US Election

Nicolas Sarkozy former French president sentenced to one year in prison, and a further two years suspended for corruption.

 

Lee Atwater summed it up when he discussed the Southern Strategy:

Atwater: As to the whole Southern strategy that Harry S. Dent, Sr. and others put together in 1968, opposition to the Voting Rights Act would have been a central part of keeping the South. Now you don't have to do that. All that you need to do to keep the South is for Reagan to run in place on the issues that he's campaigned on since 1964, and that's fiscal conservatism, balancing the budget, cut taxes, you know, the whole cluster.

Questioner: But the fact is, isn't it, that Reagan does get to the Wallace voter and to the racist side of the Wallace voter by doing away with legal services, by cutting down on food stamps?

Atwater: Y'all don't quote me on this. You start out in 1954 by saying, "N****r, n****r, n****r". By 1968 you can't say "n****r"—that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me—because obviously sitting around saying, "We want to cut this", is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than "N****r, n****r". So, any way you look at it, race is coming on the back-burner.

They have to use racism, but they can't be open about it. Trump was pretty much mask off about it, though. The propaganda's taken them back that far.

 

I honestly don't know how they can deal with the problem. It's so engrained in their culture, or my perception of what I see as their culture and this is from someone that has been out there more times than I can count.

I think they retire early in the States, for some reason my brain is telling me at the age of 55, maybe I've got that wrong, but to my point, it's how I imagine Americans, middle aged white people in the prosperous areas.

Yet when you go to places such as Tennessee bordering Mississippi, you start noticing the differences in well-being, where tourist culture suddenly crosses paths of deprivation. I've seen homelessness in San Francisco but it's different in the deep South, way different.

Big brash white middle aged Americans is the view I would have to honestly portray of them, and nothing is going to change that image as I see it anytime soon, unless someone can nail Trump down and chuck him in prison, but that's more hopefulness than reality.

 

Legislation like the Fairness Doctrine, but updated for modern media.
Getting rid of it allowed arseholes like Rush Limbaugh to thrive and not having any limits on the **** that Fox News could spout, as it didn't apply to them.

It would still take generations to sort out, but things aren't going to get any better while they have **** like that out there.
Using divisiveness and culture war bullshit to win elections is far easier than running on policies.
You can't get people to vote against their best interests by telling the truth.

 

I struggled a little bit with understanding why SKY News was running the Trump conference yesterday. This is a broadcaster that has openly supported taking the knee, and kicking out racism in football. So why give him airtime. The otherside of my brain says it wouldn't be fair and unbias media if they didn't. I'm still uncertain of the reasoning behind it, after what happened at the Capitol, it seems a contradiction of anti racism, especially when the confederete flag was waved in his name (Trump).

 

Why don't we do that ****.

Meh

 

I think he's the second French president in recent times chucked inside.

 

Fair play to the frogs they don't just sit there and take **** from thier pigs in suits.

On to the streets and bang them in jail.

Like it.

 

Because we expect it. What he did wouldn't be seen as criminal over here, it would be seen as politics.
He offered a magistrate a job in return for information about a case against him.
We've got people getting their mates and neighbours millions in contracts and nobody gives a ****.

Sarkozy won't serve any time, anyway. It's a nice gesture by the French, but it's pretty pointless.
He'll serve a year at home with a tag. Slap on the wrist.

 

Was saying the same to my mrs he won't serve any real time.

But Yeh you're right mate we just accept ours doing wtf they want.

Disgusting, makes my blood boil & why I've nothing to do with any of it.

 

And that's why it continues to happen. The French kick off and start burning **** and fighting the police. We switch off.

 

Dunno if I read that wrong but there's a difference between switching off and not taking part.

 

Is there? Not as far as the politicians are concerned. They're quite happy to see a load of apathy.

 

Imo yes. A big one.

 

I like George Carlin, but that's just stupid.
If you oppose something and act then you're responsible for it? It's this, basically:

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lets not forget the Israel situation British politics and media on same side as trump In it’s support for the repulsive treatment of the Palestinians.

 

I don't pretend to understand the situation in Israel, I know a lot of people on here do. The problem then, I don't know what views to trust, and what to dismiss. I can but read both sides of the debate, if I can be asked. As most of your views have always been stuck somewhere in cloud cuckoo land, I'd likely go the opposite of whatever you say.

 

You do that **** here and you are Classed as a loony Lefty .
I think its moved that far right here

 

What stinks for me is the occupation of the West Bank that started in the 60s during the 6 day war. Initially it might be argued that the occupation was necessary as a defensive measure against Arab aggression ... but they haven't just stayed there ever since, they have built settlements for Israelis against all principles of International Law and the West has just turned a blind eye... whilst rapidly mobilizing and intervening when Iraq (and the ill judged Islamic caliphate (ISIS)) made similar attempts at land grabbing in the region ... not really difficult to see why the Palestinians hate Israel and the West, is it?