The Politics Thread (PLAY NICELY!)

this is just basic prescriptions and such. They can't have an IRM machine or any of the other more expensive equipment and medicine with that kind of low funding.

this isn't "moving without the government" regardless of how hard people work together it's not gonna make up for infrastructure built over centuries and spanning a nation.

basically if you show up with cancer or a brain tumor it's back to square one. hence the sarcasm quotes methinks.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/21/us/maryland-undocumented-student-rape/index.html

Well, Trump's still stupid, but liberals who naysay'd are also certifiably stupid as well now.

Why was "guy" in quotes, @thetrophysystem?

It's quoting the hypothetical assailant and possibly Beitbart's article after the fact. It'll be a trans ofc, so "guy" is in fact likely insulting.

Since everyone here thinks I go on tangents, I felt the need to share that one of my favorite Street Fighter Alpha characters is Guy. Rose is pretty cool too.

However, I'm not the only one that likes tangents. Why did you feel labels more important, than the possible, nay, very likely, biased treatment of a crime by the police? If the bathroom situation is handled anything like a domestic violence, the "guy" could have a chipped skull, the woman could have nary a scratch, and the "guy" could still get prison time for it. A band-aid fix, would be to consider them both female. A real fix, would be to treat them both human.

I doubt you're looking for instruction from me, but yeah something like assailant is normally better (or just "person", really). Gives people less ammunition then, too.

Also, by assailant, I mean the women (or their husbands) with that "use the wrong bathroom and we'll toss you" nonsense. NOT the trans, the trans would in fact be the victim of the assault.

If it were the other way around, pretty sure there'd be plenty of evidence of a struggle, among other forensic proof.

So, it'd be "victim" (or just "person", really).

You need to email Breitbart about that "ammunition" thing. Not that you'd want to instruct Breitbart how to structure their cases, nor that they'd listen to you. I just know they're going to "assume their pronoun", if you will...

Sooo who's interested in me doing a French politics briefing? And talking about the upcoming french election in this thread? the french elections are actually fascinating this time around.
unprecedents out the wazzoo

Go ahead, I've been loosely following them already.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uk-parliament-shots-fired_us_58d28ea0e4b02d33b7477c2d

You know, I was thinking about posting something about "automobile control" laws... but now I just feel like a *****, because there's no way to fully disarm someone with intent to do this kind of damage, or to "screen" them, whether domestic-bred or foreign-migrant.

I understand, the best anyone can do is stand against the attacks themselves, not some wide swath of people or some arbitrary weapons. Not every attack is the same, not every assailant is the same. Citizen unity, vigilance, and response, are all they can do, and all we can do is stand in solidarity with them against violent attacks by various extreme agendas and groups.

Don't get me wrong, there are frequent violent extremist attacks on schools by disgruntled students even in France, domestic terrorism does happen and the stance against violent attacks needs to respond to any violent attack. A good stance, is an unbiased stance, a stance not limited to very specific cases, but to the full spectrum of cases regardless of reason.

We've been over this. More cars.

So here's the start of my french politics 2017 presentation. I say the start because I know I'm gonna forget stuff. and this'll require several pages to explain in detail.

During France's very first presidential election by direct universal suffrage in 1965 only 6 were running. after the first round of voting 2 were left (Charles de Gaulle and Francois Miterrand. CDG won and these two combined had 75% of votes proving a working system and a willingness to abide by it).

This year's election hosted the 23 of April and 7 Mars (If there is a second round... The first round can determine the victor immediately if someone has 50.1%) there are 11 running.
I mentioned functioning system blablabla earlier because the french have been visibly displeased with "the system" and "politics" of late not to mention our entire constitution. This was the percentage of people refusing to vote for the election that gave us François Hollande :
201210 June (first tour)42,78 %
17 June (second round)44,59 %

then in 2015 the regional elections (that elects the regional council members something a bit comparable to a senate) showed us things were indeed dire :
2015(first round)50,09 %
(second round)41,59 %

Quick context : So parties present their runner for the presidentials. There are always several contestants to the throne of a party (when it's big) so parties run in-house elections.

