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2024 Presidential Election Thread - Let's keep the party going.


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Posted
9 hours ago, chainsaw said:

What the fuck?  Why was the lieutenant governor at a campaign event while large swaths of the state he was supposed to be governing were being decimated?   Not that he was a serious person before, but how can anyone support this crap?

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Posted

Hey Latinos, the master blueprint is out there is…

“As the Taliban starts enforcing draconian new rules on women in Afghanistan, it has also begun to target a group that didn’t see tight restrictions on them coming: Afghan men.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/22/afghanistan-taliban-restrictions-men-beards/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzI3NDk2MDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzI4ODc4Mzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3Mjc0OTYwMDAsImp0aSI6IjM0ZWE4MzM1LWI5NjgtNDRiOC05NmJjLTAyNTA3Y2ZlNjNmNyIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93b3JsZC8yMDI0LzA5LzIyL2FmZ2hhbmlzdGFuLXRhbGliYW4tcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zLW1lbi1iZWFyZHMvIn0.UgZ84NmqwGv5p0LzKUgwLadY5v5k1LXLz8ShSWGM2ik&itid=gfta
 

 

 

Spoiler

As the Taliban starts enforcing draconian new rules on women in Afghanistan, it has also begun to target a group that didn’t see tight restrictions on them coming: Afghan men. Women have faced an onslaught of increasingly severe limits on their personal freedom and rules about their dress since the Taliban seized power three years ago. But men in urban areas could, for the most part, carry on freely. The past four weeks, however, have brought significant changes for them, too. New laws promulgated in late August mandate that men wear a fist-long beard, bar them from imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior, widely interpreted as a prohibition against jeans, and ban haircuts that are against Islamic law, which essentially means short or Western styles. Men are now also prohibited from looking at women other than their wives or relatives. As a result, more are growing beards, carrying prayer rugs and leaving their jeans at home. These first serious restrictions on men have come as a surprise to many in Afghanistan, according to a range of Afghans, including Taliban opponents, wavering supporters and even members of the Taliban regime, who spoke in phone interviews over the past two weeks. In a society where a man’s voice is often perceived as far more powerful than a woman’s, some men now wonder whether they should have spoken up sooner to defend the freedoms of their wives and daughters.

“If men had raised their voices, we might also be in a different situation now,” said a male resident of the capital, Kabul, who like others interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity or that only their first names be used due to fears of drawing unwanted scrutiny from the regime. “Now, everyone is growing a beard because we don’t want to be questioned, humiliated,” he said.
The Taliban’s new rules governing men pale in comparison with restrictions the government has placed on girls and women, who remain banned from going to school above sixth grade, barred from universities and were recently prohibited from raising their voices in public, among many other rules. But newly empowered religious morality officers, known for their white robes, have been knocking over the past four weeks on the doors of men in some parts of Kabul who haven’t recently attended mosque, according to residents. Government employees said they fear they’ll be let go for having failed to grow their beards, and some barbers now refuse to trim them. Increasingly, male taxi drivers are being stopped for violating gender segregation rules, by having unaccompanied female riders in their cars, or for playing music. The new laws give the morality police authority to detain suspects for up to three days. In severe cases, such as repeated failure to pray in the mosque, suspects can be handed over to courts for trial and sentencing based on their interpretation of Islamic sharia law. Violations of the new rules are expected to be punished by fines or prison terms. But people found guilty of some infractions, for example adultery, could be sentenced to flogging or death by stoning.

Amir, a resident who lives in eastern Afghanistan, said he supported the Taliban up until the latest restrictions. But he now feels bullied into submission by their morality police.
We all are practicing Muslims and know what is mandatory or not. But it’s unacceptable to use force on us,” he said. He added, “Even people who have supported the Taliban are now trying to leave the country.” Most men interviewed for this story live in Kabul, the country’s most cosmopolitan city, or other urban areas. Residents of more conservative and traditional parts of Afghanistan said they have noticed barely any changes. A male resident of rural Helmand, in southern Afghanistan, said no one in his village has concerns and such rules have long been customary there. “No morality police has showed up here so far. They focus on the cities,” he said. The new restrictions appear to reflect a broader shift in the balance of power inside the Taliban, with the most conservative elements either gaining influence or seeking to assert themselves more aggressively in urban areas, according to Western officials and Afghan critics of the Taliban. The Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which directs the morality police, could not be reached for comment. A former senior official with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue denied that the ministry is increasingly turning into a shadow law enforcement agency, saying its primary responsibility remains preaching. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is no longer authorized to respond to journalists.

