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Author Topic:   The Right Side of the News
PaulK
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Posts: 17822
Joined: 01-10-2003
Member Rating: 2.3


Message 4291 of 5796 (870310)
01-16-2020 2:36 PM
Reply to: Message 4289 by JonF
01-16-2020 1:52 PM


Re: Where's the crime?
GAO decision
Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law. OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA.
So, Trump exceeded his authority. What a surprise.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4289 by JonF, posted 01-16-2020 1:52 PM JonF has not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 167 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 4292 of 5796 (870315)
01-16-2020 3:51 PM


On the Republican party
Worker threw exception | www.rawstory.com | Cloudflare
Rick Wilson has some interesting thoughts:
quote:
Yeah, the party’s dead. The party’s gone. I don’t see any pathway for it to come back. There is nobody in this party who feels a need for reconciliation. They don’t want to face their truth. Calling me a former Republican is accurate in every meaningful way, but nobody in the party wants to look at what’s been created.
They don’t want to look at the expansion of government, the expansion of debt, the expansion of executive power, the expansion of mainstream abuse of people. All those things are repugnant to a conservative. I’m not doing the no true Scotsman. I’m doing the actual heart of Burkean conservatism, which is individual liberty and respect and dignity should be part of what you believe in. This guy is the antithesis of all that. He’s breeding a generation of people who believe abuse is beneficial.

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


(4)
Message 4293 of 5796 (870316)
01-16-2020 7:49 PM
Reply to: Message 4213 by marc9000
01-12-2020 4:21 PM