I'm not entirely sure they're similar to GOP and democrat elections. you have to have the party's card. they're not nation organised elections they're party-organised.

Also a candidate has to fill the condition of having at least a five hundred signatures from mayors (this year 75 did not reach that number).

Quick final bit of context :
The "Left-Right-Center triptych of the french political landscape" : the three party system that made these faces popular :

remember these names.

But lets present the main runners a bit :

anti-europe
She's a straight tawka
She tells it like it is
She promises to make france great again
She's gonna build a wall on france's southern border.

pro-europe
French Republican party. (I don't think it's in any way similar to the american Republican party)
Christian-Catholic-Right supporters that aren't comfortable voting for Marine Le Pen vote for him.

He's under formal investigation for fake job offenses. the party was like : "screw it you're killing us with this judicial filth, step down so we can win with another candidate", he was like "nao! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

and this is despite his hilarious backtrack on the matter of officials not having legitimacy campaigning if they were charged with something (he was using himself as the theoretical accused which makes this even more damning) :

sighhh (this is a swooning sigh as well as a roll-eye sigh ^^)

Former first minister to France 2007-2012, Paris deputy.
Started running for this presidency (at least as the right's candidate) in 2013. Officialized his candidacy in 2015.
He's the one we have to thank for Nicolas Sarkozy (on the basis of his shady money problems how ironic) and Alain Juppé being ousted. And thank him enough, we never can.

(Quick context : the presidency in france grants judicial immunity. why? good question but we don't have time it's mostly a constitutional relic (keeps the judiciary branch from having sway over the executive). Sarkozy which you might know from an outsider's perspective as France's most recognizable midget president is not France's proudest moment. He's a serial unconvicted felon for embezzlement in any and all possible forms mostly involving foreign affairs and a long running list of other shady affairs who's most notable trait (to the french at least) is his uncanny knack for abuse of the aforementioned relic. Hollande's presidency is entirely Sarkozy's doing despite's Hollande's illusions to the contrary. Despite french's progressive and innovative politics we can't elect a dog or a rock. All this to say that obviously Sarkozy was running yet again and had managed to escape (and still does) hearing in the Hollande presidency hiatus and as such would have been able to escape the law altogether out of sheer old age and latent immunity. now not so sure. again thank you Fillon <3)

pro-europe
A couple months back he attempted claiming he was the "new center" and representing the young left voters who felt distrust in the political scene as well. noone bough it and you shouldn't either.

His party is the so-called "Independent Party". (I'd like to see him run without the support of the right)

Former minister of the economy.

As fakie center he gets François Bayrou's support and vote. ...oh yes and supporters do I really have to mention that? I mean it's not like they make any dent in the percent.... okay sorr-yyy sheesh!

Okay if that wasn't clear enough for you he's basically what the right's morphed into. It's a bit hard to pin him at times because he is left-lenient but basically he's the right's best bet. He has a bit of a crazy streak (I mean who am I kidding they ALL do but watch this):

that's one thing and then there's this :

now if you didn't understand any of that don't feel bad because you don't speak french. The whole country of France speaks french and did not understand that. And this happens on a constant basis with him even during the recent TV debate.

pro-europe
Hollande's education minister ran in the left's in-house election and won defeating Manuel Valls in an unexpected turn of events.
No matter. He's now the face of the left. He's got a strong ecologist's, Yannik Jadot's, support.

europe-unpronounced
Teacher.
I realize his pronounced name might sound real different then how you would imagine. Just pretend he's named "meh-lauh-sh-oh" (as deep a "O" as you can go) (and then tack on a "N" but it isn't mandatory).

too big, too interesting and too important to be summed up.
I'll get back to him in a second post.
One thing to point out first and foremost though he doesn't want to be identified with any political party or movement.

