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Read the rules in the OP before posting, please.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. |
On June 21 2016 08:26 Doodsmack wrote:
Senate Republicans denying a bill to restrict those on the terror watch list (~5k Americans) from buying guns. Have they lost their minds?
Is that the secret list that no one can tell you how you got it and that has no way to challenge being on it with no judicial oversight?
Because if so then I can understand how some people have legitimate issues with such a ban.
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Drugs are delicious  not to mention highly educational. Pretty good channel for creativity, too.
They facilitate major shifts in perspective and the production of introspective meaning, something the modern homo sapiens has been struggling with a lot.
I'm pretty sure most people hating on drugs haven't done any themselves or think the point of drugs is to "party" or "waste time" which is very much incorrect. Sure, you can do that, too, and you should in moderation, but the point of drugs is to explore consciousness and the miracle that is life.
Personally I wouldn't be surprised if legalizing drugs brings enormous positive consequences to the entire social fabric. So far every country that relaxed its drug laws saw nothing but benefits, including a (not so) surprising decline in overall drug use.
People will look back on drug prohibition and wonder what the fuck we were doing.
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I hate on drugs a lot, and I've done a lot of drugs. Different kinds and excess amounts. Haven't touched them in well over a decade, but if I could take back every single drug I ever did, I would in a heartbeat.
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On June 21 2016 08:40 Kickboxer wrote:Drugs are delicious not to mention highly educational. Pretty good channel for creativity, too. They facilitate major shifts in perspective and the production of introspective meaning, something the modern homo sapiens has been struggling with a lot. I'm pretty sure most people hating on drugs haven't done any themselves or think the point of drugs is to "party" or "waste time" which is very much incorrect. Sure, you can do that, too, and you should in moderation, but the point of drugs is to explore consciousness and the miracle that is life. Personally I wouldn't be surprised if legalizing drugs brings enormous positive consequences to the entire social fabric. So far every country that relaxed its drug laws saw nothing but benefits, including a (not so) surprising decline in overall drug use. People will look back on drug prohibition and wonder what the fuck we were doing.
Can you please clarify which drugs you're talking about? Because I feel like you might be overgeneralizing when you talk about the benefits and point of taking "drugs".
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Two high-ranking New York Police Department officers were arrested Monday on charges they took over $100,000 worth of free flights, prostitutes, expensive meals and other bribes in exchange for providing a "private police force" for local businessmen.
Deputy Chief Michael Harrington, Deputy Inspector James Grant and a third defendant, Brooklyn businessman Jeremy Reichberg, were charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud — the latest development in a series of overlapping public corruption investigations coordinated by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. David Villanueva, an NYPD sergeant assigned to the gun license bureau, was arrested on charges of conspiring to commit bribery.
In exchange for the bribes, Reichberg and others "got a private police force for themselves and their friends," Bharara said at a news conference. "Effectively, they got 'cops on call.'"
The four arrests follow months of revelations that have embarrassed the nation's largest police department and put Mayor Bill de Blasio on the spot about his campaign financing. Both Reichberg and another businessman who has already pleaded guilty in the case contributed heavily to de Blasio's campaign.
The mayor, a Democrat, hasn't been implicated in any wrongdoing.
A criminal complaint accompanying the latest charges described how Reichberg exploited his connections within the police department to speed up gun license processing, make tickets disappear, get police escorts for him and his friends, get assistance from uniformed personnel to resolve personal disputes and boost security at religious sites and events.
Reichberg even managed to get his connections to shut down a lane of the Lincoln Tunnel connecting New Jersey and Manhattan and obtain a police escort for a businessman visiting the U.S., the complaint said.
Source
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Most drugs, even the highly neurotoxic/addictive ones, can teach a person something valuable about themselves or otherwise provide some sort of benefit, but that's conditional on the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual qualities of the person consuming the drug. To put it simply, there are a lot of people out there, but not all, who should not try heroin, but that's not exactly a controversial thing to say, now is it?
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On June 21 2016 08:29 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:Show nested quote +Donald Trump's proposed plans to cut taxes, engage in trade wars, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants would hurt the U.S. economy and send the country into a recession, according to new report by Moody's Analytics.
Economists reviewed Trump's proposed tax cuts for individuals and businesses, his calls to deport undocumented immigrants and build a southern border wall, and his threats to impose large tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico.
The analysis found that if all of Trump's proposals were implemented, "the economy suffers a lengthy recession and is smaller at the end of his four-year term than when he took office."
"The upshot of Mr. Trump’s economic policy positions under almost any scenario is that the U.S. economy will be more isolated and diminished," the report reads.
The economists drew four basic conclusions about the impact of Trump's plans: a less global economy, larger government debt, a weaker economy with higher unemployment, and benefits mostly for high-income Americans.