The new restrictions on women include a ban on them raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives. Women must also cover the lower half of their faces in addition to donning a head covering they were already expected to wear.
The crackdown by morality police in urban areas, where some religious rules had been rarely enforced, has heightened anxiety among women. For men, it has come as a shock. A 36-year old male driver in Kabul said the new restrictions feel “enormous” and pose a growing hardship for his work. His revenue has declined by 70 percent since late August, he said, partly because the Taliban has begun enforcing a rule that bans women from traveling alone in taxis. Even in some government offices, a new sense of dread has set in. A former Taliban supporter recalled how a friend, who still works for the regime, recently had his salary withheld because his beard wasn’t sufficiently long. “We are hearing that some of the civil servants, whose beards were shorter than the required length, were barred from entering their departments,” said a government employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. For the past three years, Afghan women often felt alone in their anguish. Some grew exasperated by their husbands’ silence or growing support for the Taliban, which tried to win public favor by building roads and repairing tunnels.

Several women said they hope their protests will soon be joined by Afghan men. “Men were silent from Day 1, which gave the Taliban the courage to keep imposing such rules,” said a 24-year-old female resident in Kabul. “Now, the Taliban is finally losing men’s support,” she said. Others are skeptical whether criticism of the rules can make a difference. In interviews, several Kabul residents said they have begun in recent weeks to look more seriously into leaving the country. “But if more young people flee this country,” said a male Kabul resident, “there won’t be any hope at all.”

 

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Posted
Hey Latinos, the master blueprint is out there is…
“As the Taliban starts enforcing draconian new rules on women in Afghanistan, it has also begun to target a group that didn’t see tight restrictions on them coming: Afghan men.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/22/afghanistan-taliban-restrictions-men-beards/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzI3NDk2MDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzI4ODc4Mzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3Mjc0OTYwMDAsImp0aSI6IjM0ZWE4MzM1LWI5NjgtNDRiOC05NmJjLTAyNTA3Y2ZlNjNmNyIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93b3JsZC8yMDI0LzA5LzIyL2FmZ2hhbmlzdGFuLXRhbGliYW4tcmVzdHJpY3Rpb25zLW1lbi1iZWFyZHMvIn0.UgZ84NmqwGv5p0LzKUgwLadY5v5k1LXLz8ShSWGM2ik&itid=gfta
 
 
 
