Random Political Thoughts

[21st Century Man]

Thing is I don't like this confusion, or even dis-info campaign, about "red state" "blue state" etc. "Red," traditionally is the leftist parties. "Blue" are the more conservative or "rightist" parties (then going to black etc.) (Though this, in some interesting ways, can come full circle with the more extremes, at least in practice. My same complaint, somewhat issue, with "liberal" now meaning a socialist, or worse. And "conservative" meaning what used to be called a "liberal." (Normally a conservative would be a "blue", or darker shade, and support royalty, etc.) So a "liberal" education, now, means all kinds of crazy stuff not what it should mean (a "well-rounded" and diverse in knowledge and rigorous, not simply political-correctness or perversion, education.)  Sure, there are natural differences and changes in language over time and region but I see that this, like with marriage etc, more likely as a Frankfurt School or Gramsci-esque attempt to divide, or at least confuse people, on a global and local level. Why in the hell did "conservatives," "republicans" etc accept "red" as their label, and fairly recently because the media/leftists told them too? Bizarre.

The same things have always bugged the hell out of me.

[21st Century Man]

I had no idea there was any connection between Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.  My awareness of Beatty being a sexually deviant womanizer is based mostly on the song "You're So Vain" but also on the myriad stories about him on the internet, many of which are likely at least partly true.

Beatty's performance in The Parallax view was quite good and the movie is well worth watching for those who are into conspiracy theories (and for those who like what was then some of the emerging ideas in psychology, especially regarding subliminal messaging, psychopathy and maybe some other things.)  The movie probably owes more of a debt to the then emerging (or reemerging) view that Kennedy's murder was a conspiracy that led to the Congressional investigation that challenged the Warren Commission (although it's now generally agreed that the official basis for the challenge, that of the number of gun shots was based on flawed audio findings) than anything to do with Watergate.

That does sound like a good movie.  I'll have to check it out at some point.

[Jackstar]

although it's now generally agreed that the official basis for the challenge, that of the number of gun shots was based on flawed audio findings

You know, for a person who appears to be literate, you hold a number of childish points of view. Which toddler do you see yourself as in the following presentation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sKdDyyanGk


Also, you're a national embarassment.

[Jackstar]

The same things have always bugged the hell out of me.

It's not a bug, it's an owl.

[b_dubb]

It's not a bug, it's an owl.

Molloch, Mordoch, mmmm ... what's the name of the owl? It's part of some Masonic bs

[Jackstar]

some Masonic bs

[Jackstar]

what's the name of the owl?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbi7rq-TSk8

[Jackstar]

Molloch, Mordoch, mmmm ...

https://youtu.be/aVzn98Ekr7E?t=1253

[Yorkshire pud]

Wasn't the old Soviet Union considered the 'Red State'?

[Jackstar]

Nineteen thousand five hundred.

What you don't see are the 9,000 other people who couldn't get into the arena but listened on loudspeakers outside.

[Lunger]

Could be 900,000.  The DNC will never allow Sanders on the ballot.  They need that Wall Street revolving door and their money like a junkie needs his heroin.

My prediction is:  Biden will enter the race, at some point the DNC and the press will go after Sanders.  Obama will sabotage Hillary leaving the race for the nomination in Biden's hands.

[Jackstar]

Biden couldn't run for diarrhea.

[Up All Night]

Red State Gathering 2015 Day 2 Videos are now available to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrFWY2lLFTE

[b_dubb]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=quick+karl

[Up All Night]

Rachel Maddow skewers Jeb Bush on her Program

"New hypothesis: Jeb Bush is bad at his job of running for president"

20 Minutes - Excellent presentation about Bush that Fox hasn't been able to deliver yet, if at all...

http://on.msnbc.com/1hPhcpa

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/new-hypothesis-jeb-bush-is-bad-at-his-job-509930563724

[ItsOver]

Wasn't the old Soviet Union considered the 'Red State'?

I always preferred "The Evil Empire."   Such a nice ring to it.

[Yorkshire pud]

I always preferred "The Evil Empire."   Such a nice ring to it.

Different film. I'm sure on that. Can't remember who starred in it though. Robert Mitchum? Orsen Welles?

[Lunger]

Rachel Maddow skewers Jeb Bush on her Program
...

The three people watching must have been jazzed.

[West of the Rockies]

All this pre-election stuff is mostly just theater and posturing thus far.  Getting too hot and bothered is a bit like dancing a jig because some rookie rushed for 175 yards in a preseason game.  A couple takeaways though:  Rand is not Ron in terms of exciting his followers (all 19 of them).  Christie's sell-by date is about ten months old.  Jeb is as exciting as an open three-month old bag of Sun chips.

[onan]

All this pre-election stuff is mostly just theater and posturing thus far.  Getting too hot and bothered is a bit like dancing a jig because some rookie rushed for 175 yards in a preseason game.  A couple takeaways though:  Rand is not Ron in terms of exciting his followers (all 19 of them).  Christie's sell-by date is about ten months old.  Jeb is as exciting as an open three-month old bag of Sun chips.

