..................................................................................................................................
How Many Friends Can Republicans Afford to Lose?
By Francis Wilkinson, December 14, 2012
Republicans crushed a weaker opponent in Michigan this week, passing a right- to-work law that infuriated unions. But the effort -- an attempt to defund and depopulate Democratic campaigns by defunding and depopulating unions – points to some of the difficulties Republicans face due to a diminished coalition.
The law exempted Republican-friendly police officers and fire fighters, thereby underscoring the naked politics behind it. But more than 17 percent of Michigan workers are members of a union, one of the highest rates of unionization in the nation.
Crushing unions benefits Republicans. Given that white working-class men are one of the last loyal Republican constituencies, however, the victory is not necessarily cost-free. According to exit polls, 14 percent of voters in the Michigan Republican primary in February were union members. It’s doubtful Republicans gained any new supporters with their action this week; it’s possible they lost a few.
Back in Washington, House Speaker John Boehner is trying to avoid offending an even more crucial constituency: the elderly. Mitt Romney lost big among young people in November but he beat Barack Obama among voters between the ages of 45 and 64 by 51 to 47. Among voters 65 and older, it was Romney who won big, 56 to 44.
Boehner wants to wring concessions from Obama largely in the form of cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Most of the beneficiaries of those programs have something in common beyond their good looks, which is why Boehner is desperate to avoid Republican fingerprints on the cuts.
Once Republicans get through cutting benefits to the elderly, perhaps they’ll look for concessions from Nascar fans living below the Mason-Dixon line.
..................................................................................................................................
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Rice-- victim of extreme hyperpartisanship
..................................................................................................................................
She was mugged
New York Daily News, December 15, 2012
McCain and Graham saw Rice as engaging in a nefarious, politically motivated attempt to conceal the true nature of the event as Election Day approached. Far-fetched as their conspiratorial thinking is, they are entitled to it. But preemptively scuttling a potential cabinet appointment because of these single-issue wisps was simply wrong.
She was mugged
New York Daily News, December 15, 2012
Victim of Washington’s extreme hyperpartisanship, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice asked President Obama to stop considering her as a successor to Secretary of State Clinton.
Republican senators, notably John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, stood against Rice based on her preelection role in describing the attack on the U.S. outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that took four American lives.
On five TV programs, she characterized the assault as rooted in a spontaneous demonstration that turned violent rather than as the terrorist attack it turned out to be. She said she presented information given to her by intelligence agencies.
Rice has had a distinguished career. She and Obama should have been able to expect the Senate would give her full record due consideration if the President nominated her.
Instead, anticipating that confirmation hearings would be brutally contentious, she pulled out rather than waste everyone’s time and the President’s political capital.
Chalk up a victory for the destructive zealotry that passes for governing today.
..................................................................................................................................
Friday, December 14, 2012
Who is crazy-- the commenters or the Olympian?
..................................................................................................................................
The crazies started posting on the Olympian's article on today's shooting in Connecticut (27 dead, including gunman, at Conn. school) so predictably the Zero closed commenting instead of actively monitoring and deleting only the crazies' comments. There were some reasoned comments and discussions being posted but they're now gone in addition to those posted by the crazies.
One of the good comments was by Paul_Larsen who wrote: If anyone is having a difficult time with this tragic news and would like to speak to someone, please feel free to call the Crisis Line at 360-586-2800 or the Youth Help Line at 360-586-2777.
It's a real shame that we here in Olympia don't have a local newspaper that will do right by us.
..................................................................................................................................
The crazies started posting on the Olympian's article on today's shooting in Connecticut (27 dead, including gunman, at Conn. school) so predictably the Zero closed commenting instead of actively monitoring and deleting only the crazies' comments. There were some reasoned comments and discussions being posted but they're now gone in addition to those posted by the crazies.
