Mike Johnson speaker of the house

[BootmanLA]

I will clarify this: It's not that Johnson doesn't necessarily have a bank account. Rather, the disclosure rules require disclosure of any bank accounts which have had a certain balance over the reporting period.

I believe that amount is $1,000, but I'm not sure whether that's "Balance at least $1,000 at any point in the quarter/year/whatever" or "An average balance over the period of at least $1,000" or "A balance of $1,000 for the entire period covered in the report."

Depending on what the rules actually require, he could keep, say, $800-900 in his checking account but routinely spend his entire paycheck on whatever - mortgage, loan/credit card payments, food, etc.

And further clarifying this: if, in fact, Johnson lives paycheck to paycheck, that means he could be under some financial pressures, possibly overextended (ie lives high on the hog with a fancy house and cars he can't afford). Those are prime worry spots for, say, national security, because financial vulnerability is not infrequently the reason some people become ensnared with foreign agents. If you're desperate for cash (not even necessarily to survive, but to live the way you want to live), foreign money from dubious sources can look very attractive. See, for instance, Donald Trump and Russia; Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia; Jared Kushner and Qatar; Jared Kusher and Saudi Arabia; Ivanka Trump and China.

[tallslenderguy]

On 11/1/2023 at 11:00 AM, hntnhole said:

I don't know exactly how these people came to believe that they simply had the right to dictate, impose their narrow view of issues upon everyone else.  Perhaps it's nothing more than living in an echo-chamber with others who believed in the same charade?  How is it that some folks get the notion that Gawd Almighty has given them dictatorial powers over their fellow citizens?  What kind of stunted emotional growth did these folks fall prey to?    

As i see it, the crux of the problem is "these people" (i identify them as people with a fundamentalist mindset/approach to living) do not consider their views to be belief, but rather, "truth from God."  Belief allows for space that one might be wrong. Fundamentalists know the truth.  You cannot engage a fundamentalist in debate, because honest debate allows that one may be wrong.  Fundamentalists cannot be wrong, to allow for that would be to call "God" wrong, and of course, "God" cannot be wrong. They do not make the connection that what they have is belief, they are truly convinced that what they have is revelation from "God."   

If you were to engage Mike Johnson in conversation about being gay, his eyes would likely glaze over as he went into self righteous mode of "love the sinner, hate the sin."  It's really hard to fathom as an outsider looking in.  Fundamentalism is  mainstream cult that's been around so long it's just sort of accepted by outsiders who don't really understand what it is. 

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's autobiography  "Infidel" is a profound read. She was raised in a fundamentalist Islamic culture. i was struck while reading her story of all the religious similarities between her religious culture and mine growing up.  It's brainwashing, conditioning, social engineering, highly refined and deeply entrenched.  If one is taught this stuff from childhood, removing the humanity by attributing notions to an invisible being that cannot be substantiated or held accountable, the result is fanatics that fly jets into sky scrappers or imprison gays, or subject them to "reparative therapy" to "cure" them (i've been through 'loving christian reparative therapy").  

Another great read is Tara Wilkersons's "Educated." Another eye opener and an American version of "Infidel." 

As a little kid, i was hauled to church Sunday, Sunday night and Wednesday. i went to Christian camp every year for a week, Vacation Bible School in the summer.  We'd sing  songs about how evil we are. It was also very militaristic: "Onward Christian Soldiers" was sung almost every week.  Oh, and there was "Jet Cadets."  We'd sing: "zoom, zoom, zoom we are jet cadets for Jesus, we are pilots for our Lord..." i kid you not lmao.  

 

[hntnhole]

1 hour ago, tallslenderguy said:

 Belief allows for space that one might be wrong. Fundamentalists know the truth

Given your truly sad experience with these folks, and successfully shedding that odious religiosity, I'll gladly accept your reasoning.  I don't understand it, but I'll take your word for it.  

It's not easy to accept that some people simply deny their own ability to think, perceive truth, and/or dismiss fanciful notions (however self-serving), and live decent lives in the bargain.  

