Politics - Digest

Obama's Unemployment Numbers Keep Going Up

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:15:45 GMT

Politics : Obama's Unemployment Numbers Keep Going Up

The latest unemployment numbers came out today. For yet another month, the US continues to lose jobs as Obama spends more and more of taxpayer money on pet projects and racks up more and more debt that we will need to pay eventually in the form of even higher taxes and fees. And it looks like the numbers will only get worse.

As the chart below shows, unemployment numbers have been increasing since Obama was elected. Businesses know that he and his fellow Democrats are anti-business and pro-high-taxes, and businesses have been unwilling to hire people because they know they won't be able to sustain a healthy workforce as they are subjected to higher taxes and increased employee costs. The government-run healthcare scheme that Obama and the Democrats are trying to force on us will only exacerbate the problem. Economists and Republicans have been trying to get Obama to institute some commonsense policies, but he has been unwilling to listen to them. If he would cut taxes, businesses and individuals would have more money to spend. This would not add to the government bureaucracy, but it would lead to even more economic activity, which would lead to new hires. It's really not that hard to figure out, but one result of this would be that in the short-term he wouldn't be able to pursue all of his pet projects (at least not without digging us deeper in debt, which he seems more than willing to do). Hopefully Obama will heed what the American public has told him via the November 09 elections. ...

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Americans want universal health care. Why can't we get it?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:24:30 GMT

Politics : Americans want universal health care. Why can't we get it?

It's like a Katrina disaster that happens every month, but the gov't has never responded to the fact that the US is the only first world country in the world without a national health care system. It was Clinton's big failure and now it's Obama's big challenge (of course nothing at all happened on it during both Bushes). Despite the ongoing national disgrace of the status quo and even the fact that Americans are willing to pay more taxes to fund it, it's still going to be an uphill battle since Republicans and conservative Democrats will never really support it. But is this the time when enough factors are in place that the supposed democracy and the so-called representatives of the citizens finally get it together?

Quote:

In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health

By KEVIN SACK and MARJORIE CONNELLY
Published: June 20, 2009

Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll found that most Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes

so everyone could have health insurance and that they said the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html?_r=2&hp

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Politics is basically a "BAD" word

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:03:55 GMT

Politics : Politics is basically a "BAD" word

After 55 years, I have tasted enough, hear enough, seen enough of "BAD" politics in this world.

It is just a nice word to replace some nasty actions.

Whether in society, workplace, and even in families.

We have many phrases to go with this "BAD" word - stabbing on the back, etc.

We have plenty of jokes on people whose career is on this "BAD" word - hard to find a politician in Heaven.

We have accepted it as "evil" we cannot avoid - to continue running the society.

We have seen some creditable political efforts, only to be pushed off by the "BADDER" politicians - e.g. Thakshin of Thailand - clean up the dirty night life of Thailand - and only to be made an outcast.

I don't believe in lasting good political efforts - they all seem to have some other agenda.

But there are some short term clean and good political efforts shown - those who don't try to stay in power forever.

For your reading pleasure and for me some Frih points to keep my account.

I hope I am not playing politics here to earn points. But why such a strange arrangement?

Heliohost give full account and NO need to have to earn forum points. This sound political enough, so I will end here.

With regards.

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Obama's trip to China - how successful do you think it was?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:07:13 GMT

Politics : Obama's trip to China - how successful do you think it was?

How successful do you think was Obama's trip to China? Do you think it is going to have an impact on the relationship between the two countries?

Quote:

Obama held the bulk of his formal talks on Tuesday with President Hu Jintao, after which the leaders of the world's number one and three economies said they had agreed to pool their global clout to attack a number of tough issues.

The pair vowed to push for a climate change deal, called on North Korea to return to multilateral talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme and emphasised the need to resurrect the global economy from the depths of crisis. Related article: China stifles Obama charisma

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091118/wl_afp/chinausdiplomacy_20091118034358
I particularly wonder what they are planning to do with regard to the "global economy", as well as all the debt and interest on debt that is payable by the US to China. Not to mention the neo-colonization of Africa, in which China with its much "deeper pockets" is the leader at the moment.

How much clout does the US really have with China? Interesting photo

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One year ago tonight

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:31:15 GMT

Politics : One year ago tonight

Ohio and the rest of America was getting ready to make a big step forward, to elect a thinker, an African American, a reformer, a realist. Someone to steer the ship through the treacherous waters created by eight years of disastrous mismanagement. Bruce rocked the house too BTW

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8728917

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9/11 suspects finally to be brought to trial ...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:32:28 GMT

Politics : 9/11 suspects finally to be brought to trial ...

Looks as though the GITMO 9/11 suspects are being processed and finally being brought to trial in New York. And US expects to seek death penalty for the suspects. They will be brought to trial in a court house in New York, eight years after they have been apprehended. Hopefully it will be safe for the suspects to be transferred to New York. Some people are fearful that this may precipitate terror attacks in New York. Others are concerned that the lawyers of the suspects may create "martyrs" out of the suspects.

Quote:

Attorney General Eric Holder announced the long-awaited and politically fraught decision at a news conference Friday. He also said five other Guantanamo detainees, including a major suspect in the bombing of the USS Cole, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, will be tried through the military commission process.

Formal charges have not been formulated against most of them and it is expected that this will take some weeks to fall into place.

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What is fascism & is it a legitimate political point-of-

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:40:45 GMT

Politics : What is fascism & is it a legitimate political point-of-

Hey everyone,

I was having a debate with a friend last week over what fascism was and if it is a legitimate political point-of-view for people to have in our modern times.

According to wikipedia most scholars cannot agree on what fascism is. There are four common ideas or factors that people tend to define as fascist. They are (1) Nationalism and (2) Totalitarianism/Authoritarianism, and (3) A form of Communism, and (4) a form of run-a-way Capitalism or a merger of Capitalism and the state. Usually people combine any two or more of these definitions to define what Fascism is in whatever they are writing or lecturing on.

The first definition tends to define fascism as a Nationalistic, and thus racist ideology.

The second defines Fascism as being defined by Absolute Power.

The third defines Fascism as merely a form of Communism that is misunderstood to be the complete opposite of Communism. Fascism = Communism

The fourth defines Fascism as some kind of run-a-way Capitalism or a merger of Capitalism and the State. Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave an interest quote once eluding to this definition.

