Too kind to burn witches
At the risk of losing some friends, I must say I think some of the anti-Palin stuff in comments on recent postings has gone way over the top.
She is not the harbinger of some dark witch-burning retreat into superstition and irrationality.
Even if she became president the Democrats would control Congress, and anyway her views (on abortion for instance) are simply unpopular in the nation as a whole.
Look at the polls. Look at what happened in South Dakota when they tried a Palin-style law against almost all abortions. It was struck down.
The changes of heart on the Bridge to Nowhere et al suggest as well that she is a politician (yippee!) and well capable of bending with the flow, so don't expect her to call for witches to be burned if that doesn't play too well in the focus groups.
Americans are generally too kindly to take to all this Old Testament stuff in really large numbers and the creationist museum in Kentucky is - literally and metaphorically - isolated.
The social conservaties perished (well, all right, lost this battle) with Terri Schiavo.
Hello, I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~26~RS~)
CommentsSign in
You need to sign in to contribute to this page. If you're new to BBC Blogs, creating your membership is quick and easy.
I do find it interesting that those who advocate the "right to choose" most loudly are those who have already had the priviledge of being born.
I assume that Terri Schiavo could be considered a fourth trimester abortion in a sense... she couldn't voice her opinion so someone else was appointed by a judge to choose for her.
That judge had life and death powers, which is why I want somebody who is not an elitest as President, who will appoint judges that if they err... err on the side of the poor creature whose voice is not the loudest.
Complain about this comment
Justin,
You're right that she's no threatening all-powerful witch. She's too inconsequential for that, and it seems she's already on the path followed by Icarus....
Any thoughts on the relationship between McCain's confessed (and then denied) economic incomprehension (incompetence?) and his likely electoral path? The betting systems seem to be indicating a "top" has passed in McCAin's odds, while with regard to the financial system there's no "bottom" in sight...
Any investment tips? What to sell short next? I've got serious short bets on McCain (Fantasy money, and I'm making a monopoly money fortune!
Slainte!
ed
Complain about this comment
It is true that in practice Palin may not turn out to be as extreme as some on the Right would hope her to be. However, is it not tempting fate, perhaps even a bit dangerous, to have a VP (who may be President), who appears to feel at ease, if not at home, with Creationists and anti-abortion campaigners?
This is not to say she will try to forbid science in the classroom, but at a time when America badly needs respect from foreign allies is this the way to go?
PS - I wonder if the irony of a gun-toting, creationist potentially as Number 2 in the Whote House will be lost on the Telaban and other religious extremists?
Complain about this comment
Good timing?
You can chase last week's up on iPlayer, and this weeks will be there after tonight's repeat broadcast...not "rocket science", but interesting for all that.Slainte!
ed
Complain about this comment
Snali,
A rather large constituency ;-)ed
Complain about this comment
It's fine to kill animals for sport but killing unwanted babies in a massivally over populated world is wrong.
Hypocracy at its worst.
Complain about this comment
re #1 I would find it extraordinary if those "Who advocate the right to choose" had not already been born. I await with interest the extension of communication facilities to those not yet born.
Complain about this comment
#3 Exactly your point, Voltaire? That someone who's against abortion is dangerously unfit for the US president? try another nonsense! Surely there are more important criteria for determining the fitness or otherwise of a person for president, unless, of course, you are a die-hard abortionist ideologue.
Complain about this comment
yes, but isn't she another Dan Quayle?
Complain about this comment
post 4 Ed
"You can chase last week's up on iPlayer"
Now for an off topic note.....
Yes you can since a radio broadcast. The TV i-player is currently UK only so those outside the UK cannot "make the unmissable unmissable". BBC should look at sorting out any rights issues so that
non-ukers can use the system (pay per view or subscription?)
You're all doing very well !!
Complain about this comment
To "WhiteEnglishProud":
"It's fine to kill animals for sport but killing unwanted babies in a massivally over populated world is wrong.
Hypocracy at its worst".
What! There's clearly a cross-section of 'humanity' out there i have yet to meet.
Next time you see a monkey painting vermeer, a kangaroo reading Milton, or a puppy playing the flute, self-conscious, with a soul, please let the world know. I'm not even going to touch the rest of your comment - the fact it wasn't moderated out is extremely odd.
Complain about this comment
Of course one should be fair to the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. One should assess their strengths and weaknesses very carefully, without prejudice. The future of the United States hangs on the balance. With the race so very close, candidate foibles are bound to be exaggerated. But one should be able to separate the grain from the chaff. Sarah Palin despite her intelligence, charm, grit and determination has been put on the defensive by some of her past actions. She needs to make a clean breast to the American electorate if she wants their support. Right now she does not seem willing to clarify voter doubts. She could pay heavily for that. Presidential candidates need to be transparent!
Complain about this comment
Hillary and Biden chat
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
ProfCapelo: All your comments seem to be about abortion and evolution. And you oppose both. And you oppose Creationism. What do you support or propose?
Complain about this comment
What bothers me about Sarah Palin is not that she'll bring America into the Dark Ages, fearing science and burning witches. That over states the importance of the VP in the daily lives of average Americans. What concerns me most is how she will be seen (and by extension, how America will be seen) by the rest of the world.
Despite attempts to parade her as someone who will keep Russia in it's place because she can see Russia from her state (presumably she looks without blinking), she is already seen as a joke in Moscow. If you think Democrats have been hard on her, much of what has been printed in Pravda's editorials is so harsh it cannot be repeated here and are even titled "Palin - The Devil in Disguise" and "Sarah Palin: A Worthless Bag of Hair".
While I don't think a belligerent Russian media (or any one media outlet) should hold too much sway over American voters, it would be nice if common sense did.
Complain about this comment
#10
Try and google a uk based free proxy server and see if you can access iplayer via that.
Complain about this comment
Hi Mr Iglehart (And everyone else for that matter) Try this link:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/5076
Interessant! N'est pas?
Complain about this comment
Pancha,
Interesting choice of words( . )( . )
Complain about this comment
What concerns me about Ms Palin is her apparant denial of science if it does not accord with her prejudices or religious beliefs. There was a very interesting BBC Horizon programme last week about why the next US President must have regard to what the scientists are saying. But all the evidence is that Ms Palin would not have regard to anything she found inconvient to her predilictions.
This I find scary.
Complain about this comment
#11
Can foetus' paint, read Milton, have consciousness, or even have the facility of language? Er, no! Your point is bizarre in the extreme.
Do they feel pain? There's the real issue. Animals feel pain too. Animals may be more aware of impending death then a foetus.
Complain about this comment
Yes lighten up on Palin and let her dig her own political grave with every word the Republicans allow her to utter (they're trying desperately to hide her away but can't do so for ever).
To give you an example this is what she said about the nationalisation of AIG. Ignore the fact that it is barely coherent. It's plain wrong about why AIG got into difficulties.
?Disappointed that taxpayers are called upon to bailout another one. Certainly AIG though with the construction bonds that they?re holding and with the insurance that they are holding very, very impactful to Americans so you know the shot that has been called by the Feds it's understandable but very, very disappointing that taxpayers are called upon for another one.?
Complain about this comment
Meanwhile, Shrub decides to stay home and contemplate the markets...Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. ;-)
Peace to all
ed
Complain about this comment
Oh come on! Sarah Palin has been brought in as the 'spoiler' candidate. She espouses the values of the mid 20th century and will doubtless pick up votes for the ticket amongst the not inconsiderable number of voters who feel the same way. To modern thinkers, she is relevant only to the extent that she may yet swing the balance the Republican way.
Recent discussions here on abortion are a case in point. Pro life does not mean that all unborn kids are given a crack at life. What choice means is that a lot fewer will go unborn as a result of hot baths, gin and knitting needles. Those who want to return to the back street abortion days are not living in the mid 20th century. They are living in the dark ages.
Complain about this comment
i really do not understand Americas obsession with abortion isnt there enough trouble with teen mothers
on one hand we are lead to believe that religion is not mixed with politics in USA but this seems directly a religious issue
personally being of the sex which bears the brunt of pregnancy and all ,i am for the right to choose , we all are not as perfect as Ms Pailin as to never make a mistake
Complain about this comment
OhNeverMind (17), Hi to you too!
Thanks for the link. Interesting (marginally), but nothing new or of great importance, or, for that matter, relative magnitude. I'm far more impressed that Paul Volcker is numbered among those advising and approving Obama.
Salaam, etc.
ed
Complain about this comment
Post 16 dceilar
Will give it a try - thanks
You're all doing very well !!
Complain about this comment
The Jeff Randall series that Ed refers to has been excellent - he is a very good financial journalist. This morning's episode was spot-on, a good summary of the history of changes in the financial world.
Inded he was the BBC's Business Editor for a while.
And publicly pointed out that the BBC is viscerally left-leaning. They work in a groupthink bubble - well to the left - but they seriously think that THEY represent the mddle ground.
Complain about this comment
Looking from afar, my money is on seeing Sarah Palin as the next Vice President an John McCain as President of the USA.Folk on both sides of the Atlantic vote for or against political parties for all sorts of reason, habit, history, emotional and others with have very little to do with logic.
So it likes like you and us are going to get a Republican Administration for the next four years, without the neo-con bit.
Actually, I have a gut feeling that McCain may do quite well in the circumstance with very little scope for maneuver.
What is obvious is the the American political system is going to be tested to the limit for at least the next four term. I for one hope that it does not break under the strain.
Good luck to all of us.
And if I have not said anything abour Sarah Palin it is because she has no significance beyond November. Should she become President, she will be President in name only. The Executive and the Party will make sure of that.
Complain about this comment
#4. dceilar. First you are wrong in your assessment of my posts. By the way, except you are Justin Webb, how is it you know all about my posts?
I am for Intelligent Design (as opposed to 6-day creationism), and I am for life (accepting abortion in only extreme and life threatening condition). Even so my inclination is that abortion is almost entirely avoidable. Pregnancy is not an accident or some inevitable occurrence!
Complain about this comment
11#
'self-conscious, with a soul, '
If you had any sense you would realise that most mammal's are self-conscious' and most show signs of intellegance.
As for having a soul where's if you scientific evidance that such a thing exists?
Over population is a serious problem, getting rid of abortion would only add to that.
Complain about this comment
The problem with Palin is that her irrational beliefs will colour her actions. No intelligent person can accept that the world is only 6000 years old, or that it was created in 7 days. People who do accept this kind of thing are likely to make decisions based on their beliefs. This is ok if you are a clerk or a shop assistant, it is not ok when you are the most powerful person in the world. Take the delicate situation in the middle east. Do we really want someone who believes that we are living in the "endtimes" making decisions that affect that area? Many fundamentalists are just gagging for Armageddon and the "rapture". Large scale war in the Middle East is essential to their dreams.
As someone else said it is ironic that the regime in Iran will be faced by people who share so many of their values.
Complain about this comment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dlr2j/
Justin,
Totally disagree. Having a potential leader of the USA that is in conflict with scientific dogma is a move in the wrong direction. Past administrations have already pandered to irrational ideology to the detriment of society as a whole. America and the rest of the world have very serious challenges ahead, global warming, human rights, war, poverty, famine to name but a few.
The idea of creationism (a pseudo science at heart), denial of global warming issues are the modern day equivalent to witch hunting. These are not the issues we should be devoting energy in discussing, especially at a presidential level . There are politically driven fallacies, a contradiction to reason and ignore the scientific community.
The link above gives a good account in relation to past, present and future presidents on this subject.
As you correctly implied, politics is a game of compromises, these are issues that even the slightest of compromises pose severe threats.
Complain about this comment
#20 dceilar,
Here again you miss the point. A foetus can potentially read Milton, just like a 3-month old, IF the murderous crowd let it grow. You, dceilar, were once a foetus, like me, like Albert Eistein, like Stephen Hawkings. Why should murder become a fashionable past-time, when it's most avoidable??
Complain about this comment
The issue is not whether Palin is a harbinger of superstition and irrationality; but whether she is duplicitous and prone to private vendettas; and whether she has the competency to hold the highest office. On the first count, there is a very strong prima facie case against her; on the second, we have been presented with native cunning, but nothing of substance: she has yet to make her case, and she continues to teeter on the edge of scandal. The attempt at suppressing the trooper scandal will lead many to assume that she is guilty.
The fact is, however, that Palin is last week's news. The markets have taken a very serious turn and the problem will only get worse through October and spread through the economy. That is the real election issue. At last, people are becoming aware of just how reckless the Bush administration has been with the country's finances and regulatory environment. States that were starting to swing away from Obama during lipstick week are now firmly back in play: 48-48 in Florida, 49-47 to Obama in Ohio, McCain ahead by only one point in North Carolina. Palin has nothing to contribute to the economic argument, and nothing to contribute further to the election as a whole except the possibility of further scandal.
Complain about this comment
Justin,
It's a little late for the blog discipline lecture now. You and this blog have earned a nasty reputation for "in house" gutter slinging, unregulated (tasteless and off-topic) ranting, and conspiracy theory garbage posters that have squeezed the respectability out of this blog.
***Even benign non-political webstop posters remark at how "Justin Webb's America" has become a garbage-mouth shooting match between the usual suspects who hijack the day's topic and turn it into their own personal shoot-out---with foul personal attacks and claimed-to-be-true info on candidates that no sensible person would believe (and can easily dispute with a two second Google search).
Seriously, people on the web are talking about this site; however, I doubt that it's anything you would be proud of.
Opinions and free speech abound, which is a good thing. The problem seems to be that you allow far too much time between entries now, which allows the usual suspect posters FAR too much time to insult and denegrade each other.(you know who you are---those who fouly scream the most frequently to the exclusion of other view points, using insulting personal attacks instead of facts to shut down anyone outside of the bully group).
In the beginning, Justin, you wrote lengthier pieces. Now you just seem to throw out a few talking points and let the "children" chew on them and go at each other. Note of advice: Once an entry has reached more than 70-100 comments, it's time for a new entry. By the time an entry has reached beyond that limit in comments, the subject of the comments becomes way off topic and deteriorates into personal insults and conspiracy garbage. More often than not, entries are hijacked into personal insult matches between a few suspects, leaving only the occasional rational minded post actually seeking an answer or having a rational point of view.
I continue to read your entries, which honestly take little time due to content (the web links are appreciated), but I don't bother combing through comments anymore to gain insight into one opinion vs. another.
Being diametrically opposed politically is no excuse for not decently respecting and responding to another's views.
Posting this mild slap on the wrist will do nothing to stop the filth-spewing. Too little, too late.
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA:
It's because the British middle ground, compared to you, is left-leaning. The BBC's job is reflect it and not push it right. That's your job?
Complain about this comment
"What concerns me about Ms Palin is her apparant denial of science if it does not accord with her prejudices or religious beliefs. "
Point of order here. Creationists do not deny science at all. They refute the misrepresentation of the facts made by evolutionists. Go study the fossil evidence - in what way does that support the THEORY of evolution.
And in any case, what does her belief have to do with Mrs Palin's ability to do her job?
Complain about this comment
The next president could appoint as many as three Supreme Court Justices during his next term.
This is the goal of the Evangelicals in the US and is something they have been working on since the 80's. The hope is to overturn Roe v. Wade and make abortion illegal again. A Democratic congress cannot do much to stop a Republican president from appointing conservatives to the bench.
I used to go to the same type of Pentecostal church that Gov. Palin does and they firmly believe that 200,000 million horsemen will ride down from Russia to attack Israel in the end-times. And what is the first thing Gov. Palin does on the internation stage? She rattles her saber against Russia. She is very scary indeed.
Complain about this comment
You've gotta laugh!
;-)ed
Complain about this comment
I think the United States of America may be somewhat different from the United States of Europe. Though both have national leaders, governing parties,and local elected officials, there appears to be something uniquely different about the USA.
This difference appears regularly in the posts on this blog. In Europe people seem to stand in line awaiting a bowl of porridge provided to them from the central government. In this slop bucket ideas are stripped of their protein and carbohydrates. While in the USA everyone has the opportunity to avoid the endless dribble of a few elitists terrorizing the masses by sterilizing the soup.
We Americans dont shuffle down the street wearing black clothes and tipping our felt hats to the Central Powers.
My recommendation to the people of the United States of Europe is to wholeheartedly welcome the new genetic lines coming to you from the third world as you need some new active blood.
