Politics

375 Ruger Fan said:

US politics are getting really weird. Fetterman was actually seen in a suit!

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Big Easy, I’m crushed, having been lied to and betrayed all these years. I really thought Starship Troopers and Spaceballs were real. Really

fourfive8 said:

Big Easy, I’m crushed, having been lied to and betrayed all these years. I really thought Starship Troopers and Spaceballs were real. Really

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I’ve been doing my part. My kids have been killing bugs since they could walk lol

Killingtime said:

Ironically even black men who owned property were able to vote in area’s at the founding of the nation. John Adam’s also has some interesting writings on this topic that he wrote in 1776. He was quite worried that non contributors would want to vote lol.

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Why would that be ironic, for all love?

Big_Easy said:

The fallacy in your argument is that it is not a 1:1 increase in labor costs to overall goods and services costs. I've already debunked this in an earlier post about corporate labor costs using McDonalds as an example. If a corporate owned store has labor costs of 23%, then if you double the wages and benefits of every employee there, the total expenses don't double for the company, they go up 23%. The most your happy meal should increase is 23%. So a 100% increase in their wages = a 23% increase in the end products price to the consumer. Or a 0.23:1 ratio. And that's assuming the Golden Arches doesn't absorb any of that increased cost by reducing their profit margins. Which they might.

The cost of a BigMac in Denmark is cheaper than the USA, but the starting wage for a burger flipper in Denmark is $21/hour, versus $13/hour in the United States. A danish burger flipper gets 50% more rate, but the product costs less. By your logic the cost of a BigMac in Denmark should cost almost $12, but it doesn't.

Edit:
And then you have to realize that for workers making less than $15/hour, that's only 13% of the workers, and for workers making under $17/hour, that's 23% of workers. So lets say we double labor costs for the bottom 13% of workers (we wouldn't) but assume worst case scenario for the oligarchs here. 23% labor costs x 13% workers is 3% country-wide. A one time 3% national increase in the total labor costs for goods and services produced by all of these workers, spread out over the total economy, assuming no company absorbs the increase from their profits. And yet their wages and benefits have doubled, so they have more spending money, and the gov finally gets to take a share.

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You don't have a clue about how small the margins are in the restaurant industry. Between labor cost, food cost, paper goods cost, utilities cost, facility costs and maintenance, there's not a lot left over. I used to manage a company that owned five restaurants. If a walk-in cooler or freezer went down, it would cost thousands and wipe out any profit for weeks. Stuff breaks all the time and still labor was the highest cost. Increase labor costs much and you might as well shut the doors for good.

You and your ridiculous dreamland ideas about businesses and corporations are just silly. I can tell you have never taken the risk of owning your own business or being a manager trying to make a profit to keep your job and those of your co-workers going and you have no idea how hard it is to balance everything. Businesses exist to make a profit. Businesses are not just an employment agency for the benefit of the employees. Employees are awesome and valuable but they don't take on the same level of risk as owners and managers. You hate the big public corporations but they are owned by lots of everyday middle class Americans through stock ownership in personal accounts and retirement accounts.

My son works for the largest corporation on earth. He has worked incredibly hard and has moved up the chain. He is not complaining about his pay and benefits and either are his co-workers. The company makes billions but it is less than a 5% profit for trillions in investments. You think the total earnings are too high but you don't understand the margins or care about the percentages. Should the company pay even higher wages and pay more taxes and make 1%? Ridiculous.

Most of us on the site have worked our tails off and are sick and tired of the "poor me" attitude of people on the left that have made bad decisions and want us to pay for it. Take your bleeding heart and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. I have no use for slackers that aren't willing to work hard to get ahead. Why you defend and advocate for those people is beyond me. The summation of life for able-bodied people is the summation of their decisions. I don't want to pay for their litany of bad decisions, one after another. They need to take accountability and deal with the position they have put THEMSELVES in.

