‘This is oligarchy’: Nearly 100 billionaires are funding Susan Collins’ reelection bid
5d 6h ago by lemmy.world/u/MicroWave in politics from www.commondreams.org
“While Susan Collins’ campaign is backed by billionaire donors, our campaign is built on a movement funded by the people, with an average donation of $26,” said Graham Platner’s campaign manager.
A new analysis of campaign finance data shows that nearly 100 billionaires and their spouses have contributed to Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ reelection bid so far, funneling nearly $10 million to the incumbent’s campaign committee and PACs supporting her effort to fend off progressive challenger Graham Platner.
The Maine Monitor on Thursday published a list of billionaires who have donated to Collins and Platner, who has called his Republican opponent a “corrupt” protector and beneficiary of an oligarchic political system.
The outlet noted that Collins’ billionaire donation total “stands in stark contrast with the fundraising of her opponent... whose campaign has mostly attracted smaller amounts of funds but from many more people.”
To them, losing the "progressives can't win purple states" narrative would be a catastrophe.
Not only can progressives win in purple states, I bet they can win in these supposedly "red" states that have been abandoned by the Dems in recent years. Progressive takeover of the Democratic Party needs to happen ASAP.
I agree. I don't think the actual silent majority thinks "that guy's too far right" or "that lady's too far left," they ask "which one's gonna help with my problems?"
Just look at all the special elections earlier in the year that flipped seats. They're definitely scared we're waking up
We need a Left version of the Tea Party
And we need it fast. No time for steeping. Call it the Espresso Party!
The tea party was an astroturfing campaign....
What's astroturfing?
It's when big money funds a "grass roots" campaign. In the case of the tea party the Koch brothers bankrolled that project.
Thank
People in those red states will never vote for anyone with a 'D' next to their name, no matter how much they agree with them.
I think it's already happening. People are tired of the current leadership who have proven themselves deaf to the needs of the working class. They've just been stringing people along with performativism and virtue signaling, but people have definitely woken up to that in recent years.
Also, establishment Dems' catastrophic failures in last election followed by a series of progressive wins is a good signal. Progressives are demonstrating their electability, and that momentum will only build from here on. It will become increasingly harder for Democratic Party leadership to stifle the progressive caucus.
Also, the new DNC chairman is at least nominally progressive. We'll see how he does in two years. Till then all we can do is hope and wait and vote.
Asking honestly... how do we do this?
I'm no strategist but: Primaries, local organizing with progressive supporters, and refusing to play the "civility politics" game that so many conservatives and neoliberals love to play. Be progressive and don't apologize for it.
Do they ever apologize? No, they don't. We don't either.
Vote in every dem primary for the progressive candidate, campaign for the progressive candidate, run as the progressive candidate. Vote in every primary and every general.
In 1936, Roosevelt was elected despite millionaires pouring money into Hoover's campaign.
Voting is important.
If it wasn't, they wouldn't make it so hard to vote or try to stop you. It unfortunately isn't very effective when people are complacent. But when people are pissed, even stacked decks and rigging won't hold ultimately.
That's why perpetual whiplash is baked into the system. People get complacent when things are going good, which is when the opposition's momentum is at its strongest.
4-8 years later the other side is the one that gets complacent as their opposition gets fired up.
Rinse and repeat.
The algorithm is simple. Watch who the billionaires back, then vote for the other option.
Doesn't always work, Kamala had more billionaires backing her than trump .
Unless you want to advocate voting for Stein, which is fine, you'll just have to deal with a large chunk of people here caling you a Russian bot.
A better rule of thumb is "who are the Zionist and Billionaires funding". Personally, I really dislike Platner. But when I see literally every Zionist group funding attack campaigns it really doesn't matter anymore. It's a single election. If I was in Maine, I'd go vote against what the Zionist clearly want.
Does the chud betray us and turn into a Fetterman? Maybe. Maybe he has a stroke too. But I want Israel to stop getting bombs. I don't have to like Platner. But I am excited that a candidate that says he wants to stop weapons shipments to Israel is actually popular in a purple state like main. That is amazing. And no amount of virtue signaling will take that away from me.