Complain about this comment
learning from history?
Just for some perspective...and this, from an unimpeachably "liberal" source...
And this
Enjoy the ride!
ed
Complain about this comment
#40 willoughby
What?
I don't understand, please explain
Complain about this comment
As an American, I have to say that most of us are not thrilled with either set of candidates. The good news in all this is that we can all hope that infighting...mud slinging... party line fights and power struggles, will keep any of them from doing much harm in the next few years! We can prattle on about Palin until the cows come home too. The fact is she won't have the power base to do much harm....which is the up side of lack of experience.
Complain about this comment
Hello Mr. Webb,
Spot on. NO WITCH BURNING!
We call them scientists these days. Although a bit geeky and not quite to the full standards of being social, they do in my opinion deserve to be safe of the witch fire.
haha...
I am glad you got the message from the other forum. But I would be courious to know what those stolen emails contain.
Wouldn't be surprised if there are any witch-burning retreat plans as you say, metaphorically speaking, of course.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Hi Justin,
I think the challenge is that Sarah Palin has bought out the crazies, on all sides. Exactly what we didn't need with everything else going on. This may have been a deliberate tactic on the part of the McCain camp to avoid discussing the issues, or a side effect. Nonetheless it is an issue.
On the plus side, she has bought Tina Fey back to SNL. Ultimately that may be more damaging to the ticket than anything the hacks and bloggers do.
Sam
Complain about this comment
I haven't read the anti-Palin comments in question (no time to read through 600+ comments per post) but I do think one can't afford to be complacent about her. There's a decent chance that she could pick a supreme court justice. With her worldview, that is dangerous. That said, she is mostly a distraction and a joke. Gotta focus on McCain.
Complain about this comment
Prof Capelo,
I have no difficulty with a Supreme Being intelligent enough to devise Evolution by Natural Selection. In fact, such a Design evidences the great Wisdom one would expect from such an Intelligence.
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Willoughby04
are you speaking from experience?
Do you mean Europe should open the doors to thirld world country folks so that they can clean bathrooms for your type?
be your economical slaves?
Let's focus on being active in US eh, and leave the Europeans be. They are fully capable of solving and moving forward on their own.
Complain about this comment
McCain is going to change the image of America by making a new enemy:
SPAIN!
holy crap!
Complain about this comment
Such is the irony of the "Real America" (which one of your fellow-bloggers is currently seeking at license-payers' expense). In all the years I worked America's mid-west I never really figured out how to deal with people who were confident, articulate, educated and way ahead of me in the latest technology but who would tell you with a straight face that life begins at conception, that God made the world inside a week and that they'd take away their guns when they pry them etc etc. It's just they way they are.
This year, for the first time in years, there is no obvious standard-bearer for the religious right. No candidate for office who loudly proclaims his or her born-again principles. McCain is a guy who largely keeps his religious thoughts to himself. With a close election in prospect, Palin needs to keep the religious right sufficiently interested to come out and vote Republican on election day.
She's also probably playing the long game. If McCain wins it won't matter. If McCain loses then the Republican party will probably start drifting back towards the right. In this case she'll need to position herself for 2012.
Complain about this comment
Blimey, the mod working last night was a bit extreme. Don't normally see sam and marbles post anything offensive - nutty maybe. I got censored myself for merely quoting back to one poster his own words.
Let's try again.
If someone accuses people of being racists pigs because they don't think Obama has the experience to be president, what would you call that person when he admits that he did not initially support Obama for the very same reason? A racist pig? Inconsistent? penguin brained? I report, you decide.
Complain about this comment
Gov. Palin's believe in creationism is relevant in the discussion as to how to do her job because it clearly illustrates that she is prepared (perhaps unconsciously) to allow belief to trump reason in her decision making process. This susceptibiity to ideology is an extremely frightening characteristic in one who might become the C-in-C, or in one influencing the next round of Supreme Court nominations.
Furthermore her willingness to bend the truth:
[Rejecting earmarks - why does Alaska receive more Federal money per Capita than any other state when they are already rich (they even have a reverse income tax: the State Government gives residents $1,200 a year) from oil taxes ! She hired a lobbyist to GET earmarks for her town.
Foreign travel - no she DIDN't go to Iraq (not according to the Alaska National Guard who arranged her trip. Oh yes - she visited Ireland - well her plane stopped for refuelling !
Foreign Affairs experience - "You can see Russia from Alaska" - probably true - has SHE ever been to the island and looked at Russia ? In any case, you can see the moon from my house - that doesn't make me an astronaut !
I could go on]
means she cannot be trusted - and given the ease with which these facts can be checked - presumably means she believes (enough of) the American public is stupid.
All this being said - the most salient point about Gov. Palin's sellection relates to the judgement of John McCain.
Whe face with his first real choice - he decide to shore-up his right-wing republican base, rather than chose someone qualified to step into the role of C-in-C - thus he put politics first and country second; party establishment first and change second.
As a direct result of Palin's selection I made my first ever contribution to a political campaign - to barack Obama's campaign.
Complain about this comment
#33 Profcapelo
I get your point, but your argument seems too teleological for me. An acorn is not an Oak tree - an acorn is just an acorn. A foetus is a foetus.
Complain about this comment
3. Zadig-Voltaire:
"It is true that in practice Palin may not turn out to be as extreme as some on the Right would hope her to be.
However, is it not tempting fate, perhaps even a bit dangerous, to have a VP (who may be President), who appears to feel at ease, if not at home, with Creationists and anti-abortion campaigners?
This is not to say she will try to forbid science in the classroom, but at a time when America badly needs respect from foreign allies is this the way to go? "
**********************
So now a candidate cannot be "at ease" with positions with which you agree?
What next? Ban all mention of these positions?
You are way off base.
Complain about this comment
#20 (dceilar)
"Can foetus' paint...?"
Um, yeah if they were allowed to live and grow up.
"Animals feel pain too."
Um, yeah but if I run over a rat should we have a funeral? How about me being funded with taxpayer's money to teach pidgins respect so they stop dropping their pellets on our heads and property? Ludicrous. Go eat your veggies and soybeans, I'll gladly have my 100% beef steaks.
Maybe the problem with you Europeans and city dwellers (and I live in Europe and in a city) is that you guys don't have any wildlife around. Just birds, zoos, and wildlife reservations (which is really wild life).
A human soul is in a completely different dimension than the animal. I'm not surprised since the past 150 years we've been taught in Evolution class we're just animals.
#30
"As for having a soul where's if you scientific evidance that such a thing exists?"
You are really out of touch with reality. I call this philosophy voodoo. /sarcasm/We can never know who we are. We may just be in a Matrix of a Matrix of a Matrix of a dream of a... uh, we are all hopeless, worthless, possibilities.../sarcasm/
"Over population is a serious problem, getting rid of abortion would only add to that."
Thats a lie. And do worry if it does become a problem. Nature can easily balance us out. We are already dying millions AND people get to enjoy a life here on earth TOO. Better than millions dying (50 something million in America) and NOT getting to enjoy a life here on earth.
It always cracks me up that people talk about over population never do any personal about it. All talk, no action. Just an excuse I say.
Complain about this comment
Cheney has played too large a role in the government because of Bush's inexperience, and Palin as a blank page would enable that administration and her out of touch conservative handlers to keep control of an over reaching executive branch. The debate has finally shifted back to the issues, and the failed policies of the last eight years. She is simply George Bush with lipstick. We can do better than that.
Complain about this comment
Two recent Obama ads have been lies.
The attack on McCain not using a Blackberry ergo he knows nothing about the Internet is rubbish. He can't use a normal keyboard let alone a Blackberry keyboard beause his his arms and fingers were broken in Vietnam He does read emails, he uses his wife or his staff to type in any emails he wants to send. As regards the Internet he was Chairman of the Senate Telecoms Committee when the Internet was bursting through - so he will know all aboout its roots in the DoD DARPA project, and all the regulatory issues concerned with stopping the Bellcos using local monopoly power to block or excessively charge for this new wave of communications. he probably knows far more about the Internet than Obama does.
So - that Obama ad was untrue - and dirty. Hes people knew full well why McCain can't use a keyboard.
In another ad, TeamObama alleges that McCain is anti-immigrant. That too is a total lie - it was McCain, working across the aisle with Ted Kennedy, who was leading in promoting legislation to give amnesty to millions and millions of illegal immigrants.
So - another clear lie from TeamObama.
..........................
re. the hacking into Palin's email account, some here seem to rejoice in that. I bet they wouldn't like it if their side's enmail accounts were hacked - and I hope they are not.
Hacking an email account is a federal felony. So those people approve of a federal felony ?
.........................
On the really major current issue, McCain in 2005 sponsored legislation to impose far tighter regulation on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and was warning about the increased financial dangers they were posing. That legislation was blocked by a Dem-controlled Senate.
Obama for his part was taking huge money contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, more than any other Senator apart from Chris Dodd, Chairman of the Banking Committee. And right now he is using former CEOs from them in senior positions in his campaign.
That is - he has been well tight in with the villains of the piece.
Conclusion - McCain was warning long before the event . But Obama helped contribute to it (eg what does ACORN do except strong-arm mortgage lenders to grant loans that are unwise).
Obama is merely wailing after the sub-prime mess he is complicit in defending - and that McCain clearly forecast and sought to avoid.
Complain about this comment
Thomas, muslims are humans too.
Humans evolve, and if our white race is an endangered species, so what.
See beyond religion and religious conflicts making enemies of people, and you will find we are all the same.
You bleed, so do they, you breathe, so do they, you eat, so do they, you sleep so do they. They only thing that is different between us and them is in our minds.
P.S. they have already taken over some places. France one of them. Cheers
Don't be a hater.
Complain about this comment
On John McCain's attitude to regulation and the mortgage market from the congressional record of May 2006:
Sample:
The four highest recipients of money from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were, in financial order, Sen. Christopher Dodd; Sen. John Kerry; Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Later from the same record:
This in support of FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE REGULATORY REFORM ACT OF 2005.
RealFrigid pointed this out but it's worth re-stating.
Complain about this comment
Or We can prattle on about Palin until the cow comes home... What a difference a letter can make!;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Johny Maverick is afraid of running into Francisco Franco. Little does he know that Franco has been dead for a few years, considering the long history of Spain.
P.S. all you christians who pride on your values, Spain is a christian country, McCain doesn't seem to like much.
We will be safe with McCain. If Spain doesn't make our list of friends, and Spain is a NATO member, be assured, by the end of McCains no European country will stand beside us.
Better start praying for some divine sense on McCain because the man is coming out as a mento!
What a bully. I wonder what the reaction from Spain will be to Maverick man.
What a shame to make enemies at such a time when we need more friends than ever.
Complain about this comment
Dial democrat Sussex County office - get a sex chatline !
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424385,00.html
Complain about this comment
ref #50
I'm not sure what the context of Spain is? But interesting that you mention there was an AP report which says Citizens of Spain are the most anti Jewish and Anti-Moslem in Europe
Complain about this comment
Again to 'WhiteEnglishProud'
1. Animals are not 'self-conscious', they are merely conscious.
2. Science is not the only barometer of truth: if the concept of the soul was good enough for Plato, Aristotle, Jung, Dostoevsky, Dickens, Descartes and even Nietzsche then it's good enough for me.
3. The world is overpopulated (really?) ergo abortion is good?
Hmmmmm, okay. Surely by that rationale war is good too, even genocide for that matter?
Complain about this comment
Apart from all that loud brashness about lipstick on a pitbull, pro gun and anti -abortion stand, there really isn't much substance or experience related. Apparently, she can see Russia from Alaska (!!!!!!!!), She gets her daughter help after having a child, but won't setup a fund for underage mothers in her state. Talk about republican double standards.
Complain about this comment
The hacker of Palin's emails has been traced to a server in Chicago, I gather. And a trail was left that will likely find the MAC address of the hacker and therefore their identity.
HMMM. Chicago ? Isn't someone running their campaign from there ? Not dirty tricks, I hope, Watergate-style with an Internet twist ?
Anyway, we willl soon know. The Secret Service are now on this federal felony case, heads are likely to roll fairly quickly.
Complain about this comment
The risks associated with a President Palin administration have nothing to do with her intelligence, ability to learn, eloquence or her education; but with her religious and social convictions and her management record.
The fact that the Democrats may hold control of Congress in a Palin Administration is far from certain. Recent polls indicate a popular switch towards the GOP who have managed to shift the blame for the fiscal and economic collapse they created to the hapless Dems who don't know how to run a presidential campaign. To their credit, the Teflon Republicans are masters at campaigning and shifting blame, but they are lousy at governance.
The problems we are currently experiencing as a result of decades of Republican dominance may look benign after four years of McCain/Palin.
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45:
"'What concerns me about Ms Palin is her apparant denial of science if it does not accord with her prejudices or religious beliefs.' "
Point of order here. Creationists do not deny science at all. They refute the misrepresentation of the facts made by evolutionists. Go study the fossil evidence - in what way does that support the THEORY of evolution.
And in any case, what does her belief have to do with Mrs Palin's ability to do her job?
***********************
If you believe the president's job is to only promote your personal viewpoint, then you will object to a candidate who holds a viewpoint different from yours.
Ditto if you believe the president should appoint Supreme Court Justices who hold your positions.
What people are telling you is that they can only support someone who supports their own viewpoint and not the viewpoints of millions of other Americans.
This becomes easier and easier when you reduce those other viewpoints to the point of ridiculousness.
I see this as the newest entitlement to come out of this generation.
The other entitlement is to not have to hear the word, "God", mentioned if one doesn't believe in God.
Complain about this comment
#8 asks why having an anti-abortion stance is such a big deal, and whether there are not more important criteria for a VP.
The point is not per se that she is anti-abortion, but that this belief, combined with her other articulated positions e.g. willing to accept Creationism, marks her out as someone who is a Faith-based politician, who naturally is playing to a public made largely of other people who place religious dogma at the forefront of their lives (or at least profess to). McCain is using this connection with the religious Right to gain voters - these voters will want their Quid Quo Pro at the end of this election.
Religious faith is not a basis for making rational decisions. It is a powerful force, it may even be a force for good sometimes. But I, and many other rationalists, would prefer a world with leaders that used science and thought to deal with problems, not blindly following unreliable tracts written by scribes many centuries ago.
That is why coming from the anti-abortion camp matters so much. That is why Palin is a risk.
Complain about this comment
People bang on about Palin having "extreme" views eg on abortion. How about Obama's extreme view - that a baby born live after a failed late-term abortion is not entitled to medical succour. Obama voted solo on this - all his own party voted against his view. So who is the extremist ?
And a baby born live is no longer a foetus. It is an infant.
Complain about this comment
Does JohnAAA have a wireless in the UK picking up American talk radio??
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/enough-heres-why-the-poll_b_127167.html
Complain about this comment
53. rtcoates:
I understand your disdain for Palin; however, if you were to research those situations you mention, you might find that her behavior was very much appropriate for her state. While in office, earmarks for her state were reduced by approx. $100 million or 30%. She has moved in the right direction.
Her actual comments, heavily edited, emphasized the importance of having a relationship with Russia. She mentioned its proximity to underscore that she's given thought to our relationship with Russia.
Look past her claims to her actions. They trend in the right direction, in my opinion.
I would be happy to have an Administration that took on special interests' earmarks believed not to be in the best interest of the country.
Obama has no such record of ever having done any single thing to take on special interests. Not one. In my opinion, he doesn't have it in him.
I would appreciate anyone's providing evidence of any such event.
Complain about this comment
To Dceilar:
Google the parable of the 'Mustard Seed'.
An acorn contains life and power if you let if grow. Who are you to destory it at its most vulnerable?
Complain about this comment
58. JohnAAA:
"Obama is merely wailing after the sub-prime mess he is complicit in defending - and that McCain clearly forecast and sought to avoid."
I would like to see McCain and Obama questioned about this during the debates.
I wonder whether the attack ads, from both sides, aren't meant to deflect from harmful news about themselves. In this case, Obama's lack of foresight on F'maes.
