# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2089
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41765 "2019-08-08T01:15:19Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > … > 8/07/19 > John Lambert, the founder of Students For Trump, pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a $46,000 scam in which he posed as a lawyer and gave legal advice. > [Founder Of 'Students For Trump' Pleads Guilty To Fraud | Crooks and Liars](https://crooksandliars.com/2019/08/founder-students-trump-pleads-guilty-fraud) The next Supreme Court nominee, amirite? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41766 "2019-08-08T01:26:08Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Also, how in the world would every floor of every school and mall and courthouse and “pretty much anywhere the public is” be staffed with “retired police and military” during the whole time the public is there? > > If there are about [2.2 military retirees](https://www.statista.com/statistics/217354/forecast-number-of-military-retirees-in-the-us/) in the US, and let’s say 1 million police retirees (based on the stat of [three-quarters of a million](https://www.quora.com/How-many-police-officers-are-in-the-US) sworn police officers in the US), that’s under 3.5 million people. Assume that as many as 2 million of them are sufficiently physically fit, competent, and willing to spend 15 hours per week guarding public places (which is probably a significant overestimate). > > Schools and shopping malls in the US add up to about 250,000 locations. Add in about 25,000 public parks and courthouses, a few thousand Walmarts, a few dozen thousand supermarkets, some hundred thousand fast food places, about the same number of libraries, a few thousand theaters and stadiums, all the public transit stations and vehicles, about 350,000 places of worship, and we get “pretty much anywhere the public is” amounting to at least one million separate places where you need at least one public guardian. > > If you’re going to guard all those places for a very conservatively estimated average of 60 hours per week, at 15 hours per week per individual you’re going to need 4 million individuals even to assign one to each location, and never mind “every floor of every school”. The entire police and military retiree population you’re looking at doesn’t even have 4 million individuals. > > And all these folks are supposedly going to do about one-third of a full-time job, a potentially very responsible and dangerous job, just in exchange for saving a few thousand bucks in taxes? (Which in the aggregate is still several billion dollars, not an inconsiderable sum in public revenue.) And so are all the people who schedule and supervise them? > > And finally, we’ve seen in the recent events that a mass shooter can still murder multiple people even if he’s neutralized in less than a minute. This whole scheme is insultingly unworkable and irresponsible fantasy from beginning to end. The obvious solution: BLACKWATER!!! Seriously, it’s clear that Hannity’s nutty proposition is ultimately intended to make some people very rich via: one, getting the public on board with a massive “security” presence in every public place; and two, an inevitable dependence on private for-profit corporations able to supply that number of gunslingers. Because the public sector, as the figures you supplied show, cannot. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41767 "2019-08-08T01:56:37Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Can somebody explain what all of this means? Cyber security expert Chris Vickery says that an internet provider, advertising itself as subpoena-resistant email, is physically located in Russia. And that Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, Ben Carson, and other Republicans, are using their services. > [https://twitter.com/VickerySec/status/1158455886509035520](https://twitter.com/VickerySec/status/1158455886509035520) > [@steatopygia](#): > > I’m having trouble believing this. > Not that I would put it past them, just seems too obvious. > I can’t think of any way this isn’t treasonous and therefore too obvious. > [@running\_coach](#): > > Who’s going to do anything about it? IANAL(IAAPW)\*, but if a subpoena is served upon the holder of an email account, can he be compelled to provide access to the emails encompassed within a specific date range? If so, it probably wouldn’t be an onerous task to “deputize”, say Elizabeth Warren, with process-serving authority… \*(I Am A Postal Worker) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41768 "2019-08-08T04:04:46Z")
