Trump.

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

Posted by: chupacabra

He is now claiming they have won the battle against the virus and people will be packing the churches on Easter.  Lucky for most Americans it is their governors in charge of that decision, not the worst president ever.

Sooo.. in your opinion, its no coincidence that the states on lockdown are D's? Could be wrong but from a glance they were.. the lockdown states also have a FedRes building.

Not a coincidence.  Republicans and their supporters are dipshits.   All kidding aside (sorta), people that are more interested in freedom than the health of the collective are going to be the ones that will not want to stop their daily routines.  It is not at all surprising that the south is slow to come around on how serious this is.  I bet the restaurants in the Florida Keys are having COVIC-19 Happy Hours.

Quite a few Repub governors calling out tRump on his bullshit, too.

Posted by: chupacabra

The ACA was and is a big step forward.  Step being the keyword.  Americans have been made to believe that they don't need socialized medicine and so many currently get health care through work that they believe is "good" and single-payer was a non-starter, especially in 2008.  The ACA increased health care access to a lot of people that now want more and put health care into the political conversation which allowed Bernie and others to entertain the idea of taking the next step.  We seem to be separated by belief.  You believe only a revolution will work while I believe it has to be worked on incrementally.

I said Tungsten believes in Bernie's gravitas, not you.  We actually appear to be on the same page as to his effectiveness.

The DNC and the GOP are now more powerful than Alphabet and Apple

These are not the same entities.  The DNC and RNC are not the parties themselves, they are corporations that are designed to promote the parties, but the power lies in the individual representatives which is why the RNC never had a chance controlling the Tea Party once they had the numbers and therefore the clout.  The Kochs worked entirely outside this system and they beat it.  That is a lesson.  The DNC has no control over the reps themselves except that they control the convention where they pick the leader.  Citizens United is terrible because it allows the money to funnel DIRECTLY to the reps.  You don't get guys like McConnell any other way.  He has done nothing but be a senator and is worth over 10 million that we know of.  That isn't RNC money, that is Mitch money.

I agree with you about Bernie.  Biden is a politician, Bernie is not.  But IMO, if there is a revolution I don't want the guy that openly supports fascists in power, and if there isn't, I don't want the guy that openly supports fascists in power.  This is why black and white thinking is dangerous.  Too many people believe that any mainstream democrat is just a notch to the left of Trump, and this is foolish.  Trump/Koch/McConnell republicans want a whole different revolution. It's called feudalism and while in power they are very effective in making it closer to reality.  Progressives, on the other hand, won't even storm DC or come out and support Bernie.  That revolution will need a different generation less interested in memes.    I will take the status quo over feudalism any day of the week.

So all we have left to disagree upon is:

The DNC & GOP are lenses that focus the money.  Without them, the vermin would have much harder time herding the cats to concentrate the vote, to guarantee policy for $$$.  Mitch is not Mitch because he's some god, he's just the most terrible of the terrible who represents an amazingly backwater state.

The ACA is indeed a step, in the same way a step out side my house is one step closer to the top of Everest.

Plenty of my working poor family members in the US were happy to be making their way to base camp. 

I wouldn’t be so dismissive of the ACA - these steps really made a difference to a lot of people. We have it so good here that I think we find it hard to believe how bad the situation in the US can be, and how much of ones life health care affects.

Posted by: tashi

Plenty of my working poor family members in the US were happy to be making their way to base camp. 

I wouldn’t be so dismissive of the ACA - these steps really made a difference to a lot of people. We have it so good here that I think we find it hard to believe how bad the situation in the US can be, and how much of ones life health care affects.

I've never lived there yet I can assure you I know how bad it is there.  People can die if they lose their job.

Which is why I come close to physical threat when I come across another Canadian who's eaten enough paint to arrive at the conclusion we should have a private option here.

When I say, "The ACA is indeed a step, in the same way a step out side my house is one step closer to the top of Everest" it's in reference to the fact the richest country on the planet could have socialized health care tomorrow if they wanted.  It'd be a fraction of the cost of that off-the-cuff war with Whateverthefuckistan.

Posted by: ReductiMat

Posted by: chupacabra

The ACA was and is a big step forward.  Step being the keyword.  Americans have been made to believe that they don't need socialized medicine and so many currently get health care through work that they believe is "good" and single-payer was a non-starter, especially in 2008.  The ACA increased health care access to a lot of people that now want more and put health care into the political conversation which allowed Bernie and others to entertain the idea of taking the next step.  We seem to be separated by belief.  You believe only a revolution will work while I believe it has to be worked on incrementally.