Complain about this comment
The Democratic political ads that highlight the fact that McCain does not know how to use a computer or a Blackberry are intended to demonstrate what should be obvious to everyone: he is out of touch with life in the 21st century. Add to that the fact that he admits he does not feel comfortable discussing economic matters...and doesn't even know what Viagra is or how many houses he has, and what we have in our hands is a senile gentleman with a wonderful past. History is great, but what we need at this time is a leader with vision and a clear understanding of what needs to be done to remedy the mess created by the Republican party. Of the four candidates running, Obama is the closest to what we need although, admittedly, he falls short of what the USA needs to overcome the effects of the greed and mismanagement of the past 8 years.
Complain about this comment
Nothing wasted!A closer look Enjoy your meal!
I'm lovin' it!
ed
Complain about this comment
Unless it's the Government (or their shadowy surrogates) doing the hacking...Complain about this comment
David Frum, of the American Enterprise Institute and National Review, on Obama:
He also points out that the policy supported by Obama of using public loan guarantees to finance private home construction is faulty, pointing out,
It didn?t work any better in Chicago than it worked in Washington and New York.
This financial situation provides another opportunity for Obama to blame Bush, which is what he does best. What he has actually done to forestall any of this is another matter.
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus 45.
From Wikipedia:
American Association of University Professors "deplores efforts in local communities and by some state legislators to require teachers in public schools to treat evolution as merely a hypothesis or speculation, untested and unsubstantiated by the methods of science, and to require them to make students aware of an "intelligent-design hypothesis" to account for the origins of life. These initiatives not only violate the academic freedom of public school teachers, but can deny students an understanding of the overwhelming scientific consensus regarding evolution."[4]
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45
From Wikipedia:
American Astronomical Society 2005 letter sent to President George W. Bush by society President, Dr. Robert P. Kirshner: "'Intelligent design' isn?t even part of science ? it is a religious idea that doesn?t have a place in the science curriculum."[5]
2005 statement on the Teaching of Evolution: ""Intelligent Design" fails to meet the basic definition of a scientific idea: its proponents do not present testable hypotheses and do not provide evidence for their views that can be verified or duplicated by subsequent researchers. Since "Intelligent Design" is not science, it does not belong in the science curriculum of the nation?s primary and secondary schools."
Complain about this comment
seanspa,
why don't you take a direct aim next time?
Do you need me to pull a McCain on you and tell you exactly what I meant, since you can't read properly.
I think you read well enough, you just only use what interests you.
I take it you didn't like your new name. I can come up with another. I was being consistent with Obama and McCain on the pig issue.
But unless you are blind, it is precisely what is happening now to the country that I felt Obama might be coming too soon to America. Because America is full of people like you, whose only reason to attack Obama is his race. If Obama were a white man like Kennedy, you and your pals would have already made him president and you know it.
We all know this is about race.
The sexism that you failed to see when Hillary was in the race all of a sudden can be seen by everyone inclulding DICK MORRIS. Same with Obama, but you choose to ignore how racist you really are and how racist America is. But the truth stands. McCain keeps making idiotic and offensive comments, yet you keep him in the race. If it were Obama making those comments, he would have been out already.
You sir think just because you have a limited view of the world, and a sick sense of patriotism or whatever, the rest of us are in the same boat with you.
Whether you believe what is true or not, is not my concern, it is still true.
But next time, if you want to aim at me, go ahead aim at me. Don't go around in circles hoping that the mods will care about what you write. I explained my stance on a previous point to you.
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45:
American Chemical Society The ACS includes 159,000 chemists and chemical engineers. "urges... State and local education authorities to support high-quality science standards and curricula that affirm evolution as the only scientifically accepted explanation for the origin and diversity of species."[7]
Complain about this comment
#27
Dear John,
Do you find ironic to be quoting criticism of the BBC for being left leaning in a thread which is defending the Republican ticket? It amazes me that whenever facts overtake the riught there is suddenly left wing bias in the media. It's listening to one of those midgit dogs retirees own. Yap yap yap yap yap. Boring. If you really want to make that claim then show some analysis and data.
#667 Previous thread
Claiming to be a feminist at least in part due to the gender of ones household pets and offspring could be considered by some to be missing the point. Like claiming to be immune to racism because of who said offspring chose to marry.
The Lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Shakespearean Sam
Complain about this comment
I'm not sure what the context of Spain is?
Follow the link
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45:
From wikipedia:
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The ASBMB is a scientific and educational society representing 12,000 biochemists and molecular biologists. ""Intelligent design" is not a theory in the scientific sense, nor is it a scientific alternative to the theory of evolution. ..."intelligent design" might be appropriate to teach in a religion or philosophy class, but the concept has no place in a science classroom and should not be taught there."[12]
Botanical Society of America "The proponents of creationism/intelligent design promote scientific ignorance in the guise of learning. As professional scientists and educators, we strongly assert that such efforts are both misguided and flawed, presenting an incorrect view of science, its understandings, and its processes."[13]
Complain about this comment
40 Willoughby04 wrote:
I think the United States of America may be somewhat different from the United States of Europe. Though both have national leaders, governing parties,and local elected officials, there appears to be something uniquely different about the USA.
This difference appears regularly in the posts on this blog. In Europe people seem to stand in line awaiting a bowl of porridge provided to them from the central government. In this slop bucket ideas are stripped of their protein and carbohydrates. While in the USA everyone has the opportunity to avoid the endless dribble of a few elitists terrorizing the masses by sterilizing the soup.
We Americans dont shuffle down the street wearing black clothes and tipping our felt hats to the Central Powers.
My recommendation to the people of the United States of Europe is to wholeheartedly welcome the new genetic lines coming to you from the third world as you need some new active blood.
Oh dear, I'm guessing you are one of the myriad of US citizens who has never travelled beyond your own state let alone the borders of your own country.
As someone who has lived in both Europe and the USA I can tell you that the number of people looking for handouts is probably about the same in both areas.
As for new ideas and fresh politics they are certainly not coming out of the USA which is effectively a one party state with two slightly different cliques vying for control.
Obama may be about to break that mould, he may not.
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45:
From Wikipedia:
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology The Federation represents 22 professional societies and 84,000 scientists, and its statement FASEB Opposes Using Science Classes to Teach Intelligent Design, Creationism, and other Non-Scientific Beliefs was adopted by the FASEB Board of Directors.[14]
The National Science Teachers Association NSTA is a professional association of 55,000 science teachers and administrators. "We stand with the nation's leading scientific organizations and scientists, including Dr. John Marburger, the president's top science advisor, in stating that intelligent design is not science.?It is simply not fair to present pseudoscience to students in the science classroom."[15]
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA,
just like McCain, we are all liars and idiots. you and McCain are heroes and know it all. Always ready for whatever the world throws at you.
Here ... Catch this...!
Complain about this comment
37. Quaruts45
From wikipedia:
United States National Academy of Sciences That academy wrote a statement entitled "Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences, Second Edition National Academy of Sciences" which said that "Creationism, Intelligent Design, and other claims of supernatural intervention in the origin of life or of species are not science" [16]
There was also a letter from Bruce Alberts, former President, NAS: "We stand ready to help others in addressing the increasingly strident attempts to limit the teaching of evolution or to introduce non-scientific 'alternatives' into science courses and curricula. If this controversy arrives at your doorstep, I hope that you will both alert us to the specific issues in your state or school district and be willing to use your position and prestige as a member of the NAS in helping to work locally." [17]]
Complain about this comment
Forgot to mention -- hacking into email of either side is not cool. Unless law enforcement is checking whether an account is being misused. That was a legitimate concern in this case, but a concern for police or state legislators, not private hackers.
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45:
From wikipedia
Council of Europe In 2007 the Council's "Committee on Culture, Science and Education" issued a report, The dangers of creationism in education, which states "Creationism in any of its forms, such as 'intelligent design', is not based on facts, does not use any scientific reasoning and its contents are pathetically inadequate for science classes." In describing the dangers posed to education by teaching creationism, it described intelligent design as "anti-science" and involving "blatant scientific fraud" and "intellectual deception" that "blurs the nature, objectives and limits of science."[21]
Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Nobel Laureates Initiative This organization has 38 Nobel laureates, who wrote a letter calling upon the Kansas Board of Education to reject intelligent design. "Logically derived from confirmable evidence, evolution is understood to be the result of an unguided, unplanned process of random variation and natural selection. As the foundation of modern biology, its indispensable role has been further strengthened by the capacity to study DNA. In contrast, intelligent design is fundamentally unscientific; it cannot be tested as scientific theory because its central conclusion is based on belief in the intervention of a supernatural agent."[22]
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45
From Wikipedia:
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Ottawa Centre, said, "The RASC Ottawa Centre, then, is unequivocal in its support of contemporary evolutionary theory that has its roots in the seminal work of Charles Darwin and has been refined by findings accumulated over 140 years. Some dissenters from this position are proponents of non-scientific explanations of the nature of the universe. These may include "creation science", "creationism", "intelligent design" or other non-scientific "alternatives to evolution". While we respect the dissenters? right to express their views, these views are theirs alone and are in no way endorsed by the RASC Ottawa Centre. It is our collective position that these explanations do not meet the characteristics and rigour of scientific empiricism."[27]
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45
From wikipedia:
The Royal Society "opposes the misrepresentation of evolution in schools to promote particular religious beliefs" and states "[...]intelligent design has far more in common with a religious belief in creationism than it has with science, which is based on evidence acquired through experiment and observation. The theory of evolution is supported by the weight of scientific evidence; the theory of intelligent design is not."
Complain about this comment
AndreainNY
"Go study the fossil evidence - in what way does that support the THEORY of evolution."
Go and study the theory of evolution
Complain about this comment
Orpheus,
Nah! Both far too inefficient! Just to hold the Earth's human population steady at present levels, we need a Tsunami-sized "catastrophe" every single day!Every single day sees 219,000 more mouths to feed (after allowing for deaths)
Malthus wasn't wrong, just early.
;-(
ed
Complain about this comment
70. Zadig-Voltaire:
"The point is not per se that she is anti-abortion, but that this belief, combined with her other articulated positions e.g. willing to accept Creationism, marks her out as someone who is a Faith-based politician, who naturally is playing to a public made largely of other people who place religious dogma at the forefront of their lives (or at least profess to). "
Which of her actions is evidence of her using her religion to dictate public policy while in office?
Thanks.
Complain about this comment
37 Quartus 45. Itis no longer a theory but clearly a fact based on the evidence. Even if you deny it as fact and say it is only a theory, it is clearly the theory which best fits the evidence.
There is no evidence for 6 day creationism, and no rationality in a belief in 'intelligent design'.
Yes, I am with Prof. Dawkins on this.
Complain about this comment
Ed.....I wanted ALL of my cows to come home. Having any of them stranded out in the boondocks in an election year is just unthinkable....especially with all the political wolves careening about out there.
Complain about this comment
71. JohnAAA:
"People bang on about Palin having "extreme" views eg on abortion. How about Obama's extreme view - that a baby born live after a failed late-term abortion is not entitled to medical succour. Obama voted solo on this - all his own party voted against his view. So who is the extremist ?"
Most people cannot even read about these events without wanting to vomit -- regardless of their position on abortion.
Complain about this comment
70. Zadig-Voltaire:
"Religious faith is not a basis for making rational decisions. It is a powerful force, it may even be a force for good sometimes. But I, and many other rationalists, would prefer a world with leaders that used science and thought to deal with problems, not blindly following unreliable tracts written by scribes many centuries ago.
That is why coming from the anti-abortion camp matters so much. That is why Palin is a risk."
A
s pointed out on this blog already, not all pro-lifers hold this position based on religion. To many it is simply a human rights issue.
I would argue that to the Catholic Church it is also a human rights issue.
Complain about this comment
This comment has been referred to the moderators. Explain.
AndreainNY,
THERE IS THIS THING CALLED SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
The world already has a religious leader. It's called THE POPE!
The president of USA or VP of USA are best to worry about the affairs and well being of the citizens.
Leave the affairs of God to God's people and the affairs of the state to state people
If you don't understand this, than...well whatever.
I didn't see Jesus becoming a politician. pfff...
Complain about this comment
This is a response to the critique of so called "elitist" views.
It seems that many Americans have a deep distrust in presidential candidates that seem too intelligent, in a way that is difficult to understand from overseas. There's a lot of smearing going on of so called elitist candidates, but why on earth wouldn't you honestly prefer someone who is well educated, with great perspective and a sense of responsibility for the whole? Why choose someone with limited perspective or even an amateur? The coming president of the USA will influence the whole world whether Americans realize it or not, and I for one get terrified by the knee jerk response by many Americans to discard intelligent people as "elitist". What is going in on your great country?
Complain about this comment
37. Quartus45
"What does her belief have to to with Mrs. Palin's ability to do her job."
In some ways Mrs. Palin is a poster child for, a living, breathing microcosm of, everything that is wrong with education in America.
It is a demonstration of her appalling lack of formal education and general knowledge. That she holds these beliefs either through ignorance (if she was never received any instruction in science) or bloody mindedness and denial (if she received instruction in science and deliberately refuses to acknowledge scientific conclusions for which there is overwhelming evidentiary support). How could either trait be helpful in an elected representative?
We would consider someone with a belief in the Easter Bunny (or hearing voices from Mars) as unfit to hold office. With respect, both "creationism" and "intelligent design" have precisely the same intellectual legitimacy as the Easter Bunny.
But heaven forbid someone should dare say that the Bible isn't the Word of God down to every last comma (including the typos). Because that would unravel the entire basis of their position.
The whole thing is driven by the fixation of the religious right with abortion. They are so wacko on this subject that they are prepare to debase every other institution of government and the broader society more generally in their determination to overturn Roe v. Wade. So the Supreme Court is undermined. An incompetent is twice elected to the Presidency. School Boards are hijacked. State and Federal representatives are afraid to speak the truth on health care, education, criminal law issues, taxation, foreign aid, ... Name a branch of government, and chances are that this foolishness has damaged it.
I wish we could start a class action against the zealots of the religious right for the unbelievable financial and other damage they have done to America through their obsession with abortion.
And most ironic of all ? About 10 years ago there was a study done that demonstrated, after isolation of all other variables, that there was a correlation between Roe v. Wade and a reduction in serious violent crime 25 years later.
Complain about this comment
WHAT ! ? The NERVE! Why, next thing you know they'll be illegally wiretapping her! There ought to be a la... oh wait...
oops...
Complain about this comment
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/18/mccain-ad-rips-big-govern_n_127369.html
what a stupid ad!
Complain about this comment
DominicVila
You miss the point about McCain and Blackberry's. He DOES know about the Internet, and he uses it. So the Obama ad was a straight lie.
Out of touch ? He is probably the most active Senator, other than Ted Kennedy.
As to economic matters - Obama doesn't look comfortable either. Let alone foreign affairs. And he is closely tied in to the sub-prime mess.
Houses ? John Kerry has a few, I think. And the McCain houses were inherited from Cindy McCain's father who is the very model of the American dream - starting with nothing, he had to borrow the seed capital to start his business, and he succeeded very well. You don't like the American Dream ?
Also - housing is a ticklish subject, given the odd way Obama bought his big place - in conjunction with a cnvicted felon ?
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA
That's good news if they catch the people who broke into Palin's e-mail. But judging by the news story that they used a proxy server means that, maybe, only the proxy server is based in Chicago! The actual perpetrators maybe any where in the world.
Complain about this comment
This would be the same Spain which suffered 191 dead and 1,755 wounded in March 2004 because of it's commitment to the so called war on terror, would it?
And some of you are seriously thinking of voting for this geriatric old fool?
Complain about this comment
Sam Tyler1967
Yes, Justin Webb's latest post makes a refreshing change from using the Dem talking points. But one swallow does not make a summer.
Evidence of liberal bias in the BBC ?
How about this from Andrew Marr, its chief political correspondent until recently - and still a major presenter with the BBC :
"The BBC is not impartial or neutral. It is a publicly-funded, urban organisation with an abnormally large number of young people, ethnic minorities and gay people. It has a liberal bias, not so much a arty-political bias. It is better expressed as a cultural liberal bias."
And that quote rlates to a meeting of very senior BBC folk that admitted openly that the BBC is biased :
http://tinyurl.com/64x63h
Why don't you read the detail of that report and then come back. Because it seems you know not whereof you write.
Complain about this comment
Sam Tyler
You approve of people throwing around accusations of racism without any cause ?
Complain about this comment
I find it a bit rich that Justin Webb, who has made a career of delivering stories filled with snarky comments and portrayals of the US as a nation of blundering rubes is now lecturing us on being too harsh on Sarah Palin.
