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Post by Kimby on Feb 17, 2019 1:57:34 GMT
I looked it up, and the current red and blue colours were not used until the year 2000. It appears that the NYT might be partially guilty because they published the first full colour electoral map and chose red for Republican because they both start with the letter R. I distinctly recall that the networks initially used red for the Democrats (pinkos”?) and blue for the Republicans (“blue bloods”?). Why that changed I don’t know, but I like it better this way.. The “whole” story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states
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Post by lagatta on Feb 17, 2019 4:08:11 GMT
It is ludicrous as blue has been for the more conservative (or "royalist") side at least since the French Revolution, and red the side of "revolt", whether radical or more gradualist. The US colours make no sense to me whatsoever.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 17, 2019 4:22:08 GMT
Very hard for me to get excited about which color represents which party as the would-be dictator is holding down the constitution and crapping on it. The ignorant pig probably doesn't understand or even know about the three branches of government, but he has people to tell him that. And the Republicans! Is there any doubt left in the minds of sane people that they only exist to shore up their party and the influence and wealth they get from that? "National emergency" my ass!
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Post by lagatta on Feb 17, 2019 5:37:45 GMT
Bixa, the point there was ignorance of history. That is important.
Otherwise, of course I agree with you. And there is no emergency.
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Post by bjd on Feb 17, 2019 6:08:23 GMT
An American law professor I heard interviewed on France24 the other day claimed that Trump was likely to push his "emergency" through because Congress had never defined "emergency" very strictly when they passed the law. And when Congress lost their possibility of declaring it, the power moved to the Supreme Court, which now is dominated by Trump supporters.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 17, 2019 7:12:43 GMT
That could very well happen, Bjd. The one saving grace at the moment are the many lawsuits being brought against the emergency wall. This could delay things quite a bit. Also, since Supreme Court justices are there for life, they don't need to kowtow to keep their positions. The current Supreme Court has already made one surprise decision -- surprise in the sense that a Court now so heavy in conservative assholes (<-- sorry, redundant) blocked Louisiana's restrictive abortion law.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 17, 2019 10:00:00 GMT
I am quite aware of the impending challenges to Roe vs. Wade. The only "surprise" is your snide suggestion that i saw the recent decision as a "predictive victory".
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 17, 2019 12:15:51 GMT
What is sort of strange to me is that the Supreme Court only examine laws if they are attacked by somebody, and sometimes not even then. In France, the Constitutional Council examines every single law that is passed for conformity with the constitution. Just as many right wing inspired laws are thrown out as left wing inspired laws. Most of these laws just need a bit of tweaking to get them accepted, but for some of them it's back to the drawing board.
However, I imagine that it is probably simpler in France because there is not the concept of state laws to worry about or counteract. Sometimes, though, municipal ordinances are struck down.
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Post by fumobici on Feb 17, 2019 15:58:24 GMT
There are only three likely Democratic candidates I am disposed towards voting for: Warren, Gabbard, and Sanders. I'm done voting for neocon, corporate, Wall St. right-wing Democrats and being sternly told there is no alternative. Getting rid of Trump just doesn't advance things if it entails defining the putative left with a corporate right-winger like Biden or Harris or O'Rourke. Nothing gets better without a real left in place. I no longer even identify with the corporate Democratic Party -- which I've loyally voted for my entire life. They are corrupt, dangerously war-loving, and they are working for their gazillionaire donors and nobody else, and I can no longer pretend otherwise. They won't even pursue policies like less war, higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy and corporations, and health care as a right that the citizens -- often even Republicans -- support by large margins because they are so bought-off and corrupt. Choosing between them and the elephants is like being forced to choose between the Calabrese clan and the 'Ndrangheta. I refuse to participate in such a farce. I'll vote for someone who I believe in, I'm done voting for people who I have no respect for or who oppose most of the policies I regard as crucial for the future.
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 17, 2019 18:12:04 GMT
From a distance that seems a good point about the Democrats.
Mind you, you could say the same about the Labour party here.
There seems little original thinking in the world these days.
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Post by lagatta on Feb 28, 2019 11:59:57 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 20, 2019 18:41:57 GMT
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Post by bjd on Mar 20, 2019 19:15:12 GMT
Not sure he has "core values", given his shifts in "policy" according to who he is talking to, given his move from the Democratic Party to the Republicans, given his general ignorance and lack of interest about everything...