I've been fighting Zionism since I was in college in 2015. Platner winning would be good for the entire movement of the left. Even if he doesn't follow through. People don't want "it's complicated centrist". You don't have to compromise. You can win elections while being against the genocidal apartheid state. That is absolutely a win.
Yea this is the kind of thing people should be saying. Instead of attacking anyone with an opinion of a previous Nazi tattoo. I’m not in Maine, i don’t trust this guy. But Fuck Susan Collins.
Careful with that nuance. People here don't like measured criticism of Platner
Not all people here. Some of us want to get closer to the truth, no matter how pretty, or ugly, it is. Overall though, I agree.
My concerns are that he's either lying about knowing it was a totenkopf or if he isn't that he's pretty stupid because a totenkopf isn't subtle, it's like the third or fourth most recognizable nazi symbol, and any tattoo shop that'll do a totenkopf is gonna have other nazi imagery around because that's a nazi shop, so he would have had to miss that too. So yeah he was either nazi adjacent or really dumb. Neither are good, but he likely can't be worse than Collins so he gets a benefit of the doubt. But I'm sorry if you get a totenkopf tattoo without somehow recognizing a prominent and exclusively nazi symbol then you're pretty goddamn stupid. It's not an obscure symbol, it's the goddamn death's head. You shouldn't even need history class, popular media should be enough.
than Collins so he gets a benefit of the doubt. But I'm sorry if you get a totenkopf tattoo without somehow recognizing a prominent and exclusively nazi symbol then you're pretty goddamn stupid. It's not an obscure symbol, it's the goddamn death's head.
Exactly. And the people here that are willing to say whatever they need to in order to deflect any criticism, regardless of how valid...
Stop trying to fucking gaslight people into thinking this isn't a blatant Nazi symbol.
I was literally told on here that I'm lying about knowing the symbol prior to the controversy. In their mind it's simply not possible for someone to be aware of the totenkopf. Unreal.
this is good to know. billionaires can play both sides and all candidates are susceptible to being a turncoat. ultimately it's maine choice and he has more to bring to the table.
Sort of..
Has More Billionaires Prominently Backing Her
There are many unaccounted for, could just be those who are backing dems are OK with that being public vs through a PAC.
It's definitely not fine to vote for an Ableist like Stein who thinks you can cure autism with crystals
Edit: apparently I have her mixed up with someone else
Source?
She graduated from harvard medical school and practiced medicine for 25 years before she entered politics, I sincerely doubt she believes either autism is a disease that can be cured or that crystals have anything to do with it.
Meanwhile her platform on disability rights is leagues ahead of Kamala and the Dems
You can hate Stein for being a spoiler, but there's no need to spread lies about her.
I can't find anything. I might be mixing her up with another green party candidate. Mb.
At most I can find that she used to be anti-vax but has changed her position on that.
As long as the electoral college exists Jill Stein can be a literal angel, Halo and wing span.. and it won't matter.
Anyone who thinks voting third party will do anything is either a secret Republican or is hopelessly naive.
I hate her for working for Putin.
Maybe Maryanne what's her face?
Stein literally ran at the behest of Russia as a Dem spoiler. This was pretty out in the open. Do not vote for Russian assets/agents.
No, West.
Unless you want to advocate voting for Stein
-
Trump, an actual Russian asset and known pedophile with deep ties to a fascist tech oligarchs
-
Harris, an empty suit who took the nomination sans primary and immediately handed her campaign to the Cheney family
-
Jill Stein, a perennial fail candidate with no meaningful ties to anyone who mostly just campaigns on climate change and anti-war issues
I mean, if you want the Harm Reduction Candidate, it's obviously Stein.
But if you're heavily invested in partisan politics, you just vote straight ticket
Jill Stein has run multiple Presidential campaigns, each one funded by the fucking Russians.
IDK what the hell you're going on about, but you've completely missed the plot with that traitorous bitch.
she was investigated by the senate, and they found that she wasn't taking funding from russians. this is misinformation
- No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to “Mom! He’s bugging me!” and “I’m not touching you!” Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
Bullshit. They proved she was a Russian asset.
Here's a story of her campaigning in 2024 with Russian assets.
https://democrats.org/news/icymi-jill-stein-to-campaign-today-with-alleged-russian-assets/
Here's one from 2018 showing the Russians running a social media blitz on behalf of Jill Stein for President.
