8 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

1. Recount proceeds in Michigan, against Trump's wishes. Wisconsin had evidence of vote tampering, as well as the massive voter suppression which likely kept hundreds of thousands of  students and minorities from being able to vote.

   Yeah, yeah, I know it's unlikely to overturn the results. But in the long run, if these recounts show that the election system in several states is completely unreliable and unverifiable, it should pave the way for election reform.

   Colorado started becoming a reliable blue state after we went to mail in ballots: votes that can't be suppressed, are reliably counted by neutral machines supervised in a bipartisan manner, and leave a paper trail.

   To Pol’s point with the thread quote, If we want to take what's left of our democracy back after Trump/Pence rampage, we must strengthen our voting process.

   Log in to Reply

2. Mr. Karaoke Diplomacy  does love 'em some USA…

   Rodrigo Duterte Says Donald Trump Endorses His Violent Antidrug Campaign

   President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines said on Saturday that President-elect Donald J. Trump had endorsed his brutal antidrug campaign, telling Mr. Duterte that the Philippines was conducting it “the right way.”

   There was no immediate response from Mr. Trump to Mr. Duterte’s description of the phone call, and his transition team could not be reached for comment.

    

   Log in to Reply

   1. 

      Log in to Reply

      1. I'm all in favor of ending the drug war. I think the mostly religious, moralist, busybodies have gotten too far off base in trying to make personal life decisions for all other citizens.

         I don't think, though, that a comparison to Portugal is a good example. Portugal has 10,340,000+ million people while the US has 310 million. So, yes, Portugal will have far fewer murders and rapes.

         I was briefly in Lisbon back in June and I recommend Portugal as a tourist destination. Hope to return in next year or two. Take good walking shoes. Lisbon is more hilly than San Francisco.

          

         Log in to Reply

         1. Yes, per capita

            Log in to Reply

3. Pretty sure those crime stats are per capita, chb.

   Log in to Reply

   1. They are per capita (rate per 100 citizens). One startling difference: Portugal's minimum age for criminal responsibility is 14.  The United States is 6. That's right, a 6 year old can be held criminally responsible in the US of A. This is how you can have kindergartners  handcuffed for stealing candy. Of course, this is more likely if said kindergartner is black.

      Log in to Reply

4. Joy Reid on Democratic Boot Camp:

   Ryan and Trump want to privatize Medicare and Social Security. So much money to be made by forcing elderly and disabled folks into the private marketplace.

   Reid's panel wants to channel Pelosi '04 and force Trump to run on that (probably run from it). Make keeping Medicare and Social Security the Democratic issue.p>

   Other takeaways: It's not a choice of appealing to either white working class or minority voters . It's talk about poverty, talk about jobs, talk about health care.

   Don’t rely solely on social media – get in there and have house meetings, union meetings, church presentations, house canvassing. OFA ’08 grassroots organizing worked. It brought in me and thousands of other volunteers. Trump’s administration is going to be as bad or worse than George Bush’s. It will motivate people to organize and to come together.

   Pols, is somebody reporting out from the DNC meeting in Denver?

    

   Log in to Reply