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fustakrakich (6150)

fustakrakich
(email not shown publicly)

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Messages [soylentnews.org]

Journal of fustakrakich (6150)

The Fine Print: The following are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Friday July 16, 21
05:30 PM
Rehash

"Forget the filibuster"

democrats working side by side with republicans to kill the Great Experiment™

*The dream is over*

UPDATE:

Democrats and Republicans.. working together for their "common goods" One big happy family

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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
(1)
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @06:35PM (13 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @06:35PM (#1156993)

    Come on. He's not the president. He's not the CinC of the armed forces. He doesn't lead foreign policy. He doesn't control the executive.

    He's not the president.

    He just happens to be in the exact same position that a lot of small parties in proportional representation systems find themselves: between large parties, on the margins of controversial issues. And he's not totally alone either; Sinema's another fine example.

    But let's suppose, just with our what-if goggles on and a fat joint and a fifth of jack in our hands, what would happen if the filibuster were to be thrown out? Would the democrats suddenly usher in a golden era of progressive lawmaking and unbridled power for the people? No, because the exact same issues that are knife-edge legislation right now will continue to be contentious tomorrow. We'll just have shifted where the margins are, for scrabbling up the 50th, instead of the 60th vote. Want proof? Look at the history of votes that are filibuster-proof. They don't all pass with a wave of the hand and a mumble of assent.

    And what happens tomorrow? Next year? What happens when the democrats lose the senate in the mid-terms? They'll scream and cry and wail and gnash their teeth and rend the hem of their garments about LITERALLY HITLER NAZI FASCIST republicans doing as they please without so much as a filibuster to slow them down. And Manchin knows this - so he doesn't do away with the filibuster.

    So, sure, you can frame this as president Manchin - but why stop there? Generalissimo Manchin! King Manchin! Emperor Manchin! His Eternal Beatitude, Cosmic Hierarch Manchin!

    It's still some dude who happens to be on the margin of a vote, frustrating people who aren't on the margin of the vote. Sucks to be them.

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @07:26PM (8 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @07:26PM (#1157010)

      And what happens tomorrow? Next year? What happens when the democrats lose the senate in the mid-terms? They'll scream and cry and wail and gnash their teeth and rend the hem of their garments about LITERALLY HITLER NAZI FASCIST republicans doing as they please without so much as a filibuster to slow them down.

      Indeed. Fusty doesn't seem to understand how to play the long game in chess. Or, perhaps more likely, this is the position his handlers in the Kremlin have told him he should take for maximum chaos.

      • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday July 16 2021, @07:49PM (7 children)

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday July 16 2021, @07:49PM (#1157021) Journal

        :-) Kremlin

        You little McCarthyite, you.. so funny

        --
        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
        • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @08:00PM (6 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @08:00PM (#1157027)

          Maybe stop shitposting journals like this if you don't want to be considered a shill for some larger interests. The most charitable interpretation of your actions is that you are a libertarian whining about the political landscape with rarely more than blatantly obvious observations and excessive use of hyperbole such as "President Manchin digs in his heels."

          • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday July 16 2021, @08:13PM (5 children)

            by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday July 16 2021, @08:13PM (#1157039) Journal

            I don't care how you consider me. I just think you're an immature fool and find you mildly amusing with that shit. "Shill" "Kremlin" "Russia", always looking for someone to blame, you should see yourself.. you might be amused too

            --
            La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
            • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @09:31PM (4 children)

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @09:31PM (#1157080)

              Maybe you should offer something useful, we're left to guess as to why you push a divisive agenda without anything helpful or even insightful. As someone else pointed out "President Manchin" is just a stupid clickbait title. So either you are a shill pushing an agenda, or an attention seeking whiner with worse journalism skills than the Enquirer. Or a parrot that only learned a few phrases, but that seems unlikely.

              • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday July 16 2021, @10:09PM (3 children)

                by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday July 16 2021, @10:09PM (#1157107) Journal

                :-) You're just expressing your opinion..

                As someone else pointed out "President Manchin" is just a stupid clickbait title.

                Yeah, so? Whaddya here for then?

                --
                La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @11:00PM (2 children)

                  by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @11:00PM (#1157134)

                  So, are you really admitting now that you are just shitposting clickbait? OK, everyone! We can all go home now. You too, fusty! You can now go home to whatever part of Russia you are originally from. Good night, everyone!

                  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday July 16 2021, @11:05PM (1 child)

                    by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday July 16 2021, @11:05PM (#1157136) Journal

                    We can all go home now.