A Bundle of Prejudices and Misconceptions
marc9000 writes:
What does it mean to be "in every facet an American.
Roosevelt said it, and it would be difficult to ask him, but I'd say that it's a detriment to the well being and sustainability of the U.S. to have a confusion of languages, to have more and more inhabitants who know little or nothing of U.S. history and foundings.
On vacation recently one of our Uber drivers was from Central America and was studying for his citizenship test. Can you name the original 13 colonies without using the Internet? He can.
There are financial aid packages for those granted asylum or refugee status. A refugee can get $325/month for each adult and $200/month for each child for eight months, and other benefits for longer. Those granted asylum can get food stamps and Medicaid and other benefits. Is that what you're talking about? What is your objection to these programs?
$22 trillion in debt.
So for you the national debt is a reason for not providing assistance to refugees and those granted asylum. Is it also a reason for not building the wall? Or is it actually just an excuse for not spending money on anything you're against?
And the incentive it gives its receivers to vote for Democrats.
I guess you should stop handing out food stamps to Republican voters. Might give them the wrong idea.
Look at it this way. How well do most people do in life who were raised in poverty?
Many U.S. soldiers who helped win WW2 were raised in poverty.
That's an excellent example of the importance of giving people a leg up on life, because it makes them better contributors to society for the rest of their lives. Many of those returning from WWII used the GI bill to attend trade school or college, and to obtain low-interest mortgages, and to obtain better healthcare at VA hospitals, and to receive unemployment compensation. That's why returning veterans were so successful. After the war GI benefits cost the government about a billion a year in 1945 dollars. That's $14 billion in todays dollars.
Roughly 80,000 people were granted refugee status and asylum in 2017. If every single one received $5000 in government benefits that would be only $400 million, about 3% of what we spent on the GI bill in a single year (it's also about 0.1% of the amount by which Trump has increased the annual deficit since he took office, and 0.0017% of the national debt). Given the potential return on investment in the form of productive citizens it would be foolish not to spend this money. It is in our nation's best interests to have the highest quality citizens possible, so why would we not want to make an investment in those just starting out in our country who need it.
How well do most people do who were raised in households with average incomes? With very good incomes? In rich families?
Rich families? A lot of spoiled kids end up as drug addicts.
Is there anyone who's not just like you about whom you won't make up disparaging falsehoods? The children of wealth have access to the best education, the best healthcare, the best contacts, and the best opportunities. Naturally they outperform the children of parents in all the lower wealth quintiles.
How well do people do who are raised in families of gay parents?
You've run off the rails again. This is about wealth or lack thereof, not parent's sexual preferences. Let's say that your implication that children of gay parents were true (it isn't, of course). That has nothing to do with the influence of wealth on the future success of offspring.
If all these statistics were added up, I think your position would come up short.
You can't even stay on topic, let alone find a statistic to support you. To you each post is just another opportunity to give voice to irrational prejudices.
Regions like Puerto Rico (actually a territory) or Syria or Afghanistan seems like good reasons for emigration.
The biggest problem the U.S. has with illegal immigration is from Mexico and Central America, and Cuba. From socialist / communist governments.
You're lost the plot again. The particular country isn't relevant to the point. You said that Roosevelt's rationale for not discriminating against citizens of foreign origin was that they should not have come here to escape problems in their home countries, and yet the major waves of immigration into the US from the late 1800's until the Depression were from Ireland, Italy and Eastern Europe, a period during which Roosevelt made the comment you quoted. These immigrants came to the US because of poor conditions in their home countries.
Explaining anything to you causes two additional things to be misunderstood or misconstrued. Progress is never possible.
The "free stuff" is at most around $5000 over the course of around a year for refugees and asylum grantees. Hopefully that tiny amount helps enough for them to become familiar and productive and living real lives in their new country.
And voting for Democrats.
Immigrants can't vote until they're citizens, which takes a minimum of five years. That being said, a 2012 Pew Research study found that 31% of Latino illegals identify as Democrat and only 4% as Republican. That breakdown has nothing to do with government benefits since illegals aren't eligible for any. It has to do with Republican hostility toward immigrants of all categories, illegals, legals and citizens. Trump's hostility toward Ilhan Omar is one very visible and extreme example.
"Delight" is a big red flag about climate change in general, climate change advocates simply can't hide it. There is clear enthusiasm among climate change alarmists. They have an obvious incentive to be happy about it, they've made great strides in the past 3 years at increasing fear about it, and the delight is in the political action they hope it brings, either in financial incentives for themselves, or, more commonly, the satisfaction they seek in bringing down successful, active, free people.
You're just one big bundle of prejudices. If climate change is false then it will be shown false by science, not by your willingness to make up nasty things about anyone who holds opinions different from yours.
marc9000 writes:
hint; climate-change corruption has more money and power potential than any other political movement since the beginning of time.
Hint: 1) You've never identified this corruption.
If you don't understand how a major government takeover of energy production and public use of energy...
You're making things up again. No one is proposing "a major government takeover of energy production" and use of that energy.
...could become corrupted, I'd just ask you to open a history book.
Using reductio ad absurdum this time, we know that nothing is immune from corruption. If you're right that the possibility of corruption is a reason for not doing something then we should never do anything. But never doing anything isn't possible. Therefore your reasoning is wrong.
But here's a start, the Bill of Rights contains these few phrases, directed at Congress;
quote:
Congress shall make no law; ...shall not be infringed; ...No soldier shall;...shall not be violated;... No person shall be held;...shall not be construed
You are very confused. Only the first amendment is directed solely at Congress. The second and ninth apply to all three branches. The third applies to the executive branch, because that's where the Defense Department resides. The fourth and fifth also apply to the executive branch, because that's where law enforcement resides.
Every type of human endeavor gets touched by corruption at at least some point. Trump was corrupt with his charity. Does that mean we should cease all human endeavors?
It means we should very carefully watch government ones.
Trump's charity had nothing to do with the government. Are you even reading what you're responding to? And you've lost the plot again. We were talking about corruption, and my point, since it apparently has to be explained, is that even well meaning entities like charities whose purpose is to lessen human suffering can be corrupt. Fortunately there's some oversight for charities, they have some reporting requirements, which is how Trump got caught.
Again, if you've got any evidence of this corruption, let's hear it. You've said this in previous posts, been challenged on it, and have been unable to name anything. Name the corruption this time, else we'll know you're just making it up.
That's all on corruption possibilities, and the cost it could have, for now. I'd like to see if any of my other opponents would care to enlighten you, or pile on me.
Once again you've apparently made a claim you can't support, and:
Could be a nice, additional gauge on liberal dishonesty.
Really? More gratuitous name calling? Give it a break.
AOC was not making up information. She presented the best evidence from climate change research which says that within not too many years we'll reach a tipping point beyond which nothing much we do will help. The time to act is now.
I think a greater tipping point will come concerning increasing, unsustainable U.S. debt.
I think most people are concerned about the national debt. The person most responsible for driving it up over the past few years is Trump.
Though everyone I ask runs and hides from the question,...
Given that lead-in I was expecting what follows to identify a question, but you don't.
...there's little doubt that one major "solution" to climate change is the discontinuation of the use of older fossil fuel equipment, from lawnmowers, to construction equipment, to older cars and trucks.
You've said this before and it's been answered before. There aren't enough older ICE's around to matter. Just focusing on cars, according to Consumer Reports the average car lifetime is about eight years. It doesn't take long for older vehicles to disappear from the roads. There are around 270 million cars in the US, of which about 5 million are classified as antiques and which don't get driven much. Few if anyone is commuting to work in a Model T, a '34 Buick, or a 64-1/2 Mustang.
We should continue our efforts at reducing pollution from ICE's and on reducing our reliance on them altogether.
I don't believe a country with $22 trillion of debt can afford to waste useful products on a huge scale that would be required to make any difference in climate,...
This is short term thinking. Saving Miami before the seas inundate it will cost much less than after.
...or satisfy the hate and jealousy of so many idle Americans who orgasm at the thought of new government commands.
You've got to stop ascribing odious qualities to everyone who disagrees with you.
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4213 by marc9000, posted 01-12-2020 4:21 PM marc9000 has not replied

