Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 9, 2015 - 05:42am PT
|
Werner posted You stoopid Americans
The pyramids are made out of styrofoam and put in place by only a few dudes.
Then one dude chanted a special mantra and bingo all the styrofoam turned into stone .......
How are people not talking about this? Who knows this sacred incantation?!?!? This opens open an entire new world of routesetting!!!!
|
|
dirtbag
climber
|
|
In the early 2000s, America was led by:
-A segregationist-sympathizer (senate majority leader Trent Lott);
-A Child molester, convicted of illegally providing hush money (house speaker dennis Hastert);
-His convicted felon second in command (house majority leader Tom DeLay)
-And a guy whose own father--a former president, himself--thinks screwed the pooch as president.
All of them proud republicans.
That explains a lot.
|
|
TGT
Social climber
So Cal
|
|
|
|
Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
|
|
Sorry Chief, the picture of the Repugs is not accepting money from the arabs, it is KISSING them. So glad you are aligning yourself with the Sharia Law loving arabs. Let's us see what the NCO corps is all about.
|
|
Larry Nelson
Social climber
|
|
Dirtbag
There are some truths to your points about republican leadership.
I enjoy occasionally debating philosophically, just so that my ideas are challenged.
The way I see it:
With progressives, everything is political.
Their best and brightest are drawn to politics.
With conservatives, politics is peripheral.
Their best and brightest are drawn to the private sector.
Probably why republicans are so inept as advocates of conservative causes.
I really don't see one political party having a higher moral authority over the other.
They each have their legitimate philosophies, agendas and interest groups.
They each have their share of craven and corrupt narcissists.
I believe Barak Obama is a decent man, but he does excel in a sewer of a profession, like all good politicians do.
One could make the case that he rose to the top of the most corrupt political machine in America without making any waves, but what does that really mean?
One other thing.
In these personal scandals, it seems to me that republicans out their own, while democrats tend to circle the wagons.
Not in every case, but in general, that is my perception.
|
|
dirtbag
climber
|
|
really don't see one political party having a higher moral authority over the other.
They each have their legitimate philosophies, agendas and interest groups.
They each have their share of craven and corrupt narcissists.
I agree.
It's just noteworthy that we had the perfect storm of seriously compromised leaders in leading posts at the same time.
|
|
Larry Nelson
Social climber
|
|
To further the philosophical discussion of our modern problems:
Bernie's big message seems to be income inequality
I don't think income inequality is well understood.
1. Income inequality is a natural result of freedom. We all make our choices and set our own priorities.
That rich guy may have sold his soul and never got to know his kids in making money his God.
You, OTOH, probably have more leisure time than he does. Why don't we measure leisure time inequality?
2. Technology of the future will probably increase income inequality for a variety of reasons, and neither political party has an answer to that.
3. A successful marriage is one of the surest ways to prosperity.
A broken marriage and single parenting is one of the surest ways to (edit) financial struggles.
Our popular culture is changing in a way that naturally increases income inequality.
How does Bernie, or Hillary, propose to "cure" income inequality?
Through benevolent state authority? Seems like that's been tried before.
How do any of the republicans propose to fix it?
Not sure they see it as fixable, except for trying to change the perverse incentives of the welfare state.
We'll see how the majority of voters see the problem and the fix.
|
|
apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
|
|
Larry, I share your observations about other aspects of inequality, however they are much more difficult to quantify, esp. for political purposes. Sander's focus is on an aspect that is more tangible to most- that of simple income inequality, and the way the predominance of wealth has centralized in a very small percentage of the citizenry.
|
|
Larry Nelson
Social climber
|
|
Apogee,
I agree my points are a simplification.
One of the things I believe ignited the fires on the left and right was the bailouts of the "too big to fail".
Privatizing profits and socializing losses just isn't right.
And then for CEO's to award themselves big bonuses for not going bankrupt?
It stinks.
OTOH, with a big recession looming, what was the right answer?
Counter-factuals cannot be dis-proven, so we will never know.
What most Americans now believe is that there is some kind of craven connection between the Wall St super rich and politicians of both parties who attain wealth in the course of their "service" to the "people".
That's why Bernie's message is ringing true for so many.
That's why republican outsiders are polling higher than the establishment.
Edit:
Dingus, another one of your humorous yet wise observations.
|
|
JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
|
|
I haven't read posts before this page, but this seems to be a remarkably intelligent political discussion. Is the rest of the thread like this?
John
|
|
Gary
Social climber
Hell is empty and all the devils are here
|
|
We're screwed.
