World is Falling Apart Thread (Locked forever)

[Blu]

Say adios to net neutrality in 2017. It's going to be a Yukon gold rush with the internet all over again.

[TSTR]

Say adios to net neutrality in 2017. It's going to be a Yukon gold rush with the internet all over again.

Large ISPs like Comcast and Charter/TWC/Spectrum still have contracts with net neutrality clauses that must be honored for at least another year. It ain't the death knell yet.

[marurun]

So, the incoming Republicans will have a much weaker and no-longer-independent ethics system to deal with. I guess they decided that ethics were on the chopping block along with everything else. *shrug*

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStor ... e-44518077

[CRTGAMER]

Updated my post at the top. A bit ironic that President Obama will be making his farewell speech in Chicago (highest murder rate) after releasing all the gun felons!

So, the incoming Republicans will have a much weaker and no-longer-independent ethics system to deal with. I guess they decided that ethics were on the chopping block along with everything else. *shrug*

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStor ... e-44518077

I remember when Cunningham was prosecuted, the local paper exposed all his wrong doings. This was when the media (at least the local paper) provided real history changing stories thru investigated reporting. The articles were noteworthy considering the paper usually biased to the Republicans.

So why was there an Ethics on just the House (Republican) and not the Senate (was Democrat)? That Ethics put in years ago as a hurdle on the Republican side of Congress. The Democrats passing the majority rule a while back allowed the Republicans to easily get rid of the unequal watchdog. No more filibuster, so much easier to get amendments passed with majority rule!

http://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/hou ... -committee

Never popular on Capitol Hill, the independent ethics office was vulnerable to stonewalling, interference or outright elimination. The office investigates House members; no such office exists in the Senate. The rule’s return could be an interesting trial for the unified Republican Congress, allowing budget hawks to reduce the size and scope of federal agencies through budget cuts.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/02/politics/ ... amendment/

The proposal would bar the panel from reviewing any violation of criminal law by members of Congress, requiring that it turn over complaints instead to the House Ethics Committee or refer the matter to an appropriate federal law enforcement agency. The House Ethics Committee would also have the power to stop an investigation at any point and bars the ethics office from making any public statements about any matters or hiring any communications staff. The ethics office would no longer be able to accept or investigate any anonymous reports of alleged wrongdoing by members of Congress.

Bring on the cuts of agencies (especially duplicate offices) and Government waste! Looking forward to taking health care to a Nationwide competitive insurance sector. So much better then state level insurance monopoly of the past and the current no competition government health care. No more tax penalty if one does not take the forced government health care.

Interesting in Trump's response to Republicans concerning the Ethics Committee.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/

With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!

People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable - 116% increases (Arizona). Bill Clinton called it "CRAZY". The Democrat Governor.of Minnesota said "The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is no longer affordable!" - And, it is lousy healthcare.

[Blu]

Still an echo chamber of CRT posts in here I see.

CRT, you would do well to listen to Fresh Air's story about fake news, and when it's appropriate to call Donald Trump on his lies. Take off your tin-foil hat, pop this in during your morning commute, and give it a listen. As they say, you can lead a horse to water.

[marurun]

CRT, according to every analysis I've seen, health care costs would have risen faster since the ACA passed had the ACA not existed. The ACA hasn't lowered costs, but it has kept cost inflation somewhat in check.

Further, no, the ethics committee wasn't put in place to check Republicans. It was put in place because there were some serious ethics violations that needed addressed, and an independent committee was the best way to do it. Republicans and Democrats both have been taken to task. And now, with no warning, Republicans have gutted it. Methinks they know that their massive federal control is built on shifting sands and not the massive popular mandate they crow about.

[Ack]

CRT, according to every analysis I've seen, health care costs would have risen faster since the ACA passed had the ACA not existed. The ACA hasn't lowered costs, but it has kept cost inflation somewhat in check.

Further, no, the ethics committee wasn't put in place to check Republicans. It was put in place because there were some serious ethics violations that needed addressed, and an independent committee was the best way to do it. Republicans and Democrats both have been taken to task. And now, with no warning, Republicans have gutted it. Methinks they know that their massive federal control is built on shifting sands and not the massive popular mandate they crow about.

I just wonder how badly the independent ethics cut may come to bite them later. This is reminding me of when Harry Reid had the filibuster rules changed and then the Republicans successfully took Congress and used the new rules against the Democrats.

[ElkinFencer10]

CRT, according to every analysis I've seen, health care costs would have risen faster since the ACA passed had the ACA not existed. The ACA hasn't lowered costs, but it has kept cost inflation somewhat in check.

Further, no, the ethics committee wasn't put in place to check Republicans. It was put in place because there were some serious ethics violations that needed addressed, and an independent committee was the best way to do it. Republicans and Democrats both have been taken to task. And now, with no warning, Republicans have gutted it. Methinks they know that their massive federal control is built on shifting sands and not the massive popular mandate they crow about.

I just wonder how badly the independent ethics cut may come to bite them later. This is reminding me of when Harry Reid had the filibuster rules changed and then the Republicans successfully took Congress and used the new rules against the Democrats.

'Tis one of the reasons I hate Harry Reid.

[ZeroAX]

I don't know how normal it is to be using your own country as a negative point of reference, but Brexit Britain and Trump America are really reminding me of the worst of Greece, especially in the run-up to Syriza's election back in 2015 and the entire capital controls and referendum thing. Collapse of the rule of law and checks of power, and fanatic supporters who insult you if you bring these things up.

As a friend of mine said, this is a really "funny" way for the Anglosaxon world order to end. Which is sad because I'd take Pax Americana over the Putinization of the western world.

[Erik_Twice]

Still an echo chamber of CRT posts in here I see.

Political threads always end up like that. I've seen it happen in many forums.