Total posts: 1,320
Posted in:
When considering whether a candidate measures up to your standards, what things would you tend to draw a hard line on?
Is there a reason in context, a method to your madness? How would you go about doing so?
Created:
-->
@crossed
Who is "the left"?
Created:
Posted in:
Of all the things Alexandria Cortez cynically overreacts to, you had to pick the one where someone is strangling her... So Mitch McConnel formally disassociates himself from the teenage antics (good for him) and Ms. Cortez remains single (not bad).
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
do you contend that most third world countries are socialist? My impression is they are too poor to redistribute anything. they are mostly free market.
I don't contend this. However, if there are no "socialist countries", there are still socialists.
Created:
-->
@Pinkfreud08
Looks like the Swiss have really got it together.
Here is a similar analysis, if anyone might be interested.
US Pharmaceutical Innovation in an International ContextSalomeh Keyhani, MD, MPH, Steven Wang, MD, Paul Hebert, PhD, Daniel Carpenter, PhD, and Gerard Anderson, PhDThis article has been cited by other articles in PMC.AbstractObjectives. We explored whether the United States, which does not regulate pharmaceutical prices, is responsible for the development of a disproportionate share of the new molecular entities (NMEs; a drug that does not contain an active moiety previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration) produced worldwide.Methods. We collected data on NMEs approved between 1992 and 2004 and assigned each NME to an inventor country. We examined the relation between the proportion of total NMEs developed in each country and the proportion of total prescription drug spending and gross domestic product (GDP) of each country represented.Results. The United States accounted for 42% of prescription drug spending and 40% of the total GDP among innovator countries and was responsible for the development of 43.7% of the NMEs. The United Kingdom, Switzerland, and a few other countries innovated proportionally more than their contribution to GDP or prescription drug spending, whereas Japan, South Korea, and a few other countries innovated less.Conclusions. Higher prescription drug spending in the United States does not disproportionately privilege domestic innovation, and many countries with drug price regulation were significant contributors to pharmaceutical innovation.
Created:
-->
@Pinkfreud08
The picture of a data table is a google search on a sizing guide for Nike shoes.
Created:
-->
@RationalMadman
It looks like she has a pretty good chance when you consolidate the votes, and Joe Biden is going to take a pounding.
Created:
-->
@disgusted
In such event, people have put up a fight with the means they had at hand, including firearms. In any case, don't be a statistic.
Created:
Posted in:
"Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids”
- Dum Dum
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@3RU7AL
Nobody [in America] wants to abolish the federal government.
The problem is maintaining a relationship with limitations upon the federal government, and also limitations upon the several states, which share sovereignty.
Nobody wants to abolish democracy.
It can be problematic that people may impose policy through the federal government onto other states opposed to that policy, and this is a widespread issue. The idea that this is justified by the fact that representatives are democratically elected is wrong. Plus there's Gerrymandering and general integrity of the process.
Nobody wants to abolish the rule of law.
Eh, I don't care if they want to or not. Its a constant problem.
Nobody wants to abolish property rights.
Some people have a way of thinking that is irrespective of property rights, more along the lines of property privileges. For example, should something be banned, I the property rights of that thing which is already produced and legally held ought to be respected. I generally don't believe in confiscating private property and transferring to another private entity, under a pretense of "social justice", economic reasons etc... Disputes over land use are another issue of concern for me.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@3RU7AL
This statement does nothing at all to distinguish you in any significant way from a screaming libtard.
: ) I mean I'm a genuine proponent of that form of government, not just a patriotic observer.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@3RU7AL
"Conservatism" seems to be a mixed bag.It's sort of a cafeteria style ideology where each individual just picks and chooses what they want to include and what they want to distance themselves from.
Conservatism as is generally conveyed allows the family/community to pick and choose, and prioritizes that. They can be less individualistic at times, the people who say "it seems like a good idea at first but this could undermine the family unit" and put a great deal of thought into sociological consequences whereas liberals tend to put more emphasis on individualistic equality of opportunity. Libertarianism I have never rapped my head around as useful in conveying anything but an aspect within a general philosophy. I'm not particularly familiar with libertarian thought.
