"Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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At our most polarized time in living memory, the two parties have never been more unified on ideas. Vice President Harris and former President Trump have vastly different worldviews — but actually disagree a helluva lot more about style than substance if you take them at their word. A combination of shifting demographics and political coalitions has formed a loose American consensus on many major policy topics. For the candidates, general election season often means sprinting to the center — both Trump and Harris have abandoned past positions and moderated on some of the campaign's biggest issues. Harris and Trump have massive disagreements on the power of the executive, use of the Justice Department, abortion access, environmental regulations, taxes — plus America's place in the world, including support for Ukraine.

But they basically agree on: Stronger borders and tougher immigration laws: Harris and the Biden administration have embraced restrictions on asylum that resemble Trump policies they once opposed. A tougher stance against China: The House Select Committee on China is the most bipartisan body on Capitol Hill. Both Trump and Biden policies treat Beijing as the greatest national security threat of the 21st century — even as wars in the Middle East and Ukraine dominate the news. Increasing domestic energy production, including fracking: Trump constantly talks about wanting to "drill, baby, drill" on Day One of his presidency. But as Harris pointed out in their debate, U.S. oil and gas production has actually hit record highs under President Biden.

Not over-regulating AI. Providing incentives for U.S. manufacturing: The free-trade consensus of the 1990s has collapsed, fueled by the hollowing out of America's industrial base. Trump wants to deploy massive tariffs to compel companies to manufacture in the U.S., while Harris favors tax credits like the ones in the CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act. Supporting Israel and its wars: The rhetoric on Gaza is different. But the policies are largely the same: Both parties support continuing military aid to Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prosecutes a regional war against Iran and its proxies. Providing more child-care assistance to parents: Harris has proposed expanding the child tax credit to $6,000 for new parents. Sen. JD Vance has floated a $5,000 child tax credit and embraced consensus on the child-care crisis in last week's VP debate.

Protecting IVF treatment: Trump scrambled to portray himself as a champion of fertility treatments after backlash to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. He's even proposed making IVF free for all women who need it — raising eyebrows from his own party. Opposing a national abortion ban: Trump recently said he would veto a federal abortion ban if it ever passed Congress, trying to neutralize one of his biggest vulnerabilities after appointing the Supreme Court justices who helped end Roe v. Wade. Ignoring the deficit: Both candidates' platforms would add trillions to already-enormous U.S. fiscal deficits over the next decade, although Trump's plans are more expensive. Protecting Social Security and Medicare: Trump has pledged not to touch the third rail of politics, even floating a plan to cut Social Security taxes for seniors. No tax on tips.

Trump's base is now the working class, and he's making inroads with union members and non-white voters. He's more open than ever to spending lots of government money on big government programs. Harris' base includes more rich white people than ever, and she's making a concerted play for Never-Trump Republicans to win key swing states. So she's moderated her most liberal positions. Hence, the surprising agreement.
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/09/issues ... cans-agree

So all they have left is name-calling and stoking fear of the other candidate.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: "Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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The ideas and diversity of the two main parties remains the same as it has been since the Spanish American war: one party exclusively favors the rich while the other one does it slightly less so.

For those of us who use boiled linseed oil and pine tar on gunstocks in the old school way--once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, then once a year--now is a great time to haul out one of the stocks that needs treatment and treat it. Nothing takes the stench of politics away like a nice dose of oily pine tar. Just sayin'.

CDF
If I had a dollar for every Ace I've drawn
I could buy a town the size of Abilene.

Re: "Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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Politicians lie, it's a fact of life in country after country around the world. To their opponents they tell lies, to their supporters they tell the truth. It's not new that candidates claw their way to the political center at election time to appeal to more voters, but then they move left or right towards their base after the election.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: "Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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Bisbee wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2024 11:45 am One big difference: TOS lies about everything. So really, the difference is still night and day regardless of what he says he will do.
Sorry, Bisbee, Kameleon has been lying for her entire career. Biden's a liar, too. That has been discussed with plenty of documented examples on plenty of other threads here, by plenty of people, here on the LGC forums.