And all this bloviating about billionaires is tiring. I could care less if the number of billionaires doubled tomorrow. It doesn't affect you or me. Quit acting like it does. Like Cameron Haines says, "Nobody cares. Work harder."

Been overseas much, Africa or south of the border? If you are able-bodied and can't make it in this country, you are a LOSER!

Crowley pulls off stunning victory over Hong in Wisconsin Democratic primary​

Big_Easy said:

Ok Boomer. Then enlighten me how the cost of property tax for a McDonalds franchise leads to an increase in wages for low paid workers, thus increasing their incomes high enough to pay federal income taxes?

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It doesn't and that's the point, which you seemingly can't comprehend.

Great post Scott. People see the results of success not the hours, years of sacrifice.

If you work at a McDonalds work your ass off until you Run it. Then run 3 McDonalds. Then buy one. The competition is none existent. Good reliable help is hard to find at any price.

No one has time to coddle you. They each have their own struggles. Toughen up butter cup. The world is not here to hand you anything.

I spent about half the day yesterday in a hospital waiting room while a family member had a procedure done... the TV was set to the local Fox news channel... every single commercial break (literally every single one for about a 6 hour window) there was an ad running for James Talarico.. the ad never say what his position is on anything.. just paints him as a working class, former school teacher, that will fight for the working class, etc...etc..

I didnt hear or see another political ad for any other candidate the entire time..

Ive got to give it to him... Im sure MSNBC, CNN, etc.. are running ads as well.. and Id guess those ads speak to his ideals and his positions.. he wouldnt have a problem telling the left that he is actually a leftist.. but... bombarding Fox with position neutral ads.. just "hey guys.. tired of old school politicians in DC representing you? Im young and Im a working class Joe.. elect me..." might just grab him some uninformed voters that arent paying attention..

Pretty smart move on his part...

Youd think Paxton would be running ads right behind him that speak to Talarico's voting records and some of the things he's said in public forums, etc.. but nope.. not a single Paxton ad or a single commercial from any supporting organization, etc..

Altitude sickness said:

If you work at a McDonalds work your ass off until you Run it. Then run 3 McDonalds. Then buy one. The competition is none existent. Good reliable help is hard to find at any price.

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I actually knew a guy that did something similar (although he never bought a franchise).. he went to work at the McD's near our HS when he was 16... he was a shift supervisor at 17... when we graduated HS he still there and had a management role..

He went to school locally and picked up a business degree.. before he graduated he was in that same McD's store and was the store manager... making a lot more money than his peers that pursued degrees and just chased typical college jobs..

The last I heard anything about him (20 years ago on FB) he had stayed with McD's.. became a regional manager.. then moved into their corporate offices and was holding down an executive position and doing exceptionally well..

He came from a lower middle class/working class family.. was the first kid in his family to go to college.. wasnt particularly smart as I recall or particularly athletic, or particularly good looking, etc.. no real advantages in life.. just a regular, average dude... what he had going for him was he out worked everyone around him.. and he was dogmatically loyal to the brand...

KJE81 said:

Isnt it in Starship Troopers that service (in the military) equals citizenship? I guess that would not work for any western democracy (since most of its inhabitants probably allready are citizens), but adjusting it so you have to pay taxes in order to vote should not be so problematic.

But I would assume making it so you could get more votes for paying more taxes would be a hard sell, since that would mean that you could basically buy votes while also violating the idea of One man, one vote. Perhaps one vote for each citizen that is paying taxes in combination with the citizen in question being over a certain age (for example 30 since it would seem to be when the brain is fully developed according to research) might be the way forward.

Wasnt it Churchill who said something like: ”If you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you are not a conservative at 40, you have no brain”. In Sweden the liberal party is part of the right so here its more like "If you are not left at 20, you have no heart". Left being the social democrats, the left and the greens here.

