Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Steil's First Year
Since we are wrapping up Bryan Steil’s first year in the House, it seems like a good time for a review. So here are the top votes for each month, to give you a feel for Steil’s record.
John HeckenlivelyPublished 4 years ago in The SwampBryan Watch: Xmas Edition
Let’s start with the obvious news of the week: At 8:32 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 18, Donald Trump became the third US President to be impeached by the House of Representatives. The first article, regarding Trump’s quid pro quo deal with the Ukranians, passed 230 to 197, with only two Democrats (Collin Peterson and Jeff Van Drew) voting no. Every single Republican sided with Donald Trump. The second article, regarding obstruction of Congress, passed 229 to 198, with Peterson, Van Drew and Jared Golden of Maine against. Every single Republican voted in favor of allowing the President to hinder a congressional investigation.
John HeckenlivelyPublished 4 years ago in The SwampPresident Trump Put In Your Hearing Aid
No? Are you sure? Okay, we’ll use the screen. Don’t, Mr. President please, you cannot touch the screen. Mr. President you’re not allowed to hit and I will leave and you will be by yourself again. Is that what you want? No?
Diane RandlePublished 4 years ago in The SwampEconomic Interdependence between States is the Number One Facilitator of Peace
In the field of international relations, peace and cooperation are two key research elements. The countries, and especially the so-called nation-states who receive their legitimization from their citizens, constantly strive towards peace as it’s the most crucial condition facilitating the economic growth and prosperity.
Becka MaisuradzePublished 4 years ago in The Swamp3 arguments keyboard economists want you to believe about minimum wage
The minimum wage topic has been one of the most fiercely discussed economic policies all over the world. However, the discussions in the United States seem to be a lot more vocal, including things such as protests, social media posts, every-day activism and various other methods of helping spread the word.
Giorgi MikhelidzePublished 4 years ago in The SwampDodgy algorithms and fascism
I have been on Facebook for six years. In that time, I have not stated that I am a supporter of the Conservative Party. The nearest I have got to expressing such support is when I have openly declared that I have agreed with what a Conservative Member of Parliament has said independent of the party line.
Alan RussellPublished 4 years ago in The SwampDear Mainstream Media, Conservative Women Deserve Respect Too.
It's no secret that women can do anything. Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice, serving from 1981 until 2006. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was elected the president of the Republic of Croatia in 2015, and she still holds office four years later. Kersti Kaljulaid has been the Prime Minister of Estonia since 2016. Katrin Jakobsdottir became the Prime Minister of Iceland in 2017. Zuzana Capitova was elected as Slovakia's first-ever female president this past March, according to Far And Wide. Although they might be from different completely different countries, all of these women have one thing in common. They have been very public about their conservative views. All of these women have made remarkable strides in history, as they have proven that conservative women can and will achieve anything that their political counterparts can. (Source: Far and Wide, Lists, "Countries Where women Are In Charge", Katherine Gallagher, June 18, 2019, https://www.farandwide.com/s/countries-with-powerful-female-leaders-68152c4b7e6c462e) Unfortunately, it hasn't been an easy ride for American women who think that way. Conservative women are being unfairly silenced, and that is seriously not okay. Heather Higgins, chairwoman of Independent Women's Forum describes it this way in a video for Prager University: "We hear a lot about 'the year of the woman', 'the women's march', and 'the war on women.' But if the mainstream media- the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, CBS, and others-were more interested in accuracy than advocacy, it would be that they are promoting 'the year of the leftist woman' or 'the leftist women's march.'" Higgins' argument is quite accurate, because conservative women are not just ignored by the left, but unfairly smeared and disrespected. If the leftist media is truly out to smear right-leaning women, what are their tactics? The tactics used by the mainstream media are quite familiar. Higgins adds, "They use three strategies. The first is: Omission. If you don't see something, you don't have to deal with it. Open up a glossy magazine. Every liberal woman is glamorized. Stylishly dressed, beautifully photographed, their personal stories are almost always an inspirational version of Joan of Arc: they have overcome overwhelming obstacles to make the world a more compassionate and tolerant place. Glamour magazine recognized eleven Democrat women among their 2018 Women of the Year. No Republican made the cut. Every now and again, the major media will do a story about a female conservative to 'balance things out.' But, let's be honest, it's not balance – it's tokenism. The second strategy the media uses to diminish conservative women is mocking: Making fun of a woman's appearance discounts what she says. You would think the major media would resist this kind of objectification. But they don't. Not if the target is a conservative woman. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, and Kellyanne Conway, the first woman to run a winning presidential campaign, are routinely belittled for their hair, their eye makeup, or their weight. Their significant accomplishments, in contrast, are rarely acknowledged. Why? Because the media doesn't like their boss. And it treats women who work for him as traitors to their sex. The third strategy the media uses to demean conservative women is labeling: Using stereotypes precludes there being a valid reason for conservative women to hold the positions they do. The major media simply can't accept that conservatives have serious and important reasons for their beliefs. So they have to come up with answers to explain this seeming anomaly to themselves: these women must be racist or self-hating or just weak-minded. Here's how Barbra Streisand put it to the Daily Mail in England: 'A lot of women vote the way their husbands vote; they don't believe enough in their own thoughts.' Labeling, like the strategies of mocking or omission, is just another way to display contempt and demonize conservative women. Its purpose is to persuade you to not treat those being labeled with respect, to ignore their ideas, and to even avoid associating with them." This bully behavior sounds straight out of the 2004 smash-hit movie Mean Girls starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Liz Caplan, but it's all too real. The bullying and mistreatment of conservative women by the media has gone on long enough. What can you do to help make things right? Higgins concludes with this strategy, saying, "So if you hold conservative views, you have a particularly important role to play. You need to speak out – to your friends, your family, and your co-workers. Let them hear your thinking. And then let them make up their own minds. The media may pretend you don't exist; they may even mock or label you. They want to intimidate you into silence. That's not fair, and that's not right. Don't let them." Source: Prager University, "Who Does The Media Want To Silence?", Heather Higgins, June 10, 2019, https://www.prageru.com/video/who-does-the-media-most-want-to-silence/) Media bias is already a serious issue, and the mistreatment of conservative women just makes it more of an issue. It's hypocritical, cruel, and plan unfair. The conservative woman deserves just as much respect as the liberal.
Devin Nassar-ReisPublished 4 years ago in The SwampThe Art of the Dodge
In February 20, 1974, the American rock band Steely Dan, released the album Pretzel Logic. While the writer, Donald Fagan, claim the song had nothing to do with politics, the name of the record has symbolic relevance in today’s political turbulence.
Mike BernosPublished 4 years ago in The SwampDoes a 5p bag charge do enough?
Plastics, carrier bags, the environment. We have an issue. Does a 5p bag charge do something? Eh, kinda. Yes, it helps support local environmental initiatives and raise money for local communities. But is it reducing plastic consumption enough? I doubt it.
Joshua KiddPublished 4 years ago in The SwampTrump's Impeachment: An Elephant Trap for The Democrats
In the game of chess, an elephant trap is move which culminates in the white losing its queen. It starts when the player falls for a gambit- a fool's meat, a ploy, a tricky strategy. Such could be said to be the case of the Democrats who seem to keep falling deep and deeper into Donald Trump's elephant trap.
oladipupo ganiyuPublished 4 years ago in The SwampWakanda Forever? USDA Removes Fictional Marvel Country From Trade Partners List
In a weird case of life imitating art, the country of Wakanda - established in #Marvel canon as the homeland of King T'Challa aka Black Panther - has been struck from the list of approved free trade agreement partners with the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA.
Christina St-JeanPublished 4 years ago in The SwampClimate change-Time for world wide governance to get real
Climate change- Time for world wide governance to get real Climate change is happening. What are the UN doing about it? On the 19th December 2019 – a UK newspaper -Daily Mail on line – carried a report of a scientific study on one of the ancient ancestors of modern humans.
Peter RosePublished 4 years ago in The Swamp