SORRY BUT YOU'RE JUST WRONG, DUDE. SHE'S A FUCKING RUSSIAN PLANT AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
this is all insinuation and innuendo. what I said is the truth.
this isn't proof she takes money or orders from russia
You don't sit at a dinner table with the Russian power structure for no reason. See Mike Flynn on the other side of it.
https://abcnews.com/Politics/timeline-michael-flynns-interactions-russia-cost-job/story?id=45456031
she went there to celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the few media outlets that didn't try to freeze her out.
And why would Russian media give an American a platform, hm? 😉
more insinuation
Because she was actively working with Putin and the Russians. You don't get a seat at that table otherwise.
this is jumping to conclusions, not based in fact.
Replace Putin with Trump. Everyone around a Trump dinner table would be a Trump bootlicker.
Same deal with Stein and Putin.
she speaks out against Russias war. she's no bootlicker
Now you're just demonstrably lying:
https://ballotpedia.org/Jill_Stein_presidential_campaign,_2016/Russia
Jill Stein (G) said that she viewed Russians "not as enemies to conquer or resources to exploit, but as members of the global community whom we must deal with." She recommended that the U.S. "encourage Ukraine to be neutral" so that Russia would not "feel under attack."
https://www.thirdway.org/memo/jill-stein-a-russian-asset-and-a-hypocrite
"In 2015, Stein “recorded a video from Moscow’s famous Red Square, in which she talked about ‘the need to rein in American exceptionalism’ and replace ‘a U.S. policy based on domination’—words that sounded like they were ripped from Putin’s talking points.” – POLITICO (June 20, 2017). During the campaign of 2016, Stein “parroted the Russian position on Ukraine and criticized the U.S. for installing a government in Kiev ‘hostile to Russia.’” – NBC News (Dec. 22, 2018)
She still sounds like a Russian propagandist: “Russia’s invasion was a provoked response to the bigger, more murderous and illegal game plan of US empire… In 2014 the US backed a coup in Ukraine led by far-right insurrectionists. The installation of the new government was a giant step towards the goal of adding Ukraine to NATO - and putting hostile bases and nuclear-capable missiles right on Russia's border.” – Jill Stein (Feb. 24, 2022)"
showing quotes where she's not criticizing Russia isn't proof she doesn't criticize Russia. she called the invasion illegal.
And repeatedly parroted Putin calling Ukraine the aggressor. LOL.
Like if I break into your house and call you the bad guy.
if she's ever done that, you could prove this. she has never said that, though.
Literally 3 comments ago... Here, let me make it easier for you:
https://ballotpedia.org/Jill_Stein_presidential_campaign,_2016/Russia
She recommended that the U.S. "encourage Ukraine to be neutral" so that Russia would not "feel under attack."
Putin talking point.
https://www.thirdway.org/memo/jill-stein-a-russian-asset-and-a-hypocrite
she talked about ‘the need to rein in American exceptionalism’ and replace ‘a U.S. policy based on domination’
Putin talking point.
parroted the Russian position on Ukraine and criticized the U.S. for installing a government in Kiev ‘hostile to Russia.
Putin talking point.
“Russia’s invasion was a provoked response to the bigger, more murderous and illegal game plan of US empire… In 2014 the US backed a coup in Ukraine led by far-right insurrectionists. The installation of the new government was a giant step towards the goal of adding Ukraine to NATO - and putting hostile bases and nuclear-capable missiles right on Russia's border.”
Putin talking point.
she never called Ukraine the aggressor, no matter how big you make your text
Because non-aggressors are well known for wanting to attack. 🤣
You're twisting yourself in a pretzel trying to avoid the obvious.
Over and over Stein parroted Putin talking points, which is why the Russians helped her and why she was at dinner with Putin.
she never said Ukraine wanted to attack, either. you're the one doing the twisting.
Who ELSE has Russia invaded because they stated the victim was being the aggressor?
Look, I know your name is "Commie" but you have a serious blind spot here.
So when Stein said:
“We should encourage Ukraine to be neutral; we helped foment a coup against a democratically-elected government, [resulting in a government] where ultra-nationalists and ex-Nazis came to power.”