What is Fascism?
Is any of these definitions a legitimate political ideology or point-of-view to have?

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Sarkozy's £250,000 shower

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:13:19 GMT

Politics : Sarkozy's £250,000 shower

This is just great. French President Nicolas Sarkozy spent £250,000 on a shower using taxpayers money... and he didn't even use it!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8329425.stm

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How do you solve a problem like Sarah? ....

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:01:54 GMT

Politics : How do you solve a problem like Sarah? ....

I guess there is nothing like a good ol' controversy, like taking on "Newsweek" to capitalize on the publicity campaign of her new book. I guess that has to make a statement in its own right that she will definitely not be running for the Presidency in 2012?

This is Sarah Palin's response to Newsweek's front cover:

Quote:

"The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this "news" magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner's World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness -- a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention -- even if out of context.

I'm certain her book is going to sell very well.

Politico features a review of her book "Going Rogue":

Quote:

Sarah Palin may claim to scorn elites, but her new book will ring familiar to its Beltway readers.

Getting even with those who crossed her, praising her allies and generally putting a self-serving sheen on last year's presidential campaign, Going Rogue is typical of the political memoir genre of recent vintage. It's the sort of book that will send the political class scurrying to bookstores, eager to see how they fared in what's known as the Washington read.

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Obama down in polls

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:40:46 GMT

Politics : Obama down in polls

For those of you who put so much reliance on polls. It Bush years to drop below 50% in the polls while Obama has managed to do it in six months.

Below are some excepts, but you can read the full report here:

Quote:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 30% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8 (see trends).

Quote:

Just 25% believe that the economic stimulus package has helped the economy.

Quote:

Overall, 49% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Today marks the first time his overall approval rating has ever fallen below 50% among Likely Voters nationwide. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove.

Quote:

Fifty-three percent (53%) now oppose the Congressional health care reform package.

Quote:

Nationwide, 72% don't want the federal government determining what type of light bulbs they should purchase.

Quote:

Thirty-one percent (31%) now say the U.S. is heading in the right direction. That's down nine points from the 2009 peak. Republicans continue to enjoy a slight edge on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

Source for all = http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

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Should extremist political parties be given air time?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:21:15 GMT

Politics : Should extremist political parties be given air time?

Question Time is a popular television program in the UK where a panel of politicians, various experts, and other prominent people face a series of topical questions from the audience. On the panel last night was Nick Griffin, the leader of the British Nationalist Party (BNP). For those who don't know, the BNP is a fascist party masquerading under a veneer of respectability. They hold extreme views on immigration, Islam, and many other issues.

A lot of fuss was kicked up about Mr. Griffin's appearance on the program. Many people were highly critical of the BBC for inviting Mr. Griffin to appear. There was the requisite demonstration by anti-fascists outside the studio with the intent of preventing Mr. Griffin from entering. However, eventually Mr. ...

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Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:51:47 GMT

Politics : Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Why did Obama get a Nobel Peace Prize? Like really, does HE deserve it?

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Soft politics; Obama loves pie.

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15:25 GMT

Politics : Soft politics; Obama loves pie.

...but who doesn't, really?

Via Fox News, a fluffy story about life as the White House pastry chef, AKA "The Crustmaster".

Quote:

Obama loves pie. Banana cream pie. Huckleberry pie. Fruit pies of all sorts.

When AP asked the president in July to reveal a secret about the White House, he said this: "The pastry chef makes the best pie I've ever tasted, and that is causing big problems for Michelle and myself. I mean, whatever pie you like, he will make it, and it will be the best pie you've ever eaten."

It is an unusually close look into the workings of the White House, and I am fond of articles of such ilk... but since when does Fox News publish stories without missing blond women, republican outrage, or mass murder therein? ;D

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Italy convicts 23 Americans in Bush Rendition Case

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:36:26 GMT

Politics : Italy convicts 23 Americans in Bush Rendition Case

Italy has just served notice: the Bush administration's practice of so-called rendition was really just thugs kidnapping people. If these guys are guilty, their bosses who ordered this crime -- high level members of the Bush administration, if not Bush himself -- are also guilty. I wonder if the ringleaders will ever be brought to justice, or if the shame, dishonor and historic judgment as being one of the worst presidencies in history will have to be enough.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/11/04/news/news-us-italy-renditions-verdict.html

Quote:

Italy Convicts Former CIA Agents In Rendition Trial

MILAN/ROME (Reuters) - An Italian judge sentenced 23 Americans to up to eight years in prison on Wednesday for the abduction of a Muslim cleric, in a symbolic condemnation of the CIA "rendition" flights used by the former U.S. government.

The Americans were all tried in absentia because the United States refused to extradite them.

The U.S. State Department expressed its disappointment with the verdict, the first of its kind, but campaigners who have long complained that the renditions policy violated basic human rights said the ruling set an important precedent.

"This decision sends a clear message to all governments that even in the fight against terrorism you can't forsake the basic rights of our democracies," said prosecutor Armando Spataro.

Judge Oscar Magi handed down the convictions for the abduction of Egyptian-born cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, snatched off a Milan street in 2003 and flown to Egypt for interrogation.

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Ayn Rand: sad sicko heroine of right wing & libertarians

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:35:02 GMT

Politics : Ayn Rand: sad sicko heroine of right wing & libertarians

I didn't know much about Ayn Rand before. I knew some weird movies were made about her second-rate philosophers contained in her unreadable books. But recently I learned she was an active supporter and witness for the House American Activities Committee during the height of the witch trials, a despicable act on her part. Now there are two new bios out on her, and it turns out that she was a really twisted person who admired serial killers and ran her own abusive mini-cult. And her books still sell and she's admired by people like Alan Greendiv class="detail" and Rush Limbaugh. Weird.

http://www.slate.com/id/2233966/

Quote:

Ayn Rand is one of America's great mysteries. She was an amphetamine-addicted author of sub-Dan Brown potboilers, who in her spare time wrote lavish torrents of praise for serial killers and the Bernie Madoff-style embezzlers of her day. She opposed democracy on the grounds that "the masses"her readerswere "lice" and "parasites" who scarcely deserved to live. Yet she remains one of the most popular writers in the United States, still selling 800,000 books a year from beyond the grave. ...

