US Politics Mega-thread - Page 1401

On November 05 2014 13:59 aksfjh wrote:

Of course he won't. He's a 1 man show of dumbass.

On November 05 2014 14:05 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:
Wow. Anti-abortion ballot measure passes in Tennessee.

On November 05 2014 14:25 Brutaxilos wrote:
Seriously, how the fuck do Americans have so terrible memory of Republicans?

Today was my first time voting, hopefully I made a difference.

On November 05 2014 14:35 Danglars wrote:
Sweet. After an activist court struck down a litany of laws regulating abortions, the voters took to what powers they still retain--initiative constitutional amendment--to grab back the power to make their own laws through representatives, sans the black robes. I wonder if this state will defend its amendment and get past the Supreme Court's standing issue that was so important in Hollingsworth vs Perry and Prop 8.

A conservative legal activist urged a U.S. federal appeals court Tuesday to strike down the National Security Agency’s program that collects Americans’ phone records in bulk.

On November 05 2014 14:35 Danglars wrote:
Sweet. After an activist court struck down a litany of laws regulating abortions, the voters took to what powers they still retain--initiative constitutional amendment--to grab back the power to make their own laws through representatives, sans the black robes. I wonder if this state will defend its amendment and get past the Supreme Court's standing issue that was so important in Hollingsworth vs Perry and Prop 8.

On November 05 2014 14:37 Vegetarian wrote:


Both parties are basically the same, but the Obama administration has gone above and beyond anything the republicans ever did in damaging civil liberties, and generally disregarding the political process and acting like a king. American citizens have for the first time been assassinated by a president without a trial of any kind. Obama has presided over the erosion of our 4th amendment rights to unreasonable search and seizure with his spying. Obama has acted like Bush on steroids which is why he is one of the most unpopular presidents and has made republicans look like angels.

On November 05 2014 13:53 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:
Oregon passes Legalization.

On November 05 2014 14:16 DeepElemBlues wrote:


That's cool and all but you should really explain what you mean by "nationalist" since why you would label both major American political parties with that word would be something interesting to find out.

On November 05 2014 14:38 Jaaaaasper wrote:

Won't this one get struck down just as fast though? Given that this is another attempt to circumvent Roe v Wade and the Supreme court doesn't even bother see 90% of those anymore.

On November 05 2014 15:28 xDaunt wrote:
Zinn can get bent.

On November 05 2014 15:28 xDaunt wrote:
Zinn can get bent.

On November 05 2014 15:50 coverpunch wrote:

Agreed. It should be pointed out that Zinn was an over-response to the old rah rah nationalism that assumed America did no wrong and always won wars in the name of freedom, truth, and the American way. We should note that modern historians have a much more mature and balanced view of the U.S. as a realist country that has both done great good and terrible wrongs. We need to move on to that view rather than stick to the anti-American attitude and quote it as self-evidently true.

Republican Charlie Baker defeats Democrat Martha Coakley to win Massachusetts governor's race
...
Baker, 57, and his wife Lauren live in Swampscott and have three children. Baker served under former Republican governors William Weld and Paul Cellucci in the 1990s as secretary of health and human services, then secretary of administration and finance. He then became CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, an insurer that was failing financially. Baker turned around the company through moves that included outsourcing some work and pulling out of the Rhode Island health insurance market.
...
On the campaign trail, Baker stressed an economic plan that would lower taxes for small business while increasing the earned income tax credit. He talked about the importance of increasing local aid to cities and towns and the need to improve education, connect schools with job training programs, and lift the cap on charter schools. Baker criticized Patrick for management failures relating to the Department of Children and Families and a Health Connector website as he talked about the need to have balance on Beacon Hill, where the legislature remains controlled by Democrats.

On November 05 2014 15:50 coverpunch wrote:

Agreed. It should be pointed out that Zinn was an over-response to the old rah rah nationalism that assumed America did no wrong and always won wars in the name of freedom, truth, and the American way. We should note that modern historians have a much more mature and balanced view of the U.S. as a realist country that has both done great good and terrible wrongs. We need to move on to that view rather than stick to the anti-American attitude and quote it as self-evidently true.

A nationalist is one who thinks solely, or mainly, in terms of competitive prestige. He may be a positive or a negative nationalist — that is, he may use his mental energy either in boosting or in denigrating — but at any rate his thoughts always turn on victories, defeats, triumphs and humiliations. He sees history, especially contemporary history, as the endless rise and decline of great power units, and every event that happens seems to him a demonstration that his own side is on the upgrade and some hated rival is on the downgrade. But finally, it is important not to confuse nationalism with mere worship of success. The nationalist does not go on the principle of simply ganging up with the strongest side. On the contrary, having picked his side, he persuades himself that it is the strongest, and is able to stick to his belief even when the facts are overwhelmingly against him. Nationalism is power-hunger tempered by self-deception. Every nationalist is capable of the most flagrant dishonesty, but he is also — since he is conscious of serving something bigger than himself — unshakeably certain of being in the right.

On November 05 2014 15:15 IgnE wrote:
Is not nationalism -- that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder -- one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred?

On November 05 2014 16:14 IgnE wrote:
Republicans and democrats are nationalist to an extreme only slightly left of Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco.

On November 05 2014 18:10 Yoav wrote:


Uh, don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian, and have the healthy disregard for the moral distinctions nations draw among themselves that Christianity implies, but nationalism is hardly one of the "great evils." When opposed to imperialism, nationalism actually looks like a very sane way to go about business. But yes, as the quote points out, mass murder is bad. Not that this reflects much on the kind of patriotism felt by Americans, or any other place. The US in particular stands for a set of ideals; was Dr. King a nationalist for his full-throated support of these ideals? In a sense, but he wasn't about to go kill anybody in the name of the state.



lolwut? Yes, and I'm sure we'll be getting to our genocide momentarily.

On November 05 2014 18:10 Yoav wrote:


lolwut? Yes, and I'm sure we'll be getting to our genocide momentarily.