“So let's not be single-issue--instead of fomenting a hostile Ukraine we should be leading the way in establishing a neutral Ukraine that would allow Russia to not feel under attack,” Stein added.
That isn't JUST Russian propoganda, those are direct talking points from Putin.
But at this point you personally are a lost cause, it's been proved over and over again in this thread. This is purely a reply for posterity so anyone searching your history can bear witness to how thoroughly owned you are on this topic.
russia may say Ukraine is the aggressor, but Stein never has
Quotes above. You're dissembling now. Congrats! Logged for posterity!
she didn't call ukraine an aggressor. dissembling is a great word for what's happening here.
What you said is technically treason. She's a traitor and by extension, so are her supporters.
if this were true she would have been hanged under the Democrats or Republicans who took office when she didn't beat them.
She's a useful idiot to the right-wing coup. She's the gift that keeps helping the fascists win. She helped Bush steal 2000 from Gore. She helped Trump steal 2016 and 2024 from the American people.
Why would the rich get rid of her when she's 3 for 3 in helping you and them overthrow the Republic on behalf of billionaires?
Stein wasn't on the ballot in 2000, the Green candidate was Ralph Nader. Stein first appeared on the Presidential ballot in 2012.
In the end, the Florida butterfly ballot had a bigger impact than Nader did.
That being said, Gore lost his own home state. If he had won TN, Florida would not have mattered.
Gore won Florida. He literally got more votes than Bush.
But the Governor of Florida was Bush's brother Jeb, and his people on the state Supreme Court gave the election to his brother, who again, won fewer votes than Mr Gore.
Oh, absolutely agreed, as the post installment of Bush recount discovered:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jan/29/uselections2000.usa
Gore did not fight Florida hard enough, but like I say, the real problem is he failed to win his own home state. If he had won TN, Florida literally would not have mattered. He could have let Bush have Florida and would still have won.
she ran against Trump in 2016 and 2024.
No, she ran against America. She HELPED Trump win.
there's no helping someone who doesn't understand how a ballot works
It doesn't matter. They have a picture of her sitting at a dinner table that one time in 2015. So now she's basically FSB Western Hemisphere Commanding Officer for life.
Facts simply do not influence their feelings.
Why was she there? Why exactly was an unelected political candidate meeting with a hostile foreign government during an election campaign? Why could that be?
Voting for Stein was basically voting for Trump
voting for stein was voting against trump.
Lol no, not how the electoral college works
this is a nonsequitur
Is this like how voting for Gary Johnson is voting for Hilary?
Anything but voting for Hillary was voting for Trump
Yeah.....
That's all well and good but it's known that non and third party voters get republicans elected and arguing with numpties who ignore that reality isn't worth it.
non and third party voters get republicans elected
When Trump was threatened by a JRK Jr third party run, he stretched out his hand and incorporated Kennedy into his administration - instantly capturing a 10% share of indie voters.
When Hillary was threatened by an upstart primary challenger in 2008 and again in 2016, she responded by going scorched earth with smears and slanders.
It seems that Republicans know how to integrate with independent voters, while Democrats only know how to scream and cry and blame them for their defeat.
Da komrade.
It's funny, because the Russian communists did actually figure this shit out, while the Russian fascists all formed a circular firing squad.
Go back to ml.
Go back to Texas
that's just not true
I mean, if you want the Harm Reduction Candidate, it's obviously Stein.
Just a complete lack of understanding of US elections.
Edit: never mind, I just saw the user name. No benefit of the doubt here, this is misinformation. You know exactly what you're saying.
What's the end goal here? Accelerationism I guess? How's that working out for you
When that health care CEO was executed, his company, and all the other health care companies temporarily eased up on their denials, and thousands of people got treatment who were previously denied. I've read of people who were going to die, until they suddenly got approved following the murder.
Of course, they've gone back to business as usual, but that only demonstrates that we have to execute another CEO every few months. Maybe be strategic about it, and spread it around in different industries until they get their shit together.
First handle a few health care guys until they clean it up, and stay there. Then maybe oil companies CEOs are next. Maybe pharmaceutical companies.
Eventually, maybe we execute enough, that the business world decides to adopt a more moral stance towards money, one where they can still get rich, without being such shitheads that they eventually get set on fire in front of their families.