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Election 2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:58:05 GMT

Politics : Election 2009

It looks like voters showed their rejection of liberal ideology in yesterday's election when they elected Republicans in the two governors races (New Jersey and Virginia). Democrats and other liberals have been trying to minimize the damage to Obama by claiming it wasn't a rejection of him per se, but I believe that the two go hand in hand. People are showing that they

reject his tax-and-spend policies, especially since they mean even higher taxes, higher unemployment and spending money we just don't have. The 2010 midterm election seem like they are far off, but many of those candidates are already starting to campaign. Hopefully they see the results of yesterday's elections and take away the lesson that we have had enough and that we want our elected officials to return to a commonsense approach.

Quote:

GOP sweep: Big governor victories in Virginia, NJ

WASHINGTON Independents who swept Barack Obama to a historic 2008 victory broke big for Republicans on Tuesday as the GOP wrested political control from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey,

a troubling sign for the president and his party heading into an important midterm election year.

Conservative Republican Bob McDonnell's victory in the Virginia governor's race over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and moderate Republican Chris Christie's ouster of unpopular New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was a double-barreled triumph for a party looking to rebuild after being booted from power in national elections in 2006 and 2008.

----------

The president had personally campaigned for Deeds and Corzine,

seeking to ensure that independents and base voters alike turned out even if he wasn't on the ballot

and voters still rejected them.

Thus, the losses were blots on Obama's political standing to a certain degree and suggested potential problems ahead as he seeks to achieve his policy goals, protect Democratic majorities in Congress and expand his party's grip on governors' seats next fall.

----------

More than four in 10 voters in Virginia said their view of Obama factored into their choice on Tuesday,

and those voters roughly split between expressing support and opposition for the president. People who said they disapprove of Obama's job performance voted overwhelmingly Republican, and those who approve of the president favored Deeds, the Democrat.

The Obama factor was similar in New Jersey, though there were slightly more voters who said the president did not factor into their choice.

Source = http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_election_rdp

Quote:

Christie Gives GOP Stunning Win In N.J.
By Defeating Incumbent, Former U.S. Attorney Deals Blow To President Obama, Who Carried The State Easily In 2008

In the end, all the stumping in the world from the President of the United States wasn't going to stop regime change in New Jersey's highest office.

Republican Chris Christie ended Democrat Jon Corzine's four-year run in Trenton with a narrow victory on Tuesday. ...

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Right wing fringe Tea Partiers taking over GOP?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:36 GMT

Politics : Right wing fringe Tea Partiers taking over GOP?

Rachel Maddow of MSNBC has a report you can watch here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj9ncTzmToU
which I summarize here:

For the first time in a long time, New York's 23rd district will not be run by the Republican party. That's because the rightist "Conservative Party" candidate has caused the moderate Republican candidate to bow out of the race and

endorse the Democratic candidate

. How does the GOP respond? Incredibly, by endorsing the Conservative Party candidate and running ads for him full of Tea Party-type language. The Conservative Party candidate, the apparently incompetent Doug Hoffman, happens to be a big fan of, and endorsed by, raving lunatic Glenn Beck of Fox (not)News. Plus the supposedly nonpartisan Tea Party organizer lobbyist group, Americans for Prosperity, are now working with fringe-nut Republican Michele Bachman on organizing a new Tea Party day, with the blessings of the Congressional leadership. All of which is tends to show that the Republican Party is being taken over by the right wing fringe. Which Democrats view generally as good news, because the fringe has alienated a lot of moderate Republicans. However, there is a danger that the new right-wing base of the Republican Party will be more active in organizing for upcoming elections than the now-complacent Democratic base.

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Obama decision - build up in Afghanistan?

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:12:43 GMT

Politics : Obama decision - build up in Afghanistan?

What do you think Obama's decision will be? Is he going to send more troops to Afghanistan and why the long delay in coming to a decision?

Thomas Friedman, a columnist of the New York Times suggests that the US should reduce its presence in Afghanistan. His argument is that there are more negatives in a long-term commitment in Afghanistan than the negatives in reducing troops. Is Friedman representative of a large number of US citizens who feel the same way?

Quote:

The U.S. military has given its assessment. It said that stabilizing Afghanistan and removing it as a threat requires rebuilding that whole country. Unfortunately, that is a 20-year project at best, and we can't afford it. So our political leadership needs to insist on a strategy that will get the most security for less money and less presence. We simply don't have the surplus we had when we started the war on terrorism after 9/11 and we desperately need nation-building at home. ...

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Cheney Failed to Answer 72 FBI Questions

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:48 GMT

Politics : Cheney Failed to Answer 72 FBI Questions

I wonder if he'll lead the next Tea Party or run for Prez. He sure seems like a model right wing Republican...

Quote:

Cheney Failed to Answer 72 FBI Questions

Documents from Interview in Valerie Plame Case Show Vice President was Unclear on Many Points, Big and Small

(AP) Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald famously declared in the Valerie Plame affair that "there is a cloud over the vice president." Last week's release of an FBI interview summary of Dick Cheney's answers in the criminal investigation underscores why Fitzgerald felt that way.

On 72 occasions, according to the 28-page FBI summary, Cheney equivocated to the FBI during his lengthy May 2004 interview, saying he could not be certain in his answers to questions about matters large and small in the Plame controversy.

The Cheney interview reflects a team of prosecutors and FBI agents trying to find out whether the leaks of Plame's CIA identity were orchestrated at the highest level of the White House and carried out by, among others, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's chief of staff.

Among the most basic questions for Cheney in the Plame probe: How did Libby find out that the wife of Bush administration war critic Joseph Wilson worked at the CIA?

entire article http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/02/politics/main5491257.shtml

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White House excludes "whining" Fox News from inter

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:02:54 GMT

Politics : White House excludes "whining" Fox News from inter

A hopeful precedent for the future. It's about time this discredited propaganda outlet masquerading as a news agency gets treated for what it is. The White House shouldn't feel the need to give interviews to FOX any more than they would give interviews to Ronald McDonald.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obamas-media-tour-include-fox-news/story?id=8621065

Quote:

Obama, in Media Blitz, Snubs 'Whining' Fox
President to Hit All Sunday News Talk Shows, Except Network That Skipped His Speech

As President Barack Obama goes on an unprecedented presidential blitz of media appearances, the White House is in a war of words with the network that did not get an interview: Fox.