One of the good comments was by Paul_Larsen who wrote: If anyone is having a difficult time with this tragic news and would like to speak to someone, please feel free to call the Crisis Line at 360-586-2800 or the Youth Help Line at 360-586-2777.
It's a real shame that we here in Olympia don't have a local newspaper that will do right by us.
..................................................................................................................................
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Obama trusted more than congressional Republicans
..................................................................................................................................
Majority of U.S. to blame both sides for ‘fiscal cliff’ failure: Poll
By Rachel Rose Hartman, December 13, 2012
If Washington lawmakers fail to reach a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff," a majority of Americans will blame Democrats and Republicans equally, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal survey.
Fifty-six percent of adults surveyed Dec. 6-9 said Democrats, including President Barack Obama, and Republicans would be equally to blame if no deal is made to avoid the fiscal cliff—the automatic spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect on Jan. 1. Twenty-four percent said Republicans will be more to blame and 19 percent pointed the finger at Democrats.
Those results differ from the response to a similar question posed one week earlier by The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center that suggested the public is more likely to blame Republicans in Congress for negotiating failures.
The new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll and the Post/Pew poll both showed that Americans still say they trust Obama more than congressional Republicans to reach a deal.
Thirty-eight percent of adults surveyed by NBC/WSJ said they trusted the president more to handle the fiscal cliff situation, while 19 percent said they trust House Speaker John Boehner and congressional Republicans more to handle negotiations.
When compared with past NBC/WSJ surveys, the latest poll shows that approval ratings for the Republican Party have declined since the election. The GOP's favorability rating in the new poll was 30 percent and its unfavorability stood at 45 percent. That's down from NBC/WSJ's October survey in which the GOP received a 36 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable rating.
Mitt Romney's favorability also declined, according to the poll, from 43 percent favorable/44 percent unfavorable in October to 35 percent favorable/44 percent unfavorable in the Dec. 6-9 survey.
The poll showed Americans want compromise. Two-thirds of respondents said they were willing to accept tax increases or cuts in federal government programs in order to reach a deal.
The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
..................................................................................................................................
Majority of U.S. to blame both sides for ‘fiscal cliff’ failure: Poll
By Rachel Rose Hartman, December 13, 2012
If Washington lawmakers fail to reach a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff," a majority of Americans will blame Democrats and Republicans equally, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal survey.
Fifty-six percent of adults surveyed Dec. 6-9 said Democrats, including President Barack Obama, and Republicans would be equally to blame if no deal is made to avoid the fiscal cliff—the automatic spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect on Jan. 1. Twenty-four percent said Republicans will be more to blame and 19 percent pointed the finger at Democrats.
Those results differ from the response to a similar question posed one week earlier by The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center that suggested the public is more likely to blame Republicans in Congress for negotiating failures.
The new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll and the Post/Pew poll both showed that Americans still say they trust Obama more than congressional Republicans to reach a deal.
Thirty-eight percent of adults surveyed by NBC/WSJ said they trusted the president more to handle the fiscal cliff situation, while 19 percent said they trust House Speaker John Boehner and congressional Republicans more to handle negotiations.
When compared with past NBC/WSJ surveys, the latest poll shows that approval ratings for the Republican Party have declined since the election. The GOP's favorability rating in the new poll was 30 percent and its unfavorability stood at 45 percent. That's down from NBC/WSJ's October survey in which the GOP received a 36 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable rating.
Mitt Romney's favorability also declined, according to the poll, from 43 percent favorable/44 percent unfavorable in October to 35 percent favorable/44 percent unfavorable in the Dec. 6-9 survey.
The poll showed Americans want compromise. Two-thirds of respondents said they were willing to accept tax increases or cuts in federal government programs in order to reach a deal.
The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
..................................................................................................................................
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The "Lie of the Year"
..................................................................................................................................
