It’s so much worse than that. North Carolina House Bill 8 was created a year ago to add Computer Science to middle school and high school curriculums. Throughout it’s 3 edits over the year, all 10 pages of the bill were about teaching kids computer science. Then, ONE WEEK before the bill was passed, a paragraph on the last page was added including the text requiring age verification for adult websites. https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2023/H8
At that point it was too late, and anyone against the bill would be called out for being against teaching kids computer science. The cowards writing these bills know that they would be shot down immediately if they were public about what they were doing, so they tack it on to a children’s education bill and hope no one notices until it’s too late.
I’ve heard of several cases in the USA where they combine unrelated things to mess with voters. Even this one is kinda related but school education plus internet censorship. Split that shit up and let the people vote for what they want.
Fucking Amy Galey. I hate that I have to be I around her and pretend that she’s the best thing since sliced bread. I wish people got to hear more about her talking at length about how great her family treated their slaves and less about her GOP silly season power moves.
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” - Jonathon Swift
So now you’re investing time and effort to publicize why this bill was broken. Your political opposition successfully got you on the defensive. These strategies play a part of why fascism and authoritarianism are succeeding in the USA.
Simply put, the attack is shorter and easier to understand than the nuanced defense.
Politicians can put “you’re against education!” in a 15 second attack ad on the radio/TV/a poster. It takes a short media appearance to explain the nuance. Which isn’t worth the time or money typically, since so few people will see it.
Especially since a huge section of our population gets 100% of its news from Fox, Newsmax, and other right wing media. That interview will never air there. In fact, those sources will repeat the party line of “you’re against education!”
No no no. Nuance can only be used to pave a high road to hell. Get out of here with using it to fire back more intelligently yet equally dirty. We can only do one thing at a time, so it’s high road all the way to the grave.
I mean, what’s next in your suggestions? Using the free and available plethora of Republican politician child sex scandals as non-slanderous, factual, and real ammo fodder?
The situations are clearly different because of the rabid faith of conservative followers, but that being said, it seems relatively easy enough to get on TV/media first and start spreading around “Republicans want to take your porn!” The situation could be explained pretty concisely within a 20 second TikTok or a shareable YouTube video.
Now don’t get me wrong, if American political debate soils itself any further than it already has and fully becomes two-side mudslinging and nothing else, then I’m going to need to either leave the country or become radicalized. But it’s becoming clear to me more and more these days that if the democrats want to throw their weight around they’re going to need to lower their standards a bit. Instead of half hour appeals to judgment we need more 30-second dunks. Poli Sci students need to hear a detailed and nuanced discussion of a bill, but it’s been readily proven again and again ad nauseum that the average person does not.
And I’m not advocating that they lie, only to use the framework of a lie in order to spread the message. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth can put its shoes on, specifically because the instant something might maybe be relevant to something someone thinks exists, somebody is on Fox news spouting 30 second dunks about it. The instant we hear what’s going on with the bill rider somebody should have been on TikTok, YouTube and X posting a 30 second dunk about how Republicans are abusing education bills to steal all porn from everyone, everywhere. Don’t lie, but take strategies from their playbook. I want an account doing blow by blow daily updates on everything the R’s have their grubby mitts in, in the same way that there are accounts doing blow by blow daily updates about exactly how many children they accuse Kamala Harris of having eaten. Except this one will have credible sources.
Point being, personally, I’m growing extremely jaded and tired of the way political discussion works in America. On one hand we have the Democrats making an effort to fully explain away and good faith debate (most of) their bills, with a handful of notable and upsetting exceptions. On the other hand we have a pit of screaming pigs that will debate nothing, will source nothing, will sneak last minute riders into bills they had nothing to do with, and will lie at the top of their lungs constantly and without regard to what they are lying about. The pigs in question have proven themselves either unwilling or incapable of rising to a level of proper political discussion expected from an elected official, and it’s becoming clear that if the relevant populace isn’t going to vote out (or in some cases, isn’t going to be allowed to vote out) the representative, the only way to engage with them effectively in a political sense is to sink to their level. At which point we are all well and truly fucked and what gods remain in the world have abandoned us.
Judging from what they said, it took a year to come to fruition and a week to poison the apple. The current kindergarteners are gonna be grown and graduated by the time the red tape lets way for another vote on the matter. Why not just make bills strictly about the thing they are proposing?
I’ve always been confused about how they can legally be like “here’s a hundred page bill about this great thing, but buried at the end is this horrible thing we went to push though but no one will see it”.
but like… instantly forgiving all student loans… or Forgiving all medical debt… or immediately begin building high-speed rail across the entire country spending like $10 trillion etc. to do so… like… that kind of shit - something that the most rural red state right wing fucker can’t ignore.
The legislators passing these laws are interested only in hurting people, getting bribes, and getting reelected so they can continue. Doing something important for society doesn’t even factor into their decision making.
How is it these laws can get passed but our legislatures can’t do anything that’s actually important for society? 
It’s so much worse than that. North Carolina House Bill 8 was created a year ago to add Computer Science to middle school and high school curriculums. Throughout it’s 3 edits over the year, all 10 pages of the bill were about teaching kids computer science. Then, ONE WEEK before the bill was passed, a paragraph on the last page was added including the text requiring age verification for adult websites. https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2023/H8
At that point it was too late, and anyone against the bill would be called out for being against teaching kids computer science. The cowards writing these bills know that they would be shot down immediately if they were public about what they were doing, so they tack it on to a children’s education bill and hope no one notices until it’s too late.
