Looking at the thumbnail and wondered why women would take birth control backwards in the week... I'm slow. Lmao maybe I'm a good case study for why we need this stuff.
I feel like that whole diagram is the result of a long evolution of, what are all the possible ways that somebody can fuck this up and what’s literally everything possible we can do to prevent it
Aight. I'm fine with this. Fine. But I'm going to need an excuse, anything at all will do, I'll take it.
"Nuh uh!", said Senate Republicans.
FFS, who is this to appeal to? I've met anti-abortion people, seen 'em. I've never talked to a human in life that was against all contraception, not even religious nuts.
This is what happens when loyalty to the group starts overriding good outcomes and moral judgements of what's right and wrong.
Everyone knows it's the wrong answer, but to speak on behalf of something that's been defined as an enemy viewpoint is to yourself become an enemy. And since health care for women is now an enemy position, here we are.
Once you're on the train, it's very hard to get off. Even when everyone knows it's gone too far, even when real killing starts, most of the people who defined themselves in that manner won't say a word against it. Because of course what would happen to them, if they did?
I mean duh? If you told me there is a bill in the Senate protecting reproductive Rights, my very first thought and response would be Republicans will never let it pass.
This was bait. The Democrats knew this bill would not pass, now they’re gonna use it as campaign fodder all the way up to November. And, likely, beyond.
"How dare you make me look like a misogynistic monster by putting up a perfectly sensible proposal which my misogynistically monstrous views will then cause me to vote against and make me look bad"
They did it with the border bill too. The Democrats proposed a bill that gave the Republicans exactly what they wanted, and they turned it down. Made them look like goddamn idiots.
When the Democrats do stuff like this, I may not seem like much, but the Republican party is shattering, and these sorts of actions accelerate that. There is strategy to what the Democrats are doing.
I mean this comes from the House led by GOP who have spent so much time in committee that they have past:
checks notes
64 laws, most related to renaming post offices.
As a comparison, the 117th Congress (the last one) which was led by Democrats passed 463 laws including the CHIPS law, the Inflation Reduction law, the Infrastructure bill...
In fact, the 118th is on track to be the least productive Congress in modern history. And it's not just because of all of the inquires that have gone nowhere the GOP have lead, though that has eaten about 60% of their time on the Hill. The GOP has dealt with massive infighting that prevents even themselves from getting things done.
"too little too late"
Man they could have centuries of time on their hands and wouldn't even do basic things like pass a budget. The GOP has demonstrated quite well that they don't have the ability to enact their platform. And mostly because they're too damn busy posing in front of cameras and trying to score sound bites. Like just the other day Comer was talking about how he'd like to arrest Fauci and the thing is, Comer has a degree in Agriculture and mostly majored in those aspects. He doesn't even have the functional knowledge to actually indict anyone, much less the ability to maintain the massive amount of litigation.
Like he can say that, but the odds of any kind of successful indictment is slim to none. I mean for fucks sake, he sits on the Oversight Committee ex officio, shit he likely doesn't even know what that means.
A large part of the modern GOP are people who are horrible at their job and have very little understanding of how Government works. MTG just a few weeks ago was talking about some sort of "law" and what it really was, was a regulatory hearing on review of rule making. Not even new rules or regulatory processes, just the usual self audit. Lady doesn't know the different between slip, law, bill, and rule. But she'll be the first one to open her mouth about who is and is not a doctor.
A lot of them are very poorly educated in how anything works. And they objectively demonstrate that lack of knowledge on a fairly regular basis. And they're pretty unabashed about it too.
So yeah, that "too little too late" that's some rich bull. You know my Grandfather used to say: "If you are ever worried about professional politicians, just you wait till the amateurs get here." He made that in reference to a Governor of Tennessee Ray Blanton, but fuck if it doesn't apply here.
The GOP has demonstrated quite well that they don’t have the ability to enact their platform.
Most of what they want to do is block progress, which is actually quite easy. That can be done with control of any one of the three of president, house of representatives, or senate - which they have had for 20 of the last 24 years.
They did it with the border bill too. The Democrats proposed a bill that gave the Republicans exactly what they wanted, and they turned it down. Made them look like goddamn idiots.