Romney earns PolitiFact’s ‘Lie of the Year’ for Jeeps made in China
By Rachel Rose Hartman, December 12, 2012
Mitt Romney's claim in a campaign ad that President Barack Obama "sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China" earned PolitiFact's "Lie of the Year," the site announced on Wednesday.
"The Jeep ad was brazenly false," Angie Drobnic Holan wrote in her analysis.
The Romney campaign ran the ad in the final weeks of the campaign, drawing sharp rebukes from the automakers and public condemnation from the Obama campaign.
Romney first claimed Jeep was moving to China in a late October campaign speech in Ohio, citing "reports," which he later identified in his ad as a story by Bloomberg News.
But Chrysler immediately rejected the claim, saying the company was reviewing adding production in China, not moving production out of the United States. Chrysler also noted that the Bloomberg story was misinterpreted.
It appeared that the false interpretation was initially made by the Washington Examiner's Paul Bedard, who wrote about the Bloomberg story Oct. 25. Bedard's claim was then circulated by the Drudge Report.
Democrats, including the Obama campaign, used Romney's decision to stand by the false claim against him, attacking Romney's honesty.
"After Romney's false claim of Jeep outsourcing to China, Chrysler itself has refuted Romney's lie," an announcer read in an Obama campaign ad that painted Romney as "wrong on Ohio jobs."
PolitiFact suggested Wednesday that the ad was partly responsible for Romney's loss.
"People often say that politicians don't pay a price for deception, but this time was different: A flood of negative press coverage rained down on the Romney campaign, and he failed to turn the tide in Ohio, the most important state in the presidential election," Holan wrote. ..................................................................................................................................
Romney earns PolitiFact’s ‘Lie of the Year’ for Jeeps made in China
By Rachel Rose Hartman, December 12, 2012
Mitt Romney's claim in a campaign ad that President Barack Obama "sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China" earned PolitiFact's "Lie of the Year," the site announced on Wednesday.
"The Jeep ad was brazenly false," Angie Drobnic Holan wrote in her analysis.
The Romney campaign ran the ad in the final weeks of the campaign, drawing sharp rebukes from the automakers and public condemnation from the Obama campaign.
Romney first claimed Jeep was moving to China in a late October campaign speech in Ohio, citing "reports," which he later identified in his ad as a story by Bloomberg News.
But Chrysler immediately rejected the claim, saying the company was reviewing adding production in China, not moving production out of the United States. Chrysler also noted that the Bloomberg story was misinterpreted.
It appeared that the false interpretation was initially made by the Washington Examiner's Paul Bedard, who wrote about the Bloomberg story Oct. 25. Bedard's claim was then circulated by the Drudge Report.
Democrats, including the Obama campaign, used Romney's decision to stand by the false claim against him, attacking Romney's honesty.
"After Romney's false claim of Jeep outsourcing to China, Chrysler itself has refuted Romney's lie," an announcer read in an Obama campaign ad that painted Romney as "wrong on Ohio jobs."
PolitiFact suggested Wednesday that the ad was partly responsible for Romney's loss.
"People often say that politicians don't pay a price for deception, but this time was different: A flood of negative press coverage rained down on the Romney campaign, and he failed to turn the tide in Ohio, the most important state in the presidential election," Holan wrote. ..................................................................................................................................
Same to you, GOP
..............................................................................................
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Republicans have bloodthirsty Orcs; Democrats have angry elves
..................................................................................................................................
OBAMA DERANGEMENT SYNDROME PERSONIFIED
By Charles P. Pierce, December 11, 2012
The president does some things that I like. The president does other things that I do not like. This has been the case with every president of my lifetime, with the possible exception of C-Plus Augustus, and I even liked some of the stuff he said when he was running. In my life, I have never voted for a president with the expectation that he will selflessly serve the public interest, and that he never will take his own political viability into account, and that he will fulfill all my expectations, or even most of them, or even half of them. This is not because I am apathetic. This is not because I am stupid. This is because I am no longer seven-years old.
