State of the Discussion

The posts in play...

Let’s start calling a thug a thug
(81)
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The Qatar that plays like butter
(9)
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Brought to you by your latest captain of industry
(8)
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The Mother-in-law defense
(18)
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The comments...

russell
+ His administration (Mayorkas) stated that the unlawful presence was not by itself a basis for an enforcement action.  People LIke Me always make this point when [. . .]
russell
+ Wjca summed up my own response about Afghanistan. The only thing I'd add is that blame could be assigned not just to Biden, not [. . .]
Pro Bono
+ Non-partisan discussion of Biden's border policies. The summary is that Biden went back to policy before Trump, which hadn't much differed between Republican and Democratic administrations. [. . .]
wjca
+ "There was a way to do it safely. Biden had a date in mind and stuck with it. He owns it." First, there was? [. . .]
bc
+ Russell: When is it appropriate for a nation to borrow? What is accomplished with the money that is borrowed? Totally valid questions. I was simply [. . .]
bc
+ As to the effects of Biden’s “open border policy” on illegal immigration: there were none, because there was no such policy. This statement just beggars belief. [. . .]
wjca
+ Trump gets along with other authoritarians, but that’s no guarantee they are always going to be bff. Trump is nobody's friend, for an instant let [. . .]
Liberal Japonicus
+ Well, at the risk of scoffing at Godwin's law, Hitler and Stalin were buddy buddy until they weren't. Trump gets along with other authoritarians, but [. . .]
Hartmut
+ One could say the same about Netanyahoo. He is on very good terms with Hungary's Orban and the Polish far right despite both using stoking [. . .]
wjca
+ Trump cheerfully stokes Islamaphobia. But I doubt that he cares about the issue of religion, any religion, personally. On the other hand, Qatar, [. . .]
Cheez Whiz
+ "Elite", like "Woke", is a purposefully hazily defined word. Like woke, its used to denigrate a class of people as Them, the Problem. To obscure, [. . .]
Liberal Japonicus
+ And Michael has some more measured points as well, which I will put here for reference Is there an alternative? No one else will lease us [. . .]
russell
+ "No one else will lease us enough space for the air base we operate there." Thank you Michael. That makes sense, and I appreciate your [. . .]
russell
+ "I think Biden was far worse than Trump." When is it appropriate for a nation to borrow? What is accomplished with the money that is [. . .]
Pro Bono
+ bc: 1) Legal immigration was lower under Biden than Trump. As to the effects of Biden's "open border policy" on illegal immigration: there were none, because [. . .]
Michael Cain
+ What are your thoughts about the unilateral defense agreement with Qatar?Is there an alternative? No one else will lease us enough space for the [. . .]
nous
+ It seems weird to me to be discussing whether or not Omelas was in better shape under Biden or under Trump when the part of [. . .]
Liberal Japonicus
+ <i>What are your thoughts about the unilateral defense agreement with Qatar?</i> I'm going to lift up Michael's comment to the front page, with some comments from [. . .]
Liberal Japonicus
+ I have a few questions about blog format that you mentioned bc, so I hope I can ask you later about that, but I did [. . .]
bc
+ Pro Bono: I don't think your comments are as much wrong as ignoring the full picture. 1) Immigration. Immigration was higher in Trump’s first term than [. . .]
Pro Bono
+ Ben Meiselas pops on on my youtube list quite a lot, while I'm watching chess or cycling videos. I must click on enough of his [. . .]
Tony P.
+ bc: Criticizing a side for “othering” by what seems to be to be “othering” of another sort isn’t a winning proposition. Criticizing Nazis for "othering" Jews [. . .]
GftNC
+ Well! I'd barely heard of this Ben Meiselas guy before, but it looks like he may be getting the message across - bigger audiences [. . .]
russell
+ The request for a training facility was made in 2017 Noted, and a fair call. I stand corrected. What are your thoughts about the unilateral defense [. . .]
Michael Cain
+ Give me a shiny plane and I’ll let you build a base in Idaho.The request for a training facility was made in 2017, shortly after [. . .]
GftNC
+ Meanwhile, someone watching Trump's speech in Israel just called me; apparently he turned to Keir Starmer and called him the President of Canada. That [. . .]
Michael Cain
+ Every other President in my lifetime has represented himself as serving in the interests of all Americans: this one is for his people only.He's not [. . .]
`wonkie
+ . The call a thug a thug post was about how DEM POLITICIANS need to speak, not individual MAGA voters , The communication needs to [. . .]
GftNC
+ I agree: what Pro Bono said. And on his last bullet point, about the SCOTUS, it's going to be interesting to see if this [. . .]
wjca
+ * I doubt the folks saying that are really gonna want to live in a world where it’s “all torn down”. BIllionaires and centi-billionaires excepted. They [. . .]
wjca
+ *what this tells me about the other side is that influential people on it are unconcerned with reality.* I wonder about that. Is it that [. . .]
russell
+ What Pro Bono said. By my iights, this administration is doing damage to this country that will take generations, literally generations, to repair. Some of [. . .]
Pro Bono
+ I understand the reasoning that the best vote-winning arguments are ones which appeal to voters' legitimate self-interest. But there are other things which must be [. . .]
russell
+ First, bc, thank you for chiming in. I always appreciate what you have to say, if only to keep myself honest. Some of the stuff [. . .]
Pro Bono
+ 1) Immigration. Immigration was higher in Trump's first term than in Bidens. Ackman is wrong. 2) Trump in his first term showed himself to be indifferent [. . .]
GftNC
+ I liked that Ryan Powers article. It's possible that my calls for civility can be misinterpreted as a call for "etiquette" or "decorum". [. . .]
bc
+ Ok, I forgot that the comments now read in an opposite direction, so a lot has been posted since I started writing this (in spurts, [. . .]
nous
+ wj - As so often, we wonder just what definition of “elite” is being used here. He covers that earlier: The real answer is that the most [. . .]
wjca

In elite liberal spaces

As so often, we wonder just what definition of "elite" is being used here.

nous
+ In line with this discussion, Ryan Powers' op ed at the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/12/democrats-etiquette-dangerous-democracy In elite liberal spaces, the expectation is always the same: stay quiet, exit gracefully, never [. . .]
nous
+ russell - I also disagree with nous’ thought that health care “codes” as a management issue. At the policy level, it does. At the level [. . .]
GftNC

Pretty much everything russell says @ - oh, no time stamp. His longer comment anyway.

wjca
+ And it has the huge merit that it will classify as elite a whole bunch of people that today's self-important elitists will be horrified to [. . .]
russell
+ Shorter me: Pick any Trump policy or action. Call attention to it. Then ask the question "How is that making your life better"? Unless you're rich or [. . .]
russell
+ Nobody cares. Until they lose it, or can't afford it. Especially if they or someone they care about has an expensive and / or [. . .]
russell
+ that might one good definition of elite: you just stay at the top whatever you do. This seems exactly right to me. Thanks for [. . .]
nous
+ You can tell the difference between the Dems with close union ties and allies and the ones who have never been a part of a [. . .]
wjca
+ Nobody cares that if could/should be better. But raise the price of what they already have substantially? Take it away altogether? Whole [. . .]