As such he is running partyless. Which, in typical french fashion, is totally a possibility.

pro-europe
Also teacher. Representing the "Worker Struggle" (ooo that one doesn't translate well the original french is "Lutte Ouvrière" party)

not much to say there other than in france the coal miner actually has his own party instead of getting buttfucked by Trump.

pro-europe
Third attempt at being president. Solidarity and Progress Party.

europe-unpronounced
Deputy and mayor ex-UMP-party member

anti-europe
Tried running 4 years ago but failed then to meet the 500 signature rule. Public Republican Union party.

pro-europe
Deputy and vice-president of the MoDeM party (the Party Bayrou founded but Bayrou's not supporting this guy he's supporting Hammon, remember?)
Exited himself from the Republican/Right in-house election. so I guess he's running with a newly created party that's like the MoDem and shitt.

europe-unpronounced
Awwwwwwwww Poutouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
his name sounds like this to french people :

his predicted voter percentage has the same kind of "AWWW!" effect....

New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) Trotskyist softer than the communist party. nothing harmful just not many supporters.

"wait a minute!", you might say : "where are Francois Hollande Nicolas Sarkozy and François Bayrou that so typically represented the Left-Right-Center triptych of the french political landscape presented in final rounds of french elections for a millennia and that you asked me to remember at the beginning but that I already forgot?"

and you'd be right, you beautiful beautiful dove you, you'd be so right to ask that question!

well they're not running!
"it's critical! deadlines are approaching! the whole system's coming undone ted!"

even the typical party layout is missing! things used to be so simple!



over the last century. Frenchmen have been beaten over the head with typical four party first round presidential elections :

• Right
• Left
• Center (pretend this doesn't exist and the numbers will agree with you)
• and ecologists

In this presentation the right typically won out. Left having a tradition of wanting to not be put in the same bag and being real sticklers over minor ideology differences not to mention an unnerving habit of splitting, merging and committing wait what? and right party having a tradition of packaging a one size fits all party and sticking with that strategy through thick and thin. Ironing out (and this could get ugly) any kinks and thereby making certain the right would have a majority (we're talking 30-45%) under a single man (they've never presented a woman, call me when they do).



I mean we did do 1 left - 1 right but ....BLEH!BLEH!BLEH!



The regional elections that I made this thread for (which I do recommend you read, context to this whole triptych falling apart thing will be acquired to you if you do) showed, apart for the frenchmen's unwillingness to vote, a breakage with the typical layout :

• Alt-Right
• Right
• Left
• and ecologists

Now the alt-right had been there for a while now but it's suddenly sprung up and past the ecologists way up into 30%. Also François Bayrou was like "noone ever listens to me" and called it up.


Now I've always been an ecologist and preeeetty anti-right if I do say so myself but that time around (as most sensible left and ecologist voters did) I voted right come second round.


And Now, ...well now things are different :

• Alt-Right
• dying or dead father Right flagshipped by François Fillon
• "not-but-totally-actually-is-but-isn't-but-is-just-kidding-it-isn't-or-is-it" Right by Macron
• Wildcard by Mélenchon
• "wait-fuk-we-actually-bypassed-the-father-left-even-though-we're-a-tiny-left-subset-but-but-but-I-didn't-have-a-plan-for-if-we-made-it-that-far" Left by Hamon

and that's not counting the other candidates because their percentages don't warrant the attention.

Needless to say ...this ...is ...uuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUNNNNNprecEDENTEEEEEEED

Can I be honest with you? I like this complication. Simple meant noone identified with any of it. It also meant asss-backwards and stupid.

now things reflect people's distrust of the political system.

So things are basically up in the air as of what will happen especially what with our failure to predict trump or our last regional elections with statistics and polls.

Alright now on to the promised Mélenchon paragraph :

This guy's something lemme tell ya.

Quick side note : this strategical mastermind got his signatures and his starting voting base by basically stealing the communist party. he's since then gained huge popularity among youths.

So as you might know in France we've had a couple revolutions and each one (sometimes there wasn't one) left in it's wake a new constitution. It's not a constitution we call it "République". and we number them as such.

Our current government legal/judicial/power is dictated by a series of documents we label the 5th Republic

Mélenchon says the fith is obsolete and archaic and has been for a long time and we should switch to the sixth. A statement that will catch flack with all of noone except maybe the Alt-Right and then some (the 5th republic is basically a public enemy). But the general notion with this has always been that it's just one of those sucky things that there's nothing we can do about.

