America

[Puja]

I've an American friend who's doing heroic work of actually reading the whole thing, bit by bit.

She's obviously up to the childcare provisions bit.
Yesterday's highligh was: all contraception to be banned (condoms are murder folks).
Today's is: all children under 18 who are donor conceived and don’t live in a male-female parent situation will be removed and placed into foster care.

The whole thing seems to be "kill the Taliban, steal their ideas, turn them up to 11"

Worth noting: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/nYM7CF35Ugf57vsK/

Puja

[Puja]

Biden just introduced Zelenskiy's speech as "Now, I'll hand over to the President of Ukraine, President Putin."

He surely must go. There's no way he can survive this.

Puja

This is a good thing. No way can he get through this.

Wanna bet? He still has to decide to go of his own accord. We’ve been talking
About this for the last two weeks. Trump can basically sit back and let the dems lose the election and not have any scrutiny of his own plans. Biden just won’t shake this off

You're absolutely right. In the unscripted press conference after the "President Putin" fuck-up, he then referred to Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump" while continuing to insist that he was competent and there was no way he would be stepping down.

I think the only option is a mass rebellion by the Democratic party that makes his position untenable, and I don't think enough of them have the minerals for that.

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

Biden just introduced Zelenskiy's speech as "Now, I'll hand over to the President of Ukraine, President Putin."

He surely must go. There's no way he can survive this.

Puja

This is a good thing. No way can he get through this.

Wanna bet? He still has to decide to go of his own accord. We’ve been talking
About this for the last two weeks. Trump can basically sit back and let the dems lose the election and not have any scrutiny of his own plans. Biden just won’t shake this off

It was already too late for Biden to win the election. The damage had been done. Now things have to get bad enough to make him go. There needed to be a disaster for Biden and his people to notice it and to make the congressmen and women speak out. I'm thinking this was bad enough to be noticed. (Yeah, I could be wrong )

Jesus, he needs to go now, while he still has some dignity. I'm sure there are a lot more who've only expressed doubts in private. If he doesn't go now they all need to speak out, Obama included. Not a good look but he's bringing this on himself.

[Sandydragon]

This is a good thing. No way can he get through this.

Wanna bet? He still has to decide to go of his own accord. We’ve been talking
About this for the last two weeks. Trump can basically sit back and let the dems lose the election and not have any scrutiny of his own plans. Biden just won’t shake this off

You're absolutely right. In the unscripted press conference after the "President Putin" fuck-up, he then referred to Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump" while continuing to insist that he was competent and there was no way he would be stepping down.

I think the only option is a mass rebellion by the Democratic party that makes his position untenable, and I don't think enough of them have the minerals for that.

Puja

I’ve written before about the lack of balls in the Republican Party in refusing to oppose extremism.

Sadly the democrats are also displaying a total lack of moral courage.

[Sandydragon]

This is a good thing. No way can he get through this.

Wanna bet? He still has to decide to go of his own accord. We’ve been talking
About this for the last two weeks. Trump can basically sit back and let the dems lose the election and not have any scrutiny of his own plans. Biden just won’t shake this off

It was already too late for Biden to win the election. The damage had been done. Now things have to get bad enough to make him go. There needed to be a disaster for Biden and his people to notice it and to make the congressmen and women speak out. I'm thinking this was bad enough to be noticed. (Yeah, I could be wrong )

Jesus, he needs to go now, while he still has some dignity. I'm sure there are a lot more who've only expressed doubts in private. If he doesn't go now they all need to speak out, Obama included. Not a good look but he's bringing this on himself.

The lack of total loyalty has made it obvious there is a split. Better to finish the job and get rid. The half way house is fooling no one and already reducing the chances of beating Trump.

And imagine the energy and bounce a new candidate would bring? Suddenly Trump would look like the old man.

[Puja]

Headline that got my hopes up for a second.

Joe Biden is pulling out...




.
.
.


Joe Biden is pulling out all the stops to prove his competency – but will it work?



Puja

[morepork]

Shit just got real. What manner of fuckwit does this? Here come a martyr .

[Puja]

Shit just got real. What manner of fuckwit does this? Here come a martyr .

