Thing is, any American - be it Republican or Democrat-leaning - think that powerful countries/block of concern (i.e. the EU, Russia or then USSR, China, Japan, etc.) DON'T want to influence US presidential politics is a bloody fool. The US *IS* the #1 meddler of world politics by far, both overtly and covertly. And the US is not shy of using any means necessary: military, economic, culturally, sanctions, covert-ops. So what right does the US have to ask those countries NOT to do the same?

External meddling should be EXPECTED. Is foolish not to. To say there's no external meddling is to lie to its people.

To focus on external meddling is to lose focus. So it's up to the parties to work their political messages to counteract those noise. That how you win elections.

There Is No Art In This White House


By Elayne Griffin Baker

There’s no literature or poetry in the White House. No music. No Kennedy Center award celebrations. There are no pets in this White House. No loyal man’s best friend. No Socks the family cat. No kids’ science fairs. No times when this president takes off his blue suit-red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt-khaki pants uniform and hides from Americans to play golf. There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation. No Obamas on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.

I was thinking the other day of the summer when George H couldn’t catch a fish and all the grandkids made signs and counted the fish-less days. And somehow, even if you didn’t even like GHB, you got caught up in the joy of a family that loved each other and had fun. Where did that country go? Where did all of the fun and joy and expressions of love and happiness go?

We used to be a country that did the ice bucket challenge and raised millions for charity. We used to have a president that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it. And a First Lady that planted a garden instead of ripping one out. We are rudderless and joyless. We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great. We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness. The cheering on of others. Gone. The shared experiences of humanity that makes it all worth it. Gone. The challenges AND the triumphs that we shared and celebrated. The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for. Gone. We have lost so much in so short a time.

Vote Democratic all the way down the ballot on November 3rd.

i understand and agree that he is unamerican in the sense of the "american ideal" but outside looking in, he is a completely typical product of american culture. he's reality TV, fame for fame's sake, wealthy without working, a hustler, the ideal jerry springer guest, the ideal wrestling guest, the son of racist nepotism, performative altruism (and then defrauds his own charities), he pathologically cannot accept being wrong/defers all fault to anyone else ("whatever, i do what i want"), he's weaponized ignorance, he's "hilariously" rapey, he's illiterate, a proud philistine, he's vapid pageantry, he's a christian who know nothing of religion/spirituality, he's 4chan, he's 8chan, he's tacky style with complete lack of substance, he's the personification of "fake it 'till you make it". these are all lessons i've seen repeated ad nauseam from american TV, films, music, podcasts, youtube stars, etc. to the point where they're past cliché that they're now entrenched americana.

i know that isn't the typical american but that is the most typical american america has sold to itself and the rest of the world.

Cultural homogeneity. It's sort of amazing. BTW, one thought for people to contemplate--not meant good or bad, just a perspective ---South Koreans think of themselves more as being more like North Koreans than anyone else. And when North Korea finally falls...South Korea will suddenly be Korea---and it will be a nuclear power.

That culture raised their kids well.

You think that's maybe because it's the 17 year old who murdered two people and injured one shooting into a crowd?

Could it be because protesters are fighting for racial equality and an end to police murdering unarmed citizens because they're afraid of black people, and the militias are fighting against that and for the preservation of monuments to racism and racial superiority?

You think it might be because Trump and his cult are condoning and encouraging his vigilante murders as a one boy posse, jury, and executioner, but authorities have universally condemned rioting and arson?

You think it might be because Trump believers have been itching for an excuse to shoot some liberals for years, they haven't been quiet about it either, and it's clear they see the crumbling law and order under Trump as their chance to spark a culture/race/civil war, and are targeting antiracism protesters openly now, repeatedly and nation wide?

What do you think is the reason?