It sounds like you're more of a "free thinker" with a nostalgic streak.
I'm talking about people I have personally spoken with, and my observations of conservative thought. I believe even if conservatives turn out to be on the loosing side at times that they contribute greatly to our national discourse. Some see the heart of conservatism simply as a different attitude towards the same problems, that liberals think of losers, and conservatives think like winners, that is they are okay with a healthy degree of success and failure in society which leads to natural inequality.
Ideologically I do believe my country has one of the most advanced forms of government on earth, but I would really like to see something better come along. I'm a pretty staunch proponent of republican federalism (by the people, for the people with checks and balances), rule of law, and respect of property rights. Politically, I prioritize the developing relationship of myself and others as common citizens with the government and its representatives over aspirational ideology. We really shouldn't devalue history, but I can't say I have much of a nostalgic streak.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@3RU7AL
Conservatism isn't libertarianism, although liberty is an aspect of American conservatism, and I'm specifically referencing conservatism as differentiated from neoconservatism, which I take to be more invasive or imperialistic in general.
Created:
-->
@dylancatlow
You said there is nothing wrong with white nationalism, referencing American politics.
It doesn't make sense to base a multi-racial country on only one racial construct. Do you agree?
Open question: Is "white" a nation, and non-whites also of their own nations in your view?
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@3RU7AL
I mean this "the holding of political views that favor, free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas"
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@keithprosser
No one talks about atheism where I am from, or fag for that matter, although other places they'll denigrate the behavior that way, pretty much in the form of jokes. The religious centers are central to the community I was raised in. We did have the kids say "gay", from the politics and social trends, but not adults.
The only time I hear about atheism and theism are from people who rip themselves off on books out of extreme boredom, and they don't believe in God. This website is weird that way. It's just something you see from books and speakers in my culture. There are places where people are concerned about the immorality entering into their community. Assuming they actually have something worth conserving the things they say are often different from the things that are in the media. Culture is not nationalistic, ever, in my experience. This would be a relatively new development, born out of ignorance, or a localized perception. Old school conservatism pretty much says that my house is my house and your house is your house. "The hippies in California can do drugs and burn their place to the ground, and that's fine in that its their choice. Just don't expect us to adopt the resulting nanny state or write a check on account of your problems."
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@ebuc
The temperature rises are not uniform. They are supposed to be more profound as you approach the polar regions according to the studies I've perused.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
The Vietnam war was a failure. The War on Terror has generated more terror then it was designed to prevent. ISIS killed 10,000 people. America killed 10,000 people. Normally I don't like siding with the left, but wars kill many innocents and they cost a lot of money that could be used to fix our debt.
They have respect for Americans, common interests, and sacrificed like we did against the odds in unpopular conflicts.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
He's right you know. Its not enough to stack commies on top of one another tenfold. You don't have your priorities straight. If your values suck, the heart of the nations on both sides won't respect you and whatever great men might have stood for.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
South Koreans helped us in Vietnam, and in the War on Terror. They are a great ally, and we should be sending our best there.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Greyparrot
Kinda, Korean is considered a race
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Deb-8-a-bull
Whoa! How did you add the tiny letters?
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
It's an indefinite estimate. Humans can only maintain our style of living for about 80 years until we run out of resources. I think the limiting recourse is energy.
What are you talking about?
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
This is really vague. In short, the promotion of democracy, rule of law, respect of property rights, and relatively free trade will go a long ways towards making the world more adaptable to changes in the environment. Countries should have investment in industry in the extent required to smooth the transition of infrastructure from dependence on increasingly unstable supplies of non-renewable resources.
The use of ethanol to subsidize crops and fossil fuels, and how it fits into our long term interests is a subject worth considering.