                    :-) By all means! You know the way out

                    --
                    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
                    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @11:30PM

                      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @11:30PM (#1157144)

                      I smashed all the "exit" light signs, and I'm going to the electrical room to pull breakers. You and he/she/it are stuck in here together now. Oh yeah, the emergency exit bars are all disabled too. Have fun!

    • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday July 16 2021, @08:31PM

      by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday July 16 2021, @08:31PM (#1157049) Journal

      This is Party business [theintercept.com]. Manchin is just today's villain [urbandictionary.com]

      --
      La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @06:36AM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @06:36AM (#1157513)

      There was leaked audio of Manchin talking to a corporate lobbyist where he was trying to get the lobbyist to pressure a retiring Republican senator into supporting the January 6 Commission to give the illusion of bipartisanship, thereby helping to kill demands for filibuster reform. In that recording, it was revealed (to the surprise of no one) that the real purpose of the filibuster in Manchin's mind is to protect corporate profits from overwhelmingly popular policies. It has nothing to do with 'bipartisanship' or because he's afraid of what Republicans will do if we don't have the filibuster when they get into power again. Manchin is simply a corporate puppet.

      And what happens tomorrow? Next year? What happens when the democrats lose the senate in the mid-terms? They'll scream and cry and wail and gnash their teeth and rend the hem of their garments about LITERALLY HITLER NAZI FASCIST republicans doing as they please without so much as a filibuster to slow them down. And Manchin knows this - so he doesn't do away with the filibuster.

      The Republicans benefit disproportionately from the filibuster, and the Democrats are harmed disproportionately by the filibuster. That's because the vast majority of the things that the corporatist Republicans want to do can be done via reconciliation, such as tax cuts for the rich. The filibuster, of course, no longer applies to the Supreme Court, so Republicans can pack the Supreme Court with corporatist lunatics who will do the bidding of corporations and occasionally screw over minorities. Many Democrats, in contrast, want to do things like raise the minimum wage that apparently cannot be done via reconciliation. Not to mention, Republicans and corporate Democrats can hide behind the filibuster and pretend that they support policies that are overwhelmingly popular, while in fact they're blocking those same policies via the filibuster that they support.

      But you don't even have to completely get rid of the filibuster. You can reform it into a talking filibuster, and require at least 40 people be present who want to continue the filibuster. That's the 'compromise,' and one which Manchin pretended to be in support of not long ago.

      All of these pro-filibuster arguments are corporate media talking points that have been debunked countless times.

      • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday July 18 2021, @04:00PM

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Sunday July 18 2021, @04:00PM (#1157605) Journal

        Democrats can hide behind the filibuster and pretend that they support policies that are overwhelmingly popular, while in fact they're blocking those same policies via the filibuster that they support.

        Old game that the dems here will always deny, or ignore [salon.com]

        --
        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @04:42PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @04:42PM (#1157618)

        You miss the secondary game. Every single selection in recent years, democrats tease reparations for blacks. It's not because they have any intention of ever passing it, which would probably not only be unconstitutional but lead to complete chaos in society, but because they want to get their vote. It's demagoguery. Biden did the same thing with other groups by teasing college debt relief, similarly with no intention of following through.

        I don't really know what, if anything, the DNC genuinely stands for anymore.

  • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @06:56PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @06:56PM (#1157001)

    If Manchin had any real power, surely he would free Britney.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @10:25PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @10:25PM (#1157116)

      Can a sex-negative feminist explain to me why Britney's situation is not involuntary servitude and/or human trafficking?

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @08:05PM (10 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 16 2021, @08:05PM (#1157032)

    What is the journal author's real motive here?

    Doing away with the filibuster is not a guaranteed good move. Maybe the goal is to get it removed, then the GOP will unleash the full power of their election scams, delay objections in court, and win majority control of the house and senate for 2 years which allows them to ram through the most fascist legislation ever. Possibly duplicating Putin's work in Russia allowing him to become dictator in all but name.

    • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 16 2021, @11:38PM (2 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) on Friday July 16 2021, @11:38PM (#1157146) Homepage Journal

      I disagree with your take on the R party, but, yeah, you're on the right track. Manchin knows that removing the filibuster will allow his own party to ram through shitloads of fascist laws. Give the Dems free reign, and you'll soon wish we had a genuinely conservative government in place. Not that the Rs are all that conservative these days.

      --
      Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
      • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @02:29AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @02:29AM (#1157206)

        Fusty also fails to understand that there is no way for any given congress (i.e., group elected on a given date) to in any way tie the hands of any future congress.