While no modern Savonarola, Ms. Palin has a very good chance, if McCain were elected, to be President of the United States. Some of us would prefer not to see the next US government, like the last, impoverish our people here and rampage through the world, with its chief being a religious fanatic and/or dimwitted puppet of the powerful.
How bout you get back to us when she has to decide to sent US tanks into S. Ossetia, or help Ukraine re-take Yalta -- and start WWIII? I predict Mr. Webb would be the source of many a complaint of how we could allow such a person to be "the decider" over the fates of Britions and other innocent bystanders. Until then, I'll take Ms. Palin rather more seriously, thank you.
Complain about this comment
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2008/09/17/tufano.nc.cat.in.toilet.wbtv
have a laugh to cool off your mind!
Complain about this comment
#37 Quartus45
Evolution is a scientific theory, in that it can be, and has been, tested and replicated in laboratory situations. There is also a wealth of observational data that points to the theory of evolution being the best explanation for the origins and diversity of the species on this planet.
Creationism is not a scientific theory in any way, shape or form as the basis of the "theory" depends on a god or higher being interfering with the process of evolution.
Creationism cannot be tested or replicated (and I would say it can't be observed either, but I'm sure you'll dispute that fact)
The only people misrepresenting facts are creationists and other religious factions who are trying in vain to be recognised by the scientific community as having a valid scientific alternative to evolution.
Creationism is religion, evolution is science.
Complain about this comment
Actually, the Dalai Lama might disagree.Shanthi
ed
Complain about this comment
I think Mr.Webb is missing the point. The reality is Ms. Palin is herself the Witch from Wasilla.
Complain about this comment
65 Orpheus 1
1. Some other animals - other apes, some cetaceans, elephants and, most recently recognised, some of the corvus family of birds can be shown to have self awareness. Homo sapiens is far from unique in this respect.
2. These people worked on untestable theories. They cannot be proved to be true or tested. You cannot equate them with science.
3. Overpopulated yes. Justification for abortion? No. Cause for concern? Yes.
Complain about this comment
Maybe you weren't looking?;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
InterestedForeigner
"What is going in on your great country?"
Don't ask man, don't ask! I don't want to sound elitist. It is not fashionable in our once great country.
Haven't you heard of the "Ignorance is a bliss"
Complain about this comment
During the last election, Carl Rove wandered the halls of the White House whistling "Onward Christian Soldiers".
If one-third of the electrorate swallow this ideology, along with Armageddon and End Times,
a major threat to the civilized World exists
and such a person should not be anywhere near the nuclear codes!
Complain about this comment
Esteemed Moderator.
Pray which House Rule did i break.
J.Webb Esq, said:" her views (on abortion for instance) are simply unpopular in the nation as a whole.'
I said if ( and a very big 'if' mind you ) this were true ,the Western races would peter out in a generation or two.
I also said something which is self -evident viz. that the Muslims continue to 'increase and multiply ' inexorably .
Putting two and two together ,even a child could tell you that :
-if ,on the one hand ,you have the white races petering out -thanks to abortion, homosexuality ,lesbianism -compounded by a postive abhorrence to have children.
-while ,on the other hand ,you have the Muslims in the West procreating like rabbits.
There has to come a time when the white races will end up as a tiny minority . With the Muslims emerging as the overwhelming majority.
Esteemed Moderator -however much you might continue ,resolutely sweeping such inconvenient truths under the carpet -there is no way you can manage to stave off the inevitable.
Historical precedents stare you in the face : the dodos - and what became of them.
Complain about this comment
Is this Justins diary 2000
.I don't know why some are so against this GW fellow. there's not much he can do really.
Complain about this comment
I didn't really know Sarah Palin until McCain suddenly unleashed her, and from what I've seen of her she seems fairly typical for her party in terms of policy and belief. Odd how the "left" (how I hate the American penchant for 'left' and 'right') makes a bigger stink about her conservative credentials than it does about John McCain, who has fallen behind the Republican base on issues such as abortion.
I hate to give credence to the ridiculous idea that the Republicans have suddenly turned Feminist - but it's certainly true that male candidates in this election cycle who hold the same beliefs have not been subject to this kind of hysteria.
Maybe it's down to the assumption that women are seen to be more-liberal than men, within the realm of politics? Palin might be seen as breaking female-ranks.
That said - its also interesting that almost any female leader I can think of has been known as a hard-nosed 'right wing' figure. Thatcher, Indira Ghandi, the late Bhutto - was Hillary Clinton a bit too liberal for a woman in power?
Anyhow - as far as VP picks go, I think McCain made a mistake. Sure, she generated a bit of buzz and post-convention bounce, but McCain isn't renowned for being charismatic and really needed someone to do that for him. Compare the lack of Palins media exposure to the very impressive high profile of Joe Biden.
Complain about this comment
#69
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for the suggestion regarding the fossil evidence.
I actually did that as an undergrad. I'm afraid you are mistaken, it is the fossil evidence that provides the data necessary to elevate the hypothesis of Evolution to being a Theory. Unfortunately, using the Scientific Method (usually referred to as science)neither Creationism nor Intelligent Design can be regarded as a Scientific Hypothesis, since neither can be tested.
Respectfully,
Sam
Complain about this comment
#98
Borris,
There is no such thing as a Scientific 'fact'. Science only allows highly probable and demonstrable ideas to become Theory. Like the Theory of Relativity, Gravity etc. Certain measurable items may become a 'Law'. However even these are subject to revision on the discovery of new data.
This is important and I raise it merely because the crazies claim something is only a 'Theory' and then claim there crazy ideas are also Theories, when they are not. they are beliefs. It is this ignorance of the Scientific method that allows the nonsense of teaching Creationism in science classes to go on
Sad Sam
Complain about this comment
#50
I do agree with McCain on Spain. It is perhaps one thing we share. In the words of Jeremy Clarkson 'I'm off Spain. They stab cows'.
And they can't come home if you stab them.
Sad Sam
Complain about this comment
what is all this fuss about Palin's glasses?
Oops, I get it...They are made in JAPAN!
Wait, what did Johnny Maverick say about the American worker? The hmm... American hmmm mmmm...worker hmmm...is the best worker in the world...well maybe the Japanese are better..but they are japanese, they don't count.
What is wrong with American glasses? ooops...talk about fixing the American economy, by example.
McCain would make a great snake oil salesman.
Complain about this comment
74 et al
I understand your arguments, but nothing mentioned convinces me that the acorn is something else that it isn't. So what if planted it may grow into an oaktree, an acorn is still an acorn. A foetus is still a foetus. No argument is going to make me think otherwise. And I'm pretty sure the same applies to you. It's your right - and I'll defend your right.
Complain about this comment
#103
Goleoo,
nonsense. The Bishop of Rome is not the worlds religious leader, any more than the Dalai Llama or the Ayatolla's are. If you have to shout, shout something sensible?
Ecumenical Sam
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Yeah! Right!Never thought I'd find myself quoting Corsi - ;-)Aye, the "American Dream"!
Dream on.
Complain about this comment
I do find it interesting that those who advocate the "right to choose" most loudly are those who have already had the priviledge of being born.
R SNAIL WHAT A MARVAL YOU ARE.
"here from wall street we interrupt the world economic collapse to bring you an important news flash. research just being released suggests , and this is only early stages of the study which will be a long term study,but the initial findings are "most choices are made by the living ".
Shocking ,YES. But true.
Back to the meltdown on wall street with ED
Complain about this comment
Righteous on one side, but, "Hackers infiltrate Palin's e-mail " is just fine. Of course, no one else has answered a professional email from a personal account.
Do you remember, when Al Gore's email server was sequestered? Its contents were promptly lost to a server crash, and the backup was empty.
Righteous indignation that Palin's views are not the same as yours, because your views are "right". Mockery and her denigration is just fine.
A culture that condones killing its children will, in time, become a minority.
Even if your parents had a right to choose, who would say if they made a good choice.
Complain about this comment
Actually, it is the selection of Palin as candidate for VP that is "over the top."
Complain about this comment
87. The Notting Hill Hammer:
"Oh dear, I'm guessing you are one of the myriad of US citizens who has never travelled beyond your own state let alone the borders of your own country."
Oh, dear, it's another person admonishing Americans for not travelling.
Most Americans have travelled to many states. They do it routinely, just as our friends abroad traverse countries.
It is a tad tiresome to hear lecturing from those who can take a train to another country and call themselves "well travelled".
Complain about this comment
At 11:05am on 18 Sep 2008, Orpheus1 wrote:
get a pet mate.
watch nature at work. you might find that a unique display of flowers with a few predators and grazers has more interest than most of those frankly boring subjects of excellence you seem to think are so important to being human.
A goat herder in the hills with no concept of a symphony orchestra who plays his pipes in nature may agree about the culture until you take the hills away . then it would not take long to see how as with so many people they wither inside as they surround them selves with that Culture and man madeness.
For some it is a choice , for some they perceive no choice and for others it is simply what happened and for others still it never happened,yet.
Complain about this comment
john kkk but you are admit it. come out of the closet. just not convinced?
but strangely convinced by someone who is akin to the devil. someone who comes on tv saying "just a bit more time please, were getting there,once we reach bottom it's only GOING UP"
Complain about this comment
If the hacker, who is supposedly named "rubico" (from /b/tards) posted on anything in the USA, his transmission has been stored in the NSA's systems. It would take less than 10 minutes to find the IP address he posted from, and depending on how he connected, another 10 to 20 to find his house.
Big Brother is here. This is why many countries are bypassing the US now for Inet traffic.
Complain about this comment
105. Interestedforeigner:
"But heaven forbid someone should dare say that the Bible isn't the Word of God down to every last comma (including the typos). Because that would unravel the entire basis of their position."
Likewise, heaven forbid the word, "God" is spoken in public. The secularists fly into a tizzy, throwing around "Separation of Church and State", as if it means they never have to hear the word spoken.
There's extremism on both sides. The left also has plenty of it.
I would just ask you to refrain from religious bigotry.
Complain about this comment
111
and so with such a young population of ethical journalists the bbc sometimes tries too hard to be impartial and runs what for 12 months looked like a campaign AGAINST Barack Obama. Now they are still holding short from what would be considered fair and balanced in the UK which is to say that if this was the only decision that Mc Shame me once , ever made it would be enough to discount him from the race.
Complain about this comment
TLMILES,
Worry not about a WWIII. It will not happen. God may order Palin but not the world to fight. The God that the world worships is seen as a more peaceful God, who has better things to do than tell people to fight holy wars in Iraq or wherever.
Besides, we might be at war, but it will not be a world war.
Especially after today Mr. Maverick dissed Spain in the put of our non-allied nations. Guess What THOUGH!
SPAIN IS A EUROPEAN COUNTRY. EUROPE LIKES ONE OF THEIR OWN MORE THAN THEY LIKE US.
But I am glad Palin will have AndreainNY and JohnAAA ready to carry a weapon and stand post to protect her family.
Count me out. I will be busy protecting my family from Palin.
Complain about this comment
#110, threnodio :
"This would be the same Spain which suffered 191 dead and 1,755 wounded in March 2004 because of it's commitment to the so called war on terror, would it?"
Ah, so terrorism works for you. I guess this is a good message to send the radical members of the IRA. If you hit London or Washington hard enough, your government will capitulate and appease you.
Complain about this comment
Wow, people are piling on!!
Justin's observations are right on point.
Blessedly, radical changes in social policy are difficult to effectively impose, because of the diffusion of power to the states and to the individual citizens of those states. Things tend to 'trend' in one direction or another, state by state, and America is the land of 'rugged individualism'.
If she does become Vice-President, she will have some huge and pressing tasks before her: war and peace, economic stability, just to name two. She won't have time, energy, or enough 'dry powder' on hand to focus too keenly on social issues.
And, I say these things as a staunch social conservative. If people like me wish to influence culture in our direction, it's incumbent upon us to do those quiet, positive things every day and week, in our public and private lives, to be a positive influence.
The political process cannot be the only vehicle--it's only one venue amongst many.
Complain about this comment
Goleooo, Charlie the cat obviously has more brains than me as he found his way to the loo. Glad to see you've extended your reading beyond the Comedy Channel and HuffPost. At this rate, you might actualy read what other posters write. Without wishing to be audacious, there's hope for you yet!
Complain about this comment
(presumably she looks without blinking),
Mars central 15
when it is all white from the snow I believe this could cause eye problems unless using appropriate eye wear.but then the not blinking would be effectless.
(i hope she tries)
Complain about this comment
I agree with Justin. The anti-Palin express has gone too far. Its obvious from the numbers that she has been instrumental in pushing McCain ahead of Obama and that constitutes a threat to some pro-Democrat elements in the left wing media.
Complain about this comment
the gorilla from wasilla.
Complain about this comment
except gorillas are nice and don't like KILL KILL KILL don't give em the pill,
kill kill kill . don't help thems thats Ill.
kill kill kill, its the republican will.
Complain about this comment
Surely religion was at the core of the country's foundation ? Lots of the US was populated by religious dissenters - those Pilgrim Fathers for instance. And waves of arrivals since then have deep religious roots. I am in no way religious - but that does not give me any right to mock or scorn those who have been brought up as religious.
The intolerance of the left !
Complain about this comment
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Associated_Press_calls_McCain_twofaced_0917.html
Associated Press calls McCain 'two-faced'
and something extra:
"During a Florida town hall event with John McCain, Jeb Bush appeared to throw his brother George under the bus. Bush gave a rousing talk about throwing the bums out of Washington. Perhaps he forgot that his brother is the chief bum? Read more here. See the excerpt below:
"Reform becomes contagious," former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, brother of the current president, said at a McCain town hall meeting this week in Orlando. "If you start to dream bigger dreams and you start challenging the basic assumptions, you can change how things work, and we've done it in Florida, and the Good Lord knows we need to do it in Washington, D.C., and John McCain is the right guy at the right time to make that happen."
Complain about this comment
#61 Ed
If the cow comes home... would it be wearing lipstick?
Thank goodness the markets are tanking... now maybe folks can realize there's more to life than money... there's food.
And if that cow didn't wear lipstick, would WhiteEnglishProud and/or dceilar eat it?
;-)
Complain about this comment
#111
John,
Liberal in the UK with a small 'l' has a very different meaning (socially liberated and free thinking. Quite close in fact to 'Libertarian' in US terms) than Liberal in the US, where it means left wing and has a political connotation.
So no, when a UK person says the BBC has a cultural liberal bias it does not mean they are left wing.
Playing on words to support your views? Very High School. I mean Comprehensive (do they still have those?).
With regards to racism, I believe the charge was leveled based on a series of posts you made. While I did not level it, the posts in question do show some evidence of 'institutional racism', i.e. a racist attitude that the proponent does not recognize as racist as it aligns with commonly held cultural beliefs of a particular group. An example is 'white men can't jump'. Having a person of color as an in law does not innoculate you from such beliefs.
However, we digress. That was not my point.
My point is your claim that you have female descendants makes you a feminist is ridiculous. Every man who ever had a daughter believed in equality? Nonsense. There can also be institutional sexism as well as racism.
Interestingly, most DiversityTraining addresses these very issues. You should take a course, it is an eye opener and one I recommend for all folks. In fact we of the GOBBBDMAWMWKMTSPFO are in strong support of adding it to our manifasto.
Aware Sam
P.S. did anyone notice how the righties stopped looking at polls and are worried about proxy servers now?
Complain about this comment
97. At 2:21pm on 18 Sep 2008, AndreainNY wrote:
70. Zadig-Voltaire:
"The point is not per se that she is anti-abortion, but that this belief, combined with her other articulated positions e.g. willing to accept Creationism, marks her out as someone who is a Faith-based politician, who naturally is playing to a public made largely of other people who place religious dogma at the forefront of their lives (or at least profess to). "
Which of her actions is evidence of her using her religion to dictate public policy while in office?
Thanks.
NiNNY but you really do not get it do you?
She prevented women from being tested for rape.
thought it unimportant as a budget issue, though the sport hall was important.HMMMM
doesn't sound very pro women or pro male it looks like she is someone who cares about nothing until it affects her.
a lack of empathy is not really a good thing in a possible leader.
