Bloomberg for President

hedonist

Jesus christ, I didn’t think this thread could sink any lower. 

Congrats!!

mcgruff10

hedonist said:

Jesus christ, I didn’t think this thread could sink any lower. 

Congrats!!

You can't be rationale with irrational.  

Spiritual_Chaos

mcgruff10 said:

hedonist said:

Jesus christ, I didn’t think this thread could sink any lower. 

Congrats!!

You can't be rationale with irrational.  

Please point to examples of this "irrational" thingy in this thread, and explain why it is irrational. 

The Juggler

Spiritual_Chaos said:

mcgruff10 said:

hedonist said:

Jesus christ, I didn’t think this thread could sink any lower. 

Congrats!!

You can't be rationale with irrational.  

Please point to examples of this "irrational" thingy in this thread, and explain why it is irrational. 

mickeyrat

to be clear.

there are secular ethnic/cultural Jews.

there are  holiday Jews

there are religious and ethnic Jews

there are religious converted jews.

There Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs

There are religious Israeli Jews.

THEN we have the Israeli government which seeks to conflate the ethnic with the religious and ascribes criticism of governmental policy and action as antisemitic.

do have that pretty well right, @benjs ?

benjs

mickeyrat said:

to be clear.

there are secular ethnic/cultural Jews.

there are  holiday Jews

there are religious and ethnic Jews

there are religious converted jews.

There Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs

There are religious Israeli Jews.

THEN we have the Israeli government which seeks to conflate the ethnic with the religious and ascribes criticism of governmental policy and action as antisemitic.

do have that pretty well right, @benjs ?

In my eyes, yep. Conflating Jewish with Israeli is a common mechanism used to delegitimize discourse about ugly actions done, supported, or permitted by the Israeli government. It has a lovely side effect of making people think these actions by Israelis are abhorrent actions supported unequivocally by Jews. It also creates a 'default' position amongst Jews that's dangerous and makes it much less socially comfortable to take an anti-Israel position, which make it harder to add momentum to a counter-movement. 

mickeyrat

benjs said:

mickeyrat said:

to be clear.

there are secular ethnic/cultural Jews.

there are  holiday Jews

there are religious and ethnic Jews

there are religious converted jews.

There Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs

There are religious Israeli Jews.

THEN we have the Israeli government which seeks to conflate the ethnic with the religious and ascribes criticism of governmental policy and action as antisemitic.

do have that pretty well right, @benjs ?

In my eyes, yep. Conflating Jewish with Israeli is a common mechanism used to delegitimize discourse about ugly actions done, supported, or permitted by the Israeli government. It has a lovely side effect of making people think these actions by Israelis are abhorrent actions supported unequivocally by Jews. It also creates a 'default' position amongst Jews that's dangerous and makes it much less socially comfortable to take an anti-Israel position, which make it harder to add momentum to a counter-movement. 

in full agreement.

Gern Blansten

Please don't get my thread blocked...I don't know what happened up there.

Spiritual_Chaos

The Juggler said:

Mike Will Get It Done.

Sign me up. 

https://twitter.com/CANCEL_SAM/status/1229127380402393088?s=20

Halifax2TheMax

mickeyrat said:

to be clear.

there are secular ethnic/cultural Jews.

there are  holiday Jews

there are religious and ethnic Jews

there are religious converted jews.

There Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs

There are religious Israeli Jews.

THEN we have the Israeli government which seeks to conflate the ethnic with the religious and ascribes criticism of governmental policy and action as antisemitic.

do have that pretty well right, @benjs ?

I’m not sure the Israeli Arabs will be around too much longer if you know how Israel has been treating them of late in East Jerusalem and offering up majority Arab villages in the West Bank as land or falling in a future Palestinian State. 

The Juggler

He’s hiring the right people. O’Brien literally wrote the book on Trump...and then got sued by Trump because he determined his net worth to only be around $150,00,000. He’s hiring the people who know the guy best. Makes sense. 

RoleModelsinBlood31

Bloomberg’s a lot like trump apparently in many ways.  horrible to women, has settled lots of court cases for gender and sexual harassment outside of court, has said horrible things about minorities, is cringe-worthy in pretty much every public appearance and then back tracks and apologizes.  Well, he apologizes so perhaps there’s a difference.  I think the Hillary thing is crazy because she’s loathed by people on both sides, but his campaign has gone as far as to say he would go as far as to change his residency to homes he owns in CO or FL because they acknowledge he and she both coming from NY makes it hard for a pair from the same state with the way the electoral
college works.  It’ll be interesting as folks dig up his dirt, one has to wonder what kind of stuff is out there if this is only the beginning!