[Fucker Carlson says white supremacy is a hoax](https://apnews.com/e0f9f2ea88dc435db914c8e53dcaf59e): > [@](#): > > Adopting a low, mocking voice, he said, ”‘White supremacy, that’s the problem.’ This is a hoax, just like the Russia hoax. It’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power. That’s exactly what’s going on.” > [@](#): > > He said he’d “never met anybody who ascribes to white supremacy. I don’t know a single person who thinks this is a good idea. They’re making this up. It’s a talking point that they can use in this election cycle.” And my favorite: > [@](#): > > “The combined membership of every white supremacist organization — would they be able to fit into a college football stadium?” Carlson said. “I mean, seriously. This is a country where the average person is getting poorer, where the suicide rate is spiking.” I wonder how many members ANTIFA has? I mean, he goes on and on about them, right? But they have fewer members than almost any other organization, since they aren’t an organization at all. What fucking dumbass. Oh, and by the way, see how he admitted that there is great wealth & income inequality in the US? I wonder if he noticed it as he was saying it or if he had to have it pointed out to him later. The Anti-Defamation League had a couple of comments in the linked article, including this great take-down: > [@](#): > > The ADL’s Greenblatt said that it was “incredibly irresponsible to even make such a statement while we are still burying people who were gunned down by a white supremacist.” Right on, brother. Right on. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41769 "2019-08-08T09:09:22Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Nebraska ?! That’s not even vaguely Southern, is it ? > [@foolsguinea](#): > > Nope. Full of German-Americans, for what it’s worth. [Also the home of this guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Lauck), a major producer of neo-Nazi material. Got himself hilariously arrested in Denmark and deported to Germany for trial in 1995 for distributing neo-Nazi pamphlets, then deported back to the US after four years in jail. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41770 "2019-08-08T19:49:14Z")
08.08.19 The lawyer for the guy who body slammed the 13-year-old boy for not taking off his hat during the National Anthem is saying that his client did it because he believed he was following Individual 1’s orders. > **[Man Who Attacked Boy for Wearing Hat During National Anthem Thought He Was...](https://www.thedailybeast.com/man-who-attacked-boy-for-wearing-hat-during-national-anthem-thought-he-was-acting-on-trumps-orders-attorney)** > > The Army veteran choke-slammed a 13-year-old, fracturing his skull, last week at a fairground because the child wouldn’t remove hat during national anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41771 "2019-08-08T19:52:52Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > 08.08.19 > The lawyer for the guy who body slammed the 13-year-old boy for not taking off his hat during the National Anthem is saying that his client did it because he believed he was following Individual 1’s orders. > [Man Who Attacked Boy for Wearing Hat During National Anthem Thought He Was Acting on Trump’s Orders: Attorney](https://www.thedailybeast.com/man-who-attacked-boy-for-wearing-hat-during-national-anthem-thought-he-was-acting-on-trumps-orders-attorney) To be fair, I think his point is that a past brain injury has made his client delusional. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41772 "2019-08-09T00:00:58Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > 08.08.19 > The lawyer for the guy who body slammed the 13-year-old boy for not taking off his hat during the National Anthem is saying that his client did it because he believed he was following Individual 1’s orders. > [Man Who Attacked Boy for Wearing Hat During National Anthem Thought He Was Acting on Trump’s Orders: Attorney](https://www.thedailybeast.com/man-who-attacked-boy-for-wearing-hat-during-national-anthem-thought-he-was-acting-on-trumps-orders-attorney) Reading that pisses me off more than the original article I read. For the child to have gotten a skull fractured to the extent he did, the predicate felon in question would have had to, I believe, use a “pile driver” move. That’s not delusional, it’s murderous. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41773 "2019-08-09T00:21:23Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > To be fair, I think his point is that a past brain injury has made his client delusional. The Nuremberg Insanity plea ? That’s a new one, you have to admit. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41774 "2019-08-09T02:15:32Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Reading that pisses me off more than the original article I read. For the child to have gotten a skull fractured to the extent he did, the predicate felon in question would have had to, I believe, use a “pile driver” move. That’s not delusional, it’s murderous. Double-spoilered because of the photos in the link. [Here](https://www.gofundme.com/f/JusticeandSupportforWally) is the GoFundMe page for the victim. There are pictures of his injuries. Oh, and fun fact: the felon concerned got probation in the prior case because he was on active duty when he got a brain injury. Was the injury because of his military service? Nope, friends; 'twas from an accident. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41775 "2019-08-09T03:33:35Z")