And Democrats now support exactly what Republicans wanted.
Except not even the Republicans supported it, and the Democrats just proved that all the Republicans really want is something to bitch about during campaign season, Not actual solutions to problems which only the Democrats are able to come up with.
Except not even the Republicans supported it, and the Democrats just proved that all the Republicans really want is something to bitch about during campaign season
So Democrats got to move to the right and got to point out what everyone already knows about Republicans.
Not actual solutions to problems which only the Democrats are able to come up with.
Giving Republicans what they claim they want isn't a solution.
How does baiting republicans into a trap constitute a change in position on immigration?
Democrats' last known position on immigration is what they baited Republicans with. They've been acting like it's the reasonable option. In addition, Biden's been limiting asylum and kept Trump's "remain in Mexico" policy.
Also, please refer to a specific past immigration policy by democrats that you’re referring to by “what it was”.
Well, DACA for one. Far as I can tell, nothing has been done to try to protect Dreamers since a conservative judge killed it. But considering the Democrats are now counting as policy successes things they freaked out about when Trump did them, yes, Democrats have moved to the right on immigration. They will never move back because Democrats don't move to the left.
Well, it pretty hilarious that you insist bait is an official policy position, esp since it’s never been declared.
Also
Well, DACA for one. Far as I can tell, nothing has been done to try to protect Dreamers since…
The endless and constant obstructionism and attacks by republicans? The ones that have been fought by Obama and Biden, not to mention dems in congress?
If you don’t see what has been done, it’s because you are intentionally ignoring the evidence.
Don’t come back to me with these ridiculous arguments, blaming Democrats for the non-stop fascism of the GOP. That gaslighting won’t work here. Anyone who doesn’t have a Fox News Drip directly into their brain is aware of this. You’ve given yourself away.
Well, it pretty hilarious that you insist bait is an official policy position, esp since it’s never been declared.
Oh declared policy positions? Like how they totally want to raise the minimum wage or revisit the public option or codify Roe? Declared positions are no better than campaign promises, and it says a lot that you expect me to take them at face value instead of the actual actions of our elected officials.
If you don’t see what has been done, it’s because you are intentionally ignoring the evidence.
Then provide some. DACA was struck down in 2021. What have our elected leaders done since then for Dreamers? No, I won't accept "You don't KNOW?" as a fucking answer. I won't accept pledges or statements or declared positions or anything other than an actual attempt to do something. Because the attempt I've seen was to enact Republican policy and they haven't done anything at all to walk that back.
Since you've decided not to read what I posted and just post a standard dismissal instead, I'm glad that this conversation has reached its conclusion with your concession that you were wrong.
The Democrats proposed a bill that gave the Republicans exactly what they wanted, and they turned it down. Made them look like goddamn idiots.
Also made the Dems look like heartless hypocrites for suggesting Republican style laws that demonize and abuse asylum seekers and other immigrants while doing nothing constructive about the problems they're pretending to address, though..
Bait implies tricking them into going for something they shouldn't. But the GOP should want this, everyone should want this. This was blatantly pulling the mask off. Let's see if anyone listens.
See this is a flawless bad-faith dig at the Democrats. I started typing up a big list of important stuff they've been doing, as counterexamples to the implication that they're only pretending to care about American women as some weird ploy to get votes, but then I just sound like some kind of overreacting after-school special.
With simple cynicism and dishonesty, this short comment actually does a pretty good job of making the Democrats trying to do something good which is only necessary in the first place because Hillary Clinton (for as much of a useless toad-lady as she was) didn't win the election, and being blocked by the Republicans, and turning all of that into a reason not to feel like electing Democrats.
Electing Democrats isn't the only answer; we need a lot better than them. But yes, electing Democrats would have prevented all these women that are suffering or dying or almost-dying right now because they need medical care (to say nothing of the ones that just need abortions), because there's a big difference between "not as good as we need" and "actively wants to kill Americans." Voting for the first one is not exclusive of working for better outcomes outside the voting booth. Refusing to vote is helping the second one.
