[QuickTidal]

Dick Cheney died.

He was a gigantic piece of shit. That's it. That's the obit.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

QuickTidal, on 04 November 2025 - 02:15 PM, said:

Dick Cheney died.

He was a gigantic piece of shit. That's it. That's the obit.

Trump has time to outdo him by "liberating" Venezuela, Nigeria, and...

Hmm, is it just a coincidence that both Venezuela and Nigeria are major oil-producing countries?

[Tiste Simeon]

Azath Vitr (D, on 04 November 2025 - 04:59 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 04 November 2025 - 02:15 PM, said:

Dick Cheney died.

He was a gigantic piece of shit. That's it. That's the obit.

Trump has time to outdo him by "liberating" Venezuela, Nigeria, and...

Hmm, is it just a coincidence that both Venezuela and Nigeria are major oil-producing countries?

Are you suggesting that the US only acts in international matters when there is wealth to be explored in the name of capitalism and not in the best interests of the people who live there? I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked!

Well ok not that shocked.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Trump announced on Truth Social that he's going to defy two federal court orders to continue to withhold SNAP benefits until the shutdown ends.

Quote

The post appears to defy two federal courts that ruled last week the White House must pay at least partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits even in a shutdown.

Some 42 million Americans rely on SNAP to feed themselves, a majority are children or adults over age 60.
This is the first shutdown to ever disrupt SNAP payments, which are a critical anti-poverty program.

[Trump:] "SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden's disastrous term in office," Trump said on Truth Social, "… will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government."

Trump says SNAP will only get paid after shutdown - Axios

He also posted not long ago that he could invoke the Insurrection Act to call in the US Army, Navy, etc. if he "needed" to. Wonder if he's hoping for mass riots and looting as people face starvation---a "do-over" of the looting during the George Floyd protests, but this time with more pliant underlings and military commanders....

OTOH Axios is also reporting that Senate Democrats might be close to making a deal to pass a temporary stop-gap measure. Could Trump be pressuring them with the moral weight of mass starvation?

Quote

"Trump is both defying a court order and taking ownership of the ending of food benefits for needy people all during a shutdown fight that polls show him losing, [...] and doing this just days after his Great Gatsby party!"

[...] "Of all the things to break the seal on defying court orders over, I thought Trump would pick something politically savvier than 'make poor kids go hungry.'"

'Breaking the law': Trump blasted after threatening to defy judges' orders on SNAP funds - Alternet.org

... maybe Putin told him the Holodomor was great fun?...

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 04 November 2025 - 06:17 PM

[Cause]

If democrats cave now I would think the blame would shift. Right now is rightly on republicans, they do after all control the presidency, the house and the senate.

If democrats cave now for no gain though all the pain will have been pointless political showmanship. Everyone will just get blamed equally.

I heard that the continuing resolution bill only funded the government till mid November or something. If it passed they have to immediate pass another.

[Tiste Simeon]

So is it likely Mamdani is going to win? I really hope so!

[Cause]

Tiste Simeon, on 04 November 2025 - 09:11 PM, said:

So is it likely Mamdani is going to win? I really hope so!

Why? I don’t think the mayor of New York will change much except maybe New York.

[amphibian]

Cause, on 04 November 2025 - 10:28 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 04 November 2025 - 09:11 PM, said:

So is it likely Mamdani is going to win? I really hope so!

Why? I don’t think the mayor of New York will change much except maybe New York.

NYC has ~8 million people within it. That is an enormous population to work for and to be the newly elected leader of.

It's important, even if it's not an election that impacts national politics immediately.

Plus the main opposition in this race is a sexual harassing guy who has run a miserable campaign full of racism and explicit pandering to rich people trying to screw over other New York City residents.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

amphibian, on 04 November 2025 - 10:35 PM, said:

Cause, on 04 November 2025 - 10:28 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 04 November 2025 - 09:11 PM, said:

So is it likely Mamdani is going to win? I really hope so!

Why? I don't think the mayor of New York will change much except maybe New York.

NYC has ~8 million people within it. That is an enormous population to work for and to be the newly elected leader of.

It's important, even if it's not an election that impacts national politics immediately.

Plus the main opposition in this race is a sexual harassing guy who has run a miserable campaign full of racism and explicit pandering to rich people trying to screw over other New York City residents.

And Wall Street taken over by a socialist... well, not exactly, and his direct influence will probably be very limited---unless he gets the relevant legislatures to go along... and if his programs are successful, they could serve as blueprints for elsewhere.

Or catapult NYC to the forefront of Trump's list of cities for fascist military takeover...

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Quote

Mamdani Wins N.Y.C. Mayor's Race After Highest Turnout in Decades

Zohran Mamdani, whose triumphant campaign was built on progressive ideas and a relentless focus on affordability

(4) NYC Mayoral Election Live Updates: Polls Close as Turnout Surges Past 2 Million Voters - The New York Times

When I saw this I spontaneously shouted "Yay!... ha ha ha".

Looks like a Denocratic sweep so far...

[amphibian]

Azath Vitr (D, on 04 November 2025 - 10:50 PM, said:

And Wall Street taken over by a socialist... well, not exactly, and his direct influence will probably be very limited---unless he gets the relevant legislatures to go along... and if his programs are successful, they could serve as blueprints for elsewhere.