From what I have heard, installing wells and irrigation is good business right now (by American standards) in countries transitioning from an agriculturally based economy. In recent times, the potentially short sighted practice of tiling has come into prominence in industrialized farming, diverting rainfall into rivers instead of pools and into the ground, further stressing the water table and natural reserves for wildlife. Simplistically, a smooth transition from small farmers to industry/services would be conducive to greater care for the environmental challenges faced and long term considerations in general.
It is speculated that climate change is going to continue on a path with an increasing average temperature and total amount of rainfall. That will probably translate to an increase in arable land. In terms of global reserves, I've never accounted any detrimental impacts in this respect, like stressing fisheries, storm damage etc... Assuming fossil fuels are contributing significantly to an ahistorical rapid shift in the environment on a global scale, we should seriously consider efforts to moderate the transition.
Created:
Posted in:
Yep, that happened. It looks like there's been a ceasefire, for the moment.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@zedvictor4
And furthermore the U.S. needs hard working Mexicans. Who's going to do all the donkey work otherwise?Youth...Yep. Mexican youth most probably.
Exploiting a Mexican caste isn't universally acceptable in the United States.
Created:
-->
@dustryder
I disagree. Guns are a readily available and effective force multiplier tool. They are a significant factor when discussing indiscriminate life threatening violence.
Maybe there is some additional context I'm unaware of, but no one is saying up till this point that guns are irrelevant to problems in the United States, to my knowledge anyway. For example, people can pack heat while they are on their way to do immoral things, and someone might be needlessly shot in the process, although that's another subject. I take the obvious for granted, that boomsticks could be called a force multiplier. Anything that can effectively impale, burn, crush, dissable etc... is a force multiplier.
I asked if you realize your use of "gun violence" as being violence with a gun was trivial. To put another way when you say you can't have gun violence without a gun, you aren't stating that someone doesn't commit mass murder because they say to themselves "Damn, I'm gunless!" You're just stating that if a massive amounts of violence isn't committed with a gun, that it isn't gun violence. No one cares how a foreign object came to put their parts to leaking.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
Well I mean, its fine to discuss, but its still a relatively foreign concept for it to be a matter bandied about by the fed, or a state for that matter. A dress code is something people agree to adhere to, and society is fulfilled independently of the state, which is formed in respect of the people. People take that for granted.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
I completely support European Social Democracy so you're pandering to the wrong guy here with your entire last paragraph.
You mean on economics though right? (UBI, economic mobility, healthcare etc...) I'm not addressing this in my last paragraph.
What I mean by my last paragraph is that many people still don't have rights in the sense that Americans do in Europe. They never developed a basic framework to build a free country, and the state is benevolent for the time being but not subjected to the people. The people are subject to the favored party of the majority, and this is generally viewed as favorable to their previous condition. We won't hardly discuss "burka bans" in the US. People would look at you like you have two heads. What we are thinking is only a worry in our social standing before God and the peers of our society. That is totally separated from our politics.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
The problem with Bernie as far as being successful is just the way he talks. Of course its problematic to use the S word like a French sailor. If he will ever be relevant on healthcare he is unwavering to a vision that is ahead of his time. He is laser focused on the issues, which I like, but he tends not to open up much about his views and how he would go about things. His family says things like "in a capitalist society". He says things like "tax cuts for the rich" when he should be adopting Pelosi's "tossing them crumbs". In the fairly recent past he discriminated against an economist, a number cruncher who defended a religious college by making employment decisions based on conformity to doctrine. If I remember correctly, shortly after inquiring into their religious views and saying to the effect, "That is not what this country is supposed to be about". I don't think he can win the primary elections, and Joe Biden is actually utilizing him in contrast.
The perceived spectrum in the United States is different than in Europe since we have a foundational commitment to liberty and justice. The European brand of conservatism isn't associated with classical liberalism. Really, we shouldn't be inviting their sort of social conservatism/progressivism into our political rhetoric. We still have a more advanced system than some of their countries in that regard, having a long standing commitment to the separation of church and state, and our ruling class rejecting gradual transition from rulers selected by social hierarchy from the get-go.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
I couldn't really understand what you were getting at in your first post, so I asked as best I could relate. I'm sorry if it came across offensively
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
I believe at this point, that 2020 is totally up for grabs. I'm in the camp where Joe Biden is my second choice, and that he is a solid and competent candidate to nominate and run against Donald Trump.
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
One thing you can do to relate with normal people is not approaching guns as a scientific health issue. I don't mean to ignore scientific research, but the ultimate effect of allowing yourself to dehumanize the people and turn them into numbers. Also, you can simply acknowledge that gun control has rapidly diminishing returns so that people understand you aren't one of the idiots who will parrot more burdensome laws on top of one another to the point that the representatives are using a scape goat and abusing the powers of state to harass decent people.
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
I read studies, and have provided some in the past, but I am not going to say that your article on the mantras of "gun science" and the "scientific consensus" is a quality resource. You have something clouding your judgement, as I'm not apologetic in general to poltitical rhetoric. The fear-laced insecure "right wingers" bother me as much or more than the fluffy democrats distracting from their corruption and ghetto problems. The alternate universe where there is no 2nd amendment and we are under immediate threat of a gun ban is useless. Sure, there are some liabilities right now, but for productive conversation on what the government can and should do to mitigate the harmful effects of social strife its not anti-intellectual to ignore it since we still have property rights in the US.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@ebuc
The rebel flag, otherwise known as the "confederate flag" is generally symbolic of rebellion. To many people its primary association is as a historic emblem of battle, detached from white supremacy, but to others it is associated with conflicts in recent memory that were instigated by white supremacists. Obviously, only racists and ignorant people use it to promote racism, and it is often argued by honorable men that a minority of freak shows should not be allowed to define Southern heritage, as the far right shouldn't be allowed to own Old Glory.
Created:
Posted in:
- Ryan (Recently suspended campaign)
- Steve Bullock (Genuinely forgot he was even running in the first place)
- Hickenlooper
- Bennet
- De Blasio
- Williamson (Author, she'll drop out whenever she feels like it)
- Gillibrand
- Delaney
- Steyer (Billionaire who recently entered the race, he'll stick around for a bit)
- Klobuchar (Nice guys finish last)
- Castro
- Gabbard (ah ah ah, hasn't kissed enough cheeks to secure donors and loyalty)
- Yang (Too focused)
- Booker (As people learn about him, they move to Buttigieg/Harris)
- Buttigieg (Smart guy, looking at a career in politics)
- Beto (Not happening)
- Sanders (A young man's game, can't expand his appeal)
- Harris (Probably can't win, but has a good left hook)
The Two Contenders
- Warren
- Biden doesn't offend anyone and the Obama administration remains a deeply popular image in association with him, as long as he doesn't blow it.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
So if I catch your drift, the US should keep hegemony over the world order and staunchly oppose the Russians so that nations of Europe remain weak and divided in the absence of a call to arms against a common threat. Donald Trump should not be allowed to seek improved relations with Russia, and bitch about NATO. Is that about right?
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
I find statistical conversations on firearms distasteful partly because I perceive them as political fluff on a subject that people care about a great deal.
The issues are more complex than any singular statistic, and there's also cultural variance.
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
firearm ownership is correlated with murder. read the damn link, and educate yourself
Sir, I just covered this, so I can't help but feel you aren't reading what I've stated. You aren't exposing me to anything new. I'm further educated than I would like to be on this matter.
Also, your link isn't very good.
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
You are saying something that makes sense, "simple fights turn deadly quick"
Then you say something that doesn't make sense "too many things correlate with gun ownership, like homicides". If ownership is associated with some form of defense, naturally its going to be associated with homicide.
Created:
-->
@n8nrgmi
"we have too many guns" isn't an explanation. It doesn't really make any sense since guns that are made of wood and steel don't have any negative consequence on the environment. They just sit around and very slowly decay. "Gangsters are wielding firearms and obtaining them from wealthy suburbanites who collect them" is an explanation.
