GeorgiaDon

Or a dotard.... Or an ass. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

It's more likely he'll nominate Jared the Wonder Boy. After he brings peace to the Middle East, collects his Nobel Prize, and reinvents government, being a Supreme Court Justice should be a walk in the park. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Not totally comparable situations. According to the article, Biden was campaigning in the area and the idea was to use his stop at the bakery as a photo op. I don't think people have an obligation to allow their business to be used as a campaign venue, especially if they do not agree with the candidate's policies. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

SCOTUS didn't allow bakers to refuse service for LBQT related weddings. The narrow ruling essentially said that, no, you can't do that, but because the city were such assholes in the way they went about punishing this particular instance, you get a pass, this time.That is true, regarding the actual scope of the SCOTUS ruling. Nevertheless, the Trump administration spoke about the ruling as if it legitimized discriminating against same-sex couples on "religious freedom" grounds. We saw the same (uninformed) reaction from some Trumpites here in SC. The Trump administration blatantly promotes discrimination against people based on religion, sexual orientation, race, financial status, national origin, education ("I love the poorly educated"), and probably a few more things I haven't mentioned. They even insist that people they don't like should not have basic constitutional rights such as due process. Yet, they demand that they themselves must be treated with "respect" at all times. Well, "respect" or "absolute deference". Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

So it's perfectly fine to refuse service to people because of their sexual orientation (for example the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding), but it's not OK to refuse service to someone who advocates hurting children to send a message to their parents? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Think about who you are replying to. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

The State Department system is designed for use with the highest security communications, not personal emails. It is outdated, incredibly unwieldy, and so impossible to use in the real world that everybody devises workarounds (link). Even Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell used private email for state business, not servers but easily hacked public companies (Yahoo in Powell's case!). Actually Rice, Powell, and Clinton all used the state system for communications that were marked secret/top secret etc, and the private system for non-classified or personal communications. All the so-called "classified" communications found on Clinton's servers were not marked as such at the time they were sent, but were retroactively reclassified during one or another of the several "investigations". Also all of the deleted emails had been screened and were categorized as personal, although of course the conspiracy minded cannot imagine that someone like Hilary Clinton could possibly have personal communications like actual real people do. Perhaps we should make it a condition of government employment that if you take the job every email you ever send, even if it's intensely personal between you and your spouse, will be public and provided to anyone who has an axe to grind or just want to humiliate you. I'm sure that would not keep anyone who really believes in public service from taking the job. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Of course, an advantage of the parliamentary system is that the party can elect a new leader, who would become Premier, should Ford prove too damaging. What I really disliked about the campaign was the way the PC platform promised all these cuts to taxes and Hydro (electricity rates, for non-Canadians who may be wondering) without saying how anything would be paid for. I can't imagine people really want a 20-30% cut in the number of teachers, but that's what they will likely get to pay for the promised tax cuts. Same for universities, and every other government service. A tax cut might not taste so sweet when your kid suddenly finds they are in classes with 40 or 50 other kids, and when they graduate and try to go to university there is no room for them, or the major they wanted isn't offered any more. That tax cut might taste downright bitter when you have some medical emergency and find 20 or 30% of the hospitals have been closed . Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Yeah, they know.Does a real Christian make a habit of trashing the 9th Commandment? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

No-one could have foreseen that Pence publicly discussing applying a Libya strategy to North Korea could have produced such a response. After all, Libya is such a great model to follow: 2003: Libya agrees to give up its nuclear program and chemical weapons in exchange for lifting of sanctions. 2011: revolutionaries, backed by the US and other Western governments, apprehend and kill Gaddafi. Why would anyone expect the Dear Leader (not the Orange Mango Dear Leader, the other one) to be happy about a plan that goes, more or less: unilaterally disarm now, and we'll kill you later. The whole point of North Korea pursuing nuclear weapons is that they are paranoid (not unreasonably) that the US is out to destroy them, and only the threat of a nuclear attack is sufficient to deter US aggression. What kind of an idiot brings up a model where the end outcome is exactly what the North Koreans most fear? Unless, of course, Pence is in cahoots with Bolton in preferring war over a diplomatic solution. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