And while linseed oil and pine tar have worked for a very long time...I personally prefer polyurethane. :-)
"SF Liberal With A Gun + Free Software Advocate"
http://www.sanfranciscoliberalwithagun.com/
http://www.liberalsguncorner.com/
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Re: "Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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highdesert wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:07 pm Politicians lie, it's a fact of life in country after country around the world. To their opponents they tell lies, to their supporters they tell the truth. It's not new that candidates claw their way to the political center at election time to appeal to more voters, but then they move left or right towards their base after the election.
Unfortunate reality.
CowboyT wrote:
Sorry, Bisbee, Kameleon has been lying for her entire career. Biden's a liar, too. That has been discussed with plenty of documented examples on plenty of other threads here, by plenty of people, here on the LGC forums.

And while linseed oil and pine tar have worked for a very long time...I personally prefer polyurethane. :-)
Agree with your comment on the lying. I understand polyurethane on modern wood stocks on new rifles , it’s your choice. I would never use it on a classic old rifle and frankly I prefer the feel over the polyurethane. Even in residential wood floor options I’ll look at other finishing solutions, depending on use of course.
https://thisplaceibelong.com/2018/04/08 ... e-instead/
My outlook is the same for my gun stocks.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: "Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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sikacz wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2024 11:10 pm
highdesert wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:07 pm Politicians lie, it's a fact of life in country after country around the world. To their opponents they tell lies, to their supporters they tell the truth. It's not new that candidates claw their way to the political center at election time to appeal to more voters, but then they move left or right towards their base after the election.
Unfortunate reality.
CowboyT wrote:
Sorry, Bisbee, Kameleon has been lying for her entire career. Biden's a liar, too. That has been discussed with plenty of documented examples on plenty of other threads here, by plenty of people, here on the LGC forums.

And while linseed oil and pine tar have worked for a very long time...I personally prefer polyurethane. :-)
Agree with your comment on the lying. I understand polyurethane on modern wood stocks on new rifles , it’s your choice. I would never use it on a classic old rifle and frankly I prefer the feel over the polyurethane. Even in residential wood floor options I’ll look at other finishing solutions, depending on use of course.
https://thisplaceibelong.com/2018/04/08 ... e-instead/
My outlook is the same for my gun stocks.
Vinyl. You can dance to it, dance on it.

https://www.dancingvinyl.com/

https://stagestep.com/dance-floors/

Just remove your shoes, don't want to scratch that vintage vinyl.

https://youtu.be/Ygnj7v85nXU

Re: "Behind the Curtain: America's shocking agreement"

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Polyurethane?! Blasphemy!

There is a false equivalency between linseed oil (BLO)/Pine tar (PT) and polyurethane as finishes. Like when comparing the lies of various politicians, we have to understand about a ladder of unacceptability. Polyurethane is really a tomb for a gun stock. This is because wood moves with weather and poly does not.

Polyurethane entombs the wood. When temperature decreases, the wood contracts, but not the poly--eventually we will find areas of separation between the poly and the wood. Wood and finish must move as one, or we have problems. These separations will be quite visible beneath the poly. Ugh. This behavior may also cause a gun stock to warp, if it experiences rapid and frequent temperature extremes, such as hunting in mountains or picking off Rooskies from 300 meters. We know this will influence accuracy. BLO/PT allows the wood properly to engage with the environment. We have to note that BLO/PT was used by the Finnish fighters during the harsh winters of WWII. They made gun stocks out of Arctic birch and finished them with that mix. They completely shot the Russians to pieces with these rifles. (I have some of these rifles, and it's true about accuracy). Thus, polyurethane must be considered to fall nearer the top of the ladder of unacceptability of finishes, where BLO/PT has a proven record.

Depending on the purpose, some gun stock finishes should be unacceptable, just like the lies of some politicians. When we consider the ladder of unacceptability, we easily can match our purpose with the appropriate tool.

CDF
If I had a dollar for every Ace I've drawn
I could buy a town the size of Abilene.

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