The fact that justin feels obligated to make out palin is not so bad is strange really. She if oin the UK would be lambasted non stop and seriously hounded to see if she had any metal to her , she has none , she has been shown to think that with the job goes the perks, no Jet because she did not travel anywhere too busy stuffing her hands up a mooses
Complain about this comment
One gets the impression that creationists and such like do not understand what science means by 'theory'. To elucidate: 2+2=4 is a theory; and because it's a theory it doesn't mean it's wrong or up to interpretation or cannot be proved. We can prove it's right by applying the theory using four apples. However, 2+2=4 is still a theory.
Complain about this comment
You are suddenly concerned about anti-Americanism? Your blog is an extremely emotional celebration of Obama, with little regard for anyone who gets in the way of that.
This has been going on in one form or another for several years. That is the problem with bigotry when it is not addressed: it becomes increasingly absurd and hysterical.
I agree that Palin is not experienced enough for the position of VP. But opposition to her goes way beyond that. The hatred and rage are indeed disturbing, but so is every manifestation of anti-American bigotry.
The sheer irrationality of despising people because of our nationality must at times make even the posters on this blog think twice.
Complain about this comment
I see this as the newest entitlement to come out of this generation.
The other entitlement is to not have to hear the word, "God", mentioned if one doesn't believe in God.
DO NOT USE THE LORD YOUR GODS NAME IN VANE.
DO and NOT include walking around saying "god bless you to people you are angry with as a curse and many of you americans do. (My american other points it out to me)
Here on this blog you and others come on going on about god and what he says as if you have some special line like R sail has to the unborn or unalive.
You think your version of God is it.
as an athiest I disagree totally.
I also would wish that no pregnant girl ever wanted an abortion, but you aren't making the world any better so don't start thinking the solution is to ban abortion.
Or to presume to lecture anyone on god. It is your belief and that is it . religion. science is not a religion.
there are very scientific people out there that believe in God, the beauty is in the physics.
The reason ninny that some hate sara palin is because she is a half wit .
Not because she is a woman , and not because she believes in God. Because she is who she is.
because she is a dangerous person to have running america.
But she believes that God would waste time seeding the earth with fossils just to confuse us and test our faith.
now do we have to find out that she opposes rape tests because they may disturb a possible baby.
cause I would not be surprised with her.
Complain about this comment
Disagree - she is a harbinger of some dark witch-burning retreat into superstition and irrationality. Come to my rural American home town and you'll see for yourself. OK..maybe she's not the harbinger, she's just the poster girl.
Complain about this comment
DominicVila
You miss the point about McCain and Blackberry's. He DOES know about the Internet, and he uses it. So the Obama ad was a straight lie.
Out of touch ? He is probably the most active Senator, other than Ted Kennedy.
As to economic matters - Obama doesn't look comfortable either. Let alone foreign affairs. And he is closely tied in to the sub-prime mess.
Houses ? John Kerry has a few, I think. And the McCain houses were inherited from Cindy McCain's father who is the very model of the American dream - starting with nothing, he had to borrow the seed capital to start his business, and he succeeded very well. You don't like the American Dream ?
Also - housing is a ticklish subject, given the odd way Obama bought his big place - in conjunction with a cnvicted felon ?
..............................
The other lesser known fact about McCain's wonderful father-in-law is that he was a convicted criminal:
From the PhoenixNewtimes:
A federal jury in U.S. District Court of Arizona in March 1948 convicted James Hensley on seven counts of filing false liquor records in addition to the conspiracy charge. Eugene was convicted on 23 counts of filing false statements and the conspiracy count. Eugene was sentenced to one year in prison, and James to six months. Neither brother testified during the trial, relying instead on their lawyers, who included Louis B. Whitney, a prominent attorney who served as mayor of Phoenix from 1923 through 1925.
After a two-week stint in the Maricopa County jail, the men were released on bond on May 17, 1948, pending an appeal to the U.S. 9th Circuit. The appeals court affirmed the conviction on February 8, 1949.
Two weeks later, a judge sentenced Eugene to one year in a federal prison camp near Tucson, but suspended James' sentence, placing him on probation instead. Both men were fined $2,000. United Sales and United Distributors were also convicted and fined $2,000.
Complain about this comment
First, let's stop dissing witches. Some of my best friends are Wiccan.
Second, what makes anyone think that animals don't have souls? Anthropomorphism, I say, and medieval Christian propaganda.
Third, some of us believe that creation is about the universal mind making a way to have a conversation with itself, and that we are all part of this universal organism, including the other species of animal life, and plant life, and everything else as well.
Intelligent design? Natural Selection? One in the same? Maybe.
Complain about this comment
Ed
Interesting quote about Cindy McCain's father. Did he serve jail time ? Or was it a tax offence, for which he paid fines ? His business had hardly stared at that time, he set it up after he came out of war service ?
re the nob ties - he wan't accused of any, was he ? Or was it just lie the loose teis the Kennedy's had ?
Complain about this comment
"America and the rest of the world have very serious challenges ahead, global warming, human rights, war, poverty, famine to name but a few."
If you do not believe in some higher being, some existence after death, all of these are irrelevant. After all, once you are dead, all cognizance will be extinguished. Therefore why should you care about anything that does not immediately effect you? Whether you believe or not, you benefit from thousands of years of believers. All of your concern about the "serious challenges ahead", all your values of charity, empathy, integrity, and respect for life are grounded in religious beliefs. Without our religious culture, we would never have left the muck and mire from which we began and if we abandon our religious culture, we shall all devolve back into the animals from which we evolved.
Complain about this comment
125. SamTyler1969:
"#69
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for the suggestion regarding the fossil evidence. "
It wasn't my suggestion.
My point was the sense of entitlement one has when he believes a candidate must only represent his viewpoint.
Complain about this comment
Justin with all due respect . I thnk you may be missing somethng about the great USA .
We are a very polarized place as of late .
I dont think that Palin is as much of a nonentity as you surmise. The red states and blue states represent a culture war that goes to the very fabric of our nation .
Two very differnet world views have evolved of where the USA fits in the 21st Century and what it will become . Palin represents not a benign philosophy, but one that will seek to hold in place a world view untrammled by any knowledge , experience or sensitivity to the changing world .
Witch ? Maybe not ,but dangerous just the same
Complain about this comment
"She is not the harbinger of some dark witch-burning retreat into superstition and irrationality."
Well, you say that, Mr. Webb, but it turns out she's quite keen on literally getting the blessing of real-life witch-hunters:
Palin linked electoral success to prayer of Kenyan witchhunter
"According to accounts of the witchhunt circulated on evangelical websites such as Prayer Links Ministries, after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon.
After Mama Jane was questioned by police ? and released ? she decided it was time to leave town, the account says.
Pastor Muthee has frequently referred to this witchhunt in his sermons as an example of the power of ?spiritual warfare?. In October 2005, he delivered ten sermons at the Wasilla Assembly of God, the audio of which was available on the church?s website until it was removed around the time Mrs Palin?s candidacy was announced. The blog Irregular Times has listings and screen grabs of the sermons.
It was during that these sermons that Mrs Palin, who was then preparing for her gubernatorial run, was anointed by Pastor Muthee. His intercession, she says, was ?awesome?."
I think the stoning and killing of the pet give you some indication of the superstition and irrationality we're dealing with here.
Complain about this comment
Here is an opportunity for Senator Obama to demonstrate his ability to confront ethically-challenged democrats:
Special Session on Ethics in Illinois Senate?"
(ChicagoTribune.com, Eric Zorn)
Complain about this comment
Ed,
Tell me what you know about Joseph P. Kennedy.
Complain about this comment
I think Ms Palin is wonderful, just what we in Europe needed to tell the two sides apart and give us an incentive to take an interest in the US election (Though it is a bit like bare knuckle fighting, nobody really cares who wins they just want lots of blood).
What I can't imagine is should the worse come to the worst and that poor old fella McCain wins and then has to step down, is Ms Palin as POTUS. It makes me giggle every time I think of the lipsticked pit-bull at a meeting of world leaders, she makes President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran) look quite sane, almost like her soul mate in some of their views.
Good luck in your mission to choose almost the same outcome (Either the right of center or the right of right of center candidate). You will have the best government that money can buy.
Complain about this comment
Justin writes "She is not the harbinger of some dark witch-burning retreat into superstition and irrationality." What do you call 'creationism'? If that's not "superstition and irrationality" what is?
Since you apparently did not have time to read all the posts in context, the reference to witch burning was a witticism to demonstrate just how far back she would take America if given half a chance.
"The changes of heart on the Bridge to Nowhere et al suggest as well that she is a politician (yippee!) and well capable of bending with the flow." Change-of-heart, bending with the flow? A downright lie more like. What about her thoughts on earmarks - don't tell us now that she never took them or is ashamed that she did. Your following piece about Chuck Hagel demonstrates all too well that Mrs Palin should be nowhere near the Presidency
Complain about this comment
111 and 113
john you say how bias justin is,
t miles is mentioning that justin is holding back and suggesting there is no threat in palin.
t miles
that is because justin does care more about his 50dollar bet than world peace.
he does seem to be in for the gop, despite calls he is impartial or left wing.
Complain about this comment
willobougy
We Americans dont shuffle down the street wearing black clothes and tipping our felt hats to the Central Powers.
when is the last time your nation rioted.
If you think the brits don't know how to protest your justanother thick headed yank with no grasp of reality.
you americans seem to live in fear all the time, live on free dum
Complain about this comment
43. At 4:03pm on 18 Sep 2008, RealFrigid wrote:
#110, threnodio :
"This would be the same Spain which suffered 191 dead and 1,755 wounded in March 2004 because of it's commitment to the so called war on terror, would it?"
Ah, so terrorism works for you. I guess this is a good message to send the radical members of the IRA. If you hit London or Washington hard enough, your government will capitulate and appease you.
----------------------------------------
Real what happened was the IRA figured out that if they leave people safe and hit train line signals and warn so no accidents happen but everyone gets a day off going to work.
They make less enemies.
people soften their attitudes.
strangely enough the change in targets was one thing that helped the ira.
but you never lived in london or under the threat of direct terrorism did you?
Complain about this comment
thanks seanspa,
You are a cool dude!
Cheers and kind regards.
p.s. I. it is not your views I question, it is McCain's which the comedy central offers freely. You can't argue that they are making things up. It's all McCain talk. You just don't like the truth. Ahh..the sweet taste of a good lie.
p.s. II. be careful next time you go to the loo! learn from charlie.
Complain about this comment
150those disenters were the "PURITANS"
they hatted the freedoms of the new religious thinking so they left.
Complain about this comment
150. JohnAAA:
"I am in no way religious - but that does not give me any right to mock or scorn those who have been brought up as religious.
The intolerance of the left !"
Not to mention its lefteousness
Complain about this comment
56. At 1:20pm on 18 Sep 2008, worldwideryan wrote:
A human soul is in a completely different dimension than the animal. I'm not surprised since the past 150 years we've been taught in Evolution class we're just animals.
"Over population is a serious problem, getting rid of abortion would only add to that."
Thats a lie.
It always cracks me up that people talk about over population never do any personal about it. All talk, no action. Just an excuse I say.
----------------------------------------------------
how about they don't have 5 children or worse 7 or more .
how about a whole generation of want to be mothers that will not let themselves get pregnant because they do not want to bring the kid into this republican careless world.I think they are doing their bit.
difference between euro city dwellers and american please? other than the pitbulls and pigs running around?
Complain about this comment
154. jacksforge:
"NiNNY but you really do not get it do you?
She prevented women from being tested for rape."
Your posts are a jumble of rants and false claims. The names are childish.
Perhaps you'd be better off not reading my posts any more and, most definitely for me, not responding.
Complain about this comment
"One gets the impression that creationists and such like do not understand what science means by 'theory'. To elucidate: 2+2=4 is a theory; and because it's a theory it doesn't mean it's wrong or up to interpretation or cannot be proved. We can prove it's right by applying the theory using four apples. However, 2+2=4 is still a theory."
NOBLE PRICE NOMINEE!
...here is a good question...
is mathematics discovered in nature, or is it made up to interpret nature?
Complain about this comment
153. SamTyler1969:
"Aware Sam
P.S. did anyone notice how the righties stopped looking at polls and are worried about proxy servers now?"
Probably about the same time the "lefties" starting quoting Rove.
We're still looking at the polls. Why wouldn't we?
Complain about this comment
#147
Dude,
McCain is behind and losing ground. Latest CNN poll of polls has Obama 2 points ahead, and ahead in most battleground states. As Marcus pointed out, the tide has turned. Only he got the direction wrong.
Statistical Sam
Complain about this comment
Why do (American) politics fail? The foxes are guarding the chicken coop.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Democrats
1989-2008
1. Chris Dodd, $133,900 (who is Chairman Sen. Banking Committee)
2. John Kerry, $111,000
3. Barack Obama, $105,849
4. Hillary Clinton, $75,550
5. Paul Kanjorski, $65,500
...
?? John McCain, $16,400
Can you spot the biggest hypocrite's?
Fannie and Freddie are just a symptom of the problem. They are limited in the amount they can lend on each bad loan to $415,000. Commercial banks have no such limits, which is why Merrill, Lehman and AIG got whacked. More whacking is forthcoming as insolvency spreads to others who've over extended their risk.
Google "ninja loan".
Complain about this comment
157. jacksforge:
Nine paragraphs because I mentioned the word, God. You made my point.
Complain about this comment
126 Sam - don't be sad. I take your point - it is not even a fact that I am sitting at this computer, although it is my perception.
And I have a theory that you exist, but that is not a fact.
On the assumption that the Universe exists, and is not just my perception, then although nothing can be proved absolutely, it can be put beyond reasonable doubt.
Complain about this comment
In responce to Interestedforeigner:
in post 105, you mention a study where they had found a corrolation between Roe vs Wade and the reduction of violent crimes. Could you please site this source, I would be interested to read the study myself. Thank you
Victor
Complain about this comment
Not sure why criminal record of McCain's father is on point to Palin burning witches, but if you're talking about it, what about Cindy McCain getting off scott free from stealing narcotics from her own charity - anyone else would be doing time.
Are Palin's religious and extremist ways for the most part a means of social self-promotion? She would be perfect for the cast as one of the Goodies in "The Crucible".
Complain about this comment
#143 - RealFrigid
Rubbish! This has nothing to do with appeasement and everything to do with how one candidate treats the USA's friends - assuming you have any left if you elect him.
Not that the Spanish have anything to worry about since McCain thinks Spain is in South America anyway. At least it's nowhere near the Iraq/Pakistan border.
Complain about this comment
104. InterestedOverseas:
I agree that it doesn't make a lot of sense for the electorate to be suspicious of someone who is obviously intelligent and well-spoken, but there is a strong strain of anti-intellectualism in American culture.
I remember that when I was a child there was strong feeling that children shouldn't be "tracked" in schools--that is, grouped into classrooms according to ability. It was considered anti-democratic. So a single class might have students ranging in ability from borderline retarded to gifted. I was in one of those classes and I remember being bored out of my mind waiting for the slowest kid in the class to learn the lesson for the day.
Even today, in public schools there are lots of government-mandated special programs for the physically or mentally challenged and there is an effort to mainstream them in with the rest of the school population, but there is little to support those kids who have the potential to create the new sciences and industries which will provide the jobs of the future. There is a latent feeling that it is somehow unfair for a person to be smarter or more gifted than the average. Most public school systems, if they do anything at all for gifted students, pull them out of classes for one afternoon a week of "enrichment".
That's part of why Obama is not doing as well in the polls as would be expected from the mess the Bush administration has made of everything. I don't think it's racist as much as it is resentment of someone who is not only smart and well-spoken but has a good jump-shot.
Complain about this comment
#163
I recant and apologize without reservation.
I retain my comments about creationism.
Apologetic Sam
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Sam Tyler,
Sam
Firstly, nothing I have ever said or would say has been racist. Some people here fling the racist tag around at anyone who does not rate Obama. If you can find anything nthat show to the contrary - please state it. I referred to my son-in-law because I had just been accused of not liking anyone black. They were lying.
As regards having daughters - sure, that does not make me feminist automatically. But I be;lieved in the whole concept of women achieving equality. And I have recruited or promoted people on merit, female or male. So please quit the snide stuff ? It just isn't true. It ought to be beneath you.