"We figured Fox would rather show 'So You Think You Can Dance' than broadcast an honest discussion about health insurance reform," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told ABC News.

That's a reference to the program the Fox network aired at 8 p.m. on Sept. 9, when other major broadcast networks were airing the president's speech to the joint session of Congress.
..
"

Fox is an ideological outlet

where the president has been interviewed before and will likely be interviewed again," Earnest said. "Not that the whining particularly strengthens their case for participation any time soon."

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Repubs Spent 1.4 Million dollars on their failure website

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:02:42 GMT

Politics : Repubs Spent 1.4 Million dollars on their failure website

More of the serious meltdown of the Republican party in the USA. Their new 1.4 million dollar website did not even work right when launched, and when you clicked on future party leaders, you got an error message.

Quote:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/34992_GOP_Spent_More_Than_a_Million_Dollars_to_Launch_a_Disastrous_Website

GOP Spent More Than a Million Dollars to Launch a Disastrous Website

Politics | Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 7:15:22 pm PDT

Unbelievable. The Republican Party's pathetically inept new website actually cost them more than a million dollars to set up: Entering digital age an expensive proposition for GOP.

And for that $1.4 million, they got a website that crashed continuously on its launch day, had almost no real content, was mocked across the blogosphere, allowed trolls and Ron Paul idiots to post antisemitic images, and violated several basic principles of good web design. Excellent work, GOP.

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NYC: A lesson for liberals

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:58:06 GMT

Politics : NYC: A lesson for liberals

Another example of what happens when taxes are raised unfairly. NYC has always had a higher cost of living (i.e. groceries, entertainment, clothing, etc.), but if you live in the city you find how to stay out of the touristy areas and keep your costs low. People are now moving out of the city and companies are starting to follow though because in the last few years our taxes and fees have been going up and up. The labor unions have forced mass-transit fare increases, local income tax rates have gone up, city fees have gone up, etc. The liberals who run the city just don't understand simple economics. They wanted to raise taxes so that they could pay for all their pet projects and pay off the union thugs who forced raises for themselves even though most people haven't received raises in a couple of years. (In some industries here, people are just happy to have jobs.) But predictably the tax increases have had the opposite effect. Tax revenues have gone down because people are deciding that enough is enough and moving out of the city. What do you think is going to happen when Obama and the Democrats' tax increases hit the US? ...

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Nice 'transparency' there...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:06:47 GMT

Politics : Nice 'transparency' there...

Whitehouse.gov:

Quote:

My Administration is committed to creating an

unprecedented level of openness

in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and

establish a system of transparency

, public participation, and collaboration.

Openness will strengthen our democracy

and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091026/D9BIO3800.html
'Anonymous officials' speaking about the new health care reform legislation...

Quote:

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying

they were not authorized to discuss the private negotiations involving key Senate Democrats and the White House

. They also stressed that no final decisions have been made on the details of the measure.

So, how's that transparency going?

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New medical marijuana policy by Obama administration

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:18:11 GMT

Politics : New medical marijuana policy by Obama administration

Another day, another reversal of Bush policy. This one is something most rational people of goodwill (which didn't apply to the Bush administration) can agree is a good thing, I think.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/AP-Newsbreak-New-medical-apf-4109207182.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Quote:

AP Newsbreak: New medical marijuana policy issued
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration

, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.

Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

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Those "Evil" Healthcare Companies...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:03:22 GMT

Politics : Those "Evil" Healthcare Companies...

There's been a lot of lip service thrown around by Obama and the other left-wing liberals about how "evil" the doctors, nurses and everyone else in the healthcare industry has been in their quest for the almighty dollar. But the AP decided to compare the profit margins of healthcare insurers versus other industries ad found they are well below other industries. Looks like another fringe liberal argument for dismantling the healthcare system we have and are happy with in favor of their government-run healthcare scheme can be safely moved into the debunked column. Kudos to the AP for trying to regain some journalistic integrity and refusing to goosestep to the rest of the liberal media's cheerleading for Obama. I wonder how long until the fringe left decides to attack the AP as they have everyone else who refuses to follow the party line.

Quote:

FACT CHECK: Health insurer profits not so fat

WASHINGTON (AP) - Quick quiz: What do these enterprises have in common? Farm and construction machinery, Tupperware, the railroads, Hershey sweets, Yum food brands and Yahoo? Answer: They're all more profitable than the health insurance industry. In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making "immoral" and "obscene" returns while "the bodies pile up."

Ledgers tell a different reality. Health insurance profit margins typically run about 6 percent, give or take a point or two. That's anemic compared with other forms of insurance and a broad array of industries, even some beleaguered ones.

Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. ...

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Rick Sanchez.....maybe you lie too. Or don't check facts...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:44:28 GMT

Politics : Rick Sanchez.....maybe you lie too. Or don't check facts...

Rick Sanchez, the anchor who denounced Fox for lying......well it appears he has
done the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpVbOKYDkos&feature=player_embedded

There he is at 1:14 making a claim that Rush Limbaugh said something about slavery
'building the south' and that it 'had it's merits'.

Apparently he got his fact from Wikipedia.....hmmm.

Now this is out:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2009/10/13/cnn-reads-limbaughs-denial-alleged-slavery-quote-doesnt-retract-use

Now I'm not saying Rush doesn't say some things that are incendiary, and all. But it seems that
that a guy who made a big deal of telling Fox News that they lied, might think about doing a
better job of making sure what he reported was true if he didn't want to expose his own biases.

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Republican poll numbers crashing

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:37:09 GMT

Politics : Republican poll numbers crashing

Next time some wingnut mentions Obama's poll numbers, point out two things:
-Obama's popularity was sky high when he started, and the numbers always go down once a new president gets going, and
-Republican's poll numbers are abysmal.

80 percent

of the USA doesn't trust them.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/morning-fix-beating-something.html?hpid=news-col-blog

Quote:

Less than one in five voters (19 percent) expressed confidence in Republicans' ability to make the right decisions for America's future while a whopping 79 percent lacked that confidence.

Among independent voters, who went heavily for Obama in 2008 and congressional Democrats in 2006, the numbers for Republicans on the confidence questions were even more worse. Just 17 percent of independents expressed confidence in Republicans' ability to make the right decision while 83 percent said they did not have that confidence.
...
And, perhaps most troubling for GOP hopes is the fact that just 20 percent of the Post sample identified themselves as Republicans,

the lowest that number has been in Post polling since 1983. (No, that is not a typo.)