        The dem's could give fusty his desired wet dream, and eliminate the filibuster tomorrow, and of course fusty would cream his shorts, but it would all be for naught. Because the congress of 2022 could simply undo the elimination of the filibuster just as soon as they are sworn in.

        No rule making body, with the authority to make their own rules can prevent future versions of themselves from unmaking whatever rule they make today [why? because they make their own rules].

        The only way to achieve fusty's wet dream is via constitutional amendment, and that is going to be a very long, very slow process that will not give fusty the relief he so wants.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @02:43AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @02:43AM (#1157211)

        Projection again? *yawn*

    • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Saturday July 17 2021, @12:19AM (2 children)

      by fustakrakich (6150) on Saturday July 17 2021, @12:19AM (#1157164) Journal

      Your DNC is enabling the GOP, its coalition partner. Good cop/bad cop. They will not save you from fascism, on the contrary, you will follow them right into it

      --
      La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
      • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @02:48AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @02:48AM (#1157213)

        Oooh, tell us another obvious something or whatever. No one on this site thought Biden would be a real saviour, no one argued that the DNC pushing Biden wasn't corrupt politics, no one argues with your "both parties work together to maintain power." Maybe you should come up with something better than your whiny libertarian agenda, like trying to promote the halfway decent politicians around and forming bi-partisan coalitions so we can at least fix the problems we agree on.

        But no, you tip your hand constantly, you're just a libertarian conservative trying to derail progressive ideas, or a foreign agent sowing chaos. You are in total control over your own narrative, try changing it up from the obvious divisive nonsense. You hop in to derail criticisms of the GOP and Trump, only occasionally adding criticism to keep your ideological cover intact.

        Try being real for once instead of dismissing criticisms and continuing to push your increasingly content free narrative.

        Hell, if you wanna stick with your Manchin focus then at least provide details about which corporate interests have him bought. Maybe fill out some details about his voting records. Anything more than stuff we all know.

        • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by fustakrakich on Saturday July 17 2021, @03:18AM

          by fustakrakich (6150) on Saturday July 17 2021, @03:18AM (#1157217) Journal

          :-) You obviously don't read the links I already put up. There's no reason to take you seriously. You're just fucking around...

          --
          La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @06:46AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @06:46AM (#1157515)

      That doesn't make sense. The GOP doesn't want the filibuster removed; they had the opportunity to do so for four years, and didn't do it.

      Trump, however, wanted the filibuster removed, but McConnell refused. Why? Because everything the Republicans want to do (cut taxes for the rich, pack the Supreme Court with right-wing lunatics, and obstruct the Democrats) can be done via reconciliation, be passed with a simple majority, or is possible with the filibuster in place. The Democrats, however, want to do things like raise the minimum wage, which can't be done via reconciliation. Plus, corporate Democrats and Republicans alike can hide behind the filibuster to block overwhelmingly popular policies while pretending to be in favor of said policies. The Republicans know that the filibuster hurts the Democrats more than it hurts them, which is why they want to keep it. There are even recordings of Republicans laughing and praising Manchin and Sinema for keeping the filibuster in place.

      The filibuster is what is destabilizing the country. If overwhelmingly popular policies routinely die in the senate because of the filibuster, that greatly erodes trust in the government's ability to help people.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @05:24PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @05:24PM (#1157630)

        The GOP did remove part of the filibuster, as did the Democrats. Remember the so-called nuclear option moves? For appointees?

        So right there your thesis that the GOP doesn't want it removed fails pretty hard.

        But let's keep on going here, because there's more. Tax changes? Possible for both parties, through reconciliation because they affect the budget. There's no special GOP sauce on this roast here - if the democrats wanted to boost taxes to 99%, they could do it. Packing the supreme court? Just as true for the democrats; it just depends on when and how vacancies on the court show up (see above re: nuclear option). Obstruct the democrats - uh, right back around the other way when the democrats have a minority. So, yeah.

        The minimum wage isn't a budgetary item, so reconciliation doesn't apply. But when you have "overwhelmingly popular policies" politicians who actually depend on those votes will back them all up and down the line. What you're trying to pose as overwhelmingly popular just ain't so. Politicians go where the votes go - and when they get it wrong, there's a bloodletting, just as there was after the gun ban in the Clinton era.

