Yes.
They’re hyperfocused on states rights. Fine. Here’s the thing though - with rights come responsibilities. One can’t claim the right to make one’s own decisions, then dodge the responsibility for those decisions.
They.make their choices, they have to deal with the consequences themselves.
So they can grow the fuck up and join the modern world, or they can just wallow in their ignorance and incompetence. It’s their problem - not ours.
with great states rights comes great states responsibilities
So instead of ignoring the fuckups of countries all over the world we are expected to ignore them here as well. Clearly ignoring the problem is not working.
Seems like we are playing right into their hands and sacrificing our own citizens in the name of politics.
The mistake isn’t ignoring the problem - it’s subsidizing it.
They’re free to continue to be ignorant, short-sighted fuckups because we’re there to bail their pathetic asses out.
If we’re going to bail them out, then that means we’re taking responsibility, and if we’re taking responsibility then they’re going to sit the fuck down and shut the fick up and do as they’re told, because obviously they can’t take care of themselves.
And if, on the other hand, they’re going to do as they please, then it’s not our responsibility - it’s theirs. And if they can’t bail themselves out of the trouble they’ve caused for themselves, that’s their own fucking problem.
It has to be one or the other. Authority without responsibility just creates moral hazard. Either they have the aurhority, in which case they also have the responsibility, or we have the responsibility, in which case we also have the authority.
I like this way of framing it because it doesn’t abjectly give up responsibility.
It plays right into their Atlas Shrugged sensibilities.
I love it
Hmm, I like this approach. How about this though. When a state fucks up bad enough to need a federal bailout, and it has to be the states fault not something like a natural disaster unless the state itself either caused it or demonstrably failed to prepare for it (looking at you Texas power grid) then the federal government does the following.
First they decide how much they’re budgeting to fix the problem. Then the State needs to decide if they’re going to provide a plan to keep that problem from happening again. If the state provides a plan then the federal subsidy payments are done in installments and those installments are conditional on implementing that plan. If however the state either refuses to make a plan or doesn’t make one that’s acceptable instead that money is put into a fund that people can claim some amount of to cover expenses for moving out of that state and into another one. This could potentially go all the way up to the cost of buying a house in a different state, although they then actually have to move out of their current state including selling any property in that state or else the money gets clawed back.
This way the problem gets solved one way or another, either the state improves or else there are fewer people stuck in shitty states.
Seems reasonable.
They’re free to continue to be ignorant, short-sighted fuckups because we’re there to bail their pathetic asses out.
Fucking amen
Maybe, but on the plus side it’s the ignorant, hateful citizens. Win-win.
That is just pure propaganda. They are not anymore hateful than you or I. They have been led astray.
I get it, othering is as appealing as it is toxic.
If they are still “astray” at this point, it’s by choice. Fuck them.
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Republicans don’t care about children, why should I?
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Blame the people for being lied to just doesn’t have that self-righteous energy you are looking for.
They are not anymore hateful than you or I.
Are you fucking for real?
We are talking about literal white nationalists.
Yours is the unpopular but adult position that will ultimately get us past this crisis
So. NO. This is what we are fighting against. We need to make a society where everyone can be included, happy, heallthy, and free. Not just exclude those we don’t currently agree with.
Many of these hard core MAGA people are like super fans of a sports team. They are looking for something to identify as and a group to be part of. Give them better options and they wouldn’t exist.
The problem is that you can’t separate most of MAGA from the hate. If a black person in Mississippi benefits from a federal state service, that cannot be tolerated, even if many whites benefit as well.
It’s more important to protect a non-viable embryo, according to these people, than to protect the mother’s life or health.
I feel like King Theoden from LotR, who says “What can men do against such reckless hate?” Though, it’s valid to substitute “hatred” with “stupidity”
That is all true and yet we still need to offer better options than a civil war.
Billionaire Burgers?
Shareholder Shortribs?
Capitalist Casserole?
Sufficient hate or stupidity, is indistinguishable from the other.
There are several sets of people involved. First you have the ambitious. These are poloticians and such that probably aren’t really racist at the core, but are willing to act and be racist to get ahead. They are the real problem. But it isn’t hate that drives them. It’s ambition. For the people suffering, that doesn’t matter. But when it comes to solving the problem it does.
Then you have the people who are actually racist, hateful people. They do exist, but they are actually a very small minority. The rest are “followers”. They weren’t racist until someone convinced them to be. These are the people you can give better options to. Doing so errodes the power of the other two groups.
These followers aren’t being told black and white. They are be told lazy, or criminal. And when the ambitious people shut services, they don’t mention the “good” people who benefit, they only mention the bad people. So often followers don’t even know who is really losing out. The news is full of trump supporters who are unhappy that a local to them person they knew got picked up by ICE. That’s because they believed the propaganda that it would only be violent illegal immigrants and such. Some were just fooled. But a lot just idolize trump because he filled a place in thier life that was empty. Give them something better, and they won’t idolize him. And idolization causes a lot of people to believe illogical things.