You clearly do not properly understand political labels in the UK Liberal here means left. Not centre. If anything the Liberal Party is further left than the Labour Party. The BBC is liberal ie left-leaning, full of political correctness on all sorts of issues. On all the major issues it is suffused with attitudes and opinions that directly oppose the right - the Conservatives. Mind you - the Tories are often pretty pink these days - or blue in US terms
The BBC is biased to the left right across the board. Senior BBC people admit it - did you read that article, can you deny any pf it ?
For example, it is just 6.30pm, and on cue we have another unfunny left-wing comedian coming on Radio 4. About as unfunny as Russell Brand, and just as rabidly left.
On pollng in battleground states - I still see McCain as 2 points ahead in Ohio. on the averaging of recent polls. Four polls were taken in Ohio all ending on 14 September, Obama led in one and McCain in three. All the four keu battleground states are essentially a tie - ie within the margin of error either way, on the averages.
So McCain has broadly drawn level on the popular vote after lagging for a long time. He blipped a little ahead, now Obama is blipping a little ahead. RealClearPolitics averaging shows McCain with 216 electoral college seats ignoring the "toss-up states, and Obama with 273 seats and McCain with 265 if the "tied" states are included., Obama with 216 - effectively a tie.
I have been saying that it is all to play for - whereas one or two others here were saying that Obama was "home and hosed".
What will now be interesting will be to see how Obama may be hit through his links with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Because those links are precisely what is "broken in Washington". That is I think what will feature large in the weekend news cycle.
.......................
USA Today has done a detailed examination of which candidate can truly claim to be a "Uniter" - remember that was Obama's theme ?
Obama has done nothing in opposing his own party on serious issues. NOTHING.
McCain has done lots and lots and lots - often in the teeth of opposition from his own party. That is why he is The Maverick.
So, we have "McCain the Uniter".
If you believe in Obama the Uniter" you may as well believe in Unicorns - there is no such creature.!
Complain about this comment
The USA Today article demolishing Obama's claim to be a "Uniter":
http://tinyurl.com/3v8qkp
Complain about this comment
#186, threnodio :
Americans keep friends by honoring their commitments, and they lose them by engaging in bone headed wars. I don't agree with the Bush administration, but that does not mean America should be spit upon.
I think it is clear that McCain wants nothing to do with the shoemaker, and his leftist policies. I'm not sure they share any common ground on issues. As Zapatero has even said, "You can disagree radically, without being disrespectful".
Spain has engaged in the policy of appeasement, and we shall see where that leads them.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
AMM,
I see your plight. The truth of censorship.
Complain about this comment
#190. JohnAAA: "Some people here fling the racist tag around at anyone who does not rate Obama." And it was yourself who repeatedly accused others of "playing the race card" thus exacerbating the issue.
As you appear not to have noticed, there is no longer a "Liberal Party" in the UK - what you refer to is the Liberal Democrats. To say they are to the left of the Labour Party is rather a stretch; it could well be that in a hung government they would vote with the Conservatives.
Complain about this comment
#190
Poor Johnny,
You are grasping. So now you want to use Liberal as in the UK party, not liberal as in the word? Yap yap yap.
As for Merit, how do you know? If you were institutionally sexist or racist you wouldn't. Unless you have been trained to spot it and correct for it.
As for the electoral college most polls show Obama in the 230's and McCain in the low 100's. The last few days have bought some biggies back in play, like Florida. Close isn't enough, it's winner takes all and BO is pulling a good way ahead.
I hate to break the news, no one is running as a 'uniter'. That was 'W' and it is political death to align with him now.
The issue I have with McCain is he sold himself out to become the candidate. It isn't his record in the Senate, which is anyway predominantly far right, and the odd bill every 4 or 5 years where he teams up with the Democrats. No more than any other Senator. Obama did it too, with McCain, until they fell out because they were both planning to run. No Democrat is going to unite or serve on a McCain administration with Palin in the VP slot. None.
The choice here isn't for a 'uniter', the choice is between a sad old man who missed his chance 8 years ago and a yound upstart Senator with a vision. Given where we are as a nation I believe it has become an easy choice.
As for the USA Today editorial, that was part of an 'Our View' 'Opposing View' piece yesterday. I read it and the response, written by BO yesterday in the gym. He argued very succinctly that he has done more reaching out per year than McCain (on nuclear proliferation control, for example) than McCain. It was an interesting juxtaposition. But then you have to read both sides to form an informed opinion.
Wishful thinking on Freddie / Fannie. all politicians here take contributions all the time. No scandal there as long as it was declared and Obama was not taking the decisions. The big scandal is Troopergate, just because no one knows where it will go and it is Republicans investigating a Republican.
Now of course I can justify being interested in all this because I get to vote. You on ths other hand seem to have a sad obsession with two politicians in a foreign country. Why on earth would you care? But more importantly, since you are not an American Citizen and don't understand this countries journalism, let alone it's politics, why should we care what you think?
Thanks for the input.
Interested Sam
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard
They are often still referred to as Liberals. But "LibDems" does not invalidate the point I was making. They are on the left.
Whether they are to the left of Labour is a matter of opinion - but the loony-left fringe of the old Liberal party is still around, and on some issues they are left of Labour. .
There can be no question but that they are left of the Conservatives.
The BBC "party line", the groupthink, is most definitely left or "liberal", as senior BBC figures admit. As Jeff Randall said - they are viscerally liberal. And try reading what the former editor of the flagshop radio news programme says about his time in the BBC. And how about Broadcasting House being littered with empty champagne bottles when Blair won the 1997 election - or James Naughtie saying "we" to a Labour Minister when discussing electoral prospects ?
Don't try to kid anyone that the BBC is somehow in the centre - is unbiased. It is riddled with bias, it seeps out all the time.
Complain about this comment
Sam
Are you calling me racist or anti-women - or what ? You would be wrong on both counts, it demeans you to play those silly games. Or are you playing with words? - weasel words ?
Or as they say over here - pxxx or get off the pot.
If there is any prejudice, it is your ageism., the reason you say McCain is not the right choice.
You are flat wrong in saying that McCain is in the low 100s for the electoral college. The RCP averages taking state-by-state shows things very close.
No-one running as a "uniter" ? That too is rubbish, that is exactly what Obama said he could do. The USA article to which I referred was by the paper's editorial board. Obama's piece denies it - but he would say that, wouldn't he ?
But I will grab you that Obama has a "vision". It is a vision of higher taxes. Of softness in foreign policy, moral equivocation.
On Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - Obama took lots of cash, more than any Senator apart from Chris Dodd.
McCain took none. None.
Plus Coama has top F Mae and F Mac people in senior positions in his campaign. Watch them get thrown unfer the bus.
I am interested in the US scene because the outcome will affect me directly. America is not an island. I don't see Obama as a safe pair of hands. Maybe in 10 years' time - nut not now.
Troopergate-schmoopergate, we will see what emerges. But it That pales into insignificance against Obama being up to his neck with F Mae and F Mac. Which is proven fact - not supposition.
Complain about this comment
This analysis of the candidates' amount of SOIN in their speeches suggesys that Obama spins endlessly, NcCain very little.
http://tinyurl.com/4o6cap
Complain about this comment
#192 - RealFrigid
I would not dream of spitting on America. My late wife was American and I have nothing but respect and affection for the place. It is in this spirit that I despair at the possibility of another Republican administration. Having said that, comment about left wing governments in Europe emanating from a country which has nationalised three massive institutions is as many weeks is a bit rich.
I stick by my remarks about McCain. He thinks Iraq has a land border with Pakistan, he thinks Spain is in South America and he claims to be best qualified as Commander in Chief. God save us from someone who isn't qualified.
Complain about this comment
184. I have been looking. A synopsis of the study was reported in The Economist, but I haven't found it yet.
120. No, that was "InterestedOverseas" at 104. Apparently I have a long lost cousin.
69 Andrea, 125 Sam: No, it isn't just fossils. Earth Science has lots of evidence, as does astronomy, as, or course, does biology.
It amazes me that people who happily take anti-biotics, (some of which no longer work because anti-biotic resistant forms of various diseases have evolved), can still blithely yammer on about "creationism".
130 Ecumenical Sam. Agreed. But the Great Bridge Builder isn't even the leader of all Christians. As a child we were taught that the Pope (and "papists", generally), were idolators who would burn for eternity. Nowadays, maybe it's the "Creationists" who may need their SPF 50 pretty badly in the hereafter. Who knows?
Which brings me to
140. I have been accused of many things in my life, but religious bigotry is certainly a new one. And, impliedly, to be accused of being a left winger.... Wow. That really is funny.
One of the key turning points in the history of the west was that a cleric, Martin Luther, ridiculed the corrupt practices of a hegemonic religious body. This led quite directly to the age of enlightenment (as well as to massacres of French protestants, the founding of the Netherlands, 30 years of ethnic cleansing prior to the Peace of Westphalia, and the "Burn them Out!" crowd who can't let go of the Glorious 12th of July).
Right now, we have an agressive, evangelical Christian right that over the last 30 years has tried desperately to establish a new religious hegemony in public discourse - hence the infamous saddleback kow-towing exercise. Why does a religious grouping effectively exercise a veto over who can become the President of the US, or have the arrogance to think that it should have ? Would they have dared with Eisenhower or Nimitz ? Eisenhower may have been a Witness, but regarded religion as a private, personal matter. Nimitz would have told them (politely, of course, but fimly) to take a hike. This attempt to establish religious hegemony is utterly contrary to the founding principles of the US.
Oddly, 150, while many of the colonial settlements were indeed founded by dissentient religious groups, their liberty to worship in their own manner quite often amounted to a greater tyranny in the new country than what they had escaped in the old country. However, over time, they learned how to get along, not only in their own communities, but also with other religious groups of opposing stripes. This maturation was a big step along the path of the Enlightenment.
It was not religion that was at the core of the young nation, but rather the right to worship freely according to one's own belief, (or, by logical extension, not at all) that the founding fathers protected. Why ? Because without that essential compromise they simply couldn't get along. And that concept of the Enlightenment leads us to Ecumenical Sam.
The creationists are doing very significant damage to society well outside the realm of religion. It is long past time for people to notice that this Emperor has no clothes. Unlike the Easter Bunny, they are doing real harm to others. I know what will happen to freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of religion if these people ever get their way. It isn't just Islamic religious extremists we have to worry about. It is enormously political, and merits ridicule at every turn. Which is exactly what Luther and the early Protestant martyrs did in their time, too.
To suggest that it should be otherwise is impliedly to suggest that these very political groups should be given a pass accorded to no other political grouping. This is a fundamental issue of free speech. Given that you, Andrea, and you JohnAAA (however many people you actually are JohnAAA) have on this blog availed yourself quite frequently of the same right, your sensitivity on this issue is, well, surprising. And now you call it bigotry. Please ...
Finally, with respect to educational qualifications, and fitness for public Office, there has been discussion in this blog over the qualifications of the Candidates. Attempts have been made to denigrate Sen. Obama's qualifications, and Sen. McCain's qualifications. Again, how ridiculous, on both counts.
Sen. Obama is clearly very birght. He could not possibly have been editor of the Harvard Law Review otherwise. He values quaility education highly. His speech on race relations was brilliant, and seems largely, if not entirely, to have been his own work. To suggest that his formal educational qualifications are inadequate is ridiculous.
Similarly, it is true that Sen. McCain finished near the bottom of his class. But his instructors also saw through his rebelliousness and felt that he was an underachiever with the ability to do far, far better. In the half century since he has since won the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle (a notoriously tough and cynical bunch) for the breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience. Something I like about Sen. McCain: he is the living link to, and carries the flame of and for, the generation that lived through the Depression and fought the war. (Obama, not so much). He doesn't symbolize the narcissistic baby-boomers. To suggest that he lacks the education for the job is, likewise, ridiculous.
The point was made by Sam (I think) that what really matters is educational curiosity. Lots of people who didn't graduate from grade school were, in the end, very well read because of their own thirst for knowledge. Humble beginnings, life long reading. Isn't that a description of both Franklin and Lincoln ?
Which brings us to Gov. Palin.
For the position she seeks, her formal education is woeful by any standard. Worse, she does not appear to be well read. Quite the contrary. Prima facie, she simply isn't qualified for the job.
Part of the promise of America, however, is to allow people to succeed on their merits, whatever their beginnings. Gov. Palin is scappy, and she has a certain practical ability. Maybe she is a quick study. Maybe she is making the best of it anyhow. The player picked 218th in the draft who works to become a starter is also the quintessential story of America.
But now she needs to demonstrate an ability to learn, and in a big hurry. Given that her beliefs are controversial, at best, among many other tasks, she might call upon the advice of learned scientific advisors, and, in the end, acknowledge that there is no scientific basis for either creationism or intelligent design. A month or so, would be a reasonable time period in which to do this. An ability to show that she can listen to reason, and adjust her views accordingly would be a mark of maturity. Does she have the character to do that? Let's see.
Complain about this comment
I suppose it is just possible that creationists embrace the idea on the basis that it would be quite justifiable to destroy the lot in 6 days?
Complain about this comment
#201
Dude,
Too long.
Palaeontology is an Earth Science and includes micro and chhemical fossils. Yes, genetics shows evidence and data for some evolutionary theories, but the challenge was fossils.
Sad Sam
Complain about this comment
184, Victor_Hugo :
It was a topic in Freakonomics by Stephen D Levitt. One of Obama's economic adviser's, Austan Goolsbee, is also a devotee to the new wave of "new social economics".
For example, he would advocate for increased spending on education rather than lowering taxes to increase investment to bolster the economy. Better education means more innovation, better, and higher paying jobs which will increase the economy and make the US more competitive. It sounds good, but I'm not sure the ideologies are mirrored by reality.
Complain about this comment
I hear that the Brit's have forced Google to agree to post ad's relating to Abortion and Church.
A witch burning at Google I guess.
Complain about this comment
203 Sam.
Sad but true. You have the knack of writing short comments.
My point was that the geological evidence that the earth has been around a bit longer than 7000 years is not limited to the fossil record. It isn't only evolution that creationism challenges, but also the origin of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon and the stars.
Complain about this comment
To#32MarkfromOxford
I confess that after I read your post, I stopped reading because I think that your summary stated my thoughts exactly and so much better than I could have expressed them.
Also to #23Threnodio
Very well stated and I agree!
To#28Oldmanmark
A very chilling assessment and I really hope you are wrong but I do appreciate your input.
Complain about this comment
#206
I just broke my own rule, but AAA posts do need a lot to reture.
You are correct, I recant. Those disciplines do debunk Creationism. I apologize without reservation.
Apologetic Sam
Complain about this comment
#52
Sean,
I like penguin brained.
Joker Sam
Complain about this comment
Are there any Creationists posting here or reading this blog? If so, can we hear from you?
Also, is there evidence of Palin's using her position to push her Creationist views?
Complain about this comment
#198
I forgot to mention. The higher taxes thing. Sure, but only for people like me who can afford it and want to pay.
As for ageist? Yes. The brain is not what it should be at that age. Plus there is a big risk of illness, including mental issues, as you age. Just look at poor old Ronnie, incoherent by the end of his second term. Maggie has dementia. Would I let a 72 year old run any aspect of my business? NFW, to use an American phrase.
And the real phrase is 's*** or get off the pot'. And it is American in origin, but we'll let you use it as long as you promise to get it right.
Sleep well,
Sam
Complain about this comment
Cool One,
I don't know much about Joe Kennedy Sr. Like Sindy's dad, he was involved in the liquor trade and had a number of dubious connections with organised crime. If you Google, you'll know more than me.
John, Follow the links, and you'll know as much as me. There are clear connections to Keating and a good deal more.
Salaam, etc.
ed
Complain about this comment
#187 timohio
I believe you make a good point here. I live in Canada, but it was the same when I went to school. They used to accelerate the smartest kids, but they repealed that rule when I went to school. I have a brother and sister who were skipped ahead. They generally succeeded, where I actually fell behind due to lack of interest and peer persecution.
I think it may even have started years ago, with names like 'teacher's pet', and 'brown-noser'. Don't know if you got those thrown at you, or they're just regional terms.
I believe that a lot of people misinterpret the idea that all 'men' are born equal. To me this means that we are all born with equal rights, but it does not mean that we are all born with equal abilities.
