Strikers Demand 4-Day Workweek

Plus: Trump criticizes abortion bans, new TikTok trend asks how often men think about the Roman Empire, and more…

More pay for less work? The United Auto Workers union, which began striking on Friday, will continue to make demands of the big three domestic automakers—General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (the parent company of Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram)—asking for a 40 percent wage increase over four years, pension plan expansions, and a 32-hour, four-day workweek. 

Companies have countered by offering 14.5 to 20 percent pay increases over the contract period as well as "lump-sum payments to help offset the effects of inflation" and hiking pay for "recent hires and temporary workers, who typically earn about a third less than veteran union members," reports The New York Times. It's a targeted strike, meaning some autoworkers across the country are continuing to show up for work while individual plants in Missouri (for GM), Michigan (Ford), and Ohio (Stellantis) are affected. 

"For the last 40 years, the billionaire class has been taking everything and leaving everybody else to fight for the scraps," said union president Shawn Fain in a speech last week, noting that the Big Three have raked in a quarter-trillion in profits over the last four-year contract period. President Joe Biden chimed in, saying that it's time for automakers to share their "record profits" with workers.

The Big Three "had a combined market share of above 85% through the 1960s," writes the American Enterprise Institute's Mark Perry. By 2018, their market share had fallen to "an all-time low of 44.2%." In other words: Competition has gotten stiffer over time. Union activists may believe those greedy companies are just hoarding profits, but it's more likely that boards and executives are looking at market conditions and realizing that dominance is no sure thing and that profits must be reinvested in new technologies lest they fall (further) behind.

"The companies say that they are investing billions in a transition to battery-powered vehicles, which makes it harder for them to pay substantially higher wages," says the Times. "They say they are at a disadvantage compared with nonunion automakers like Tesla, which dominates the sales of electric cars."

Pro-choice Trump? "I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," said former President Donald Trump of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' six-week abortion ban during a Sunday morning Meet the Press hit. Trump, evading deeper questions on abortion, claimed he'd broker a deal to restore "peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years," satisfying everyone. Good luck!

Biden impeachment? House Republicans are opening an impeachment investigation to explore whether President Joe Biden benefited from his son Hunter's Ukraine business dealings. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R–Calif.), in conjunction with House Oversight Chair James Comer (R–Ky.), Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R–Ohio), and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason T. Smith (R–Mo.), will lead investigations. 

"Without doubt, Hunter Biden's shady business deals undermined America's image and our anti-corruption goals, and his conduct was thoroughly reprehensible," writes Rep. Ken Buck (R–Colo.) for The Washington Post. "What's missing, despite years of investigation, is the smoking gun that connects Joe Biden to his ne'er-do-well son's corruption." 

Reason's J.D. Tuccille offers a different take: "A lot of the same outlets saying there's no evidence spend a lot of ink disputing the persuasiveness of evidence they tell us doesn't exist." (More on this here, here, and here.)

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Scenes from New York: Overfishing, unintended consequences, and the magnificent marine life (whales!) flourishing right outside the city

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QUICK HITS

• Ontario's education ministry just issued a directive for schools to weed out books deemed uninclusive. Some school districts responded by simply removing all books published before 2008.

• "It was only after I lived overseas that I found out about the censorship of the 9/11 coverage by Chinese state media, and discovered the shame and guilt that would gnaw on those who had a chance to unlearn what they were taught," writes Liuyu Ivy Chen for The China Project.

• How environmentalists destroyed my kitchen.

• Migrants who have just arrived in New York but aren't authorized to work are making ends meet by renting illegal mopeds and working for food delivery apps. The city has responded to this industriousness by cracking down harder.

• Comedian Hasan Minhaj appears to have fabricated or exaggerated all kinds of stories, including an incident involving an FBI informant infiltrating his mosque and a tale of suspected anthrax being sent to his home.

• New TikTok trend: Asking men how frequently they think about the Roman Empire.

• One Redditor fed ChatGPT his entire comment history and asked it to create his psychological profile. (Code available here.)

• "One year after Mahsa's killing, women continue to defy the regime's compulsory hijab laws even though it could get them imprisoned or killed," writes Masih Alinejad for The Free Press. 

• Tucker Carlson interviewed Javier Milei, the libertarian who may actually win Argentina's upcoming presidential election. (Check out Zach Weissmueller's Milei coverage for Reason here.)

• Shots FIREd by the Los Angeles Times.

• Drew Barrymore: the scab we didn't know we needed (who later reversed course, alas).

• The Senate dress code has been scrapped; gird your loins/eyes. 

• Flailing mouthpiece of the gerontocracy:

Asked about Americans being concerned that Joe Biden is too old:

KJP: "80 is the new 40." pic.twitter.com/ijpGmPHlXa

— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) September 15, 2023

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Shots FIREd by the Los Angeles Times.

Never be as cool as when we got shots fired from the NYTimes' roof Gatling gun.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ha, just read that LATimes quote.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

That remark by Ali is just an example of why you should never take anything the left says at face value. When they whine about "divisiveness," it's because someone's resisting their political agenda. When they say they "don't have a side," they're lying.

Ali in particular is a special kind of marxist ethno-nationalist turd that universities are pumping out on the sub-intellectual assembly line. Destroy academia, and this stuff will be nerfed for about 70-100 years.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

100% correct.

[mad.casual]

@LorraineAli, name a political view. It’s likely we’ve defended speakers on both sides of it many times.

Not to side with Ali, but what moron wrote this reply? Uh, free speech? You’ve defended both the pro- and anti-free speech sides? Unions and free association? You’ve defended the pro-Union/Anti-Free association, pro-free association/anti-Union, *and* anti-free association/anti-Union sides? Gun control? You’ve defended both the pro- and anti-gun control sides?

Should I go on?

With “Both sides” retards like you defending free speech, who needs enemies? Way to go FIRE, you really pwned "Ali" on Twitter.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...asking for a 40 percent wage increase over four years, pension plan expansions, and a 32-hour, four-day workweek.

I'm beginning to wonder if certain Americans might not possibly be maybe pricing themselves out of the labor market.

[Sevo]

Some folks are ignorant of the effects of costs on selling prices; a 20% in the first generates a much larger effect on the later.

[creech]

Cite please. I've worked for a number of companies where the increased cost of labor could not be passed on due to competition.

[Brandybuck]

Citation please. Show us the balance books where they just chose to lose money rather than increase prices marginally.

[creech]

One did "chose to lose money" but it did because any attempt to raise prices would have kept them from getting competitively bid contracts. And small business owners, and even large corporations,
frequently choose to take smaller profits than before because they can't always raise prices enough to cover their increased costs.
An owner making, say, $200,000 profit, may decide it is better to make only $175,000 than to lose many of his customers by attempting to raise prices.

[Sevo]

If your example was a publicly-traded company, that would show up in the quarterly statements and the stock valuation.

[creech]

Have public traded companies NEVER ever showed lower profits, and had their stock go down, when they couldn't pass all their added costs onto their customers? I can't recall, in reading the WSJ for 40 years, any articles claiming such.

[Sevo]

I would say you lack reading comprehension.

[Don't look at me!]

I can tell you never ran a business.

[Sevo]

Nor has s/he ever been involved in managing one.

[Sevo]

Not for long, you haven't, unless they were hugely profitable before the increased costs.
Furthermore, you missed the point: Costs MUST get marked up, not merely passed on, if you wish to make a profit,

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Progressive economics rejects any quantitative and causal relationships between wages, prices, revenue, productivity, market share, profit, taxes, investment, and all other financial parameters. Plus math is racist.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Some people would be over paid as salves.

[TheReEncogitationer]

But you can never overpay for Tiger Balm! It Works Where It Hurts!™
🙂
😉

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Another part of the problem is that the dealers are pricing vehicles WAY over the top these days. The F-150 I bought for $26K in 2019 costs $44K now, and even the dealer dropping money on the hood probably wouldn't take it below $35K. That's ridiculous for a basic V-6 crew cab.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

We’re headed for a major collapse in the auto market. Skyrocketing prices AND interest rates, plus a cratering economy and malignant EV mandates all but guarantee it. Then they will be screaming for more taxpayer money to bail their collective asses out again. And for what? So GM can build more plants onChina and outsource their labor there?

[Bubba Jones]

It's true that many, many Americans don't understand why they have to work for a living.