Think about this problem in a slightly different way. It's been three years. Why hasn't been there a great iconic impersonator of Barack Obama, like Tina Fey and Sarah Palin or Will Ferrell (or James Adomian) and George W. Bush? A comic impersonator reveals something about the core of an individual. The people imitating Obama seem to think that he's far more left-wing and principled beneath the surface, that if he let out who he really was, how really angry he is at the Republicans, that's the parody they hit. It falls flat, because it's not true to who he is. The truth is that he's a narcissistic sociopath dressed up as a cool corporate brand.
Yes, many is the empire brought down by a competent parodist. Which is why the head of Richard Nixon still hangs on the wall of David Frye's den. And, if you're going to call somebody a sociopath, it's better if you don't do it in a voice that sounds like you borrowed it from Sean Hannity's inner child.
(I know I'm going to be criticized for failing to address the arguments here but, honest to god, where am I supposed to go with this kind of thing? It's like playing tennis with oatmeal, and it also is insulting to Fred Armisen, who I thought was pretty good.)
This alternative narrative is a hard truth to hear, because it carries with it an implicit rejection of American exceptionalism. Yes, American institutions are no better, and in many ways are more malignant, than those of many other countries. Yes, our political leaders, our press, our military leadership, operate in service to sociopathic aims. Yes, our freedoms are often an illusion, unless you fit a very narrow criteria. Yes, our banks are run to rob us, yes, our CIA spies on us, and yes, our government is fundamentally anti-democratic. Yes, our President is a con artist, and yes, nearly every reporter who writes about him participates in this set of lies, because of careerism, social financial reasons, or a simple lack of competence or imagination.
Merry Christmas to you, too, sir.
But, the idea that the king is always good, which is where the hope and change narrative draws its deep strength, is something we do not have to accept. We as people can break this spell, and speak to our own dignity, as citizens. We can learn our own power, if in no other manner than in saying at the voting booth and in public, "I do not accept your lies, and though you might take it by force, I will not grant you my consent willingly." We can choose not to address our political officials by their titles. We can work to organize ourselves, and our lives, with those of us who understand that power is something that must be taken, with money, organization, but most of all, with moral courage. It is not something that politicians have except through our consent, consent we have been giving for decades, to a rotten political class.
When I find my vorpal sword, I'm right there with you. The problem with Republicans is that they have bloodthirsty Orcs. The problem with Democrats is that we have angry elves.
(UPDATE -- Yes, it's old. But it's state of the art.)
..................................................................................................................................
OBAMA DERANGEMENT SYNDROME PERSONIFIED
By Charles P. Pierce, December 11, 2012
The president does some things that I like. The president does other things that I do not like. This has been the case with every president of my lifetime, with the possible exception of C-Plus Augustus, and I even liked some of the stuff he said when he was running. In my life, I have never voted for a president with the expectation that he will selflessly serve the public interest, and that he never will take his own political viability into account, and that he will fulfill all my expectations, or even most of them, or even half of them. This is not because I am apathetic. This is not because I am stupid. This is because I am no longer seven-years old.
Think about this problem in a slightly different way. It's been three years. Why hasn't been there a great iconic impersonator of Barack Obama, like Tina Fey and Sarah Palin or Will Ferrell (or James Adomian) and George W. Bush? A comic impersonator reveals something about the core of an individual. The people imitating Obama seem to think that he's far more left-wing and principled beneath the surface, that if he let out who he really was, how really angry he is at the Republicans, that's the parody they hit. It falls flat, because it's not true to who he is. The truth is that he's a narcissistic sociopath dressed up as a cool corporate brand.
Yes, many is the empire brought down by a competent parodist. Which is why the head of Richard Nixon still hangs on the wall of David Frye's den. And, if you're going to call somebody a sociopath, it's better if you don't do it in a voice that sounds like you borrowed it from Sean Hannity's inner child.