        The filibuster isn't destabilising anything. If anything, it's a brake on the swinging of the pendulum. For instructive contrast, look at the UK where you can get whiplash between governments because the parliamentary system combines legislative and executive authority, and they've basically castrated the House of Lords. What's eroded trust in the government is a long history of mendacity, corruption and intrusive meddling. And they did it to themselves.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:48PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @10:48PM (#1157712)

          So right there your thesis that the GOP doesn't want it removed fails pretty hard.

          No, it shows that I'm correct. They very narrowly exempted judicial nominations from the filibuster, while leaving the filibuster in general intact. If they wanted to remove the filibuster entirely, they would have just done so.

          But let's keep on going here, because there's more. Tax changes? Possible for both parties, through reconciliation because they affect the budget. There's no special GOP sauce on this roast here - if the democrats wanted to boost taxes to 99%, they could do it. Packing the supreme court? Just as true for the democrats; it just depends on when and how vacancies on the court show up (see above re: nuclear option). Obstruct the democrats - uh, right back around the other way when the democrats have a minority. So, yeah.

          The point being that almost everything the Republicans want to do can be done with the filibuster in place, whereas the Democrats want to do many things that cannot be done with processes like reconciliation.

          politicians who actually depend on those votes will back them all up and down the line.

          Incorrect because of corporate lobbying (aka bribery) and wedge issues like abortion and guns used to distract voters from economic issues. We have regulatory capture, and when our corporatist politicians retire or lose their elections, they simply go to some cushy lobbying job, which they know they'll be able to get because they did the bidding of those same corporations. It's a completely rotten, corrupt, and anti-democratic system, which interestingly enough, you allude to in your post later.

          What you're trying to pose as overwhelmingly popular just ain't so.

          The actual data shows that you're incorrect. Poll after poll shows that universal healthcare, a $15 minimum wage, etc. are popular with the American people. The fact that they're distracted by other issues doesn't mean this isn't so.

          The filibuster isn't destabilising anything.

          Endless obstruction causes destabilization because it causes people to lose faith in the government's ability to solve any problems whatsoever. That's another reason why the filibuster benefits the GOP, which pushes exactly that idea.

          For instructive contrast, look at the UK where you can get whiplash between governments because the parliamentary system combines legislative and executive authority, and they've basically castrated the House of Lords.

          Yes, look at the UK, where if a party wins an election, they can actually do things! The horror!

          What's eroded trust in the government is a long history of mendacity, corruption and intrusive meddling

          Which is further enabled by the filibuster, because corporatist bought-and-paid-for politicians can block legislation much more easily if it requires 60 votes to pass as opposed to 50.

          As I said above, [soylentnews.org] the filibuster is openly being used to protect corporate profits. You act like this is some hidden thing, but the recordings are there, as if we even needed those.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @01:05AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 19 2021, @01:05AM (#1157752)

            We've heard this routine. It's getting lame. You can stop talking to yourself now

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @04:30PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @04:30PM (#1157293)

    President Harris is going to build a wall [wsws.org] and make Mexico pay for it. That's the kind of savvy policy in furtherance of my bourgeois interests I want to see from my elected officials.

    In other news from ICFI/SEP/IWA-RFC:

    General Milley and America’s “Reichstag moment” [wsws.org]
    FBI report: DC Metropolitan and US Capitol Police monitored fascist militias’ radio communications during the January 6 attack [wsws.org]
    Why have Ben Crump and Al Sharpton taken up the case of Hunter Brittain? [wsws.org]

    You could also cover the flood [wsws.org] of climate-change [wsws.org] disasters [wsws.org] that have happened recently.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @04:50PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 17 2021, @04:50PM (#1157301)

      Jan. 6 was a nothingburger, but it will be treated as a 9/11 for as long as it can be used to erode liberties or milk votes.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @12:13AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @12:13AM (#1157418)

        Triggered by female BIPOC VPOTUS. The Republican Party should stop eroding Black liberties with Jim Crow 2.0. This is why you have CRT.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @05:28PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 18 2021, @05:28PM (#1157631)

        Why was this marked troll? It seems like pretty objective truth. The January 6 thing was a political demonstration of moderate rambunctiousness, and actually mild compared to some of the stuff going on in the streets elsewhere. However, we can already see how it's being milked, and there's no reason to believe that the government has decided to increase liberties.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 20 2021, @09:50AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 20 2021, @09:50AM (#1158205)

          No, January 6 was a coup attempt orchestrated by Trump. The intent was to keep Trump in power. Pence refused to deny certification of the election, angering Trump and his supporters, who were chanting to hang him and even built makeshift gallows outside of the building. The insurrectionists have time after time admitted that their intent was to keep Trump in power despite him losing the election. That is a coup attempt.

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