American Politics

[EihTooms]

That's bizarre. I hope you get it straightened out. Have you accessed the IRS site on line? I did that for the first time the other day, and they have a ton of information there about your old payment history and tax returns. It might give you a clue to what's going on.

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

Thanks. I already have an account on that site but I doubt there is anything new for me to know there.

I received an actual snail mail letter from the IRS several months ago confirming that I will in fact be getting the full amount of the refund my tax preparer and I originally submitted electronically last May after all. Which was in response to a letter I sent to them after getting a letter from them regarding their adjusting down a big chunk of it due to some unnamed "error" on my return. The letter confirmed they reviewed my claim, that I was right and that I will get what I claimed, the actual dollar amount stated in the letter.

And I have the IRS2 Go app that tells me the status of my refund. See the photo below, minus my Social Security number and other info that I edited out.

On top of the loss of staff due to Trump's Pandemic, Repubs have worked so hard to defund the IRS over the years, making it almost impossible for it to hire and replace staff that has moved on due to attrition, update their computers and the computer systems, the remaining staff is overwhelmed. They are reduced to actually doing much of this stuff by hand and backlogs are still in the millions.

Hence, Biden's 87,000 new IRS hires all armed with AR-15's ready to kick our doors down to confiscate our gas ovens, etc.

IRS backlogs causing massive delays in processing returns

https://www.wsaz.com/2022/05/13/irs-...ssing-returns/

This is a screenshot of my refund update on the IRS2 Go app today:

[GDreams]

Great points Elvis. Globalism, driven in large part by the USA and China, has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and helped most of us. And yes, it's places like China and India and Indonesia that will determine the level of carbon emissions in the future. The USA is at 15% of the worldwide total and falling. We can spend many trillions reducing carbon emissions and it's not going to do jack if the developing world doesn't follow along.

Chinas power generation additions last year: 110 GW solar, 40 GW wind, 30 GW nuclear, 30 GW coal. Indias projected additions to 2030: coal 20 GW, Nuclear 4 GW, Hydro 6 GW, Renewables 300 GW. India has not been growing coal as its local supply is constrained and imports are too expensive. They have been expanding solar manufacturing and putting in as much solar as they can because it can be installed with minimal grid upgrades and the power is cheap.

[MarquisdeSade1]

... "the average American voter agrees with the political perspective of Breitbart." If you had said that the average rightwing voter agrees with Breitbart's opinion, I'd agree with you.

The "average" American voter is relatively in the "center". In other words, they range from slightly left to slightly right. Evidently you forgot that Breitbart's former leader was Steve Bannon, one of Donnie the Dumbass' most ardent supporters and one of the idiots who urged the attack on the Capitol. https://www.npr.org/2017/03/14/52008...ng-information and https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...nstream-media/.

And, BTW, I am one of the "average American voters" of whom you speak. I am white, Christian, heterosexual and English is my first language. I am not a typical supporter of Donnie the Dumbass who are misogynistic and xenophopic and racist dummies with maybe a high-school education.

And, BTW, I am one of the "average American voters" of whom you speak. I am white, Christian, heterosexual and English is my first language. I am not a typical supporter of Donnie the Dumbass who are misogynistic and xenophopic and racist dummies with maybe a high-school education.

Are you sure? Because your posts don't reflect any of that.

Either you're clinically delusional or you're not and you are just an America hating white hating cuck for the DNC, so which is it.

Because I have never met a CIS white hetero Christian male that writes what you write and doesn't vehemently hate Christian White America.

You refer to Trump supporters as racist dummies?

The lady doth projects too much, methinks.

[Tiny 12]

The same reason I have not yet received my tax refund, the first for me in decades, for 2021 even though I filed my return for it electronically in May 2022.

That's bizarre. I hope you get it straightened out. Have you accessed the IRS site on line? I did that for the first time the other day, and they have a ton of information there about your old payment history and tax returns. It might give you a clue to what's going on.

