iNow

There’s going to be a deal announced in about an hour from the US Senate (House already passed their own legislation). It will have funding for mental health services, funding to further secure schools, incentives for states to implement red flag laws (called something else like “State Crisis Intervention Orders” so people don’t go apoplectic), a separate background check process for people ages 18-21, and a clarification on what’s required to file for a federal firearm license as a dealer… so that relates to dealers and trying to lower illegal purchases that evade the firearm license. It’s a tiny drop in the bucket, but progress. It’s a form of compromise.

Yesterday in Idaho, 31 people with long guns, high capacity magazines, shields, shin guards, and related tactical gear were arrested for attempting to execute their operational plan to create a riot and cause violence toward people participating in a gay pride parade. They showed up the site with balaclava face masks bundled together in the back of a UHaul moving truck. As I’m sure is clear to all of us, it’s obvious this would never have happened if progressive voters who desire reasonable policies around gun owner responsibility were only a bit nicer to them in their dealings online. Will progressives never learn?!?

Who… specifically… contributing here in this thread is doing that? Those who are unwilling to compromise, even better if they happen to hold any power. That isn’t an accurate descriptor of the folks with whom you’re engaging here.

I do that already, and I do more than pretend. Yet again, you’re directing your feedback to the wrong audience.

Yes, I’ve listened to Yang across multiple podcasts and read him in multiple articles and spoken face to face with many of his most passionate supporters at the Iowa caucuses and events leading up to them. Hell, I even got to speak with one of his competitors that’s rather famous in her own right. What again though… and I keep asking this… are you telling me specifically, as iNow… the person to whom you’re directing your post and recommendations… to do that will get the US more broadly beyond the current morass?

I neither vilified them nor refuse to work them (although, McCain is dead so I guess I can’t even if I wanted to). You’re burning down me of straw. Caricatures.

And I exercise that choice in each and every election I can, even though most of the time it’s a “choice” between a taco of turds and a sandwich of shit. You and our friend JCM keep blathering on from on high up in the north suggesting that if only we Americans would moderate our tone and learn to compromise then we might hope to achieve your own country’s high standards and move past the toxic oppressive political impasse in which we currently exist. But each time I ask either of you for specifics… what more should I and my fellow citizens… citizens posting here who are ALREADY far more thoughtful and active and conscientious than most others with whom you’ll ever engage… each time I ask what more can we do SPECIFICALLY that we’re not already doing… It’s met with… Silence. Platitudes. The type of wisdom you get from the underside of a Snapple bottle cap. Harsh? Maybe, but it sure sounds to me like you’re telling us all that we would be better off if we just formed a drum circle and shared a meal… and not to pop your pollyannish balloon or anything… but newsflash, sir. That isn’t gonna cut it. You're correct. The current path isn’t working for us. It’s unsustainable, but we’re certainly never going to move beyond it with more condescension or empty judgmental platitudes like “just try harder to be nice!” The GOP wins bc they know this is all about power. Who has it and who grows it, and our districts and electoral process are so sliced up and subdivided right now that moderation isn’t what wins the most power. This is a game of Go, not chess.

You’re of course correct. It wasn’t MY house they tried to burn down. It was the PEOPLEs house they tried to burn down. Big difference, we agree. It was no joke, either. They marched on the US Capitol armed for war. Beat, trampled, and killed police after breaking through their barriers. They sought to murder legislators and hang the Vice President from a gallows, and they did all of this while LITERALLY burning parchments and other pieces of our country’s history that were kept in our house… the peoples House. And now…. Now? Now those trying to defend that House are being berated for being to stern in also supporting universal healthcare, and action on climate change, and policies to curb the murder of children in schools every other fucking day bc of guns… pushing to hard for basic human decency? If THOSE are the people refusing to compromise, then I say, GOOD! Sadly, those people are the ONLY ones compromising right now and they have decades of practice doing it. So’s moose piss. That’s not exactly a high bar.

I guess I don’t see after all.

I see. And who with whom you’re here interacting directly in this thread is responding in that manner?