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Obama canceling Star Wars radar missile boondoggle in Europe

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:43:04 GMT

Politics : Obama canceling Star Wars radar missile boondoggle in Europe

Quote:

AP sources: US to reveal Euro missile defense plan

By ANNE GEARAN and DESMOND BUTLER (AP) 42 minutes ago

WASHINGTON The Obama administration is expected to announce Thursday that it will shelve many of the components of a European missile defense plan that has been a major irritant in relations with Russia.

Obama's top military adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the administration was "very close" to the end of a seven-month review of a missile defense shield proposal, an idea that was promoted by the George W. Bush administration. Mullen would not divulge its results.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9DDGIUcpNOK9eEn8fpm73W_rG7wD9AOU17O0

Looks like the last vestige of Reagan's wacky, wasteful welfare-for-military-corporations scheme is meeting its endgame. Sanity prevailing, if very belatedly.

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'Ban Koran' is the word

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:14:03 GMT

Politics : 'Ban Koran' is the word

And he is back. Geert Wilders is back in UK and...well, nothing changed. The little anti-Islam Dutchman is still eager to continue to seek his goal - ban Koran.

Quote:

His plan to stage an open-air news conference around the corner on College Green had to be abandoned when about 40 protesters arrived on the scene chanting "Wilders go to hell" and waving placards saying "Sharia for the Netherlands" and "Islam will be superior

Well, people are clear about their 'love' towards Wilders and his attempts to cage up Muslims. And while all this is going on and everyone remembers his defeat in Dutch parliament, he puts forward a really nice, positive, yet controversial fraze, which makes me wonder is he really that much of a hypocrite?

Quote:

I don't agree with that at all. I want the Koran discussed very much more and I want it particularly discussed by the 98% or whatever it is of the Muslim community who are mild, peace-loving people.

So how does this work? We ban Koran first, and then start sorting things out? We continue with the ban even though we know that only minority are extremists? And why would anyone bother to 'discuss' Koran after it is banned? There would just no need.

While i know that such wish festers in heads of many UK residents, i think banning Koran, would make the situation worse by creating even greater tension between Muslims and the anti-Muslim supporters and will surely will be used as an example in other parts of the world. ...

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Aung San Suu Kyi on Trial

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:57:37 GMT

Politics : Aung San Suu Kyi on Trial

As some of you may already know, the Nobel Peace Laureate and opposition leader of Burma who was under house arrest for 13 years in the past 19 years, is on trial because an American man swam to her lakeside home and stayed there for 2 days. Apparently, he did what he did to warn her about the vision he had of her being assassinated. Suu Kyi allowed him to stay because he was not capable of swimming back. Now she faces upto 5 years in prison for violating her terms of house arrest.

First of all, her house arrest is illegitimate and thus she should never have been imposed to those terms. Now the military dictators want her in prison before the election that is due in 2010. She's already won a landslide victory in the 1990 elections, which the military dictators did not accept and placed her under house arrest. This coming 2010 election will be no different. International community, especially the UN Security Council, must intervene and delivery a knock-out blow instead of small sanctions.

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My government theory in a nutshell...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:03:42 GMT

Politics : My government theory in a nutshell...

I was having a discussion with one of my best friends who just happens to be far more liberal than I am (which is probably why my former girlfriend married him instead of me ) when I realized that I had voiced my theory of government in it's simplest form. So I thought I'd post it here for discussion if anyone so desired:

If the city can deal with and handle the issue/problem without it impacting other county citizens, the county has no business getting involved.
If the county can deal with and handle the issue/problem without impacting other counties, the state has no business getting involved.
If the state can deal with and handle the issue/problem without impacting other states, the federal government has no business getting involved.

That's it (as far as government involvement is considered). Minimalist government functioning at the lowest possible level. I think if we applied such an idea we could reduce the size of federal and state governments substantially! (And no fair using some obtuse line of reasoning to define the meaning of "impact!")

Respectfully,
M

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Separation of church and state: my ideal solution.

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:13:08 GMT

Politics : Separation of church and state: my ideal solution.

The problem of the separation of church and state has come to my attention now, so I'll address it.

Marriage:

Marriage should be viewed as a strictly religious ceremony, and there should be no reason for the government to be involved in it.
There would be no legal or tax differences for married couples.
If you wanted to get married (even a controversial marriage, such as same-sex), all you would have to do is find a church, chapel, or 'minister' willing to perform the ceremony. The marriage would be a private matter, between the two (or more) people married to each other, and their religion.
I find any government involvement in the religious ceremony of marriage to be just as bad a violation of the separation of church and state as the government dictating who can and can't be baptized, for example, or the government deciding how Jews should celebrate Passover, or the government awarding special tax status to a Buddhist who had achieved enlightenment.

Schools:

The key here would be use of reason.
Can a principal declare a time of prayer for the school? No. (It would be wrong to thus encourage the swath of religions that use prayer.)
Can the principal be seen praying in public view of students during school hours? Yes. (It would be wrong to force the principal to practice his belief in secret.)

-On the teaching of evolution: Leave that to the science class. Then, add a section on the creation beliefs of various religions to social studies. (The 'theory of intelligent design' could probably be mentioned in science class, but just mentioned and briefly explained, with an offer of more information to students who want to learn more about it, not taught in-depth. It would just be mentioned as an aside when discussing evolution.)

Charity:

(As you may know, I oppose all government funding of charity work. ...

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Huge: Obama's Treasury Dept vetos on bailout bonuses, pay

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:37:13 GMT

Politics : Huge: Obama's Treasury Dept vetos on bailout bonuses, pay

The White House is responding to all those top executives that gave themselves bonuses and huge salaries after the gov't bailouts. Turns out as part of the bailouts, the Treasury Dept has the right to veto such things, and vetoing they are, to the tune of 90% pay cut for some of these execs.

I think it shows a very patient and careful approach, since these bonuses etc have been in the headlines for weeks, but only now is Obama and team deciding to use the big stick. Most of the execs just refused to self-regulate, to be decent.