Spiritual_Chaos

Krystal Ball: Why Bloomberg would surely lose to Trump

https://youtu.be/U_fDcNkMzno

Lerxst1992

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Krystal Ball: Why Bloomberg would surely lose to Trump

https://youtu.be/U_fDcNkMzno

Certainly someone who lost their only attempt at running for Congress would know how to lose.

mrussel1

Lerxst1992 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Krystal Ball: Why Bloomberg would surely lose to Trump

https://youtu.be/U_fDcNkMzno

Certainly someone who lost their only attempt at running for Congress would know how to lose.

And don't forget that The Hill is owned by a right wing activist that's a big Trump supporter.  Krystal Ball and co. consistently run anti-moderate pieces.  They went after Biden, then Pete, and now Bloomberg.  Whatever one thinks about Bernie and Liz, it's clear that Team Trump wants to be able to contrast his economic record against their policies.  They see that as their best argument. 

pjhawks

Lerxst1992 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Krystal Ball: Why Bloomberg would surely lose to Trump

https://youtu.be/U_fDcNkMzno

Certainly someone who lost their only attempt at running for Congress would know how to lose.

Krystal Ball? if that is her real name her parents are complete idiots

Lerxst1992

benjs said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

benjs said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I love Bloomberg.  Always have.

What is there to love... the racism? The sexism? Bribing his way through life?

Exactly. I've also heard he hates Jews, honesty, and the Swedes, and that's why he has my vote. (I seriously hope I don't have to say it, but just to be sure - this comment is purely a joke)

Seems to like us. 

 

https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg/status/1016749686361870336?s=20

And he really likes jewish people bombing children and hospitals:

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/michael-bloomberg-proportional-response-not-required-of-israel/

I'm not saying this sarcastically, but I would genuinely appreciate it if you referred to Israelis as Israelis and Jews as Jews. The monsters in charge of that country do not represent the Jewish voice, nor is the Israeli voice monolithic, nor is the Jewish voice monolithic. While Israelis deserve criticism every time they vote in alignment with Netanyahu, I'm not sure why all of a sudden it's 'my people' when Israeli leadership bombs children and hospitals. I didn't vote those assholes in. 

Well said. I agree and I really dislike Netanyahu, but I’ve never understood  how does Israel fight an enemy who refuses their right to exist and has been killing their children for decades? Who demands their occupied land be returned with a history of using this land to kill women and children?

benjs

Lerxst1992 said:

benjs said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

benjs said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I love Bloomberg.  Always have.

What is there to love... the racism? The sexism? Bribing his way through life?

Exactly. I've also heard he hates Jews, honesty, and the Swedes, and that's why he has my vote. (I seriously hope I don't have to say it, but just to be sure - this comment is purely a joke)

Seems to like us. 

 

https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg/status/1016749686361870336?s=20

And he really likes jewish people bombing children and hospitals:

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/michael-bloomberg-proportional-response-not-required-of-israel/

I'm not saying this sarcastically, but I would genuinely appreciate it if you referred to Israelis as Israelis and Jews as Jews. The monsters in charge of that country do not represent the Jewish voice, nor is the Israeli voice monolithic, nor is the Jewish voice monolithic. While Israelis deserve criticism every time they vote in alignment with Netanyahu, I'm not sure why all of a sudden it's 'my people' when Israeli leadership bombs children and hospitals. I didn't vote those assholes in. 

Well said. I agree and I really dislike Netanyahu, but I’ve never understood  how does Israel fight an enemy who refuses their right to exist and has been killing their children for decades? Who demands their occupied land be returned with a history of using this land to kill women and children?

Not getting into that here out of respect for the OP's thread's purpose; my only comment was about attributing actions accurately to the correct actors. 

mickeyrat

Lerxst1992 said:

benjs said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

benjs said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I love Bloomberg.  Always have.

What is there to love... the racism? The sexism? Bribing his way through life?

Exactly. I've also heard he hates Jews, honesty, and the Swedes, and that's why he has my vote. (I seriously hope I don't have to say it, but just to be sure - this comment is purely a joke)

Seems to like us. 

 

https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg/status/1016749686361870336?s=20

And he really likes jewish people bombing children and hospitals:

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/michael-bloomberg-proportional-response-not-required-of-israel/

I'm not saying this sarcastically, but I would genuinely appreciate it if you referred to Israelis as Israelis and Jews as Jews. The monsters in charge of that country do not represent the Jewish voice, nor is the Israeli voice monolithic, nor is the Jewish voice monolithic. While Israelis deserve criticism every time they vote in alignment with Netanyahu, I'm not sure why all of a sudden it's 'my people' when Israeli leadership bombs children and hospitals. I didn't vote those assholes in. 