On the other hand, Ford typically generates a gross profit of more than $20B per year. Net income is different but we've seen our share of accounting shenanigans.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Hey, being forced to work for a living because other people will not give you all the things you want is oppression. And probably racist.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

UAW members display a breathtaking sense of entitlement.

[Fats of Fury]

GM's own numbers from 2020, The US labor force is 92,000, salaried employees is 58,000, That leaves 34,000 workers. Their total global workforce is 155,000, I imagine most not in a union. Get this they have 490,000 retirees.
American auto sales in China has dropped considerably. I don't see how GM can afford this. They may have to get more robots particularly for all those salaried guys,

[Sevo]

"Comedian Hasan Minaj appears to have fabricated or exaggerated all kinds of stories, including an incident involving an FBI informant infiltrating his mosque and a tale of suspected anthrax being sent to his home."

Guy's 3rd to Biden and turd.

[JesseAz]

Worst part is his comedy is praised for not being funny but for being woke.

[Mike Parsons]

very sad, we used to appropriately label this stuff "propaganda"

[Overt]

Dude, I listen to Netflix is a Joke on SiriusXM quite often, and I heard Minaj's bit about Prom. In the bit he says that he was dating this girl and:

1) Went to her house on prom night, only to be turned away by her mom because she didn't want their girl at prom with a brown boy.
2) Was ostracized by the school because he broke up with her over the ordeal.

When I heard that, I looked over at my wife and said, "That shit never, ever happened." It was too perfect. It hit all the stereotypical notes that every single hoax always says happened. And I was right.
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/09/hasan-minhaj-admits-to-embellishing-islamophobic-events-in-comedy-specials

"While Minhaj admitted to her version of the prom events, he homed in on the “emotional truth” of the situation, saying his version of the story resonated because “there are so many other kids who have had a similar sort of doorstep experience.”"

So this mother fucker trying to tell "Emotional Truths" ultimately outed this girl (fraudulently) as an islamophobe. And she faced death threats because of his woke bullshit.

To this day I hear people wonder why Smollett was so stupid with his whole "MAGA Country" hoax. This is why: Smollett and his ilk see people like Manaj telling stories that fit every racial stereotype that they've been fed for years. These fantasies of persecution get amplified and accepted and re-told so many times that idiots like Smollett think it is as common as convenience stores. And so they are utterly shocked when they try to get in on the action and everyone screams "Bullshit".

[Mike Parsons]

"“While Minhaj admitted to her version of the prom events, he homed in on the “emotional truth” of the situation"

Why do you think millenials and gen Z wokesters often cite current conditions as the country being irremediably racist, with concern that race relations are in a terrible place...

Its because of this shit. They see every propaganda TV show telling them this is all pervasive, and they hear "emotional truths" from the true believer propagandists. Despite America and the west being the most tolerant and accepting of all things involving all races (and apparently made up genders) than the world has ever been for all of existence, by a long shot.

Victimhood became a currency, and blaming whitey became popular

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

‘Emotional truth’ = Factual lie

[NOYB2]

"Islam" is not a race, it is an ideology. And it is perfectly reasonable to discriminate against it, just like Islam calls to discriminate against others.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Most comedians will exaggerate stories for their acts, but like Parsons said, Minaj doesn't do it for comedy purposes, he does it to slag the US while benefitting from the very system he criticizes. Like a lot of commie "comedians," his purpose is to tear the country down through the dialectic, not try and make people laugh. "Applause" comedy is the worst kind of comedy there is.

[Mike Parsons]

"“Applause” comedy "

AKA 100% of what latenight comedy has become

[Ersatz]

you forgot the " " for the word comedy
... that is, if you're referring to kimmel and colbert

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

I hope the writer’s strike never ends, but the late night shows do.

[damikesc]

Given how much they no longer make (Corden lost $20M annually). Jimmy Fallon's show made more in 2018 than all of the major late night shows (i.e all outside of Gutfeld) make today combined.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

And their viewership has significantly declined. They would all be better off showing sitcom reruns or bringing in much lower priced talent. None of these hosts are worth a shit. And none of them could hold a candle to Carson.

[Medulla Oblongata]

I've never seen his shows, but are these "fabricated stories" on-stage bits? Or are they from his autobiography.

I mean, I'm pretty sure Eddie Murphy's Aunt Bundy was *not* a bigfoot, and I'm pretty sure the neighbor's dog that wanted to eat the monkey sat down and had a conversation with Richard Prior (Rich may have *thought* that happened, though). It seems incongruent to use the word "fabricated stories"...they're jokes, not personal anecdotes on a Harvard application or proof of character on the campaign trail.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," said former President Donald Trump of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' six-week abortion ban...

Finally, a credible primary challenge to President Biden.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"A lot of the same outlets saying there's no evidence spend a lot of ink disputing the persuasiveness of evidence they tell us doesn't exist."

One can always use wagon-circling practice.

[damikesc]

It seems that without a notarized letter, there is never enough evidence to show a Democrat is corrupt.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Even that wouldn’t be enough for them. But that Ford bitch spinning obvious lies with nothing to back it up about Kavanaugh is damning proof to them.

[Medulla Oblongata]

A notarized *confession* in Biden's own hand, written in his own blood, would likely be dismissed as part of political witch hunt and given only "under duress".

[Will Nonya]

So, you're saying the Trump standard then?

[JesseAz]

The CNN fact check was the best. They stated all of Mccarthy claims as true but still declared the total false.

[Commenter_XY]

POTUS Biden will be impeached, I think that is clear. The only question in my mind is before or after Xmas.

I am taking the under (before Xmas 2023).

[MasterThief]

I struggle to believe that. The agencies that have the incriminating evidence are refusing to provide it. On top of that, I think the Democrats can always count on at least a few Republicans to help them out.

[Sevo]

"The CNN fact check was the best. They stated all of Mccarthy claims as true but still declared the total false."

Ditto Fauci on masks.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Some school districts responded by simply removing all books published before 2008.

Book banning done easy.

[Social Justice is neither]

I'm waiting for the thousand articles from Reason denouncing this, or is it not bad because those books didn't instruct 8 year olds on the joys of gay sex with adults?

[Don't look at me!]

… removing all books published before 2008.

And did they burn them?

[Longtobefree]

No, that would exacerbate global climate warming change.

[Eeyore]

Not if you use the incineration to charge an electric car.

[Longtobefree]

Electric cars can only be recharged by solar and wind.
It is known.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Don’t burn books. Burn democrats.

[Fats of Fury]

I bet they kept "Gender Queer" and "Heather's Mommie Can Lick Her Other Mommie".

[Eeyore]

In the new edition Heather’s mommies are busy giving each other's mommy penises some love.

[Mickey Rat]

Making room for literature geared to "modern audiences", which are comprised of emotionally stunted imbeciles.

[JesseAz]

2008 must be when the publishing industry went full woke/marxist.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Obama's election is actually as good of a watershed as any for a lot of the Current Year bullshit we have to deal with now, although it had been mainstreamed at the university level for about 20 years prior to that. The commies really thought their historic determinism was being validated and went full speed ahead on their neo-marxist "liberation/critical theory" agenda from that point forward.

[Mike Parsons]

Seriously clown world.

They seem to have the goal of becoming a Babylon Bee article

[Medulla Oblongata]

Definitely in Not the Bee territory.

[Mike Laursen]

I wonder if this is the key line in this article: “The deadline to complete [weeding of books] was the end of June, according to the document.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/peel-school-board-library-book-weeding-1.6964332

Likely laziness responding to incentives factored into this one.

[Don't look at me!]

They did it because they were lazy? WTF.

[Mother's Lament]

That's right Mike, its not censorship, they're just being lazy. Just like it was only friendly suggestions when the government told social media companies to censor their political opponents, right?

You sure do love to manufacture excuses for authoritarianism.

[Zeb]

Well, it's censorship either way. The approach of tossing everything from before 2008 does seem like either laziness or ridiculous hyper-caution. Which is a predictable outcome of such an idiotic policy.

[TheReEncogitationer]

• Ontario's education ministry just issued a directive for schools to weed out books deemed uninclusive. Some school districts responded by simply removing all books published before 2008.

This is the Rush Moving Pictures album cover come to life.
🙂
😉

[mad.casual]

So the copies of 1984 published in the sales spike after the election of 2016, in or out? Out, right?

[Vernon Depner]

Some school districts responded by simply removing all books published before 2008.

We have always been at war with Eastasia.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Only books written in newspeak are allowed. We must erase the 1000 year history of a two gendered system.

