance, but haven't actually said what that means. So in short, a small group of locally elected residents has arbitrarily decided to not comply with an education mandate and nothing will be done. And this is what the locals want because freedom.

There's a county-level pride event happening this weekend and it won't surprise me if something horrific happens because of what the GOP has been stoking for the last 5+ years.

[Jaymann]

What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

[LawBeefaroni]

Chicago has eliminated fines for late/lost books. Can't imagine how that would play into this bullshit.

[Smoove_B]

That was a tactic in the LGBTQ+ thread for Pride month. Christian organizations were encouraging members to go to libraries and check out as many books put out on display so that kids couldn't borrow them. And then maybe just not return the books because you lost them.

I want to eye-laser these people into dust.

[Isgrimnur]

Fines, credit reporting, liens, ...

[Jaymann]

Even forcing return of the books does nothing if other cretins are lining up to check them out.

[LawBeefaroni]

Fines, credit reporting, liens, ...

Chicago isn't alone.
Can't lien if there is no fine.

[Isgrimnur]

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

[Holman]

What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

There are some defenses. If librarians see this tactic developing, they can classify any book as Reference, meaning that it can be read in the library but not checked out and taken home.

And if they meet someone they judge as sincerely interested in a title, they can easily reclassify the book as Circulating and let them check it out.

(I somewhat follow library Twitter. They've been preparing for this kind of bullshit for years.)

[LawBeefaroni]

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

Only of you say it's "lost." If you don't it's just "late." And can remain so forever.

[LawBeefaroni]

What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

There are some defenses. If librarians see this tactic developing, they can classify any book as Reference, meaning that it can be read in the library but not checked out and taken home.

And if they meet someone they judge as sincerely interested in a title, they can easily reclassify the book as Circulating and let them check it out.

(I somewhat follow library Twitter. They've been preparing for this kind of bullshit for years.)

Not a fan of librarians being arbiters of who can check out what either though.

[Isgrimnur]

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

Only of you say it's "lost." If you don't it's just "late." And can remain so forever.

CPL

Materials not returned within 7 days after the due date will incur a replacement fee, which will be added to your account. Replacement fees for lost material will automatically be removed from your account upon return of the material.
...
Failure to pay outstanding balances to CPL or reciprocal libraries may result in your account being blocked and library services being restricted. If you have an outstanding balance exceeding $30, you may not check out material.

[Holman]

What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

There are some defenses. If librarians see this tactic developing, they can classify any book as Reference, meaning that it can be read in the library but not checked out and taken home.

And if they meet someone they judge as sincerely interested in a title, they can easily reclassify the book as Circulating and let them check it out.

(I somewhat follow library Twitter. They've been preparing for this kind of bullshit for years.)

Not a fan of librarians being arbiters of who can check out what either though.

Yeah. That's an issue. The cleanest solution is to keep controversial books on Reserve with no exceptions. That's always been done with books that are expensive, widely in demand, or at risk of theft or damage. Controversial books have come under this umbrella before now.

[LawBeefaroni]

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

Only of you say it's "lost." If you don't it's just "late." And can remain so forever.

CPL

Materials not returned within 7 days after the due date will incur a replacement fee, which will be added to your account. Replacement fees for lost material will automatically be removed from your account upon return of the material.
...
Failure to pay outstanding balances to CPL or reciprocal libraries may result in your account being blocked and library services being restricted. If you have an outstanding balance exceeding $30, you may not check out material.

Also CPL:

At that time, a fee for the replacement cost will be added to your account. Replacement fees for lost materials will be automatically removed from your account upon return of the materials.

There is no way they put a lien on a "fine" that is removed when you return the book.
Max out on LGBTQ+ books, sit on them as long as you want, return them. No fine.

[Isgrimnur]

There is no way they put a lien on a "fine" that is removed when you return the book.

Document, please.

[Holman]

Librarians are well aware of the information-freedom and access issues involved in librarianship, and they're committed to making access as widely available as possible.

After 9/11, various laws attempted to reach into public and academic library records to look for "potential terrorists" who might be referencing suspicious publications. The American Library Association and related organizations responded by adopting a policy of simply not keeping records. When you returned a book or accessed it online, it had no history in your account.

They're taking similar steps now.

[LawBeefaroni]

There is no way they put a lien on a "fine" that is removed when you return the book.

Document, please.

Document why you can't put a lien on a debt that doesn't technically exist? No city attorney is going to bother putting a lien on a ~$30 fine that can be erased by returning the book.