The forcing of this misinterpretation is evident in the grouping together of kids of varying abilities into one classroom. Aside from this, it is hell on the teacher involved, who has to cater to widely varying abilities and still not bore the more capable kids to death, or leave the slower kids behind. I went through this stuff with my son. He was immediately labeled A.D.D. by his flustered teacher. Turns out he was just bored silly. Hmmm...
As other posters have asked, wouldn't we want to have our most intelligent people running the show? There is a definite lack of these in Canadian politics right now (private industry has sucked up all the smart ones). Oh well, I guess there's never anyone you want to vote for, but always someone to vote against.
As our blog hosts would say, 'spot on!'
Jeff
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA:
I've just reading about the connection between Obama and Ayers. I wanted to understand why Obama's relationship was so controversial (beyond Ayer's criminal past).
I see why Obama's been keeping this relationship with Ayers so quiet. It's interesting that Obama can get away with saying he's a "neighbor". One thing we now know about Obama: He can keep a secret. Write a book and, instead, present that as your past. Very smart move.
Silly me. I actually used FactCheck.org to try to check into the Obama - Chicago Annenberg Challenge.
Complain about this comment
203, Sam.
I never read the post because it was "too long." When something comes up that makes me scroll down twice, I get dizzy and to keep me from falling over I move on.
Complain about this comment
71 - JohnAAA wrote: "People bang on about Palin having "extreme" views eg on abortion. How about Obama's extreme view - that a baby born live after a failed late-term abortion is not entitled to medical succour. Obama voted solo on this - all his own party voted against his view. So who is the extremist ?"
1 Any chance we could change the record?
2 The fact that JAAA accuses other people of 'banging on' displays a stunning lack of self knowledge
3 As Factcheck.org put it, at http://tinyurl.com/69yu3t, "Whether opposing "born alive" legislation is the same as supporting "infanticide," however, is entirely a matter of interpretation. That could be true only for those, such as Obama's 2004 Republican opponent, Alan Keyes, who believe a fetus that doctors give no chance of surviving is an "infant." It is worth noting that Illinois law already provided that physicians must protect the life of a fetus when there is "a reasonable likelihood of sustained survival of the fetus outside the womb, with or without artificial support.""
4 Palin opposes abortion in all circumstances - with the possible exception of saving the mother's life. According to polls quoted on this blog, this puts her in a smallish minority of Americans. [As I recall the percentage against a total ban was c 75%]
5 Who's the extremist? JohnAAA and his adored Sarah
Complain about this comment
58 - JohnAAA wrote: "The attack on McCain not using a Blackberry ergo he knows nothing about the Internet is rubbish. He can't use a normal keyboard let alone a Blackberry keyboard beause his his arms and fingers were broken in Vietnam"
Factcheck.org - "Is McCain unable to use a computer because of war injuries?
He can type. But using a keyboard for long periods is uncomfortable for him. He says he's been an "illiterate" on a computer. But he says now he's learning to use the Internet"
Gee - who to believe?
Complain about this comment
201. Interestedforeigner:
"But now she needs to demonstrate an ability to learn, and in a big hurry. Given that her beliefs are controversial, at best, among many other tasks, she might call upon the advice of learned scientific advisors, and, in the end, acknowledge that there is no scientific basis for either creationism or intelligent design. A month or so, would be a reasonable time period in which to do this. An ability to show that she can listen to reason, and adjust her views accordingly would be a mark of maturity. Does she have the character to do that? Let's see."
For whom exactly would she need to do this? For those who wouldn't vote for a Christian like her in a million years? Who would then move on to her pro-life stance as the deal-breaker?
And this denouncement would be a measure of her "character"?
I don't disagree with your views, but I do have a problem with your definition of "maturity" and "character".
Complain about this comment
216, Johnny.
Does anything in this world interest you besides Obama? It is an obsession with you. Like all obsessions it is suspect.
Complain about this comment
Palin talks fast. Very fast. Palin talks much. Too much. Palin does not want you to get in a word. She loves listening to her own words. Palin said McCain's 'verbiage' was misunderstood. Does Palin know the meaning of the word 'verbiage'? palin said, "In a Palin-McCain administration..." Did Palin make a Freudian slip? Hagel one of the top Republicans hit the nail on the head when he said Palin is 'phoney'.
Complain about this comment
Palin's views on abortion (no - unless the mother's life is at risk) is the standard Roman Catholic view. It is indeed unpopular in the US (roughly 18% support in the last poll I saw.) It is roughly as popular as Obama's view (yes - any time up to birth) - about 23% support. Most Americans are in the middle - sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Obama's vote against Illinois legislation providing for medical treatment for fetuses that survive attempted abortion, pop out and thus become real live outside the womb babies, represents a view supported by virtually no one - including, it now appears, himself - he's gone rather quiet about that one.
Complain about this comment
# 1 -- "I do find it interesting that those who advocate the "right to choose" most loudly are those who have already had the priviledge [sic] of being born."
What other kinds of people are there, apart from those who have had the privilege of being born? None.
Is it the case that those who advocate the right to choose less loudly were not born? (That doesn't even make sense.)
I assume the point here is supposed to be something like the following: If you had the privilege of being born (who has not?), you are not entitled to advocate the right to choose. But this conclusion simply doesn't follow.
One has to have been born to express a view on anything. But the fact that one was, in fact, born places no constraints or restrictions, by itself, on what views one is allowed to express.
Complain about this comment
218 Andrea: Those aren't definitions of "maturity" and "character", they are aspects of them.
For whom? Voters generally. It may make a difference to some if not others.
The question: Is she competent and ready to uphold the Constitution - including the parts she may not like. I.e., Can she set religious views aside and obey the law. Apparently she did on gay marriage. (Reference anybody?)
On abortion? Less worried: Whoever the President may be, Congress will be solidly Democratic. Even if not, I doubt it is politically tenable now for even the worst Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. There would be a revolt. Women's groups would bring the country to a halt.
The threshold issue: Does she have even the minimum qualifications. So far, good speech or not, it doesn't really look like it.
Still, a great quality of Americans is that many, if not most, try to give people at least a fair chance. It isn't Nov. 4 yet.
A VP needs not only knowledge and experience but also strength of character and political maturity. Admittedly, she is weak, or very weak, on the first two.
For a public figure to change their views in response to reasoned argument (rather than more cravenly) is rare. It does take character.
As for political maturity, you may be a Huey Long in Louisiana, (or Juneau) but Washington is a big place, with diverse interests. It requires the ability to listen, learn, persuade (not merely tell) and compromise. Senators McCain, Biden, and Clinton have lots of scars. Maybe Gov. Palin has these qualities. I haven't seen them yet.
Is she poorly prepared ? Unquestionably.
Would she have been picked if not for her views on abortion? No.
Is this yet another ugly example of how abortion is warping political debate in America? Clearly.
I don't wish Gov. Palin, (or Sens. McCain, Obama or Biden) badly. I wish them all well. Whoever wins, America faces daunting challenges - and the cupboard is bare.
Complain about this comment
I must disagree. The creationist are not all that "isolated". there are those that believe both evolution and creation can walk hand in hand. As for picking on my home state of Kentucky, I would suggest you not fall back on old stereotypes from the 19th century. Come visit. It wasn't too isolated for the Queen to visit. You may also find that it is not the west or east coast that elects a president. It is us isolated hillbillys. Now excuse my while I go clean my gun.
Complain about this comment
Wow, this is getting to be a heated debate. For what it may be worth, I would suggest looking up the story on the BBC news pages on one explanation of why people choose their political affiliations. I'd also suggest looking up the MRI research suggesting differing brain structures for right-wing/Republican versus left-wing/Democrat voters. As for witch-burning of (and/or by) politicians, that's a traditional activity in the US. I'm surprised they haven't allocated a day to memorialize the practice, given they've allocated days to far more obscure things in the past. Especially in light of the investigation in Alaska (obstructed) and the e-mail reports coming out (that she either bypassed or violated open government laws), I'm willing to say she's probably as crooked as they get, but so are all the other Presidental and Vice-Presidential candidates. None of them respect science, truth or even their own word, and there's no entry on the ballot paper to demand nominations be re-opened, so don't expect them to feel pressured to change.
Complain about this comment
I am always amazed at the "right to life" groups are only focused on the unborn. It seems to me that when it comes to "sorry you have cancer" but not enough medical insurance cover, It's your own problem, please go and die on your own, or take your family into abject poverty, you are not an unborn so the "right to life" groups have lost interest.
Complain about this comment
Should Ballot papers have a box saying none of the canditates are worthy of my vote?
Complain about this comment
Mr. Webb, fretting about the nasty coverage Palin is receiving verges on hypocrisy, quite frankly.
You no doubt have a significant input in the development of stories on the US election in the various BBC media.
Just a brief perusal of headlines for the last month or so indicates that the BBC seems to be systematically highlighting all the negative aspects of only one side, and not the other.
This is not the balanced reporting your organisation is duty-bound to provide. Why is that?
Complain about this comment
228 the BBC has no obligation to be balanced about the USA,
I think they probably try very hard to be balance.
It's just that both sides will believe that the other side is getting better coverage, as you seem to be blind to your own sides shortcomings, much the same here.
Complain about this comment
Regarding Palin's 'creationist' views, has she actually stated her views regarding this explicitly?
A web-search for statements by her on this subject only really seem to bring up the source quoted on her wikipedia entry, where she merely advocates 'teach[ing] both [Evolutionary Synthesis and Intelligent Design]'.
From a UK, espousing even relatively mild creationist ideas is considered to be an extreme, irrationalist view (case in point, that fellow from the Royal Society). In the context of the quasi-religious mire that is American Politics however, its paradoxically considered to be the 'Politically Correct' view; she is expediently sitting on the fence and no more. I would suggest that she probably doesn't think about it a great deal and, when pressed, its unsuprising that she expresses what is considered there to be a benign 'fair' viewpoint.
The danger of this approach is that it plays directly into the religious fundamentalists hands - given that their various attempts to bring creationism into the science classrooms of the US has consistently been blocked by the Supreme Court (due to strict constitutional divisions between church and state) their only strategy left today is to exploit Americans natural sense of fair play, by presenting themselves as martyrs, whose 'freedom of expression' is being supressed by nasty secular scientists.
By appearing to 'play fair to both sides' Palin (and politicians of both political stripe) are legitimising pseudo-scientific Creationist ideas (i.e. Intelligent Design) as being of at least equal stature as Scientific theories, which is a dangerous precedent to set.
What next? Gravitational Theory being replaced by "Intelligent Falling"? There's bound to be at least one politician on the make willing to back that particular horse!
Complain about this comment
Mr Webb you think you jest but as a homeschooler I have received catalogs advertising new history texts where the judges who sentenced Salem's witches are Hero's to be revered-because witches really do exist and they stood up to protect America from them.
These are the New Puritans and they believe 100% that these are the last days of the earth. The kicker that people like you are ignoring is HOW that is to happen according to their biblical prophecy. America and the world is destroyed in fire-a nuclear holocaust as a result of war between Russia nad the US. Someone who believes this as fact which is Ms Palin will as VP be a heartbeat away from having her finger on THE button. Shouldn't that be discussed worldwide as news? Checkout her pastor Hagee on You Tube-they are NOT joking.
Complain about this comment
Justin,
Your assessment of the American people as too inherently reasonable to go along with Sarah Palin's views seems entirely plausible when one thinks of the culture of the Northeast or the West Coast (North and South) but in the depths of the great American heartland there's a much less resaonable/liberal/enlightenend mindset that holds sway.
In Office, Palin would have considerable power to clear the way for the organisations promoting the views she shares to have these incorporated into policy.
Complain about this comment
re: 213. Alaska-me-Hardplace:
The anti-intellectual sentiment also feeds a growing resentment among the the have-nots against the haves. Here in the formerly industrial Midwest, there is a strong feeling that others have conspired to take away their jobs and prosperity. Part of the anger over the mortgage crisis is due to the feeling that working people were duped into bad mortgages by slick-talking people wearing business suits. Which is true to some extent, although con artists always have willing victims.
On the other side of the social and economic chasm, you have the wealthy and the merely well-off who barricade themselves in gated communities and feel little connection to those who are less fortunate than they are. I doubt that the people who ran Enron into the ground worried much about the jobs and retirement accounts of their employees.
John Edwards talked about this "Two Americas" problem in his 2004 campaign, but I don't think anyone is really focusing on it now in a constructive way. I think it's a scarier problem than racism, really (not to minimize the scariness of racism in America). If we can't have a sense of common purpose and commitment, we really lose the social compact that makes a democracy work.
Complain about this comment
ThickAmerican,
Are you anywhere near Henry County?
Peace to all
ed
Complain about this comment
"You can't con an honest man" - Robert A Heinlein (and many others)
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Actually most of the polls I have seen on abortion is that about 70% of the people in the US are against it.
Complain about this comment
I will never support a candidate that supports abortion. Every life is precious, especially at its earliest stages. Does that mean that people should have ten kids in a family? No, be responsible. Why not adopt instead of having kids? There are options besides killing your own child.
Complain about this comment
Most people in America are against abortion. It is the liberal media that we have here that represents the minority of the public who supports abortion.
Complain about this comment
We shouldn't burn witches, but should we elect them? Palin is really scary considering she is an elected official. Evangelical -OK, extreme conservative-OK, No global warming not OK, polar bears are not threatened-not OK, I won't comply with a legally constituted Enquiry into my desisions
as governor(troopergate)-not OK. Answering serious questions with non-answers or obvious learned responses instead of substantive material-not OK. macain has chosen someone for potential political gain not proven ability-not OK-
Complain about this comment
I have some questions for anyone who believes that abortion equals murder:
If the doctor who performs the abortion has committed murder, doesn't it follow that the woman who has the abortion is an accessory to murder? How many years should she spend in prison for her crime?
If abortion is murder, then is miscarriage involuntary manslaughter? If a woman miscarries she has accidentally ended a human Life, which is the definition of manslaughter after all...
Then, How many years should a woman who suffers a miscarriage spend in prison? Should a woman who suffers more than one miscarriage then be denied the chance to get pregnant again, given that she's already killed two "potential" human beings? Does having a second miscarriage elevate her crime to murder? She would have past experience that a second miscarriage was possible, given the first. How many miscarriages would it take to elevate her to serial killer?
This is why Sarah Palin's stance on abortion is desperately important.
And yes, reducto ad absurdum is a valid form of logical argument.
(MANSLAUGHTER - The unlawful killing of a human being without malice or premeditation, either express or implied; distinguished from murder, which requires malicious intent.)
Complain about this comment
210, AndreainNY:
"Also, is there evidence of Palin's using her position to push her Creationist views? "
You keep asking that; as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter.
She has those views, and is connected to a church that can only be described as extremist. I'd rather call it a sect, actually.
Those her views also include that such extremist religious believes can, maybe even should play a role in society.
Enough said.
Complain about this comment
ThickAmerican (#224), no doubt the Queen visited Kentucky merely because she is interested in horse racing.
Complain about this comment
Maybe I am thick too!
I believe in the Bible, life starts at conception, Jesus died for our sins.
That's MY belief! I am entitled to these and you are entitled to yours as well!
I don't feel that the National government should make issues that fall under health care, election issues. No in this day and age, with the unwanted war, national emergencies, hurricanes, our own people here at home without power, a place to sleep and many without a home!
I have asked before about mis-direction...of election funds, funds funneled to"special interest groups."
Why not help our own people here at home first?
Complain about this comment
Palin has proved to be an extremist rather than a "maverick". How can the majority of Americans accept her as a viable VP candidate. She has poven to be a liar as well as stonewalling a legal enquiry. What else is she hiding, we have seen enough dirt about her politically and personally. She doesn't answer hard questions except with gop scripted responses. Mcant's choice for running mate should disqualify him it seems to be a very stupid or simply politically motivated choice. More George w, no thanks.
Complain about this comment
bush was questioned about foreign leaders and didn't know the answers about who they were. He also had a poor grasp of world geography. Now macant has shown the same discrepancies. Could America afford another huge mistake by electing aa bush clone?
For someone looking at the American elections from the outside the whole process appears to be more of a circus than a presidential election.
Dems are stretchers of the truth and gop are outright liars. I would go for the lesser of two evils, I think.
