The USA Political Thread

[lennco]

Here you can spout your USA political views.

Rules:
1. Keep it clean
2. No fighting
3. Respect the views of others.
4. US Political views, No Religious views
5. Have fun

:wave:

 

[E-Promote]

Eliminating state tax deductions and mortgage interest and capping prop tax deductions is foolish and unsound:

• Deductions go away or are greatly reduced, the effective cost of home ownership goes up.
• Cost of home ownership goes up, home values drop
• Home values drop, so,does home equity.
• Home equity drops, so does general spending.
• Which is a recipe for a recession.

I'll bet you something for sure Joe, his tax plan will end up simply as a cash saving cow for corps and the wealthy. I'm not a big fan of dem's these days but I guarantee you that all these mentions of "middle class" are just a distraction in the end. This is repub con 101 and I don't like the way the movie ends, every time. They will serve the rich with this tax plan, not the middle class, it may take a while to expose and most people will just accept it and move on by the time it can be proven. - Sep 30, 2017

 

[enlytend]

Think it's ok to get rid of net neutrality? Fine. Pick your internet package ... this is already happening in countries without net neutrality.

https://qz.com/1114690/why-is-net-neutrality-important-look-to-portugal-and-spain-to-understand/

The image at the top f that story is a mockup, but without net neutrality regulations your ISP could do this. Think they won't? Optimum? Verizon? Comcast? Really? What's that wager worth to you? How would this affect domaining?

If that's not ok with you or you think it will hurt your business, call your senator. First thing tomorrow,

 

[Kate]

It can get even worse than that. For example ISPs in some countries are blocking or thwarting services like Skype or other instant messaging platforms. Often, the dominant ISP is the national telco trying to protect its monopoly or dominant position on telecom services. They don't want you to be able to call all around the world for cheap, bypassing their own non-competitive offer.
It is also a form of backdoor censorship. Preferred content means everything else is not privileged and undesirable by default.

 

[GILSAN]

Think it's ok to get rid of net neutrality? Fine. Pick your internet package ... this is already happening in countries without net neutrality.

https://qz.com/1114690/why-is-net-neutrality-important-look-to-portugal-and-spain-to-understand/

The image at the top f that story is a mockup, but without net neutrality regulations your ISP could do this. Think they won't? Optimum? Verizon? Comcast? Really? What's that wager worth to you? How would this affect domaining?

If that's not ok with you or you think it will hurt your business, call your senator. First thing tomorrow,

I'd never heard of Internet neutrality till I read the article you linked to. Here in Portugal we have 3 big telecommunications firms; MEO, NOS and Vodafone. I've been subscribed to NOS for over 20 years. Their service is excellent IMO, but can't really know how good they are in comparison to similar firms in the US or other countries.

What I can say is that very rarely I'm without internet (maybe 2-3 times a year is the average that will happen and mostly 1- 2 hour stoppages.

The package I have gives me unlimited Internet, TV (about 180 channels) 1 land line phone and 3 cellphones. For that I'm paying €47.00 euros ($55USD) a month.

Also, I've been using Skype since the Ice Age and never been blocked

I can opt for cheaper or more expensive packages. The other 2 telecom firms have similar packages.

How does that compare to what you have in the US or in the UK for @Kate ?

 

[mr-x]

I don't think this will happen. We already have unlimited access wars on mobile.

As scientist improve the efficiency of transferring data, competition will increase and prices will drop. If not, some upstart will come along. in 1982, the USA only had one phone company.

Think it's ok to get rid of net neutrality? Fine. Pick your internet package ... this is already happening in countries without net neutrality.

https://qz.com/1114690/why-is-net-neutrality-important-look-to-portugal-and-spain-to-understand/

The image at the top f that story is a mockup, but without net neutrality regulations your ISP could do this. Think they won't? Optimum? Verizon? Comcast? Really? What's that wager worth to you? How would this affect domaining?

If that's not ok with you or you think it will hurt your business, call your senator. First thing tomorrow,

 

[Kate]

Unfortunately, the free market cannot fix everything.
Corporations put their own interest above yours. They want to make more profits, so they will happily charge you more while giving you less and they will try to turn you into a captive customer to the extent that is possible and legally permitted.
That's why companies collude and engage in price fixing even though they are competing in the same market, companies like Google, MS etc have been investigated and fined more than once for abusing their market dominance and not playing fair. Can we trust them not to abuse their power ? Their own conduct has already provided the answer to that question.
We need regulations and enforcement to 'help' the market. Sure it could 'regulate' itself, but to whose benefit ?

 

[GILSAN]

NOT a fake picture:

Hillary does an Al Franken impression...

 

[johname]

That's not grabbing, that's pushing away LOL

 

[GILSAN]

That's not grabbing, that's pushing away LOL

LOL... looks more like massaging and both enjoying the interesting moment captured on camera.

 

[Kate]

US diplomacy in trouble

American diplomats in recent decades have helped bring about an Israel-Egypt peace treaty, the peaceful fall of the Soviet Union, the unification of Germany, the end of the Bosnia war and a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program. That record testifies to the power and influence of America as well as the skill of secretaries of state and other diplomats who worked to advance international stability and the national interest.

That isn’t the way the Trump administration approaches the world...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/18/...dministration-is-making-war-on-diplomacy.html

 

[GILSAN]

 

[GILSAN]

LOL... what a great t-shirt

 

[GILSAN]

 

[GILSAN]

 

[enlytend]

Unfortunately, the free market cannot fix everything.
Corporations put their own interest above yours. They want to make more profits, so they will happily charge you more while giving you less and they will try to turn you into a captive customer to the extent that is possible and legally permitted.

A decade or more ago, the ISPs made a lot of money from cable TV packages. Basic cable = a lot of low value stuff. Want HBO? That's extra. And they had a captive audience because there were no alternatives for that content.
Now that so much content can be streamed online and a lot of people are out and out "cord cutting" their cable business is shrinking.
They want that back, and abolishing net neutrality opens the door on a way they could achieve it. They're also the ones who have been lobbying for abolishing net neutrality for years.

 

[GILSAN]

Modern China in one word... or should I say... in one picture

 

[mr-x]

Unfortunately, the free market cannot fix everything.
Corporations put their own interest above yours. They want to make more profits, so they will happily charge you more while giving you less and they will try to turn you into a captive customer to the extent that is possible and legally permitted.
That's why companies collude and engage in price fixing even though they are competing in the same market, companies like Google, MS etc have been investigated and fined more than once for abusing their market dominance and not playing fair. Can we trust them not to abuse their power ? Their own conduct has already provided the answer to that question.
We need regulations and enforcement to 'help' the market. Sure it could 'regulate' itself, but to whose benefit ?

Free markets are the cure for greedy corporations. The free market is drives innovation. Innovation is a competitive edge.

Gov protections inhibit competition by giving some corporations an advantage they don't deserve.

Also - Microsoft was not only punished for anti-competitive practices, Bill Gates was forced to resign as CEO. Then the Internet happened and MS lost it's market dominance.

 

[GILSAN]

New photo of Al Franken and Leeann Tweeden...

Hmmmm... She doesn't look too disgusted by him kissing her. In fact she even has her arm around his neck and the other arm on his back.

Though I understand that pictures can sometimes be deceiving, this seems to be telling me a different story...

 

[GILSAN]

 

[johname]

She is trying to pull his hair and knee him in the groin lol He definitely leaning into her to the point where she has to worry about falling (vulnerable)

New photo of Al Franken and Leeann Tweeden...

.