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 20, 2019 21:43:49 GMT
That was sarcasm, Bjd.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 26, 2019 10:24:49 GMT
I follow Bernie's tweets (he is practically a local boy here, eh?) and he continues to remind people of the squalor Puerto Ricans are living in, with the denial of recovery assistance...
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Post by bjd on Mar 26, 2019 15:00:31 GMT
Sorry, Bixa. I thought your humour button was turned off when it comes to Trump.
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Post by casimira on Mar 26, 2019 16:10:58 GMT
When it comes to being an American, or US citizen in this current political climate one has to maintain a sense of sarcasm, in some cases some have to actually hone one.
The alternative being borderline clinical depression, out and out lunacy, criminal fantasies acted out, suicide etc.
Thank God for the humorists, cartoonists and other folks who can help those who cannot summon it up on their own to do so. Otherwise, we are doomed, apathy breeds, and "they" win.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 29, 2019 1:24:59 GMT
That is true. And nobody else in the industrialised west is innocent. Nor are many other leaders and misleaders throughout the world.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 3, 2019 20:54:38 GMT
Time for some orange juice?
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 9, 2019 14:21:07 GMT
Looks to me like the Pres is treating the country to an Erdogan style purge. He must really regret not having complete power, because he is the sort of person I could imagine rounding up teachers and local judges and putting them away. His supporters would be happy to provide lists.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 9, 2019 17:07:45 GMT
Well, this is how rulers incrementally get complete power -- even though the president of the US is not supposed to be a ruler.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 9, 2019 20:56:37 GMT
Just finished reading How Democracies Die.
Trump fits most of the authors’ criteria, and so far our “representatives” in Congress are not doing their share to stop Trump from tromping on our democracy.
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Post by bjd on Apr 10, 2019 5:50:51 GMT
Not only are they not doing their share, the Republicans under McConnell are actively abetting him.
I find it quite amazing that they continue to do so when Trump brazenly lies (the latest about how he stopped Obama's policy of family separations at the border). They are all totally immoral.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 10, 2019 14:23:48 GMT
The Republicans are creeps, full stop. Before this steaming pile of diseased crap took office, the Republicans did all they could to stymie Obama's administration in every way, including trying to scuttle the US's pitifully inadequate health care and preventing Obama from nominating a Supreme Court Justice for the empty seat. They are hateful treasonous turds and will continue to support Trump because, appropriately enough, he is from their party.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 10, 2019 14:56:39 GMT
The Republicans are creeps, full stop.
Bixa has often been horrified by my adoption of British English, at least 80% of the time. I do tend to use American English when discussing American subjects.
However, it must be pointed out that writing "The Republicans are creeps, full stop" instead of "The Republicans are creeps, period" which is what a real American would have written is an indication that our Bixa is beginning to change.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 10, 2019 15:45:05 GMT
The Republicans are creeps, full stop. Before this steaming pile of diseased crap took office, the Republicans did all they could to stymie Obama's administration in every way, including trying to scuttle the US's pitifully inadequate health care and preventing Obama from nominating a Supreme Court Justice for the empty seat. They are hateful treasonous turds and will continue to support Trump because, appropriately enough, he is from their party. You really need to get off the fence Bixa.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 10, 2019 15:47:10 GMT
Americans say "full stop" all the time!
I'm not so much horrified by your use of British English as I am worried about what damage to my eyes might be caused by the constant rolling you provoke.
(Edited to add that I didn't see Mick's post. Mine is directed at Kerouac. Mick writes funny because he really is British. Kerouac has no excuse.)
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Post by onlyMark on Apr 10, 2019 18:00:15 GMT
You know the Victor Borge phonetic punctuation sketch? Anyone?
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Post by whatagain on Apr 10, 2019 18:05:31 GMT
I share bixa views of politics. To the point that my wife and I say we will avoid US when a republican is the president.
As for full stop or period we have the same with french. We will say point final. French use a lot point barre.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 10, 2019 18:12:27 GMT
I feel the same about the conservative party in the UK. I just hope that '45' doesn't get voted in again...as it is it will take decades to correct the damage he's caused (quite a lot like the Tory party here...)
If we get the politicians we deserve then both the US and the UK have a lot to answer for...
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