@netstack's banner p

netstack

Ask @desolation about the FairTax

6 followers   follows 3 users  
joined 2022 September 05 17:27:40 UTC 

				
User ID: 647


				
				
				

			

		

	














	


		


			



	

		

			

			

				

					

						

							
						

						

							
							

								
netstack


								

								

								
								
								

								
							
					
 
				


				
Ask @desolation about the FairTax

				
				
				

				

					6 followers  

					follows 3 users  

					joined 2022 September 05 17:27:40 UTC
				


				
					

					
No bio...

				

				

				

				

				

					

					

					
					
					

					
User ID: 647


					
					
					
				

			


					

						
					



		

	

 











			
			

			
			

			




	


		

			
‎

			

				
				

					Hour
					Day
					Week
					Month
					Year
					
				

			


			
‎

			

	
	

	 Hot Bump Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
	



		

	






	

		
		

		
		
	

	

  









	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I’d be interested in reading about your Islamic experience, if you’ve written it up anywhere.


Last year, I had a fascinating conversation with a woman who spent the early 80s in Riyadh. It really made me think.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Just like in the real Congress.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I thought the big one was cancer screening—pap smears and mammograms. Not sure what fraction of money goes to those.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Argument: Hanania isn’t actually that good of a writer. Counter: neither is [insert popular trash here]. I’m not enough of a masochist to trawl the bestseller list and assess the quality, but I wouldn’t expect much.


Argument: Hanania isn’t that good of a salesman, and was ineffective at marketing his book. Selling a book is plausibly harder than writing it. As far as I know, most books don’t become best-sellers. Perhaps he failed to secure the big-name reviews or publicity stunts that could have catapulted it out of obscurity? Counter: not sure.


Argument: Hanania isn’t actually that good of a thinker, and has been rightfully rejected by discerning audiences. Counter: lol.


This is a joke, in that I don’t think the average book-purchaser is particularly discerning. It’s not a joke, in that I don’t believe he’s as incisive as you seem to. “Walk back Civil rights, just not too far” is a weird argument, but not an exciting one. I want to hear why you find it so compelling!


Making sales requires reaching an audience beyond his normal followers. What is he saying that can bridge that gulf? Does any of it ring true to someone who doesn’t already buy in to his premises?


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Wait, so how’d McCarthy manage to cock up the support of his own team?


I wasn’t really clear on why choosing a speaker was so hard in the first place, to be honest.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		The Motte Moddes: HighSpace (October 2023)
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
It pains me, but is probably the right choice. Add me back to the dev list if and only if I manage to make a PR.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 1, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Player of Games is a citizen going out to play games. Windward is a cat terrorist coming to tour an Orbital, and Phlebas is a shapechanging outsider’s half-assed quest for Justice.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
No, no. They were going for “Some Cops Aren’t Bastards.”


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
So, were you in Newsom’s unenviable shoes, who’d you have picked?


I have a sneaking suspicion that we could write similar blurbs for anyone with any political experience in the state. Even the Republicans. This list was a little more optimistic, suggesting various high-profile Californians and a few local functionaries.


It does mention Ms. Butler, emphasizing her role in the Harris campaign. More important, apparently, are her intersectionality credentials. Newsom has a track record of appointing LGBT candidates.


I don’t know about putting much stock in the state of residence. It feels more like a tan-suit situation, where any pick gets mined for political points. Also, I liked Silver Springs when I lived there.


@The_Nybbler is right that nonviability has taken on a perverse importance. Newsom is on record avoiding any of the candidates for next year’s election. In a functioning system, that would rule out all the best options. Since this is California, though, who can say?