Kill the rich, save the poor. Taxation, is not enough for the current era. There must be justice for the crimes committed. Once they are dead, then we can figure out how to run the world without capitalism. Untill then, the elimination of the ultra-rich by any means should be the goal. Everything else is noise.
It would be nice to have a post-conflict plan TBH. But yeah, whatever the plan, that would be step 1
post conflict plan is socialist reconstruction & infrastructure but most liberals aren’t ready to accept that yet, they’d rather have oligarchy because it means they won’t have to give up their gentrified apartment
Honestly, I think the 2nd biggest reason for the opposition to socialism, is change. People don't like breaking habit, even if it is extremely bad for them. Better the demon you know, than a angel you don't.
No, you see, when I'm in charge, everything will be peachy! It's the other oligarchs that are the problem.
It's socialism or barbarism but they got you thinking they are the same things
They got you thinking it would be socialism.
Seems like a short sighted plan. Not much changed after what happened to the CEO of UHC insurance.
Maybe not long term, but there was a noticeable uptick in claims being approved from what I recall. Whether you think Luigi was right or wrong, it's hard to deny people are alive today because of him.
It directly resulted in thousands of claims being granted that would otherwise have been denied, literally saving thousands of lives. It got my dad's heart surgery approved.
It'll hit different when it's all of them. 1 ceo death is not enough for change. Now go take your noise somewhere else.
It's cute you think the problem can be solved by wiping them out. You're either naive or ignorant to the way things work. Either way I don't want to be a part of this conversation anymore so I'll just stop completely with my noise.
a solution without wiping them out won't solve the problem.
I call it the house cleaning fallacy. "Cleaning the house doesn't solve the problem of things getting dirty"
Exactly. I feel like a lot of the people who are not in agreement with me on this issue are being short sited and impractical.
Never said this was the solution to all the world's ills. This is justice for thier crimes. Keeping them alive is more dangerous than keeping them living. They must be stopped. ASAP The only reason they should be kept alive is to torture information out of them that will lead to the arrests and eliminatation of the others.
It is us or them. I choose us.
"But we need someone electable, someone both sides like!"
Yeah no, the "both sides" these people are referring to is the defensive and offensive wing of the same group.
You cant win elections appealing to "both sides".
You can, if you're appealing to the 1% of each side
How do we/ why would we appeal to people who are literally a combination of mind-bogglingly corrupt Traitors, Racists, and Pedophiles? What kind of a compromise do you cut with them? They are only allowed to do a little graft, treason, racism, and child raping? Just regulate it, to keep it at a reasonable level?
MAGA needs to be mercilessly crushed, and purged from our government and society. They don't get to contribute to the future of America. We allowed them to do that after the Civil War, and it led to this. We can't make that mistake again.
MAGAs rise and reign has been ugly, and we need to make their decline and demise even uglier, so future generations will learn harsh lessons from it.
Heritage foundation and Federalist fucks too
They all need treated like the traitors and seditionists they are.
Jesus Christ, Maine.
Let's interview everyone that has a grudge with Susan Collins.
No? We can only interview every ex girlfriend, guy that's willing to say something negative, and Republican friend of a friend that knows the grassroots guy. Huh, I wonder why.
They are absolutely terrified of Platner taxing them aren't they?
I think that tells us all we need to know.
I wonder if they're feeling what we felt with Trump where no matter how many truths we told about his scandals he kept going. The difference this time is that it's democrats and republicans lying and trying to manufacture scandals, but it's not slowing him down.
Hell yeah Maine, tax those terrorists!
Far less to do with that than with Republicans control of the Senate potentially hinging on her seat.
BUT these Billionaires CARE about Us! THATS why they're FORCING us to Invest ALL OUR RETIREMENT into Their Companies so they can be Trillionaires!
But you can't shop lift! Think about the employees and small business people who will suffer!
I listened to her talk. She’s geriatric AF.
Educated, united, armed populace over billionaires
Hey, now. Susan Collins is very concerned about all the billionaire money in politics. Very concerned. Almost very, very concerned. Right on the edge.