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

[Tiny 12]

If China goes down, the US is in a depression. It is a different dynamic than traditional rivalries. Say what you want but IMO the Chinese US relationship has benefitted and made both countries richer. I do not want China to fail but the issue with Biden and China is how is he representing our interests. This whole green energy thing where we go all green where China burns as much coal is they want is an issue more with Biden than China.

Great points Elvis. Globalism, driven in large part by the USA and China, has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and helped most of us. And yes, it's places like China and India and Indonesia that will determine the level of carbon emissions in the future. The USA is at 15% of the worldwide total and falling. We can spend many trillions reducing carbon emissions and it's not going to do jack if the developing world doesn't follow along.

[EihTooms]

Imagine a leftist saying the above, when no less than "Vice President" Kamala Harris applauded the BLM / antifa rioters and looters during their rampages across America which cost billions in damages and tens of lives, telling them to keep going.

Leading leftists in politics and media actually started funds to bail their pet rioters out of jail, so they could go and attack more federal courthouses and burn more cities.

When leftist antifa rioters attacked the White House when the President was inside, the media mocked him because the Secret Service moved him to a secure bunker in the basement because of the threat.

When rightwing protesters walked through open doors into the Congress, the media had a meltdown about "insurrection", and the democrats, RINOs and deep state tried to do Soviet-style purges.

You can't have a sustainable country held together by such brazen lies and hypocrisy. The sooner we split, the better.

Former candidate arrested in drive-by shooting case that targeted Democrats' homes in New Mexico

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...s/11065793002/

A failed Republican state legislative candidate who authorities say was angry over losing the election last November and made baseless claims that the election was rigged against him was arrested Monday in connection with a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democratic lawmakers in New Mexicos largest city.

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina held a news conference Monday evening hours after SWAT officers arrested Solomon Pena at his home.

Medina described Pena as the mastermind of what appears to be a politically motivated criminal conspiracy leading to four shootings at or near the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators between early December and early January.
...
Police said Pena, an election denier, had approached county and state lawmakers after his loss claiming the contest had been rigged against him despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in New Mexico in 2020 or 2022. The shootings began shortly after those conversations.

And more...

This is beginning to become the "conservative", "rightwing" and Repub solution to every election that doesn't go their way.

No info yet on whether that particular Repub loon lied about it really being "antifa" or "BLM" committing the violence the way their most iconic Repub loon leader Trump lied about his rightwing version of a democratic handover.

[Tiny 12]

The experts BS'the everyone when they kept all the KN95's for healthcare workers and said any mask is good enough when the government should have mandated more manufacturing of the KN95's and also control the price.

I think that played a big part in Fauci's initial recommendation not to wear masks. That and the fact that for influenza the data wasn't so compelling. Again, the case is much stronger for good quality masks with coronaviruses, based on what I was reading a couple of years ago.

And I agree, we should have pumped a lot more money into KN95 and N95 masks. I was disappointed by both Trump and Biden. Trump's gotten a lot of criticism for not encouraging testing and masks. But the Biden administration was really caught unprepared when Omicron hit. Another $10 billion or whatever for good quality masks and for testing would have been a drop in the bucket compared to the $5 trillion spent on stimulus.

[ChuchoLoco]

They do have good arguments against mask mandates, especially for children. However, one of the infectious disease experts said all her colleagues wear masks to some meetings. And another said masks give people a feeling of invulnerability so that they don't get vaccinated, stay home when sick, and install better air filtration systems. She believes those steps are more effective in preventing the spread of disease than masks.

I looked at several papers back in 2020 on masks and coronaviruses. In a medical setting, the data shows they prevent their spread. As the experts rightly said in the video, the data's not conclusive as to masks preventing the spread of influenza though.

I was the only person I saw wearing a mask at two indoor venues this weekend. There were several hundred people in one and several thousand in another. It's a KN95 mask and I wear it correctly, snugly against my face. Since COVID started, I've only had one common cold, nothing else. I used to have two or three colds a year. I have however gotten flu and COVID vaccines, and three COVID boosters, so I have protection from those against influenza and the coronavirus.

