The Current Events Thread

[D-vid]

It's not surprising considering you can only really get far in american politics if you're wealthy too.

[Mete]

In any politics, really, but American politics are probably the most extreme example.

[TheStranger]

No, really? Politicians dont give a shit about people who cant give them a payday? Isnt this true for all forms of goverment, ever? THIS is why people flock to extremist groups, because thats the only way you can feel like you have any control at all in the miserable, neutered existance we live. And the hilarious part is that this is the BEST possible option we've had so far, every other attempt has been even worse. So yeah, awesome to know this is what we have to look forward to, forever. Cant revolt either, because that just makes everything worse. You're fucked coming AND going. And its not like its just the U.S, its the same over here too. Maybe not to the same scale, but still.

[Tetrunes]

[Syobon]

It's pretty amazing how US politics has managed to convince people to vote against their own interests.

No, really? Politicians dont give a shit about people who cant give them a payday? Isnt this true for all forms of goverment, ever? THIS is why people flock to extremist groups, because thats the only way you can feel like you have any control at all in the miserable, neutered existance we live. And the hilarious part is that this is the BEST possible option we've had so far, every other attempt has been even worse. So yeah, awesome to know this is what we have to look forward to, forever. Cant revolt either, because that just makes everything worse. You're fucked coming AND going. And its not like its just the U.S, its the same over here too. Maybe not to the same scale, but still.

That's not completely true, socialist politicians will fill their own pockets while at the same time strangling corporations in a misguided attempt to help the lower classes hyperbole.

[Tetrunes]

David Frost died.

[TheStranger]

It's pretty amazing how US politics has managed to convince people to vote against their own interests.

No, really? Politicians dont give a shit about people who cant give them a payday? Isnt this true for all forms of goverment, ever? THIS is why people flock to extremist groups, because thats the only way you can feel like you have any control at all in the miserable, neutered existance we live. And the hilarious part is that this is the BEST possible option we've had so far, every other attempt has been even worse. So yeah, awesome to know this is what we have to look forward to, forever. Cant revolt either, because that just makes everything worse. You're fucked coming AND going. And its not like its just the U.S, its the same over here too. Maybe not to the same scale, but still.

That's not completely true, socialist politicians will fill their own pockets while at the same time strangling corporations in a misguided attempt to help the lower classes hyperbole.

Some days I just want to lash out. I know its not constructive and I know it wont solve anything, but nothing else will anyway, so why not just throw one punch in meaningless rebellion, its better than living the rest of my life like another grey, miserable sack of meat among billions, just waiting for death.

[Dire]

Or you know, you could paint, or write music or a novel. Maybe cure cancer, win a law suit against some nasty mega corp. You could travel and meet interesting people.
Life is so full of possibilities, big and little.
Politicians never stopped me from drawing or reading or cooking or any of the other things I enjoy. (I guess that means the only thing worth getting upset about is education, sopa/pipa/their cousins.)

[Mete]

Verizon wants to charge websites for carrying their packets

Here's a video rundown on what this all means

[D-vid]

Wait, wait, wait.
They want to get paid by websites their users access?
Even though the users already pay them to be able to access websites to begin with?`
WHAT?

[Syobon]

Yeah I heard about that, this shit is why monopolies are bad.

[Madican]

It's hard to stop monopolies when loopholes exist, like the one that makes it so Edison Electric is the only electrical company here. The loophole is that they've got contracts with absolutely every city in the area, so no other electrical company could even hope to break in to the business because they don't have the infrastructure to survive. Meaning Edison can charge whatever the hell they want.

Same deal with this shit. Time Warner and Verizon are the big players in this area. No one can come in and challenge them because there's no way for newcomers to do so. Technically it's a monopoly but also technically they're not doing anything wrong. Letter, not spirit of the law.

[Ersatz]

Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada, just prorogated the parliament for the third fucking time because once again his party is in deep shit and he doesn't want the opposition to be able to do anything about it.
The first time, the opposition was considering forming an alliance to dethrone him.
The second time, he didn't want the rest of the world to see what was going on in the parliament during the Vancouver Olympics.
This time it has been revealed that plenty of senators get ridiculous expenses reimbursed by our taxes and that his party gave one of them a $90,000 check the moment he was ordered to return that exact amount of cheddar.

Oh and while I'm at it: the Prime Minister of Quebec has presented a project to make it so employees of the state (loads of people since we are a social-democracy) can't wear any ostentatious religious symbol. And of course, the most common one and the one that represents the majority of white people here, the catholic necklace, is not considered ostentatious. So all it does is prevent Muslim women and Jewish and Sikh men etc. from getting a job at the government. I don't think anybody asked for that. There has been a huge shitstorm back in 2006 concerning immigrants and religious symbols and the general consensus at the end was "let's not be dicks". The Prime Minister and her party say it's about separation of church and state, but it's still biased and unfair since it only affects minorities. This being a separatist party, this just couldn't not cause a civil war within the separatist movement, and last week one of the four remaining elected members of the once omnipresent federal separatist party (the Bloc Québécois) has been expelled for disagreeing with the whole thing. And that member is of Arab descent, incidently.

[Mete]

And of course, the most common one and the one that represent the majority of white people here, the catholic necklace, is not considered ostentatious.

Just what kind of a loophole did they use to get this one through?

[Turbro]

It's small and therefore "not ostentatious" Unlike, say, a turban.