US Politics, September 2018: having a nervous breakdown

i don't appreciate that kind of response, especially when i have to google the source. that's a quote from last october (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/cuba-mass-hysteria-sonic-attacks-neurologists)

a few paragraphs before that, the article cautions "The neurologists who talked to the Guardian cautioned that no proper diagnosis is possible without far more information and access to the 22 US victims, who have suffered a range of symptoms including hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches and dizziness."

in the 11 months since that article was published, the neurologists have had far more information and access to the victims. for those without a NYT subscription, here's more from near the end.

The medical team that studied the Cuba diplomats ascribed the symptoms in the March JAMA study to “an unknown energy source” that was highly directional. Some personnel, it noted, had covered their ears and heads but experienced no sound reduction. The team said the diplomats appeared to have developed signs of concussion without having received any blows to the head.

In May, reports emerged that American diplomats in China had suffered similar traumas. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the medical details of the two groups "very similar” and “entirely consistent" with one another. By late June, the State Department had evacuated at least 11 Americans from China.

To date, the most detailed medical case for microwave strikes has been made by Beatrice A. Golomb, a medical doctor and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego. In a forthcoming paper to be published in October in Neural Computation, a peer-reviewed journal of the MIT Press, she lays out potential medical evidence for Cuban microwave strikes.

She compared the symptoms of the diplomats in Cuba to those reported for individuals said to be suffering from radio-frequency sickness. The health responses of the two groups, Dr. Golomb wrote, “conform closely.”

In closing, she argued that “numerous highly specific features” of the diplomatic incidents “fit the hypothesis” of a microwave attack, including the Frey-type production of disturbing sounds.

Scientists still disagree over what hit the diplomats. Last month, JAMA ran four letters critical of the March study, some faulting the report for ruling out mass hysteria.

Deserves its own thread imo

Especially since it’s a topic that’ll outlast the administration

Is Paul Ryan going to face any consequences from his PAC sharing details from CIA enrolment forms?

― Stevolende, Sunday, September 2, 2018 1:00 AM (one hour ago)

you keep asking if people are going to face consequences or norms are going to revert. the fact that you get to keep asking might be the answer in itself.

I keep hearing things taht sound like mishandling and wondering if that is going to counter a swing back to sanity come the mid terms.

― Stevolende, Monday, January 29, 2018 11:47 PM (seven months ago)

People are still debating whether an incumbent President can be prosecuted.

How does one get rid of McConnell?

― Stevolende, Friday, April 13, 2018 3:02 AM (four months ago)

How is Haley going to be able to run in a position of power with somebody who denigrates women to the extent that Pence does?

― Stevolende, Wednesday, April 18, 2018 4:48 AM (four months ago)

xp just wondering what trump's idea of an end result of an investigation into the existence of a pee tape would be. If he knows that he did nothing then what is he asking to be looked into.

Would think that by that age and with his lifetime experience you would learn to let the rumour ride itself out rather than feeding into it.
Just puzzles me as to what he thought further action would have shown.

Does he know what he's doing half the time?

― Stevolende, Monday, April 23, 2018 10:47 PM (four months ago)

Would have thought the wise action would have been to drop the thing once it became exposed the first time. Heard it was one reason Kushner had his clearance removed.
Hope it is going to be something that explodes in this government's face.

― Stevolende, Tuesday, May 22, 2018 5:35 AM (three months ago)

If America doesn't impeach trump isn't that pretty much going to act as condoning his behaviour and setting a beacon for accepted behaviour which should not be acceptable by any prior norms.
Would think the States would want to repair their Government set up and can only see non-impeachment as setting things so the swamp festers and consumes everything around it.

― Stevolende, Friday, May 25, 2018 7:47 PM (three months ago)

Can you undo a pardon? If delivered for corrupt reasons or anything?

― Stevolende, Friday, June 1, 2018 12:42 AM (three months ago)

can this, or any of this, be corrected still?

― Stevolende, Saturday, June 2, 2018 10:20 AM (three months ago)

Is the idea to tar everything so that supposedly there is no such thing as an objective witness. Try to make sure taht anybody who can be thought to have seen anything is enmired in a way that they would incriminate themselves,?

― Stevolende, Wednesday, June 6, 2018 5:07 AM (two months ago)

This is crazy, people normally keep the working so that they have something to look at in future. Just in case things go wrong , like.
Is this supposed to be a lasting anything or is it just a way for him to get new sites for a hotel business he shouldn't be involved in while performing a serious role?

― Stevolende, Tuesday, June 12, 2018 10:04 PM (two months ago)

'the' thought process
synecdoche?

yeah seems like the singuuar being viewed as the general by the single minded person supposedly possessing the definite article.

but surely, No thought no process? or no process to the though anyway.

