In order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a re-read to refresh your memory! The vast majority of you are contributing in a healthy way, keep it up!
NOTE: When providing a source, explain why you feel it is relevant and what purpose it adds to the discussion if it's not obvious. Also take note that unsubstantiated tweets/posts meant only to rekindle old arguments can result in a mod action.
Obama's going to get unicorns and a gold-plated toilet before he gets a nuclear deal with Iran. The president himself is skeptical:
"Are we going to be able to close this final gap so that (Iran) can re-enter the international community, sanctions can be slowly reduced and we have verifiable, lock-tight assurances that they can't develop a nuclear weapon?" Obama asked.
"There's still a big gap. We may not be able to get there," he said.
the important part about proliferation is the enrichment plant. they were talking about giving iran both enriched uranium fuel and ready made reactors. it depends on how serious iran is about getting nukes.
useful for deterring existential foreign threats to the regime, as north korea demonstrates too well.
USCC taking up the Obamacare subsidies issue. Case should be decided in the next 7 months. So I'd expect the House/Senate to hold back on anything Obamacare related until this is resolved.
On Friday afternoon, the Court announced that it would review a challenge to the availability of tax subsidies for taxpayers who purchase their health insurance on a marketplace – known as an exchange – established by the federal government. Lyle Denniston covered the grant for this blog; contributors to our “snap symposium” on the grant included Nicholas Bagley, Abbe Gluck, and Jonathan H. Adler. Other coverage comes from Nina Totenberg of NPR, William Mears of CNN, Adam Liptak of The New York Times, and Jaclyn Belczyk of JURIST. Commentary comes from Noah Feldman at Bloomberg View, who suggests that, “from the standpoint of the Barack Obama administration, there is reason to be curiously concerned that the president’s signature legislative accomplishment is in jeopardy once again,” and from Roger Parloff of Fortune, who contends that, “[w]hatever [the Court] does, the outcome will define Chief Justice John Roberts Jr.’s legacy more than any case since he ascended the bench nine years ago.”
On November 10 2014 22:18 RCMDVA wrote: USCC taking up the Obamacare subsidies issue. Case should be decided in the next 7 months. So I'd expect the House/Senate to hold back on anything Obamacare related until this is resolved.
On Friday afternoon, the Court announced that it would review a challenge to the availability of tax subsidies for taxpayers who purchase their health insurance on a marketplace – known as an exchange – established by the federal government. Lyle Denniston covered the grant for this blog; contributors to our “snap symposium” on the grant included Nicholas Bagley, Abbe Gluck, and Jonathan H. Adler. Other coverage comes from Nina Totenberg of NPR, William Mears of CNN, Adam Liptak of The New York Times, and Jaclyn Belczyk of JURIST. Commentary comes from Noah Feldman at Bloomberg View, who suggests that, “from the standpoint of the Barack Obama administration, there is reason to be curiously concerned that the president’s signature legislative accomplishment is in jeopardy once again,” and from Roger Parloff of Fortune, who contends that, “[w]hatever [the Court] does, the outcome will define Chief Justice John Roberts Jr.’s legacy more than any case since he ascended the bench nine years ago.”
I don't really see this case as being a reason for the Legislature to act or not act on Obamacare. There isn't a chance that the Court is going to strike it down.
At least the lottery has to post it's odds. Slot machines are the height of false advertisement. Besides not posting the odds, when you bet $10 they can take $9 and tell you that you won...
On November 11 2014 03:14 oneofthem wrote: you laugh but i think a non-regressive kind of lottery could be used to 'throw money into the streets' more directly than QE and stuff.
What do you mean by non-regressive lottery?
On a HBO related note, what do you think of Bill Maher's rant on proportional representation in the senate?
California, a state with 33 million people, gets two senators. 8 Red states, with a combined total population of 33 million people, gets 16 senators. As Maher put it, the Senate "over represents rural people, not real people".
Isn't the senate's purpose in America to represent the states interests, not the citizens?
lottery is highly regressive because poor people spend their income on it. it's mainly about propensity to play it rather than the negative return rate. a non-regressive lottery would be something like a free ticket for everyone below a certain wealth level or something of the sort.
but obviously just a fun scenario not realistic at all.
On November 11 2014 04:44 oneofthem wrote: lottery is highly regressive because poor people spend their income on it. it's mainly about propensity to play it rather than the negative return rate. a non-regressive lottery would be something like a free ticket for everyone below a certain wealth level or something of the sort.
but obviously just a fun scenario not realistic at all.
I've heard of prize-linked savings accounts. Could build off of that.
On November 11 2014 03:14 oneofthem wrote: you laugh but i think a non-regressive kind of lottery could be used to 'throw money into the streets' more directly than QE and stuff.
What do you mean by non-regressive lottery?
On a HBO related note, what do you think of Bill Maher's rant on proportional representation in the senate?
California, a state with 33 million people, gets two senators. 8 Red states, with a combined total population of 33 million people, gets 16 senators. As Maher put it, the Senate "over represents rural people, not real people".
Isn't the senate's purpose in America to represent the states interests, not the citizens?
A). There is proportional representation, it's in the house and the electoral college. Perhaps Bill doesn't know his constitutional history on why the congress is the way it is.
B). Yes, the senate was supposed to represent the states. This changed with the 17th amendment. Now, the states have no way of defending thier interests or protecting their power in the national legislature. It does make the senate far less useful as the body it was intended to be. It's too bad, really.
On Monday, President Barack Obama came out in favor of the "strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality," endorsing a popular proposal that would empower the Federal Communications Commission to require Internet service providers to treat all web traffic equally and not charge content providers for better access.
"We cannot allow Internet service providers to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas," Obama said in a statement.
The FCC is currently weighing whether ISPs, such as Verizon and Comcast, can choose to block or prioritize delivering traffic to certain websites. The consideration comes in the wake of a federal appeals court ruling in January that struck down the rules that barred companies from doing so. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the FCC was considering a "hybrid" compromise that would empower ISPs to make deals with companies to allow for faster content delivery, while still allowing for oversight.
Obama's plan provides for more regulation than that. He's backing a proposal that would reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, treating the service as a public utility. Under that section, it's illegal "to make any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications, regulations, facilities, or services."
Obama is also asking for a ban on paid prioritization, a practice that allows companies to put service in the "slow lane" if a content provider doesn't pay a fee.
Your STATES, as in local governments by and for the people, actually run LOTTERIES? LOL. America never ceases to amaze.
Why is this bad? Basically a voluntary tax where the proceeds go to helping the people?
There are like a hundred reasons that come to mind.
Promoting gambling potentially causes a lot of suffering/is problematic because
-of its addictive nature -its destructive nature -its tension with religion -it being a pipe dream, and "idiot tax" is the more appropriate term
just right on top of my head.
I have heard governments taxing/banning/regulating it, but never being the pusher themselves. That's a new one and more than questionable.
Luring people into buying a state approved ticket, by holding a golden carrot in front of their face that they are going to increase education spending/infrastructure spending/number of police men on the street/policy x/y...if Z amount of money is achieved in revenues must be one of the most perfidious things I have heard in a long time.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) said on Monday that impeaching President Obama "would be a consideration" if he moves forward unilaterally on immigration.
Barton's comments were made during an interview with former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), who now hosts NewsMaxTV's "America's Forum."
Barton was asked about the possibility that Obama could take executive action to slow deportations.
“Well impeachment is indicting in the House and that’s a possibility. But you still have to convict in the Senate and that takes a two-thirds vote," Barton said. "But impeachment would be a consideration, yes sir."