The average enrollment for public schools in Georgia is 763 students (source). If you can process 2 students/minute (metal detector, running backpack through an X-ray, etc) it would take 6 1/2 hours to get them all into the building. If class starts at 9 AM they would have to be in line around 2:30 in the morning. Does that sound reasonable to you? We won't even discuss the cost for now. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

For real? So he is General Ripper?Small correction, this happened in 2002 so it would have been during the Bush #2 administration, not Bush 1. From this article: "Earlier, he had urged a first strike “pre-emptive” attack on Cuba, claiming that the Cubans were preparing biological warfare agents at a plant on the island. Steve Clemons of The Atlantic had visited that plant and reported that it was a medical lab developing vaccines for Cuba’s free national health care system." Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

It may not have been relevant to Trump's previous career as real estate swindler. It is, however, quite relevant to his job as POTUS, at which he has demonstrated himself to be woefully incompetent.It's worrisome that this administration has consistently proposed extreme cuts to the budget for global heath security, and national security adviser Bolton has forced out the head of the Global Health Security Office (on the same day a new Ebola outbreak was announced) [link]. Bolton apparently has no interest in maintaining the office. Trump is filling his administration with people who think exactly the same as he does on issues, and "Bombs Away Bolton" has always been dismissive of the national security implications of pandemic disease outbreaks. I recall back in the Bush #1 administration Bolton was agitating to bomb vaccine manufacturing facilities in Cuba, on the theory that if they could make vaccines maybe they could make biological warfare agents. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

It IS that big a deal. Kids are kids. They're not adults. They deserve to have an environment that is safe to be kids in without the need for specialized security to account for adults wanting to play with guns. Here's the thing - where I went to school there was NO security. None. And that's true in just about every country that doesn't have multiple shootings in schools every week. So sure, you could lock the schools down, treat them like a prison and frisk everyone coming and going and there would probably be less events like this - But no parent in the world would want that. By adding security that you want you're treating a symptom, not the root cause. Let me ask you something - would you trade your child's life for your right to own firearms? A straight yes or no answer please.This school did have armed security. One of the "resource officers" engaged the gunman and was shot and critically wounded. Perhaps he distracted the gunman and reduced the casualty toll, but it's impossible for police to be everywhere all the time and intervene before a shot is even fired. It would be even worse if the "open carry everywhere" crowd had their way, as the time between "I'm perfectly legal, and I'll sue if you even question me" and the time to mass slaughter would be only the time it takes you to unholster a weapon. The gunman in this case was a student at the school. How are we supposed to be able to prevent someone who belongs in the building, is in fact required to be there, from doing harm? The only way would be to require more-than-TSA level security at every entrance, bar students from carrying backpacks (so no bringing your books to class!), and have an armed guard in every classroom and hallway so every student is watched every second they are in the building. Kids could start lining up at 5 AM to get through security in time for their 8:00 class. I suggest there would be a big cost to be paid down the road if we make every student feel that they are a suspected mass murderer every time they are in school. Plus a huge cost to be paid immediately to implement such security. I wonder how much people will appreciate a doubling of their taxes to pay for this? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

And now Trump is officially Netanyahu's bitch. Unfortunately that means it's likely that several thousand Americans and several hundred thousand Iranians will die while Bibi sits on the sidelines and laughs. Assuming, of course, that Trump can keep his short fingers off his big nuclear button; if he can't the Russians will likely get involved and we'll be lucky if we escape with only a few million casualties and a few cities replaced with smoking radioactive craters. Still, no price to too high to pay for Trump to stick his finger in Obama's eye. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