Quick context : "wait it's the FITH and it's ARCHAIC!? How does THAT happen?"
well the main problem with each republic is that everytime we rewrite it we base it on the old one trusting that there were at least some solid basis.

this is how women ended up having to be amended into the fourth the lackluster terminology having been exploited and ect.

Not him. He says "screw it! lets write up a new one from the ground up. And the thing is it's not going to be about governors and the governed. We'll have a constituents assembly. and these will be the deciders. no more presidents no more vice president no more any leader. First rule of being allowed as a member : you can't have occupied a political seat of the fith republic (senator/deputy/parliament) or the sixth. one time service. Part of the constituents will be elected the others will be drawn at random as you do for jury"

You - "Hold on so you're asking to be elected to ...step down?"

Mélenchon - "Yes that's right"

(do you like this guy yet?)

He is of the strong opinion that the political/economical/social sphere have all undergone transformation and that none of what we have is following suit and so we wonder why our jobs are going abroad and all but the answer, he sais, is right there.

we're just not competitive in pricing at craftsman and manual work which even though we're automating/robotizing out the wazoo continues to exist so these jobs export. But it's senseless to want them back, he says, time to adapt.

he proposes making it a nation-law to serve 100% bio food in schools (public schooling in france is 80-85% all levels combined) this would mean reverting from industrialized farming and growing farming jobs in untold proportions.

he proposes shutting down our nuclear entirely and switching to green energy 100% as another way to open up jobs (the technical challenge for the brains, the installation and construction of these means in-france for the labor). 18 of our nuclear reactors are now perempt after their 40 years of service they need to be refurbished which will cost 100 billion Euros. He's proposing to invest that money into green energy instead.

He plans to shut down France money leaks in fiscal evasion and corruption losses which he plans to make his main crackdown.

He also says that if his formation of the sixth republic runs into holdups past the two-year deadline he's set himself he'll just have us break down into all-out revolution and see what happens from there.

oh and he's unabashed about tearing Marine Le Pen a new assshole every occasion he gets (he happens to be very good at it) he says the government and media have been completely complicit in tolerating them and their statements when our constitution basically forbids their party's existence as article 24 of the freedom of press law of 1881 forbids provoking discrimination, hate or violence towards people/peoples of belonging or even non-belonging to a race, ethnicity, nation or religion ......and there's really not much else the FN party ever does.

as such they regularly pay the 45 000 fine (not the 1-year prison sentence though and this is where Mélenchon and the french except for the alt-right get upset with the government and the press)


Here he is tearing her a new one spectacularly. It's something the french are not used to seeing : the pitbull being out-pitbulled and not by pitbulling but instead in an absolute landslide of facts and overwhelmingly better sense not to mention stunning numerical precision.



here's the full TV debate that happened 2 days ago :

tatsu's take : well fuckit cross my fingers and vote for Frexit. upon further thought I'm not going to use that term. I meant exit from the 5th republic but since Marine Le Pen actually promises to exit france from europe just like britain it's a hard ask to coin that term for Mélenchon.

So, healthcare, huh? Seems like the proposed AHCA wasn't hardline enough for the core GOPers to vote on. An appropriate Tweet sums this up, for me:

Source.

So many years to prepare a better alternative to a system that sure had many issues one could improve on and all they have when finally given all the power they need to do whatever they want is ...

Nothing

The real thing that's a bust here is my attempt to get ya'll interested in french politics.... x'D

I envy you. We were still here last election:

Right down to the "people being social democrat but voting 'democrat' (still right but less)" part.

I eagerly await the reboot of the parties, into something the citizens actually relate to.

@thetrophysystem how is it you envy me?

On Hammond :

Pretty convinced now he came up with the idea of "use the 100 billion Euros needed to refurbish our 18 overdue nuclear reactors to close them and replace with green energy instead" that Mélenchon is now touting. Vice versa, though he is now also claiming he wants the 6th republic. Doesn't want it to be as revolutionary though. Just a quick upgrade.

le pen (spelling?) not winning is all i care about .. britain is a lost cause imo and who knows if it doesn´t rip itself appart ..
the flying dutchman fortunately continues to float so that´s a good thing ..
poland is a bit ... questionable ...

germany is gonna be intresting this year too ...