Fake.
It's not official Goodyear policy, not created by Goodyear, and is actually dead wrong in what it claimed.
That makes it a fake in multiple ways. It's maybe a real picture (maybe not) of a fake policy/slide. A picture of a fake purported to be real is a fake, even though it's a real picture. Duh. If I edit Melania's porn photos to have Don Jr draped over her in the nude and fondling her nude breasts, take a picture of that fake and release it as proof they're having an incestuous affair, is that not fake? It's a real picture. Jesusissodisappointedinyou


First, it gained national attention because Trump claimed they singled out his campaign attire, a total lie, and called for a boycott because he's a petulant infant that can't handle any perceived slight without throwing a tantrum. The claims are absolute pure bullshit. It wasn't until that was absolutely undeniable that you glommed onto the "no blue lives matter" part that's also a lie but less obvious.
Second, it's not corporate policy as it claims, it's one person making up their own policy, a person I'm sure is fired or demoted after the damage their unapproved actions caused.

Bullshit. Managers do not make policy. Stop lying. This is at worst a rogue employee, not a policy, liar. Try making new corporate policy down there at TGIFridays as the manager, see how that works out for you.

Goodyear did address it, instantly releasing a statement denouncing it as never their policy and never approved as soon as they heard. Duh. You right wingers are just incapable of learning anything, aren't you.
If the employee who leaked it had sent it to corporate, they would likely have done the same thing but more internally, which is told their employees this isn't the policy and never was, but without the boycotts and death threats from the insane right that will hurt the business if not destroy it over a lie. Now they have to worry about having a job next year and losing their pensions, and America has to worry about losing another international manufacturer, losing more jobs, and losing more GDP.

When one of Trump's underlings commits a felony for him, do you say he is guilty because his manager did it and should go to prison with them? Like decimating the post office, that's Trump, right? Separating families and caging children, all on Trump's shoulders, no response to Covid for months killing tens of thousands, all Trump, talking to the Russians for help in the election, also Trump. Talking to Ukraine for help with the election, Trump. Asking China for help with the election....that's actually directly Trump.
No, you excuse him as the leader with rogue subordinates that committed crimes....subordinates that deserve pardons for their treasonous felonies.

🤦‍♂️

If Corporate hadn't found out, yes, perhaps it would have been policy for that shift at that section of that factory and until they did find out those few employees might believe that Blue Lives Matter attire wouldn't be allowed.
Blue Lives Matter isn't a racial justice or equality movement, they're an anti racial justice and equity movement, so shouldn't be allowed but are because Goodyear does so much business with police they made an exception to allow it, not an exception to exclude them as you claimed in your parroting of the ignoramus in chief.

Oh, so now you like cancel culture, more so when based on complete and willful misunderstanding the facts? So you're not just a liar, you're a proud hypocrite.
Open season on right wing businesses now I guess, make up any lie about them then boycott or burn them out of business. Sounds like a great way t o make America great, doesn't it?

You think the president calling for a national boycott of an American institution is the best way to handle an internal company policy issue where one employee tried to implement their own policy?!? Of course the same goes for right wing rogues, right?

My Pillow is run by a pedophile crackhead who runs a secret restaurant in the factory that serves baby to Satanists, a crackhead that allows only Maga attire and no social or political statements that don't support Trump in his factories. Go.

Of course, no lies needed for Trump companies. They clearly have the policy being complained about but reversed....no Biden attire, no BLM, but Maga and blue lives matter is ok. Certainly you're calling for them to be cancelled too, right?

Troll.

More lies, nice try, the image is not a fake, even Snopes confirms it. A manager at GY Topeka created it, managers are representative of leadership and the company (as every leader in a company knows) that the leader was not in compliance with corporate policy doesn't change the responsibility of of GY to address. If this didn't get national attention the unfortunate employees at Topeka GY (and anywhere else this employee presented) would believe their employer has taken a political stand on a hot button and divisive issue. GY is welcome to do this but they are also welcome to lose/gain business as a result.

As far as I'm concerned the process worked as it should and is a wake-up call that cancel-culture cuts both ways.

Did you enjoy the dueling speeches yesterday when Sleepy Joe steamrolled Brain Dead Donny?