...who has singlehandedly established the United States as the most untrustworthy "partner" in the world. In his zeal to rule by personal vendetta against Obama, a hatred magnified by his obvious racism, he has ensured that no country with an ounce of sense will trust the US to abide by any agreement. He is no more loyal to this country's historic allies than he has been to his wife: if he can screw you over he will, just because. What will be the consequence of Trump's hubris? Ultimately the EU, Russia, China, Canada, Mexico, and the rest of the world will tell him to go fuck himself if he tries to impose sanctions on them for continuing to support the nuclear deal and trade with Iran. The US will become more and more marginalized in the world. Ultimately the only leverage the US will have at its disposal is its military, which (it seems to me) is OK by Trump as it fits nicely with his authoritarian desire to make his mark by having his own war in the Middle East and, if it all goes according to plan, become the first President since Truman to use nuclear weapons. Speaking of authoritarian, did anyone else catch how he "spoke to the Iranian people" about how they could return to the glory days they "enjoyed" while living under the thumb of the Shah, a ruthless dictator who used his CIA-trained secret police (the notorious SAVAK) to terrorize any political opposition. Just the kind of guy Trump would admire and hope to emulate. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Apparently Mr. Piatek is such a Trump fan that his alleged "religion" also condones lying when it is convenient: The Happiest Hour denied that Piatek had been removed in the first place, stating Piatek “was sufficiently pleased with his service at the bar [and] that he added” a $36 tip onto the $186 tab, according to The New York Post. The bar owners suggest Piatek’s lawsuit was a “publicity stunt.” Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Apparently the North Korean idea of "nuclear free" also includes having the US rescind its nuclear "umbrella" from South Korea. If that happens, the US would basically agree not to retaliate with nuclear weapons should the North decide to use its much larger military to invade the South. Would the US really be willing to commit ground forces to defend South Korea in a conventional war? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Of course, not long ago Gorsuch voted with the conservative majority to rule that lawful immigrants (including permanent residents), as well as people applying for asylum and undocumented people, can be held indefinitely and they are not entitled to a bond hearing (link). The person at the center of the case was a permanent resident who was convicted years ago of "joyriding" and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. He was picked up by ICE (under the Obama administration BTW) and held for more than three years with no court date in sight before the Ninth Circuit court ruled that he was entitled to a bond hearing and ordered his release. That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court. Welcome to America, the land where you can be picked up and held in jail for years without your "day*" in court. *"day" typically being 5-7 minutes Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

"Taxes are for the little people."There was an interesting story on NPR the other day about how many people are restructuring their income to take advantage of the pass-through business provisions. For example, although doctors and dentists can't call themselves a pass-through business directly, if they own their building and equipment they can set up a business to take ownership of those assets. Then they can charge themselves rent (at a high rate) and claim that rent as income under the pass-through provisions. One accountant claimed he had cut his client's tax bill by over $70,000 that way. So, the hit on federal revenue is likely to be much much larger than what you would calculate just based on the new tax brackets. I suspect we are already going to be looking at trillion dollar deficits, certainly within the next year or two. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

From the story in Kallend's link: "Schadlow is the third senior national security official to resign or be pushed out in the wake of national security adviser John Bolton's entrée to the White House." No worries. Those three officials will soon be replaced, by the Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Can you still buy War Bonds? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Once he's out of office, it'll take about a 6 month shower in very hot water to get the Trump stink off of him. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

If Trump continues in this vein, I think there is a very real danger that the US dollar will lose it's position as the currency of international trade. Much of our ability to influence financial markets, or to impose significant sanctions on "bad actors", comes from our ability to restrict their access to international banking, by denying them the ability to conduct business in $US. If, say, the Euro or the Yen were to become the international currency, it would not matter to "bad actors" that they can't convert their resources into $US. Who knew that "making America great again" meant returning to economic irrelevance. I guess America was great in the 19th century, at least Roy Moore thought so. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Of course, intellectual property rights was a very big part of the TPP. Which Trump pulled us out of. Because, why go with negotiation and diplomacy when you can have a war (trade war in this case) to convince the "base" you're a tough guy? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

I would argue that the Democrats nominated the best candidate of either party in decades.I would argue that the Democrats nominated the most qualified candidate in decades. That's a fair distinction. The plans were there, for anyone to read. Clinton offered detailed plans for just about everything. She even had plans for an autism initiative.Fair enough. In that case I would question the assumption that the electorate is engaged enough to bother to read. Clearly a significant portion of the electorate either can't read/comprehend anything longer than a twitter rant, or they can but they don't care enough to do so. I think it would be interesting to have "blind auditions" for the presidency (kind of like the auditions on "The Voice"). Each candidate can write out (or have someone ghost-write) their policies. Then someone (the same person for all the candidates) reads those policies, using the same tone of voice. The same approach could be used for questions/answers. After that, people vote for the candidate who best represents their beliefs and ideas, without knowing anything about what that person looks like or sounds like. No gender bias, no latent racism, just ideas. It could never work of course, we'd know who the candidates were based on their resume' (Clinton was Secretary of State for instance). But it would be nice to be able to get past the BS/salesmanship/charisma aspect and focus on competence. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)