That is not what I took away from Electrocuter's post.
No one would say that.
Assassination has always been a risk for politicians, this is nothing new. If the risk is higher, maybe they're doing something that the general public doesn't like.
Not only that but this is bullshit. This is in response to Mehann's resignation and he left because he was going to get admonished by the Ethics Committee. Many of these guys leaving are either super critical of Trump and thus selected out by the far right(ironically more violent) or they got caught doing something horrific.
This is putting way to much stock and also feeding the 'Left is Violent' narrative that's been there forever even though the most violent protests as of late with actual murders was Charlotville.
When you shoot yourself in the foot who's to blame if not yourself?
And, as has been said multiple times in this thread, they almost certainly don't have a honest fear of being killed.
"if they have an honest fear of being killed"
And why is that, do you think? Could it be because they're a bunch of absolute jack-wagons who try to fuck shit up around every corner under the guise of Patriotism/Constitutionalism? Or that they have a hard-core "it's not enough that WE win, THEY have to lose" mentality that they've subsequently imposed onto their voter-base, causing an increasingly large divide in this country? Or could it be that with the advent of various forms of media (that they absolutely suck at using securely) that it's being revealed more and more that they're just as paid-for/corrupt/morally bankrupt as they claim "THE OTHER" to be and that it turns out the American people don't jive with that, combined with a system that allows just about any Tom, Dick, and Harry to purchase (legally) or otherwise acquire (through over-abundance) fire-arms fully capable of assassination?
Wouldn't be surprised if Fox News picks this up and tries to run with it. They've already pushed the violent left narrative despite most terrorist being right-wing in America. This a perfect fear mongering and delusional excuse to rile their side up.
"Remember that one Bernie supporter that shot up a ball-field?!" Fox News prob'ly.
When you shoot yourself in the foot, you're not a victim, but a fucking dumbass.
the entire point being made is that the fear of assassination isn't honest. it's a political spin to score easy points from people like you who are naive enough to believe it
if you're just trying to remind me of that shooting, thanks, but i don't think anyone forgot. if you're trying to make an argument, it'd help if you used words. i have nothing to respond to here
While they may be stretching it a little, fears of assassination aren't as unfounded as you would love to believe considering we had an attempt at one not even a year ago, and the division in our country is showing no signs of toning down. As much as even I would love to tell them that their fears are unfounded, I don't think they are as much as you would like them to be.
Oh, look, another condescending shitpost from you. Do you actually have anything to discuss, or are you in just to shit all over the place again?
Pot, meet kettle:
You think that the political atmosphere nowadays is even remotely close to what it was even 2 years ago? You think that politics hasn't become even more extreme recently? I will not argue that some probably are doing it for a convenient excuse to save face. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge that the environment we've all helped create has become more hostile, and has created a situation where threats are more plausible now then before.
And kudos for actually giving something of substance in this reply. You should keep that up.
Yes, I'm well aware of this. Motives aren't the same in the two attacks:
According to the FBI: saving the anthrax vaccine program, i.e., "The anthrax vaccine program to which [Dr. Ivins] had devoted his entire career of more than 20 years was failing. ... Following the anthrax attacks, however, his program was suddenly rejuvenated."[1] and "a possible motive [was] his concern about the end of the vaccination program..., and one theory is that by launching these attacks, he creates a situation, a scenario, where people all of a sudden realize the need to have this vaccine."[2]
I agree that the amount of tension right now is terrifying. And that attack was horrendous, on a human level, from the awful experiences these people had being shot at, and on a political level, since it sure as hell stoked the fires.
But have they made fear of assassination embed itself in American politics? Deeply enough to where resigning over it sounds believable? I think it sounds more convenient than truthful. It is about belief, so you're free to take him at his word, but to me, it's a transparent attempt at victimization. In the article, he connects the possibility to every Republican resignation that's happened. Sorry, but it just reeks of cynical opportunism
Don't get me wrong here, I don't disagree that some (if not all) are using this opportunity. But my main concern is the tension and environment that make this an even remotely plausible excuse. I don't care about the senators reasons for leaving. I care that we've gone so far that they are even able to use this excuse and have anyone believe it.
The motivation doesn't matter my point is that there's no proof that the risk of assassination has increased at all. We've had much more effective killers make attacks on our politicians in the past and it'll happen again because people in the political limelight acquire the ire of nutcases who will do crazy shit to achieve whatever ends they seek. This is just a case of the republicans trying to play the victim in spite of having majority power in our government again.