[TheReEncogitationer]

Instead of The Junior Anti- sex League, nowadays it would be called The Junior De-Sexing League.

[Longtobefree]

We have always been at war with Eurasia.

[Fist of Etiquette]

How environmentalists destroyed my kitchen.

No one's coming for your gas stove.

[sarcasmic]

Migrants who have just arrived in New York but aren't authorized to work are making ends meet by renting illegal mopeds and working for food delivery apps. The city has responded to this industriousness by cracking down harder.

That's funny. I was told that immigrants come here for welfare, not work.

[Mike Parsons]

Another funny thing, I was told they are net contributors and dont consume resources, but there is Mayor Adams saying they are in a dire situation and city resources are completely exhausted due to the migrants.

Weird. Almost like that was always a lie

[sarcasmic]

You do know that “net” means an aggregation, not one specific locality, right?

By the way, why are people so anxious to end benefits while also prohibiting work? It’s almost as if they want immigrants to have no means of legally supporting themselves.

I would think people would want immigrants to get jobs. But from what I've been told that's leftist-talk. True libertarians require immigrants to have a government permission slip to work while making employers enforce immigration law.

[TJJ2000]

If they’re not authorized to work here they shouldn't be authorized to be here. You’re right. It’s STUPID immigrant policy Trump fixed and Biden re-created.

[sarcasmic]

Nobody should be allowed to work unless guv-guns says it’s ok. Is that about it?

[JesseAz]

Youre stuck on stupid.

Show us where NYC has 110k open jobs. Their unemployment is already at 5.3%.

And again, you want to simply cost shift legal workers to illegal workers who are cheaper as a business doesn't have to pay FICA or ACA regulatory costs. While shifting citizens to welfare.

Lol.

Will you ever actually defend your ideas?

[sarcasmic]

Are there help wanted signs everywhere where you live? There are here.

If you respond, please answer the question like a human being, instead of flogging some strawman that says that question is me trying to prove there are jobs in NYC.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Pussy, America has sovereign borders. Get over it.

[JesseAz]

I like how sarc thinks seeing 5 help wanted signs means there are 5M jobs and can't be bothered to actually look at even the optimistic BLS projections of jobs.

It is his truth. Data be damned.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

He can’t enter liver failure soon enough.

[TJJ2000]

And WHY isn't there any jobs in Mexico???????????????

After all. All these immigrants voted for their "our democracy" sovereignty in Mexico too.

Maybe nobody wants known FAILURES to invade the USA. If their hard-working *sses can't make Mexico a dreamland utopia what changes about them by crossing an imaginary line?

Nothing... Welfare statistics concerning immigration show time and time again that MOST are freeloaders. Well they freeloaded Mexico into a sh*thole why would anyone want MORE of them here? Isn't there already enough citizens freeloading here? That's where your many-jobs are coming from anyways.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

Are there help wanted signs everywhere where you live? There are here.

Good, you can use some of these folks.

https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1703445031737012359

It's a shame you don't vote.

[TJJ2000]

For Foreign Invaders? Yes... That is True.

Foreigners have NO RIGHTS to this nation that this nation doesn't accept. Deal with it.

[Don't look at me!]

New York should just take the hit, because it’s a net gain for the collective.

[Ersatz]

yeah! they should be team players!

[JesseAz]

Please show your data sarc. I’ve shown mine.

Difficulty. Data on illegal immigrants and not legal immigrants who get work visas with job offers before immigrating.

[sarcasmic]

I'll get right on it just as soon as I figure you'll have an honest conversation about the subject. Go ahead and hold your breath.

[JesseAz]

So you won't back up your ideas. Got it. I've given you my data dumbass. You are dryer than the Sahara with your data.

[sarcasmic]

Yep. Just as soon as you demonstrate the ability to have an honest conversation. Then I'll make an effort.

[JesseAz]

Part of an honest conversation is defending your assertions. I've defended mine every time you've asked. You ignoring it is on you. What you have never done is actually defend one of your arguments. Youre incapable. Youre proving it yet again this morning.

[sarcasmic]

You disagree with me as a matter of principle, so I know your mind cannot be changed.

If you're interested in another point of view you can do the same google searches I would do if I thought you were worth the effort.

[Don't look at me!]

That’s not how this works.

[sarcasmic]

I know how the game is played. I come up with something to back up my stance. You guys attack the source while ignoring the content, and then act all smug.

Sorry. Not playing.

[Don't look at me!]

Poor sarc. Why are you always picked on?

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

You’re pussing out, again.

Typical pussy being a pussy.

[Mother's Lament]

Fuck you, you discount drunken troll.

You shit up the threads with nothing more than troll bait and personal attacks, refuse to engage and switch topics when someone does start a good faith argument in response, and then act like you're the victim when people start to punch back.

You're not here to debate and share ideas. You're here to troll, shitpost and act the goat. Nothing more.

In fact you said it best yourself:

sarcasmic
August.12.2021 at 4:45 pm
Flag Comment Mute Use
I only show up to watch the clowns duke it out while tossing in this or that provocation. Bread and circuses. This is my circus.

[R Mac]

Awe, pour sarc.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

Pour Sarc.

[JesseAz]

I have literally provided you data dumdum.

You refuse to acknowledge it or back your own assertions.

[NOYB2]

These people aren't immigrants. They shouldn't work here, they shouldn't be here at all.

[Zeb]

I don't think it was a lie. I'm pretty well convinced that it has been true. It may not be true any more with all the "Asylum seekers" and it's certainly not true in NY right now.

[JesseAz]

The studies showing it to be true mix legal and illegal. Legal migrants on work visas come holding a job and lose visas if they don't maintain the job listed on their visa. This is not true of illegal immigrants.

It has never been true for that class of immigration. Study after study shows asylum claims (and they get work visas) are a net loss. The money spent on them is much greater than what they contribure in taxes.

[JesseAz]

And ill back it up here.

https://cis.org/Camarota/Welfare-Use-Immigrants-and-NativeBorn-Households

And asylum refugees.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/refugee-costs-88-billion-80-000-per-immigrant-free-welfare-medicaid

[Zeb]

Goddamn it is really depressing how many people in the US (citizens and otherwise) are on some kind of welfare.

[R Mac]

If we’re not to the point that there’s more people getting welfare than paying taxes we’re pretty close.

[TJJ2000]

^^^ BINGO ^^^. The Gov-Guns makes sh*t for me mentality will destroy the USA just as it has done to countless nations of the past.

The only human asset 'guns' can offer humanity is to ensure Liberty and Justice for all and the only tool in governments toolbox is gun-force.

[NOYB2]

Asylum seekers and illegal migrants are not immigrants.

[JesseAz]

They chose cities that provided the most welfare. They chose cities that didn't have jobs to actually employ them all.

How can you remain so dumb and ignorant despite being given the data?

Trust in your bumper sticker sarc lol.

[Super Scary]

" working for food delivery apps"

So we're closer to the "food trucks" narrative at least. Point to Reason, I suppose.

[JesseAz]

Subsidized underclasses are the most important thing.

I like how reason and idiots like sarc think there are 5M food delivery jobs.

[Spiritus Mundi]

And that you could support a family on a food delivery job.

[Don't look at me!]

Especially after paying $400/week moped rent.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see some of them turn those mopeds into rolling food carts. Have the wife whip up a bunch of food, ride into Brooklyn and Chelsea, and sell stuff to the neo-yuppies and hipsters.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The city has responded to this industriousness by cracking down harder.

Sanctuary not from red tape.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Comedian Hasan Minaj appears to have fabricated or exaggerated all kinds of stories...

BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN DURING THE WRITERS STRIKE.

[Don't look at me!]

Damned furriners stealing our jokes.

[Mike Parsons]

"appears to have fabricated or exaggerated all kinds of stories…"

Oh, I didn't realize he had switched over from comedy to journalism work.

Wonder if WAPO has hired him yet

[damikesc]

I want to know one thing:

Doesn't one need to be funny to be called a comedian?

[JesseAz]

Hannah Gatsby on line one.

[Super Scary]

"WHO LAUGHED?!?!"

[Vernon Depner]

“80 is the new 40."

Dead is the new 65.

[Jerryskids]

Are we talking about age or IQ ?

[Minadin]

With Biden it's difficult to tell.

[Ersatz]

we're talking the covid shots and their impact on the 65yr old demo

[Fist of Etiquette]

Asking men how frequently they think about the Roman Empire.

Any time I have a missed approach.

(Anyone who gets that dumb joke wins a prize.)