It’s hard to disagree with this and I’m confident pretty much every here agrees, except for maybe the implicit suggestion that members posting here to this thread lack willingness to compromise… or vote for candidates specifically bc they refuse to compromise like we see so often in the MAGA crowd. I’m reminded of a political cartoon I saw a while back… P1: Can I burn your house down? P2: No. P1: What about just the 2nd floor? P2: No. P1: Fine, okay… I’ll only burn your kitchen then. P2: No. P1: How about the porch and your back shed? P2: No. P1: You’re refusing to compromise!!! You’re the entire reason everyone hates politics! Some of us who enjoy maple syrup a lot look at this and think P2 is the problem… after all, they aren’t compromising. Isn’t it obvious?! Others of us, however, look at this in context and recognize that P1 is the problem bc they are being unreasonable with their demands and trying to burn things down. Would it be better if there weren’t ONLY two parties and not every square peg was shoehorned into round holes for every single issue in US politics? Yes!!! Abso-effing-lutely! Of COURSE that would be better, but it’s not at all a realistic option on the table from which we can choose right now in the moment. It’s pie in the sky we can’t eat today… maybe in the future, but not in this instant. One may as well be saying pink unicorns would be better senators. It has roughly the same likelihood of being realized. Politics is the art of the possible… We need to stop focusing on what’s not today possible and we need to stop laying the blame for the dysfunction at the feet of P2 who’s simply saying “No, you may NOT burn down my house. Let’s instead build new houses together with each other’s help.”

Unfortunately, one spouse keeps cheating (and I mean that with all of its various meanings) and calling their partner a whore.

I vote. I call and write to those who win. I actively advocate and work to gather support wherever I can. About the only thing I haven’t done is run for office myself, mostly bc it would cost a lot of money, a lot of integrity, and I would lose. What more do you have in mind?

We are humans. That is our race. All other differences can be described by historical cultural differences for attraction and access to mates across regions and families. If Great Danes are not a different species from Chihuahuas, then neither are humans from different regions who happen to have slightly different skin tones.

Crime is a proxy for race in most GOP elections. Urban and inner city are similar. They speak of crime and how they’re the party of crime prevention all while supporting criminals in their ranks. Abusers and pedophiles. Harassers. Crooks. Thrives. Liars. Criminals with white collars and with blue. They punish private businesses and free enterprises for expressing their free speech. They even support obvious insurrectionists who (go figure) are the undisputed leader of their party trying to overthrow free and fair elections and actively working to subvert the constitution itself. Republicans aren’t tough on crime, they’re welcoming of it. They just gaslight us about it at every chance they get bc they know it plays well with those who are paying only peripheral attention.

There are basically 3 groups of people on this topic: 1. Those who know what Trump et.al did was wrong and don't want it to ever happen again 2. Those who know what Trump et.al did was wrong and are totally fine with that / ready to let it repeat and recur so long as their "team" wins 3. Those who are too busy with life and bills and putting food on the table to pay much attention to any of this / those who for whatever reason still don't know enough to have an opinion one way or the other It's really that 3rd group where change will happen on this... if change happens at all.

Next ones will be Monday then Wednesday morning US time, and there will be a few more now through July. I believe 5 in total, but am not certain

It’s a congressional hearing. That’s sorta how they go, but y’all are tuning in thinking it’s another episode of America’s Got Treason.

I prefer getting info from first sources. Doesn’t matter. It’s over for now. Your apathy and lack of interest is the very inertia on this topic they’re seeking to dislodge by doing it this way.

You used the past tense “watched.” It’s still on. And now 5 minutes later they’ve adjourned.

It began an hour and fifteen minutes ago. Is being aired live on all major US networks, except Fox

At least you’re consistent in evading direct questions.

It's okay if you often disagree with me. I can't force you to be right.

Nah. Thx tho

Same is true within religions. Ask 10 people what god is and you’ll get 10 different answers in reply, mostly because all those who believe in god(s) tend to conjure them in their own image.