Brockway (the skull fracturing, child beating, Trump supporting, Felon) sounds like a perfect candidate for one of those nice presidential pardons. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41776 "2019-08-09T03:54:15Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > 08.08.19 > The lawyer for the guy who body slammed the 13-year-old boy for not taking off his hat during the National Anthem is saying that his client did it because he believed he was following Individual 1’s orders. > [Man Who Attacked Boy for Wearing Hat During National Anthem Thought He Was Acting on Trump’s Orders: Attorney](https://www.thedailybeast.com/man-who-attacked-boy-for-wearing-hat-during-national-anthem-thought-he-was-acting-on-trumps-orders-attorney) > [@Daily Beast](#): > > Curt Brockway, who was charged this week with felony assault on the 13-year-old boy, suffered a traumatic brain injury and **was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army** over his disability, which his lawyer Lance Jasper said contributed to his actions. “His commander in chief is telling people that if they kneel, they should be fired, or if they burn a flag, they should be punished,” Jasper said. I would remind the counselor with all _due_\* respect, that personnel who have been discharged from military service **DO NOT HAVE A COMMANDER IN CHIEF**. _approximately .001 milliMLKs_\* is the amount of respect which is due him \*\* 1MLK = entitlement to a tip of the hat upon mention of his name/accomplishments ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41777 "2019-08-09T04:16:31Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Brockway (the skull fracturing, child beating, Trump supporting, Felon) sounds like a perfect candidate for one of those nice presidential pardons. When will he be joining the Presidential Cabinet? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41778 "2019-08-09T08:52:19Z")
I heard somewhere that head injuries can be contagious. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41779 "2019-08-09T13:59:39Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I heard somewhere that head injuries can be contagious. I read that on a low hanging pipe in a plant I visited once. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41780 "2019-08-09T16:54:03Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Reading that pisses me off more than the original article I read. For the child to have gotten a skull fractured to the extent he did, the predicate felon in question would have had to, I believe, use a “pile driver” move. That’s not delusional, it’s murderous. Why not delusional? Head injuries have been known to cause severe problems down the road, including [behavioral problems.](https://www.brainline.org/article/behavioral-and-emotional-effects-after-tbi) > [@](#): > > Changes in behavior may include: > > **frustration, increased anger/aggressiveness** > **impulsivity or difficulties in self-control** > **faulty or poor judgment** > decreased ability to initiate conversation or activity > repetitive behaviors (perseveration) > less effective social skills > changes in sexual behaviors > **impaired self awareness about how TBI impacts him/herself and others.** > Emotional effects may include: > > depression > increased anxiety > mood swings (emotional lability) > changes in self-esteem. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41781 "2019-08-09T16:57:55Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I would remind the counselor with all _due_\* respect, that personnel who have been discharged from military service **DO NOT HAVE A COMMANDER IN CHIEF**. Also, he has not been in military service for _longer than the child he assaulted has been alive._ I might, might, might be able to wrap my head somewhere near that excuse if he’d gotten out of the army the day before and was still adjusting to civilian life. (It would still be a crappy defense and it wouldn’t be anywhere near a justification, but I could at least sort of see that point of view.) But “I thought I was given an order 20 years after people stopped giving me orders”? Come on. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41782 "2019-08-09T17:50:58Z")
Walmart is taking down its violent video game displays, but has no plans to take down its gun displays. [https://www.thedailybeast.com/walmart-removes-violent-video-game-displays-keeps-selling-guns](https://www.thedailybeast.com/walmart-removes-violent-video-game-displays-keeps-selling-guns)? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41783 "2019-08-09T18:01:04Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Walmart is taking down its violent video game displays, Hold on, is this the 90s ? I think I should have taken a left at Albuquerque… ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/41784 "2019-08-09T18:39:33Z")
Nope, Republicans using video games as a scapegoat has made a big comeback here in the States. ( I think they’re pointing fingers particularly at the Fallout 2mm ec weapons.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2088) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2090)