[Anomalous]

Carthago delenda est.

[Fist of Etiquette]

One Redditor fed ChatGPT his entire comment history and asked it to create his psychological profile.

You can probably get pretty close without the history itself just based on the fact he did it.

[JFree]

Someone else – socialchub86 – asked him to feed their comment history into GPT and do the same thing. The guy did that. The result.

Not a good profile – sexualized behavior, aggressive tendencies, intolerant toward differences, self-esteem issues. The socialchub86 guy deleted his account.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

How would that have been different from any other reddit account?

[JFree]

ChatGPT doesn't give too many people their psychological profile. So self-awareness?

Which might make for an interesting social media feature.

Click here for a psychological profile of your postings. If you want it kept confidential, it will cost $19.99 . But wait! If you buy today, we will throw in a special two-for-one offer. In addition to yours you will receive someone else's profile who chose not to keep it confidential or who not to click here. And we'll throw in doxxing info and a manual for how to monetize all this information.

[Fist of Etiquette]

One year after Mahsa's killing, women continue to defy the regime's compulsory hijab laws even though it could get them imprisoned or killed...

Look, just mask up. Okay?

[Don't look at me!]

Your hijab protects me, my hijab protects you.

[Eeyore]

From an erection.

[JesseAz]

Hijabs cure butter faces.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Tucker Carlson interviewed Javier Milei, the libertarian who may actually win Argentina's upcoming presidential election.

Why is this person being platformed?

[Zeb]

Because he's awesome, that's why.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Drew Barrymore: the scab we didn't know we needed...

This is shocking. Who knew daytime television had writers.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland]

The berrymore family acting dates back to the 1800s

[Mike Parsons]

She wasn't ready for the smoke. My first thought when this happened was she definitely doesn't have the cojones to make this work.

[damikesc]

I bet caving here won't cause her any future problems.

[Mike Parsons]

In terms of game theory she made all of the worst decisions.

Pissed off the writers, actors, all of the commie simps, and now normies think she is a pussy for caving to them, and she got nothing but a truckload of public scorn, complete with an embarrassing apology where she clearly was trying to say the correct prayer to the commie gods to be spared.

All around L for her

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Not to mention she didn't get any social credit for literally kneeling in front of that reptile-faced, female-LARPing twink, Dylan Mulvaney.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

She’s a crier. I’m sure she’s been sobbing over all the mean tweets at her. That was never going to work.

[TheReEncogitationer]

And she makes her own Beautiful™ Brand Air Fryer/Roaster/Dehydrator! She's not just a scab, but a Third World Sweatshop Boss!! And she's an enabler for those dangerous Survivalists/Preppers who do for themselves!!!

Drew Barrymore is just Unwokeness and Bourgeoise personified! To the Gulag with her!
🙂
😉

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Senate dress code has been scrapped...

Pennsylvania got what it deserved.

[damikesc]

It's just too much to expect a Senator to dress like an adult.

[Don't look at me!]

It’s just too much to expect a Senator to dress think like an adult.

[Eeyore]

Are diapers still required?

[TheReEncogitationer]

Depends...
🙂
😉

[Eeyore]

I feel bad for the janitorial staff that has to deal with cleaning the urine off the seats in Congress.

The entire place probably smells like old people.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

To be fair to Fetterman, probably 2/3’s of the senate is wearing adult Depends at this point. He’s hardly a standout in this area. Or even for having shit for brains. And he hasn’t started having mini strokes on camera yet either.

[Eeyore]

At least he looks like the puppet he is.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

He makes the democrats look like pathetic as shovels for voting him in. The alternative was Dr, Oz, so it’s not like they can justify Fetterman by saying they didn’t want to vote for an extremist.

The democrat party no longer has any right to exist. Fetterman is a small part of the proof.

[NOYB2]

The Democrats represent half the country. That's why they exist. Depressing, I know.

[Mike Parsons]

I mean, I think he could easily outwit Biden. So maybe the next D POTUS?

[Zeb]

Fucking grown men in shorts. Maybe everyone doesn't need to wear a suit and tie, but maybe try not to look like a complete slob.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

I have to seriously laugh at the claim that expecting Fetterman to not dress like a dirtbag from a casting call to an 80s serial killer movie is damaging to his mental state.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

There are dress shorts, nice shorts, and then there's that garbage Fetterman wears. If he went to the Senate in Bermuda business attire, then I have no complaints about the shorts. But, he looks like a fucking slob.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Rand Laul should show up in Jimmy Buffet style attire. Complete with sunglasses,

[Longtobefree]

I would present this as proof of the failure of Bidenomics; even the senate can't afford to buy a new suit.

[TheReEncogitationer]

What disturbs me about this is: If our so-called “betters” can dress like tweakers at a convenience store, it is just a short step before dressing neat is considered “Bourgeoisie” and reactionary.

At that point, “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful!” will change from Kelly LeBrock’s 80s ad slogan to a plea for clemency and mercy made before the Woke Mob!

[Medulla Oblongata]

Every Republican Senator should just show up in board shorts, Hawaiin shirts, and flip flops.

[Don't look at me!]

Want to share in the profits?
Buy the stock.

[sarcasmic]

That's the first non-retarded thing I've ever seen you say!

[Don't look at me!]

Put me back on mute you drunk fuck.

[sarcasmic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfrQ8ZutmLE

Takin' Dlam to the zoo!

[sarcasmic]

I'll be happy to if you stop making retarded replies to my posts like a retarded retard.

[Don't look at me!]

Ideas!

[sarcasmic]

Yeah, like that. Great example of a retarded retard retardedly replying to a post.

[JesseAz]

So many ideas. Just here for honest discourse*.

*does not include actually defending of his ideas.

[Don't look at me!]

“Because you guys will pick on me”

/sarc

[Mother's Lament]

"I'm all about honest discourse, but I'm just going to troll you and shitpost in response because I secretly know that you're not actually interested in debating me." - Sarcasmic to every poster to the right of Pol Pot.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

I’d be happy to see you try and back up your empty threats. Just to give me a legal pretext to deliver the savage beating you so desperately need.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Back to your piss soaked garbage can, pussy.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Asked about Americans being concerned that Joe Biden is too old:

KJP: "80 is the new 40."

I doubt Biden's doctors have enough drugs to make that even remotely possible.

[TheReEncogitationer]

Katanji is a lying dog-faced pony soldier!

[Nazi-Chipping Warlock]

80 might potentially be the new 77. But not 40, no.

[Longtobefree]

The auto makers should insist on a contract clause that requires the union to invest at least 70% of the pension fund in the company stocks.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland]

They would never agree to that, the unions goal is to steal as much money from the company then let it fold, then go to the next non union company to destroy tjat

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

No matter what happens to those union jobs, the union bosses will be dining on steak and lobster tonight. Washing it down with expensive champagne and scotch.

Union rank and file members too fucking stupid to understand that.

[Medulla Oblongata]

This is a story from my childhood. My father worked for a major manufacturer and was one of the go-to negotiators when UAW contracts were being discussed.

The union leadership at one plant in a small town--it was a major employer in the town--was holding firm against changes management wanted. Management had cleared most of the hurdles to getting a deal struck, but for two items: 1) Management wanted the union to be on the same health plan that management was on, and 2) the normal 2-week shutdown for plant maintenance was no longer needed, because it was being done in 1-week (modernizations at the plant had reduced overall maintenance time).

At this point, management told union leadership that the deal was now take-it-or-leave-it, and that if a contract was not reached, the plant would be closed, as it was the poorest performing plant among the group of plants producing the same parts.

Leadership never even took the deal the membership, saying "Our members will never agree to this." The plant closed.

Union members complained that they never had a say in the matter and begged management to let them sign the deal.

Plant laid off something like 450 workers, maintained a minimum contractual output, and was sold off. I think it's now a Japanese subsidiary and a shell of its former self.

[Davy C]

In all seriousness, that's a bad idea from the worker's standpoint. If the company goes under they lose their jobs *and* take a huge hit on the pension.

[Sandra (formerly OBL)]

"Pro-choice Trump?"

What else would you expect from a Kamala Harris donor?

I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not including Trump in my usual list of famous straight bros who like abortion because they want to "crush as much pussy" as possible: Andrew Cuomo (resigned in disgrace for being a creep), Bill Clinton (known cheater, accused rapist), John Edwards (cheated on his cancer patient wife), Eliot Spitzer (whoremonger), Harvey Weinstein (convicted rapist), Joss Whedon (stereotypical straight male "feminist")...

