US Politics Mega-thread - Page 2147

On August 03 2015 02:42 Chewbacca. wrote:

Did Biden do anything as VP besides be pushed into a corner where he couldn't say stupid things?

On August 03 2015 02:42 Chewbacca. wrote:

Did Biden do anything as VP besides be pushed into a corner where he couldn't say stupid things?

Presidential candidates from both parties are tapping into Americans’ growing angst over paying for college, placing an unprecedented bright glare on higher education this election.

For Democrats, the solution is making college cheaper, or free. Republicans want more innovation and efficiency.

The surge in candidates’ collective interest in the issue isn’t a coincidence: Nearly half the students who answered a recent UCLA survey on the importance of financial aid in their college decision making said it was “very important” — the highest percentage ever in the 42 years the question was asked. A Gallup poll earlier this year found more parents fret about having enough money to pay for their kids’ college than other Americans worry about any other common financial concern.

Tuition sticker prices, adjusted for inflation, have tripled for public four-year colleges and more than doubled for private ones in the last three decades — helping push higher education issues into the forefront. And the nation faces a collective $1.2 trillion in student loan debt. There’s a fear among many voters that they or their children will be shut out of higher education altogether.

But the Democrats will have to come up with big bucks to pay for their proposals. And the GOP will have to go beyond criticizing the higher ed establishment to come up with solutions at scale.

On August 03 2015 04:06 Yoav wrote:


Lol. He did literally everything "Obama" actually accomplished. All the whipping for votes, all the negotiations. Everything Obama did was legit Biden. Everything he almost did was still Biden, with not enough support from Obama. Everything that didn't happen was because Biden wasn't there or wasn't backed up.

Obama seems like a smart, cool guy, and I'd love to take a class with him, but some of his "cool" characteristics (such as unwillingness to actually talk to members of Congress) have been fatal to his ability to actually get shit done.

Biden is a champ of actual on-the-ground work. This guy was the poorest guy in the Senate and has a real track record of focusing on the things that really matter, without getting distracted with glory or trying to get rich.

I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. Hell, if he runs I'll donate to the campaign. I really respect Bernie, and if Biden doesn't run he has my vote, but I have a hard time getting over my cynicism about a Sanders campaign's chances, and I like Biden just as well (and for many of the same reasons).

On August 03 2015 13:32 cLutZ wrote:
Biden vs. Sanders would be an interesting race, but I dont see either beating Hillary with the other in the race because of her core of supporters that just are obsessed with the idea of a female president. It basically guarantees her a plurality in early primaries because such people are ~30% of the Democratic base.

On August 03 2015 13:32 cLutZ wrote:
Biden vs. Sanders would be an interesting race, but I dont see either beating Hillary with the other in the race because of her core of supporters that just are obsessed with the idea of a female president. It basically guarantees her a plurality in early primaries because such people are ~30% of the Democratic base.

On August 03 2015 15:19 Slaughter wrote:
Was Bill this shady when he was in office? I wasn't really politically aware then but I don't remember this type of stuff coming up when he was in office besides the whole affair thing.

On August 03 2015 15:47 Yoav wrote:


Not taking-bribes-openly-for-politcal-favors shady, no. As President, Bill had a lot of small-scale scandals constantly simmering, which is why the affair came to light in the first place. As governor of Arkansas, however, there was some seriously shady stuff in terms of unrealistic returns on futures probably as a result of political favors. Some suspicion that he used state resources to cover up his extramarital affairs. Hillary got in a few little scandals of her own, as was often on the wings in Bill's. Remember her thing about how the media was engaged in a "vast right-wing conspiracy"? A few critics also seem to have been bought off, brought on payroll in one form or another. But the Clinton Global Initiative stuff is on a different level than any of that.

On August 03 2015 02:33 Sermokala wrote:
More people in Louisiana or something think that Obama is at fault for Katrina then bush

In a 416-page manifesto called Palestine, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei details his view on the destruction of Israel and the deception of the US. The book, which credits Khamenei as "The flag bearer of Jihad to liberate Jerusalem," is only available in Iran, the NY Post revealed.

According to the Post, Khamenei quickly asserts his belief that Israel does not have a right to exist as a state. He does this by using three words: nabudi meaning annihilation, imha meaning fading out and zaval meaning effacement. The book allegedly states Khamenei's strategy for the destruction of Israel is through "well-established Islamic principles".

One of those principles is that a land under Muslim rule, no matter how brief, can never be returned to non-Muslim rulers. The Post reported that Khamenei lists Israel as a special case because it is an "ally of the American Great Satan," it has waged war against Muslims and because it occupies Jerusalem, which he calls "Islam's third Holy City."

In his new book, the Iranian religious leader calls for long periods of low-intensity warfare that makes like unpleasant or impossible for a majority of Israeli Jews so they leave Israel. He does not, however, call for the complete destruction of the country or the massacre of Jewish people.

Despite this, Khamenei's plan includes a group of "fighters" in the West Bank that would develop Hezbollah-style units.

"We have intervened in anti-Israel matters, and it brought up victory in the 33-day war by Hezbollah against Israel in 2006 and in the 22-day war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip," he allegedly wrote.

The Post reported that Khamenei then believes that as the cost of staying in Israel rises, the cost of supporting the Jewish state, particularly for the US, will also rise. Khamenei believes there should be a one-state formula that would be called Palestine under Muslim rule. However, non-Muslims would be allowed to stay if they prove "genuine roots" in the region, thus becoming "protected minorities."

His plan would put Israel, the West Bank and Gaza under a United Nations mandate before creating the new state of Palestine.

On August 03 2015 22:21 Plansix wrote:
I am glad to see the Iran has their own set of hardliners that can publish books in protest of changes in forgiven policy. Now the endless debate on if everyone else in Iran thinks the same way as this guy because this book exists. Fox News has segments for at least 3 weeks off of this.

On August 03 2015 22:32 always_winter wrote:
Khamenei is the supreme authority in Iran. He has more power and authority relative to his constituency than any elected official on the planet, including the POTUS. His will dictates Iranian policy.

It exemplifies the issue of pigeon-holing oneself to a single lens from which to see an entire world order; that every state actor could be viewed with absolute relativity. Iran is not relative. It does not fit into a nice, little peaceful "non-proliferation standpoint." If you seek expertise, seek Middle Eastern experts. Seek people who actually understand the nature of the beast you wish to tame.

Here's the link: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/irans-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-publishes-book-to-destroy-israel-and-deceive-us/ar-BBlllUD

My link functionality isn't working on this desktop. Google is a pretty good resource.

On August 03 2015 22:32 always_winter wrote:
Khamenei is the supreme authority in Iran. He has more power and authority relative to his constituency than any elected official on the planet, including the POTUS. His will dictates Iranian policy.

It exemplifies the issue of pigeon-holing oneself to a single lens from which to see an entire world order; that every state actor could be viewed with absolute relativity. Iran is not relative. It does not fit into a nice, little peaceful "non-proliferation standpoint." If you seek expertise, seek Middle Eastern experts. Seek people who actually understand the nature of the beast you wish to tame.

Here's the link: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/irans-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-publishes-book-to-destroy-israel-and-deceive-us/ar-BBlllUD

My link functionality isn't working on this desktop. Google is a pretty good resource.