Trump has proposed significant tax cuts without proposing spending cuts to offset the reduced revenue, which the Moody's report found would cause interest rates to rise and weaken the economy. The analysis also found that high-income households would benefit most from Trump's economic plan.
"Everyone receives a tax cut under his proposals, but the bulk of the cuts would go to those at the very top of the income distribution, and the job losses resulting from his other policies would likely hit lower- and middle-income households the hardest," the report reads.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee's immigration and trade proposals would result in "a smaller economy and higher inflation," according to the report. Source
taxfoundation says this
The plan would also lead to a 29 percent larger capital stock, 6.5 percent higher wages, and 5.3 million more full-time equivalent jobs.
According to the Tax Foundation’s Taxes and Growth Model, the plan would significantly reduce marginal tax rates and the cost of capital, which would lead to an 11 percent higher GDP over the long term provided that the tax cut could be appropriately financed.
http://taxfoundation.org/article/details-and-analysis-donald-trump-s-tax-plan
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On June 21 2016 08:50 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
Can you please clarify which drugs you're talking about? Because I feel like you might be overgeneralizing when you talk about the benefits and point of taking "drugs".
Sure, no problem.
Marijuana, while not recommended for people with issues or anyone who dislikes altered states of consciousness, is probably the single best substance you can put in your body. Apart from being good for your system it goes absolutely swell with physical activity, reading, any kind of creative or group endeavor, or simply enjoying the marvels of nature, architecture and the universe in general - a.k.a. living in the moment. In contrast to popular opinion, it absolutely does not "make" people lazy, though many lazy or desperate people find solace in weed. And why shouldn't they.
Psylocibin mushrooms or LSD should be taken by everyone at least once in their life, preferably every once in a while. Great substitute for organized religion, tremendous tool for self-discovery, just an overall eye opening spiritual experience. In fact, and I'm not kidding, I would make it mandatory for politicians to consume hallucinogenic drugs.
MDMA and MDA boost your general mood, make for outlandishly amazing sex and some of the best times you'll ever have, and apparently also cure depression and help with PTSD, as revealed by recent clinical studies. Not too shabby.
You can use quality amphetamines when under extreme stress or faced with prolonged strenuous work. Not too healthy but it gets the job done.
Even cocaine and opiates, while on the more useless and potentially dangerous side of the drug spectrum, still have a bunch of uses providing the substance is pure and the environment controlled. I don't think it's a coincidence that masses of the very rich and successful are habitual cocaine users.
Like most other things in life drugs are simply a tool that can be used in a variety of ways, some good, some bad. Criminalizing users and distorting information while also flooding the black market with absolutely shit drugs is not progressive in any way. Especially since in the West, we already have pharmaceutical substitutes for most classes of drugs, all of which are not only legal (sleeping pills = opium, adderal = speed etc.) but also fundamentally less appropriate for human consumption compared to their natural counterparts.
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On June 21 2016 09:02 farvacola wrote:
Most drugs, even the highly neurotoxic/addictive ones, can teach a person something valuable about themselves or otherwise provide some sort of benefit, but that's conditional on the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual qualities of the person consuming the drug. To put it simply, there are a lot of people out there, but not all, who should not try heroin, but that's not exactly a controversial thing to say, now is it?
Exactly. Know who you are. If you have an addictive personality and suffer from depression you should probably stay away from most narcotics.
I've always done drugs for partying or fun. I admit i have enjoyed some philosophical adventures while on psychedelics. To say that i learned something invaluable and that i transformed my life is a bit of a stretch. I've heard that hippie rhetoric so much, it kind of annoys me. Just admit you're doing something because it's fun, stop trying to legitimize to yourself and other people, with this "direct experience" non sense.
So many who i know who are druggies smoke so much weed and psychedelics that they think they are some enlightened shaman. To the sober mind, they are a fool.
^ yeah the post above me is not the perspective i like. Good example.
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On June 21 2016 07:01 oneofthem wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2016 06:20 IgnE wrote:On June 21 2016 04:46 oneofthem wrote:
uh i was talking about raghuram rajan quitting the reserve bank of india, a situation i framed as entrenched big businesses with roots in indian socialist system trying to preserve their power by ousting a guy trying to call them out on the cronyism.
the rest of your post is just bad. i dunno you sound kind of like a bernieorbuster to me. you didnt really frame the situation at all. neoliberals being driven back into their lairs by socialist big business? neoliberals advocating for guaranteed wage? like neoliberal policies after a period of enclosed nationalism have benefited entrenched interests everywhere that theyve been enacted. its weird to call rajan a neoliberal and the "cronies" he hates socialists while using "nationalist" to mean socialist post independence india but not BJP. maybe your framing would be better with consistent/meaningful use of terms it's more like, not all 'neoliberals' are bad and leftist hamsters using the term are ignorant and confused about what is actually going on
i dunno man who are you talking to? or about? its like you sometimes stream of consciousness in this thread about bernieorbust bros from reddit
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On June 21 2016 09:04 GGTeMpLaR wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2016 08:29 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:Donald Trump's proposed plans to cut taxes, engage in trade wars, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants would hurt the U.S. economy and send the country into a recession, according to new report by Moody's Analytics.