[TJJ2000]

I’m surprised your not lobbying to make sex a crime before marriage. As-if the marriage status-symbol had anything to do with the subject at hand.

[Sandra (formerly OBL)]

It's possible to think abortion should be legal in some circumstances while retaining the ability to see right through Whedon-esque Hey look at me, I'm one of the good guys, I support abortion because I respect women soooooooooooooooo much! posturing.

Just look at our resident abortion fanatic Buttplug. He objectifies women in a way that would make Larry Flynt blush. (Of course he namedrops Flynt as one of his heroes.)

[Fats of Fury]

And yet he nominated the judges that overturned Roe.

[Stuck in California]

One of these things has nothing to do with the other.

It's not a federal issue -- a Constitutional question. That's what the Supreme Court ruled on.

Whether legislators in the individual states are appropriately restrictive or permissive, or whether their approach allows their political enemies to vilify them, is a completely different debate. One I'm not taking a side in, BTW.

[TJJ2000]

They ruled that the US Constitution doesn’t apply as long as there’s ‘potential’ life somewhere. Yes; No joke. That’s exactly what they ruled.

The only reason Roe v Wades time-framing was Constitutionally baseless was it was already too Pro-Life. They should've ruled every individual has every right to eject or keep whatever items are in their *own* bodies. Ejecting isn't killing and playing the 'potential' game is not only UN-Constitutional it just excuses the power-mad public to start pimping out people's bodies as incubators.

[Davy C]

They should not have ruled on that because they were not asked to rule on that.

Ejecting isn’t killing

Bull. At the age most abortions are performed, it's killing just as surely as ejecting you from an airplane at 20,000 feet or from the South Pole research station in the middle of July would be.

[TJJ2000]

Ejection doesn't happen at 20,000 feet. Care to make up more delusions to fit your narrative?

If you want to argue fairly without made-up BS try:

Bull. At the time organ/blood transplants save lives anyone not donating their organs/blood is killing. FORCED organ/blood donation for the WIN!!! /s

[Medulla Oblongata]

https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-unveils-plan-to-lose-next-election-legitimately?utm_source=The%20Babylon%20Bee%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email

"Trump Brags He Could Abort A Baby On Fifth Avenue And Not Lose Voters"

Gotta love the Bee.

[sarcasmic]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12530467/Mystery-deepens-missing-100m-stealth-fighter-officials-reveal-F-35-carried-flying-autopilot-zombie-mode-pilot-ejected-South-Carolina-no-evidence-jet-crashed.html

Missing F-35 jet may have carried on flying in 'zombie state' as officials reveal $100m Lightning II stealth fighter was put on autopilot when pilot ejected over North Charleston
A Marine Corps pilot safely ejected from a fighter jet over North Charleston on Sunday afternoon but his $100 million aircraft remains missing

[Super Scary]

As I didn't have enough problems, now I need to worry about zombie stealth fighter jets. Come on, it's only Monday!

[sarcasmic]

lol

[sarcasmic]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12528371/Los-Angeles-cop-Ryan-Clinkunbroomer-shot-killed-patrol-car.html

Los Angeles cop Ryan Clinkunbroomer is shot and killed while sitting in his patrol car: Footage shows gunman ambushing cop as attacker remains at large

Random or revenge?

[Don't look at me!]

I feel certain it wasn’t an immigrant.

[JesseAz]

Shouldn’t you be cheering?

[R Mac]

You know he did when he first saw the story.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

I thought Sarc only cheered when the liquor store had a clearance sale.

[I, Woodchipper]

both

[Mike Parsons]

Roundup is already looking at least 50% more based.

Whatever will we do without 20 links to the NYT, and a deluge of abortion and ass sex links? Hopefully withdrawal wont be fatal

[Super Scary]

I'm just glad Fist has an outlet again. He must have been real backed up after not having a morning links for a few days.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I have other outlets.

[R Mac]

Pics?

[Stuck in California]

https://i.stack.imgur.com/OPtWK.jpg

[JesseAz]

And we get to miss Yglesias defending Biden on his latest article.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland]

I think you ment to type fetal...

[TheReEncogitationer]

Just curious, what exactly does "Based" mean? I keep seeing that term, kinda as an antipode to "Woke.". Yet I haven't seen a definition that fully explains it, even in Urban Dictionary. Any takers?

[InsaneTrollLogic]

"Grounded", "Normal", "Realist".

[TheReEncogitationer]

If it is "Based" or "Grounded" in Objective Reality that is there when you both sleep and when you are awake, then I can definitely get behind that.

How much those called "Based" fit the description is, of course, an open question, but it is good that Wokeism doesn't totally control the language.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

It's like the term CIS. Defined by wokies to describe the opposite of what they determine is woke at the time. An insult that they claim is not an insult.

[Fats of Fury]

It's a good column today. Thanks Liz.

[Billy Bones]

"They say they are at a disadvantage compared with nonunion automakers like Tesla, which dominates the sales of electric cars."

Well, there is one easy fix to that problem...become a nonunion automaker. Unions are a parasite that will eventually kill it's host (see also: public education). If the "Big 3" are really hoarding that much in profits while still charging consumers extremely high "sticker price", it is on the consumer to demand they lower their price, not the employees to extort the employers for "their fair share" of those profits.

[Don't look at me!]

According to the union, labor is only 5% of the cost of a car……

[JesseAz]

And that is with all the Billions in subsidies.

[Sevo]

I'm calling BS. The union is counting only the final assembly labor, not the labor that went into the glass, the paint, the tires and so forth.

[A Thinking Mind]

You've got to pay salespeople, too. And delivery drivers. And administrative assistants. Probably plenty of other workers who are contributing to the cost of the vehicle by the time it's sold.

And I'm still calling bullshit even if we limit this inquiry to the auto assembly workers themselves. I imagine they're still making much more than 5% of the final point of sale cost of the vehicle, if for no other reason than I don't trust the union to accurately report that number.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

And why do they deserve such a massive increase in compensation?

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Are they counting pensions in that 5%?

[Fats of Fury]

Look for the Uyghurs label.

[TJJ2000]

DeSantis is just too Power-Mad.

[I, Woodchipper]

How environmentalists destroyed my kitchen. "Environmentalists Are Destroying My Kitchen"

They will not stop until EVERYTHING is destroyed.

[TJJ2000]

Their slogan is after all, "Humans (their life-sustaining resources) are pollutants and the earth will surely end in um,er,dur 1980?,1983?,1990?,2004?,2010?,2020?,2030? if it isn't cleansed of them."

It's amazing how many faithful believers in the religion can be mustered up when the 'end of days' predictions has come and gone close to a hundred times.

Humans aren't pollutants (E-mc2) but they sure can loose their heads when it comes to joining religious cults.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

They’ll still be saying this in 2491, when Gil Gerard wakes up from suspended animation and teaches disco dancing to the people of the 25th century.

[Medulla Oblongata]

You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.

Here's some processed bug loaf for you to eat.

[TJJ2000]

I'm sure the Union Workers (*NOT* the taxpayers/buyers) will be happy to "bail out" the company when it's in trouble since they are so happy to "take all" the profit from it right? Right? RIGHT? /s

I'm still waiting for the union to demand lower wages when the company is going bankrupt..... Double standard? I think so.

[Jerry B.]

The union workers will be waving bye-bye to their jobs as they head for Japan, Germany, and Mexico.

[TJJ2000]

Like what manufacturing has already done to get cheap labor?

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Or just Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina...you know where a lot of "foreign" cars are already made.

[Fats of Fury]

Are they made or just assembled?

[JFree]

They already did in 2008. That's why they say they want what they gave up back then given back since the companies are now raising prices and delivering big profits.

[Don't look at me!]

Inflation is profit!

[Sevo]

"...delivering big profits."

Across the industry, the current net profit is 3.92%. JFree is a fucking lying pile of lefty shit.
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/GPI/group-1-automotive/profit-margins

[Fats of Fury]

The US taxpayer should be first in line.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Amd the secured bond holders that Obama defrauded.

[TJJ2000]

Huh... I must of been misinformed. I thought it was the government (US taxpayer) that bailed them out not the 'union' employees.

I'm pretty sure the union of workers can go start-up their own vehicle company though if they don't think they're being treated fairly. And what a great way to expand USA manufacturing, competition and heck, might even get us the much needed drop in automobile price-tags. I'm all in favor of employee owned companies; what's their hold -up?

