Elections More Americans Identify as Republican than Democrat for the first time in 30 Years

[Loiosh]

Do you feel safer in Montreal than you did 10 years ago?

I always feel safe. I felt safe at the Dawson shooting; if we ever meet up for a beer I'll tell you stories nobody here would believe. I felt safe when I picked a fight with a half dozen McGill Redmen and they kicked the shit out of me. I felt safe when I cut off the gorilla who kept blocking my lane change and he followed me two KM and jumped at my destination and tried to intimidate me.

I'm the wrong person to ask that question, not because I'm Superman but because I know if you're smart and keep your cool you can get out of most situations. I mentioned those three situations because I knew in the moment I was being stupid, but even at Dawson I knew I'd be OK (and would do what I did again).

Is Montreal more dangerous now? Should I feel less safe?

 

[Loiosh]

Hard disagree. This is right wing framing.

I hope you're right, I sincerely do.

 

[Andy Capp]

they didn't do anything to me or for me. so why should my tax dollars and neighbors be sent overseas to protect them?

Zero empathy noted.

 

[Richmma80]

I don't like taking any chances. Lock up Trump and all his supporters NOW!

 

[FIMN]

I don't like taking any chances. Lock up Trump and all his supporters NOW!

Maybe just the ones who committed crimes?

Which is more than it should be.

 

[Richmma80]

Maybe just the ones who committed crimes?

Which is more than it should be.

No, all of them. Build a giant prison in the Grand Canyon to drop them all in. Replace them with people of color from around the world.

 

[Nizam al-Mulk]

Replace them with people of color from around the world.

So...

Homophobes?

 

[FIMN]

No, all of them. Build a giant prison in the Grand Canyon to drop them all in. Replace them with people of color from around the world.

Nah. Imprisoning people for no reason (lock her up etc) is the antithesis of a functioning democratic state. So is purposefully avoiding prosecuting criminals who obviously have committed crimes, especially where is a large amoujt of evidence.

 

[Andy Capp]

Literally mentioned that in the post if you read the whole thing.

I stated bad timing and we HAD to give money, but my opinion, is the money given was excessive and the tension with Russia escalated beyond what it should have.

I believe this administration has been more aggressive military wise than other Democratic Presidencies. I do believe Obama / Clinton would have de escalated the Ukraine / Russia crisis more. Some former Republicans would have launched a full scale invasion into Russia.

You said "got us into 2 wars", whether you contradicted yourself afterwards or not. That is clearly not what happened, your subjective belief notwithstanding.

I can't say if the current administration is correctly described as the ever so vague term aggressive or not, but it doesn't seem to me to have anything to do with either of these international conflicts continuing. The USA didn't cause either of them to occur and I don't expect the Ukrainians to ever surrender because they're fighting for their own homes. Is not helping them going to change that? I also don't expect the Palestinians do much of anything other than be hostages to Hamas and there's no stopping Israel as long as Netanyahu is in office, obviously.

What makes you think there would be a de-escalation if Obama were still in charge? He fucked up massively when he said the Crimea being annexed would be a "red line" and then doing two tenths of fuckall when that's what happened.

And is there ever good timing?

 

[deviake]

I hope you're right, I sincerely do.

Same man. I believe that's the case, especially given the momentum Bernie was able to gather and looking back to FDR. From my understanding left (some at least) policy - by US standards - such as legalizing weed and a universal, single payer healthcare system poll relatively well even with republicans. I think a lot of it depends on how it's presented, at least going off the last few years. I think the democrats walk a dangerous line trying to court moderate republicans. I get it but I do question the efficacy of that strategy vs say, presenting left policy as moderate/centrist and changing the nature of the conversation. I believe Trump's success in 2016 was in big part due to the failures and milquetoast politics of the democratic party (atop bad campaign strategy by Hillary too). Same with Bernie. I think the democrats are walking a fine line between not upsetting their large donors but also continuing to get elected. My guess is some legitimately worry about republicans outspending them if they take a more populist approach but at the same time I question viability of this sort of "game of inches" they play. From my perspective it seems both parties want to use fear to get votes vs really trying to do what's best for the country, though that's not to say that no good legislation gets passed.

We'll see though.

 

[Loiosh]

Same man. I believe that's the case, especially given the momentum Bernie was able to gather and looking back to FDR. From my understanding left (some at least) policy - by US standards - such as legalizing weed and a universal, single payer healthcare system poll relatively well even with republicans. I think a lot of it depends on how it's presented, at least going off the last few years. I think the democrats walk a dangerous line trying to court moderate republicans. I get it but I do question the efficacy of that strategy vs say, presenting left policy as moderate/centrist and changing the nature of the conversation. I believe Trump's success in 2016 was in big part due to the failures and milquetoast politics of the democratic party (atop bad campaign strategy by Hillary too). Same with Bernie. I think the democrats are walking a fine line between not upsetting their large donors but also continuing to get elected. My guess is some legitimately worry about republicans outspending them if they take a more populist approach but at the same time I question viability of this sort of "game of inches" they play. From my perspective it seems both parties want to use fear to get votes vs really trying to do what's best for the country, though that's not to say that no good legislation gets passed.