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I think the "Save America Act" is too lenient. In addition to proof of citizenship, proof of filing a federal tax return should be a requirement to vote unless you are legally retired (some retirees are not required to file). Why should slackers that don't file a tax return be allowed to vote when many are breaking the law by not filing and on assistance programs as well?

mdwest said:

I spent about half the day yesterday in a hospital waiting room while a family member had a procedure done... the TV was set to the local Fox news channel... every single commercial break (literally every single one for about a 6 hour window) there was an ad running for James Talarico.. the ad never say what his position is on anything.. just paints him as a working class, former school teacher, that will fight for the working class, etc...etc..

I didnt hear or see another political ad for any other candidate the entire time..

Ive got to give it to him... Im sure MSNBC, CNN, etc.. are running ads as well.. and Id guess those ads speak to his ideals and his positions.. he wouldnt have a problem telling the left that he is actually a leftist.. but... bombarding Fox with position neutral ads.. just "hey guys.. tired of old school politicians in DC representing you? Im young and Im a working class Joe.. elect me..." might just grab him some uninformed voters that arent paying attention..

Pretty smart move on his part...

Youd think Paxton would be running ads right behind him that speak to Talarico's voting records and some of the things he's said in public forums, etc.. but nope.. not a single Paxton ad or a single commercial from any supporting organization, etc..

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I hope I’m wrong but I think Texas is screwed. Paxton is a terrible candidate.

Altitude sickness said:

I hope I’m wrong but I think Texas is screwed. Paxton is a terrible candidate.

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I absolutely despise Paxton!!! For a litany of reasons, but IMO he should be in prison instead of on the ballot. It’s embarrassing for Texas and bad for the country in general
But he is the lesser of two evils unfortunately.

mdwest said:

I spent about half the day yesterday in a hospital waiting room while a family member had a procedure done... the TV was set to the local Fox news channel... every single commercial break (literally every single one for about a 6 hour window) there was an ad running for James Talarico.. the ad never say what his position is on anything.. just paints him as a working class, former school teacher, that will fight for the working class, etc...etc..

I didnt hear or see another political ad for any other candidate the entire time..

Ive got to give it to him... Im sure MSNBC, CNN, etc.. are running ads as well.. and Id guess those ads speak to his ideals and his positions.. he wouldnt have a problem telling the left that he is actually a leftist.. but... bombarding Fox with position neutral ads.. just "hey guys.. tired of old school politicians in DC representing you? Im young and Im a working class Joe.. elect me..." might just grab him some uninformed voters that arent paying attention..

Pretty smart move on his part...

Youd think Paxton would be running ads right behind him that speak to Talarico's voting records and some of the things he's said in public forums, etc.. but nope.. not a single Paxton ad or a single commercial from any supporting organization, etc..

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You would think - but apparently his war chest is empty after the primary - and mainstream republicans with a sense of decency aren't rushing to refill it. He is by any measure a pretty miserable human being. To remind -

- During his 2023 state House impeachment trial, evidence emerged that Paxton had an extramarital affair with a former Senate staffer. Investigators alleged he used burner phones and an alias on ride-share apps to conceal the affair. It was further alleged that political donor Nate Paul (who seems to own a controlling interest in Paxton) hired Paxton's mistress in exchange for official favors from the Attorney General’s office.

- In mid-2025, his wife of 38 years, Texas State Senator Angela Paxton, filed for divorce over his adultery.

- In 2015, Paxton was indicted on felony securities fraud charges in Collin County related to soliciting investors for a tech startup without disclosing he was receiving a commission. The criminal case dragged on for nearly a decade before being resolved in 2024 through a pretrial diversion agreement (which required restitution, ethics training, and community service).

- In late 2020, top aides in Paxton’s office revolted and reported him to the FBI, accusing him of abuse of office, bribery, and improper influence on behalf of donor Nate Paul. These allegations culminated in his May 2023 impeachment by the Republican-led Texas House.

- In September 2022, Paxton faced criticism after a process server stated in court filings that Paxton fled his house and rushed into a truck driven by his wife to avoid being served a legal subpoena in a lawsuit regarding abortion rights. Paxton later claimed he left because he perceived the process server as a threat.