I found it nubelieveable that bush could be re-elected after proving his ineptitude, lying and cheating Gore. I thought a convivted felon was exempted from political office. bush had his license and evidence destroyed after a DUI conviction.
Complain about this comment
"Next time you see a monkey painting vermeer, a kangaroo reading Milton, or a puppy playing the flute, self-conscious, with a soul, please let the world know."
All true. Monkeys don't paint, kangaroos don't read and puppies don't play the flute. If you read a book like "Chimpanzee Politics" by Dutch biologist Frans de Waal, you may realize that most of our politicians are no more than apes though. In many respeacts we behave like animals because we refuse to acknowlegde our animal soul. Bush invading Iraq is just a chest beating gorilla. Only the gorilla probably has more sense.
Complain about this comment
Completely off-topic, but why does McCain's campaign logo remind me of a fast food chain?
Complain about this comment
Have you moderated #245 yet? Is it refused or have you forgotten it is there?
Complain about this comment
"Too kind to burn witches?" Gee, funny little coincidence. I was just thinking about asking Palin your little question. Maybe she isn't a witch, but maybe she believes in them.
In order of probability as I currently have the evidence--but I'm rather sure we'll be seeing much more about this over the next few days.
1. She was certainly on good terms with the witch hunter. I have seen video of her praising and thanking him.
2. She belongs to an evangelical church that is reported to have some strange and highly unscientific beliefs. I actually studied such churches when I was earning my first degree, and I am sure of their weirdness and that the description of her church puts it pretty far into the weird side. Believing in witches is well within the possibilities for such churches.
3. The witch hunter has visited her church a number of times, apparently as some sort of guest preacher. He has reportedly told the story of his witch hunting on several of those occasions, and it is apparently well known within the congregation. You would think this should be easy to check, but such churches can get very close-mouthed about such things, so it may take time to investigate.
4. As the story of the witch hunt was reported, the witch hunter identified a "witch" in an African village and finally drove her out of the village. There was no mention of any appeal to legal authorities, just neighborly persecution.
5. I predict Palin is going to say she's never heard anything about this, or if she has heard about it, she will state that she didn't really believe the woman was a witch. In the latter case she'll also have some slick excuse about why it wasn't worth fussing about now.
I admit #5 is speculative, but what I will say is that the more I learn about Palin, the less qualified she seems--and the initial impression was that she was totally unqualified to be president. Kind of like a Chicken Little Lite version of Cheney.
Complain about this comment
Excuse me Justin, but she would be a huge risk as either President or VP. Gov. Palin has that rare combination of ignorance and confidence. She is so sure of herself but has little knowledge or understanding of the the world outside of Alaska. She's George W. Bush with a lot less experience. I'm not as concerned about social issues such as pro-life or pro-choice, gay rights, etc. My concern is that her entire character is developed from "surburbia", PTA meetings, shopping and church. She doesn't relate to issues of gang violence, crime and proverty....and has obviously demonstrated that she doesn't understand world outside US borders.
Complain about this comment
Okay I am an American woman, who is attractive and the same age as Palin.
I decided not to judge her at first sight(most attractive women in general can be judge harshly, that has been my personal experience)
I did my research.
Factcheck.org
Unfortunately my assessment is;
Sarah Palin is yet another hench woman (like Condee Rice) for the far right, her policies are tainted by big business and the oil barons.
She hides behind her Christain value but in truth is a hypocrite...She is a spokeswoman a Vanna White, spinning the wheel of fortune.
My research also shocked me, it is true that Palin made rape victims pay for their own rape kits. What good Christain can say that is okay? Normally the extreme Muslims will punish rape victims. I have two daughters and this really alarms me.
Palin is a female Bush (a dim governor in the least populated state) and not qualified to be VP, who would be only a heartbeat away to the office of Commander and Chief.
We can look to the Bush administration for an American President (former wild west Texas governor) who obviously was not qualified to be one of the most powerful leaders in the free world. LOOK AT THE MESS HE IS LEAVING THE WHOLE WORLD IN.
McCain and Palin continue to defend Bush's record. Excuse me but if you can't acknowledge mistakes and an exit stradegy to fix the problems?
It is obvious that the far right and oil barons are united corperations of America, the people keep loosing their power...IF this continues, we will occupy the whole Middle East, under the lie of the "War on Terror" in reality it is blood for oil. The new Manifest Destiny!
I hope Americans who are in deniel will wake up very soon.
Complain about this comment
By the way practicing WICCA or witchcraft is allowed in the USA, freedom of religion and it is recognized as a religion.
Palin is a mad with dulusions of power, this woman is NOT a stable person.
FYI, Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she and her husband were once members of their party, which, since the 1970s, has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.
I resent anyone who once supported to break away from the USA and now is McCain's running mate.
HYPOCRITES!
Complain about this comment
#11
Why would a monkey paint vermeer? He'd have to dig him up first, and then what would be the point? Surely a monkey would paint 'Monkey with a pearl earring?
BTW, Monkeys have not been shown to be self aware, neither have Kangaroos, or puppies, although puppies are cute. Chimpanzees, Gorilla's and other great apes have been shown to have the same degree of self awareness as young Human children. Elephants mourn. We have no idea what dolphins think but apparently someone has taught a beluga whale to speak. I misheard CNN yesterday and thought they were teaching him profanity but apparently the first word he learned was 'Bucket'.
Zoologist Sam
Complain about this comment
The breast symbols on comment #18 are offensive, yet the BBC board moderators have chosen to keep them on this board. Interesting that such good liberals like the BBC will tolerate things offensive to women.
Complain about this comment
Many male commenters are minimizing the evil re: Sarah Palin. However, as an aging women now who could not get an abortion as a teenager, which cancelled my chance to go on to an excellent college on scholarship, and led to a disastrous and abusive marriage, I can truthfully say that many of you don't know what the 'bleep' you are talking about. I have been a "clinic defender" in past decades when Palin-types were violently and horribly trying their damnedest [pun intended] to keep young women with crucially-scheduled appointments out of abortion clinics. I have sacrificed to contribute to NARAL an other women's reproductive rights organizations, and continue to do so. And I spend many years working in state institutions, caring for multiply-handicapped/mentally-challenged people abandoned by their families - born primarily to fundamentalist and conservative catholic families when parents were older and that "last kid" turned out to be more than the family could "handle." Sarah Palin gets attention and plaudits - but she doesn't clean up the excrement and do the heavy-lifting, literally, when it comes to the abandoned in state institutions. Her story is a "Princess" story - and her daughter's getting attention and financial perks most pregnant teens can't even dream of. Time to stop romanticizing pregnancy and birthing and child-rearing, and encourage realism and responsibility, in public policy.
Complain about this comment
re: 233 timohio
I'm no sociology major, but it seems to me that unbridled capitalism is the main culprit in most of this. I'm starting to believe that capitalism needs the moderating effect of a bit of socialism to keep from widening this dichotomy between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. It has somehow got to the point where, if you have too much of a conscience, you won't make as much money. And of course today 'more is better'. What single person 'needs' $50 billion?
This results in CEO's leaving the sinking ship with millions, while the rest of the employees are simply out of a job.
And because the 'herd' is getting larger and larger, competition is perceived to be the only way to succeed. But is has become a case of trying to trounce your competitors, rather than just make a better widget. Companies used to fill a need with a new product. Now they create a piece of crap and try to convince us that we need one. And hey, if you buy two pieces of crap, we'll give you a great deal. On the bright side, I have begun to hear talk of different business paradigms that emphasize cooperation instead.
I believe that everyone is greedy to an extent (looking out for #1), but when greed is unchecked, as it is with the morally bankrupt in a capitalist society, greed pays and compassion or sharing the wealth is seen as holding one back, or 'not my problem. I got this far, so what's everyone else complaining about? They could get where I am if they want.' Trouble is most regular folk have a stronger moral core than this.
It's hard to articulate this, but if there were some checks and balances on how much a person or company can make, with any disproportionate profits being immediately fed back into the 'have not' fund, it might help to close the gap a bit. I don't envy the politicians on this problem. One would immediately be labeled a leftist or commie. I can hardly wait until that stigma dies the death it deserves (hangover from the fifties, I think).
When I was growing up, I was told that if one worked reasonably hard, and watched one's pennies, one could expect to live a reasonably comfortable life. This is part of what you folks call the American Dream, I believe. I heard it cynically called 'the long hard scramble to the middle' once. I am part of the first generation that has had to try (many) more than one career, in order to make a steady decent wage, due to layoffs etc. I'm still working on it, for that matter.
And you're right. When people have money, they can afford to isolate themselves from the 'riff raff', and pretend that they belong to some aristocracy, even though most of their parents were dirt poor as well. The British have tried to deal with this as well, since the industrial revolution allowed certain magnates to buy their way into the aristocracy (the creation of the middle class).
Part of the 'have nots' problem is possibly that they hope the 'elite' has some sort of moral fibre, and that they deserve the position they're in. Add to that the fact that most working folks these days are so busy, they do not have the time to read and learn beyond whatever they achieved in school. So they tend to believe what is shoved at them on TV, and tend to adopt these sound bite 'truisms' and repeat them at will, in an attempt to appear more educated than they are. This is the fodder that the present politicians feed on. Whomever comes up with the catchiest phrase wins the election.
I realize that this is becoming quite the diatribe again, so I'll close for now. This is the first time I have actively joined a blog, and it has been fun discussing this stuff with you. I tripped over it because I rely on the BBC for most of my world news and, lately, to try to follow the US elections. I'm sad to say that I cannot trust most of the US media sources. We have the CBC here, which tries to remain unbiased, but frankly, we are too tied in with what happens south of the 49th, so I tend to trust a complete third party source a bit more. I admit though, that I'm a fairly avid watcher of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart! I love how they actually show the politicians saying completely opposite things from one year to another. There's your proof. We have a fellow up here called Rick Mercer, who is the unofficial watchdog of politics in Canada.
Cheers and good luck!
Jeff
Complain about this comment
Canada and Finland are esstentially "socialist" countries, but we don't worry we will be pauperized by a serious disease in the family. Both are technolgically advanced modern societies with mostly state paid for health care systems. I wonder if our tax brackets are higher than in the US? Watching the US presidential elections from the sidelines (outside the US) might give a better picture and hearing international anaysis would help the average American see a little more reality in the politicians.
Complain about this comment
How shocking that Mr Webb would say social conservatives "perished" when Terry Schiavo perished. Leaving aside how patently ridiculous it is to assert that American social conservatives are finished, given their massive numbers and a degree of organisation that terrifies people like Webb, isn't that a tactless way to talk about a woman who died in such tragic circumstances?
And how can Webb have spent so long in the US and assert that "[Palin's] views (on abortion for instance) are simply unpopular in the nation as a whole".
According to Gallup 51% of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong; only 40% say it is morally acceptable. 53% consider themselves "pro-choice" on abortion, whereas 42% call themselves "pro-life." Unpopular? Like Webb says, "look at the polls".
He also blithely asserts that Americans do not "take to all this Old Testament stuff in really large numbers". Incredible! Maybe not in the BBC tea room in DC, but Gallup say the percentage of Americans who think the evidence supports evolution is equal to the percentage who think it does not (30%).
Do your homework Mr Webb!
Complain about this comment
184. Dear Victor_Hugo:
Try this, from August 1999:
The criminal unborn
Aug 12th 1999 | CHICAGO
From The Economist print edition
WHO would have thought the debate over abortion in America could become any more inflammatory? Now it has. John Donohue of Stanford University Law School and Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago, have released the results of an unpublished paper* that attributes as much as half of the sharp drop in American crime rates in the 1990s to the 1973 Roe v Wade decision by the Supreme Court that legalised abortion throughout the United States.
The authors argue that the connection between abortion and crime is chillingly simple: a steep rise in abortions after 1973 has meant that many individuals prone to criminal activity in the 1990s were never born. There are two reasons for this. First, abortion shrinks the number of people who reach the age where they are most prone to commit crimes. Second, and more important, abortion is not random. Teenagers, unmarried women and blacks are more likely than average to have abortions; they are also more likely to have children at risk of committing crimes later in life. Similarly, women with unwanted pregnancies are less likely to be good parents and may do things during pregnancy, such as take drugs, that make future criminality more likely.
The authors present three strands of evidence to support their conclusion. First, the precipitous drop in crime across the country coincides with the period in which the generation affected by Roe v Wade would have reached the peak of its criminal activity, at the age of 18-24. Second, the five states that legalised abortion in 1970, three years before Roe v Wade, were the first to experience the drop in criminal activity. And, last, states with high abortion rates from 1973 to 1976 have seen the largest fall in crime since 1985, even after checking for other factors such as incarceration rates, racial composition and income. (In contrast, there is no relationship between abortion rates in the 1970s and crime before 1985, when abortion-affected groups had not yet reached criminal age.)
The authors reckon that a 10% increase in the abortion rate is associated with a 1% decrease in crime; current crime rates would be 10-20% higher if abortion had not been legalised. Using current estimates for the social cost of crime, the authors estimate the concomitant social benefits of abortion to be in the order of $30 billion a year. They also predict that crime rates will continue to fall by 1-2% a year for 15-20 years as the full effects of legalised abortion are felt.
The premises of the paper all seem reasonably sound. It is by putting them together that the authors of the paper have managed to shock a lot of people, by no means all of them in America.
* ?Legalised Abortion and Crime?. June 24th, 1999, unpublished.
Complain about this comment
Dear Justin...
First of all: THANK YOU.
It's taken a bit longer than I'd hoped, but I'm glad you finally decided to try reign in the outright lies, slander and defamation.
Second: THANK YOU.
Complain about this comment
...And for the rest of the World:
Real Frigid is right - The foxes are guarding the chicken coop.
But to anyone who is convinced that it's only the Republicans - or conversely, Democrats - are responsible for this mess:
If you're so convinced that the candidates of the other Party are so poorly qualified that you feel you need to insult and disparage them, and otherwise be childish, why don't you give it a go yourselves and run for office? If you're so right, then you should have an easy time of it.
...Do you care enough to REALLY get involved?
I wouldn't be so passionate about this if the average voter would pay attention to these things and involve themselves even when it's NOT an election year. The sad truth is that (with the exception of taxes) most American voters only pay attention to politics and the attendant issues during election years. The rest of the time, they play a game that we Americans call "Monday-Morning Quarterback" - criticizing the decisions which were not successful in the match on the day before.
"Contributory negligence" extends not only to the regulators and our elected representatives (always of the other Party, of course) but to ourselves as well. It's simply indefensible to place 100% of the blame on "x" or "y" politician, whom we all elected, when we're not paying attention (or apathetic) to what they (the banks and politicians) are doing, when they're doing it. (e.g.: You know crime happens. You know there are theives who have not yet been arrested, who are currently wandering the streets. Ergo, you can't leave the barn door unlocked at night and then absolve yourself of any responsibility when awake in the morning to find that your mule has been stolen.)
Complain about this comment
I am an archaeologist that has lived for extended periods recently in the USA, England and Germany and what I found shocking is the ever-growing apathy towards, or at least desensitisation to talk of creationsim in mainstream schooling and in politics. It is not alone in the USA that this simply silly view is being accepted in the place of scientific fact. As the blog suggests, it is generally in those regions where ardent supporters of the Old Testament generally dominate but, and it is important to be clear, it is not simply ´Americans´. In Britain, where I attended the University of Reading, and in Germany, where I teach freelance and count numerous teachers in my circle of friends, there is growing acceptance of creationist belief. I have spoken to several teachers (believers in creationism) who present both sides in the science classroom...They look at me strangely when I ask them if they also present fairy belief and native American foundation myth. In fact usually I get the kind of look creationsist get from believers in evolution.
Reality is, everyone should have a voice but the science classroom is for science and the sociology classroom is for these other theories. In the case of Sarah Palin, a gifted politian and speaker, no doubt, from my own experience and from 8 years of watching the Bush administration creating opportunities to sneak creationism into science classrooms through the backdoor, those who subscribe to these beliefs are incapable of separating personal belief and public and professional duty.
This archaeologist will, however, soften his tone, recant, maybe even support Palin if she can satisfy one curiousity...Dinosaurs. Where did they pop out of?
Complain about this comment
TEST TRANSMISSION ONLY
Complain about this comment
I have to agreed that some of the comments have gone over the deep-end...
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS