Random Political Thoughts

[NXOEED]

[albrecht]

Jean-Claude Juncker having some issues holding back the salute he wishes to make? And Merkel giving an "Eye of Horus" (or Osiris etc) gesture using one of her buttons as the eye?

[Value Of Pi]

The new generation of Japanese are not like the old.  The old believed the bs about the emperor being god on earth and that they were a sacred people.  The new know how they were lead down an evil path which included them doing horrible things.  They tend to be very much against war and many think the American system is healthier than theirs.  Holding on to old hatreds stifles a person's development.

Point well taken. However, a good part of the reason that there is so much hatred for the Japanese today in Asia, as opposed to the Germans in Europe, is that the Japanese government has never really acknowledged and taken responsibility for their wartime atrocities. Also, while Japanese may be aware of their actual wartime behavior, it's not because they learned it in school. Japanese society has never dealt with their guilt in the way that the Germans have.

It's one thing for Japanese to tacitly acknowledge their responsibility by following a democratic, pacifistic constitution. It's another thing to say to the countries that you attacked that what you did was wrong and that those acts will never be repeated. I can't condemn other Asian peoples for holding on to old hatreds when modern, postwar Japan refuses to do its part to heal the wounds it caused.

[albrecht]

Point well taken. However, a good part of the reason that there is so much hatred for the Japanese today in Asia, as opposed to the Germans in Europe, is that the Japanese government has never really acknowledged and taken responsibility for their wartime atrocities. Also, while Japanese may be aware of their actual wartime behavior, it's not because they learned it in school. Japanese society has never dealt with their guilt in the way that the Germans have.

It's one thing for Japanese to tacitly acknowledge their responsibility by following a democratic, pacifistic constitution. It's another thing to say to the countries that you attacked that what you did was wrong and that those acts will never be repeated. I can't condemn other Asian peoples for holding on to old hatreds when modern, postwar Japan refuses to do its part to heal the wounds it caused.

And so many of the Japs post war that were involved in even some of the most horrible atrocities (Unit 731 1644 8604 etc) weren't punished (by us the Soviets, did) and went on to lead companies or help with 'research' for us. Having said that there also hasn't been a lot spoken about the land, especially farms, confiscated from Americans of Japanese ancestry here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/26/newsid_2502000/2502547.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/101125.stm

[bateman]

Bill Kristol Says He Sees Romney 'Thinking Seriously' About Third-Party Run

[VtaGeezer]

Bill Kristol Says He Sees Romney 'Thinking Seriously' About Third-Party Run

Bill Kristol is in Israel asking Bibi what to do.

[Mad Hatter]

Are any of you planning to vote Libertarian this November?  It seems to me the Libertarians are what the Republicans should be.  A belief in small government MINUS the baggage of the evangelical crazies who want to tell society how to live their personal lives.  The Republicans are never going to be a true majority party in this country if they have to cater to the Liberty University crowd.

[FightTheFuture]

Are any of you planning to vote Libertarian this November?  It seems to me the Libertarians are what the Republicans should be.  A belief in small government MINUS the baggage of the evangelical crazies who want to tell society how to live their personal lives.  The Republicans are never going to be a true majority party in this country if they have to cater to the Liberty University crowd.

Anybody but Trump.

[NXOEED]

Are any of you planning to vote Libertarian this November?  It seems to me the Libertarians are what the Republicans should be.  A belief in small government MINUS the baggage of the evangelical crazies who want to tell society how to live their personal lives.  The Republicans are never going to be a true majority party in this country if they have to cater to the Liberty University crowd.

I might. I've been voting Libertarian since I first registered to vote in 1991. I'm used to my guy not winning. I might be a little more libertarian than most Libertarians though. Small government is cool, but NO government is way better. I'd probably re-register as an anarcho-capitalist if I thought it would amount to anything.

[SredniVashtar]

I might. I've been voting Libertarian since I first registered to vote in 1991. I'm used to my guy not winning. I might be a little more libertarian than most Libertarians though. Small government is cool, but NO government is way better. I'd probably re-register as an anarcho-capitalist if I thought it would amount to anything.

'No government' would never work. People would naturally drift and band together for their own advantage, that's how governments start in the first place, they gradually evolve. If you wanted to prevent that, ironically, you'd need a powerful state that could punish people who grouped together. Anarchism is a  pipe dream, that's all.