This is setting up to be a classic case where ideologues on the right, like the ideologues on the left, push a candidate through the primary that will have a difficult time winning simply because too large a slice of their own party stays home. With a Beta Boy like Talarico leading in Texas it merely underscores the stupidity of that selection. But we are where we are - our choices are a clearly integrity challenged, if not truly corrupt, republican; a grown deeply religious adolescent who loves trans children and shares his mother's credit card; or stay home. Many republicans will opt for the latter and are already doing so with their wallets.

And meanwhile this clown continues to be an embarrassment to the party. Naturally, like Paxton, Trump supported him.


One can certainly understand why he would refuse to concede - after all, a hair thin difference like an eleven point lead for your opponent is clear evidence of shenanigans rather than one's own unelectability.

mdwest said:

I spent about half the day yesterday in a hospital waiting room while a family member had a procedure done... the TV was set to the local Fox news channel... every single commercial break (literally every single one for about a 6 hour window) there was an ad running for James Talarico.. the ad never say what his position is on anything.. just paints him as a working class, former school teacher, that will fight for the working class, etc...etc..

I didnt hear or see another political ad for any other candidate the entire time..

Ive got to give it to him... Im sure MSNBC, CNN, etc.. are running ads as well.. and Id guess those ads speak to his ideals and his positions.. he wouldnt have a problem telling the left that he is actually a leftist.. but... bombarding Fox with position neutral ads.. just "hey guys.. tired of old school politicians in DC representing you? Im young and Im a working class Joe.. elect me..." might just grab him some uninformed voters that arent paying attention..

Pretty smart move on his part...

Youd think Paxton would be running ads right behind him that speak to Talarico's voting records and some of the things he's said in public forums, etc.. but nope.. not a single Paxton ad or a single commercial from any supporting organization, etc..

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That was pretty much Talarico's MO when he ran for our state representative. He flooded the TV with campaign ads, sometimes 3 or 4 back to back. I have seen only a couple of Paxton ads. What I hope is Paxton is conserving his money and will unleash a blitz closer to the election. What I'm afraid of is that the Republicans are complacent and think no-one with any sense would vote for Talarico. If that is the case Talarico will win. He has a lot of support. The Republicans had better sort out their differences and come together and get the independents on board. I'm not seeing it yet.

Altitude sickness said:

I hope I’m wrong but I think Texas is screwed. Paxton is a terrible candidate.

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I concur. I see 'experts' I normally agree with on Fox saying Republicans will rise up come November. I'm not sure I agree that's a given. I think there's people who will be swayed simply by the nice guy versus the creepy one, political positions be damned.

mdwest said:

I spent about half the day yesterday in a hospital waiting room while a family member had a procedure done... the TV was set to the local Fox news channel... every single commercial break (literally every single one for about a 6 hour window) there was an ad running for James Talarico.. the ad never say what his position is on anything.. just paints him as a working class, former school teacher, that will fight for the working class, etc...etc..

I didnt hear or see another political ad for any other candidate the entire time..

Ive got to give it to him... Im sure MSNBC, CNN, etc.. are running ads as well.. and Id guess those ads speak to his ideals and his positions.. he wouldnt have a problem telling the left that he is actually a leftist.. but... bombarding Fox with position neutral ads.. just "hey guys.. tired of old school politicians in DC representing you? Im young and Im a working class Joe.. elect me..." might just grab him some uninformed voters that arent paying attention..

Pretty smart move on his part...

Youd think Paxton would be running ads right behind him that speak to Talarico's voting records and some of the things he's said in public forums, etc.. but nope.. not a single Paxton ad or a single commercial from any supporting organization, etc..

Click to expand...

Not Fox, but I've noticed a lot of his ads popping up on YouTube videos I've been watching.

Those ads seem to focus on "we're out of money, but please donate so we can flip Texas..."

My question is: "If you don't live in Texas, should you really be donating?

The seventeenth amendment is as large (if not larger) a mistake as the eighteenth, and should suffer a similar fate.