• mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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    6 months ago

    My god dude. It doesn’t stop.

    I came in here to say something cynical about hosting the DNC in Chicago this year like tempting fate, like they want to be out of power for another 24 years afterwards (which may be as long as it takes us to start to have elections again, if Trump wins). Instead I have to deal with this bullshit.

    This weird and malicious bill is certainly a heap of shit, but it does nothing even remotely related to making anything illegal. The closest thing is that when investigating instances of discrimination against a Jewish student, the department of education is required to use that definition, so maybe someone who was offended by a Palestine protest could try to twist it around and say that they suffered anti-semitism, and then someone would be required etc etc I don’t even really know what the impact is. But nothing is happening to protestors because of this bill (although it is of course a heap of shit, on that we can agree).

    Also, it seems that sensible people are trying to kill it; there’s no real guarantee that it’ll even pass the Senate (although there’s also talk of attaching it to something vital like FAA funding to make it tougher for Biden to veto).

    Also, and most importantly, it has nothing whatsoever to do with Biden, on any level. It is very clear why you are bringing his name into it, and it has nothing to do with any kind of genuine attempt at communicating a genuine belief about US politics.

    • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      nothing whatsoever to do with Biden, on any level.

      Except that… he’s the President… and it for it to become law… well… I hope you at least know that little about the US system of law.

      Every bill passing through the house and senate have to do with the President. Often times administrations will work directly with congress to write these laws. Like you aren’t really this obtuse are you?

      And Biden has also vocally supported the law and said he’ll sign it. Killing it in the senate is the only chance to stop it now. Biden is going to sign this if it gets through, and it will immediately be put to work to shut down any kind of criticism or protest of Israel. The conflation of Jews and Judaism with Israel is literally in the bill. If you are a student, thinking of becoming one, or have any kind of employment with the DOE or employing with funding related to the DOE, this would severely limit the kinds of speech you are allowed to engage in.

      • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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        6 months ago

        Except that… he’s the President… and it for it to become law… well… I hope you at least know that little about the US system of law.

        I’m just gonna assume that every single person reading this can spot the flaw in your logic here, so I don’t need to point it out.

        And Biden has also vocally supported the law and said he’ll sign it.

        When did this happen?

        If you are a student, thinking of becoming one, or have any kind of employment with the DOE or employing with funding related to the DOE, this would severely limit the kinds of speech you are allowed to engage in.

        Interesting. Are you saying it doesn’t make protesting against Israel illegal like you said before? Fascinating. But now you’re completely telling the truth about this new version of what it does. Do I have both of those statements correct? I can look up whether you’re lying with the new version, if this new thing is your final answer.

        • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          I’m just gonna assume that every single person reading this can spot the flaw in your logic here, so I don’t need to point it out.

          Bro you and your constant gas-lighting aren’t worth engaging with.

          Like I’ve said before, if you aren’t willing to oppose fascism, racism, or authoritarianism when it comes from Democrats, you aren’t against those things.

          Biden’s support for the bill:

          https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-moves-to-take-up-house-passed-antisemitism-bill-after-campus-protests-erupt/ar-AA1o37up

          the quote:

          Asked whether President Joe Biden would sign the House-passed antisemitism bill into law, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the president “welcomes congressional action in this fight.” She declined to offer an overt endorsement of the legislation, saying she wanted to be careful as “several bills” are being discussed.

          Which is about as strong a statement as you’ll ever get from the Whitehouse while different versions of the bill are still floating around. He’ll be signing whatever they come out with.

          • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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            6 months ago

            Which is about as strong a statement as you’ll ever get from the Whitehouse

            😃

            Okay so he definitely didn’t say the thing you specifically said that specifically-he said? And his press secretary didn’t say it either, but you decided that something totally different that she said probably meant that she thought it? I just want to double check on this.

            • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              She gave a full throated support for the bill. She’s the press secretary. Thats as good as Biden doing the same. If you are too naive to how communication work in politics because you think you’ve landed some kind-of gotcha, its fine, because you aren’t someone who deserves charity when it comes to disagreement.

              But heres the thing. I know you aren’t that naive. I know its just gaslighting with you. And when Biden signs this bill, I’ll be able to point to these conversations where you showed your support for it.

              • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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                6 months ago

                I’m gonna depart from that topic of conversation now, since I think the point is pretty much made.

                Hey, unrelated fact: Did you know that Biden is the first US president to ever put sanctions on Israeli settlers, and the first US president since Reagan to pause Israeli weapons shipments? And that he’s currently working hard for a cease-fire? As sad as this bullshit is, he’s actually better than the status quo for the US’s unanimously war-criminal-ass support for Israel.

                If you want to talk with me about how we can get Bernie Sanders in there instead, to actually do something substantial to put a stop to US support for Israel, maybe even turn it into tepid opposition, that sounds fuckin great, I’m all ears. But pretending that Biden’s some kind of radical departure for Israel is, like a lot of things you say, totally backwards (again, for as fucking pathetic a statement as that is about the state of the US norm).

                And if you want to hand the presidency to the party that’s signing their names to shells that are marked out to blow up Palestinians, telling Netanyahu to “finish the job,” and giving Biden a whole bunch of shit for having paused the weapons shipments and trying to figure out ways to override him on it, be my guest, but don’t try to turn it around into some grand gesture that you’re doing on behalf of the Palestinians. Just say it for what it is: You don’t want Biden for reasons of your own, and this is a great way to attack him (because there is 100% legitimacy to it as applied to his war criminal policy – it being the US norm is no excuse, I agree.)

                • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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                  6 months ago

                  You don’t want Biden for reasons of your own, and this is a great way to attack him

                  You know you can just ask me what I think right? Do you try to tell your SO, your kids, your family what to think? Like I really wonder if you carry this kind of gaslighting approach to conversation irl.

                  What I want is for Biden to be the kind of candidate who can get elected. So fucking what if a his apologists online are going to vote for him regardless? He’s DYING in the polls. and its 100% due to his policies on Gaza and Israel. He’s giving us no room to put daylight between him and Trump. I need a candidate, any candidate, who can beat Trump in November. Biden can’t do that right now. You being willing to support Biden in-spite of him being a genocidal apologist isn’t good enough, because there are enough people out-there for whom that is a bridge too far.

                  He’s gone, the wrong direction in every way, shape, and form since October of last year. Student protests? Wrong answers from Biden. Israels genocide? Wrong answers from Biden. Border policy? Wrong answers from Biden. And no, these microscopic nibbling around the edges aren’t good enough. He paused some shipments? He put down a few sanctions? Who the fuck do you think you are convincing with that? Like really? What voters do you think that works on?

                  This is the fundamental flaw in the entire rhetorical approach that both you and the Democrats seem so pot committed to, that they’re willing to lose an easily winnable election to Trump over. Any Blue Will Do (ABWD), as a material political strategy, sets you up for failure when there is no distinction between the two parties. ABWD results in the weakest, most ineffectual candidates. It puts us in a position where we’re up against a literal fascist, who just caught 34 felonies, and we’re losing to them. Its a direct result of the rhetorical approach, of the apologist, of the willingness to look past the deep flaws that prevent Biden from being a viable candidate.

                  Biden can’t win right now. No incumbent has ever recovered from polling or an approval like Joe Biden has earned. Apologizing for him wont change that. Excusing him won’t change that. Pretending he doesn’t support something when he does wont change that.

                  Check out this page: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/

                  I was planning on making my mid-month polling update about swing states, but I’m considering shifting to an analysis about incumbency and approval/ polling rates.

                  Biden currently has an approval lower than any president in the history of this country, at this same date in their Presidency. Yes, lower than every incumbent that was held to one term. I don’t generally support trend based analysis for things like this, but if this keeps up, he’ll end his presidency in the high 20’s, low 30’s, barring some extreme event (again, I don’t typically support trend analysis for things like this). The lowest an incumbents approval has ever been on election day and still become re-elected is GWB at 51%. Biden hasn’t polled that high since June of 2021.

                  I think, both agree that stopping Trump is the number one priority. Where we disagree is whether Joe Biden is even capable of doing so. You or I supporting Biden individually is irrelevant. What matters is if he is popular enough, viable enough, among enough of the voters, to get over the 270 threshold. If Biden can’t do this thing, he isn’t worth considering as a candidate.

                  It might be possible for Biden to turn the ship, but I think he’s shown us enough of who he is to know that he won’t. He continues to take on Republican polices as if they were part of his campaign platform. Its like he’s governing and campaigning as if Republicans are suddenly going to swoon and come his way, which I think we could both agree is preposterous. He keeps distancing himself further from the base and further from the coalition he needed to win.

                  I think I just saw the headline float past that Sunrise Movement won’t be supporting him. Did you hear that click? That was the youth vote closing the door behind them on the way out. I wonder who is next? I could see the ACLU with holding their support if he signs the “Protesting Israel on Campus is Hate Speech” bill.

                  I’m interested. Whats your line? Where do you drop your support for Biden? My guess is that you are basically the bellwether, just based on how I have you pegged. Like whats your line before you’ll seek an alternative? My guess is that whatever your line, thats the threshold we’ll have to cross before the DNC will pull him and we’ll get another candidate, so I’m genuinely curious about what it would take for you to move on from Biden.

                  Its probably going to be Newsom. About two to three stories a week on a national or international topic with Newsom’s take bubble up. Newsom has been extremely careful about not commenting on student protests. Plus its not like he can actually do anything in regards to policy so he’ll be able to talk all the shit he wants without having to back it up. I suppose Kamala could get the nod. She’ll have the administrations baggage to wear, which if she can’t shed, I think loses her the election. Maybe plucky Mayor Pete?

                  • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
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                    6 months ago

                    Nobody is going to replace the sitting President as candidate in the next election. Nobody.

                    The only person who can make that decision is Biden and he’s not budging.

                    If something happened and Trump were no longer the candidate? Then I could see Biden dust off his hands, go “my work here is done!” and ride off into the sunset, but as long as it’s Trump, it will be Biden.

                  • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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                    6 months ago

                    Cool story bro

                    Now tell the one about how he ruined climate change and busted all the unions. Purely out of your concern for good things happening in the US, of course; that goes without saying.

          • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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            6 months ago

            Are you sure you don’t want to commit to some particular version of what you’re claiming the bill does? I mean, now that you abandoned the clearly absurd bullshit you said first time around. I’m happy to go and research and see whether you were lying this time around, too.

            Or give some kind of citation for the thing where Biden vocally supported the bill and said he’d sign it? That one, I actually looked for a little bit, because I didn’t want to look stupid if it was all over the news that he’d actually said that, but I couldn’t find anything with a little bit of looking. But it should be pretty easy to show that you weren’t talking completely out of your ass on that part, too.

            Oops, my bad - I meant to say sorry for gas-lighting. Damn autocomplete. I sure am bad faith. You got me right.