[PozBearWI]

Honestly I think it all started with the whole Santa Claus myth...  At least in Eurocentric societies.  We teach our kids that Santa will bring them crap if they're good, and that sets in motion a whole like of irrational thinking.  We combine that with bible studies which are essentially teaching the whole Santa thing but now wrapped up in a more superior mythological being.  Be good or you'll get worse than coal....

Mythology is our attempt to explain the unknown.  But it isn't truth, it is just a POV.  

I am hopeful at a point we can all achieve freedom FROM religion.

 

[hntnhole]

I've noticed in news reports lately that there are apparently substantial demonstrations on College/University campuses against Jewish folks.  Surely University students have enough wherewithal to comprehend that "The Jews" are not responsible, it's the current Government of Israel that's wrought all the destruction, with more on the way.  Similarly, it's not "The Americans" that are responsible for our current policy-problems in the US - it's a group within the Government within that entity that is the problem.

I think these demonstrations are more against the current Government/Prime Minister of Israel, than against Jewish people in general.  While it's true that Israel had a right to answer the 10/7 event against their nation, the response has been exponentially multiplied, with inexcusable consequences for non-combatants. 

Yet, "the Jews" are being blamed, as though the response to 10/7 was voted on and approved by a majority of registered voters in Israel.  As we all know, occasionally "a mickey" weasel's his way into power, and wreaks havoc in all manner of ways.  I consider Mr. Netan-yahoo to be among this sad group of world leaders.  Mindlessly (or perhaps worse) killing thousands of civilians is simply inexcusable. and doubtless his political career is deservedly over.  

The question remains, however:  Who is going to rebuild Gaza, and all the other destroyed population centers?  I doubt that Mr. Biden has given carte-blanche to the Prime Minister, but he does want to give him a ton of dough.  

I hope the "you broke it, you fix it" mindset is being floated around the White House.  

[hntnhole]

This just in ....

An interesting development in the 14th Congressional District in Georgia:

A reporter has discovered that the representative of that district was initially married to a man named Mr. Trailer, and subsequently also married to a man named Mr. Trash.  

Thus, her actual name is Marjorie Trailer Green Trash. 

[PozBearWI]

1 hour ago, hntnhole said:

I've noticed in news reports lately that there are apparently substantial demonstrations on College/University campuses against Jewish folks.  Surely University students have enough wherewithal to comprehend that "The Jews" are not responsible, it's the current Government of Israel that's wrought all the destruction, with more on the way.  Similarly, it's not "The Americans" that are responsible for our current policy-problems in the US - it's a group within the Government within that entity that is the problem.

I think these demonstrations are more against the current Government/Prime Minister of Israel, than against Jewish people in general.  While it's true that Israel had a right to answer the 10/7 event against their nation, the response has been exponentially multiplied, with inexcusable consequences for non-combatants. 

Yet, "the Jews" are being blamed, as though the response to 10/7 was voted on and approved by a majority of registered voters in Israel.  As we all know, occasionally "a mickey" weasel's his way into power, and wreaks havoc in all manner of ways.  I consider Mr. Netan-yahoo to be among this sad group of world leaders.  Mindlessly (or perhaps worse) killing thousands of civilians is simply inexcusable. and doubtless his political career is deservedly over.  

The question remains, however:  Who is going to rebuild Gaza, and all the other destroyed population centers?  I doubt that Mr. Biden has given carte-blanche to the Prime Minister, but he does want to give him a ton of dough.  

I hope the "you broke it, you fix it" mindset is being floated around the White House.  

I am concerned of the continued expansion of the anti-Semites we saw early in Mr. T's administration.  Typically this sort of tribalism comes from scarcity; and our planet changes are certainly causing widespread shortages, food and water specifically so as not to get caught up in supply chain issues.  

Mr. N of Israel demonstrates some issues.  That said, he keeps getting elected so it follows that the external simplified view sees him as the Jewish Proxy.  And regardless, all this seems like core ideology rather than immediately political response.  

Regarding the "I hope the 'you broke it, you fix it'" mindset is NOT being floated around the White House.  That mindset itself is part of the problem.  This is our nation.  ALL of our nation, not us vs them.  For those who were in power whose future should be prison, I hope we've the gumption to follow through on that, with after a period of strife, might get is back as a unified nation.  

Global response seems to ignore the significance of 10/7 to those whose home is Israel.  

[BootmanLA]

2 hours ago, hntnhole said:

Surely University students have enough wherewithal to comprehend that "The Jews" are not responsible, it's the current Government of Israel that's wrought all the destruction, with more on the way. 

This is true, but again, in US politics at least, conservatives try mightily to equate lack of support for (the current government of) Israel with anti-Semitism - if you're not in favor of whatever Israel does/wants, you must hate the Jews. They've oversimpified the issue such that anyone opposed to anything Netanyahu does is one step from Nazism.

2 hours ago, hntnhole said:

Mindlessly (or perhaps worse) killing thousands of civilians is simply inexcusable. and doubtless his political career is deservedly over.  

I wouldn't count on that. 

2 hours ago, hntnhole said:

I doubt that Mr. Biden has given carte-blanche to the Prime Minister, but he does want to give him a ton of dough.  

I hope the "you broke it, you fix it" mindset is being floated around the White House.  

I doubt seriously that Netanyahu gives a fig about rebuilding Gaza. Remember that the extremists on his side (not in his party but in the parties with whom he consistently aligns) believe Gaza and the West Bank and the Golan Heights should be part of a vastly-majority-Israeli state. There is no room, in their conception, for several million Palestinians on that land. (To be fair, there are extremists in the Palestinian camp who see no room for a Jewish state in the region, either; but the difference at this point is, one side has most of the guns and missiles and bombs, all of the planes, and the US military's credit card at its disposal.

And I don't think the Biden administration really has any plan for how to rebuild Gaza. We haven't been able to convince Netanyahu to stop building new settlements in the West Bank. further carving up territory that was (for decades) envisioned as a Palestinian state. How we're going to convince him to spend money to actually repair the damage in Gaza is beyond me.

[hntnhole]

Thanks, JimInWis & Bootman for your interesting and much appreciated responses.

I still don't see a valid excuse for blaming "The Jews" (which is apparently intended to cover Jewish folks Worldwide) - even here in the US, and on our school campuses - for the level of destruction wrought by the Israeli Government in Gaza and it's environs. There are thousand demonstrating world-wide for a cease-fire, and for good reason.  Rampant Militarism has never out worked well in the end, and won't this time either.

Yes, the Prime Minister won his last election.  Yes, Orange Jesus won a Presidential election too, proving that a miscreant can win an election anywhere in the world.  The calls for a cease-fire are world-wide, and a reaction to the utter destruction of the infrastructure that countless civilians - poor and overpopulated as it was - depended on prior, and will depend upon again. 

Conflating "The Jews", wherever they may be on earth, with the massive destruction taking place in the Middle East by the IDF today makes no sense to me. 

Tangentially, I have yet to see anything on major media regarding the rebuilding of the destroyed areas.  Thousands of innocent folks have been displaced or killed, and it wasn't by their own hand.  

 

[BootmanLA]

1 hour ago, hntnhole said:

I still don't see a valid excuse for blaming "The Jews" (which is apparently intended to cover Jewish folks Worldwide) - even here in the US, and on our school campuses - for the level of destruction wrought by the Israeli Government in Gaza and it's environs. 

I 100% agree - but my point is that pundits on the right, especially, have equated "Jews" and "Israel the nation-state and its government" for decades - if you don't support the latter, you oppose the former. That's bullshit, but it's the environment that the right has created. I reject that, but it doesn't stop the right from insisting on saying it, and accusing everyone who opposes how far the Israeli government has gone (both historically and since 10/7) of being anti-Semitic.

[hntnhole]

3 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

pundits on the right

Agreed.  It's not merely this issue I take issue with them, but currently it's a major one. My point is, allowing anyone to define what I believe is an error on their part.  I don't accept their judgements anymore than I accept judgements from - oh - the religio-cultural crowd.  

 

3 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

if you don't support the latter, you oppose the former

Also agreed, except that no one gets to define how anyone else considers, arrives at conclusions.  I'd tell these folks to kiss my ass, but I'd be afraid they might try.  

Thanks for the response.  

[ErosWired]

One thing to remember about Mr Netanyahu’s motivations is that he has built his reputation and political persona on being the leader that brings security to Israel - and he’s just watched that entire political legacy get blown to smithereens. He’s absolutely desperate to claw back some kind of credibility, because if he does not, the entire failure of Israel’s security apparatus to prevent Hamas’ attack is going to be laid at his feet like a week-old corpse that’s begun to bloat. He will never get the stench off of him, and he will be politically doomed. Frankly, I don’t see how he comes out of this intact no matter what he does. He simply has too much to answer for. He’s dug himself a hole with walls much too steep, and he’s still digging as fast as he can. In my view he’s already squandered any sympathy Israel might have gained for its losses by behaving at least as monstrously as those who attacked them, if not worse. You can’t get much traction crying about Israeli children murdered in their beds when you’ve just blown up three times as many Palestinian children sleeping in theirs.

[BootmanLA]

I'm sure this will get some interesting discussion.

It turns out that there are apps out there (at least one, maybe more) that can be installed on a smart phone that monitor whether you view porn (presumably via a long list of porn domains). You configure the app so that someone else is set to be notified, on THEIR phone, when you look at porn on your device (I assume it works with tablets as well as phones). The idea, presumably, is to keep you from looking up stuff you (as a good god-fearing Christian) shouldn't be looking at.

It turns out that our new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has installed this software on his phone and that of his 17 year old son, with each other set up as the one who's notified if the other looks at porn.

So many questions.

1. What the actual fuck? What kind of father installs an app that tells his teenaged son if Dad is looking at porn?

2. Johnson said his son "has a clean slate" - while notably NOT having commented on whether he, himself, has a "clean slate". I'd have to argue that's an admission by omission.

Which means that Johnson's app is very likely sending the names (and who knows what else - links?) to porn sites to his minor SON. (This, by the way, is his ACTUAL son, not the black youth Johnson pseudo-adopted with no legal authority whatsoever back before he married his wife.)

3. Does anyone believe that the son doesn't have another device - a burner phone, a tablet, a chromebook from school, or whatever - that he's not looking up his porn with? Mary, please.

4. Again, what the actual fuck? This is almost Duggar-level creepy. 

[viking8x6]

9 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

It turns out that our new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has installed this software on his phone and that of his 17 year old son, with each other set up as the one who's notified if the other looks at porn.

So many questions.

1. What the actual fuck...

OMFG you cannot make this stuff up!

I'm looking in my crystal ball... and I see blackmail in his future. Has he never heard the maxim about secrets shared?

Of course, he likely has a burner phone too, and then it's merely grandstanding, and disingenuous grandstanding at that.

[hntnhole]

15 hours ago, ErosWired said:

and he’s just watched that entire political legacy get blown to smithereens

Agreed.  It seems that all he can do is cater to the extremists within his Government.  But I can't help but wonder just how capable his mind is of empathy.  

 

15 hours ago, ErosWired said:

if not worse

Exponentially worse.  If the failure of the much-ballyhooed Israeli Intelligence Services to discover the 10/7 plot in advance, the response certainly isn't for the citizens of Gaza City to bear.  

 

15 hours ago, ErosWired said:

You can’t get much traction crying about Israeli children murdered in their beds when you’ve just blown up three times as many Palestinian children sleeping in theirs.

Deflection is nothing more than attempting to shove bullshit down other people's throats.  "Don't look at me, look over there" is as transparent a deflection as exists.  

Thanks for your response.