Economists reviewed Trump's proposed tax cuts for individuals and businesses, his calls to deport undocumented immigrants and build a southern border wall, and his threats to impose large tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico.
The analysis found that if all of Trump's proposals were implemented, "the economy suffers a lengthy recession and is smaller at the end of his four-year term than when he took office."
"The upshot of Mr. Trump’s economic policy positions under almost any scenario is that the U.S. economy will be more isolated and diminished," the report reads.
The economists drew four basic conclusions about the impact of Trump's plans: a less global economy, larger government debt, a weaker economy with higher unemployment, and benefits mostly for high-income Americans.
Trump has proposed significant tax cuts without proposing spending cuts to offset the reduced revenue, which the Moody's report found would cause interest rates to rise and weaken the economy. The analysis also found that high-income households would benefit most from Trump's economic plan.
"Everyone receives a tax cut under his proposals, but the bulk of the cuts would go to those at the very top of the income distribution, and the job losses resulting from his other policies would likely hit lower- and middle-income households the hardest," the report reads.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee's immigration and trade proposals would result in "a smaller economy and higher inflation," according to the report. Source taxfoundation says this Show nested quote +The plan would also lead to a 29 percent larger capital stock, 6.5 percent higher wages, and 5.3 million more full-time equivalent jobs. Show nested quote + According to the Tax Foundation’s Taxes and Growth Model, the plan would significantly reduce marginal tax rates and the cost of capital, which would lead to an 11 percent higher GDP over the long term provided that the tax cut could be appropriately financed. http://taxfoundation.org/article/details-and-analysis-donald-trump-s-tax-plan
The Tax Foundation isn't a great source for evaluating tax plans. They use dynamic scoring, which basically allows them to make up numbers.
Also from your quote: "...provided that the tax cut could be appropriately financed."
lol
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On June 21 2016 09:15 SolaR- wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2016 09:02 farvacola wrote:
Most drugs, even the highly neurotoxic/addictive ones, can teach a person something valuable about themselves or otherwise provide some sort of benefit, but that's conditional on the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual qualities of the person consuming the drug. To put it simply, there are a lot of people out there, but not all, who should not try heroin, but that's not exactly a controversial thing to say, now is it? Exactly. Know who you are. If you have an addictive personality and suffer from depression you should probably stay away from most narcotics. I've always done drugs for partying or fun. I admit i have enjoyed some philosophical adventures while on psychedelics. To say that i learned something invaluable and that i transformed my life is a bit of a stretch. I've heard that hippie rhetoric so much, it kind of annoys me. Just admit you're doing something because it's fun, stop trying to legitimize to yourself and other people, with this "direct experience" non sense. So many who i know who are druggies smoke so much weed and psychedelics that they think they are some enlightened shaman. To the sober mind, they are a fool. ^ yeah the post above me is not the perspective i like. Good example.
If we assumed people would act in their own best interest (like staying away from addicting substances when they are susceptible to them) we would need a whole lot less rules.
Part of the illegality of hard drugs is to try to keep them out of the hands of those who do not have such great self control.
That is why decriminalizing is imo a better solution. We don't need to go around jailing stoners but we should not be encouraging the free distribution of such potentially harmful substances.
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Sure Solar, not everyone is the same and drugs are absolutely not for everyone. I also agree with Farvacola's concise perspective. But I think personal responsibility, access to information and quality are certainly the way to go in this regard.
There's a huge gray stretch between OMG ME SHAMAN and DRUGS ARE BAD MKAY, and when the latter sends people to prison for extended periods of time for something they are doing to themselves, in private, and the former is just funny or slightly sad, the punishment becomes a disproportionately bigger problem than the crime.