Prediction: The same right wingers who complained out the bonuses and high salaries after the bailouts will now complain this move is "socialism", an evil plan to micromanage all the banks...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8321435.stm

Quote:

Obama hails companies' pay cuts

President Barack Obama has welcomed plans to force some companies which accepted government aid during the financial crisis to cut executive pay.

Firms paying bosses vast bonuses while getting state assistance offended people's values, the president said.

Under Treasury plans, seven companies must slash the basic salaries of their 25 best-paid employees

by up to 90%

.

Separately the US Federal Reserve wants to prevent bank bosses from taking excessive risks while pursuing bonuses.

It proposes being able to veto the pay of any employee able to take risks that might threaten a firm's stability.

But the Fed said it would not set pay caps or outlaw specific practices.

'Offends values'

The Treasury plans apply to Bank of America, American International Group (AIG), Citigroup, General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial - the seven companies that received the most aid from the US Treasury.

As well as its top earners facing a 90% pay cut, the total paid to each firm's 125 top earners would be halved under the proposals.

"It does offend our values when executives of big financial firms that are struggling pay themselves huge bonuses even as they rely on extraordinary assistance to stay afloat," President Obama said.

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Bailouts, why not take out the middleman?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:15:15 GMT

Politics : Bailouts, why not take out the middleman?

I was just thinking:

So, the feds 'loaned' money to the failing banks in order to 'get the banks lending again', which was hyped up as being critical to economic recovery.

But, since the banks are obviously not trustworthy for repayment of loans (if they were, they wouldn't fail in the first place).

Instead of loaning to the banks, who then, in turn, loan to individuals and businesses, why not loan money

directly

to individuals and businesses? They'd probably get much better chances of their money getting repaid in that case, and it would remove the inefficiency of failing banks from the process.

And, there is already a precedent to government-provided loans: FEMA loans. In fact, they might have even been able to use FEMA; just declare the economic slump as a disaster, and the low-interest loans would be disaster relief.

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Things only a Republican could believe

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:32:49 GMT

Politics : Things only a Republican could believe

This is hilarious, and I must spread it far and wide. I don't know the source, it was in a forwarded e-mail.

Things Only a Republican Could Believe:

NEW!

It is a terrible disgrace to us all that President of the United States was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

Parents who don't want their children to pray in school are Anti-American zealots -- parents who don't want their children to listen to a speech by the President of the United States telling them to work hard and get good grades are noble patriots.

Peacefully demonstrating against the country starting an international war is treason -- showing up with automatic weapons to protest healthcare reform is democracy at its finest.

Any government official with a desk job should have every action scrutinized -- any government official with a badge and a gun should never be questioned or disrespected. At all. Ever.

Questioning the legitimacy of an election because the "winner" was selected by the Supreme Court is sour grapes -- questioning the legitimacy of an election because the winner (by the largest number of votes in American history) is really a Kenyan born Muslim despite all evidence to the contrary is being a vigilant American.

Lying about a blowjob is an impeachable offense -- lying about a war is no big deal, really.

Investigating a shady land deal involving the First Lady is a matter of National Identity -- investigating the use of torture at the direction of the Executive Branch is a partisan witch hunt.

Executing Japanese officers for waterboarding prisoners during WWII shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights -- waterboarding prisoners of our own shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights.

Sitting two rows in front of Jane Fonda in a 1970 anti-war rally is an OUTRAGE! Shaking Saddam's hand in 1983...meh, not so much.

correction: John Kerry was sitting two rows BEHIND Jane Fonda, which will no doubt cause Republicans to shriek that everything else here must be wrong, too.

Anyone who questions the president during a time of war is giving aide and comfort to the enemy and should be deported...unless the president in question has a (D) next to their name in which case you should undermine them at every turn even if you have to routinely make stuff up to do it.

Socialism, Marxism, Communism and Fascism are all interchangeable words that mean pretty much the same thing.

Anyone who abuses drugs should be locked up indefinitely...unless they are a popular Republican radio host in which case they need your prayers as they recover from the illness of addiction.

Health Insurance companies have your best interests in mind and anyone who thinks otherwise is trying to turn America into the Godless heathen nation of Sweden where EVERYONE in the country dies (eventually).

Obama is an atheist communist muslim who attended a radical christian church.

Believing that human activity could impact the global environment is crazy talk -- believing that an invisible man in the sky personally told George Bush to invade Iraq to fulfill Biblical prophecy is logically sound.

The verdict is still out on evolution -- but Jesus Christ returning in our lifetimes is a pretty much a given.

The media are unquestionably biased against Republicans -- Talk Radio, The Washington Times, The Weekly Standard, The Wall Street Journal, Rightwing Blogs, Fox News and NewsCorp are not part of the media.

The government should have no part in regulating multi-national corporations as they make decisions that impact the lives of millions of people -- government should regulate individuals by determining who they can marry, what kind of intercourse they can have, what they can smoke, how to manage their pregnancy and how to proceed with end of life decisions.

Communicating with hostile nations is a stab in the back to our great nation -- Reagan communicating with the USSR during the Cold War was Political Genius.

Iran is a mortal threat to our nation and anyone who attempts to talk to them is traitorous scum -- selling weapons to Iran and then funneling the money to start wars in South America is clearly in our National interest.

George Bush kept the nation safe after 9-11 (NOTE: the Anthrax attacks, the DC Sniper and Hurricane Katrina don't count. Also, the fact that 9-11 happened on his watch despite receiving a security briefing specifically warning of the attack doesn't count either.)

Social Security, Meidcare, public schooling, public libraries, fire departments, police departments and the US Military are as American as Apple Pie -- universal healthcare is ZOMGDEATHPANELSOCIALISM!!

George W Bush is a regular 'ole Texas rancher just like you and me despite the fact that he was born in Connecticut, attended two Ivy League schools, bought the Crawford ranch just before running for president, sold it immediate after leaving office and is terrified of horses.

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the entire mortgage market was a criminal enterprise?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:59:33 GMT

Politics : the entire mortgage market was a criminal enterprise?