Your last paragraph says it all. KN95 is the only mask to wear for real protection. Vaccine and boosters are part of the defense too and so far my only side effect is a new arm coming out of may back. I actually like being able to scratch my back easier though. Never really had a side effect but I may be done with shots and boosters for a while. Nice to see someone who does as he feels best for himself and doesn't go along with the crowd as you didn't do as others at the indoor venues. The experts BS'the everyone when they kept all the KN95's for healthcare workers and said any mask is good enough when the government should have mandated more manufacturing of the KN95's and also control the price.

[Xpartan]

My first reply has failed to post. Let's try again.

Really? And just pretend that you didn't say the dumbest thing I've seen on this forum in a long time -- that people who come from money don't care about money.

First, admit that it was dumb as fuck. Then we'll address your next "concern."

I didn't say that. Find the quote or shut up.

You didn't say that, huh?

Gaetz... doesn't need any money: he's from a super-rich family

Anything else?

[EihTooms]

Those are legitimate concerns.

The IRS has made life hell for some Americans.

Democratic politician Richard Trumka did say his agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, may ban gas stoves. A number of cities controlled by Democratic politicians have passed bans on gas hookups and / or gas appliances, particularly in new buildings and houses. They include New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington D. C. Democratic politicians have also prevented construction of natural gas pipelines. This has resulted in increased carbon emissions over what they would be otherwise, as natural gas when burned emits less carbon per BTU than coal or fuel oil. It also results in higher heating bills, especially this year when fuel oil prices are sky high.

But true, Democratic politicians will not be forcing sex change operations and new pronouns on people.

Banning the further production of gas stoves and offering big cash incentives to buy new and better alternatives is not the same as kicking down your door to confiscate your gas stove.

Poor Donald Trump has been suffering through IRS audit "hell" for at least 6-7 years, or so he says, for lack of enough staff at the IRS to do it quicker for the poor feller. The same reason I have not yet received my tax refund, the first for me in decades, for 2021 even though I filed my return for it electronically in May 2022.

Of course, that is not to mention the "hell" the IRS is putting Poor Donald Trump through by not simply allowing him to skate without question on a $100+ Million tax debt that prompted his audit.

The idea that the 87,000 much needed new IRS staff are bad news for patriotic Americans rather than good news is as loony as the idea that the refugee border crossings that began under Trump were something Joe Biden "orchestrated for the oligarchs as payback for helping him rig 2020's election. ".

[EihTooms]

They do have good arguments against mask mandates, especially for children. However, one of the infectious disease experts said all her colleagues wear masks to some meetings. And another said masks give people a feeling of invulnerability so that they don't get vaccinated, stay home when sick, and install better air filtration systems. She believes those steps are more effective in preventing the spread of disease than masks.

I looked at several papers back in 2020 on masks and coronaviruses. In a medical setting, the data shows they prevent their spread. As the experts rightly said in the video, the data's not conclusive as to masks preventing the spread of influenza though.

I was the only person I saw wearing a mask at two indoor venues this weekend. There were several hundred people in one and several thousand in another. It's a KN95 mask and I wear it correctly, snugly against my face. Since COVID started, I've only had one common cold, nothing else. I used to have two or three colds a year. I have however gotten flu and COVID vaccines, and three COVID boosters, so I have protection from those against influenza and the coronavirus.

To add to your refutation of JustTK's suggestion that the scientitsts in that link in any way supported his contention from the start that "masks don't work", they absolutely, positively did not say that wearing a quality mask, wearing it properly and consistently would "not work" to reduce the risk of acquiring or spreading coronavirus. Period.

[EihTooms]

You clearly didn't read the post. Or perhaps you read it but didn't understand it.

The Supreme Court literally dismissed your exact argument about "it's like being forced to let people into my house."