Well said. I agree and I really dislike Netanyahu, but I’ve never understood  how does Israel fight an enemy who refuses their right to exist and has been killing their children for decades? Who demands their occupied land be returned with a history of using this land to kill women and children?

they werent an enemy until 49 then really not in force until 67...... forceable removal of some 7 million people from their homes. generations since still in the same camps. occupation of the rest and illegal settlement and annexation.

and you ask how they fight? Gov of ISRAEL or rather the zionists within  are the perpetrators here and to stay on topic Bloomberg fully supports this racist apartheid regime ....

The Juggler

Rather than trying to take the guy down with out of context soundbites....this is something you people like right?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/05/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-gun-control-plan.html

Bloomberg Proposes Sweeping Gun Agenda, Including Federal Licensing

The former New York City mayor unveiled a detailed plan for addressing gun violence in Aurora, Colo., the site of a 2012 massacre at a movie theater.

Video

TRANSCRIPT

0:00/3:02

Who Is Michael Bloomberg? | 2020 Presidential Candidate

The billionaire businessman and former mayor of New York is hoping he can forge a path to the Democratic nomination by positioning himself as a centrist who can take on President Trump.

A billionaire businessman, philanthropist and former mayor of New York City. “Oh, you’re welcome.” Michael Bloomberg is making a late entry … “This is the road that I’m taking.” … into the Democratic presidential race. So who is he? Bloomberg grew up outside of Boston. After college and Harvard Business School, he got into investment banking. In the 1980s, he created the Bloomberg Terminal, a financial tool for investors that would make him a billionaire. And in 2001, Bloomberg ran for mayor of New York City as a Republican. “That should make a great politician.” Then in the middle of his campaign, New York City changed forever on Sept. 11. As New York’s outgoing mayor took the national stage, he gave Bloomberg the thumbs up. “Well, I’m urging people to vote for Mike Bloomberg.” “I, Michael R. Bloomberg —” Bloomberg won. One of his priorities as mayor was tackling public health. “Sixty-four ounce. Just think about that.” “Don’t go near these things.” He also pushed for controversial stop-and-frisk policies that disproportionately affected minority communities. “Everything the New York City Police Department has done is absolutely —is legal.” But just days before entering the presidential race this year, he apologized. “I just want you to know that I realize back then, I was wrong.” In 2007, he left the G.O.P. And in 2008, during the financial crisis, he asked the City Council to extend term limits in order to let him run for a controversial third term. “Yes.” “No.” “No.” “Aye.” “Aye.” The vote passed, and he won re-election. “We’re going to make the next four years the best yet.” So what about the issues? After he left office in 2013, Bloomberg went back to running his company, which includes a news division. But he’s also focused on supporting candidates … “Let’s elect a sane, competent person.” … and causes he cares about, many of which are now key parts of his platform. Bloomberg is a vocal supporter of gun reform. “We cannot have a society where you go out in the street, and you can get blown away. We just have to say enough is enough.” He also has big plans for health care reform and fighting climate change. “Trump has done us a favor. Every time he riles against climate change, the money comes flooding in.” Overall, Bloomberg is positioning himself as a moderate in the Democratic field. “With the right candidate, we can turn areas from red to blue.” So what about his chances? They’re somewhat unknown. As a billionaire and fellow New Yorker, Bloomberg supporters feel he is uniquely positioned to take on President Trump. “I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.” “There is nobody I’d rather run against than ‘Little Michael.’ That I can tell you.” But he has challenges ahead. He’s as not well known outside of New York City. Also, Bloomberg probably won’t participate in any of the Democratic debates, and he’s likely to skip the early primaries and caucuses. His hope: to surge on Super Tuesday and chart a path to the nomination. “I am running for president to defeat Donald Trump, and to unite and rebuild America.”

Michael R. Bloomberg proposed a sweeping array of federal gun-control measures on Thursday, calling for a national gun licensing system and stricter background checks, hundreds of millions of dollars in new enforcement spending and the passage of a federal red-flag law that would allow courts to temporarily confiscate firearms from people deemed dangerous.

Mr. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and the most recent entrant in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, paired the policy announcement with a visit to Aurora, Colo., the site of a 2012 massacre at a movie theater that left a dozen people dead and many more injured. He appeared with State Representative Tom Sullivan of Colorado, whose son was killed in the Aurora shooting. Mr. Sullivan, a Democrat, was elected to the Legislature in 2018, unseating an incumbent Republican.

Mr. Sullivan said in an interview that he was endorsing Mr. Bloomberg for president because he trusted him above all the other candidates to wage a fight for stricter gun laws. Mr. Bloomberg called him the day before Thanksgiving, Mr. Sullivan said, to seek a meeting and ask for his support — the first presidential candidate to do so.