― Stevolende, Friday, June 15, 2018 2:35 AM (two months ago)

Isn't no punishment of the most corrupt incumbency ever likely to lead to repetition though?
JUst hoping that there is some honesty in the near future and it's more than simply a brak in the new normal.

― Stevolende, Friday, June 15, 2018 4:03 AM (two months ago)

If this is just about to blow up in Sessions face because he's the most vocal supporter and instigator of it , will he take anything else with him when he goes.

― Stevolende, Monday, June 18, 2018 4:03 AM (two months ago)

If Sessions is the main person who is actively advocating this and not trying to say that it has to be obeyed because it is the law, is he likely to be crucified for it. & if he does is everything remotely positive that is happening because he has not been removed from the position as AG already safeguarded?

― Stevolende, Tuesday, June 19, 2018 12:21 AM (two months ago)

ICE's core original element don't appreciate the job the goon squad elements are being made to do/doing all too willingly. Do they?

― Stevolende, Tuesday, July 3, 2018 10:46 PM (one month ago)

I thought Pruitt was partially getting away with things because of teh rapport between him and the President. Subsequently it's unlikely that any replacement for him would get away with a fraction of the same shite isn't it?

― Stevolende, Friday, July 6, 2018 5:48 AM (one month ago)

At least one of them got locked up.
Shame it wasn't Flynn really. MIght have been a little more fitting after his cheerleading.
Do hope Manafort is going to remain in there for a good long while. He's not going to flip now or anything is he?

― Stevolende, Saturday, July 7, 2018 7:24 AM (one month ago)

What happens if massive criminality is discovered. Would he still need to be impeached before anything further could be done?
There's no way to void a Presidency is there. & an impeachment would still rely on Republicans actually wanting to lift a finger to harm him. Or would it be automatic?

― Stevolende, Tuesday, July 17, 2018 3:57 AM (one month ago)

Any hope of getting rid of Mitch McConnell any time soon?

― Stevolende, Friday, July 27, 2018 8:52 AM (one month ago)

honestly that's pretty cool, keep doing what you're doing stevolende because it's a good thing

of our beloved foreign friends with a strong interest in usatian politics, I actually prefer stevolende's perpetually raised eyebrows to frederik's passionate arrogance, in the grand scheme

passionate arrogance is the american way

Only true American on this forum, IMO

Not really sure what that was supposed to show, things turn up I would hope had some hope of being sorted before everything goes down the shitter. Compiling some of what I've asked over a period of time in one place is supposed to make me think exactly what about you? Certai9nly doesn't make me feel overly positive about you? I haven't pedestalised you to a point where I'd give much of a fuck what score you were keeping. haven't pedestalised you at all, what would make you think I had. & if not where in fuck do you get off doing something like that.

Glad that some people appreciate me.

someone did that to me once, posting all the times i “loled” & it made me feel like shit

please don’t do that to ppl. it’s mean.

The US political system is complex and unlike any other in the world, and the present situation in US politics is rather abnormal. Most Americans don't understand our politics very well, so it is normal for a non-American taking an interest in it to have questions. Keep asking.

Since several McCain funeral speakers took dead aim at Trump, I figure it's just a matter of minutes before he cuts loose on the twitter.

Bush delivered pointed anti-Trump remarks. That's where we are in 2018.

Great opportunity for W to keep rehabilitating that image of his

I would never get exasperated with anyone for asking whether awful people are ever going to face any consequences for the awful things they do. I reserve my exasperation for the other awful people who enable the first group to skate through their consequence-free lives.

Re: O'Trump's forthcoming jaunt to Ireland. I reckon he'll be the first US President since FDR to either not claim any Irish ancestry or to not have it claimed on his behalf.

He continues to break all the (green, white and) golden rules of American politics.

Top o' the mourning to you?

I bet he says some really dumb things about the Irish and Ireland, intended to be flattery, but instead revealing his abysmal understanding of both Ireland and what constitutes a compliment.

It's on the cards.

(xp) LOLz

I'm betting he hasn't even read the ILX thread on whether Ireland should be referred to as part of the British Isles. :-0

Second straight sub 40% approval rating in a row just came out, this one from IBD/TIPP.

that's good. not good: now we've reached the point where the polls are actually worth paying attention to, and it's stressing me the hell out, i have some serious fucking 2016 ptsd.

I can't tell if it's some kind of privilege that makes me feel like I have 2016 PTSD. I have a pretty good head on my shoulders, but I have found that I am prone to more significant and serious mood swings post election. Real spikes in anger and depression, at least relative to my usual disposition.

i don't know if it's "privilege", i don't care. 2016 fucked me up. 2016 fucked a lot of people i care about up. not all of my friends survived 2016. if somebody wants to give me shit over that, they can try, but they're not going to get very far.