She's not happy about it, but in the end, after wrestling with her conscience, she will take their money, but she's not happy about it, and she'll do whatever they tell her to do, but she's not happy about it.
She must be a very unhappy woman.
Those pearls don't clutch themselves.
Planter was the only candidate whose website had the word "genocide" so he got my vote
She's been strongly pro-war all along and that is a huge money making venture.
Her fucking husband is a lobbyist whose job before that was as a lobbyist for weapons manufacturers.
Before all that, he was her mentor in politics, in case you wondered if every goddamn Republican was grooming someone at some point.
Yet tankies will still continue to focus their vitriol on Platner...
He's problematic, maybe? Probably? What he isn't is Susan "he's learned his lesson" Collins.
Waiting for a perfect candidate with a squeaky clean record is an exercise in futility.
The only way someone gets old enough to run for political office while having enough knowledge and experience to actually be capable of doing the job, without having ever made any mistakes that one's opponents can dig up for their mudslinging campaigns, is to take no risks, be non-controversial, a chameleon, totally performative and insincere. That's how you end up with these robotic-sounding DNC stars.
What's important is whether someone learned from their mistakes and has shown themselves capable of improving. There's this weird essentialist idea floating around in people's heads that once someone has made a mistake, that mistake is fundamentally who they are as a person and they should be judged for it for the rest of their lives. And honestly, if that mentality takes root and grows, it could lead to a very dystopian world. It's just one more part to add to the total surveillance state we're already sliding towards.
I mean the dude got a nazi tattoo. Not an ambiguous thing, an exclusively and extremely recognizable nazi tattoo. The amount of stupid required to do that without knowing it was a nazi tattoo, or anyone in your circle who's seen it over the years, is incredibly concerning. So given the choice between he knowingly got a nazi tattoo and lied or he and everyone around him is too dumb to recognize like the third or fourth most recognizable nazi symbol, well he's probably still better than Susan Collins. But nobody accidentally gets a nazi tattoo.
A nazi tattoo that hardly anyone knew was a nazi symbol until the story about him spread around? I for one didn't know what it was until I read about him.
Does that make me "too dumb to recognize like the third or fourth most recognizable nazi symbol"? I guarantee you I'm not the only one.
"extremely recognizable" is a huge stretch.
I mean if you've ever covered nazi Germany in a history class you've seen the totenkopf. If you've seen popular media featuring Nazis you've seen the totenkopf. It's distinctive from any other skull or crossbone pirate imagery which is the excuse I keep hearing. If you've played the wolfenstein remake the fucking bag guy is literally called deaths head. Yeah, if you're totally unaware that the totenkopf is well known and exclusively Nazi symbol, and you tattoo it on yourself at a tattoo parlor willing to give Nazi tattoos, and everyone in your life that sees it for the decade plus you are displaying it, then absolutely you and all those people that saw and also didn't know are stupid. You cannot get a Nazi tattoo by accident unless you're really really really fucking dumb.
I mean if you've ever covered nazi Germany in a history class you've seen the totenkop
That's a stretch. I don't recall ever seeing a totenkopf in a history textbook. Maybe if you majored in history with a focus in WWII, but that's not the majority of people.
If you've seen popular media featuring Nazis you've seen the totenkopf.
I don't think I've ever noticed one portrayed in any media depicting nazis either. Inglorious Bastards? Sound of Music? The Pianist? It's a Beautiful Life? Schindler's List? Boy in the Striped Pajamas? Show me a screenshot from any of those movies that has a totenkopf.
If you've played the wolfenstein remake [...]
How many people is that? Oh, not the majority. Great.
Yeah, if you're totally unaware that the totenkopf is well known and exclusively Nazi symbol
I wasn't aware of that until I read about it in the context of Platner.
and you tattoo it on yourself
I wouldn't have anyway because I think it looks stupid.
at a tattoo parlor willing to give Nazi tattoos
I don't think those kinds of parlors exactly advertise themselves as such.
and everyone in your life that sees it for the decade plus you are displaying it
You still haven't convinced me that the majority of people even know what it is.
then absolutely you and all those people that saw and also didn't know are stupid.
I guess I'm stupid then.
You cannot get a Nazi tattoo by accident unless you're really really really fucking dumb.