“I’ve seen what he can do, and has been doing, since the day my son was murdered on his 27th birthday in the Aurora theater massacre,” Mr. Sullivan said on Thursday. “There’s no one else I’m confident would be in the White House and stand up to the gun lobby.”

By putting an ambitious gun-violence plan at the center of his emerging candidacy, Mr. Bloomberg is seeking to leverage his long record on the issue to set himself apart in the Democratic race. He has made gun control a personal cause since his days as mayor of New York, spending tens of millions of dollars from his personal fortune supporting stricter gun laws at the federal level and in a number of states, including Colorado. And it is a policy area where Mr. Bloomberg, an ideological moderate who became a Democrat only in 2018, is closely aligned with the party’s liberal base, and where his prolific personal spending has bonded him closely with important activist groups.

But if Mr. Bloomberg has strong credentials as a gun-control advocate, it remains to be seen whether Democratic voters will give him more credit than other candidates for outlining a detailed agenda on the subject. Though there are gradations in their views and priorities, all of the major Democratic presidential candidates have endorsed a common set of policies on gun control, including imposing comprehensive background checks and reviving the federal ban on assault-style weapons. All but one of the leading candidates have endorsed a form of federal gun licensing, with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as a notable exception.

The plan Mr. Bloomberg is unveiling on Thursday represents, in some respects, a shift leftward even for him. Where his advisers have in the past expressed some skepticism about the idea of a national gun-licensing requirement, he is now embracing the idea.

The policy paper drafted by Mr. Bloomberg’s campaign said that he would seek to require all would-be gun buyers to obtain a license, either from the Department of Justice or from a state-level authority, before the purchase could go through. The paper also calls for the creation of a “central system” for tracking illegal guns and people who have been barred by courts or other authorities from possessing guns.

Mr. Bloomberg’s endorsement of a federal licensing policy is likely to ripple widely in the world of gun-control advocacy, where many groups, including those funded by Mr. Bloomberg, have focused chiefly on tightening background checks. The idea of a national licensing requirement, which would be even more restrictive, gained wide traction in the presidential race after Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey proposed one in May. At the time, John Feinblatt, a prominent gun-control strategist close to Mr. Bloomberg, expressed hesitation about the policy and suggested it was not “research tested.”

But versions of the policy were quickly endorsed by leading candidates such as Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind. Mr. Biden has not gone as far, proposing instead that states be encouraged to set up licensing systems but suggesting that it would be excessive and politically risky for the federal government to get directly involved in issuing gun licenses.

The stakes for Mr. Bloomberg in the gun debate may be particularly high, as he seeks to persuade Democratic voters to look past some of his more conservative positions — including his record of championing aggressive policing as mayor, and his general sympathy for the banking industry — and embrace him as a key champion of a few core progressive concerns. And as other Democrats criticize the way he is using his personal fortune in the election, Mr. Bloomberg has pointed to his self-funded advocacy on guns, climate and other issues as proof of his good intentions.

A number of the gun-control ideas Mr. Bloomberg is proposing have been debated extensively in Congress, endorsed by other Democratic presidential candidates and, in some cases, enacted at the state level by Democratic-controlled governments. His policy paper identifies states that have tried out some of the ideas he is endorsing, including red-flag laws, certain kinds of background checks, the elimination of gun-sales loopholes and different systems for tracking firearm sales.

Colorado has been a proving ground for some of those policies: As the state has trended steadily toward the Democrats, lawmakers there have passed laws tightening background checks, limiting the size of ammunition magazines and enacting red-flag procedures for seizing firearms from certain people. But the implementation of certain gun restrictions remains contested, with conservative Colorado sheriffs resisting them.

Mr. Sullivan, who said he had been briefed on Mr. Bloomberg’s plan, described it as mainly containing “the standard issues” that gun-control groups advocate, with the notable addition of the national licensing policy. That measure, he said, was “the next heavy lift” for lawmakers like him.

“It would be tough to do, but I think we’re headed that way,” he said.

Mr. Bloomberg’s agenda includes a long list of other restrictions on firearms and ammunition, including raising the minimum age for gun purchasers to 21, banning guns in schools and creating a safe-storage requirement for gun owners. He is proposing to appoint a White House gun coordinator and to declare gun violence a public health emergency, and to empower the Consumer Product Safety Commission to oversee guns as it does other products.

Mr. Bloomberg is also calling for at least $300 million in new federal funding for gun violence prevention, split three ways between local violence-reduction programs, public health research and an expanded budget for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

And like other candidates, Mr. Bloomberg aims to repeal a 2005 federal law, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, that gives gun makers special protections from exposure to lawsuits.