StringJunky

Does anyone think that the geopolitical centre of gravity needs to move away from the US and towards  more collectively level-headed democracies? At 62, I'm starting to think that American influence and dominance is too toxic for the world. Even on the 'left' of the American political spectrum, the likes of Biden are merely paying lip-service to world peace as long as no one takes a slice of their pie.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The extent to which we are now seeing the worst elements of British politicians embracing the worst elements of US politics is disturbing. The UK has the most far right government I've seen in my lifetime  here... and getting worse. Couple those with the FR Israeli administration justifying each others actions, we have a perfect storm of conspiring instigators for the issues we have today.  

1 hour ago, Sensei said:

..then who made up the Universe.. ?

 

It means only a short-sighted idiot could conceive of such an idea.

3 hours ago, TheVat said:

Also a possibility that TFG, if convicted, would be sentenced to house arrest in light of his age and the security issues that prisons present. Not difficult to imagine comedy sketches featuring a White House with Trump strolling around in an electronic ankle bracelet.

I understand your ADX prisons are pretty hardcore on security. Concrete beds, windows that you can only see the sky. Just the ticket.

49 minutes ago, MigL said:

I appreciate what you're attempting to convey, String Junky, but you're playing fast and loose with statistics.

Black population of the US is about 50 Million, or approx 15 %, so, while there is a great divide that needs addressing, it is not of the magnitude you indicate.
IOW, you cannot have equal numbers of millionaires, because numbers of Blacks and non-Blacks are not equal.

You don't include a source so I don't know which year the Forbes article gives data for.
The Black population of the US was 36 Million 24 years ago, or approx 11% of total population.

Per capita numbers/percentages would better illustrate the situation.

As for Microsoft's numbers, I would guess they are close enough, and I applaud their transparency.
Other companies should do the same.
( even though Bill turned out to be a bit of a misogynist )

Good point. I forgot per capita.

50 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

 

LOL! When I put the title up, it reminded me of that film.  For those not familiar, Heston in science fiction film Soylent Green says the food they are eating is made from people.

"Specifically, Black people represent 8% of total millionaires in the U.S., 76% are white, 8% are Asian, and the Hispanic community captures 7% of the total millionaire population across the country" - Forbes

That is not the whole population, but it is indicative of the potential of each group reaching millionaire status. There is a yawning gap.

11 minutes ago, CharonY said:

Even if not, a swing of 0.3-0.7 % looks like random noise to me. The only outrage here seems to be that the swing is not consistently toward the white male segment.

Outrageous! Out with the pitch forks. Good point with it probably being noise. The one time statistics show ethnic minorities have a (slight) statistical advantage, a white person kicks off. 

Those numbers would be within my definition of equal pay. You can't expect it to be exactly the same.

I agree chaps. The topic deserves nothing but derision. Like is often said: you can't make this up.

1 hour ago, iNow said:

Or until he’s arrested 

We can hope.

All the time Hayley is in the news dilutes and delays Trump's desire to just focus on everything else and, of course, himself. Her best shot is to be a persistent arsefly until she really is out. She should look at this as training and building credibility for 2028.

1 minute ago, zapatos said:

Your houses look like they'll fall apart with the least bit shaking. 😁

But building glorified sheds in forests... Not Too Swiftie or what?  

2 hours ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Or...like Obi-Wan Kenobi he should sacrifice himself for the greater good?

Pfft, he's no Navalny. People like that are as rare as rocking horse droppings.

1 hour ago, zapatos said:

Where have you found houses made of "paper and sticks"?

Your houses look very combustible relative to UK and much of Europe. The last time we had an inferno rip through a large bullt up area was 1666 when houses had a composition  like yours today.  Why are they not all brick/masonry in dense tree areas? Doesn't the US like bricks in general? IKEA-concept houses are not a good idea there by the looks of it. One of my uncles lives in Texas. My mum told me he bought a house, knocked it down and built another one... just like that.

@Endy0816 Thanks very much. I shall have a look.

As an aside: it appears that my MP is a god-bothering homophobe, since he exhorts the Bible as a moral guide in his denial of votes for gay marriage.

I just found a site called They Work For You , which records MP's voting actions on the Commons floor and what they've said there. Is there a US equivalent? The (clean) link is a page for my MP, to give you an idea what I'm looking for.

22 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

In principle it should be reasonable to have inmates contribute to part of their costs of any just incarceration. From what I've seen in a few documentaries it can be pretty despicable in practice.

This is America. Principles be damned, give me the money.

A legal consequence: what will the fertility clinic do with the 'embryos' that fail under that legal principle. There'll have to be  the full due legal process, coroner's report and funeral for every single one. I've read  it's not uncommon for women to have multiple rounds. The dying industry will be elated at all this new work.  There's a dark comedy movie plot in there somewhere.

1 hour ago, Phi for All said:

Don't forget many of our prisons are run by private concerns, where every cell filled means profit. Corporations get tax credits to use prison labor that exceeds what they pay the prisoners. There are so many private interests involved that justice always takes a back seat to profit. Neutrality hasn't been a concern in US courts since the Civil War. 

I read about this recently. Profiteering from what is basically systemic slavery is beyond the pale in a civilized society. What better way to reinforce loathing of 'civil society' and resist personal change, given that many prisoners have trod such shitty life paths all their lives already. When you hit someone repeatedly, the less pain they will feel from each subsequent strike. 

@MigL Elected judges is not a good idea because then popularity wins. We rarely get this stuff in the UK legal system. A naked political stance by its judicial members is the problem with the US system. How can that be amenable to upholding a consistently applied neutral principle of law?

911: Hello, how can I help you?

Caller: Some murderous bitch has dumped a little person down the toilet. I can see evidence of them on the sanitary towel they left without flushing.

911: An officer will be down shortly. Stay calm and can you stop anyone using that bathroom until they come? Forensics are coming down as we speak.

From the Alabama chief justice: "Human life, Parker wrote, “cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God, who views the destruction of His image as an affront to Himself.” -  AP

What can you say to that?

I'd like to see what these people would do if a  room with a baby in a box and a portable canister of 12  frozen embryos* were trapped in a room with a blazing fire and only has time to get one of either  out. If they grabbed the canister  instead of the baby, do they honestly think they saved  12 children and only lost one?

The law is clearly asinine, They  are talking about a blastocyst having equal rights to a living person. *They aren't even embryos, which is from 3- 8 weeks.  

'Blastocyst' doesn't have that nice, cuddly sound to it, does it?

People playing fast and loose with scientifically defined words, with specific chronological ranges, to suit their political agendas.

1 hour ago, Phi for All said:

Did you put stronger in quotes because their best candidates are women? I think that's how many people think of Harris, Whitmer, Klobuchar, and Warren: they can't beat TFG because they're women, and TFG has already beaten a woman. 

I also think the DNC thinks this way. Despite being more liberal towards women, they'd still rather have Biden or Newsome or Cooper because they're men, and men appear "strong" when they're confident, whereas the perception is usually that confident women are "pushy" or "troublesome" or even "nasty".

More important to me than age is rejecting corporate PAC donations. It would be great to have citizen representation in this country again. It's been so long.

My  comment related to the existing field. 

11 hours ago, iNow said:

If Biden were 20 years younger, he’d win by like 20+ points. He’s been a good President during hard times with a solid team. 

The age attack just doesn’t work for me given our candidate set since Biden had only just turned 3 when Trump was born. Biden’s old, but Trump is old and crazy and a dangerous asshole. 

Just  because someone has been good at something doesn't mean that they can maintain that competence right up until they die of old age. But, either way, this time it needs to be Hayley or Biden.