The Otherworldly Circus - The America Thread

[Freshwater]

Even in the microcosm of this debate here I can see why we have had the rise of the hard right MAGA Trump Republicans, not excuseing it just observing. Since Independence Day I’ve posted things that the MAGA’s would hate, but also the lefties who used to love these ideas now hate too. Old fashioned but never ‘out of date’ truisms that America was founded on, (someone on here even said the Declaration of Independence was out of date)equality before the law, small low regulation government, especially the federal, states rights local people to make decisions for themselves, judge someone by their character and deeds not by their skin colour, gender or even political party, facts ahead of feelings etc. I reckon there is a number on here who don’t even believe in that America, the default America that both the left and right used to both believe in, that always needed improving but always within the bounds of their enlightenment level constitution not outside it.
One party goes outside it, the other does it too, and after a few decades they are miles off their original values. They can’t just say we don’t believe in them anymore and be an authoritarian state made in the image of fundamentalist Christianity or European socialism. Obviously the education has not taught their basic history or warped it to only teach the dreadful things and not the highest ideas.

 

[BEaston]

Career before family.

I wish my ex-wife had got into the parent circles that you are in, rather than the career and misandry crowd she is in.

Was it your expectation she should do otherwise? I think there's nothing wrong with a mother wanting to keep working rather than becoming stay at home mum or whatever, if that's what they want to do. It's certainly what most men have pretty much always done. There's potential good to come of this too, one of which may be that the father gets an opportunity to do more on the family side. Obviously how this is all configured is going to be dependent on each family, as everyone's circumstances are different. And sometimes things can be incompatible which can cause issues.

Personally, I still see most mums putting themselves last, which in itself can cause issues as well. Having a family is hard, it puts a lot more pressure on relationships, so I'm sorry things didn't work out for you.
However I think as a society we need to be pushing against gender norms though and a lot of that is driven by the workforce - as the more we have defined roles, the less freedom there is for everyone.

 

[wayniac]

Was it your expectation she should do otherwise? I think there's nothing wrong with a mother wanting to keep working rather than becoming stay at home mum or whatever, if that's what they want to do. It's certainly what most men have pretty much always done. There's potential good to come of this too, one of which may be that the father gets an opportunity to do more on the family side. Obviously how this is all configured is going to be dependent on each family, as everyone's circumstances are different. And sometimes things can be incompatible which can cause issues.

Personally, I still see most mums putting themselves last, which in itself can cause issues as well. Having a family is hard, it puts a lot more pressure on relationships, so I'm sorry things didn't work out for you.
However I think as a society we need to be pushing against gender norms though and a lot of that is driven by the workforce - as the more we have defined roles, the less freedom there is for everyone.

It's a short window for couples to bring up kids. We started our family when we were late 20's and my wife stayed home to bring them up. She wouldn't have it any other way, she provided a loving environment that outsourcing to childcare can never do.

We did without luxuries such as overseas holidays, eating out and fancy cars and gadgets.

I worked really hard to provide for that situation, I worked away in London for six months and commuted from the North to London each week. My second born was only three months old at that time. We had a favourite auntie who would help out. She never had kids so it was like having her own grandkids.

Family was key to this being a success, my Mum would babysit if we had other social events such as weddings etc. to attend.

You can't have it all when you want it, despite what is fed to people. Delay the gratification.

My wife went back to college when the kids were older and studied childcare. She aced the course and eventually became a manger of a childcare centre. Her experience running a centre revealed how bad some parents are. Turn up late at pickup time etc.

After she retired my wife volunteered at a local meals charity and she also does a volunteer session at Vinnies.

We've been married 50 years and counting. So many couples nowadays have no clue. Role models needed.

 

[BEaston]

It's a short window for couples to bring up kids. We started our family when we were late 20's and my wife stayed home to bring them up. She wouldn't have it any other way, she provided a loving environment that outsourcing to childcare can never do.

We did without luxuries such as overseas holidays, eating out and fancy cars and gadgets.

I worked really hard to provide for that situation, I worked away in London for six months and commuted from the North to London each week. My second born was only three months old at that time. We had a favourite auntie who would help out. She never had kids so it was like having her own grandkids.

Family was key to this being a success, my Mum would babysit if we had other social events such as weddings etc. to attend.

You can't have it all when you want it, despite what is fed to people. Delay the gratification.

My wife went back to college when the kids were older and studied childcare. She aced the course and eventually became a manger of a childcare centre. Her experience running a centre revealed how bad some parents are. Turn up late at pickup time etc.