[NXOEED]

'No government' would never work. People would naturally drift and band together for their own advantage, that's how governments start in the first place, they gradually evolve. If you wanted to prevent that, ironically, you'd need a powerful state that could punish people who grouped together. Anarchism is a  pipe dream, that's all.

I don't necessarily disagree, and in fact, that's kind of what I want.

[VtaGeezer]

Are any of you planning to vote Libertarian this November?  It seems to me the Libertarians are what the Republicans should be.  A belief in small government MINUS the baggage of the evangelical crazies who want to tell society how to live their personal lives.  The Republicans are never going to be a true majority party in this country if they have to cater to the Liberty University crowd.

I watched a bit of their convention on CSPAN as one of the VP candidates was speaking:(paraphrased) "You should be able to defend your marijuana field with your machine gun" with raucous applause. Seeing some of the goings-on confirmed my sense that Libertarians are naive folk who can prattle on about minimal govt foolishness because there are grown-ups to protect them from their own Utopian drivel.  Johnson and Weld were among them only because their party has a slot on the ballots in all 50 states.

[Mad Hatter]

Anybody but Trump.

Putin likes him.  And Kim Jong-Un endorsed him yesterday.

[analog kid]

Holy hell.  I had no idea John McLaughlin was still alive, never mind still doing this show!

Damn. I haven't seen that show in about ten or so years, and they all look the same.

[aldousburbank]

Anybody but Trump.

Yo soy El Chapo and I'm down with this message wey.

[CornyCrow]

Are any of you planning to vote Libertarian this November?  It seems to me the Libertarians are what the Republicans should be.  A belief in small government MINUS the baggage of the evangelical crazies who want to tell society how to live their personal lives.  The Republicans are never going to be a true majority party in this country if they have to cater to the Liberty University crowd.

People who say this usually have never read Ayn Rand - I mean her philosophy, not her novels. 

[Mad Hatter]

People who say this usually have never read Ayn Rand - I mean her philosophy, not her novels.

I'm neither Republican nor Libertarian.  I was making an observation that the GOP is severely hampered by its dependence on rabid Christian evangelicals.  If the GOP loses the White House in November, and I believe they will, they will need to devote the next four years to reinventing themselves.  The demographics of the United States are changing too fast for the GOP to do business as usual.

[VtaGeezer]

...the GOP is severely hampered by its dependence on rabid Christian evangelicals...

In the late 70's televangelism exploded onto unused cable and UHF channels.  Reagan knew a good thing when he saw it and openly embraced Falwell's Moral Majority in 1980, won, and the rest is history. Without the "Christian" Right, today's GOP would cease to exist.  And it may this Fall.  Any day now, the fundies will start thumping Trump for not sufficiently ranting on abortion and gays.  When he does his numbers will suffer as moderates peel away.

[albrecht]

In the late 70's televangelism exploded onto unused cable and UHF channels.  Reagan knew a good thing when he saw it and openly embraced Falwell's Moral Majority in 1980, won, and the rest is history. Without the "Christian" Right, today's GOP would cease to exist.  And it may this Fall.  Any day now, the fundies will start thumping Trump for not sufficiently ranting on abortion and gays.  When he does his numbers will suffer as moderates peel away.

There are still the old blue-blood corporate types though I think they, like their brethren/relatives in Europe, have figured out that, actually, 'socialism' (government healthcare, public welfare to correct low paid positions, government bailouts, and regulatory capture) can benefit themselves, particularly if the costs can be socialized and the profits remain in-house. I think both of the major parties are a bit frightened by the hoi polloi which in understandable on the Republican side (being that traditionally they were of the 'elite'- I used this term in a non-judgemental way, frankly I'm not sure when 'elite' or 'discrimination' became a bad thing) but more interesting/funny is how the Democrats are dealing with all the communists, racial rioters, illegal aliens protestors, weird gender-bending sex stuff, and etc since they sort of opened a Pandora's box and can't seem to assert control over all the activist groups and get them to elect the presumptive/assumed candidate Billary.