A piece by investigative journalist Matt Taibbi. Interesting times we live in.

http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/09/22/landmark-decision-massive-relief-for-homeowners-and-trouble-for-the-banks/

Quote:

Waking up to discover the mortgage market was a giant criminal enterprise

Quote:

A landmark ruling in a recent Kansas Supreme Court case may have given millions of distressed homeowners the legal wedge they need to avoid foreclosure. In Landmark National Bank v. Kesler, 2009 Kan. LEXIS 834, the Kansas Supreme Court held that a nominee company called MERS has no right or standing to bring an action for foreclosure. MERS is an acronym for Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, a private company that registers mortgages electronically and tracks changes in ownership. The significance of the holding is that if MERS has no standing to foreclose, then nobody has standing to foreclose on 60 million mortgages. That is the number of American mortgages currently reported to be held by MERS. Over half of all new U.S. residential mortgage loans are registered with MERS and recorded in its name. ...

...

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ACORN Funding

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:07:52 GMT

Politics : ACORN Funding

The Senate voted 83-7 to ban ACORN from receiving HUD funds and the house just voted 345-75 to strip funding to ACORN. Why have so many Dems and "powers that be" turned against ACORN?

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Government Helps Fuel a New Era of Wall Street Wealth

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:52:18 GMT

Politics : Government Helps Fuel a New Era of Wall Street Wealth

I was wondering how come the stock exchange was rebounding in big leaps while unemployment numbers were still in the doldrums, until I read an article in the New York Times: Bailout Helps Fuel a New Era of Wall Street Wealth.
All of it makes sense. Tax payers (via Government in Washington) bailed out the financial houses, who instead of putting the money back into communities in the form of loans, plowed it back into a new era of Wall Street wealth. Strictly speaking the "new era wealth" should be shared with the tax payers who bailed out the banks. Instead, do they really care about the tax payers? And was this not at the heart of how the original collapse had happened in the first place? Greed and corruption with Government blessings and backing?

Quote:

Many Americans wonder how this can possibly be. How can some banks be prospering so soon after a financial collapse, even as legions of people worry about losing their jobs and their homes?

It may come as a surprise that one of the most powerful forces driving the resurgence on Wall Street is not the banks but Washington. Many of the steps that policy makers took last year to stabilize the financial system reducing interest rates to near zero, bolstering big banks with taxpayer money, guaranteeing billions of dollars of financial institutions' debts helped set the stage for this new era of Wall Street wealth.

Titans like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are making fortunes in hot areas like trading stocks and bonds, rather than in the ho-hum business of lending people money. They also are profiting by taking risks that weaker rivals are unable or unwilling to shoulder a benefit of less competition after the failure of some investment firms last year. ...

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Do you trust Obama?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:50:27 GMT

Politics : Do you trust Obama?

A simple enough question. Vote Yes or No.

[MOD - title edited.

Bikerman

]

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Which Party in the United States would you vote for?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:03:25 GMT

Politics : Which Party in the United States would you vote for?

Which Party in the United States would you vote for, if any? Discussion of choices is encouraged, obviously. Any party of the US you like. Forget tactical voting. If you're not American, vote anyway.

Here is a list:

Quote:

Democratic Party
Republican Party

Constitution Party
Green Party of the United States
Libertarian Party

America First Party
American Party
American Independent Party
America's Independent Party
American Nazi Party
American Report Party
Boston Tea Party
Communist Party of USA
Freedom Socialist Party/Radical Women
Indpendence Party
Independent American Party
Labor Party
Light Party
Modern Whig Party
National Socialist Movement
Objectivist Party
Party for Socialism and Liberation
Peace and Freedom Party
Prohibition Party
Reform Party
Social Democrats, USA
Socialist Party USA
Socialist Action
Socialist Equality Party
Socailist Labor Party
Socialist Workers' Party
US Marijuana Party
US Pacifist Party
Veterans Party of America
Workers World Party
Working Families Party

American Patriot Party
Democratic Socialists of America
Libertarian National Socialist Green Party
Pansexual Peace Party
Progressive Labor Party
Revolutionary Communist Party USA
The Third Party
Workers Party, USA
World Socialist Party of the USA

More info about the above parties can be found at: http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm

The Party I can best identify with is the Libertarian Party in the US. It favours minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in foreign policy that respects freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. I don't know who its leaders are though except their names, and would probably need to learn more about them, but at a first glance, it is the closest I could get to any of the parties in the list that I had a brief look at.

Refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_(United_States)

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Our One-Party Democracy?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:08:46 GMT

Politics : Our One-Party Democracy?

I found an interesting article by Thomas Friedman of the "New York Times" exploring his theory that currently the US has a One-Party Democracy. He had some interesting comments including that perhaps a one-party autocracy led by an enlightened group of people would be better off. Do you think his views are relevant?

Quote:

Watching both the health care and climate/energy debates in Congress, it is hard not to draw the following conclusion: There is only one thing worse than one-party autocracy, and that is one-party democracy, which is what we have in America today.

One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks. But when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today, it can also have great advantages. That one party can just impose the politically difficult but critically important policies needed to move a society forward in the 21st century. It is not an accident that China is committed to overtaking us in electric cars, solar power, energy efficiency, batteries, nuclear power and wind power. China's leaders understand that in a world of exploding populations and rising emerging-market middle classes, demand for clean power and energy efficiency is going to soar. Beijing wants to make sure that it owns that industry and is ordering the policies to do that, including boosting gasoline prices, from the top down.

Our one-party democracy is worse. The fact is, on both the energy/climate legislation and health care legislation, only the Democrats are really playing. With a few notable exceptions, the Republican Party is standing, arms folded and saying no. Many of them just want President Obama to fail. ...

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Israel/Gaza: Stephen Hawking gets it. Do you?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:54:22 GMT

Politics : Israel/Gaza: Stephen Hawking gets it. Do you?

Quote:

Riz Khan: What do you think will be the fallout from the war in Gaza?

Professor Stephen Hawking: The attack on Gaza is similar to that on Lebanon two years ago, that killed over two thousand but did not achieve Israel's war aims. I think the assault on Gaza will be equally unsuccessful. A people under occupation will continue to resist in any way it can. If Israel wants peace it

will have to talk to Hamas like Britain did with the IRA

. Hamas is the democratically elected leaders of the Palestinian people and cannot be ignored.

Riz Khan: Professor what have been your thoughts during the three weeks of violence that has taken place in Gaza?

Professor Stephen Hawking: Israel's response to the rocket attacks has been plain out of proportion. Almost a hundred Palestinians have been killed for every Israeli. The situation is

like that of South Africa before nineteen-ninety and cannot continue

. ...