  
Admin
Director
Posts: 12995
From: EvC Forum
Joined: 06-14-2002
Member Rating: 2.3


Message 4294 of 5796 (870317)
01-16-2020 8:35 PM
Reply to: Message 4225 by Theodoric
01-12-2020 5:46 PM


Re: Two Questions
Theodoric writes:
Double post.
Percy, happened when I was posting from my phone. Since there is lag on cell connection I hit post twice.
Is it possible to disable Javascript on your browser/phone combo?

--Percy
EvC Forum Director

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4225 by Theodoric, posted 01-12-2020 5:46 PM Theodoric has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4295 by dwise1, posted 01-16-2020 9:08 PM Admin has replied

  
dwise1
Member
Posts: 5930
Joined: 05-02-2006
Member Rating: 5.8


Message 4295 of 5796 (870318)
01-16-2020 9:08 PM
Reply to: Message 4294 by Admin
01-16-2020 8:35 PM


Re: Two Questions
Double posts happened to me today in another topic. It was on my beater laptop that I use away from home. Never happened to me before. Only difference this time was that I was using the touchpad instead of the wireless mouse, which I forgot to bring with me today.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4294 by Admin, posted 01-16-2020 8:35 PM Admin has replied

Replies to this message:
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JonF
Member (Idle past 167 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 4296 of 5796 (870322)
01-16-2020 10:01 PM


And Leningrad Lindsey...
It's going to be an interesting time, as in the alleged Chinese proverb, for the next few weeks. There's a lot of claim-checking to be done. So far Parnas appears to be a reliable witness even though he's criminal scum. He's documented some of his claims, and some of his claims agree with what others have said, and nobody's caught him lying on the scandal.
My God, could all or almost all of his so-far uncorroborated claims be true? If they are corroborated it'll be like Nixon's tapes to everyone except the hardest of core Trump supporters.
Which is a significant portion of the American electorate.

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


(1)
Message 4297 of 5796 (870328)
01-17-2020 7:36 AM


Trump Lies Again
About a week ago I posted this in Message 4145 about Trump's claim that there were no casualties in Iran's ballistic missile attack on US military bases in Iraq. I said it was likely a lie:
percy writes:
By the way, Trump is claiming that Iraq's military response caused no American casualties (Trump says no Americans were killed or wounded in Iranian attack) . A dozen ballistic missiles fired at American military bases and no American casualties - it's a miracle! It's not impossible, but given the source of the information, the same person who claimed the largest inauguration crowd in American history that images prove false and who denied knowledge of hush money he was later proved to know all about and who claimed a perfect phone call with Zelensky, I'll await reliable evidence. It won't surprise me if reports of American casualties leak out in the days ahead.
And what a surprise, it *was* a lie. Today we find out that there were at least eleven casualties caused by Iran's attack: 11 Americans Were Hurt in Iran Missile Strike, Military Says, Contradicting Trump - The New York Times
Those of us who have been paying attention to all Trump's lying about almost everything are bewlldered that Trumpists continue to be suckers for one of the greatest liars of all time. They're not even good lies. They have no staying power. The truth usually becomes available to anyone who wants it within a day to a week.
It's fine for Trumpists to like his policies, but they should never lose sight of the fact that the man can't be trusted about anything, from what he had for breakfast to whether he paid off a porn star to claiming that windmills cause cancer and water comes out of our faucets in drips to claiming that he's the most transparent president in history. Those who embrace Trump as president should know the true nature of the man they're embracing and not construct fantasies in their head.
I'll make another prediction. I have no idea what Trump will say today, maybe nothing, but if he does make any statement today I predict it will be a lie. I might be walking out on a limb, but I think the odds are well in my favor. Stay tuned.
--Percy

Replies to this message:
 Message 4308 by Percy, posted 01-18-2020 7:10 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied
 Message 4393 by Percy, posted 01-22-2020 8:00 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied
 Message 4394 by Percy, posted 01-22-2020 8:00 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 4298 of 5796 (870330)
01-17-2020 8:19 AM


Miami's Days Are Numbered
Here's a picture after a storm of how sea levels are affecting Miami:
This is how Miami will look all the time within 20 to 30 years. Shorter term effects will begin showing sooner, such as dropping real estate values for waterfront property.
--Percy