Seconded. Massive bump in the polls coming for him because of this.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Yup, that's my fear.

Conspiracy theory incoming in T-minus 5 seconds, however.

[Puja]

Yup, that's my fear.

Conspiracy theory incoming in T-minus 5 seconds, however.

I will admit, that was my first thought when I heard, although it didn't last long when I saw the facts of the situation.

Although speaking of conspiracies, how long before a Trump fanatic who thinks Biden ordered a hit decides to have a pop back? Worrying times.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

I will admit, that was my first thought when I heard, although it didn't last long when I saw the facts of the situation.

Although speaking of conspiracies, how long before a Trump fanatic who thinks Biden ordered a hit decides to have a pop back? Worrying times.

I've not really seen the facts yet, my first thought (first time ever) was black-ops fake attempt (primarily, that photo of him standing proud, first raised and defiant, when he's an absolute coward - but people are always capable of surprising you).
2nd was the one you mentioned, a new target for the MAGA, accusations flying around everywhere, and someone taking a pot-shot of their own.
I'm trying hard to clamp down on both thoughts as utterly unworthy.

Now got the news on.

[Puja]

I will admit, that was my first thought when I heard, although it didn't last long when I saw the facts of the situation.

Although speaking of conspiracies, how long before a Trump fanatic who thinks Biden ordered a hit decides to have a pop back? Worrying times.

I've not really seen the facts yet, my first thought (first time ever) was black-ops fake attempt (primarily, that photo of him standing proud, first raised and defiant, when he's an absolute coward - but people are always capable of surprising you).
2nd was the one you mentioned, a new target for the MAGA, accusations flying around everywhere, and someone taking a pot-shot of their own.
I'm trying hard to clamp down on both thoughts as utterly unworthy.

Now got the news on.

He got shot in the ear was the main thing - no-one's that accurate for a fake. The gunman's shot dead and so was a bystander - a fake wouldn't have a body count. Lastly, the gunman's white - if it was orchestrated, they'd be making a point with the perpetrator.

It's appalling that it's a reaction that we're having, even if only for a moment, but it is the world that we've ended up in.

The photo of him with the fist is after he's been told the gunman's dead and while he's being ushered to his armoured car surrounded by a phalanx of Secret Service - it looks good, but he's completely safe at that point and, if there's one thing he does know, it's how to grandstand.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Yeah, seeing more pictures, and he was hit in the ear, whilst the photo was significantly later, after the gunman was nullified.
Body count - meh, plenty of alleged black ops have had innocent body counts.

News now saying the shooter was a "registered Republican" - there's more to come here, including the conspiracy theory that he's a left-wing plant etc etc.



Please note thought, I'm not claiming a conspiracy, it's just the first thought that came to my head, given just the headline, and the triumphant photo.

If there's got to be a conspiracy - I'm going for would be someone coming back from the future to do a "kill hitler before he takes power", but choosing Trump instead - and no, I don't actually mean it.

[Sandydragon]

Anyone with half a brain will see that was a genuine attempt. Even a puff of wind would have made that fatal and does anyone really think Trump would risk that?

I agree with Puja. It’s easy look
Brave when the gunman is dead and you have dozens of armed police and secret service covering you.

I suspect there will be accusations of a plant etc. the secret service will be even more paranoid around Biden now, and they are pretty paranoid at the best of times.

I also suspect this will help trumps polling. Sadly

[Which Tyler]

NB: No-one is claiming that, I've also agreed with Puja - I apologise if me explaining my shame of my very first uninformed thought offends anyone; please don't confuse it for actually thinking this was a "genuinely fake" attempt. Especially when I have made it explicitly clear that I don't think that.



FTR, as I obviously need to made extra-ordinarily clear - I do not think this was an assassination attempt by a time-traveller from 50 years in the future.

[Sandydragon]

NB: No-one is claiming that, I've also agreed with Puja - I apologise if me explaining my shame of my very first uninformed thought offends anyone; please don't confuse it for actually thinking this was a "genuinely fake" attempt. Especially when I have made it explicitly clear that I don't think that.



FTR, as I obviously need to made extra-ordinarily clear - I do not think this was an assassination attempt by a time-traveller from 50 years in the future.