(I know I'm going to be criticized for failing to address the arguments here but, honest to god, where am I supposed to go with this kind of thing? It's like playing tennis with oatmeal, and it also is insulting to Fred Armisen, who I thought was pretty good.)
This alternative narrative is a hard truth to hear, because it carries with it an implicit rejection of American exceptionalism. Yes, American institutions are no better, and in many ways are more malignant, than those of many other countries. Yes, our political leaders, our press, our military leadership, operate in service to sociopathic aims. Yes, our freedoms are often an illusion, unless you fit a very narrow criteria. Yes, our banks are run to rob us, yes, our CIA spies on us, and yes, our government is fundamentally anti-democratic. Yes, our President is a con artist, and yes, nearly every reporter who writes about him participates in this set of lies, because of careerism, social financial reasons, or a simple lack of competence or imagination.
Merry Christmas to you, too, sir.
But, the idea that the king is always good, which is where the hope and change narrative draws its deep strength, is something we do not have to accept. We as people can break this spell, and speak to our own dignity, as citizens. We can learn our own power, if in no other manner than in saying at the voting booth and in public, "I do not accept your lies, and though you might take it by force, I will not grant you my consent willingly." We can choose not to address our political officials by their titles. We can work to organize ourselves, and our lives, with those of us who understand that power is something that must be taken, with money, organization, but most of all, with moral courage. It is not something that politicians have except through our consent, consent we have been giving for decades, to a rotten political class.
When I find my vorpal sword, I'm right there with you. The problem with Republicans is that they have bloodthirsty Orcs. The problem with Democrats is that we have angry elves.
(UPDATE -- Yes, it's old. But it's state of the art.)
..................................................................................................................................
Thanks for the thoughts....
MintaShmo -
Oh, pumpkin. Please don't get yourself in a dither. It's not good for your health. Nobody cares about Larry the Jazz Guy--nobody has even heard of him. Karen sure hasn't. Neither have I, except for funny posts. So, really, what happened to poor Larry? Bad cup of joe at Traditions? Or the MWD? (Never been to either place, so can't really say.)
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/06/2343699/council-gets-testy-over-worn-floats.html#disqus_thread#storylink=cpy
Nobody cares, except Minta, who has never met Larry and obsesses over him on a thread that had nothing to do with him. Fear not, Larry is working on a high profile public venue for 2013, after spending the majority of his marketing efforts performing for corporate parties and country clubs. Mitt Romney isn't the only one who knows where the money is.....he's just the one that doesn't give them their money's worth in return for his fee.
Who is "Karen" and what is "Traditions"? "MWD"?????
I do hear though, that there is a ptomaine palace in the south county....Jensen's, I believe it's called
Oh, pumpkin. Please don't get yourself in a dither. It's not good for your health. Nobody cares about Larry the Jazz Guy--nobody has even heard of him. Karen sure hasn't. Neither have I, except for funny posts. So, really, what happened to poor Larry? Bad cup of joe at Traditions? Or the MWD? (Never been to either place, so can't really say.)
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/06/2343699/council-gets-testy-over-worn-floats.html#disqus_thread#storylink=cpy
Nobody cares, except Minta, who has never met Larry and obsesses over him on a thread that had nothing to do with him. Fear not, Larry is working on a high profile public venue for 2013, after spending the majority of his marketing efforts performing for corporate parties and country clubs. Mitt Romney isn't the only one who knows where the money is.....he's just the one that doesn't give them their money's worth in return for his fee.
Who is "Karen" and what is "Traditions"? "MWD"?????
I do hear though, that there is a ptomaine palace in the south county....Jensen's, I believe it's called
Simon's Cat in Icecapade
.....................................................................................
What ever happened to Rick Santorum?
..................................................................................................................................
"By the way, did you hear about Rick Santorum's new job? He's now a columnist for World Net Daily, a white supremacist website.
Nice work if you can get it." -- Tom Degan
..................................................................................................................................