Nope, fuck maga. i have no sympathy for nazis. they want to hate everything and everyone, let them be miserable in their little hate worlds.
There are several sets of people involved. First you have the ambitious. These are politicians and such that probably aren’t really racist at the core, but are willing to act and be racist to get ahead. They are the real problem. But it isn’t hate that drives them. It’s ambition. For the people suffering, that doesn’t matter. But when it comes to solving the problem it does.
Then you have the people who are actually racist, hateful people. They do exist, but they are actually a very small minority. The rest are “followers”. They weren’t racist until someone convinced them to be. These are the people you can give better options to. Doing so errodes the power of the other two groups.
I have no sympathy for the two groups that aren’t the followers.
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i do realize that and it weighs on me, and i hate it, but i refuse to tolerate intolerance.
I am fully willing to have rational conversations with maga, but after trying 100s of times and making no progress, i see no reason to continue with the olive branch. i would have better luck teaching my dog mandrin, than making maga see reason or have empathy.
Exactly. Some of these people are literally our fucking parents, and even they refuse to listen to reason.
They are lost.
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Historically, the mongers of violence and war have only been ended by stronger violence and better war strategies and resources. The whole take the higher road and tolerance thing is what got America into this current mess in the first place. These assholes are cowards and only come out when there are no consequences, but go back into hiding when there are.
People should not be punched in the nose for their race, religion, sexuality, gender, etc., basically who they are. People should be punched in the noise for being assholes, their bad behaviour.
There are several sets of people involved. First you have the ambitious. These are poloticians and such that probably aren’t really racist at the core, but are willing to act and be racist to get ahead. They are the real problem. But it isn’t hate that drives them. It’s ambition. For the people suffering, that doesn’t matter. But when it comes to solving the problem it does.
Then you have the people who are actually racist, hateful people. They do exist, but they are actually a very small minority. The rest are “followers”. They weren’t racist until someone convinced them to be. These are the people you can give better options to. Doing so errodes the power of the other two groups.
But where we are now… I feel like you might be right about a need for responding in kind. But, while doing so, remembering that overall, the follower group is not an enemy that should be eradicated, but one that showed be turned to a better side. So it’s kind of like making sure you don’t box them in and give them no way out but to fight. You need the followers to join you while you overpower the other two groups. And after, you need to make sure the followers have better options so that they don’t join up with the next popularist to appear.
Ah, the age-old dilemma: is it morally sound and/or necessary to dehumanize dehumanizers?
And if we’re honest, isn’t dehumanizing people a very human trait?
Or put my favorite way: “No one hates like family.”
I didn’t see any dehumanization in the comment you’re replying to
Give them better options and they wouldn’t exist.
Straight up bullshit. They’ve been given better options over and over. They are small, hateful people.
There are several sets of people involved. First you have the ambitious. These are poloticians and such that probably aren’t really racist at the core, but are willing to act and be racist to get ahead. They are the real problem. But it isn’t hate that drives them. It’s ambition. For the people suffering, that doesn’t matter. But when it comes to solving the problem it does.
Then you have the people who are actually racist, hateful people. They do exist, but they are actually a very small minority. The rest are “followers”. They weren’t racist until someone convinced them to be. These are the people you can give better options to. Doing so errodes the power of the other two groups.
They do exist, but they are actually a very small minority. The rest are “followers”. They weren’t racist until someone convinced them to be.
far too apologetic of racists.
Not apologizing for anyone. No one is born racist. Someone or some people convince them to be. That’s just a fact. Not very controversial really.
Secessionists are dangerous and malicious
This is simply what the red states want and it will not improve your lives but leave us with highly dangerous neighbors and a completely destroyed society
Do not fall for this shit
and plays exactly into what Putin wants, to weaken the US even further.
No country can last forever, renewal is just as important for governments as forest fires are to restoring the balance in nature.
Is it painful? Yes.
Is it necessary eventually? Also yes.
So basically what we already have
Do you think it can’t get much much worse?
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Review “soft secession”.
Never surrender a square inch of territory to those scumbags. Those states are ruled by corrupt, anti-democracy elites, and the decent people there deserve a chance, not to be written off.
The decent people can always get help to be resettled to civilization.
Care to elaborate on what you mean by that? Are you going to help pay the relocation expenses of left-leaning voters in red states?
The “decent” people in those states keep voting for this
I didn’t.
Then you’re a decent person.
I’m talking about the “decent” people who are actually just dickheads
The dumbest most neoliberal take ever. Maybe poor people deserve it?
Actually I take it back, dude is probably a white supremacist.
Christopher Armitage @chrisarmitage1 Most tell you what’s wrong. I try to tell you what works. Researcher, Former Law Enforcement Officer, Veteran, Author. Living in Spokane, Washington 🌲🌲🌲 with 3 feline roommates
I don’t know about denying red states funding, but I do know that I’m sick and fucking tired of my taxes paying for these assholes who then turn around and refuse to release funds that have already been approved to my state as some sort of punishment for being blue.
Nah, fuck that.