Biden delivered a long, coherent, topical, devastating for Trump acceptance speech, Trump, again ignored precedent and manners by holding rallies and giving rambling, disjointed speeches at the same time as the Democratic nomination like a two year old screaming for attention at an opera, talking about low flow showers that he says barely drip water, mosquitoes, how he hates sharks, and attacking Joe for moving from his birthplace, accusing the then 10 year old Biden of "Abandoning" Scranton.

You say Biden is losing it?! LMFAHS!!
Trump at his best never held a candle to Biden at his worst. It's going to be hilarious to watch sleepy Joe wipe the floor with Dumb Donald at the debates, Trump can't edit the footage to his advantage there, and gaff to gaff, Biden comes out looking like an adult, but not Trump. How's he going to spin being made a fool by the guy he says is suffering dementia and rapid mental decline?
Kamala V Mike is gonna be a massacre. It should probably be NC17, she's gonna eviscerate him and send him crying to mother.

BTW, did you throw your Goodyear tires away yet? You know Donny said to boycott them because they won't let his people wear maga hats at work. (They don't allow any politics at work, especially campaign clothing). Better get to it, Trump has cancel cultured them, he's counting on you to destroy that American business.

@newtboy, actually I found this video through:

https://blog.simplejustice.us/2020/07/12/cancel-culture-defined/

Which is by no means a right wing outlet. But perhaps not up on the backstory of the video.

In any case, the agressors in this video, although they may have been suckered into it, are really making themselves look bad.

I don't disagree with you there, but fail to see how that would excuse leaving Trump in office....abandoning all hope and learning Mandarin. Biden is far from perfect, and old enough that who his VP is matters, but compared to Trump it's night and day.

Yes, we are likely headed into depression. One team has a chance of shortening it, one will certainly make it worse.
Yes, the pandemic is still in phase 1 of many, but one team sees a problem to tackle, another just sees an optics issue to deflect from.
Yes, there's a huge cultural divide, one team seeks to minimize it, the other exploit it.

I have zero hope Biden will solve our n national problems, nor any doubt Trump would exacerbate every one until there's no nation left. Trump might be a symptom,but so is suffocation. Sometimes you must deal with the symptom first to have a chance at fixing the cause.

Trump is no longer the candidate of change, he's the establishment. They won't vote for him to fix their lives after he ruined them, imo.

I agree, we are headed in the direction of dissolution.

The civil war was plenty bloody, but we have avoided responsibility for most of our sins, agreed.

Yes, 90% reduction if we acted 2weeks sooner is criminally negligent imo. We really dropped the baby on this one....bigly. It's going to get worse.

"This business will get out of control, it will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it."
https://youtu.be/kvNAid29vv8

Thank you....accepted.

The "no good cop" part is right...it's not guilt by association though, it's guilt by being complicit, not turning them in, turning a blind eye, lying to protect the "bad apples"...being accessories after the fact is criminal. Yes, failure to clean their own house makes them bad cops. That's fixable, but only if they clean house...the best, easiest, most thorough way would be fire them all and only reinstate those with clean records, those with complaints need retraining at the least before being police again, many need to be fired. Not perfect, but better than most suggestions imo.
Edit: I do like the suggestion to make it the law that they must intervene if another cop is out of control, and must report it. I also support body cams that can't be turned off, but I want covering them or taking them off to be a felony.

I did say fire them all....but also said to hire them back. That gives us an opportunity to say 'this guy has 27 complaints and 3 multi-million dollar settlements paid out, he's not cop material'. Union rules won't let cops be fired even for cause most times, and absolutely won't allow a national registry of criminal cops. Those facts need to change if the culture is to change.

I agree, there are those few out there advocating no police....I'm just not one of them.

I'm of the opinion that if we keep any of the bad apples, nothing else matters, they'll corrupt the rest. The best way to save the bunch is remove any apples that even LOOK bad....that may leave us with a massive shortage, but that's FAR better than the criminal force we have today, no? One bad apple spoils the bunch...I wish those crying about a just few bad apples understood the phrase they're parsing.

Nothing will satisfy EVERYONE, but it actually takes very little to placate most mobs, just the suggestion that they've been heard is often enough, and why things got so bad. Too often "we hear you" is the only reform, and even that is forgotten as soon as the streets are cleared. I hope this time is different, but I'm not holding my breath.

