Two branches of government and a ball less SCOTUS. The 2nd amendment has been infringed upon over and over again. Lawyers get rich bickering but now even so call 2nd Amendment advocates say "there is never a time for violence". Violence is at the heart of the 2nd Amendment.I don't know bkite. No one has a crystal ball. I DO know this. Politicians have tried and died on the "gun" subject. And my bet remains open. There are enough clever politicians to try some BS about ammo taxes. Lawyers get rich on that type of subterfuge. The second amendment is explicit. Any attempts to undermine that will be met by a lot of resistance. Red and blue.
Biden and Hunter... any thoughts on their relations with China while you're at it.So we're on to opinion. OK. The treaty with Iran. Paris Accords not useless. If you think getting America to act cohesively is bad, try global. But climate change remains an existential threat for our later generations just the same. We will never get everything we want in a treaty with our "enemies". The Iran treaty didn't even have the word "missile" in it. You can read it online. But it was a baby step forward. Not any more. Trump believed Putin over the FBI too. I know he tried to walk it back. He has the credibility of any authoritarian demagogue. But I'm straying from the subject.
Our Diplomatic corp. is one way we talk to other nations and try to build common goals (such as climate change) but career ambassadors and their staffs quit wholesale. Some later ones got fired for not backing up Trump lies. And while we're at it, let's add education, infrastructure, and the State Department. Trump installed his kids as State Department heads. When some of them didn't even qualify for a secret clearance (something I guard explicitly). His KIDS. Good for America? Right wingers might think so.
Many industry leaders were installed as Department heads. Rolling back clean air and water regulations, opening some of our land for exploitation, and cutting important budgets. Institutions that took generations to build, Trump tore down. I realize they're not totally destroyed. But I should wait for that?
Laugh all you want. You and old Sean have lots in common it appears."Gropin Biden and Hairyass supporter Sean Penn." Level headed, middle of the road... Sure.:rotfl:
Make America California Again? That's Biden's plan
Evan Halper
Sun, January 17, 2021, 6:00 AM
After four years of being relentlessly targeted by a Republican president who worked overtime to bait, punish and marginalize California and everything it represents, the state is suddenly center stage again in Washington's policy arena.
California is emerging as the de facto policy think tank of the Biden-Harris administration and of a Congress soon to be under Democratic control. That's rekindling past cliches about the state - incubator of innovation, premier laboratory of democracy, land of big ideas - even as it struggles with surging COVID-19 infections, a safety net frayed by the pandemic's toll, crushing housing costs and wildfires, all fueling an exodus of residents.
There is no place the incoming administration is leaning on more heavily for inspiration in setting a progressive policy agenda.
The revival in Washington of the California model of governance was cemented by Democrats' recent recapture of the Senate majority, and comes after a Trump-era hiatus during which the state was road-testing ambitious new policies. Another factor: California Sen. Kamala Harris is about to become vice president.
continued
I actually read that article. It almost seems like it's meant to be a little pejorative. In any case Biden won't be able to do it. California has $29,000,000,000.00 budget surplus.No worry about anything. 2A/Gun Control, Taxes, Iran peace treaty and all that. Biden just plans to Make America California Again. Which is what Maduro modeled Venezuela after
Article below is originally from the L.A. Times. They will not let me copy some over with my AdBlocker so I found it elsewhere.
Nemo
https://news.yahoo.com/america-california-again-thats-bidens-110050453.html
Can you explain this? I read the article and came to the extreme opposite conclusion. I just want to know why you came to that conclusion.I actually read that article. It almost seems like it's meant to be a little pejorative.
Jerry Brown
stated on December 11, 2018 (bold/enlargement added) in an NPR interview:
California's budget surplus is about "$30 billion"
Does California have a budget surplus of nearly '$30 billion,' as Gov. Jerry Brown claimed?
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's has received wide praise for his ability to manage California's fiscal health.
Brown inherited a $27 billion budget deficit when he started his most recent two terms as governor in 2011. Early on, he sharply reduced spending, spearheaded voter-approved tax increases and benefitted from a resurgent economy.
Next month, he'll leave office with a sizeable surplus.
But just how large is that pot of excess money?
Brown claimed in a recent interview on NPR that it's "closer to $30 billion," after the interviewer cited a figure of $14 billion.
continued
I really can't even figure out what you're saying here.If you think getting America to act cohesively is bad, try global.
Maybe it was just more of an implication. It seemed that way at the time.Can you explain this? I read the article and came to the extreme opposite conclusion. I just want to know why you came to that conclusion.
Not what I'm saying. American's best interests are served by discussing issues (as here), coming up with a policy that gets the job done, and offends the fewest. Regarding climate change, if we're to safeguard the environment, or at least minimize human's effect, we're going to have to act as a single planet. Seems almost impossible, considering political goals, misinformation, and financial consideration. The alternative could be very bad. But regardless, I trust science more than politics. And yes the Paris Accords were a lot of talk. Got something better?I really can't even figure out what you're saying here.
Should we become dependent again on energy suppliers? Is that in America's best interest?
Thanks for the date note. Current projection only ~$7,000,000,000.00. The rest of my post stands.Seems your citation is a bit outdated. Info below is from your link.
Nemo
https://www.politifact.com/factchec...alifornia-have-budget-surplus-nearly-30-bill/
They are projecting about a $17B future shortfall by 2024 due to fallout yet to be realized from Covid19.Thanks for the date note. Current projection only ~$7,000,000,000.00. The rest of my post stands.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4111
And WTF? In the meantime, may we please have clean air and water? Does everything have to be reduced to an economic equation?I really can't even figure out what you're saying here.
Should we become dependent again on energy suppliers? Is that in America's best interest?
Sucks. None of us are out of the woods on COVID19. And another strain was just discovered. Africa I believe?They are projecting about a $17B future shortfall due to fallout yet to be realized from Covid19.
Who has lead the charge on cleaning up the environment?And WTF? In the meantime, may we please have clean air and water? Does everything have to be reduced to an economic equation?
Apparently you quoted it while I was inserting a quick edit. That shortfall is for 2024, so, yeah, three years out.Sucks. None of us are out of the woods on COVID19. And another strain was just discovered. Africa I believe?
On a related note, the politicization of this Pandemic has put us all behind. The economics may turn out to be the easiest problem. ****, with unlimited credit...
So your answer is yes. We need to become energy dependent again since it will "save the planet" from climate change very much similar to that which occurred when T Rex didn't drive a four wheel drive. We can dig out later, after paying far more than our share, to carry other nations that are polluting far more than America. Is that about right?And WTF? In the meantime, may we please have clean air and water? Does everything have to be reduced to an economic equation?
Science. OK? Science. Nobody knows how the dinosaurs died out. Best theory says apocalyptic event. That'll rearrange the climate pretty quick!Who has lead the charge on cleaning up the environment?
Who has put in more money in the coffers?
Again, what did the dinosaur's die of? Apocalyptic Climate change maybe?
How in the blazing saddle did you get that? No one has those answers. Do you actually read my replies? No one knows. This is a unique situation in human history, against a backdrop of political, and economic interests. If we want to keep driving, heating, cooling, entertaining, fighting, and a host of other activities requiring cheap energy, we're either going to have to hope the shale fields hold out, import, come up with a reasonable alternate, or cut back. And yes I realize Lockheed Skunk Works has promised a marketable fission device in 5 years. They've been saying that every year for the past 10 years.So your answer is yes. We need to become energy dependent again since it will "save the planet" from climate change very much similar to that which occurred when T Rex didn't drive a four wheel drive. We can dig out later, after paying far more than our share, to carry other nations that are polluting far more than America. Is that about right?