Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Come on, just drop a link or a source so we can actually see what you're talking about.

Saw in the paper that Democrats and Republicans are teaming up against Eric Fox7. Tried digging for a link but came up empty.

Matthew Young35 said:Absence from Congress can simply be a tactical move in the opposition's parliamentary struggle.
The best recent example occurred when the opposition boycotted a session, leaving the ruling Republicans without a quorum to pass some piece of nonsense. It is a perfectly legal maneuver within our legislative system.

Would you really want the opposition to face financial penalties just for engaging in political maneuvering?

It isn't even a "struggle." Honestly, there weren't enough Republicans showing up to vote either, so why single them out? I wouldn't call it a strategic fight because they’ll show up once the party leadership forces those representatives to actually get to D.C.

Walter Grant5 said:Saw in the paper that Democrats and Republicans are teaming up against Eric Fox7. Tried digging for a link but came up empty.

I heard on the radio that lawmakers are fighting the idea of pay-per-contribution in D.C. because they claim it’s too hard to quantify. Fine, I get that—it’s definitely not impossible to measure—but there needs to be a clear, set definition instead of just making it up as they go along.

Congress is a peculiar institution.
I understand the frustration of watching an empty chamber on TV, but what actual value would be added by having someone sitting there who hasn't the slightest clue about the topic at hand? Congress passes laws governing virtually everything; naturally, no single representative can be an expert on every subject.
When matters of genuine national importance hit the floor, the chamber isn't usually quite so vacant.

In any case, the recent trend of criticizing members for missing sessions or abstaining from votes is, frankly, nonsense.

If we're talking about the same situation, then the papers are just pushing misinformation. From what I read, the whole issue is about controlling how often representatives show up at the Capitol. They’re fighting against it just so they can keep pulling in a full salary even when they aren't there, while taking a pay cut if they actually miss work.

Matthew Young35 said:Congress is a peculiar institution.
I understand the frustration of watching an empty chamber on TV, but what actual value would be added by having someone sitting there who hasn't the slightest clue about the topic at hand? Congress passes laws governing virtually everything; naturally, no single representative can be an expert on every subject.
When matters of genuine national importance hit the floor, the chamber isn't usually quite so vacant.

In any case, the recent trend of criticizing members for missing sessions or abstaining from votes is, frankly, nonsense.

How can you even have someone working in D.C. who doesn't understand the topic being debated? Everything is connected. One Rep's area of expertise is indirectly tied to another's. In my book, a Representative needs to be well-versed in all political domains.

Does a professor have to show up to a meeting if the topic has nothing to do with their field? Yeah. They do.

And it’s not really "punishment." They get their base salary, and if they work hard, they can pull in some extra through various ways. People don't even get overtime pay here, yet we have to force him to actually do his job. It's ridiculous.

Can they just show up and not vote?

Walter Grant5 said:How can you even have someone working in D.C. who doesn't understand the topic being debated? Everything is connected. One Rep's area of expertise is indirectly tied to another's. In my book, a Representative needs to be well-versed in all political domains.

Does a professor have to show up to a meeting if the topic has nothing to do with their field? Yeah. They do.

And it’s not really "punishment." They get their base salary, and if they work hard, they can pull in some extra through various ways. People don't even get overtime pay here, yet we have to force him to actually do his job. It's ridiculous.

Can they just show up and not vote?

They can.
But by showing up, the opposition would essentially be handing the majority exactly what they want on a silver platter. Is that really the goal?
In this specific instance, staying away from the polls isn't about being lazy. It’s a calculated move in a larger political battle within Congress.

The Chief of Staff of the Army headed off to some remote outpost near Gettysburg with his full combat gear. Unbelievable. 🤣🤣🤣 🙏

Maduro is claiming global oil prices are tanking because of some massive conspiracy by OPEC nations and the U.S. to take him down by crashing his country's economy.

Good grief, 😂 apparently being a "modern leftist" requires having about half a brain cell left in your skull. Maybe even less, depending on where you live.

If we actually had this much oil, considering how clueless we are, people from Switzerland would be flocking to Miami just to work as summer waiters, yet here we are, still hungry.🙏

Way to go, Mike🙏

http://www.espn.com/nfl/article/sti...ma/893398.aspx

Wild.

Paul Sanders5 said:

Maduro is claiming global oil prices are tanking because of some massive conspiracy by OPEC nations and the U.S. to take him down by crashing his country's economy.

Good grief, 😂 apparently being a "modern leftist" requires having about half a brain cell left in your skull. Maybe even less, depending on where you live.

If we actually had this much oil, considering how clueless we are, people from Switzerland would be flocking to Miami just to work as summer waiters, yet here we are, still hungry.🙏

Hold on, hold on, let’s not get ahead of ourselves with the drastic measures just yet; I think we can probably delay the ban on wearing bell-bottom jeans for a little while longer. ☕

Paul Sanders5 said:

Maduro is claiming global oil prices are tanking because of some massive conspiracy by OPEC nations and the U.S. to take him down by crashing his country's economy.

Good grief, 😂 apparently being a "modern leftist" requires having about half a brain cell left in your skull. Maybe even less, depending on where you live.

If we actually had this much oil, considering how clueless we are, people from Switzerland would be flocking to Miami just to work as summer waiters, yet here we are, still hungry.🙏

If we really had all that oil, the Republicans would have sold off every single drilling right under the table for a million bucks during their first term.☕

Anthony Jackson2 said:If we really had all that oil, the Republicans would have sold off every single drilling right under the table for a million bucks during their first term.☕

and then commit to buying them back at a 7.5x markup.

To hell with the oil industry. Is anyone actually seeing anything worth discussing here?

Screw it

Honestly, I just pay for exactly what I use, and honestly? It’s the move. No hidden fees, no bullshit—just a clean bill and zero stress.

Dammit.

Paul Sanders5 said:Honestly, I just pay for exactly what I use, and honestly? It’s the move. No hidden fees, no bullshit—just a clean bill and zero stress.

Because honestly, how else would you want to handle it, my friend?