Spoiler

As the Taliban starts enforcing draconian new rules on women in Afghanistan, it has also begun to target a group that didn’t see tight restrictions on them coming: Afghan men. Women have faced an onslaught of increasingly severe limits on their personal freedom and rules about their dress since the Taliban seized power three years ago. But men in urban areas could, for the most part, carry on freely. The past four weeks, however, have brought significant changes for them, too. New laws promulgated in late August mandate that men wear a fist-long beard, bar them from imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior, widely interpreted as a prohibition against jeans, and ban haircuts that are against Islamic law, which essentially means short or Western styles. Men are now also prohibited from looking at women other than their wives or relatives. As a result, more are growing beards, carrying prayer rugs and leaving their jeans at home. These first serious restrictions on men have come as a surprise to many in Afghanistan, according to a range of Afghans, including Taliban opponents, wavering supporters and even members of the Taliban regime, who spoke in phone interviews over the past two weeks. In a society where a man’s voice is often perceived as far more powerful than a woman’s, some men now wonder whether they should have spoken up sooner to defend the freedoms of their wives and daughters.
“If men had raised their voices, we might also be in a different situation now,” said a male resident of the capital, Kabul, who like others interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity or that only their first names be used due to fears of drawing unwanted scrutiny from the regime. “Now, everyone is growing a beard because we don’t want to be questioned, humiliated,” he said.
The Taliban’s new rules governing men pale in comparison with restrictions the government has placed on girls and women, who remain banned from going to school above sixth grade, barred from universities and were recently prohibited from raising their voices in public, among many other rules. But newly empowered religious morality officers, known for their white robes, have been knocking over the past four weeks on the doors of men in some parts of Kabul who haven’t recently attended mosque, according to residents. Government employees said they fear they’ll be let go for having failed to grow their beards, and some barbers now refuse to trim them. Increasingly, male taxi drivers are being stopped for violating gender segregation rules, by having unaccompanied female riders in their cars, or for playing music. The new laws give the morality police authority to detain suspects for up to three days. In severe cases, such as repeated failure to pray in the mosque, suspects can be handed over to courts for trial and sentencing based on their interpretation of Islamic sharia law. Violations of the new rules are expected to be punished by fines or prison terms. But people found guilty of some infractions, for example adultery, could be sentenced to flogging or death by stoning.
Amir, a resident who lives in eastern Afghanistan, said he supported the Taliban up until the latest restrictions. But he now feels bullied into submission by their morality police.
We all are practicing Muslims and know what is mandatory or not. But it’s unacceptable to use force on us,” he said. He added, “Even people who have supported the Taliban are now trying to leave the country.” Most men interviewed for this story live in Kabul, the country’s most cosmopolitan city, or other urban areas. Residents of more conservative and traditional parts of Afghanistan said they have noticed barely any changes. A male resident of rural Helmand, in southern Afghanistan, said no one in his village has concerns and such rules have long been customary there. “No morality police has showed up here so far. They focus on the cities,” he said. The new restrictions appear to reflect a broader shift in the balance of power inside the Taliban, with the most conservative elements either gaining influence or seeking to assert themselves more aggressively in urban areas, according to Western officials and Afghan critics of the Taliban. The Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which directs the morality police, could not be reached for comment. A former senior official with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue denied that the ministry is increasingly turning into a shadow law enforcement agency, saying its primary responsibility remains preaching. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is no longer authorized to respond to journalists.
The new restrictions on women include a ban on them raising their voices, reciting the Quran in public and looking at men other than their husbands or relatives. Women must also cover the lower half of their faces in addition to donning a head covering they were already expected to wear.
The crackdown by morality police in urban areas, where some religious rules had been rarely enforced, has heightened anxiety among women. For men, it has come as a shock. A 36-year old male driver in Kabul said the new restrictions feel “enormous” and pose a growing hardship for his work. His revenue has declined by 70 percent since late August, he said, partly because the Taliban has begun enforcing a rule that bans women from traveling alone in taxis. Even in some government offices, a new sense of dread has set in. A former Taliban supporter recalled how a friend, who still works for the regime, recently had his salary withheld because his beard wasn’t sufficiently long. “We are hearing that some of the civil servants, whose beards were shorter than the required length, were barred from entering their departments,” said a government employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. For the past three years, Afghan women often felt alone in their anguish. Some grew exasperated by their husbands’ silence or growing support for the Taliban, which tried to win public favor by building roads and repairing tunnels.
Several women said they hope their protests will soon be joined by Afghan men. “Men were silent from Day 1, which gave the Taliban the courage to keep imposing such rules,” said a 24-year-old female resident in Kabul. “Now, the Taliban is finally losing men’s support,” she said. Others are skeptical whether criticism of the rules can make a difference. In interviews, several Kabul residents said they have begun in recent weeks to look more seriously into leaving the country. “But if more young people flee this country,” said a male Kabul resident, “there won’t be any hope at all.”

 


Duh. The leopards will always get around to eating your face. Always.
“Latinos for Trump” is the dumbest movement on earth.
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Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

I think that NYT article nails it:  whites are fragile and those who feel marginalized react severely, whether they're actually marginalized or not, and the targets of their reaction are minority groups.

Nope. The NYT article fails to nail it. 

White Christians (especially Evangelicals, etc.) are fragile and know that overall religious belief is declining significantly in America, especially among younger people. They feel marginalized and react severely -- moving to seize total power as they fear their free pass and unchecked reign may be challenged severely in the coming years. So they target explicit minority groups. and marginalized peoples. 

Will Christianity be seriously challenged in the coming years? It remains to be seen if the non-religious become an explicit political force. If so, they will be explicitly targeted, too. 