I said Tungsten believes in Bernie's gravitas, not you.  We actually appear to be on the same page as to his effectiveness.

The DNC and the GOP are now more powerful than Alphabet and Apple

These are not the same entities.  The DNC and RNC are not the parties themselves, they are corporations that are designed to promote the parties, but the power lies in the individual representatives which is why the RNC never had a chance controlling the Tea Party once they had the numbers and therefore the clout.  The Kochs worked entirely outside this system and they beat it.  That is a lesson.  The DNC has no control over the reps themselves except that they control the convention where they pick the leader.  Citizens United is terrible because it allows the money to funnel DIRECTLY to the reps.  You don't get guys like McConnell any other way.  He has done nothing but be a senator and is worth over 10 million that we know of.  That isn't RNC money, that is Mitch money.

I agree with you about Bernie.  Biden is a politician, Bernie is not.  But IMO, if there is a revolution I don't want the guy that openly supports fascists in power, and if there isn't, I don't want the guy that openly supports fascists in power.  This is why black and white thinking is dangerous.  Too many people believe that any mainstream democrat is just a notch to the left of Trump, and this is foolish.  Trump/Koch/McConnell republicans want a whole different revolution. It's called feudalism and while in power they are very effective in making it closer to reality.  Progressives, on the other hand, won't even storm DC or come out and support Bernie.  That revolution will need a different generation less interested in memes.    I will take the status quo over feudalism any day of the week.

So all we have left to disagree upon is:

The DNC & GOP are lenses that focus the money.  Without them, the vermin would have much harder time herding the cats to concentrate the vote, to guarantee policy for $$$.  Mitch is not Mitch because he's some god, he's just the most terrible of the terrible who represents an amazingly backwater state.

The ACA is indeed a step, in the same way a step out side my house is one step closer to the top of Everest.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step  :)

Yes, I don't think we generally that far apart in what we actually believe is going on.  I just have more faith in the process, which may make me a fool but I can't help but be an optimist.

To get back on topic here. God damn is Donald an idiot. Troops along the Canadian border to protect Americans from covid? Really? Marcus, help me understand.

The USA has the most cases of COVID.  Trump - "we're number one".

Posted by: FLATCH

To get back on topic here. God damn is Donald an idiot. Troops along the Canadian border to protect Americans from covid? Really? Marcus, help me understand.

He is deploying his little green army men to pew pew Canada and beat the China virus.  He is a 9-year-old boy.

Posted by: chupacabra

Posted by: FLATCH

To get back on topic here. God damn is Donald an idiot. Troops along the Canadian border to protect Americans from covid? Really? Marcus, help me understand.

He is deploying his little green army men to pew pew Canada and beat the China virus.  He is a 9-year-old boy.

It's simply a feeble attempt to rile his base. 

Now look at these and tell me you don't think teh Super Tues. primary results weren't diddled by the DNC and "friends".

https://www.democratsabroad.org/2020_gpp_results?utm_campaign=gpp_results_and_steps_americas&utm_medium=email&utm_source=democratsabroad

Posted by: FLATCH

To get back on topic here. God damn is Donald an idiot. Troops along the Canadian border to protect Americans from covid? Really? Marcus, help me understand.

All I can do is speculate without a link or context. Could be alluding to some blue helmets amassed somewhere. Perhaps if the sars2 virus keeps moving, the "UN will be forced to assist" in particular hard hit areas.

Posted by: FLATCH

To get back on topic here. God damn is Donald an idiot. Troops along the Canadian border to protect Americans from covid? Really? Marcus, help me understand.

My burning question is who the fuck would risk their well-being going to the USA right now?

If there's one upside to that at least maybe the increased military / police / border guard presence will keep the Americans out of Canada, seeing as how they seem to be on the fast track to the worst possible epidemic response on the planet.

Posted by: thaaad

If there's one upside to that at least maybe the increased military / police / border guard presence will keep the Americans out of Canada, seeing as how they seem to be on the fast track to the worst possible epidemic response on the planet.

Ya right - they'd be fast tracking the fleeing US citizens through to Canada so they can enjoy our superior health care...