Or catapult NYC to the forefront of Trump's list of cities for fascist military takeover...

Aside from the MTA being governor controlled, he will have an astounding amount of latitude. The NYC City Council has a Democratic super majority and they don't have a migrant crisis that is near to bringing the city and state to budgetary ruin.

The threats are external - loss of SNAP, ICE going around like masked thugs, and changes to Medicaid/healthcare.

That usually sets up for a strong mayor of NYC.

[Cause]

I hat city is being bankrupted by a migrant crisis.

Prop 50, approving California to redraw the house district maps seems like the biggest win and rebuke of Trump.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

amphibian, on 05 November 2025 - 03:07 AM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 04 November 2025 - 10:50 PM, said:

And Wall Street taken over by a socialist... well, not exactly, and his direct influence will probably be very limited---unless he gets the relevant legislatures to go along... and if his programs are successful, they could serve as blueprints for elsewhere.

Or catapult NYC to the forefront of Trump's list of cities for fascist military takeover...

Aside from the MTA being governor controlled, he will have an astounding amount of latitude. The NYC City Council has a Democratic super majority and they don't have a migrant crisis that is near to bringing the city and state to budgetary ruin.

The threats are external - loss of SNAP, ICE going around like masked thugs, and changes to Medicaid/healthcare.

That usually sets up for a strong mayor of NYC.

Some of his most prominent campaign proposals will require a large amount of money... and he's naturally suggested funding them by raising taxes... which as I'm sure you know would require approval of the state legislature, and can be vetoed by the governor (without a supermajority).

What does NYC's mayor control? Here's a look at which powers the office does, and does not, hold. - CBS New York

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 05 November 2025 - 04:33 AM

[Tiste Simeon]

Cause, on 04 November 2025 - 10:28 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 04 November 2025 - 09:11 PM, said:

So is it likely Mamdani is going to win? I really hope so!

Why? I don’t think the mayor of New York will change much except maybe New York.

Aside from the things mentioned by others, I wanted him to win because 1) it will really annoy the usual right wing bellends, and 2) because hopefully it'll show establishment Dems what the people actually want to vote for. I doubt it, because they're owned by the same billionaire donors as the republicans, but it would be nice to think that this signals at least the beginning of change there, where they offer an actual viable alternative to vote for.

[QuickTidal]

Cause, on 04 November 2025 - 10:28 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 04 November 2025 - 09:11 PM, said:

So is it likely Mamdani is going to win? I really hope so!

Why? I don’t think the mayor of New York will change much except maybe New York.

It's a watershed moment for the pendulum swing. Mamdani just gave the Democrats the playbook to change the game and win. He overcame a 26million dollar campaign by billionaire oligarchs to prevent his win and stick with an establishment Dem annointed.

He's a democratic socialist, and wants to do the things that will help people...it's a signal that this can happen elsewhere. It's a start.

[Tiste Simeon]

He did all that without the support of his actual party too. The likes of those idiots Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries refused to endorse him. Presumably because their Israeli backed donors told them not to.

[amphibian]

Tiste Simeon, on 05 November 2025 - 12:20 PM, said:

He did all that without the support of his actual party too. The likes of those idiots Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries refused to endorse him. Presumably because their Israeli backed donors told them not to.

There's a set of differences between local, state, and national level party people and organizations.

Mamdani used the local Dem Socialist groups plus some key relationships with AOC and Bernie Sanders (AOC works on a local and national level, Sanders works mostly on the national level) to build up enough momentum to get many of NYC (local) people and smaller party officials to come over to him. The agreement with Lander for ranking each other second was brilliant and stayed strong due to both of them liking each other and really hating Cuomo.

Jeffries works similar to AOC with a local and national level focus. Schumer works national. Jay Jacobs, the Democratic chair for the state party, is a local plus state. He's also a dumbass who has lost more than he's won in terms of campaigns advised or candidates found/supported.

Mamdani doesn't need the national level people to do well in NYC. It helps, but the critical groups are on the local and state levels. He got Hochul to endorse even if it was a bit reserved. He got almost all the relevant Democrat local people to support him over Cuomo and most importantly, kept being entertainingly on message about affordability and Fuck Trump, We're Fighting.

So Schumer never needed to endorse publicly and risk damaging the pro Israel donors/voters and Jeffries could equivocate as long as he did for similar reasons. This is the game these guys play and it'll take a few more younger generation politicians winning before that changes.

Jay Jacobs should be the one that gets the shit for not supporting the primary winner.

[Tiste Simeon]

Thanks for explaining that, Amph, it does make more sense.

[Cause]

We are now in the longest government shutdown in history under Trump 47. Finally beating the previous record held by Trump 45 at 5 weeks. I had no idea he held the previous record. This would be hilarious if there wasn’t the possibility of 1/6th of the country having to eat rice for a month.

I also am aware of absolutely no discussions that are taking place to end this shutdown so I feel we are a way to go before this ends.

[amphibian]

The main discussions have to be between the GOP Senate and House. They don't have agreements to do anything and the Speaker of the House is deliberately avoiding the inclusion of a newly elected Democrat congressional representative because her vote would mean the release of the Epstein files.

We are likely to go most of November without an agreement and things will get even more awful.