You misread. Please don't speak for me, especially when you're so wrong.

I support both disband the police, which means require all police to go through the hiring process again with those with multiple or serious complaints on their record disqualified or at least forced into retraining and a long probationary period...and I also support defund the police...meaning remove mental health from their job (and fund a mental health department that is sent on mental health calls, normally without police escort), it means the SWAT team is only called after weapons are used, not pre-emptive for non-violent calls, so can be cut in half or less. It means ZERO dollars for military equipment.
It does not mean eradicating the police, it does not mean cut ALL police funding, it means remove the second, third, and fourth hats they wear, remove violent or abusive officers, and cut their funding accordingly.

Mostly I think people want enforceable responsibility, criminal and civil, not immunity. If police had no shield from their actions, they would act better instantly. That's a no brainer and doesn't cost a dime.

Edit: eradicating the police unions would go a long way towards fixing the culture.

I think the demands of the public are more homogeneous than you claim....I know so, since you mischaracterized my position to create an outlier. That said, people do have different ideas of how to fix a problem we seem to agree on....but stripping immunity seems to be nearly universal outside police and Republican senator circles.

The people running the country aren't our best and brightest, they are those narcissistic enough to think they alone can make a difference and those slimy enough to think they can take advantage of an elected position for their personal gain. Trump proves undeniably that they aren't necessarily better educated , smart, or professional.

I'll go ahead and say the unpopular truth....we need to not just defund, but disband the police. Fire them all, then allow them to reapply for their jobs, but those with excessive complaints, or any crimes on their record don't get hired back or at a minimum should have to go back to school with no pay, then pass a psychological screening far more stringent than the one they passed originally.
No amount of funding change (which is needed), demilitarization (which only means not making them more militarized, no one's taking their swat tanks or snipers), no amount of public outrage, or chiefs quitting will make a difference if the same criminal cops are still on the force, they need a massive purge and complete culture change or things will not get better.

One other change that I believe will definitely help, remove immunity so criminal cops not only go to prison, but also are first in line to pay restitution for their own crimes out of their own pockets, then once they're bankrupt the union's pockets, and if they both run out of money the city/state comes last in line for obligation to pay. When cops lose everything when they're convicted for abusing their authority, the bad apples will straighten up fast or quit.

So was murder, and rape, so I'm coming over to murder you, put your children into slavery, and your wife too if she survives my whole tribe raping her. What, can't get over the past? It's the norm since Jesus, until the 1800's at least...but you just gave me permission to ignore any civil progression. Thanks, I can use some white slaves and a whore.
Dumbass, the constitution allowed slavery, and actually so did Lincoln, he offered to allow states to decide themselves if they just paid their taxes.
South said no dice, and went with treason. They much preferred being traitors to admitting blacks were human beings.

When you start with nothing (not the >$400000000 "nothing" Trump was handed), are denied opportunities, loans, housing (by Trump and pops in many cases) businesses, and in places where you're successful anyway like Tulsa, you get massacred, you're left with little chance for personal or cultural financial progress. Derp.
When you then, having scratched out a living despite the dozen daily roadblocks whites don't have, must compete with those who were handed $400000000 but claim to be self made and also don't have roadblocks like loan refusal, rental refusal, job refusal, purchasing refusal, near daily delays and attacks by racist police, business burnings, etc, that's not the past holding you back, it's the present.

The countries where it's local have mostly white police forces that are also racist against black and brown people, and even so are mostly protesting America's massive systemic racism, holding George Floyd signs and slogans. You know that, you aren't 3....or are you?

Never heard of colonialism I guess. Well, that's not surprising. See, white Europeans took over most brown or black countries, racistly claiming they couldn't govern themselves because they weren't fully human. That was a global racist endeavor.

You are such a stupid, racist tool. You should be forced to live in rural S Africa and learn what racism is before opening your ignorant mouth and spouting stupidity. You really have no clue what you're talking about, as usual.

You make me so sad and worried for humanity if we have your ilk dragging us down and backwards.