I don't have any tattoos, but I can still see how someone might have walked into a tattoo shop, picked something out of their catalog and gotten it without researching the history or symbolism behind it. It's not that crazy to believe.
I learned about the fuckin thing in grade school history in the goddamn rural Midwest. You're just saying that most people are really stupid. You've got a big fuckin blind spot for fascist imagery and it's got you doing nazi apologism. Ignorance isn't a goddamn excuse in a lot of situations and this is one of them. Nobody accidentally gets a nazi tattoo because it's not fuckin easy to find a tattoo shop that tolerates nazi imagery in the first place and the ones that do are fuckin nazi shops. Ignorance does not get to be an excuse for tattooing a goddamn death's head on you. No. If you knew anything about tattoo culture you'd know him getting in the first place very nearly guarantees he knew what it was. I'd still prefer him over Susan Collins but he's either lying or really fucking dumb and these are the only two options. Or he was forced to join a prison gang, so I guess three options but I'm pretty sure it's not the third. It is impossible to accidentally get a nazi tattoo.
Woopdie friggin doo, you learned something so that must mean everyone knows it, right? I learned lots of shit in grade school that I found out later not everyone knows. People thought I was arrogant for assuming they all know the same shit as me. That's what you're doing now.
You've got a big fuckin blind spot for fascist imagery and it's got you doing nazi apologism
Nothing I've said was nazi apologism, get the fuck outta here with that strawman. He says he didn't know what it was when he got it, and I believe that's a reasonable explanation. Maybe you don't, that's fine, whatever, but that doesn't make me a nazi apologist.
You're making excuses for an explicitly exclusively nazi tattoo. That's apologism buddy.
I'm saying he didn't know it was a nazi tattoo. That's not apologism.
And I'm saying that's bullshit because he would have to be one step above totally fucking braindead to unknowingly get a nazi tattoo at a nazi tattoo shop. So is he lying or pants-shittingly fucking dumb? Both are serious concerns that should be absolutely disqualifying under any normal circumstances but he can't be worse than Collins so here we are.
Since I went browsing around, here are some images for comparison:
._Norwegian_Armed_Forces_Museum_(Forsvarsmuseet)_Oslo,_Norway_2019-03-31_DSC01646_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
Yes, it's a specific design and you should be careful with skulls but I'm not sure we should demand that everyone recognize the difference. I wouldn't have until now if I'd seen them as line drawings. In embossed silver, sure...
I think we should. Because you don't accidentally get a nazi tattoo because any shop willing to do nazi tats very quickly and rightfully gets a reputation as a nazi shop, and if you're seeing a death's head in their flash you're seeing more nazi imagery. So he would have had to miss all of that. And everyone who ever saw it would have also had to have been unaware, and again despite your lack of awareness it's incredibly recognizable as an exclusively nazi symbol, it's up there with the iron cross right behind ss runes and the swastika. It's right there on the ss caps. The fuckin Mitchell and Webb "are we the baddies" sketch that everyone memes shows it front and center. It is not an ambiguous symbol and he's either lying about knowing what it was or really stupid. He's still better than Collins, but you don't accidentally get a nazi tattoo and I'm kinda tired of everyone minimizing this like it's no big fuckin deal. He gets the benefit of the doubt but everyone should be keeping him under a fucking microscope for any fuckery whatsoever.
Is it this iron cross that's an exclusively Nazi symbol? Right up there with this one?
And you're simply wrong that everyone knows the difference between this skull and crossbones and that one. Obviously the one on the SS cap is a bad one but no, people don't generally keep track of the design details of skull insignia. What I'll agree is that any skull tattoo should really make you wonder if perhaps we're the baddies, but whatever. I find that St Pauli logo to be weird too.
And sure. Keep an eye on this guy. No disagreement. You're just making some really strong claims about symbols and other people's awareness.
The totenkopf is an exclusively nazi symbol. Reading comprehension is important because I was referring to recognizability as nazi imagery when referring to the swastika, ss runes and the iron cross. The ss runes and Nazi swastika on the point are also pretty solely related to nazism The iron cross is probably more recognizable than the totenkopf as nazi imagery but less exclusively related to nazism, whereas the totenkopf is associated solely with nazism. We clear now? Good. Because even with all that nobody accidentally gets a Nazi tattoo because nobody accidentally goes to a Nazi tattoo shop and any shop displaying a totenkopf for patrons to pick out is also displaying other nazi imagery because they will be known in the community for doing nazi tattoos and respectable tattoo shops and artists do not fuck with fascists. It's just not something that can happen man.