Our political system is in need of repair. Putting a bull in the china shop would just require more repair. It is quite exciting to suggest sending 11 million people back across the border is the answer. Until one realizes it will cost more than 300 billion dollars and take 40 years.

[albrecht]

Our political system is in need of repair. Putting a bull in the china shop would just require more repair. It is quite exciting to suggest sending 11 million people back across the border is the answer. Until one realizes it will cost more than 300 billion dollars and take 40 years.

That is chump change. Not even a 1/3 the cost of a good war which we seemingly never want to end. And out of a yearly budget of roughly $3.5 trillion? Would pay off quickly. And we could recover some of the costs by seizing assets of illegals, withdrawing foreign aide from countries that send their illegals, and many illegals would "self deport" if businesses and individuals were heavily fined, and criminally prosecuted, for hiring, helping, renting to, harboring, or transporting illegals (except transporting them to their country of origin.)

[CornyCrow]

Our political system is in need of repair. Putting a bull in the china shop would just require more repair. It is quite exciting to suggest sending 11 million people back across the border is the answer. Until one realizes it will cost more than 300 billion dollars and take 40 years.

How do you figure that?  All you do is enforce the laws that make it illegal to hire an illegal.  Perhaps make VERY stiff penalties and give wide publicity to those who are caught and their punishment. 

It should cost us nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

[onan]

How do you figure that?  All you do is enforce the laws that make it illegal to hire an illegal.  Perhaps make VERY stiff penalties and give wide publicity to those who are caught and their punishment. 

It should cost us nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

Well, I didn't figure it the CBO did.

[albrecht]

Well, I didn't figure it the CBO did.

Which is chump change considering our budget every year and because with proper laws many would "self-deport" if they were unable to find work, a place to live, etc. And certainly money better spent than in wars and foreign aide where we spend even more.

[West of the Rockies]

Our political system is in need of repair. Putting a bull in the china shop would just require more repair. It is quite exciting to suggest sending 11 million people back across the border is the answer. Until one realizes it will cost more than 300 billion dollars and take 40 years.

I find Trump to be brash, charismatic, and entertaining kind of the way Hulk Hogan was in 1985.  Doesn't mean I want him to be prez though.  Trumpimania is sweeping the nation, brother! Trump needs to invest in a gross of tear-away yellow tank tops.

[Eddie Coyle]

   I think this hubbub about Leon Panetta being trained by Julius Evola and placed in the federal government as a way of reinstating the Roman Empire will be the hot topic in coming debates.

[aldousburbank]

I find Trump to be brash, charismatic, and entertaining kind of the way Hulk Hogan was in 1985.  Doesn't mean I want him to be prez though.  Trumpimania is sweeping the nation, brother! Trump needs to invest in a gross of tear-away yellow tank tops.

The Donald is the new Mr T.

[albrecht]

   I think this hubbub about Leon Panetta being trained by Julius Evola and placed in the federal government as a way of reinstating the Roman Empire will be the hot topic in coming debates.

Haha! By the way I think Sasha Baron Cohen (the guy behind Ali G, Borat, etc) is Julius Evola. Just look at the most used photo of Evola, his passport photo (shows up on his wiki or google usually first) and compare to this Jewish comic Cohen, very ironic.

[CornyCrow]

I find Trump to be brash, charismatic, and entertaining kind of the way Hulk Hogan was in 1985.  Doesn't mean I want him to be prez though.  Trumpimania is sweeping the nation, brother! Trump needs to invest in a gross of tear-away yellow tank tops.

I agree.  I think much of his appeal, as was stated by others, is that he appears to be unscripted.  It's refreshing to hear someone who is not a trained speaker and who will give opinions that appear not to be informed by polls, first.  It's all appearances, though.  I think he'd be a fool not to look at polls and I think, like Ross Perot, he's in it for himself and not the citizens.

We sorely need campaign financing reform.  A set amount, perhaps funded by the government, for each candidate.  The media is still considered public, let it be part of their licensing that they give so much free time to electioneering.  Shorten the campaigning season - we don't need such long campaigns with the media so pervasive. 

And get rid of this concept of corporations as people.  Government must be an instrument of the people and financial interests, in the eyes of government, should also be considered as serving the country.   

[albrecht]

And get rid of this concept of corporations as people.  Government must be an instrument of the people and financial interests, in the eyes of government, should also be considered as serving the country.   

Besides companies many cities, towns, non-profits, etc are corporations. There is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of incorporation (allowing a group of people to act as a single legal person) but I agree that the legal status of personhood has gone too far, in that people die. Foundations, Corporations, etc should also have a time-line, like people, maybe. Or maybe like the older days when a "charter" for the corporation had a time-frame and would be ended, reviewed, revised, eliminated, etc after a period of time by the King (or government that granted it?) And, maybe, also a legal change in liability for large percentage and certainly for directors etc if the corporation commits a crime or wrong-doing? It would need to be carefully examined and studied beforehand and such changes would be hard in coming (due to laws, legal precedents, and Congress being owned by corporations.)