Michigan Republican congressman suggests nuking Gaza, ending humanitarian aid
Michigan Republican congressman suggests nuking Gaza, ending humanitarian aid
If I was on the governing committee of a major political party, I'd be funding trips to places like Hiroshima and Auschwitz for members of our party that are running for office for the first time, not for the photo op, but so that maybe they can get some fucking perspective and not say batshit stupid things that make us look like a bunch of genocidal racists.
Idk, just a thought. Assuming that "genocidal racists" isn't a significant voting demographic that you are trying to appeal to.
Be careful. That could backfire.
This is exactly the sort of nonsense that my suggestion is designed to avoid.
If all you know about Hitler is that he was in charge of Germany during the second world war, they lost, a bunch of people died, but their uniforms looked cool (Hugo Boss, looks sharp) and people called him "Fuhrer" (German sounds so badass) then yeah, this kind of thing doesn't seem so off.
I want my representatives - whatever their affiliation - to have stood in front of the pile of children's shoes and the mass graves and the charred ruins. I want them to have stared at the abyss, felt the horror and the despair and the inhumanity and the evil and truly understood the weight of the responsibility they have to ensure we learn from our history.
That's the problem, for republicans "genocidal racist" IS a voting demographic they're trying to appeal to.
so that maybe they can get some fucking perspective
Your idea could maybe work, if they didn't think was staged and part of some conspiracy. The real (harder to implement, but long term) solution would be to fix the education system and nip this in the bud.
Idk, maybe fundamental policy statements - "the holocaust was real", "first strike use of nuclear weapons is abhorrent, inhumane, and we will never advocate for it". If you want to be part of our organisation and have our support, you sign on in support of our fundamental position and if you go against that in public we'll kick you out, pull our financial support, and run someone else against you next election
Those voting third party are ushering these guys in.
Wait a second. You could have been blaming the Republican voters, because they actually voted for the guy.
In this particular forum there aren't too many Republicans but plenty of people that think voting third party will accomplish something. It won't because that's not how the system works. You want to change the system, you say? You aren't going to succeed in changing a system you don't know anything about.
And all the while, Democrat candidates know exactly how to get more progressive votes: push progressive policies.
This is exactly what's happening. But too many people have been sucked into TikTok rabbit holes to know that's happening. The small amount of progressive changes that they've had to claw and scratch to get could be drowned in the bathtub because some people would rather be self-righteous over Joe Biden not screaming "GENOCIDE" a thousand times at Netanyahu as an opening statement before trying to hammer out a ceasefire agreement with him that will save lives.
Voting third party is doing nothing. Evil prevails when good people do nothing.
Evan McMullin's vote total in Minnesota in the 2016 Presidential election was larger than Hillary Clinton's margin of victory. Gary Johnson's vote total was almost 3 times McMullin's total. Johnson's vote total was larger than Clinton's margin in Colorado, too. If it weren't for third-party voters, Clinton would've had an even worse electoral college drubbing. (Perhaps this is the case in other states, too. Those are the two that I know off-hand.) Much has been made about how Jill Stein's vote total in Wisconsin in 2016 was higher than Clinton's margin of defeat, but without any 3rd party candidates, she would've lost by even more.
In 2020, Jo Jorgensen's vote total in Wisconsin was larger than Biden's margin of victory, as well as in Minnesota, Arizona, and Georgia. Her vote total in Pennsylvania was very close to Biden's margin of victory there. Without 3rd party candidates, Biden would've lost in 2020.
This article is about Rep. Tim Walberg, who blew out Democratic Party challenger Bart Goldberg in 2022. The 3rd party candidates in that race were from the Libertarian and U.S. Taxpayers parties. Without them, Walberg's margin of victory would've been greater.
It's absolutely true that voting third party is a really dumb strategy that will never achieve anything good and could conceivably allow for worse outcomes. It's also true that this potentiality is way overblown because of ineffective Democratic politicians using third parties as an excuse for their pathetic underperformance.
People freaking out about third parties having a spoiler effect are basically making the case for an alternative voting system like Ranked Choice. Oh a spoiler effect exists? Good point, let's fix it. Thanks for bringing it up! Very helpful of you to point that out for me.
I get why Republicans hate more democracy, but what is the excuse for the blue states? Maine and Alaska have done away with first past the post voting, why hasn't yours yet? The Republicans don't control every single one of the states still using FPTP.
He’s been in politics for a long time
Upset people dare to insist on being represented in government? Well I have good news for you my blue conservative friend!
Electoral reform is possible one state at a time. We don't need federal reform to do away with first past the post voting. This means instead of laughing at the disenfranchised, you could be outside touching grass right now campaigning to make third parties viable in your state!
If you're so upset with people bitching from the sidelines... put them in the game. Make them show us how it's done.
Republicans are moving to make alternative electoral systems illegal in their states. Republicans LOVE first past the post voting. Just sbsolutely adore it. Why the hell do you want to use the same voting system republicans want? Highly suspect, perhaps we should all take what you comment with a huge grain of salt.
You're ushering in MAGA by denying people the right to be involved in the electoral process! More people voting means more democratic votes. This is on YOU if the Republicans defeat your shitty candidates. You didn't fight hard enough for the USA.
Capitalists hate competition...
no, they're not. the people voting for these guys are the ones ushering them in. people voting for a so-called third party are voting against these guys
No, sadly with the way US voting works at the moment the chances of a third party winning is microscopic, so voting for a third party is only taking votes away from the only party that stands a chance of beating the republicans. Statistically third party voters would be more likely to vote democratic than republican if they didn't have a third party option, so in reality the more people voting third party the more they're helping republicans win. It sucks but that's the reality.