Do I say you were? There will be conspiracy theorists in the US who absolutely believe this however.

[Stom]

It's hard NOT to think of conspiracy considering attempts on far-right leaders...inevitably fail to find the mark.

Either no-one knows how to shoot anymore, or...

I can't be bothered to look through all the entries, but of the successful political assassinations since 2020 that were politically motivated (and begin with the letter A, as I couldn't be bothered to go through them all), 5 were left leaning, and 1 was right-wing.

That seems to be a disproportionate number, but obviously, this is a very small sample size, and I do not have the time to work through it all. Perhaps someone has, and then to look at failed assassination attempts, too.

I can't see who wins from this.

[Sandydragon]

It's hard NOT to think of conspiracy considering attempts on far-right leaders...inevitably fail to find the mark.

Either no-one knows how to shoot anymore, or...

I can't be bothered to look through all the entries, but of the successful political assassinations since 2020 that were politically motivated (and begin with the letter A, as I couldn't be bothered to go through them all), 5 were left leaning, and 1 was right-wing.

That seems to be a disproportionate number, but obviously, this is a very small sample size, and I do not have the time to work through it all. Perhaps someone has, and then to look at failed assassination attempts, too.

I can't see who wins from this.

Gunman was a reasonable distance away and trying not to be seen before he fired. That alone will be an interesting inquest into security failure. But missing a head sized target narrowly under pressure isn’t a huge surprise.

If this were a conspiracy theory then he would have aimed somewhere else (unless this was a very bad shot) since the margin of error of making a statement but not killing someone with a head shot is tiny.

I think the gunman was trying for a head shot, not just to injure.
There will be a debate around whether he was set up, but knowing that the likelihood of death is very high makes ceremony very difficult. Suicide bombers are groomed but the sense of anger that inspires them already exists. I think we are into fantasy land to suggest that someone has been brainwashed.

I suspect the republicans are trying very hard to find any democratic link for the gunman just to make a point and one us rep senator has already suggested Biden is to blame (albeit the tweet was taken down quickly).

But in a land where high powered rifles are easily available and political extremism is on the rise, it’s not that difficult to see this for a lone nutter. Maybe Trump wasn’t right wing enough. Maybe, more likely imo, the thought of a dictator was too much even if pol it call they were closely aligned. The fbi investigation will throw up some interesting facts I’m sure.

[Sandydragon]

Media suggesting the range was 150m which is very close for a rifle. But the shooter was 20 so without training could have been overly excited affecting his aim.

[Mikey Brown]

Honestly the only honourable thing for Biden to do is arrange his own assassination and try to pin it on the Republicans.

FFS. Sleepy Joe too slow once again.

Maybe I should be a political advisor.

Trump absolutely bullet proof now (oddly enough) regardless what else comes out of this.

[Donny osmond]

NB: No-one is claiming that, I've also agreed with Puja - I apologise if me explaining my shame of my very first uninformed thought offends anyone; please don't confuse it for actually thinking this was a "genuinely fake" attempt. Especially when I have made it explicitly clear that I don't think that.



FTR, as I obviously need to made extra-ordinarily clear - I do not think this was an assassination attempt by a time-traveller from 50 years in the future.

[Sandydragon]

Honestly the only honourable thing for Biden to do is arrange his own assassination and try to pin it on the Republicans.

FFS. Sleepy Joe too slow once again.

Maybe I should be a political advisor.

Trump absolutely bullet proof now (oddly enough) regardless what else comes out of this.

Biden made a quip about putting the crosshairs onto Trump. That will be coming back to haunt him.

I really struggle to see how Biden wins now.

[morepork]

By getting the fuck out of the way

[Son of Mathonwy]

Maybe the Republicans will call for stronger gun control.

Only kidding.

But Jesus, this is bad news, very helpful for Trump, directly and also because it takes the attention away from Democratic pressure building up on Biden to step down. They need to ignore this and keep up the pressure.

[Sandydragon]

By getting the fuck out of the way

Yep. The dems need someone to energise their base and win over the undecideds. The Republican base is likely to be very energised after this.