I feel like I've already taken this bullshit too seriously by even typing up a longish comment in response, but this variety of bad faith bullshit is just getting too irritating and the outcomes in the real world are very real.
See this is a flawless bad-faith dig at the Democrats.
No, this is based on decades of observing Democrats. They're great at introducing legislation that most Americans would love when they know they can't pass it, and then pretending their hands are tied or forgetting about it entirely when they can pass it.
Examples: Revisiting the public option. DACA. Codifying Roe.
With simple cynicism and dishonesty, this short comment actually does a pretty good job of making the Democrats trying to do something good which is only necessary in the first place because Hillary Clinton (for as much of a useless toad-lady as she was) didn’t win the election, and being blocked by the Republicans, and turning all of that into a reason not to feel like electing Democrats.
If you want to lie and say I'm telling people to not vote for Democrats, come right out and say it instead of throwing it behind a paragraph of cowardly equivocation.
Electing Democrats isn’t the only answer; we need a lot better than them.
But we're never allowed to demand better because that's [paragraph of veiled accusations].
No, this is based on decades of observing Democrats
This part I actually agree with. Obama did a couple of good things but on the whole the whole Clinton / Pelosi axis is a pile of shit. Of course, that's not a good argument for letting Hitler come to power, but you would actually have a point if you weren't applying this to the guy that did:
40% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030
15% minimum corporate tax
Actual labor people in charge of the NLRB for the first time in God knows how long leading to all these union wins
Hundreds of billions of dollars in student loan forgiveness
Big wage gains at the bottom end of the scale even when adjusted for massive historic inflation
Etc etc and so on. Biden's actually this radical forward departure from the pretty uninspiring Democratic norm. But sure, the system is still broken; if you're advocating for improving it above Biden that sounds like a great idea. I was just reacting to the absolutely false implication that these particular Democrats are only pretending to make progress. Or, have I got it wrong, were you not trying to say that?
If you want to lie and say I'm telling people to not vote for Democrats
Do you think people should vote for the Democrats? Not "allowed to vote for whoever you want" or whatever -- do you think it's a good idea for them to? What do you think they should be doing to make progress in the country, generally speaking?
But we're never allowed to demand better
Absolutely I think you should demand better. I just don't see that as incompatible with choosing the best available option while you're working for a better option than the ones currently on the table.
but you would actually have a point if you weren’t applying this to the guy that did:
I wasn't applying it to Biden. I was applying it to Senate Democrats in particular and Democrats more broadly. I have other criticisms for Biden, and have made it clear multiple times that I approve of how he handled student loans.
I was just reacting to the absolutely false implication that these particular Democrats are only pretending to make progress. Or, have I got it wrong, were you not trying to say that?
I was saying that because I believe it to be true, based on my previous observations. I don't think they're gonna pick it back up when they have the numbers to pass it.
Do you think people should vote for the Democrats?
Yes. Until we have a less shitty option, that remains my position. It was my position last time you asked too.
Absolutely I think you should demand better. I just don’t see that as incompatible with choosing the best available option while you’re working for a better option than the ones currently on the table.
There is no "best" available option. Democrats are the current least bad option, and I have never advocated voting any other way. Not that you care. You've heard this from me before and continue to pretend otherwise. You know my position and yet you continue to act as though my position is contrary to what you know it to be.
I will continue to demand better, and you'll keep making veiled accusations.
I wasn't applying it to Biden. I was applying it to Senate Democrats in particular and Democrats more broadly. I have other criticisms for Biden, and have made it clear multiple times that I approve of how he handled student loans.
Oh shit, I think maybe I did an unfairness then. I have you in my little mental list of people who talk shit on Biden relentlessly but it sounds like maybe I should not -- yeah, general unenthusiasm for Senate Democrats I can pretty fully agree with. Makes sense.
Do you think people should vote for the Democrats?
Yes. Until we have a less shitty option, that remains my position. It was my position last time you asked too.
I for-real do not remember this. I probably wouldn't have written what I did if I had -- yeah, everything you're saying here makes perfect sense.
I will continue to demand better, and you'll keep making veiled accusations.
100% fair and I apologize. Yeah, demanding better sounds great.