I don't see how you can look at our political landscape and say that tensions and divisions aren't at the point that the risk of violence and assassination have increased.
I mean by all means you can make the claim that it has but unless you've got some evidence to back it up I'm still going to go with the fact that most of these people who have resigned have cited other reasons, the fact that the party is currently having to cater to a notoriously difficult to deal with president, and the fact that individual republicans tend to shoot their mouth off and say crazy conspiratard shit that (I'd hope) the majority of the republican voting demographic doesn't agree with. Like there was that one time some texas republican politician was claiming that routine military exercises were the prelude to Obama trying to invade texas or some shit, it just becomes background noise that sane people learn to ignore for the sake of their own fucking health.
Donald Trump promised he would Make America Great Again and if his promise isn't living living up to reality, maybe the republican party shot themselves in the foot.
Then why aren't Democrats resigning? They're at larger risk than Republicans are, Trump Republicans have a rabid following that's been conditioned to believe that Democrats are pure evil and constantly scheming to destroy America. So either the Republicans resigning are bullshitting their reasoning to feed that rabid following, or Democrats are stalwart and fearless running in the working of danger while these Republicans are cowards afraid to face the results of their work.
Somehow I'm thinking it's the former.
Please read:
But go with whatever reason you want.
No need. Just respond like a normal person without the passive aggressiveness or snark and I'm perfectly fine with having a normal conversation like normal people.
I'm pretty sure no study exists. You're free to think that they are no more likely to get assassinated, and I'm free to think that out political landscape is one that is getting more and more extreme by the day, creating the environment where this is a very real possibility.
Never said they should. You should re-read my posts. But since you asked me to source mine, I'm going to ask you to source yours too. Would you like to show evidence that there is no statistical danger of assassination to politicians?
And you think that Democrats don't have the same on their side? Or is it just that you think that republicans ARE actually evil, and therefore it's deserved?
I think fears of assassination are valid, but overstated.
I think these people are leaving office for politically charged reasons and they want to get away from trouble before they're connected with it.
Giffords got shot in the face by a lunatic, so it's not like just the right wing politicians are afraid for their lives as I feel you're implying Silence. I think we're seeing an exodus of these people not out of fear of actual assassination, but out of fear of political and personal character assassinations.
I'm not saying it's only the right wing. I'm sure the left wing is plenty scared of armed nuts as well. My only point, throughout this entire thing, was that it's fucked up that the fears aren't completely unfounded because of the climate we're in, which IMO is a more extreme one that's more prone to violence. We have just as much to worry about from people like those who shot up the baseball field as we do nutjobs who run over protesters.
I think the GOP is secretly fracturaring but its trying to keep up an image of party unity and supporting the alt-right at any cost.
Shouldn't be any surprise when your party supports rapists and neo-nazi's that maybe some people don't want to be apart of that.
With what Republicans have become, I'm starting to think they're pretty sinister, and a few are outright evil. The propaganda networks, anti-intellectualism, anti-environmentalism, failure of basic economics, and recent fascist tendencies make them very undesirable. I've heard from older gentlemen that there was a time when Republicans were more welcome in scientific circles and political disagreement was just that. Now most scientists are democrats or independents because republicans scoff at science that doesn't fit the narrative, and people are convinced that the other side is so evil that they'll vote for anyone flying their team flag, even if that person is accused of getting romantically involved with children.
The Democrats aren't blame free of course, they've got their own issues, like trying to silence the progressive sides of the party because they get in the way of the neo-liberal goals of the party leadership. That and their obsession with gun control, bringing force it's own brand of ignorance regarding the subject that rivals Fox News.
I think they can claim that and have people believe it because they have a state propaganda outlet masquerading as an "entertainment network" to massage it into being a reasonable point via a 24/7 media spew of fear mongering and tribalistic bullshit. Republicans were pissed as hell during Obama's term and there were people on the radio popping off about their wet dream fantasies of storming the white house (and getting the secret service shoved down their throat because of it) but I you'll excuse me if I never viewed the hysterics as anything more than sad weirdos posturing. We even had a moron on this forum make a threat, which of course went nowhere.
I really don't think republicans are in much more danger under trump than democrats were under Obama. I certainly hope not, anyways.
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