The Supreme Court made it harder Monday to sue police for using deadly force against fleeing suspects, ruling that officers are immune from lawsuits unless it is "beyond debate" that a shooting was unjustified and clearly unreasonable.
By an 8-1 vote, the justices tossed out an excessive force suit against a Texas police officer who ignored his supervisor's warning and took a high-powered rifle to a highway overpass to shoot at an approaching car. The officer said he hoped to stop the car but instead shot and killed the driver.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-supreme-court-police-shootings-20151109-story.html
|
|
pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
|
|
|
|
apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
|
|
"...this seems to be a remarkably intelligent political discussion. Is the rest of the thread like this?"
Oh, cheeeeeefy boy......!!!
|
|
Larry Nelson
Social climber
|
|
Another issue that both parties will need to address is our national debt, and the sustainability of our entitlement programs. Money, money, money. (I wanna keep more of mine)
Gov't worker pensions:
Government worker pension plans will be history by the time millennials retire (or at least they should be).
Almost every state in the country is suffering from financial difficulties that are primarily rooted in the unrealistic retirement promises made to good government workers. You can't take back now what a person committed a career to, but the future has to change.
Social Security:
It is dangerously close to a crises with the boomer demographic straining it's viability.
The combination of future gov't workers moving to social security, means testing of social security, eliminating caps on social security contributions and changing retirement ages will be necessary.
Supplemental IRA's or other investments will also be necessary for everyone with financial sense.
The education system has failed our country in that respect.
Social Security 2:
One of the ways that states are easing their own financial burdens, with so many needing assistance, is to slyly steer recipients into Social Security disability. More Americans are now on Social Security disability than ever.
After unemployment runs out, "Bad" knees, "bad" back or "elevated" blood pressure are now qualifications for Social Security disability.
I know people with all three at the same time (not severe cases) who work full time.
Health care:
yikes, that is a tough one and is for people much smarter than me. Obamacare has cost me more, and has been very inconvenient for many that I know, but I don't see it getting repealed. Once a government entitlement has been implemented, it is virtually impossible to take it away. Lot's of work yet to be done. How does it get paid for during the biggest ongoing financial crises in our lifetimes?
Military Industrial Complex.
It's a dangerous world out there, it's smaller and closer to us than ever, and bad people love a power vacuum.
But do we need to be "Team America, World Police"? (one of my favorite movies...especially the puppet sex scene).
Lots of waste and corporate welfare going on. I believe it's one of the most important roles of Federal Gov't, but that slob needs to go on a diet.
We need to reassess the needs of today's world in a realistic way.
Welfare reform again?
The perverse incentives of a welfare state...where a single mother of 2 needs a $57,000/year starting wage to equal a lifestyle of full benefits that she qualifies for. What is her incentive to ever get off the dole?
Why get married if it would drastically cut into the lifestyle? Besides, does her son really need a father?
This is very bad for our culture and is one of the defining messages of conservatives about the decline of our culture.
Tax reform:
How to pay. Well, our tax system sucks. It's complicated, has perverse loopholes and really only serves the political class.
Our corporate tax rate is one of the highest in the Western world, yet many corporations pay next to nothing. We raise their rates, and they move more offshore.
In addition, the IRS now is perceived by many citizens to be politicized. This is the worst reputation a government agency can possibly have.
So I think all could agree that reform is required.
Maybe debate moderators could ask some questions on these topics, then STFU to give candidates a chance to layout their solutions.
I suspect the egos of moderators conflict with my fantasies.
|
|
Larry Nelson
Social climber
|
|
The most effective means of tackling climate change of the past 7 years in this country has been fewer people working and high gas prices.
China's economy sucking wind is helping.
Let's go after the other economies.
Go ahead, run on that.
|
|
crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
|
|
Talk radio shock jocks, Fox and right-wing PAC's livelihood depends on provoking perpetual right-wing anger. (See any post by TGT). This is the crowd giving us Trump and Carson. They'll fade, but not before dumbing down the political process even more.
Eugene Robinsn nails it tonight:
Cruz’s tirade and Carson’s complaining fit neatly into the conservative narrative of victimization by the liberal media. The idea seems to be that the conservative worldview would surely be adopted by more Americans if not for the dastardly intermediation of leftist reporters and editors.
Imagining some kind of media conspiracy will not help the conservative movement. Instead, Republicans should try coming up with policies that voters see as reasonable, inclusive and fair.
And as for Carson: Stop complaining, already, and start making sense.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!