Updates from a Failing Democracy
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~Jordan` Goon
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Vi Professor Paragon
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...eh, considering they need 75 people in the Senate when they're currently struggling to get 50, no. On the other hand, if you have the Supreme Court you don't need to amend the Consitution.In post 19, SleepyKrew wrote:By "that" I meant getting two thirds of the vote. Unless you think that could happen in the near to middle future?
My theory (I Am Not A Political Scientist) is--
Non-ideologically-driven Republicans know that if things stand as they are their control over the government is going to erode. Their (positive) rebranding is severely limited because of their rabid base. Under these circumstances, the best bet for their long-term survival is to go for a power grab, then rewrite the system so they can stay in power.Everything you say and do matters. People will respond in ways you may never see. May those responses be what you intend.-
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Psyche he/theySurvivorhe/they
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in my doomsday scenario the rules are changed on the state level and reinterpreted on the federal level such that conservatives can reliably gain sufficient and consistent control of the government without winning the popular vote
when a particularly egregious election involves a republican, pro-business president achieving victory with popular support of like 40%, a strong reaction by citizens ever brings us into a completely new era of american politics in the same way that the Great Depression did long ago
and after a spate of important reforms, things are meh againYou can't step in the same river twice.-
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BlackPawn14 Goon
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@Vi: Well, I think that may happen for any non-ideologically-driven party/group. Once they're in power, they'll just want to stay in it, since they don't actually have an idea on what they want to do with said power. Some guy tried to do that in my country, but messed up and couldn't modify the constitution enough to stay in power.
Regarding my other post in this thread, I reread it and it sounded a lot more stupid than what I thought (almost like I wanted a dictatorship... and I don't). The point is, in my country, the two dominant "parties" (one party is made of a bunch of parties that just want to stay in power, the other one basically follows the guy mentioned above) are kinda shitty.-
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Vi Professor Paragon
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@Psyche: The problem is that we're heading for elections where you can win without the popular vote, PLUS economic woes, PLUS a significant portion of the population that has been told for years that armed revolt is a pretty cool idea, PLUS we're not as isolated (geographically, not politically) as we were during our previous moments of weakness. There are all kinds of ways this could end poorly.
I'm pretty sure the Saud family has a good idea of what they want to do with their power.@Vi: Well, I think that may happen for any non-ideologically-driven party/group. Once they're in power, they'll just want to stay in it, since they don't actually have an idea on what they want to do with said power.Everything you say and do matters. People will respond in ways you may never see. May those responses be what you intend.-
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BlackPawn14 Goon
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I mean that, when a governing party actually has an idea of what they want the country to become, they can just do that and leave the government after they're done. When they don't, they just want to keep the power.
The Sauds aren't trying to perpetuate themselves as rulers; they're already perpetuated rulers. And they know that if they want to stay they have to keep the country prosper.-
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Psyche he/theySurvivorhe/they
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In post 29, Vi wrote:@Psyche: The problem is that we're heading for elections where you can win without the popular vote, PLUS economic woes, PLUS a significant portion of the population that has been told for years that armed revolt is a pretty cool idea, PLUS we're not as isolated (geographically, not politically) as we were during our previous moments of weakness. There are all kinds of ways this could end poorly.
you've forgotten one thingYou can't step in the same river twice.-
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Rob14 Jack of All Trades
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In post 26, Vi wrote:the best bet for their long-term survival is to go for a power grab, then rewrite the system so they can stay in power.
See: gerrymandering
They're already doing this at the state level and in the House.-
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CooLDoG Mafia Scum
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chamber Cases are scummy
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In post 33, CooLDoG wrote:so wait, let me get this straight, right now if the leading party of Hungary wanted to convert the nation to North Korea they could. And no one could stop them. Do you guys have nuclear weapons over there?
I don't know hungary's system, but I assume that those 2/3rd's vote is still made up of individuals who would all personally draw the line at some point long before North Korea.Taking a break from the site.-
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CooLDoG Mafia Scum
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Korts Luddite
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So fun stuff today!
I haven't been following political events much lately, because I really don't need an aneurysm right now, but apparently submitting questions to a national referendum was not possible due to some bureaucratic shenanigans? I dunno. Anyway, the submission process was opened this morning, I guess.
So one of the most easily accessible complaints against the government is recent legislation that prohibits most stores from being open on Sundays, and the opposition party has been trying to bring this up for a long while.
And now they are physically being blocked from entering the government building where they can submit the question to a referendum, by concerned citizens who just so happen to be the same ex-con skinheads who have provided unofficial security at other protests, government functions, etc.