[JFree]

The US taxpayer did not bail anyone out. That was done by debt. Everyone who asserts that ‘taxpayers paid for this or that’ for anything in the last generation (the last time we had even one year of a balanced budget ie paid by taxes) or so is a grifter. ALL incremental spending is paid for by debt – a fraudulent cashout refi – on property you don’t even own.

[TJJ2000]

So no-one owns their labors because the government fraudulently makes charges on it's value before that value is earned? Chase that tail faster; maybe you'll catch it. 🙂

[Don't look at me!]

So nobody owns houses or cars?

[Sevo]

JFree.
You.
Are.
Fool.
Of.
Shit.

[Brandybuck]

> Pro-choice Trump?

I will be interesting to see how single-issue-only ProLifers will deal with this. Most got on board the Trump bandwagon because he gave them a nod in their direction, plus Dobsen vouched for him. But will they back him when no longer annointed by God? We shall see if Strong Man is stronger than their principles.

> Ontario's education ministry just issued a directive for schools to weed out books deemed uninclusive.

How long until the book burnings commence? How are old school liberals, who still denounce book "bannings", going to square this with their new Woke rulers? Are they going to be hunky dory with empty library shelves? We shall see if Woke Man is stronger than their principles.

[TJJ2000]

The Pro-Life mob really belongs to the left in all aspects / ideology. It was founded by the Democrats-at-large (Catholic Religion). Republican voter majority supported Roe v Wade as does Trump and Stossel. I'd say it's a pretty good marker for Power-Mad Republicans to watch out for like DeSantis.

[Bill Godshall]

After Trump secures the GOP nomination, he'd be wise to
- point out his 3 SCOTUS Justices who struck down Roe v Wade,
- criticize Congressional legislation to ban abortion nationwide (e.g. Lindsey Graham's stupidly timed bill in 2022 that helped Democrats gain a dozen US House seats and a US Senate seat),
- criticize DeSantis' 6 week abortion ban (before many females realize they are pregnant) as denying women's basic rights, and
- reassert his support for abortion exceptions in cases of rape, incest and the woman's health.

That should help Trump gain many more female voters in 2024.

Anti abortion extremists (and extremism) within the GOP have been the key reason why Democrats won many purple districts and states in 2022.

Trump knows that he'll still get the vast majority of votes by those who identify as "pro life".

[Fats of Fury]

Lindsey Graham’s stupidly timed bill in 2022 that helped Democrats gain a dozen US House seats and a US Senate seat

Stupidly or strategically? The way that McConnell sabotaged races the Senate r's didn't seem to interested in taking over.

[Nazi-Chipping Warlock]

The Washington Generals know their role in all of this.

[Mike Laursen]

I don't think it's the first time Trump has gone off script. I think the reaction is to pretend he didn't say what he said.

[Don't look at me!]

Cite that a script exists?

[Foo_dd]

"I will be interesting to see how single-issue-only ProLifers will deal with this. "

one consistent thing with trump supporters is that they do not care what he says/believes/does. the vast majority of his supporters like him because he pisses off the right people. nothing else really matters to them. when they do actually care about anything else they just point to the supreme court picks and ignore everything else.

[TJJ2000]

They care about the US Constitutional and a LIMITED government. Something a lot of RINOS and practically all Democrats have problems with (the people to piss off).

And the only thing you're selling is PROJECTION of the leftards mob mentality. The [WE] mob RULES! /s

[Foo_dd]

"They care about the US Constitutional and a LIMITED government. "

riiiiiight..... i guess you missed the fact that the issue being discussed was abortion. nothing constitutional or limited about injecting the government into that private decision.

[TJJ2000]

riiiiiight….. i guess you missed the fact that the issue being discussed was abortion ..... and that "Pro-choice Trump?"

UR literally proving your point entirely wrong.

[Foo_dd]

i don't think you would know what my point was if i poked your eye out with it.

[TJJ2000]

Or maybe you don't even know your own point short of the inferred message that Trump support BAD precisely for the #1 character trait of the left (i.e. [WE] party-affiliated RULES.)

As-if it's some big secret that the left is more devoted to the party than the substance than the right is. This has been wildly obvious for years.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Yes, government has no interest in preventing medically assisted infanticide.

[TJJ2000]

Yes, government *shouldn't* but does have interest in pimping out others bodies to save potential life.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Infants aren’t ‘potential’. They’re ‘actual’.

[TJJ2000]

Back to the Pro-Life word games IC.

Infant - a human child from *birth* (see newborn infant) to the end of the first year of life.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

It’s a baby. Quit playing pro abortion word games.

[Foo_dd]

the point was that that is neither constitutional nor limited. it is violating the natural rights of women to supposedly protect the negative rights of a theoretical future person, through the growth of the power of the government and the erosion of natural rights.

and the real kicker, is that most people want to allow for some level of exceptions that happen to correlate with the reality of when almost all abortions are performed. the whole late term abortion thing is extremely rare and is universally done to protect the life of the mother. (women don't like to get fat for 6 months just to kill the baby later.) so, the whole exercise is a bloat of government interference for no real change.

[TJJ2000]

[phone]..... Perfectly said...

[Medulla Oblongata]

A lesson from the Shit Sandwich vs Giant Douche race...at the end of the day, the Giant Douche at least can be used to wash out a swampy vag. There is not one positive thing about a Shit Sandwich.

[Will Nonya]

I came across a news report on this earlier claiming that since 1970 productivity has increased 65% while wages have only increased 17%. The implication they are trying for is that the workers are working harder and faster now without increases in pay. It completely ignores the reason for those productivity increases being due to heavy capital investment to modernize and automate these factories.

[Minadin]

If they hold firm on their whole '40% more pay for 20% less work' line, we're about to see a brand new revolution in the automation and modernization departments.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/

That might answer your question.

[JesseAz]

The left is too ignorant to understand that not all productivity efficiency goes into wages, but also goes into lowering prices.

[TJJ2000]

…OR as people should’ve learned in 1st grade.

There is NO SUCH THING as a free-lunch.
COVID ?freebees? will haunt people’s earnings for a long time.
‘Guns’ don’t make SH*T…
They STEAL it and every worker gets stolen one way or the other from it.

[I, Woodchipper]

Tucker Carlson interviewed Javier Milei, the libertarian who may actually win Argentina's upcoming presidential election.

The most entertaining outcome is the most likely. If he wins it will be SO entertaining to read the wailing and hyperventilating from the journalism class.

[R Mac]

Until the CIA murders him.

[Nazi-Chipping Warlock]

I wonder what the climate is like in Argentina...

[Sevo]

"California's lawsuit says oil giants downplayed climate change."
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/16/1199974919/california-oil-lawsuit-climate-change

Note the companies are not being sued for causing it, but for not being sufficiently enthusiastic about spreading the propaganda!

[TJJ2000]

Well if seeing a person smoke can kill everyone then I'm sure oil giants have complete control of the weather. /s

It really is amazing how dumb humanity can get when they turn 'gov-gun' power-mad. Knocking off Jews will save Germany too. /s

[Jerry B.]

Hunter Biden is suing the IRS for revealing his tax information. Liberals are ecstatic.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/09/18/hunter-biden-lawsuit-irs/

[Mike Parsons]

Eagerly awaiting for Rachel Maddow to pour over ever gritty detail on her show...

[Don't look at me!]

Hunter Biden is suing the IRS for revealing his tax information

“Donald Trump on line 2”!

[JFree]

Henry Ford is the guy who, more than anyone apart from maybe religions, made the weekend a thing. He even wrote an article about it in 1926 - Why I Favor Five Days Work With Six Days Pay

The five day week is not the ultimate, and neither is the eight hour day. It is enough to manage what we are equipped to manage and to let the future take care of itself. It will anyway. That is its habit.

Apparently the future has been - no changes to the now standard 5 day, 40 hour week - and no CEO will ever write an article like what Henry Ford did. Goddam commie.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

An appeal to authority doesn't make the argument any more compelling.

[Mike Parsons]

This is JFear, the COVID chicken shit. Appeals to authority fuel 90+% of his arguments.

[JFree]

You don't even know what an appeal to authority is or why it's a fallacy

[Sevo]

JFree makes empty claim! Surprise!

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Resorting to this lame "I know you are but what am I" tack isn't doing it, either.

[JFree]

Well as Jesus once said - People who say 'I know you are but what am I' on the Internet will not be inheriting the Earth anytime soon.

[Sevo]

Nor will lying chicken littles, lying chicken little.

