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Hey folks. I just want to check in with the community about a post that was recently removed. My intention is absolutely not to create drama or stir anything up, but I'd like to make sure you all understand my reasoning for removing the post. Also, I'm aware that I'm not as good at articulating these kinds of things as some of our folks, so don't expect a classic Beehaw philosophy post here. The post in questions was a link to a twitter thread providing evidence of the IRL identity of "comic" "artist" stonetoss, who is unquestionably a huge piece of shit and a neo-nazi, or at least something so indistinguishable from one that the difference is meaningless. The post provoked some discussion in the Mod chat and several of us, myself included, were on the fence about it. I understand that there are arguments both for and against naming and calling out people like stonetoss. I find arguments in both directions somewhat convincing, but ultimately the thing that a number of us expressed was that the act of calling someone like this out and potentially exposing them to harassment or real-world consequences for their views might be morally defensible, it didn't *feel* like Beehaw was the right place for it. We really want Beehaw to be a place that is *constructive* and *kind*, and that this type of doxxing/callout didn't seem to fit our vision what what we want Beehaw to be. At the same time, we're all very conscious that it would be easy for this kind of thinking to lead to tone policing and respectability politics, and that is also something we want to be careful to avoid. All this to say that I made what I think was the best decision in the moment for the overall health of [!politics](https://beehaw.org/c/politics) as a community, as I saw it. On a personal note, I find that our Politics community is one of the communities that is most prone to falling into some of the traps that Beehaw was created to avoid. That's very understandable - politics are something that cause real and immediate harm and stress in a lot of folks' lives; they're complicated, contentious, and often make us feel powerless. I'd like to remind folks as we move into the general election season in the US, though, to remember the founding principles of Beehaw when discussing these topics, no matter how stressful they may be: remember the human, assume good faith in others, and above all, be(e) nice. Thanks, TheRtRevKaiser
> Ballot initiatives are the tool we need in this moment to not only block authoritarian rule and ideology, but to build a world where all of us thrive and live with dignity — the world we deserve. > Time and time again, ballot measures have proven to be powerful tools for collaborative governance that transcend party lines and often receive higher vote percentages than candidates. This trend started in 2014 when four states, Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, raised the minimum wage through ballot measures; another four states, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington, followed suit in 2016. Florida made headlines across the country in 2018 when nearly 65% of Florida voters approved Amendment 4 to restore voting rights to Floridians with past criminal convictions. > > In 2020, Missouri and Oklahoma expanded Medicaid to low-income adults, which has proven to significantly benefit individuals who gain healthcare coverage as well as their communities as a whole. Since the overturning of Roe, voters have successfully protected reproductive rights every time the issue has been placed on the ballot. In Ohio—a state that Trump won with more than 53% of the vote in 2020—hundreds of thousands of voters mobilized in the 2023 elections to pass Issue 1, enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution just months after they successfully defeated a ballot measure that would have blocked that victory. These are just a few instances that showcase how voters have used the power of direct democracy to support progressive policies, even in Republican trifecta states. Ballot measures are bypassing partisan politics and turning people-power into policies that transcend divides and improve lives.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Ohio stationed state police at Springfield schools Tuesday in response to a rash of bomb threats — the vast majority that officials said came from overseas —- after former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance falsely said legal Haitian immigrants in the small city were eating dogs and cats. Schools, government buildings and elected officials’ homes in Springfield were among the targets of more than 30 hoax threats made last week that forced evacuations and closures. Two more schools had to be evacuated on Monday, and the high school was threatened on Tuesday. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said a foreign actor was largely responsible, but he declined to name the country.
www.rawstory.com
> Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), on Monday said there's a "big difference" between Republicans and Democrats: "No one has tried to kill Kamala Harris." Note that earlier in the day, Elon Musk wrote and deleted a similar post. From [NY Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/us/politics/musk-deleted-tweet-biden-kamala.html): > In response to a user who asked, “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?” Mr. Musk, who has endorsed the former president and comments frequently on the U.S. presidential campaign, wrote: “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.” His post, which was captured by X users, included a thinking-face emoji. > >Mr. Musk took down the post after it immediately drew outrage. ------ For Vance comments, see also NY Times, [Vance says the left is to blame for the attempts on Trump’s life.](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/09/16/us/trump-shooting-news#vance-says-the-left-is-to-blame-for-the-attempts-on-trumps-life), and/or CNN, [Vance blames liberal rhetoric for apparent assassination attempt against Trump ]( https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/16/politics/vance-rhetoric-trump-harris/index.html) : > “I know it’s popular on a lot of corners of the left to say that we have a both sides problem. And I’m not going to say we’re always perfect. I’m not going to say that conservatives always get things exactly right. But you know, the big difference between conservatives and liberals is that we have — no one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months, and two people now have tried to kill Donald Trump in the last couple of months,” the Republican vice presidential candidate said at the Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition dinner in Atlanta. > > “I’d say that’s pretty strong evidence that the left needs to tone down the rhetoric, and needs to cut this crap out,” he continued. > > Vance vowed to “do my part” to tone down the rhetoric and said he was speaking particularly to those who say that Trump needs to be “eliminated.” > > “Somebody’s gonna get hurt by it, and it’s gonna destroy this country. Somebody is gonna get hurt. And you think about what an incredible wound it would open up in the United States of America, all of us, and I promise I will do my part to tone down the rhetoric,” Vance said. “But in particular, the people telling you that Donald Trump needs to be eliminated. You guys need to cut it out, or you’re gonna get somebody hurt.” ----- Thankfully, both Democrats and Republicans came together to disavow the New Hampshire Libertarian Party for this from [Deadline](https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-hampshire-political-par-blasted-for-sick-post-glorifying-kamala-harris-death-threat): > Republican and Democratic Party leaders have condemned New Hampshire’s Libertarian Party for sharing a post saying that anyone who assassinated Vice President Kamala Harris would be “an American hero.” > >The party later deleted the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, but appeared unrepentant about the message, saying it was removed because of the platform’s rules and complaining about restrictions on free speech.