That kind of shit should really be illegal
It is illegal where I live. I imagine it’s illegal in most developed countries. Bills can only have one purpose, they can’t combine unrelated things.
I’ve heard of several cases in the USA where they combine unrelated things to mess with voters. Even this one is kinda related but school education plus internet censorship. Split that shit up and let the people vote for what they want.
Edit: it’s a rider
“Several cases?” Lol
Virtually every bill that passes in Congress contains riders and typically only passes because of those riders.
I think I just had my worst American brain moment. Definitely assumed this was common everywhere and am in shock it’s not. Must be nice lol
Other countries have actual middle-class structures, so I can only assume so.
It’s how literally anything happens in our government here in the US
Thank goodness it’s illegal in New York
Fucking Amy Galey. I hate that I have to be I around her and pretend that she’s the best thing since sliced bread. I wish people got to hear more about her talking at length about how great her family treated their slaves and less about her GOP silly season power moves.
Well, why not vote against it and defend yourself when accused of voting against education?
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” - Jonathon Swift
So now you’re investing time and effort to publicize why this bill was broken. Your political opposition successfully got you on the defensive. These strategies play a part of why fascism and authoritarianism are succeeding in the USA.
That’s what I wanted to highlight by posting it. It’s a lose/lose situation for America either way.
Simply put, the attack is shorter and easier to understand than the nuanced defense.
Politicians can put “you’re against education!” in a 15 second attack ad on the radio/TV/a poster. It takes a short media appearance to explain the nuance. Which isn’t worth the time or money typically, since so few people will see it.
Especially since a huge section of our population gets 100% of its news from Fox, Newsmax, and other right wing media. That interview will never air there. In fact, those sources will repeat the party line of “you’re against education!”
“Why do Republicans think about porn every time they discuss children?”
Thats how you frame it back at em.
No no no. Nuance can only be used to pave a high road to hell. Get out of here with using it to fire back more intelligently yet equally dirty. We can only do one thing at a time, so it’s high road all the way to the grave.
I mean, what’s next in your suggestions? Using the free and available plethora of Republican politician child sex scandals as non-slanderous, factual, and real ammo fodder?
The situations are clearly different because of the rabid faith of conservative followers, but that being said, it seems relatively easy enough to get on TV/media first and start spreading around “Republicans want to take your porn!” The situation could be explained pretty concisely within a 20 second TikTok or a shareable YouTube video.
Now don’t get me wrong, if American political debate soils itself any further than it already has and fully becomes two-side mudslinging and nothing else, then I’m going to need to either leave the country or become radicalized. But it’s becoming clear to me more and more these days that if the democrats want to throw their weight around they’re going to need to lower their standards a bit. Instead of half hour appeals to judgment we need more 30-second dunks. Poli Sci students need to hear a detailed and nuanced discussion of a bill, but it’s been readily proven again and again ad nauseum that the average person does not.
And I’m not advocating that they lie, only to use the framework of a lie in order to spread the message. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth can put its shoes on, specifically because the instant something might maybe be relevant to something someone thinks exists, somebody is on Fox news spouting 30 second dunks about it. The instant we hear what’s going on with the bill rider somebody should have been on TikTok, YouTube and X posting a 30 second dunk about how Republicans are abusing education bills to steal all porn from everyone, everywhere. Don’t lie, but take strategies from their playbook. I want an account doing blow by blow daily updates on everything the R’s have their grubby mitts in, in the same way that there are accounts doing blow by blow daily updates about exactly how many children they accuse Kamala Harris of having eaten. Except this one will have credible sources.
Point being, personally, I’m growing extremely jaded and tired of the way political discussion works in America. On one hand we have the Democrats making an effort to fully explain away and good faith debate (most of) their bills, with a handful of notable and upsetting exceptions. On the other hand we have a pit of screaming pigs that will debate nothing, will source nothing, will sneak last minute riders into bills they had nothing to do with, and will lie at the top of their lungs constantly and without regard to what they are lying about. The pigs in question have proven themselves either unwilling or incapable of rising to a level of proper political discussion expected from an elected official, and it’s becoming clear that if the relevant populace isn’t going to vote out (or in some cases, isn’t going to be allowed to vote out) the representative, the only way to engage with them effectively in a political sense is to sink to their level. At which point we are all well and truly fucked and what gods remain in the world have abandoned us.
Judging from what they said, it took a year to come to fruition and a week to poison the apple. The current kindergarteners are gonna be grown and graduated by the time the red tape lets way for another vote on the matter. Why not just make bills strictly about the thing they are proposing?
Because a bill about adding irrelevant stuff to bills wouldn’t pass.
Or it’ll have some insane riders
the politicians were the naughty ones all along
Well, why not vote against it and defend yourself when accused of voting against education?
I don’t count on the average American voter to understand nuance
I wouldn’t wanna be on the side that constantly keeps allowing this. Oh well, money > people.
I’ve always been confused about how they can legally be like “here’s a hundred page bill about this great thing, but buried at the end is this horrible thing we went to push though but no one will see it”.
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Hey this might help ya
https://youtu.be/OgVKvqTItto?si=u_cubR7B2h7r25Co
deleted by creator
Because they don’t actually give a shit about society.
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The legislators passing these laws are interested only in hurting people, getting bribes, and getting reelected so they can continue. Doing something important for society doesn’t even factor into their decision making.
If you start fixing things, you’ll have nothing to campaign on.