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 1, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
One hundred percent. But! I didn’t mention it specifically because the protagonist actually is a citizen, rather than a visitor.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 1, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Iain Banks' Use of Weapons.  The Culture novels tend to involve an outside protagonist, one who bridges the gap between the universe of solved problems and the one of problems which just haven't been solved yet. In this case, he is an ageless mercenary, periodically contracted by the Culture to play firebrand or warlord on some pre-Contact world. I find this refreshing; he feels much more like a Culture citizen than the agents of Consider Phlebas or Look to Windward despite operating in a very different environment.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Friday Fun Thread for September 29, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Fired:




Relying on its prior opinion in *Central Florida Nuclear Freeze Campaign v. Walsh [citation omitted],




			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Friday Fun Thread for September 29, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I think the first one has the best composition. Third could work, but the text would need to be placed a bit differently so as not to cover the kid.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Funny, I’m seeing quite a few chiming in on how much MAL is totally worth.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Jesus Christ.


I can think of half a dozen reasons it’s not particularly funny. Starting with demographics. Perhaps you ought to take it as evidence that the “diversity” party cares about literally anything else? No, surely not.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I was surprised by this.


The low-effort rule, as described in the sidebar, seems to be targeting “three-word shitposts.” This does not feel like a shitpost to me. It has a fact (which I had not yet seen) and two legitimate questions—what happens next, and is it likely to shift the Senate one way or another? More importantly, it steers relatively clear of cheap shots.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I’m confused.


    

  • Texas regulating with whom it will do business—fine. This is normal contractual stuff.
    • 

  • Texas regulating businesses entirely within Texas—also fine.
    • 

  • Texas regulating businesses outside but selling to Texans—probably fine. Even though it is affecting interstate commerce, it’s only restricting it with regards to its own jurisdiction. Also, I’m pretty sure this is how “dry counties” and similar alcohol laws work. I can see the abuse potential, but…
    • 

  • Feds regulating businesses outside Texas, selling to Texans, is obviously fine. Central example of interstate commerce. And my naive assumption is that such regulation supersedes whatever Texas says. Congress should be able to legislate “no state shall forbid such-and-such.” If this isn’t true…then I have no idea how the ATF or FDA are supposed to work
    • 



In other words, I feel like Texas is allowed to regulate what products Texans may purchase unless preempted by federal law. I also assume that this has already happened somewhere in the US Code. I recognize that I may be completely off base, especially if this is one of those “gentleman’s agreement” situations we’ve been tearing down, lately. Maybe in five years North Carolina decides to cancel the FDA.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Sounds like the premise for a sappy movie. Local Farmboy Returns From War to find his hometown irrevocably…woke.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Forget cultural homogeneity; social policing only works when there are actual social skills involved. CS is bound for Stallman-esque situations at best.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I believe a replacement is appointed until the regular election. Newsom has said he won’t pick one of the primary candidates, so it’s going to be a low-profile placeholder.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Okay, that one’s pretty good.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
I’m with MadMonzer, for the most part. The political calculus for bringing anti-Trump cases does not change the legal jurisdiction.


Bragg is applying “falsifying documents” laws which are very clearly about documents within the state of NY. And which he has applied to other cases with non-Presidents. The novel, suspicious bit is making it a felony charge despite the apparent lack of a second crime. Not a jurisdictional problem, but an equitability one.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
You forgot to include the stinger from Ruger:




With that said, I was dismayed to learn that the Texas Attorney General's office recently announced that it has “not been able to determine that Wells Fargo has a policy or practice that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association.”




Without that, I had hope that proceedings were just in limbo. This certainly feels like the sort of open-and-shut case which ought to provide a nice feather in Texan’s caps. Perhaps Ken “Unimpeachable Conduct” Paxton was merely delayed by his scandals, and was going to bring down the hammer. Any minute now.


Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go draft a letter to my representative. I hear she is still on decent terms with her husband; perhaps she can get him moving?


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Maybe you’re right.


My reasoning is that the people clamoring to kick men from this conference are the ones who would be directly affected by trolls and bad actors. This isn’t the case for separate populations like prisoners and athletes. It is much easier to err on the side of credulity when it’s someone else at risk.


			

			

					

						

							
						

					


					
				

			
		


		

	


		
		
			

		
	










	
	
		Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023
	








	
		

		

			

		

	

		


			

				
Quite.