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Are t you a Marx worshipping atheist?

[Sevo]

It takes a low-watt bulb like JFree to ignore what allowed Ford to do so: He was the Google of the time, no competition.

[TheReEncogitationer]

He could afford to do that with his American workers. According to Werner Keller in East Minus West Equals Zero, Henry Ford profiteered off of slave labor under both Nazi and Communist systems abroad.

[Don't look at me!]

Jfear knows nothing about the Fordlandia failure.

[JFree]

Read the article. Yeesh. He wasn't advocating anything out of generosity.

[A Thinking Mind]

Migrants who have just arrived in New York but aren't authorized to work are making ends meet by renting illegal mopeds and working for food delivery apps. The city has responded to this industriousness by cracking down harder.

Exactly why it's important to repeal the welfare state and the regulatory capture BEFORE we have open borders. Otherwise we just clothe, feed, and give medical care to a bunch of people who simply have to show up on US soil without them giving anything back.

[Mike Laursen]

Surely there are more possiblities. For example, if we let people in the country on work permits, they could pay taxes and have a separate, limited fund they pay into for social services. There are many ways things could be organized differently and better short of having to completely disolve the welfare state before allowing more legal immigrants and guest workers.

What is completely nuts is, for example, Texas spending nearly $5 billion and planning to spend $5 billon more at an ineffective effort to keep immigrants out.

[A Thinking Mind]

For example, if we let people in the country on work permits,

Well I'm on board with doing that! It's the 100% open borders and letting everyone claim asylum that I find problematic. My argument is against the strawman position Reason seems to support that any restriction on immigration is too much restriction.

[Mike Laursen]

It is their goal, as it is mine, to accommodate freedom of movement. But they are also a policy institute, who have no problem considering practicalities.

[Don't look at me!]

Think of it as an investment to avoid future expenses.

[R Mac]

Libertarians for welfare!

[JesseAz]

3rd time I'll mention that NYC will double that cost in just 2 years.

[Fats of Fury]

These people will be working off the books AND getting welfare.

[Foo_dd]

the welfare state is the underlying problem that gets ignored when immigration comes up. access to this resource is the big reason so many are abusing the asylum process.

i also agree it should be completely dismantled, but there could be ways around it that would have us not reject the principle of the free movement of people.

step one, close the loophole that lets illegal immigrants be counted as members of a household.
step two, make work visas disgustingly easy to get, so that anyone who wants to come here and work can do so legally.
step three, in addition to the the obvious exclusions for step two, (criminal history, previous deportation) anyone who has had a failed bid for asylum. there needs to be a consequence for this abuse. make the false asylum seekers some of the few people who are restricted.

[Medulla Oblongata]

We could simply normalize our immigration law with that of Mexico (the lists below are available at a number of different sites, and I cannot claim I verified any of them):

Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society:

* Foreigners are admitted into Mexico "according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress." (Article 32)

* Immigration officials must "ensure" that "immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents. (Article 34)

* Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets "the equilibrium of the national demographics," when foreigners are deemed detrimental to "economic or national interests," when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when "they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy." (Article 37)

* The Secretary of Governance may "suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest." (Article 38)

Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country:

* Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article 73)

* A National Population Registry keeps track of "every single individual who comprises the population of the country," and verifies each individual's identity. (Articles 85 and 86)

* A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number (Article 91).

Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned:

* Foreigners with fake immigration papers may be fined or imprisoned. (Article 116)

* Foreigners who sign government documents "with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses" are subject to fine and imprisonment. (Article 116)

Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons:

* Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117)

* Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 118)

* Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico -- such as working with out a permit -- can also be imprisoned.

Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says,

* "A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally." (Article 123)

* Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)

* Foreigners who "attempt against national sovereignty or security" will be deported. (Article 126)

Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:

* A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article 127)

* Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented foreigners into Mexico will be fined. (Article 132)

[Medulla Oblongata]

I'd support, say, a 5-year work visa that is non-renewable (but during your work-visa period you are free to apply for citizenship) for as many unskilled laborers as may be needed. The work-visa holders would have to otherwise comply with all applicable labor law (taxes, minimum wage, OSHA training, etc.), and any felony offense (and certain misdemeanors, as may be decided) voids the work visa and overstaying the visa is a felony, with punishment being summary deportation and barring any future visa re citizenship request.

Second, children born to work visa holders are not US citizens, but rather citizens of the country of their parents.

And finally, work-visa holders are not eligible for any social welfare benefits, except possibly acute (not chronic) illness and/or injury treatment as may be needed at an ER.

[raspberrydinners]

" Union activists may believe those greedy companies are just hoarding profits, but it's more likely that boards and executives are looking at market conditions and realizing that dominance is no sure thing and that profits must be reinvested in new technologies lest they fall (further) behind."

Big surprise to see reason carrying water for the billionaires.

Companies big and small forget who got them there- WORKERS. People actually doing the shit day in and day out. Fuck the big 3- pay the workers.

[Mike Parsons]

“Big surprise to see reason carrying water for the billionaires.”

Big surprise to see you simping for unions, commie

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Negotiate the pay raises all you want, but fuck this "40 hours of pay for 32 hours of work" bullshit. Fuck the commies, smash their skulls in.

[Mike Parsons]

I forget who said it, but:

"Most of society's problems today come from the fact that we stopped kicking the shit out of hippies"

seems more relevant every day

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Agreed. Our salvation is tied to their destruction. There isn’t an alternative where America survives if they aren’t eliminated.

[Ajsloss]

Think you might be looking for the Pravda comment section.

[Sevo]

Maybe one day, this steaming pile of lefty shit will pass the 6th grade:

"Big surprise to see reason carrying water for the billionaires."
Stupid sumbitch either has no retirement or is too stupid to know who holds most of the stock.

"Companies big and small forget who got them there- WORKERS. People actually doing the shit day in and day out. Fuck the big 3- pay the workers."
Marx published "Das Kapital" in 1867, propounding the labor theory of economics. [V]on Böhm-Bawerk answered not 5-6 years later ("Capital und Capitalzins" - "Capital an interest") pointing out that you can't even dig a ditch without a shovel.
No, shit-for-brains, capital is required before labor can add anything.
Fuck off and die, asshole.

[TheReEncogitationer]

If the technology enables workers to do 5 days work in 4 days, that is one thing.

But Hollywood writers?

Producing stinking celluloid turds like The Immortals?

Not to mention every junkie movie ever parodied and lampooned by Mystery Science Theatre 3000???

You gotta be shitting me!

Let them write something worth watching, then we'll talk! Meanwhile, go bleed your heart somewhere else!

[AT]

Fire the workers, replace them with robots.

Union workers are like people who put their pronouns in their resume. Just avoid them completely. They're more trouble than they're worth and produce nothing but drama.

[Zeb]

If they are getting the work done that they need done, why would they pay workers more? Paying people more just because is not a tenable situation.

[Fats of Fury]

American car sales are way down in China

https://www.businessinsider.com/china-auto-sales-automakers-ford-gm-making-losing-market-share-2023-4

Other than Tesla, popular US auto brands lost major ground in China last year, the world’s largest car market that’s critically important to manufacturers. GM’s car sales there fell by 20% from 2021, while Ford’s declined by 33.5%, according to advisory firm Automobility Ltd.

[GroundTruth]

WORKERS forget who put up the cash to start the thing, and who STILL owns the thing.

If they are so unhappy that they don't want to work for the pay offered, then they can quit and clear out. If they don't, then call the sheriff and have them evicted. (And fire them.)

[Elmer Fudd the CHUD 2: Steampunk Boogaloo]

Hey faggot, they already do.

[Medulla Oblongata]

WORKERS are of course free to build their own factories and pay themselves what they think they're worth.

[Mike Parsons]

.

[Dillinger]

>>Rep. Ken Buck (R–Colo.)

citing idiot rinos is National Review's job.

[Dillinger]

>>The Senate dress code has been scrapped

Lieawatha can finally tote her deerskin skirts and moccasins.

[Dillinger]

>>Migrants ... making ends meet by renting illegal mopeds and working for food delivery apps.

Liberty Mutual skyrockets uninsured coverage rates.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

Hard-right politics grow across the globe
.
International Trump support reflects a global phenomenon: The hard right, once fringe, is gaining power and popularity across Europe, Latin America and elsewhere.
.
Why it matters: Immigration, inflation and the rising cost of climate policy are creating potent new targets for populism, the Economist reports.
.
Zoom in: In Europe, nationalist or far-right parties are growing in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and even Finland and Sweden.

https://www.axios.com/2023/09/18/trump-global-right-2024-election

[Dillinger]

>>Immigration, inflation and the rising cost of climate policy

good platform.