How does the ratio compare with Canada and Mexico?
Created:
-->
@dustryder
People are talking about indiscriminate life threatening violence. You've got to know "Gun violence" being violence with a gun is trivial, right?
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
You would say that of any president who passed republican bills wouldn't you?
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@RationalMadman
One think I like about Donald Trump is that he's actually a closet democrat who knows how to court the ignorant. He Pro 2A, but also sane. He is willing to use the military proactively, yet vehemently attacked John McCain on his death bead. He assumed anti-Obamacare rhetoric, but supports some form of the ACA. He brought DACA front and center on stage by not allowing it to go to court, and putting the responsibility on congress. DACA is symbolic of the humanitarian aspect that needs to be put into effect to expect the law to be enforced in future crisis.
He isn't much of a leader, but he could have been a "great" president I think, if the republicans were able to install more competent leadership, and it would help if the democrats were not viscerally opposed to him.
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
With Bernie Sanders you would probably have voter turnout in the republican party swinging the house like we did in the last election when they voted in opposition to Hillary Clinton, but they can't seem to figure out how to convey a visionary approach to what they want right now.
Bernie Sanders would never implement a sales tax in favor of progressive income taxation. He would call ASTAP "tax cuts for the rich"
Created:
Posted in:
-->
@Alec
How is the tax policy of some random 17 year old supposed to get implemented during the 8 years of Bernie Sanders? How is ASTAP even relevant to this?
Created:
-->
@ebuc
Additionally I suppose obsession with identity and identity politics may be linked to a breakdown of genuine community/family values, the lone wolf attacks charactaristic of the present situation inspired by a combination of contributing factors. We also have less overt organizations dedicated to confronting and terrorizing groups that threaten people in the social order than we did from the 1860's through the 1960's.
Created:
Edited
The foreign idea of America having no gun laws is generally born out of an ignorant view of our relationship with a limited federal government, when in reality this being a social issue, the vast majority of politics are held at the state level, and we do have states that are comparable with less liberal ideology associated with other countries. States with strict gun control laws are still experiencing these mass shootings, and the "extreme amount of guns in the country" is not widely seen as a contributing factor, since a fair amount of the American populous are informed that the guns are not particularly widely dispersed in comparison with other countries that experience less mass shootings. A small amount of people accumulate more of them over the course of their lifetime. "Gun culture" is an idiotic statement with no real meaning, which isn't descriptive of any particular relationship a localized culture may tend to perceive with firearms. The countries with lower tendencies for all manner of gun violence tend to have been that way for the last hundred years when their laws were comparable to the states with more liberal laws as it pertains to firearm ownership.
Everything in post #2 is either ambiguous or factually incorrect.
The culprit is always, universally, a human being.
Created:
-->
@dustryder
There's not really all that much to comment about really. I think it's mostly agreed that having an extreme amount of guns in the country, having weak gun control laws and to some extent ingrained gun culture are the usual culprits for excessive gun violence in the US. The only thing which is in dispute is an effective solution.
The foreign idea of America having no gun laws is generally born out of an ignorant view of our relationship with a limited federal government, when in reality this being a social issue, the vast majority of politics are held at the state level, and we do have states that are comparable with less liberal ideology associated with other countries. States with strict gun control laws are still experiencing these mass shootings, and the "extreme amount of guns in the country" is not widely seen as a contributing factor, since a fair amount of the American populous are informed that the guns are not particularly widely dispersed in comparison with other countries that experience less mass shootings. A small amount of people accumul post #2 ate more of them over the course of their lifetime. "Gun culture" is an idiotic statement with no real meaning, which isn't descriptive of any particular relationship a localized culture may tend to perceive with firearms. The countries with lower tendencies for all manner of gun violence tend to have been that way for the last hundred years when their laws were comparable to the states with more liberal laws as it pertains to firearm ownership.
Everything in post #2 is either ambiguous or factually incorrect.
Created: