Forbidden Words

[Iantha]

This latest development, of the government dictating to a science agency what words it can and cannot use, is the most troubling development coming out of this disastrous administration yet.

Science-based. Evidence-based. Fetus. Transgender. Diversity. Entitlement. Vulnerable.

Say them often, and call your reps and let them know this is not ok.

[Walrus]

When the Evidence-based, transgender fetus shows signs of science-based entitlement diversity, then you know the cheeto in chief is in trouble!

[Phoebe]

This is the full totalitarian bullshit machine right here. Things were bad enough and now we have word crimes for the minions. Republican Senators are full-on milquetoast nothings; they're either actively supporting or fully complicit. They've earned their pathetic place in history and once these Augean stables are cleansed not one of them will hold office again.

[Walrus]

I think it would be a lot funnier for us non-americans if there wasn't the imminent threat of this kind of thing leading to so much negative knock on effect.

Still, it can be relaxing to mix a rum and egg-nog and watch the US rip itself appart.

[Bonefish]

[Phoebe]

What part isn't true? Is the idea that this is somehow a less nefarious manifestation of totalitarian bullshit simply because it reflects a basic stupidity on the part of a lot of people? But that's probably what they thought in lots of places, including those presently run by some of our leader's openly-acknowledged heroes, in those halcyon early years when you could still protest and get away with it.

[Mike]

I think the untrue part is meant to be the idea that they will be swept out of office for their failings.

[Walrus]

[Bonefish]

[Mike]

FWIW... on average, the few special elections we've had are showing that most areas are leaning about 12% more to the Dems than in the presidential election. Roy Moore is a special case outlier... I wouldn't include him. IF that trend holds, then the Dems could easily take the House in 2018, and with the reversal in Alabama it gives them a fair shot at the Senate. But a year is a looooong time.

And if the Democrats DO take both houses of Congress and Trump serves out his full term, then we will have two years of Trump vetoing every single piece of legislation put before him and Congress refusing every appointment he makes and every presidential action that they are allowed to weigh in on. Sadly, legislative checks on presidential power have been slowly eroding since the Nixon era.

It will be 2 years of stalemate.

[Phoebe]

Depends what happens with Mueller. Sadly I am hoping Trump isn't implicated in any serious wrongdoing just because the best possible end to his presidency would be that we somehow survive another three years of it without major war or other totally devastating events, vote him out, and move on. If Mueller comes up with something bad, then the best scenario is that Rs retain control and vote Trump out themselves. Right now it looks like basically nothing he could be guilty of would cause them to do that, because no level of incompetence and malice seems unacceptable. Otherwise I fear what happens if the Ds win in 2018 and vote to remove Trump, as we are surrounded by people who are irrationally and idiotically enraged even in this, their hour of political victory, and I don't want to know what those people feel capable of when they aren't victorious.