[Mad Hatter]

In the late 70's televangelism exploded onto unused cable and UHF channels.  Reagan knew a good thing when he saw it and openly embraced Falwell's Moral Majority in 1980, won, and the rest is history. Without the "Christian" Right, today's GOP would cease to exist.  And it may this Fall.  Any day now, the fundies will start thumping Trump for not sufficiently ranting on abortion and gays.  When he does his numbers will suffer as moderates peel away.

Keeping the evangelicals happy is going to be the death of the Republicans.  Today Rush Limbaugh was trying to disprove evolution (see link below) to score points with his evangelical listeners.   How stupid is that?  The GOP had better recognize they can't afford to keep catering to evangelicals and their war against science and rational thinking and remain relevant in the 21st Century.  They may as well rip the band aid off now, ditch the evangelicals, and try again in 2020.   

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/confused-rush-limbaugh-thinks-evolution-is-a-hoax-because-cincinnati-gorilla-never-became-human/

[VtaGeezer]

Keeping the evangelicals happy is going to be the death of the Republicans.  Today Rush Limbaugh was trying to disprove evolution (see link below) to score points with his evangelical listeners.   How stupid is that?  The GOP had better recognize they can't afford to keep catering to evangelicals and their war against science and rational thinking and remain relevant in the 21st Century.  They may as well rip the band aid off now, ditch the evangelicals, and try again in 2020.   

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/confused-rush-limbaugh-thinks-evolution-is-a-hoax-because-cincinnati-gorilla-never-became-human/

That's nothing new for Limbaugh.  He denies gravity every time he opens his pie hole about the wonders of the free market economy. He'll say anything for ratings.  The Repub Establishment will say to get the fundie vote.

What Limbaugh said merely exposes how he sees his audience; ignorant and too stupid to realize it.

[albrecht]

The Divider-In-Chief trying to insult Trump but his lack of teleprompter or stuttering gets him. The guy claims to be a lawyer but I've never seen a lawyer who has such trouble speaking unless there is a teleprompter in front of him. For good or ill, lawyers are usually practiced at public speaking, rhetoric, thinking on their feet while talking etc (why so many become politicians.) But this character always seems to be stuttering, making mistakes (like when he made that infamous Freudian slip about his "Muslim faith,") or at a loss, if no script or teleprompter in front of him.
http://youtu.be/mSxo9-Z5Ki0

[21st Century Man]

These guys would do a much better job than any of the candidates running now.

[FightTheFuture]

Yo soy El Chapo and I'm down with this message wey.

Perfect VP pick for Trump. He's anti-establishment; a successful businessman; a strong leader.

[chefist]

These guys would do a much better job than any of the candidates running now.

hahahhaha...that's amazing! thanks...

[albrecht]

Perfect VP pick for Trump. He's anti-establishment; a successful businessman; a strong leader.

Except that supposedly El Chapo put a bounty on his head. Then, again, if Obama granted him Dreamer status, like he does others, he could be available. Would be interesting!  I think second place should be Veep, like it used to be.

[GravitySucks]

Except that supposedly El Chapo put a bounty on his head. Then, again, if Obama granted him Dreamer status, like he does others, he could be available. Would be interesting!  I think second place should be Veep, like it used to be.

They would need to have a presidential food taster.

[21st Century Man]

hahahhaha...that's amazing! thanks...

Ha, I thought many would get a kick out of it.  I'm all for their kind of Marxism.  Imagine what Groucho would say to Kim Jong Un!!  "Where's your erector set, kid?  Luckily I don't need an erector set anymore as I can get one without any outside help.  That is as long as Thelma Todd is around.  However, if Margaret Dumont is the only gal around, well then you will have to share the erector set with me."

[chefist]

Ha, I thought many would get a kick out of it.  I'm all for their kind of Marxism.  Imagine what Groucho would say to Kim Jong Un!!  "Where's your erector set, kid?  Luckily I don't need an erector set anymore as I can get one without any outside help.  That is as long as Thelma Todd is around.  However, if Margaret Dumont is the only gal around, well then we will have to share the erector set."

Their comedy was the foundation for so many after... basically the entire TV series of MASH was a Marx brothers act...pure genius...

[21st Century Man]

Their comedy was the foundation for so many after... basically the entire TV series of MASH was a Marx brothers act...pure genius...

That is my favorite kind of comedy.  Solid gold!!!