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applegrove

applegrove's Journal
applegrove's Journal
December 1, 2023

Conservative Member of Parliament demands government respond in English (to make for a better clip)

https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/mps-are-acting-out-for-one-reason-and-it-s-the-ugly-truth-few-want/article_1dfc7091-7099-5db1-8ef9-0cc07657762c.html

"SNIP..........

Alberta Conservative MP Rachael Thomas — whose aggressiveness turns off many of her own caucus colleagues — was in her usual feisty mood. She started by asking how this deal fixed a power imbalance between big tech and the news industry. But as St-Onge responded, Thomas berated her for not answering the question — even though the minister was, in fact, doing just that.

Perhaps Thomas wasn’t listening to the simultaneous interpretation of the minister’s answer in French. Or maybe she just wanted to make a point for her audience — not those of us who had tuned in to the 8:15 a.m. hearing, but those who would watch later on social media, once Thomas had clipped the video of her own diatribes and posted their exchange online.

That is, after all, what this is all about. And it’s unfortunately become what most exchanges in the House of Commons are about. The intention is not to hold the government to account, or to have probing, insightful exchanges; it’s about the video clips of fake outrage that can be generated to mobilize support and raise funds.

“I notice that you answer my questions in French, but other English questions you answer in English if they are from your Liberal colleagues,” she told St-Onge. “I realize it is completely your choice, we are a bilingual country, but if at all possible I’d love to have it English —”

.........SNIP"
November 29, 2023

Americans have so normalized #cruelty in everything related to #HumanRights they call it efficiency.





"SNIP........

Americans have so normalized #cruelty in everything related to #HumanRights they call it efficiency.

i shouldn't have to demand the hospital pay for my cab ride back home. errors happen. am not mad about the mistake.

am exhausted because i had to ask for the minimum of courtesy AS A CANCER PATIENT. it costs me $40 to get to chemo. money i do not have for food or anything else because the chemo is making me too ill. have no savings either.

THEY KNOW THIS; but efficiency says, make them beg. /3

........SNIP"
November 25, 2023

No it was not like that after FDR for a bit. Power was in the US Government

as elected by the people till Gerrymandering started eating away at it. Biden so reminds me of that old time liberal power. The young people don't remember what it was like before Reagan attacked. Joe Biden remembers cause he was there.

November 23, 2023

US dollar is currency of international trade so there

is less of an inflation risk for US when you print money. But yeah. You have to properly tax to pay for operation costs of running a country. I recommend at VAT tax that taxes the rich and your teenager who goes to the mall if they can afford to and gives a rebate to people who are poor. Maybe the vat could be a higher percentage for those who are rich? Like taxing if you have more than one home and luxury goods.

Fiat money is so you don't have to barter with goods, services, etc. My great, great grandfather in Canada wrote to his brother in Scotland that some local chap wanted to borrow money so my great, great grandfather got him to do some work on his farmhouse roof or something and gave him the loan. This was the 1840s in Canada. My great, great grandfather was the rare person who had a salaried job (Crown Lumber Agent) so he was one of the rare Canadians at the time who had savings. When money was rare back then things didn't flow as quickly as they do now. Maybe that would be a good thing - I don't know. Important that while Trump is dropping all policy assumptions we on the left do the same. They've dropped the gloves on the right. Why don't we? We should at least start studying how to live with less growth as the birth rate everywhere will tumble by the year 2100.

November 21, 2023

Maybe Musk's whole gambit is the blow a hole in any regulation on the internet so the right wing can take back the

Freeeeedom thing they lost when they decided it was a State's job to follow women, in the ovulating phase of their lives, around and make sure they don't cross a border when pregnant.

November 18, 2023

They sold their souls to trickle down and divorced

themselves from the average American. They were easy pickings for the US Nazis of today. I'll say it here: GOP are the White people in Killers of The Flower Moon. They don't deserve our trust. If you trust that they are all bumbling fools, they have won.

November 17, 2023

Purposely trying to alienate liberals so twitter becomes

the town square for only the right wing? It was one of the only places liberals and MAGAs met before the 2022 November election losses for Republicans. Just a guess.

November 15, 2023

Some people just don't like politics in normal times.

They are not neccessarily shallow. These aren't normal times and you are right anyone who doesn't support those fighting Trump are shallow. Especially if they don't know what is going on. If they know what is going on they a sociopaths, or aping sociopaths to get power and are shallow by nature. Those who support Trump and believe the bullshit have been captured for all their grievances: be they a retired person with a MAGA hat who is angry they lost their union job halfway through their working lives and stopped thinking with reason and started substituting emotion as the sole decision maker, or some rich dude who is angry any time they have to participate in some way with democracy by paying taxes or following regulations because they think that is what makes them unhappy. Both are resentful. All of the above are shallow. And in both the last 2 cases they are delusional. When I fell under a psycopaths sway for 2 months and ten days, that I bought into him totally, I stopped writing in my diary: I totally bought what I thought was going on around me and stopped self reflection. I was floored when I looked back on my diaries and realized that a few years later. These Trump fans should move to Saudi Arabia/Russia/China to see how they like a autocracy and no civil rights. Or self reflect while not relying on what is going on around them.

November 11, 2023

Robert Reich on why growing wealth gap results in people who vote Trump

https://www.threads.net/@rbreich/post/CzcUNUtplL5/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

"SNIP........

Why does this widening gap in life expectancy correlate with whether someone has a four-year college education?

Because Americans with college degrees have become far wealthier, on average, while those without college degrees have become poorer and less economically secure.

In 1990, America’s total wealth was equally split between those with and without college degrees. Today, three-quarters of wealth is owned by college graduates.

Meanwhile, the wages of people without college degrees have stagnated or declined. Average weekly nonsupervisory wages — a measure of blue-collar, non-college earnings — were higher in 1969 (adjusted for inflation) than they are now.

.........SNIP"
November 8, 2023

DeSantis and others took off with the parents rights

Youngkin thing after Youngkin introduced it and it led the metaphorical book burning and very real parent teacher board strife. I bet that pissed off a majority of parents who are used to having level headed schools. Proves once again non Trump GOPs can't start wars inside the country and get away with it.

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