After she retired my wife volunteered at a local meals charity and she also does a volunteer session at Vinnies.

We've been married 50 years and counting. So many couples nowadays have no clue. Role models needed.

That's great you were able to have a configuration that worked for everyone involved. As I said, every family is different with their wants and needs, capabilities and circumstances. There is no single blueprint that serves everyone.

Having support from other family members is important, but something not everyone has access to.

 

[wayniac]

That's great you were able to have a configuration that worked for everyone involved. As I said, every family is different with their wants and needs, capabilities and circumstances. There is no single blueprint that serves everyone.

Having support from other family members is important, but something not everyone has access to.

It wasn't as simple as family connections. We emigrated to Australia when the two kids were aged 4 and 5. We had no relatives in Australia. We had good neighbours and made friends who helped with getting along with the challenge of a new location. Our third child was born within a year and I had just started a new job. I took one day off for the birth. Somehow we managed, again thanks to the generosity of people.

We help our three kids as much as we can. They have great families of their own now and we enjoy the grandkids now.

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

 

[Fossie 32]

Should've gone with that fella from Europe

 

[King Harold]

I predicted gone by last weekend, then this weekend, surely doesn’t last another week ?

 

[Next Waiting]

Should've gone with that fella from Europe

Australia leads the world in avoiding these pitfalls. "Ladies and gentlemen, The President of Ukraine, Mate."

The rest of the world could learn a thing or two from us. Too late for Joe but.

 

[Fossie 32]

Have a good day dear and don't forget to do up your buttons




What was that button thing I had to do?

 

[charcoalchicken]

This bloke is cooked.. do they really not have any better candidates?

 

[Next Waiting]

It's the worst kept secret in the world. We all know who's really running things over there

 

[Dogs 13]

Vice President Trump

 

[geoffjennings79]

Just go Joe, for everyone's sake. Dreading to see the post-NATO meeting presser he's holding with domestic journos.

 

[Werewolf]

I've been wondering if Earth is a reality TV show for aliens. They're seeing how much they can take the piss out of us before we notice

 

[geoffjennings79]

Vice President Trump

Just saw that following my post. And using a teleprompter apparently, in what is supposed to be an unscripted presser. Not a disaster, but not sure he's setting people's minds at ease, given if he wins the election, in 4 years you'd expect he would be less cognitive again purely with advancing age.

 

[Mofra]

Just saw that following my post. And using a teleprompter apparently, in what is supposed to be an unscripted presser. Not a disaster, but not sure he's setting people's minds at ease, given if he wins the election, in 4 years you'd expect he would be less cognitive again purely with advancing age.

Yep. And in 4 years, Trump will be 83.
They really need to set an upper age limit there.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Yep. And in 4 years, Trump will be 83.
They really need to set an upper age limit there.

Yep. They've got 35 as a minimum in the US to become president, but NZ and Finland have shown people are capable before that age. Who knew?
Think they're limiting the wrong end of the scale!

 

[dogwatch]

Yep. And in 4 years, Trump will be 83.
They really need to set an upper age limit there.

And in the Supreme Court too.

 

[geoffjennings79]

And in the Supreme Court too.

I assume you mean limiting the SC upper age limit dw, and not that Trump will be in the SC in 4 years time?! (As a defendant )

 

[Werewolf]

This bloke is cooked.. do they really not have any better candidates?

My best friend is an American, she's a staunch democrat and voted for him. We've talked about his mental decline for years. It's absurd how CNN & friends have only just "noticed" his senior moments.

In saying that, the POTUS is just one of many people running the show over there.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Joe might be terrible and on deaths door, but until I hear his thoughts on battery powered aeroplanes flying when there’s no sun. Or the conundrum of what to do on a sinking electric boat surrounded by sharks then Joe will remain the sanest candidate in the race and will continue to have my vote.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Joe will remain the sanest candidate in the race

He's up against Trump and RFK jnr. That's a pretty low bar.

 

[grassman75]

It’s a ****ing giant pantomime and people just sit back and stare at it.

A distraction is all it is

They are all in on it, Biden, Trump….the lot of them

 

[Mofra]

It’s a ****ing giant pantomime and people just sit back and stare at it.

A distraction is all it is

They are all in on it, Biden, Trump….the lot of them

The irony is - Trump has as many gaffs, if not more. And now the cookers are completely ignoring the Epstein flight logs after banging on about pizzagate for years (simply because Trump is on the logs so many times).

Idiocracy wasn't a comedy, it was a prediction.