"By the way, did you hear about Rick Santorum's new job? He's now a columnist for World Net Daily, a white supremacist website.
Nice work if you can get it." -- Tom Degan
..................................................................................................................................
Worthy of our contempt
..................................................................................................................................
Some Better Targets for the People Who Hate Government
By Paul Buchheit, December 10, 2012
One of the pleasures of a weekend away from the city is visiting with people who express points of view that are different from my own. A lot of them hate government. Their comments are sprinkled with colorful references to taxes, waste, and socialism.
Countering with facts and statistics doesn’t seem to work. Instead, listening to their rants can be educational for a progressive, because the anti-government sentiment highlights the masterful job done by conservatives and the wealthy over the years, as they have basically convinced much of America to argue against themselves on matters of politics and the economy.
It would make more sense to take on the real villains.
1. Medical Providers
They’re taking a lot more of our money than Medicare does. According to the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, medical administrative costs as a percentage of claims are about three times higher for private insurance than for Medicare. The U.S. Institute of Medicine reports that the for-profit system wastes $750 billion a year on waste, fraud, and inefficiency. As a percent of GDP, we spend $1.2 trillion more than the OECD average.
That’s an amount equal to the entire deficit wasted on private medical care companies. One out of every six dollars we earn goes to doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and insurance companies. All good reasons to redirect our hatred.
2. Retirement Brokers
Various reports have concluded that administrative costs for 401(k) plans are much higher than those for Social Security — up to twenty times more.
It would be difficult to find, or even imagine, any short-term-profit-based private insurer that is fully funded for the next 25 years. Social Security is. It works for all retirees while private plans work for a limited number of investors.
3. Banks
Government is often blamed for local budget shortfalls, but cities and towns around the country have been repeatedly victimized by a “bid-rigging” process that diverts billions of dollars — a few thousand at a time — from numerous unsuspecting communities to the accounts of a few big banks.
Individual homeowners, especially minorities, have also been victimized by the banks. Because of the housing crash and the corresponding decrease in home values, black households lost over half of their median wealth, and Hispanic households almost two-thirds.
There are scandals and scams galore: the privately run Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) headed up the illegal foreclosure business; the banking association LIBOR was guilty of interest rate manipulation; and plenty of financial institutions have engaged in the subtle art of imposing hidden fees. Credit cards are loaded with “gray charges” like surprise subscriptions and auto-renewals that cost the average consumer $356 a year.
Yet we’re forced to keep paying. Shockingly, it has been estimated that 40% of every dollar we spend on goods and services goes to banks as interest.
Public banks, on the other hand, focus on the needs of communities and small businesses rather than on investors. The most well-known example is the Bank of North Dakota (BND), which has successfully worked with local banks throughout the state, promoting business growth through loans that a larger bank might be reluctant to make, while managing to turn a profit every year for the past 40 years.
4. Higher Education Operators
Outside of the banking industry, there may not be a more egregious example of public abuse than the expropriation of higher education by profit-seekers who have subjected underemployed young people to years of student loan obligations. The collection of outstanding student debt is managed in good part by big banks like JP Morgan and Citigroup.
In most countries tuition remains free or nominal, but in America, as noted by Noam Chomsky, the belief that education strengthens a country is giving way to a philosophy of paying for your own educational benefits. Meanwhile, the “corporatization of universities” has led to a dramatic increase in administrators while relatively expensive programs like nursing, engineering and computer science are being cut.
But the easy loans keep accruing interest long after college ends. With a hint of foreboding, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Education reported that the student loan debacle has been fueled by the same forces that led to the subprime mortgage collapse.
5. Big Box and Fast Food Companies
Smaller government is promoted by the very companies that make record profits while forcing their employees to accept public assistance.