Wow, a cop and a veteran. Double whammy
Don’t forget “author”, as though that’s relevant for anything
They love secession so much.
They love Jesus so much.
Let them have both.
I’ve got bad news: the oligarchs run the blue states as well. California gave us Palantir and X. Peter Thiel advocates for this exact same thing for fuck sake.
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This is exactly what the billionaires buying up all this farmland want. Cut the red states loose, then Amazon/Microsoft/Alphabet/etc sweep in and establish company
townsnations.Of course we all know that Republicans have no concern for human life unless it’s an embryo.
This is not really true. Republicans do not really care about embryos any more than they care about the pro-life flags their voters fly. Like the flags, the embryo is just a symbol, a tool to be abandoned as soon as it has served its political purpose.
Yeah the main reason they care is because abortion gives women agency, the ability to control their own lives. In the conservative ideology women are subservient to men.
I would never forgive this country if it abandoned me.
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but also… they’re arguing for small government. maybe y’all should start pushing in the same direction: make the federal government smaller, keep your blue state tax money, stop giving them as much… it’s what they want after all
and then use that money to form blue state coalitions: form a new, voluntary CDC, FDA, etc between aligned states that are far more robust than what you’ve been able to achieve with republican bad faith tampering
kinda like the EU model, but less central
(and if you didn’t see my instance, i’m aussie so i don’t really get a say, and nobody should let me influence anything - im not a citizen and i don’t live there or have to deal with as many consequences - unless you legitimately agree)
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i think it’s certainly possible that it could start down that path, and it’ll become blatantly obvious that trickle down economics, “socialism is evil”, anti-intellectual crap that the red states bow at the alter of is a huge reason for their suffering and they’ll want to join those coalitions, but those coalitions will have years if not decades of policy on their side to make sure they aren’t overrun with the same ideas
could the process then just start over again? perhaps… it could just be a property of the system
As someone who lived in Texas for a decade, I was fully prepared for the US to abandon me after we voted in Greg Abbott again. Gubnatorial elections are popular vote elections not affected by Gerrymandering. We didn’t even have THAT excuse.
That being said, I always said that the rest of the US should cut off everything Oklahome going South and Texas going East as long as they offered a refugee program for those of us not batshit insane.
The only thing that would suck would be leaving behind the kiddos who dont have a say in where their crazy ass parents choose to live.
Haven’t they already?
Pure psychopath shit.
Article author doesn’t actually elaborate on what they mean precisely by “cut them loose” but from context it seems to be cut off all their federal funding.
Not even sure how you’d do that to be honest - even Trump’s admin has struggled to legally withhold federal funds from states he hates, the funding gets pushed through in the end by legal action. So you wanna out-crime Trump? Dumb article.
If the author wants to make bold demands then along with that comes the requirement of suggesting how to achieve them, else it’s just performative whining.
I agree sell them off to Mexico if were going to run the US like a business let’s run it like private equity. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
why would Mexico take on bad debt?
Might encourage them to build that wall after all.
Presumably it would actually be worth it for them.
They would provide Mexican level services to the new Mexicans which is presumably lower than the current services they receive suckling at the teat of the federal government.
No. They’re part of our country, and the only reason that they’re “dead weight” is that the GOP lied to and propagandized their citizens for long enough to extract essentially all the capital out of the land and the people. Now they don’t have enough to keep going on their own, and they’re only as good to the Republicans as their electoral votes.
We have to keep them—that was part of the deal from the beginning, and it’s the right thing to do—but we have to fight back against the propaganda so that the citizens can see what they could be without the GOP.
Is… there any precedent or process for… un-granting statehood, and returning it to being a territory?
No.
But there’s plenty of historical precedent for countries splintering.
As someone who can’t stop playing EUV: oh yes.
Hah!
I never got into EU or HOI (beyond just watching youtubers paint maps, with commentary), but I have definitely had moments in Stellaris when I realized:
Fuck, this other empire doesn’t like me and is going to out economy me in a few years, if I don’t overhaul my own entire economy.
So then I sit down and rework the whole uh, sector type governance structure, re-specialize various planetary economies… and that does essentially mean that some systems that used to be their own sector or the functional regional capitol, well, now they’re smaller fish in a reorganizrd, bigger pond.
I’ll have to try Stellaris again. I didn’t really play it a ton, so I never really wrapped my brain around it.
EUV has been really fun. A lot more fun than I’ve had in previous Paradox grand strategy games. It’s also somehow both more complex and more accessible than EUIV.
Well, I have a love hate/relationship with Paradox.
On the one hand, they make basically perfect games for autists, such as myself.
On the other hand, their business model is fucking atrocious.
Oh, you want to play the modern version of the game? Well, now it costs 3 or 4 times as much, with all the DLC you’ll either need, or be tempted to buy.
So… as much as I enjoyed Stellaris, I’d honestly have to recommend you not try it, unless you’ve got a few hundred dollars that you’re ok with evaporating.
Oh, I already own it lol… I don’t know which (if any) dlc I have though.
Well, best of luck with the potential addiction problem, lol.
