Schumer, Jeffries mend rift, present united front on DHS reforms as deadline nears

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., unveiled a retooled list of DHS reforms as Republicans cast doubt on their demands.

Source: Schumer, Jeffries mend rift, present united front on DHS reforms as deadline nears

Of course they'll make concessions, water down their demands, and break any/all of their promises to voters.

That's what they're in office to do.

The democrats don't exist to oppose republicans... they exist to perpetuate the status quo and prevent any leftist movements from gaining enough momentum to seize any actual power.

The USA functionally only has one party: the corporate party.
They wear two different color hats and use different bullshit in their campaign speeches but they both serve the same masters and routinely collaborate to ensure nothing ever fundamentally changes.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on February 05, 2026, 03:56:01 PMOf course they'll make concessions, water down their demands, and break any/all of their promises to voters.

That's what they're in office to do.

The democrats don't exist to oppose republicans... they exist to perpetuate the status quo and prevent any leftist movements from gaining enough momentum to seize any actual power.

The USA functionally only has one party: the corporate party.
They wear two different color hats and use different bullshit in their campaign speeches but they both serve the same masters and routinely collaborate to ensure nothing ever fundamentally changes.

Yeah, and nothing ever will change in that regard. But Leftists totally suck, man.  Why would you want any Leftist Vermin Scum to gain any semblance of power?  They've fucked it up every single time.

Quote from: Reggie Essent on February 05, 2026, 06:27:17 PMYeah, and nothing ever will change in that regard. But Leftists totally suck, man.  Why would you want any Leftist Vermin Scum to gain any semblance of power?  They've fucked it up every single time.

Your definition of "leftist" and mine are probably very different.

Mine doesn't even include democrats at all, for a start.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on February 05, 2026, 07:41:32 PMYour definition of "leftist" and mine are probably very different.

Mine doesn't even include democrats at all, for a start.

Collectivist ideologies, especially those that interfere with free market capitalism, are all evil and anathema to the Liberty of the individual. 

It is free individuals willingly engaging in economic activity solely in their own self interests that has built the might edifice of "capitalism" that all Leftist ideologies want to dismantle.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on February 05, 2026, 03:56:01 PMOf course they'll make concessions, water down their demands, and break any/all of their promises to voters.

That's what they're in office to do.

The democrats don't exist to oppose republicans... they exist to perpetuate the status quo and prevent any leftist movements from gaining enough momentum to seize any actual power.

The USA functionally only has one party: the corporate party.
They wear two different color hats and use different bullshit in their campaign speeches but they both serve the same masters and routinely collaborate to ensure nothing ever fundamentally changes.

I agreed with that before Trump transformed the GOP into a working class alternative to the democRATs and Bush Republicans.

Quote from: Reggie Essent on February 05, 2026, 08:18:25 PMCollectivist ideologies, especially those that interfere with free market capitalism, are all evil and anathema to the Liberty of the individual.

I strongly disagree and decline to argue about it.
It's neither my job nor my inclination to disabuse individuals of their various delusions about capitalism, collectivism, or any other ideology. I ain't mad about it... different people have different opinions and I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with that.

Quote from: Herman on February 05, 2026, 09:13:33 PMI agreed with that before Trump transformed the GOP into a working class alternative to the democRATs and Bush Republicans.

He did?
Huh. Guess I missed that part.

Oh well. Congrats, I guess?

Quote from: Garraty_47 on February 06, 2026, 02:40:31 AMI strongly disagree and decline to argue about it.
It's neither my job nor my inclination to disabuse individuals of their various delusions about capitalism, collectivism, or any other ideology. I ain't mad about it... different people have different opinions and I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with that.

I ain't trying to argue with you. It's just sometimes I feel the need to expound universal and unassailable truths. You are perfectly free to believe in collectivist fairytales.  It's just I've never seen a collectivist state or a non-market, non-capitalist economy work anywhere it's been tried.  But hey, if at first you don't succeed, right?

There is some truth in your jibes regarding the undue influence of corporatism in our political system as well as your ideas regarding a "uniparty" where there's no essential difference between the established political parties. Though that idea seems a bit dated since the Tea Party morphed into the rise of Trump.

now just imagine sewer major and/or that drooling hyena X attempting to inject themselves into this conversational flow between Garraty_47 and Reggie Essent? The multi syllables in the word choices alone would have those two turnips exploding like claymores  -- let alone try to understand conceptually what these two are on about? 

Quote from: Reggie Essent on February 06, 2026, 04:03:28 PMIt's just I've never seen a collectivist state or a non-market, non-capitalist economy work anywhere it's been tried.

That's by design.
For only one of many instances: Cuba has been blockaded and heavily sanctioned by the USA and its vassals for literally generations. We initiated multiple assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. The USA invaded and still illegally occupies a portion of Cuba (Gitmo) where we've conducted and no doubt still conduct heinous human rights abuses. Despite all of that compare Cuba's literacy rate, infant mortality rate, average life expectancy, etc. to the USA.

'Murica is like a brat who intentionally breaks a toy then complains that the manufacturer's brand sucks because the toy doesn't work.

/shrug

Quote from: Garraty_47 on February 06, 2026, 08:28:50 PMThat's by design.
For only one of many instances: Cuba has been blockaded and heavily sanctioned by the USA and its vassals for literally generations. We initiated multiple assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. The USA invaded and still illegally occupies a portion of Cuba (Gitmo) where we've conducted and no doubt still conduct heinous human rights abuses. Despite all of that compare Cuba's literacy rate, infant mortality rate, average life expectancy, etc. to the USA.

'Murica is like a brat who intentionally breaks a toy then complains that the manufacturer's brand sucks because the toy doesn't work.

/shrug

Embargos have nothing to do with it. Until the dissolution of the USSR Havana lived off welfare from the Kremlin. They did not want private investment and competitive industries. The collapse of  the Soviet Union forced Cuba to open it's economy and build real industry and it started with Canadian investors building the tourism industry.

Now that Cuba allows some free eneterprise, let's look at life expectancy of Cubans who work for British and Canadian resorts with Cubans who work in backwards state owned enterprises. Guess which ones enjoy a higher quality of life and longer life expectancy.

My folks defected from Ukraine USSR in 1964 through Hungary and Austria and eventually to Canada. They couldn't believe how much better Hungarians lived because Budapest allowed some free enterprise.

Communism has never worked anywhere and never will. Hundreds of millions of East Europeans, Chinks, and Vietnamese will think you West European types are crazy for not learning from history.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on February 06, 2026, 08:28:50 PMThat's by design.
For only one of many instances: Cuba has been blockaded and heavily sanctioned by the USA and its vassals for literally generations. We initiated multiple assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. The USA invaded and still illegally occupies a portion of Cuba (Gitmo) where we've conducted and no doubt still conduct heinous human rights abuses. Despite all of that compare Cuba's literacy rate, infant mortality rate, average life expectancy, etc. to the USA.

'Murica is like a brat who intentionally breaks a toy then complains that the manufacturer's brand sucks because the toy doesn't work.

/shrug

"By Design?"  Designed by whom?  Are you implying here that the Cuban Communist State failed through the machinations of these evil Corporate Moneypigs that you go on about much like old Scouse rails about the Joos?

That's just silly.  I've already said that free markets are comprised of people willingly engaging in economic activity in their own self interests.  Were the economic entities that had their property and investments in Cuba stolen and nationalized by the Castro Regime somehow obligated to continue to do business with Cuba?

In your world, perhaps, but not in the real world.

The fact is that Cuba had nothing to sell except sugar cane from agri holdings that were stolen from their rightful owners when Fidel took over.  Domino, C&W and other Big Sugar corporations (who owned much of the agri holdings that were stolen) told Cuba to go fuck itself and bought their cane elsewhere. Cuba didn't and still doesn't have anything else to sell besides beachside cabanas, tobacco and 1950s chevy restomods.

Was this "by design?"  Or is there some fundamental flaw in Leftist Collectivist ideology that always leads to ultimate failure?

Oh, and we took Gitmo fair and square in the Spanish American War in 1898.  My great grandpa was there.

white people are the only people in the world who still think marxism can work. I mean West European whites. Mostly of British Isles origin.