But that is an underlying existential fear deep inside Evangelical-Fundamentalist Christianity and their power play for a Christian fascist nation-state.

Edited by BevoAbyss
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Posted
2 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

How much does Omaha affect statewide races- can we deduce anything from these numbers or do they just get overwhelmed by the rest of the state?

Biden won NE-02 by 6.5 and lost the state by 19.

Maybe Harris breaks 40% statewide but the rest of the state just overwhelms Lincoln and Omaha

I will note that Sasse won both those counties in 2020. But even winning Omaha by 11 isn’t enough unless Osborn is cutting into her margins elsewhere 

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Posted
7 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Biden won NE-02 by 6.5 and lost the state by 19.

Maybe Harris breaks 40% statewide but the rest of the state just overwhelms Lincoln and Omaha

I will note that Sasse won both those counties in 2020. But even winning Omaha by 11 isn’t enough unless Osborn is cutting into her margins elsewhere 

Alright then. Guess those corn farmers are itching for tariffs to increase even more the cost of their heavy equipment, because it’s important that women in California can’t have abortions. 

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Posted
Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

Alright then. Guess those corn farmers are itching for tariffs to increase even more the cost of their heavy equipment, because it’s important that women in California can’t have abortions. 

 

govt will bail them out, so they don’t give a fuck about anything 

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Posted (edited)
33 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

That’s not how non-religious works. The non-religious are not a coherent group, defined by a common identity and creed. It’s just a bunch of individuals who look at groups that meet weekly to reinforce their shared delusions and think “Fuck that weird shit.” We don’t sit in some massive hall every Sunday and talk about how much we all don’t believe in fairy tales or discuss plans to evangelize for critical thinking. We just each wake up and do our own thing, individually going about our days without wasting time thinking how best to confirm our lives to the perceived commands of some boring work of fantasy fiction.

The non-religious will always be at a distinct organizational disadvantage compared to pretty much any cult. 

While I agree with everything in your post, I’m not sure the bolded above won’t start being a thing. There is already an “us against them” mindset that has crept into myself and other families at various clubs and organizations were part of…if the marginalizing and attacking continues to become more overt (bibles and 10 commandments in schools, chaplains over counselors, etc) I’m it so sure we aren’t going to end up being more organized into groups. 

Edited by SydneyCarton
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Posted
2 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

We don’t sit in some massive hall every Sunday and talk about how much we all don’t believe in fairy tales or discuss plans to evangelize for critical thinking

Au contraire. I invite you to my church on Sundays at Ye Olde Crown and Anchor. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Log Cabin Republicans isn't exactly well thought out, either.

That reminds me, I meant to post a photo of the flags the gay guys down the street are currently flying.

 

20240926-122835.jpg

 

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Posted
2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Log Cabin Republicans isn't exactly well thought out, either.

Whenever I see Log Cabin Republicans I always assume they're Log Jammin' cosplayers.

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Posted

nsiap ...

"Vance to talk at tour hosted by ‘prophet’ who thinks Harris practices witchcraft"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/27/vance-lance-wallnau-event

Nah, that's not weird at all.

 

Quote

Trump’s running mate will speak at Lance Wallnau’s event in campaign’s latest link to extremist Christian right

JD Vance will speak at an event on Saturday hosted by the self-styled prophet and political extremist Lance Wallnau, who has claimed Kamala Harris practices witchcraft and has written that the US is headed toward bloody internal conflict.

...

Wallnau, who hosts the tour and broadcasts its speakers on his online show – drawing hundreds in-person and sometimes tens of thousands virtually – is a proponent of the “seven mountains” mandate, which commands Christians to seek leadership in seven key areas of society – the church, the education system, the family, the media, the arts, business and government.

 

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Posted
51 minutes ago, G650 said:

That reminds me, I meant to post a photo of the flags the gay guys down the street are currently flying.

 

20240926-122835.jpg

 

 

 

Most likely White. White Gays are interesting. The research on race and sexuality (especially LGBTQ) is really, really fascinating. It also has to do with self-concept and in-group/out-group

(So is the research on guys who fuck guys but still proclaim they are straight, but that’s a different topic…unless we’re talking about republicans)

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