K-9

Nowadays people don’t require proof as they are only willing to believe in whatever narrative confirms their biases. And I’d be interested in knowing if Faux News, Newsmax, or any other far right source will even bother to report the facts to their audiences. They are notorious for not doing so but their viewers/listeners are so uncomfortable outside their safety bubbles, it’s no surprise they wouldn’t bother to seek the truth in the first place.

If you completely recall it, then you know I wasn’t saying SS had anything to do with denying people medical care, preventing marriage choice, or the ability to serve in the military. So I’m glad we’re clear on that. As for all the rest of it, I appreciate your taking the time to expand on your viewpoints. I meant to add that I agree 100% with your take on religion. It has no place in our politics, let alone any direct influence on our laws. But the GOP uses it like a cudgel to divide this nation.

The opportunity to make history like the Chiefs had last night doesn’t come along often, if at all. It’s understandable why Chiefs fans may feel so miserable about it.

I fully understand and respect where you’re coming from here. I get the concern how sometimes information meant to inform of dangers may very well serve as advice for evil doers. As for 1984, nothing put forth by Orwell in his novel was anything new in terms of ideas for how to make a bad government. Those ideas have existed since we first thought it wise as a species to formulate governmental structures. The best ideas for how to form a government are what created ours with the central tenet being the “of, by, and for the people” and it has been under attack since our inception, but we have always weathered those threats. While I agree that “both sides” have had occasion to muck it up at times, both sides always put country before party in the past. But that isn’t the case currently. There is only one side creating a Constitutional crisis at the moment, only one side has issued a manifesto for how to destroy our institutions, and only one side is so willing to see our representative republic form of democracy trashed. Only one side is a clear and present danger and the “both sides do it” argument just doesn’t apply here.

Perhaps your should re-read what started our entire debate on the subject in the first place. I had listed several examples of GOP policies that DIRECTLY infringed on personal freedoms. You said “both sides” do that. I disagreed and asked you to give me examples of Dem policies that infringed upon our personal freedoms. You responded by citing social security, NY’s SAFE Act, and another law I don’t recall at the moment. In my post from earlier today above, as a way to emphasize the difference in our positions, I was again pointing to the difference between actual policies championed by the GOP by saying that SS never denied those individual freedoms, like medical coverage, etc. that GOP policies do. From what I can gather from your examples, it isn’t that SS so much infringes upon your freedoms as it is that you simply disagree with the law. Fine. But SS has never prevented you from enjoying the freedoms that the GOP seeks to deny others.

1984 gave people bad ideas? First I’ve ever heard that. Not sure how an allegory warning about a totalitarian society and written not long after after similar real life events occurred gave people bad ideas. Maybe people need to read it again. Before it’s banned because of the clear warnings it offers about today’s political atmosphere that is.

Reminds me when we went to see ‘Hamilton’ and the guy behind us exclaimed, “I didn’t know there was gonna be this stupid rap music!” I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry that he would just never get what Miranda was getting at. On the plus side, he had no complaints about black actors playing several founding fathers. Yay progress!

Thinkpol: a newspeak word to describe the secret police of Oceania, who are responsible for the detection, prosecution, and elimination of unspoken beliefs and doubts that contradict the Party. They use audio-visual surveillance via the telescreens and offender profiling to monitor the populace. George was so prescient.

JD Vance with the latest display of Constitutional ignorance today as he claims courts have no right to check presidential orders. That is even more egregious than Tommy “the three branches of government are the House, Senate, and the Executive” Tuberville. One would think that elected federal office holders should know something taught in basic elementary school civics lessons would be a minimum requirement to hold office. Then again …

I didn’t say anything about our involvement being OK or not. I merely point out the reality of the situation. As for my take on the middle east, every historian who has researched the subject agrees, so I’m in good company with my shortsighted and uninformed take. Tell me, what scholars agree with your take that SS is an infringement on your personal freedom? As far as I know SS never denied anyone medical care like GOP laws do. It never sought to deny people the right to marry like the GOP is seeking to do. Nor did SS ever seek to deny certain people the right to serve in the military. Those are just a few example of actual personal freedoms under attack by radical right wing politicians. Do you feel that all taxes infringe upon your personal freedoms? So if I understand your point in your third paragraph, it’s not OK for the US to protect its interests abroad? When USAID was created in an attempt to thwart the USSR’s efforts to exert influence and spread their brand of communism, was that not important? Are you paying attention to the efforts by China and Russia to gain footholds worldwide? The other side is wrong because they are doing things that are not in accordance with our Constitution. Sometimes there is only ONE side and that’s the side that stands by our Constitution and the rule of law instead of seeing it trampled like it is now by a party whose leader wishes to see it “terminated” as he came right out and said. It saddens me to see so many who are OK with that.

