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[–] 193 points 2 months ago (29 children)

Pressed on specifics, he said: “There are things that are false and things that are true.” The segment was especially tense, with Vance at one point saying, “I have to defend my boss — I know you guys don’t always appreciate that,” and then ending up at: “Let’s talk about the book! I’m here to sell books, please!” Presumably, that part was supposed to be funny — but no one was laughing.

JD's job is to protect the people. Not to defend Trump.

The people are JD's boss. JD is a public servant. He is not Trump's servant.

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  • [–] 55 points 2 months ago* (19 children)

    It's funny, not funny how much these people (the vast majority of politicians on both sides) have forgotten that. And that's because money rules. Until it is no longer lucrative to be in politics nothing will change. Reduce the financial wins of becoming a politician and the people gravitating towards that career will change.

    And maybe that's a little harsh, some of them probably started out with good intentions to fix something local to them or their community, but power corrupts all. (power = money here). Reduce the money, and reduce the functional lifetime appointments (term limits) things would get better.

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  • [–] 35 points 2 months ago* (7 children)

    This is maybe going about things backwards. We definitely need to get bribes out of politics, particularly those coming from corporations (aka PACs) because they make it more profitable to hold specific opinions hence it's paramount to overturn citizens united. On the other hand if you reduce overall pay for politicians (I.E. money not tied to particular political stances) then that discourages anybody who actually needs money from holding political office thereby turning it into a game exclusively for the rich to play when they're bored.

    What we need is regular people holding political offices so ironically we probably want to make it more profitable to hold the office not less, but we definitely need to make that the only money politicians earn while in office. The tricky part here is how to kill the usual corporate lobbyist loophole where some corporation promises a politician a cushy job doing essentially nothing for high pay in exchange for voting a specific way.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I think you're the one who's got it backwards. you think $174,000/yr isn't enough to motivate the average Joe? you think someone making a million a year is gonna take an 83% pay cut if they can't take bribes and do insider trading on the side? closing the loopholes and leaving ordinary pay as-is seems like a great way to get rich people out and ordinary people in

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    I think every single elected representative needs to be under the direct scrutiny of a panel of seven people from their own constituency, made up of ordinary citizens from all walks of life. This panel has the mandate to scrutinize every expense, investigate every "donation", question every vote that representative has made in the house/senate/etc... and ask "Does this representative continue to work for our district's interest?"

    If the answer ever becomes no, they have the authority to oust him immediately and have a recall election.

    And yes, I'm fully aware that this was the original Marxist ideal of the concept of the Soviet before Stalinism purged that all away and went full authoritarian.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    And have them chosen from a roster of elected council reps, based on a lottery system, so they can never know which ones are going to judge them.

    That would take tens of thousands of people though, wouldn't it? Maybe limit it to state senators and house reps.

    Are we reinventing the republic? I don't think so, more something like Athenian democracy. That one was flawed but had some solid solutions for the problems we're facing.

    I dont like the fact that 250 years ago, one senator represented roughly 40000 constituents or citizens. Today they represent around 600000.

    They used to wield way less power, in absolute terms.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    In my world, the council reps are like jury duty.

    Elections proceed as normal for the Congressman/Senator/Member of Parliament, or whatever it is that is being elected. In that person's riding/constituency.

    7 Averge, working class citizens are drawn randomly from his/her constituency for a 1-year term with the mandate being that, once a month, that representative has to present himself in front of that panel to defend their voting record, their expenditures, and their conduct.

    Declutter what is unnecessary. Ditch the senate. In Canada it's an appointed useless position used for Cronyism, While in the states it's nonfunctional for it's supposed purpose (being a check and balance for the congress). With the representative now being directly answerable monthly to the people in their own constituency, the Senate is rendered moot.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 months ago

    I went to a rich kids high school. Their philosophy was that "you are the leaders of men because you come from influential families". They didn't sugar coat how the world works, even at that tender developmental age. Some people have a different fundamental view of how the world works and why, although I like yours.

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  • [–] 24 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Isn't this the same guy that got caught in a lie and basically said something like 'sometimes I lie to make a point'?

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  • [–] 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

    Yes, a lie about immigrants literally kidnapping and eating family pets.

    Edit: typo

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    The people are JD's boss. JD is a public servant. He is not Trump's servant.

    I caught that too. Trump can't fire JD right? He is elected by the people, he can be impeached and removed similarly to the president, he can't be fired by Trump.

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    [–] 82 points 2 months ago (11 children)

    It’s crazy to me that I'm a year older than JD. When we were younger we probably watched the same show on tv. Ate the same snacks, listened to the same songs. Yet I grew up to be well adjusted and open minded to the world and different people and their identities. And JD grew up to be a POS racist, pedophile protector, and couch fucker.

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  • [–] 30 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    Dude sounds like he had normal human values, then he got some power as a politician and now he is just living a persona to appease certain people. I still can't believe he is a Marine.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Im an identical twin. I lean anarchy, he leans fascist. How does that happen? Probably has something to do with the people surrounding you as you grow up. Not necessarily your family, but your classmates, teachers, friends, etc.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago

    I understand fascists to mostly be opposed to introspection as a core unifying rule. Having the opinion that therapy is bad, or that self help should be entirely uninformed by empathy for yourself and others more specifically.

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  • [–] 40 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    He’s gonna go home and beat his couch

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    [–] 35 points 2 months ago

    The problem is that Vance’s knee-jerk reaction to being challenged by a woman is to patronize or dismiss, and an all-female panel in front of an all-female studio audience wasn’t going to allow that. He’s also terrible at being, or even seeming, off-the-cuff and candid. When he said that Trump’s economic policies were going to “pay serious dividends” and Behar immediately asked, “When?” his smile began to wear thin as he hit back: “Well, Joy, what happens is that construction jobs build the factories and people go back to work.” It was condescending and weak all at once.

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  • [+] 28 points 2 months ago (2 children)
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    [–] 27 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Why does this guy denegrate trans people while never skipping the eyeliner himself?

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  • [–] 23 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    Are we supposed to be baffled adult women can carry intellectual discourse?

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  • [–] 22 points 2 months ago

    Show me the pile of shreds or stop teasing me.

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  • [–] 20 points 2 months ago

    Not to kink shame but that couch is gonna be fucked so hard after this humiliation

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  • [–] 15 points 2 months ago* (3 children)

    Who wants to bet they use this as an example to justify their categorizing The View as a news show to force their interpretation of the equal time rules.

    https://apnews.com/article/view-fcc-stephen-colbert-abc-cbs-4fd679462e08de2cdc340071f48a83a9

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    They already did, I read about this like a week or two ago in reuters. They are trying not to renew their broadcasting license saying the view is news and not giving equal time to republicans or something.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago*

    Too bad Reagan and Rush Limbaugh worked hard to kill the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, releasing the Conservative Propaganda Machine from any restrictions. Now, 40 years later, he thinks it should only apply to the Left?

    That's not how it works, unless you are another incompetently arrogant MAGA, who is frequently wrong, but never in doubt.

    MAGAs never figure out that the swords they pull out to attack The Libz, always have two edges, and can be used against them, too.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago

    If it was a couch he would have done a better showing.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago

    And the broadcast network loses their license renewal in, oh wait, that already happened. They don't lose the broadcast license but it's a big thing, it's locked in for a long time or something but they have to fight a big long legal battle or something I forget.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago

    Middle aged women for the win!

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Unfortunately, that title is hyperbole.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    Maybe it's because of the low quality but it looks like he's about to cry.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago
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