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Now we know: Israel military killed mostly civilians in Gaza

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:27:22 GMT

Politics : Now we know: Israel military killed mostly civilians in Gaza

and over 20% of them were children

Quote:

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A human rights group says more than half of the Palestinians killed during Israel's three-week offensive against Hamas in Gaza earlier this year were civilians, contradicting an Israeli military claim.

Israel had said that more than 60 percent of those killed in the military campaign were "terror operatives."

The

Israeli human rights organization B'tselem released figures Wednesday, saying that, of the 1387 killed, 773 "did not take part in the hostilities" and, that of those, 320 minors were killed.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/09/09/israel.gaza.civilians/

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NYC Mayor's Race: 1st Test for Obama

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:16:04 GMT

Politics : NYC Mayor's Race: 1st Test for Obama

Obama has come out and endorsed Bill Thompson for mayor of NYC. Now New York City is heavily skewed Democrat, so it seems like a foregone conclusion that a Democrat will win this general election on November 3. We have two Democrat senators, a Democratic governor and only two out of 29 representatives are Republican. In fact we had the Democratic primary a couple of weeks ago and some winners of that primary have already started transitioning into their new offices without bothering to wait for the general election. But the Independent candidate, Mike Bloomberg, is proving a tough challenge, and Obama has gone out on a limb to support his pick for mayor.

Obviously this will be a test of how potent/impotent Obama's influence is now that he has taken office and Americans have had a chance to see how he governs. New Yorkers reacted strongly when Obama tried to interject and tell Governor Patterson not to run for reelection. Obama seemed genuinely surprised at the reaction. I think he assumed his proclamation would carry more weight to be honest. He has sense backed off on his attack on Patterson, but is now getting involved in the mayoral race.

So do you think Obama will have any sway in an already heavily Democratic city? Or will New Yorkers reject Obama's meddling and cause more egg on his face?

http://www.thompson2009.com/blog/archive/bill-endorsed-by-president-obama/

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Bush censored climate change report. Obama releases it.

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:10:28 GMT

Politics : Bush censored climate change report. Obama releases it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091014/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_bush_global_warming_3/print

Quote:

Obama EPA releases Bush-era global warming finding
By DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer Dina Cappiello, Associated Press Writer Tue Oct 13, 10:00 pm ET

WASHINGTON A controversial e-mail message buried by the Bush administration because of its conclusions on global warming surfaced Tuesday, nearly two years after it was first sent to the White House and never opened.

The e-mail and the 28-page document attached to it, released Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency, show that back in December of 2007 the agency concluded that six gases linked to global warming pose dangers to public welfare, and wanted to take steps to regulate their release from automobiles and the burning of gasoline.

The document specifically cites global warming's effects on air quality, agriculture, forestry, water resources and coastal areas as endangering public welfare.

That finding was rejected by the Bush White House, which strongly opposed using the Clean Air Act to address climate change and stalled on producing a so-called "endangerment finding" that had been ordered by the Supreme Court in 2007.

As a result, the Dec. 5 e-mail sent by the agency to Susan Dudley, who headed the regulatory division at the Office of Management and Budget was never opened, according to Jason Burnett, the former EPA official that wrote it.

The Bush administration, and then EPA administrator Stephen Johnson, also refused to release the document, which is labeled "deliberative, do not distribute" to Democratic lawmakers. The White House instead allowed three senators to review it in July 2008, when excerpts were released.

The Obama administration in April made a similar determination, but also concluded that greenhouse gases endanger public health. The EPA is currently drafting the first greenhouse gas standards for automobiles, and recently signaled it would attempt to reduce climate-altering pollution from refineries, factories and other large industrial sources.

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US Soliders' Reception of the President

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:42:18 GMT

Politics : US Soliders' Reception of the President

Whether you liked Bush or not, the differing of opinions of the two from US servicemen and women is apparent. Notice how Bush receives a warm and rowdy welcome while Obama receives a lukewarm welcome at best.

Bush's reception:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6epBwrGNhs

Obama's reception:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ZYVbO4HmM

Now I think part of this is just an initial distrust of Obama due to the Democrats' stance against servicemen and women in the 90s (I was in the Marines during the Clinton Administration, and moral and environment was grim at best). The military may come around and warm up to Obama, but given his own stances, I won't hold my breath.

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Price for Carbon 1

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:49:42 GMT

Politics : Price for Carbon 1

Hello! This is Steve Lee. I am here to talk about Climate Change issues. As you know, we are being affected by climate change drastically. The world is meeting at Copenhagen this December to draft a protocol to avert climate change.

Kyoto illustrated that quantity emission limits are not practical as the ability of a nation to meet targets changes over time. We need an internationally harmonized carbon tax that will penalize each ton of carbon emitted by businesses and individuals. The price of carbon will increase incrementally to ensure progressive reductions. Revenues from this carbon tax will be collected domestically, and then will return a prescribed percentage of the revenues by lowering other taxes. An international organization will also collect a portion of the carbon tax revenues from developed countries to fund green infrastructure in developing countries and renewable resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy. ...

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Obama fails to win the Olympics.

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:18:18 GMT

Politics : Obama fails to win the Olympics.

So much for our favorite syncophantic so-called world leader Obama. It appears that despite all of his begging and pleading, accompanied by his simpering wife and her star studded entourage, Chicago was the first city eliminated today.

The only good thing that came out of Obama's futile pleading was that it forced him to actually say something good about America

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Which US President was the 'sleaziest'?

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:14:06 GMT

Politics : Which US President was the 'sleaziest'?

In another thread, the issue of President Obama being 'surrounded' by disreputable people came up.
I maintain that all Presidents have people in their 'entourage' who are 'dodgy' to say the least.
Do Americans really judge the integrity of the President based on his associates? If so then which President do you think had the 'sleaziest' people 'surrounding' him? Let's keep it to post WW2. Where does Obama rate in the 12?

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Loose Change 9/11 Blog

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:16:34 GMT

Politics : Loose Change 9/11 Blog

I found a recent blog "Loose Change 9/11" when I was responding to a thread under the Movies Forum. Probably that is the right place for it along fictionalizing facts lines. However would love to hear people who are interested in politics' comments on the blog and movies. Looks as though the blog is quite recent, and wonder how long it will be running on the Web?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E3oIbO0AWE

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