Yes, I guess "freedom" just means different things for different people. Drag shows, transgender issues, even anything about LGBT issues etc. have no impact on my personal life. But I hate it when the government wants to tell me what to do in my personal life. So maybe it's just my personal lens.
People move to Florida because it's warm and good beaches. That's it. But the idea it's cheaper isn't really true anymore. Housing costs have skyrocketed (my home has doubled in value the last 4 years), and there are tons of little costs that add up. Many of the highways are toll roads that you really can't avoid. Local gov't hit you hard. Insurance (home and auto) isn't cheap. Unless you have a really high income, the no state tax thing won't really benefit you. And because health care isn't regulated (freedom!) you end up in situations where you'll pay $7,000 to get a MRI guided cortisone shot. Something that was $500 in NY. So yeah, lots of trades offs - devil is always in the details - but people just want to know if their kids don't have to learn about slavery in school, can force women to have babies, and freedom to bully anyone that might act queer to keep them on the straight and narrow. That's real freedom.
Yeah, Texas has a lot of natural and earned commodities that can buffer their faux-"libertarian" mistakes. My impression of Florida is that it wants to be like Texas but is economically behind Texas by a few decades without the culture and independent pride that gave Texans their spirit Tallahassee or Jacksonville...ugh.
But you seem to support a Florida governor who wants the government to intrude into people's lives.....
What is so appealing to you about DeSantis? What he is doing in Florida today isn't all that different from the actions of National Socialists in Germany in the 1930's. They attacked literature, wholesale. They attacked small minority groups powerless to defend themselves. That is exactly what DeSantis is doing in Florida, leading an attack on widely accepted literature that's producing empty bookshelves in schools, and attacking small minorities in Florida who are essentially defenseless against a complacent legislative majority willing to do whatever DeSantis asks. You don't like to hear that? Tough. Call it hysteria if you like, which I find bizarre after reading your posts down here in D&D. DeSantis will call it "freedom," it's on the cover of his self-serving book, as he attacks freedom in Florida. Go ahead and revel in what the man is doing. It's exactly what he wants. You go to California or New York and go out of your way to drum up something to attack about things as mundane as posters or billboards at an airport? Whatever makes you feel better, ATW, but I find it disturbing that people like you are getting caught up in the extremism politicians like DeSantis are pumping out in their effort to influence the "body politic." They are certainly influencing you.
I’ve just skimmed through this thread and as someone who has been to the PRC a lot none of this is surprising. As a culture where the government upholds conformity suppression of alternative lifestyles has long been going. This is also why it’s bizarre to hear those criticizing “wokeness” for promoting Socialism or even Communism when many avowed Communist countries have very harsh attitudes towards LGBT.
If they have nothing to do with your personal life then why do you spend so much time worrying about them? is the government telling you you have to attend a drag show or become transgender?
I spend zero time "worrying" about them. I sometimes engage in debate on this forum on various topics, doesn't necessarily mean it's something I think about much outside this forum.
What's bizarre is how leftists in the West scream bloody murder over some books or pronouns or whatever, and going bonkers over the conservatism of some Christian churches, while at the same time turning a blind eye to 1000x worse things done by the CCP/in the name of Islam. Same with "climate change". If people really cared about pollution and CO2 emissions, they would have to scream much more towards China. Instead, "climate change" is just another pretense to demand more socialism and authoritarianism in the Western world.
Somehow, this thread has turned into yet another DeSantis thread, which is fine, but it's interesting to see so much attention given to a politician who might not even make it out of first base given all the recent cringe-worthy moments he has had. Anyway, let me try to tie this back to the CCP. If somehow, someway, Xi Jinping became the governor of a US state and carried with him his lifelong tendencies for authoritarian rule, would you be okay with him exercising those tendencies even if the policies/end-results aligned with yours? This is the basic "does the end justify the means" question. Sometimes it does, but for a loving democracy society, if the end means a turn toward authoritarianism, absolutely not. That's where I stand with DeSantis. To be clear (like it's necessary), I dislike many of his policies, but it's not that, it's how he governs. Same with Trump.
To be fair, I posted three articles from a single news source in AU. I have zero idea how credible or accurate that source is. It sounds about right, but it could also be misleading. I haven't seen any pushback on here, and that's expected given that no one likes the CCP from America (an American bubble). But that attitude itself can lead one to consume material that might be misinformation.
It's crazy to me that people think liberals are pro-China or don't hold China in a negative light for oppression and pollution. Traditionally Dems have been much more aggressive in facing China over human rights where pro-business Republicans, including Trump, have actually done more to foster trade with China the hinder it. It's not a big surprise that China / American relations have reached their nadar under Biden, not Trump. While one may talk a bigger game, it's just rhetoric. Not to mention we don't live in China, we live in America...yet somehow we're supposed to be MORE concerned about what happens in China than what happens here? If we can't get our own country in order, how the F can we influence any other country?
When it comes to "climate change", there is no point to reducing emissions in your own country when another country increases theirs 10x at the same time.
So “leftists” (whatever they are) “scream bloody murder” “going bonkers” about your hero, Mr. DeSantis (which is what this is about - criticizing DeSantis, who you adore) while, according to you, “turning a blind eye to the 1000x worse things done by the CCP.” That is a dishonest statement. Do you enjoy being dishonest, ATW? You certainly are indulging in dishonesty here. Those “leftists” you keep bringing up (whatever a “leftist” is), assuming you are describing those in this forum who abhor DeSantis, are somewhere in the neighborhood, and very likely higher, of 98% anti-CCP. If you made any effort at all to dig up some facts (do you find facts abhorrent?), you would discover that those who dislike DeSantis, dislike the CCP even more than the bizarre governor of Florida. Go ahead and dig up some facts. I won’t do it for you. So what is your opinion of your hero, Mr. DeSantis, describing Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute?” That “defending Ukraine against Russia’s invasion was not a vital interest for the United States.” My impression is that you support our effort, and that of our allies, to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s brutal invasion. Yet DeSantis clearly does not. In an effort to suck up to trump’s “base,” DeSantis has taken the same stand with regard to Ukraine as Mr. Putin’s best friend in the West, trump. Bit of a quandary for you, ATW, isn’t it?
I already stated that I strongly dosagree with DeSantis on Ukraine and on gun control. Probably also on abortion. Also, I certainly don't "adore" any politician lol.
You're almost singlehandedly bumping the DeSantis thread on a regular basis, to say you adore him would be an understatement...
There's a lot going on with that statement you're making there. I was referring more to human rights firstly, but to address climate change, China has a mixed record. They are taking actions but the question is will it be fast enough. Certainly they aren't increasing at 10x. Will they be carbon neutral by 2060 and be fossil fuel free by 2050 like they claim? I don't know. What I do know is that is this country, people are fighting tooth and nail to deny there is even a problem. Before we can do anything to address climate change and the responsibility of the US or any other country, we have to battle the misinformation around the science. We aren't even debating policy, we're debating science which to me is crazy when it the evidence points to it being settled science with 5 sigma confidence.
