edgecrusher said:

I honestly don't see any difference whatsoever in life in the real world ...

This is true for me also. I am always a bit sad for people in the US when I hear them on non-politcal podcasts bemoan that the end is nigh and soon we'll all be living in the apocalyse.

Nothing has changed one way o rhte other so far as I can tell. Gitmo's still open through three presidents, the business of america is still business (mostly arms sales) an individuals have more rights than ever. No President changes any of that.

So, Brexit.  It's all over the news.  I wonder if they will kick May out.  Personally I think it won't come to this, as no sane politician will want to take her place.  She was appointed to fail miserably in accomplishing the impossible, nobody is going to want to take her place.  Unless Boris Johnson maybe, at least he looks crazy enough to attempt it.

Yodariquo said:

There's a lot more inbetween apocalypse and nothing's wrong. Here are just a few items that affect real people that has happened because of the clowncar of wannabe fascists in charge.

Hate crimes are up 17%

Family separation, child prisons and lost children

Targeting of long-term permanent residents for deportation

Repeal of the individual insurance mandate leading to increased premiums and a strain on the medical system

3000 dead in Puerto Rico following lack of federal assistance

Reversal of policy to phase out private prisons









Those are from memory of immediate definite costs, and there's definitely far too much absurdity going on every day for anyone to remember it all.









Greater costs are further out or more abstract. A conservative court threatens womens rights, and right-wing control of governorships and courts already has in many states where abortions are incredibly hard to come by, such as Mississippi's single abortion clinic. Given the option, repeal of ACA protections on pre-existing conditions would be a death sentence for thousands. Religious exemptions from title IX-esque protections threaten LGBT rights.









The world can change a lot based on who's in charge when you're poor, a minority or sick.

I agree with you both, if that's possible. Living in a country that has fought so righteously to stop people drowning themselves at sea (it's such an inconvenience for us, it's unbelievable how selfish some people can be; and the fuckers don't even thank us for saving them!*), the attractiveness of a mythical enemy of literally no material power is impossible for any side of politics to ignore once they see it resonates with enough of the public. So far as I can recall, while Obama joked about fences and alligators, he still managed to set up the infrastructure for Trump's current policies, and was referred to as Deporter-in-Chief by La Raza.

With or without Trump, I don't see a way back from sadopopulsim (I wish I'd come up with that term myself) in America; 2001 was the test: do you deal with terrorism through criminal prosecution, or war. They chose the latter, which is almost always the self-destructive choice, and it can be tremendously difficult to move away from. It will take a catastrophe as painful to the American public as Vietnam for a change in American politics to take place IMO. Otherwise it will just continue in the same direction it has been headed these last few decades. And that's not considering the economic problems, which the Democrats don't really offer better solutions to, and fail to even communicate acknowledgement of to large proportions of voting public who have been negatively affected by them since the 80s. Trump acknowledged it; it’s just a pity his solution is that being a dickhead and making many of the things affecting these people (health care, as you highlight, for instance) worse are somehow a way out.

tl;dr: the general trend between the two parties is the same, but I do agree that different leaders/parties do substantially affect the detail of how they are carried out, resulting in better and worse outcomes for many, many people.

*People actually believe this, by the way. I preferred it when we were doing it openly on the grounds of racism, because we were afraid super smart Asians would out breed us and steal all our jobs. We still believe that, too, but now we've got to pretend we're fighting a noble crusade against people smugglers.

robio said:

Archangel3371 said:

Pika, pika?

Keep that foreigner talk to yerself ya foreigner.

'eh?

robio said:

Keep that foreigner talk to yerself ya foreigner.

Before you know it, our 'murican administrator will build a firewall around this fine site to keep us foreigners out!  

I hope #RAGA hats will be produced.