US Politics Mega-thread - Page 9599

On December 25 2017 14:35 IgnE wrote:
dont you share some views on gun ownership with danglars, GH?

On December 25 2017 23:13 Scarecrow wrote:

Mainly in Danglars' post.

The real problem he and xdaunt seem to have is that they're far right (especially by international standards), but want to claim the entire right for themselves. They lump pretty much all other posters in a group as leftist/libs, when the current political climate makes even center/center-right folks frustrated with Trumpers and the state of american politics. There's no left-right dichotomy here, it's a left-leaning range, and discussion isn't really possible with those 2 radicals as they think basically everyone else is irrational/trolling, and that idea is only reinforced when everyone loses their minds at the mental gymnastics that danglars-daunt rely on. Every time I visit this thread it's one of those two degrading the level of discourse and blaming pretty much everyone else because the discussion has broken down into emotional responses, attacks and frustration.

On December 25 2017 23:16 farvacola wrote:
It's also helpful to remember that West Coast Republicans are uniquely susceptible to their own kind of persecution complexes given their distance from conservative geographic strongholds and that they're usually surrounded by liberals, many of which are likely to exemplify some of the worst traits of the left. Similarly, these folks are also insulated from many of the worst aspects of conservatism; you'll notice, for example, that pretty much no one who self labels as a conservative in this thread has anything to say about the absolutely ass-backwards way states like Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana are run.

On December 25 2017 23:16 farvacola wrote:
It's also helpful to remember that West Coast Republicans are uniquely susceptible to their own kind of persecution complexes given their distance from conservative geographic strongholds and that they're usually surrounded by liberals, many of which are likely to exemplify some of the worst traits of the left. Similarly, these folks are also insulated from many of the worst aspects of conservatism; you'll notice, for example, that pretty much no one who self labels as a conservative in this thread has anything to say about the absolutely ass-backwards way states like Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana are run.

On December 26 2017 00:45 Danglars wrote:

Hmm ... “they think basically everyone else is irrational/trolling, and that idea is only reinforced when everyone loses their minds.” It’s like you invented an excuse purpose-built for the consequence. Easier explanation: Thread leftists/liberals (shitposters clarification: not every single one to the individual, you know who you are) are confronted with views they think are out of the mainstream, and give the predictable “emotional responses,” as you put it, instead of engaging based on what was written and using logic not invective.

Final tally: Applicable posters still don’t get why Trump won, based on most of these explanations I hear. Posters are still pissed off he won, evidenced by some of the flights of fancy whenever he comes up. Postsrs absolutely haven’t shown a willingness to cop to mistakes and move on. Therefore, posters backwards-justify why they don’t have to change one goddamn thing about debatable political topics, and everybody is extremist except people that largely agree with them. In a debate thread. While constantly getting pissy at free speech rights, religious rights, explanations of the alt-right, and the civilizational differences. I see a bunch of kids justifying their behavior by saying it was the other guys fault (He said a bad word first!!!) and then repeatedly saying they’re ignoring these posters while never actually doing it.

The greatest country on earth just voted Trump into office a year ago, and the response in a left wing forum (American standards) is that the token conservatives are too extreme to bear discussion. So you want to close your eyes and ears and hope that situations you refuse to understand turn outcomes you want to happen?

On December 25 2017 23:16 farvacola wrote:
It's also helpful to remember that West Coast Republicans are uniquely susceptible to their own kind of persecution complexes given their distance from conservative geographic strongholds and that they're usually surrounded by liberals, many of which are likely to exemplify some of the worst traits of the left. Similarly, these folks are also insulated from many of the worst aspects of conservatism; you'll notice, for example, that pretty much no one who self labels as a conservative in this thread has anything to say about the absolutely ass-backwards way states like Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana are run.

Cheap, electric bicycles have made life a lot easier for New York City’s legions of restaurant delivery workers, but the party may be over in the New Year.

City officials are promising a crackdown on e-bikes, which may be loved by environmentalists and the often poor, immigrant workforce that relies on them, but are loathed by many drivers and pedestrians who think they are a menace.

Under city law, the bikes are legal to own and sell, but riding them on the street can lead to a fine of up to $500. Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this fall that starting in 2018, businesses that have employees use the bikes are also subject to a fine of $100 for a first offense and $200 for each subsequent offense.

“Electric bikes are illegal to operate on city streets and those at the top of the food chain need to be held accountable,” city spokesman Austin Finan said. “Instead of merely targeting riders, we’re going after businesses that look the other way and leave their workers to shoulder the fine.”

That policy will undoubtedly prove popular with many New Yorkers who have complained that the bikes, which look and handle just like regular bicycles but can reach speeds of 20 mph or more, and sometimes are operated recklessly.

Lots of people have stories about close calls where they stepped out into the street, only to nearly be hit by a quick-moving bike they couldn’t hear coming.
But it will be bad news for deliverymen like Clemente Martinez, who spends up to 12 hours a day in the saddle, often in lousy weather.

“It’s not fair because people like me do depend on them,” said Martinez through a translator. The 44-year-old from Puebla, Mexico, came to the United States almost 15 years ago and has been working as a delivery person almost all that time, buying his electric bicycle almost three years ago. “We’re using this as something that lets us work and support our families.”

The bikes make a tremendous difference for the delivery workforce, said Do Lee, a PhD candidate who studied delivery workers for his dissertation and advocates for them. Many of the workers are middle-aged or even older, working for hours and putting in a significant number of miles to meet the demand for food and other items to be delivered quickly. “They couldn’t do their jobs without electric bikes,” he said. Advocates for alternate forms of transportation say the crackdown also doesn’t make sense from an environmental or safety perspective.

Some cycling advocacy groups have challenged the city to produce data showing whether the e-bikes pose any unusual danger, compared to other vehicles.
Federal law allows electric bicycles that go 20mph or less to be treated as bicycles for product safety and standards, but New York state law doesn’t allow them to be registered or licensed as motorized vehicles.

Police enforcement against the bicycles has already been on the upswing, with almost 1,000 of them confiscated by police in 2017, an increase of several hundred from the year before.

While new electric bikes can go for several thousands of dollars, similar to some gas-powered scooters like Vespas, kits to convert a standard bike to an electric bike can be bought for under $500.

Elizabeth Jordan, an attorney with the Make the Road New York advocacy group, said restaurants have come to expect workers to have the bikes and require them to own and maintain them.

“They have to have these bikes in order to get these jobs,” she said. “We think that even though the policy has the intention of going after the restaurants, it will fall on the backs of the workers.”

Lots of people have stories about close calls where they stepped out into the street, only to nearly be hit by a quick-moving bike they couldn’t hear coming.

On December 26 2017 08:13 farvacola wrote:
To make matters worse, many of the cyclists in the wrong I've seen then get super mad at whoever honks at them or otherwise makes it known that that shit won't fly. My two and a half years living in Seattle left a strongly negative impression in that sense.