"The state had attempted to analogize the town's rights to the rights of homeowners to regulate the conduct of guests in their home. The Court rejected that contention by noting that ownership "does not always mean absolute dominion." The court pointed out that the more an owner opens his property up to the public in general, the more his rights are circumscribed by the statutory and constitutional rights of those who are invited in."

The anti-trespassing statute could not be used to prevent the exercise of First Amendment rights in the privately-owned town.

There are already laws against the direct, credible incitement to immediate violence. But that's not even what this is about. It is about political discourse; namely, denying people who oppose the leftist globohomo agenda their First Amendment rights in the public square.

Anyway, if you believe private businesses should be able to deny service to anyone who doesn't abide by their owners' arbitrary rules, why can't a private baker deny business to someone who doesn't abide by his rules of not promoting homosexual sodomy?

Of course, as we all know, it is hypocritical bullshit designed to further the leftist agenda. When it suits them to intervene against private business, IE by destroying a Christian baker, they do so gleefully; when it suits them to leave alone or indeed collude with private business, IE censorship under the previous owners of Twitter, they do so. There is no consistency other than what will best destroy America.

Then please quote the section of that ruling that states, "Oh, and at no point is the private property owner allowed to tell the guests whose behavior he disapproves of, such as passing out certain flyers, to get the fuck off his property and instead they must be welcome and allowed to stay there as long as they damn well please doing whatever the hell they want to do. ".

This ought to be good.

[Elvis 2008]

I can accept all that you wrote as your POV. But I take exception to the first comment. Why do you think this guy makes no sense whatsoever?

Because he is not looking at the Chinese-US relationship right. They produced goods at a lower cost and that is why we consumed them for example. Once China no longer does that, then it is on to the next country which Mexico already is. Then there is the notion of Europe choosing between the US and China. China produces lower end goods. The US goes to the higher end.

The battles fought over who is #1 used to be over resources, and there are some items of scarcity like lithium but most of the previous wars were fought over oil and energy, and the US has plenty of that now. That is an old way of looking at the world. Yeah, Russia going down and being dumb hurt the world economy. If China goes down, the US is in a depression. It is a different dynamic than traditional rivalries. Say what you want but IMO the Chinese US relationship has benefitted and made both countries richer. I do not want China to fail but the issue with Biden and China is how is he representing our interests. This whole green energy thing where we go all green where China burns as much coal is they want is an issue more with Biden than China.

[Tiny 12]

Finally some sense on masks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APGVQZdwBQc

I was saying right at the start that all the best evidence was that masks do not work. I got shat on every time I opened my mouth. Fiinally some legitimate support, the official consenus is shifting. Another sign that we live in an unthinking time where our lives are contolled by authoritarian lies.

Everyone needs to wake up and understand that we are being lied to, that our rulers do NOT have our best interests at heart. The evidence is there. You just need to open your eyes. Don't be scared of the truth, be scared of our leaders. Get angry!!!

They do have good arguments against mask mandates, especially for children. However, one of the infectious disease experts said all her colleagues wear masks to some meetings. And another said masks give people a feeling of invulnerability so that they don't get vaccinated, stay home when sick, and install better air filtration systems. She believes those steps are more effective in preventing the spread of disease than masks.

I looked at several papers back in 2020 on masks and coronaviruses. In a medical setting, the data shows they prevent their spread. As the experts rightly said in the video, the data's not conclusive as to masks preventing the spread of influenza though.

I was the only person I saw wearing a mask at two indoor venues this weekend. There were several hundred people in one and several thousand in another. It's a KN95 mask and I wear it correctly, snugly against my face. Since COVID started, I've only had one common cold, nothing else. I used to have two or three colds a year. I have however gotten flu and COVID vaccines, and three COVID boosters, so I have protection from those against influenza and the coronavirus.

[PVMonger]

Did you really watch the entire video to the end?

Neither of the infectious disease scientists and doctors nor the host of your video come to the conclusion about masks that you have been "saying right at the start".

Far from it.

Every time I hear about how masks are ineffective, I think of the "peeing" meme. I wasn't able to attach it but everybody with a brain can find it on the internet.