That's not how the US electoral system works. If the vote turns out 49%/48%/3%, then the guy with 49% wins. Unless your 3rd party is polling in the mid forties (and is therefore not a 3rd party) all you are doing is vote splitting
Not in an effective way.
Do the work for third parties between elections. That's when the hard-fought progress is made toward rising platforms and ideas. Vote third party in primaries. Attend third party meetings and help organize. But don't make the work to spread new ideas and build other options even harder by allowing democracy to creep further backward and affect up to 35+ years of judicial decisions.
One of these guys is already in the white house.
I'm so fucking embarrassed for my state right now.
This makes two assbag comments just in the past three days.
Most of us here really are rational, normal people.
I expected it to be the same guy who called a basketball team a bunch of illegals, but it's not the same person. Are all Michigan reps this dumb? Just asking questions.
Edit: typo
Are you familiar with the Republican party?
looks at Flint water disaster
yes
Whitmer was at least a very very nice upgrade from Snyder
I once considered myself an Independent voter who could go with either a Democrat or a Republican. Republicans are making it very easy these days to call myself a Democrat.
My wife's family was all Republicans. The matriarch is even a politician and was elected as a Republican.
With my goading, Trump's four years in office was enough to convert all of them to Democrats.
They see it like, to the extent they were ever Republican, that's not today's Republican party, period.
It's nice to hear a story with a good outcome. Thanks.
That's great, but unfortunately that's only a temporary victory since once trump is gone, it'll be seen as if the problem has been rid of, when in reality the problem is republican policy as usual, which trump is following to a T.
Remember all the people saying we shouldn't vote for Biden because of what's happening in Gaza? It's literally all over this website.
This is the alternative. Vote in November.
We should vote for Biden. Biden should also stop supporting genocide.
This is disgusting. I hope this guy gets voted out.
Unsurprisingly the "genocide Joe" crowd never comments on articles like this when Republicans say or do stupid shit. I'm looking at you @linkerbaan
Likely not. His constituents are nutters.
I will. This is all Republicans are. This stupid genocidal shit right here.
No one should be supporting genocide.
Sick, demented
Americans have forgotten all of the lessons of WWII.
To be fair all guys like this remember is that we dropped nukes on Japan and the war ended. That's the depth of the thought process. Maybe also that we didn't drop nukes on Vietnam and we lost. That sounds about right for that guy's age.
Israel apparently as well.
This isn't new. I remember them talking about glassing Afghanistan and Iraq back in the "turrerists hate our freedumb" days.
These fucks are evil.
Pretty average statement from a republican, why do people support these deranged monsters again? I thought there was limits to stupidity but Americans keep making me hold their beer
Pro Life!
.....wouldn't that just be nuking both of them? Israel is about the size of New Jersey.
Yes, he thinks he is brilliant for his subtlety.
Alternatively, nuke Jerusalem and everyone will stop fighting over it.
Jk, it wouldn't stop shit.
Actually it would, because Israel is the size of New Jersey and Gaza is about the size of a neighborhood in Jersey. It would stop everything in and around both of them.
What an incredible idea, right? And then there won't be any negative aftermath like radiation or anything, right? Right?!
Asshole.
As I understand the geography, nuking Gaza would also irradiate a portion of Israel, so its not realistic anyway. I agree that genocide is asshole behavior.
Does he also pass out pamphlets on eating babies?
We need a new word for stereotypes that’s way worse.
Then where would they build their condos?
Nuke the world. End all problems.
Nuke the whales! /$
What about making assholes responsible for inciting terror and violence and kicking them out of office? There's a responsibility coming with the job, and he's not fit to meet the entry level.
Ten bucks says he has snuff porn on his D drive...
holdenbloodfeast.png
The tragedy here is that supporting genocide isn't a criminal offense. Censure at a minimum, but he really needs significant legal consequences
No narcissism epidemic in America. Nope. Not at all.
Well, both sides still look the same to me...
Edit: y'all sarcasm detectors clearly need calibrating.
I get what you're saying.
However, the time to effect change while suffering a first past the post voting system is between elections, campaigning for electoral reform in your state.
Switching away from first past the post voting allows people to vote for who represents them best while still counting their vote against those they dont want to win. Just search for videos on FPTP voting if you want an explanation on why the spoiler effect exists, and how that makes third parties not viable.
Electoral reform is possible in each individual state (for now), we dont need federal reform! Maine and Alaska have already passed electoral reform.
So what’s the hold up with the rest of the states? Consider starring a campaign to change how we vote in your own state! Force our representatives to compete with fresh outside ideas. We deserve the best representation, not excuses.
Who could possibly say no to more democracy?
I think it's because on lemmy a large portion of active people are saying those things non sarcastically so my initial reaction was OK another one of these chuckle heads who scream genocide Joe and both sides! You have to put a /s because that's the world we live in now
Yo fuck the world rn.
No o e is good. I mean there's a clearly less evil side but that side is clearly evil as fuck
Guillotines are easy to make.
Biden: Only if Bibi asks nicely
These aren't weird people with mental health issues standing on the corner with signs. These are elected Republicans. I'm afraid of Republicans. I'm afraid of the world. I'm afraid I can't help it.
That's exactly what they are.
Haha, fair enough!
Oh Margie, you're still fun in my book. /s
They in fact are weird people with mental health issues.
I think a case can be made that a considerable amount of the ugliness we see in the world is a fairly direct consequence of the simple fact that a significant number of people in positions of power and influence are profoundly mentally ill.
The 1% has an undiagnosed hoarding mental illness. However, much like a gambling addict who always wins, no one thinks there is a problem.
Nana na nana nana nanana