We'll see though.

To quote a popular leftist who shall not be named, "you can't outflank Republicans from the right, you end up on the right and they give you nothing."

 

[Jack V Savage]

Up to the Biden administration, Republicans were all war mongerers getting us into

I believe America has been in more wars than it should have and Republicans put us in most of these wars.

But this administration has us in two wars. Though that might be due to bad timing. We had to give money to both Israel and Ukraine. But at this point, the money given is getting excessive and there was no need to escalate things with Russia to the point they are threatening nuclear war.

Of course things could be worse. .. .

We're not in two wars. This administration got us out of the our last remaining war, which came at great political sacrifice.

 

[koquerelle]

I always feel safe. I felt safe at the Dawson shooting; if we ever meet up for a beer I'll tell you stories nobody here would believe. I felt safe when I picked a fight with a half dozen McGill Redmen and they kicked the shit out of me. I felt safe when I cut off the gorilla who kept blocking my lane change and he followed me two KM and jumped at my destination and tried to intimidate me.

I'm the wrong person to ask that question, not because I'm Superman but because I know if you're smart and keep your cool you can get out of most situations. I mentioned those three situations because I knew in the moment I was being stupid, but even at Dawson I knew I'd be OK (and would do what I did again).

Is Montreal more dangerous now? Should I feel less safe?

I still consider Montreal a safe city, but violent crimes went up more 13% last year and it's concerning. Look at the 3 young men who were stabbed to death this summer. It would have been a fistfight before.

"The most significant increase in 2023 compared to the five-year average was in the crimes against the person category, at 29.4 per cent (13.2 per cent between 2022 and 2023)."

"For crimes against the person, which include homicides, other offences resulting in death, attempted murders, assaults, sexual assaults, robberies and other offences, the most notable increases were robberies, with 3,111 in 2023 (a 26.1 per cent increase compared to 2022, 39 per cent compared to the five-year average), and assaults, with 17,934 in 2023 (a 13.4 per cent increase compared to 2022, 33.4 per cent compared to the five-year average)."

 

[Loiosh]

I still consider Montreal a safe city, but violent crimes went up more 13% last year and it's concerning. Look at the 3 young men who were stabbed to death this summer. It would have been a fistfight before.

"The most significant increase in 2023 compared to the five-year average was in the crimes against the person category, at 29.4 per cent (13.2 per cent between 2022 and 2023)."

"For crimes against the person, which include homicides, other offences resulting in death, attempted murders, assaults, sexual assaults, robberies and other offences, the most notable increases were robberies, with 3,111 in 2023 (a 26.1 per cent increase compared to 2022, 39 per cent compared to the five-year average), and assaults, with 17,934 in 2023 (a 13.4 per cent increase compared to 2022, 33.4 per cent compared to the five-year average)."

Well, that sucks.

Cops often show up in force at the building across the street from mine, so I guess I'll be careful.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Zero empathy noted.

empathy is not a reason to waste billions of tax dollars on foreign militaries and risk american lives. besides, as i already said, measures can be taken against russia that don't involve military intervention

 

[Andy Capp]

empathy is not a reason to waste billions of tax dollars on foreign militaries and risk american lives. besides, as i already said, measures can be taken against russia that don't involve military intervention

We'll have to agree to disagree on whether it's a waste, and that's kind of the point. Zero empathy confirmed.

 

[AWilder]

 

[TadDunbar]

We'll have to agree to disagree on whether it's a waste, and that's kind of the point. Zero empathy confirmed.

"Zero empathy" God, you are lame. I don't give a shit about about Ukraine, Israel, or Palestein. We should be spending money fixing our problems before theirs.

 

[AWilder]

"Zero empathy" God, you are lame. I don't give a shit about about Ukraine, Israel, or Palestein. We should be spending money fixing our problems before theirs.

and which party do you think wants to spend more money fixing our problems?

 

[fedorthegoat777]

You said "got us into 2 wars", whether you contradicted yourself afterwards or not. That is clearly not what happened, your subjective belief notwithstanding.

I can't say if the current administration is correctly described as the ever so vague term aggressive or not, but it doesn't seem to me to have anything to do with either of these international conflicts continuing. The USA didn't cause either of them to occur and I don't expect the Ukrainians to ever surrender because they're fighting for their own homes. Is not helping them going to change that? I also don't expect the Palestinians do much of anything other than be hostages to Hamas and there's no stopping Israel as long as Netanyahu is in office, obviously.

What makes you think there would be a de-escalation if Obama were still in charge? He fucked up massively when he said the Crimea being annexed would be a "red line" and then doing two tenths of fuckall when that's what happened.

And is there ever good timing?

Yeah, Obama had his mistakes and I think him giving all that money to Iran was a mistake as well. But he was a smooth talker and had an aura of peace around him. Maybe he could have got us to the negotiation table.

From a historical perspective, Republicans were always the war party and Dems the party of peace. I am not sure with Biden. Maybe he still is. Hard to say. Time will tell.

I do think the Russia conflict has escalated beyond what it should have. Also, Biden was given a hand of bad cards, but this will be part of his legacy. He is leaving office with two wars going on. Not a positive on that note.