Replies to this message:
 Message 4299 by NosyNed, posted 01-17-2020 9:01 AM Percy has replied

  
NosyNed
Member
Posts: 8996
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 4299 of 5796 (870331)
01-17-2020 9:01 AM
Reply to: Message 4298 by Percy
01-17-2020 8:19 AM


Real???
I know Miami is getting regular flooding but I had no idea they had any flood that bad yet. Is that actually real?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4298 by Percy, posted 01-17-2020 8:19 AM Percy has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4300 by JonF, posted 01-17-2020 9:44 AM NosyNed has replied
 Message 4303 by Percy, posted 01-17-2020 1:59 PM NosyNed has not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 167 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 4300 of 5796 (870332)
01-17-2020 9:44 AM
Reply to: Message 4299 by NosyNed
01-17-2020 9:01 AM


Re: Real???
It's not real yet. It a projection.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4299 by NosyNed, posted 01-17-2020 9:01 AM NosyNed has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4301 by NosyNed, posted 01-17-2020 9:46 AM JonF has not replied
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NosyNed
Member
Posts: 8996
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 4301 of 5796 (870333)
01-17-2020 9:46 AM
Reply to: Message 4300 by JonF
01-17-2020 9:44 AM


Re: Real???
Stupid me. I misread that badly

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4300 by JonF, posted 01-17-2020 9:44 AM JonF has not replied

  
dwise1
Member
Posts: 5930
Joined: 05-02-2006
Member Rating: 5.8


Message 4302 of 5796 (870349)
01-17-2020 1:54 PM
Reply to: Message 4300 by JonF
01-17-2020 9:44 AM


Re: Real???
I read Percy's text as saying that that is an actual photo after an actual storm (a major storm, maybe a hurricane or at least a tropical storm, both of which dump a lot of water resulting in massive flooding). Then, as I read it, Percy stated that this will be the norm, not the exception.
We'll need to hear from Percy about whether that photo is real.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4300 by JonF, posted 01-17-2020 9:44 AM JonF has not replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 4303 of 5796 (870350)
01-17-2020 1:59 PM
Reply to: Message 4299 by NosyNed
01-17-2020 9:01 AM


Re: Real???
I should have been more clear. The photo's not real, but the flooding depicted in the photo is about what happens when a hurricane such as Irma hits Miami, e.g.:
--Percy
Edited by Percy, : Typo.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4299 by NosyNed, posted 01-17-2020 9:01 AM NosyNed has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4306 by xongsmith, posted 01-17-2020 3:19 PM Percy has replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 4304 of 5796 (870352)
01-17-2020 2:51 PM
Reply to: Message 4236 by RAZD
01-13-2020 2:50 PM


Re: Social Policies + Capitalism in a Democratic Country
Wanted to respond to just a small part of this report:
quote:
The Koch-Fueled ALEC's "Rich States, Poor States" Paints a Happy Face on Failing State Policies | PR Watch
...
The lead author of the "Rich States, Poor States" report is economist and "ALEC scholar" Arthur Laffer. Influential in Republican circles, Laffer is considered the father of "supply side" economics—the notion of slashing taxes and government spending to spur economic growth. Adoption of Laffer's policies generated enormous federal deficits under presidents Reagan and Bush I, and have been widely dismissed as "voodoo" and "junk" economics.
I'm not going to look up contemporary perspectives on Arthur Laffer and supply side economics. I'm going by what I remember from living through the period. Cutting both taxes and government spending is not supply side economics. That's just mainstream conservative thinking, and the "cutting taxes" part to stimulate the economy is just Keynesian theory. I understood supply side economics to be the idea that demand can be created by supply, sort of an economic "If you build it they will come." (It was actually "he will come," but I never remember it that way.)
Do you remember supply side economics anything like that?
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4236 by RAZD, posted 01-13-2020 2:50 PM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4314 by RAZD, posted 01-18-2020 10:05 AM Percy has seen this message but not replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22388
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


(1)
Message 4305 of 5796 (870353)
01-17-2020 3:03 PM
Reply to: Message 4242 by marc9000
01-13-2020 8:43 PM


Re: Lame claims
marc9000 writes:
Of course. But one of the many advantages that gangs of posters have against one or two is to try to cover for another poster that they might feel sorry for.
I'm guessing that a lot of people are not much different from me in that when I read something outrageously wrong or wrongheaded I can't help responding, even if RAZD, Theodoric, JonF, ringo and whoever else have already replied.
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4242 by marc9000, posted 01-13-2020 8:43 PM marc9000 has not replied

  
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