> Rather than fearing polarization, organizers should seek to understand how they can use it most effectively. This involves recognizing that, while collective action undertaken in pursuit of a good cause typically results in positive outcomes, not all protests have identical effects or produce equal benefits. > > Central to harnessing the power of polarization is appreciating that, by its nature, it cuts both ways: the same actions that create positive polarization — drawing more active supporters into movements and convincing previously neutral or undecided observers to at least passively sympathize with the cause — will also have negative effects, turning off some people and firing up the opposition. The goal of movement participants is therefore to make sure that the beneficial results of their actions outweigh the counterproductive ones, and that they are shifting the overall spectrum of support in their favor. > So how, then, can movement participants predict how a given protest will polarize? And how can they work to improve their skills in designing effective actions?
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury will soon decide whether a convoy of supporters of then-President Donald Trump violently intimidated former Democratic lawmaker Wendy Davis and two others on a Biden-Harris campaign bus when a so-called “Trump Train” boxed them in for more than an hour on a Texas highway days before the 2020 election. The trial, which began on Sept. 9, resumes Monday and is expected to last another week. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that six of the Trump Train drivers violated state and federal law. Lawyers for the defendants said they did not conspire against the Democrats on the bus and that their actions are protected speech. Here’s what else to know:
[Fig. 1](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq1814#F1) gives an example of a conversation where the user goes from 100% belief down to 40% after getting their questions explained by the AI. Looking at the conclusions, the impact is not so big for all the interactions. Anyway, this is a great tool. Sure, when people are doomscrolling 24/7 they’re not fact-checking. So, the intervention might not be there. Yet, I choose to remain optimistic. More recent generations might get easier access and be better than our current trend :)
alt-text for thumbnail: text saying “blocking fascists is self-care” next to an antifascist flag on a 2d digital art wooden background
www.azcentral.com
> "In the end, we all knew what we knew before, that ABC's goal tonight was to help Kamala Harris, and ABC did help Kamala Harris," Laura Ingraham said on Fox News. That's one way of putting it. Van Jones on CNN found another. > >"She whupped him," Jone said. "She just whupped him. ... Kamala Harris did something great for every parent in America. She put the bully in his place." > >A certain super gigantic galactic pop star seemed to agree. Moments after the debate, Taylor Swift endorsed Harris, signing her Instagram post "Childless Cat Lady," a reference to a comment made by Trump's running mate, JD Vance. For more details on the 4chan nature, head over to the Daily Beast for pieces like these: - ["...they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-pushes-right-wing-conspiracy-in-debate-against-harris) - [meandering rant on abortion rights also included multiple false claims](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-throws-jd-vance-under-the-bus-on-abortion-during-presidential-debate) - [recap of daily beast debate tweet/commentary](https://www.thedailybeast.com/oh-the-bait-worked-how-jill-twiss-survived-that-debate) Debate Transcript: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-trump-presidential-debate-transcript/story?id=113560542 PBS (no longer live) updates: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/live-updates-trump-and-harris-debate-in-philadelphia
abcnews.go.com
alt-text: [yellow words saying “abolish cis puberty” next to a trans flag on a digital art wooden background] How we treat puberty relates heavily to the systems of transphobia, sexism, and quite a lot of other hierarchies. How we treat it is a large component of systematic oppression and must be taken seriously.
www.texastribune.org
> “Dick Cheney will be voting for Kamala Harris,” she said of her father, who served as vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. “If you think about the moment we’re in, and you think about how serious this moment is, my dad believes — and he said publicly — there has never been an individual in our country who is as grave a threat to our democracy as Donald Trump is.” ----------- > “One of the most important things we need to do as a country as we begin to rebuild our politics is we need to elect serious people,” Liz Cheney said. “Here in Texas, you guys do have a tremendous, serious candidate running for U.S. Senate.” > >The audience erupted in applause cutting Liz Cheney off. > >“It’s not Ted Cruz," she said. > >She blamed Cruz for leading the effort in the Senate for trying to overturn the election. > >"That is not somebody to put in a position to be able to do that again," Cheney said.
TL;DR: Democrats are united against Trump and will continue to be that way, but if Trump loses so overwhelmingly that he stops running, then a Harris administration will be stuck with a largely Republican government that will keep it from getting much done, thus making it easier for a new brand of Republicans to emerge in two years for for the mid-terms and beyond. > Harris is effectively an emergency nominee, has few policy proposals, scant governing history in Washington and a history of churning through staff. Oh, and she would be the first Democrat to enter the presidency since 1884 without majorities in both chambers, should Republicans flip the Senate. > > That adds up to a recipe for gridlock — and perhaps some deal-making to fund the government and avoid across-the-board tax hikes — but not a Scandinavian social welfare state. ----- > The day after Trump leaves the scene, Democrats will lose their best force for unity, fundraising and enthusiasm. But they’ll have the same challenges they do today with the Electoral College, the Senate and the House and the distribution of voters therein.
www.seattletimes.com
An insanely close race that was the focus of WA state for the last few weeks with a lot of lessons learned I think. 1. Down ballot races matter. Upthegrove got second by only 53 votes in the end. Vote! 2. Washington's mail voting system works. There were roughly 10 vote numbers changed in the entire state after the hand recount was done. 3. First past the post voting is awful. The Democrats got the majority of votes, but it was split between 5 candidates vs the 2 Republican candidates. We almost had a general election with 2 Republicans up in an extremely blue state. 2 candidates who are in the pocket of the timber industry. Archive link: http://archive.today/7lzkp
[Archive.](https://archive.is/vaI0O) Noting that the title of the article is not terribly good, as the funds in question have already been appropriated for the purpose of the wall and are not new, and are in fact part of a "compromise" bill that also includes funding for asylum lawyers. Not that I want a compromise bill, or don't think she shouldn't push for better, but it's hardly big news. That said, the real problem lies at the end: > **Zoom in:** Beyond embracing the bipartisan bill, Harris' campaign has portrayed her as an immigration hardliner in ads. > * [One Harris TV ad frames her time as California's attorney general as that of a "border state prosecutor,"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2F9qGxTKcU) and includes images of the border wall. > * In another, [Harris' team highlights her support of boosting the number of Border Patrol agents.](https://x.com/KamalaHQ/status/1818414386362409091) > * Most of Trump campaign ads have attacked Harris for the Biden administration's struggle to deal with waves of migrants crossing the border. > > **The bottom line:** Like the wall itself, Harris' changes on border policy reflect how Trump has shifted the political debate on immigration during the past decade. I am getting very, very sick of the trend of Democrats spending more time trying to appeal to bigoted conservatives than trying to actually represent their own constituents or help the people they ostensibly care about.
www.yahoo.com
> In an audio clip recorded at a fundraiser on November 6, 2023, Sheehy brags about roping and branding with members of the Crow Nation. He says “it’s a great way to bond with the Indians while they’re drunk at 8:00 a.m.” > Sheehy has a pattern of speaking about the Crow, according to Char-Koosta. At other events, Sheehy mimicked Crow tribal members calling him “white boy” and throwing Coors beer cans at his head when he misses a double-heel shot at their rodeo.
alt-text: the words “no ethical production under capitalism” with production underlined. It is next to the ancom flag, and is over a digital art wooden background.
It just made my morning to see that not only is the AP reporting this correctly, but the headline explicitly states the insane rarity of voter fraud. (Non-citizen or otherwise.) You have a better chance of getting a clear picture of Bigfoot than you do of having a voter fraud incident in your jurisdiction.
This is not the first time Trump has been accused of politicizing the military for his personal gain. He’s allegedly called dead soldiers “suckers and losers,” insulted the late John McCain for being a prisoner of war and recently stoked controversy for saying civilian Medal of Freedom recipients are much better than those who received the Medal of Honor — the highest military award in the country, often given posthumously.
The move followed a decision last year that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority by trying to forgive more than $400 billion in student loans.
www.bbc.com
I've never actually seen one of Trump's sales ads. I'm speechless for a number of reasons. How big is that dude's jacket? Somehow, the second one is even worse. Clips of the first NFT "issuance" made it to late night, but this is some next-level cult shit. Unless I'm misunderstanding, $7,500 gets you invited to no-expenses-paid visit to Mar-A-Lago, where I'm sure you'll be expected to pay for dinner, for the chance to shake his hand and be scammed yet again? Is this what's being sold? I share this because it's rather eye-opening what he thinks enough people will fall for to be worth it for a handsome profit. There's not much need to watch the analysis after the second ad, but if, like, me you are too stunned to form your own coherent thoughts, it helps on the come down back to reality.
www.motherjones.com