[Sarah Palin's Buttplug 2]

Spittin' tobacky prices high all over the world.

[Sevo]

turd, the ass-clown of the commentariat, lies; it’s all he ever does. turd is a kiddie diddler, and a pathological liar, entirely too stupid to remember which lies he posted even minutes ago, and also too stupid to understand we all know he’s a liar.
If anything he posts isn’t a lie, it’s totally accidental.
turd lies; it’s what he does. turd is a lying pile of lefty shit.

[I, Woodchipper]

"hard right" lol

You have no idea

[Sevo]

To lying piles of lefty shit like turd, anyone to the right of FDR is 'hard right'.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Hard-right politics grow across the globe

Translation: These clingers are resisting our faggot globohomo agenda.

Who could have imagined that pushing world government technocracy would create such a backlash? Vee must keep pushing zee Great Narrative!

[MWAocdoc]

"Union activists may believe those greedy companies are just hoarding profits"

"Buy American!" ... "Look for the Union Label!" ... "Strike! Solidarity!"

Some of these things are not like the others. Market share has fallen because American-made vehicles suck big wind. I haven't bought an American vehicle for over thirty years, and not because I haven't bothered to test-drive them. If American workers want four-day work weeks and big raises then they better not try to get the rest of us to buy their crappy output.

[Super Scary]

"KJP: “80 is the new 40.""

This common core math stuff is so confusing.

[Don't look at me!]

Math is racist.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Well, then, one more reason to think Trump sucks even more than I’d assumed.

Of course, to be fair, if one of his main opponents signed a *pro* abortion law, Trump would be against that, too.

[Sevo]

TDS-addled shit pile shows up!

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Well, bless your heart, Sevo, I’m surprised to see you use such a sharp tone, it’s so unlike you.

[Sevo]

TDS-addled shit pile tries to make a funny!

[The Margrave of Azilia]

I thought the lefty trolls were exaggerating about this comment section supporting Trump.

Perhaps your views on abortion are closer to the position he today proclaims?

[Sevo]

"I thought..."
Not a chance, TDS-addled shit.

[Zeb]

Supporting Trump and defending Trump against insane media overreactions and political prosecutions and persecutions are very different things.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Sure, but I criticized Trump for going soft on the right to life. Is he really going to get left-wing persecution over *that*?

[Mike Laursen]

Sound like you may have started to figure out who the trolls really are.

[A Thinking Mind]

Aside: Ken Paxton was acquitted on every article of impeachment. I followed a good bit of that trial, but by no means all of it.

The alleged bad act was apparently favor-peddling to a guy named Nathan Paul, who allegedly gave a job to a woman Paxton was having an affair with. They never really connected the tissue on those allegations to my taste. It seems Paxton had received a $25,000 donation from this guy, out of the over $6,000,000 he raised for his campaign, and this guy donated to multiple candidates. The idea that he was in this guy's pocket was questionable.

The real reason this impeachment was pushed forward seems to be that Paxton was trying to use his own department to examine the veracity of a federal investigation. Even the hard-core conservatives are law-and-order types who absolutely refuse to believe the FBI is a corrupt institution and they thought it was bogus that the FBI might be conspiring to do awful things. Incidentally, the last three defendants in the Whitmer "kidnapping" plot were acquitted last week as well-don't know why I felt that was worth mentioning.

Ultimately, it seems like Paxton was attacked for pushing back against the "Deep State." And when I say Deep State, I don't mean to imply there's a dozen dark-clad men in a smoke filled room who control everything in the country. The deep state is the entrenched bureaucracy, people who aren't directly answerable to voters and continue working in government positions across administrations, and they wield power in those positions and they naturally have their own preferences that don't necessarily match those of their chief executive.

Because they owe their livelihood to the fact that there's a vast bureaucratic state, they are defensive about any attacks to the legitimacy of the bureaucratic state. I won't even say it's malicious, it's a natural tendency, a need to believe that you're a good person doing good things in your work, so a threat to the status quo is attack on your own values. For that reason they tend to try to sail a steady course across elections, ignoring the will of executives and preferring to support people who are willing to play along with them. When there's a disrupter elected to a high executive position, someone who doesn't value the apparatus of the bureaucracy, the bureaucracy assumes they must be corrupt because they're trying to destroy everything they see as good and proper.

This is the problem with having such massive, overwhelming, overreaching government powers. It resists even doing the will of the voters because it is an entity unto itself. Even though everyone in the executive department derives their power from the executive, they push back against policies they don't like. He can fire them for failing to do what they're ordered to do, but then they retaliate with a months-long inquiry into basically everything he's ever done, and, if nothing else, it slows him down.

And you know, ultimately, it doesn't matter if Paxton was corrupt or not. The hearings were run in a very orderly fashion, with criminal rules of procedure and a criminal threshold of "Beyond a reasonable doubt." Rules of evidence for criminal trials were followed, witnesses were presented by lawyers for direct examination and then cross-examined by the other side. For my view, it was an attempt to present as objective a picture as possible, without the level of posturing you typically see in any Congressional hearing. Yes, there were rhetorical flourishes by the lawyers, but it wasn't about getting on a pedestal and creating soundbites, both sides were putting on a proper case based on the facts.

And the impeachment vote still went down almost exclusively on party lines. On 14 of the 16 charges, every single Democrat voted to convict, and 16 Republicans voted to acquit on every single charge. It was entirely political despite all the efforts to run an unbiased hearing in a criminal fashion.

And I think that's going to be a preview of what happens in any trial involving Trump: you will be able to predict how any juror will vote on the charges based not on the facts presented, not on the quality of the arguments, not on the legal issues as presented, but on their voting records.

[Dillinger]

my entire office and many many more were hanging on this trial for two weeks. their Saturday tears were extra delicious

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

As a special twist, the attorney for the "whistleblowers" is connected to the Bush family, and has been representing them pro bono for three years now. As you might recall, Paxton absolutely trounced Jeb's son, George P., in the Texas AG primary, effectively ending that family's near-60 year run in politics with a whimper.

So this whole effort definitely has the stink of the spook/globalist faction of the GOP all over it.

[A Thinking Mind]

That may have been part of it, but for me, the least interesting and most tenuous part of it. There were some loose insinuations that this was done in the interest of getting a third generation Bush into the office and referencing the name of Johnny Sutton, a lawyer who had worked for George W. both in Texas and in the DOJ.

But Paxton's team didn't need to prove anything about whether these subordinates were coordinating with the Bush camp anyway, just whether Paxton had legitimate grounds to fire them. Beyond that there was never going to be proof of direct contact with Bush, and conversations specifically with Sutton were protected. There are some interesting questions, though, about their attempt to hire Sutton to represent them in their personal capacities while also trying to get Sutton hired to represent the AG's office, as if they were actively trying to create a conflict of interest. But the connections to the Bush name seemed like a side show.

It just came down to a bunch of attorneys for the AG's office who had a significant policy disagreement, and decided that Paxton was breaking the law because, in their view, he wasn't doing what was in the best interest of the public. That's not grounds for impeachment or a criminal charge, it's a political issue to be settled via political mechanisms. Impeachment is a tool for an issue that is too urgent and too important to wait on election cycles.

[Dillinger]

>>George P.

bless his heart, the Alamo is not meant to be a strip mall.

[Mike Laursen]

Will Trump’s lawyers not inquire into potential jurors’ partisan allegiances during voir dire?

[Guy]

"For the last 40 years, the billionaire class has been taking everything and leaving everybody else to fight for the scraps,"
- As if there is this finite pot of money that the billionaires are keeping in their mattress. That's not how wealth works.
it's time for automakers to share their "record profits" with workers.
- I guess they are being paid zero dollars for their labor?
- I would love for Biden to tell me what is the fair share.

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

" I would love for Biden to tell me what is the fair share."

More. Always more.

[GroundTruth]

Striking workers do not own the company; if they don't like the terms they are being offered, they should just quit and get out of the way. Otherwise, either go back to work, or vacate the premises.

[Longtobefree]

Or have their pension fund buy up enough company stock to just make the changes.
Of course, that might leave them on the hook for the consequences - - - - - - - - -

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Maybe you should tell the UAW.

[TheReEncogitationer]

Well played! Never seen a biz-op response like that!
🙂
😉

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