I mean if you’re an ex drug addict you shouldn’t be Secretary of health. I think at some point we’ve gone too far.
I think RFK jr. shouldn't be Secretary of Health because he's anti-science, anti-vaccine, anti-handwashing, anti-public health, believes raw milk and red meat are good for you, eats roadkill, swims in raw sewage, and brags about doing coke off of public bathroom toilet seats. I'm sure I missed a few points, too.
Being a former drug addict doesn't factor into it. Some of the kindest, most caring, self-aware, and health-focused people I know are former drug addicts. People can turn their lives around, and climbing out of a mountain-deep hole is as big of an accomplishment as climbing a mountain.
The fact that you're trying to conflate RFK jr.'s being-a-drug-addict with his being-a-disgusting-unqualified-piece-of-shit is very problematic and reveals a lot about you as a person.
Everything Harris or Biden related: "genocide is genocide!" "There's no such thing as a little genocide!"
Everything Platner: "what's genocide? He has a tattoo!"
All others in Democratic party (and Bernie somehow): "controlled opposition!"
We need term limits in Congress.
No. 40 years ago we needed term limits in congress. An ounce of prevention on time is worth a shipping container of 7.68 when the problem has gotten stupid.
7.62 ?
I could swear that's what I typed. Or I've been playing a video game with different numbers? Who's to say.
theres a lot of 7mm ammo, particularly 7.62, 7.63 and 7.92. i could have swore there was a rare 7.68 ammo, but after looking for it to check, i cant find anything about it, so it either doesn't exist or is very rare
The best time to plant a tree, and all that...
You need a lot more than that, American
And probably needed more than one little law 40 years ago. I stand by my approximate ratio.
A traitor to the United States of America.
https://themainemonitor.org/billionaires-backing-collins-list/
The list it sources says 97 for her and 5 for the opponent.
Let them waste their money. And when the Dems take it all back, let's investigate and audit the fortunes of every one of those 97 Sociopathic Oligarchs, and see how many end up in prison, along with their family members.
billionaires who made their money in alternative investments, including hedge funds and private equity."
Wut. Since when are hedge funds alternative investments?
They're alternative to any investments we're allowed to make. All we can do is stick our money in the bank for .5% interest with inflation over 4%, or toss our money into the stock market whirlpool for the wealthy to swallow.
ETFs, mutual funds, forex, precious metals, cryptocurrency...
Let them waste their money. Mainers are not stupid. Can't be said for my home state of CA unfortunately...
Cash wasted on liars and traitors. Are the Maine voters dumb enough to keep her in office?
The cost of election campaigns in the US is just ridiculous. How/why does it cost millions/billions of dollars to run for public office?
The cost comes from running ad campaigns on all media types, which are unfortunately shown effective, and PAC groups can unfortunately spend unlimited money attacking the opposition.
Always has been
Does Stephen King's recommendation carry any weight? Has he made a statement regarding this? Maybe he's smart to stay out of it.
He appears to have endorsed Platner:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_Maine#Endorsements_2
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
The Epstein Island pedophile Stephen King who wrote CSEM multiple times?
Not that one. The one who is a bestselling author. That one.
Right, the one who insisted the Epstein files weren't real, and also wrote about child sex.
& none of “em wanna see her nekkid.
It must be nice to be a sock puppet for the ruling class. Gotta feel great peeling off hundreds from their trillions.
I prefer my group of billionaires over their group. The Senate is so outrageously corrupt it is hard the fathom. It was created as a wealthy check on the will of the people. Just let that sink in.
I thought she dropped out?
That was Janet Mills, the current Governor. She was also running in the race to unseat Collins' run for a seventh term as Senator.
She must be just as much of the people as pelosi, right?
/s
WTF?
Stupid people don't investigate the meaning of /s.
The election won't change anything. Republicans will remain in power, the Tr*mp family will establish a ruling dynasty, and Democrats will express moderate concern.