I by no means was suggesting that Stevolende oughtn't be perplexed by the complete abrogation of any upholding of standards or laws by the ruling party; just that continuing to expect a reversal on the matter, at this stage in the administration, might be fruitless.

It's certainly a counterpoint to the gawping despair evinced by everyone else itt (bar qualmsley), though.

at this stage in the administration

also this stage in capitalism

imo i and sic are the only ppl with a handle on how to approach this (ignore, observe, drink)

obviously this administration is doing damage that is and will continue to cause real suffering to u.s. citizens and people the world over, but still, i can't help but get cynical about people who claim to feel traumatized or "fucked up".

Looked like a lot of self-congratulatory effort to go to to say as little as what Sic's saying .

oh I’m 100% in the gawping despair / psychically traumatised column, I’m just not blogging abt it itt

and my actual expectations have only taken one single downtick since he made it into the primaries: during the hours that the state results were coming in on November 9th

You're almost as bad a poster as i

We're livin on the edge

obviously this administration is doing damage that is and will continue to cause real suffering to u.s. citizens and people the world over, but still, i can't help but get cynical about people who claim to feel traumatized or "fucked up".

― rip van wanko, Saturday, September 1, 2018 3:40 PM

this is very condescending

I literally had a conversation with my wife the week after about what it would take for our family to flee the country.

i can't help but get cynical about people who claim to feel traumatized or "fucked up".

An epic failure of imagination here.

i worded that poorly; i'm not being sarcastic, i really do have trouble understanding how the present circumstances are causing acute, direct psychological harm to ilx pundits, esp the str8 white male. the situation is worrisome, even distressing, but anything beyond that makes me suspent you may have a codependent or otherwise dysfunctional relationship to "the news"

people itt have explicitly laid out for you their direct personal connections to profoundly unsettling and traumatic circumstances and threats posed by the trump administration, most notably deportation. idk what more you want man.

i really do have trouble understanding how the present circumstances are causing acute, direct psychological harm to ilx pundits, esp the str8 white male.

In a word: empathy.

"i really do have trouble understanding how the present circumstances are causing acute, direct psychological harm to ilx pundits, esp the str8 white male."

who cares that you think other people might not be having a ‘real’ experience?

when you're Jewish, with a family, and the Nazis are not just marching but have allies in the white house ... do the math.

Wow, yeah. Do you have trouble believing that climate change is equally affecting?

i worded that poorly; i'm not being sarcastic, i really do have trouble understanding how the present circumstances are causing acute, direct psychological harm to ilx pundits, esp the str8 white male. the situation is worrisome, even distressing, but anything beyond that makes me suspent you may have a codependent or otherwise dysfunctional relationship to "the news"

― rip van wanko

thanks for sharing!

there’s been some epic bullshit on this thread today.

trumpism is a new dimension to an existing nightmare.

anybody cynical about the traumatizing effects of it can fuck off as far as I’m concerned because it’s absolutely real, even if it’s not directly tangible to any individual on any day of the week.

actually rvw has just given an all-time amazingly understated description of POTUS

(a str8 white male who finds the situation worrisome, distressing, and more; causing some to suspect he has a codependent or otherwise dysfunctional relationship to "the news")

esp the str8 white male

idk was with em til this

I wouldn't compare any issues I have to people going through far more, but I find that when I'm down now it's a bit worse due to an ambient, chattering unease that's in the air in our u.s. of a.

New thred imo

so i do have to ask - what is the supposed benefit of this gaslightig?

or if you prefer, “nothing to fear but fear itself” hardmanni g

sounds like the prep school i went to

I went to UVa. I only went to frat parties if there was a good band that was playing and I used their towels to wipe after pee'ing because they never had toilet paper.

I was part of several friend groups in undergrad. The main one consisted of guys, many of us involved in the school newspaper - we all hung together, drank in each others' rooms, went on trips. This friend group and the other friend groups had something significant in common at the time - we did not want to have anything to do with Greek life. It felt antithetical to us.

But on Friday and Saturday nights there would often come a moment, say around 10 or so, when we'd all look at each other and say "yeah, let's get out of here" and we'd gravitate to whatever fraternity party was happening on campus, and invariably it was like many, many tribes made the same decision at the same moment and so that was the social mingling peak of any given weekend, for an hour or so of additional drinking, before it was time to tap out and go to bed.

It's complicated. There were deeply awful fraternity guys at my college. There were dark whispers of some things that happened - beyond two or three specific cases I didn't know details.

There were frat guys - guys who, to my awareness, were largely just serious partiers - whom I became friendly with as college ended and in the years since.

(The parties I refer to above were never epic or fucked up. People drank, but there was a casualness about them. That said, I'm a tall black man and my perspective may differ from others'.)

there were a few fraternities at my college that seemed essentially evil and one that even had a confederate flag in their baseement. those bros used to wear vineyard vines but chew skoal -- a kind of yuppie redneck thing. they got kicked off campus for hazing and fighting.

i knew someone that was traumatized by hazing at a different fraternity. he dropped out of school, the whole thing.