Ah, the sweet taste of radical right wing propaganda. When it comes to a thirst for confirmation bias, nothing quenches it better than a steaming pile of radical right wing propaganda. Yummy.

That DOGE staff is just full of the best people, from avowed racists to young punks with ties to Russian websites. Yeah, let’s give these guys access to the most sensitive government data bases. https://www.wired.com/story/edward-coristine-tesla-sexy-path-networks-doge/

Isn’t Karmanos the GM in Rochester the last few years? May not be an opening there. Hey, maybe Karmanos and Adams can switch positions.

So Musk and his team of Gen Z post (or possibly pre from the looks of them) pubescent engineer geniuses only needed three weeks to uncover 3 trillion dollars in mis-spent funds while nobody in the history of these agencies, from internal and external audits to inspectors general whose job it is to investigate such waste, with all the sophisticated technological tools to assist in those efforts, never even noticed? Horse. Crap. Another dog and pony show for people who have to believe it’s all true to satisfy their confirmation bias.

Perhaps the most short-sighted and uninformed take on the social security program I’ve ever read. Safe to say we have no more to discuss on that subject. Our involvement in the middle east was solidified when the new border lines were drawn by the British and French after WWI. That will only change when oil becomes an antiquated energy source and the other petroleum products we derive from it can be made from other sources. Good luck with that, world. Many middle eastern countries don’t accept ours or any other foreign presence. Others welcome it. And it’s not that we are attempting to control their very existence, it’s that it’s extremely important to our interests to prevent other hostile/adversarial countries from exerting influence. Ironically, we can thank USAID for that as that has been their mission since it’s inception in 1961.

It’s ironic that the funding for the future terrorist’s education was provided under a Republican administration.

Not impressed in the least.

Perhaps Pamela Brown should revisit how the Regan administration armed and funded Osama Bin Laden and the Mujaideen, many of whom became the Taliban. Or how they backed Sadam Hussein in his war against Iran. We don’t have a crystal ball to see which current enemies of my enemy won’t come back to haunt us. You make your best assessments of a situation at the time when it’s critical to make them. Brown’s article is just an example of 20/20 hindsight armchair quarterbacking with the intent to frame a narrative in order to convince us that everything Musk or Rubio or cheeto man says about USAID is the gospel truth. It’s 1930s Europe all over again. One would think history informs us. Apparently not.

I won’t believe ANYTHING that comes out of the mouths of Trump, Musk, Rubio, or any other GOP politician without actual PROOF.

Good luck following the action with Dunleavey doing the PbP.

You can’t stop something that hasn’t been implemented and while everyone and their mother knew Trump was gonna implement the Project 2025 playbook (even though he knew nothing about it (yeah, right)), upon his potential inauguration, there was nothing to be done until it became a reality. As I’ve said previously, there are multiple lawsuits already followed with more on the way. And I don’t give a crap about approval ratings and I don’t belong to the Democratic party. Having a convicted felon as president who has no compunction about trampling on the Constitution and the rule of law is all I’m concerned about. It’s a shame many of my fellow Americans aren’t.

It’s uncanny how the Sabres so often serve as the “get right” team for struggling opponents.

That’s a total bull$hit stat. We are being conditioned to make social security the enemy. Then again, I was told in this very forum that social security is an infringement on one’s personal freedoms, so apparently some already do think SS is a bad thing and are already conditioned to accept Musk’s findings without question.

In 2023, Japan’s investment in the US was $783.3b so, once again, Trump’s boast lacks luster. And it ain’t so much Japan “avoiding tariffs” as it is the American consumer. Why are so many people OK with Trump’s threats to impose higher costs on us when we already have high inflation? Makes zero sense.

Offset language in their contracts is usually boilerplate for coaches. If a fired head coach takes a job or position that pays less, the difference is made up by his former employer. If the new position pays equal or more than previously, then his former employer is off the hook.