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On June 21 2016 09:25 Gorsameth wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2016 09:15 SolaR- wrote:On June 21 2016 09:02 farvacola wrote:
Most drugs, even the highly neurotoxic/addictive ones, can teach a person something valuable about themselves or otherwise provide some sort of benefit, but that's conditional on the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual qualities of the person consuming the drug. To put it simply, there are a lot of people out there, but not all, who should not try heroin, but that's not exactly a controversial thing to say, now is it? Exactly. Know who you are. If you have an addictive personality and suffer from depression you should probably stay away from most narcotics. I've always done drugs for partying or fun. I admit i have enjoyed some philosophical adventures while on psychedelics. To say that i learned something invaluable and that i transformed my life is a bit of a stretch. I've heard that hippie rhetoric so much, it kind of annoys me. Just admit you're doing something because it's fun, stop trying to legitimize to yourself and other people, with this "direct experience" non sense. So many who i know who are druggies smoke so much weed and psychedelics that they think they are some enlightened shaman. To the sober mind, they are a fool. ^ yeah the post above me is not the perspective i like. Good example. If we assumed people would act in their own best interest (like staying away from addicting substances when they are susceptible to them) we would need a whole lot less rules. Part of the illegality of hard drugs is to try to keep them out of the hands of those who do not have such great self control. That is why decriminalizing is imo a better solution. We don't need to go around jailing stoners but we should not be encouraging the free distribution of such potentially harmful substances.
I agree with you. Decriminalize and regulate. Allow the government to distribute the drugs and have a limit on how much someone can purchase a month depending what the drug is. Perhaps require licenses for the "harder drugs".
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On June 21 2016 09:28 Kickboxer wrote:
Sure Solar, not everyone is the same and drugs are absolutely not for everyone. I also agree with Farvacola's concise perspective. But I think personal responsibility, access to information and quality are certainly the way to go in this regard.
There's a huge gray stretch between OMG ME SHAMAN and DRUGS ARE BAD MKAY, and when the latter sends people to prison for extended periods of time for something they are doing to themselves, in private, and the former is just funny or slightly sad, the punishment becomes a disproportionately bigger problem than the crime.
If you read my previous posts you would know that i have been advocating for decriminalization of drugs and that i have done several drugs and enjoyed them. With that being said, I still think many drug users try to over value and legitimize the effect of drugs. I was just saying why can't many drug users just admit that they just do them for fun instead of creating this facade of an "enlightened experience", give me a break.
In many ways psychedelic s are just an ego trip. Many people use their trips to try and value themselves over others.
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New wildfires erupted Monday in southern California and chased people from their homes as an intensifying heatwave stretching from the west coast to New Mexico blistered the region.
Towering columns of smoke rose from the San Gabriel mountains behind Los Angeles as the fires several miles apart devoured hundreds of acres of brush on steep slopes above foothill suburbs.
Police in the city of Azusa and parts of Duarte ordered hundreds of homes evacuated. Others were under voluntary evacuations.
“It’s crazy. It’s super close,” said 17-year-old Tawni Atencio, whose family was evacuating their home in Bradbury.
She said the flames were just a couple miles away and were making the house hot despite air conditioning. She watched as smoke from the fire billowed outside and helicopters dropped retardant on the flames.
“It looked like a bomb exploded,” she said. “It’s scary. We’re just praying it doesn’t get to our house.”
The two fires had grown to a combined five square miles. The first and largest of the two was sparked by a car accident, the California Highway Patrol said.
Helicopters sucked water out of a reservoir to drop on flames while air tankers bombarded the flanks of the fire with retardant.
Officials had warned of extreme fire danger in the region as the heatwave peaked. Temperatures surpassed 100 degrees across much of southern California well before noon, while some desert cities sizzled in the 120s.
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The federal Bureau of Land Management has announced it plans to return to work, clean up and access the Gold Butte region near Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch for the first time since Bundy and his brigade led a standoff against BLM officials in 2014.
Bundy – who stopped paying federal grazing fees on the land near his ranch more than two decades ago– had become an icon for anti-government extremists with his outspoken denouncement of the federal government. His declaration against federal officials in 2014 and refusal to stop grazing his cattle on the federal land attracted armed anti-government types to face off against federal authorities in 2014.
With Bundy and his four sons behind bars and awaiting trial related to the 2014 standoff as well as the Oregon Malheur Refuge standoff from earlier this year, BLM officials will finally move in to work on Gold Butte, according to a report flagged by the Salt Lake Tribune.
"Due to safety and security concerns, BLM employees have not conducted field work in the Gold Butte area in northeastern Clark County since early 2014. With the support of the local community, BLM officials have determined that the conditions are now right to resume work," a release from the agency stated. "BLM archaeologists, law enforcement officers, and local agency leadership have all visited the area over the past month."
The 2014 Wild West-style standoff was a flash point in the fight between anti-government types and the BLM that had raged for decades. The standoff brought together hundreds of Bundy sympathizers after federal officials attempted to round up hundreds of Bundy's cattle that were grazing illegally. Bundy was able to rally armed supporters and ultimately federal officials backed down.
The list of to-dos for the BLM include "assessing the damage to cultural heritage sites," which may have been damaged after the standoff or related illegal grazing in the area. The BLM will also be "partnering with the National Park Service on critical repairs to communications infrastructure" and conducting road maintenance.
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The deal maker can't even raise money for am election. It's almost like he's a con artist and was lying the who time.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CskTyTZ.jpg)