I mean it's been a trope forever that you get raped at frat parties and both frats and sororities are full of vain/insecure people. Who thinks Laura Ashley or khakis and polos are aspirational or impressive? It's always been messed up that anyone bought into it.

they're really awful. the sororities were quite bad too -- the hazing was more insidious and psychological. like they made the pledges wear the same giant t-shirt for a week and they weren't allowed to wash it or shower.

i remember as a freshman people wanted to get into these parties, but they needed a good "ratio," so they let you in the door if you "brought girls" with you. definitely a predatory dynamic for a party. not just people hanging out -- you need to "bring girls." there is nothing wrong with wanting to meet an attractive stranger at a dance party but this felt way more objectifying than that.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/climate/epa-trump-mercury-rule.html

Trump Administration prepares a major weakening of mercury emission regulations (and there's a Kavanaugh connection)...

The Trump administration has completed a detailed legal proposal to dramatically weaken a major environmental regulation covering mercury, a toxic chemical emitted from coal-burning power plants, according to a person who has seen the document but is not authorized to speak publicly about it...The weakening of the mercury rule — which the E.P.A. considers the most expensive clean air regulation ever put forth in terms of annual cost to industry — would represent a major victory for the coal industry. Mercury is known to damage the nervous systems of children and fetuses...

The details of the rollback about to be proposed would also represent a victory for Mr. Wheeler’s former boss, Robert E. Murray, the chief executive of the Murray Energy Corporation, one of the nation’s largest coal companies. Mr. Murray, who was a major donor to President Trump’s inauguration fund, personally requested the rollback of the mercury rule soon after Mr. Trump took office, in a written “wish list” he handed to Energy Secretary Rick Perry...

The coal industry initially sued to roll back the mercury regulation, and in 2014 its case lost in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. However, Judge Kavanaugh wrote the dissenting opinion in that case, highlighting questions about the rule’s cost to industry.

Should the legal battle over the proposed regulatory rollback go before the Supreme Court, some observers expect that Judge Kavanaugh, if elevated to a seat on the high court, would side with the coal industry.

Kinda wish this wasn't a Ryan Lizza story because fuck that guy, but this is a read for sure:

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23471864/devin-nunes-family-farm-iowa-california/

xp "i like coal, ok? i like coal. do you like coal, Senator?"

This is an abominably unethical action by a taxpayer-employed prosecutor. She was literally not allowed to question the alleged perpetrator. She is using her title as a weapon against a survivor. Appalling. https://t.co/HjJhs1r1sH

— Jesse Lee (@JesseCharlesLee) October 1, 2018

Yeah, read that earlier. Somehow doesn't pay any attention to lack of an investigation or one sidedness of the hearing.
Or trauma or any of a number of reasons why there may be discrepancies or problems with teh orders of things.

Or that the candidate himself was blatantly lying and avowedly partisan. Or the whole timescale of the hearings being totally askew anyway. Would love it if somebody could just reframe the timeframe and show where things stand in terms of normal protocol like being able to go through all the relevant documents in an existing paper trail. Things hould never have really needed to get to this point as it was.
BUt how obvious does it have to be that one party is trying to ram through a candidate taht at least half of teh population disdain.

Also I was just reading through what had been said about the scope of the FBI investigation and what it excluded
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/white-house-limits-scope-fbi-s-investigation-allegations-against-brett-n915061

I am still rose-tinted spectacly hoping that a thing called justice might out and things be allowed to be conducted by previously existing protocols. All I'm seeing is a corrupt party trying to ram home a totally unfit candidate for a job that he'll keep for decades thereby depriving a great deal of the population of the country from what it should be able to view as understood rights.

Hopefully this will further catalyse grassroots activity and activists in aiding trauma victims and assault survivors.Which will hopefully lead to further legislation helping attack survivors to live with less trauma. & actually see that develop to being the new norm.
Still hoping this is the last screams of a dying age as the extremely conservative are exposed and their fledgling cohorts are viewed as the idiots they are.

Oh yeah, It's Ctober sho olet's see what Madness and shenanigans they can come up with this month. bless 'em.

A quite long summary of where and how Kavanaugh lied in his testimony.

please god someone start a new thread, september 2018 has been an extraordinarily cursed month in us politics

I like NJR but my lord I wish he had an editor

US Politics October 2018: 'I like beer. Do you like beer?'

please no kav quotes for lol thread titles, guarantee it will be triggering for some

and that article is great, thanks alfred. agreed that it's too long but it's good to get all of that shit in one place.

new thread already started:
US Politics, October 2018: next week will be even longer