When asked if they minded the Sunday closings, one of the skinheads said that they like to diet.
Some GIFs from the occasion:
scumchat never die-
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Plotinus Kitten Caboodle
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The failure mode of clever is asshole.
Modding checklists | Sequencer is in Game 5 | Space II is in Day 4-
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Plotinus Kitten Caboodle
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The mayor of Óbarok is resigning for the good of the village, because if you don't elect a fidesz mayor then you don't get any EU subsidies, and they need it for renovating the kindergarten. It's the village next to Felcsút where Orbán is from. In Felcsút, lots of EU money was put towards making a useless giant football stadium a while back.The failure mode of clever is asshole.
Modding checklists | Sequencer is in Game 5 | Space II is in Day 4-
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Korts Luddite
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Oh hey, last week Fidesz suddenly decided that the Central European University (which was,entirely coincidentally they swear, founded by György Soros) is not in full compliance of the law.
The specific law that CEU in violation of, you ask? Oh, they hadn't passed it yet when they first brought up the violation. But they promised they would pass it as fast they can, to make sure that CEU is not allowed to operate illegally, which it isn't, because the law they are breaking didn't exist yet.
But today, the Parliament made it a reality. They rushed it through without any debate - though the President has yet to sign it, and may veto due to the unprecedented international pressure. The law would require universities with institutions in foreign nations (CEU is registered in New York and is thus accredited in the US) to have a contract between the governments of the two nations regarding the university's operation, an impossible ask given that the US federal government does not have the authority to make such a contract. There was also another impossible condition, but I forget, and I do not want to look it up, because I am angry enough.
CEU is the highest ranked university in not just Hungary, but the region. Multiple cities in other countries have already offered to take them in if they have to leave.
I feel like my country's leaders have officially declared war on the intelligentsia.scumchat never die-
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Papa Zito Jack of All Trades
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Korts Luddite
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We just had some special elections in Hódmezővásárhely, a city that has been ruled by one of Fidesz's main guys for more fifteen years. The opposition candidate won 57-41.
This is the government propaganda machine's reaction:
Spoiler:
For reference, this is what he looks like:
Spoiler:scumchat never die-
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McMenno they/themOne For Aren't-We-Allthey/them
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Korts Luddite
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The lead of the article about the election results starts with "opposition hysteria has borne its fruit."
The next article is "Memorial Day for the Victims of Communism." The one after that is "Sentences about Communism by Alexandr Solzhenitsyn," with the first couple words of the lead "more destructive than communism."scumchat never die-
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T-Bone He/HimA Cut AboveHe/Him
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I was wondering why this thread popped up in my ego search...
Oh man, I am a prophet.In post 15, T-Bone wrote:Get out while you can?I always wonder if this could happen in the US, where one party takes control and re-writes everything to pander to the base.Heck our political parties have redrawn district lines based on party affiliation rather than sense.
Is Hungary at risk from some foreign intervention? At you at the 'rioting on the streets' phase?
I suppose bumping this thread means 'get out while you can' wasn't an offer you took.-
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Maruchan she/herJack of All Tradesshe/her
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I was just thinking this same thingIn post 44, T-Bone wrote:I was wondering why this thread popped up in my ego search...
Oh man, I am a prophet.In post 15, T-Bone wrote:Get out while you can?I always wonder if this could happen in the US, where one party takes control and re-writes everything to pander to the base.Heck our political parties have redrawn district lines based on party affiliation rather than sense.
Is Hungary at risk from some foreign intervention? At you at the 'rioting on the streets' phase?
I suppose bumping this thread means 'get out while you can' wasn't an offer you took.ShowReturning to modding after a nearly two year hiatus!
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Plotinus Kitten Caboodle
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record breaking voter turnout! 53.64% already at 3pm and another 4 hours still to vote. I am hopeful for a non fidesz victory but I'm worried it'll be Jobbik instead.
I voted this morning. I'm lucky that I live in a region where the tactical voting strategy matches who I wanted to vote for anyway. I've voted at that school before and I knew it'd be too noisy to concentrate and have terrible florescent lights so I brought a hat and earplugs and it went okay.
My girlfriend linked me this story in English about the election: https://theintercept.com/2018/04/07/for ... rge-soros/The failure mode of clever is asshole.
Modding checklists | Sequencer is in Game 5 | Space II is in Day 4-
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Plotinus Kitten Caboodle
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4 more years of winterThe failure mode of clever is asshole.
Modding checklists | Sequencer is in Game 5 | Space II is in Day 4
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