While McDonald’s enjoyed profits of 130 percent over the past four years, and Yum! Brands (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC) made 45 percent, and while the Walton family made $20 billion in one year, the median hourly wage for food service workers and Walmart employees is about $9 an hour. Many workers are stuck at the $7.25 minimum wage, which according to the National Employment Law Project is worth 30 percent less than in 1968.
Food service and big box store employees, among the fastest-growing job segments in the nation, are making barely enough to stay out of poverty. And it’s not just the employees who are subsidizing their bosses. We all are. Low-wage employees are more dependent on the food stamps and Medicaid that are paid for by our tax dollars.
Some Alternative Targets: Panic, Poison, Plowing, Postage, Prison
What is the incentive for private companies to deal with tragedies like Hurricane Sandy? The Pacific Standard aptly stated that “the free market doesn’t want to be in the flood business.”
What is the incentive for private companies to keep the poisons out of our drinking water? Without sufficient government regulations the Clean Water Act was violated a half-million times in one year.
What is the incentive for private companies to plow the county roads? Or to reduce the number of prisoners in profit-seeking prisons? Or to allow you to send a birthday card for just 45 cents? Or to simply treat its customers with respect rather than as a source of profit?
The “invisible hand” of the free market is unable, or unwilling, to satisfy the needs of society in all these areas. For that it is worthy of our contempt.
..................................................................................................................................
Some Better Targets for the People Who Hate Government
By Paul Buchheit, December 10, 2012
One of the pleasures of a weekend away from the city is visiting with people who express points of view that are different from my own. A lot of them hate government. Their comments are sprinkled with colorful references to taxes, waste, and socialism.
Countering with facts and statistics doesn’t seem to work. Instead, listening to their rants can be educational for a progressive, because the anti-government sentiment highlights the masterful job done by conservatives and the wealthy over the years, as they have basically convinced much of America to argue against themselves on matters of politics and the economy.
It would make more sense to take on the real villains.
1. Medical Providers
They’re taking a lot more of our money than Medicare does. According to the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, medical administrative costs as a percentage of claims are about three times higher for private insurance than for Medicare. The U.S. Institute of Medicine reports that the for-profit system wastes $750 billion a year on waste, fraud, and inefficiency. As a percent of GDP, we spend $1.2 trillion more than the OECD average.
That’s an amount equal to the entire deficit wasted on private medical care companies. One out of every six dollars we earn goes to doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and insurance companies. All good reasons to redirect our hatred.
2. Retirement Brokers
Various reports have concluded that administrative costs for 401(k) plans are much higher than those for Social Security — up to twenty times more.
It would be difficult to find, or even imagine, any short-term-profit-based private insurer that is fully funded for the next 25 years. Social Security is. It works for all retirees while private plans work for a limited number of investors.
3. Banks
Government is often blamed for local budget shortfalls, but cities and towns around the country have been repeatedly victimized by a “bid-rigging” process that diverts billions of dollars — a few thousand at a time — from numerous unsuspecting communities to the accounts of a few big banks.
Individual homeowners, especially minorities, have also been victimized by the banks. Because of the housing crash and the corresponding decrease in home values, black households lost over half of their median wealth, and Hispanic households almost two-thirds.
There are scandals and scams galore: the privately run Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) headed up the illegal foreclosure business; the banking association LIBOR was guilty of interest rate manipulation; and plenty of financial institutions have engaged in the subtle art of imposing hidden fees. Credit cards are loaded with “gray charges” like surprise subscriptions and auto-renewals that cost the average consumer $356 a year.
Yet we’re forced to keep paying. Shockingly, it has been estimated that 40% of every dollar we spend on goods and services goes to banks as interest.
Public banks, on the other hand, focus on the needs of communities and small businesses rather than on investors. The most well-known example is the Bank of North Dakota (BND), which has successfully worked with local banks throughout the state, promoting business growth through loans that a larger bank might be reluctant to make, while managing to turn a profit every year for the past 40 years.
4. Higher Education Operators
Outside of the banking industry, there may not be a more egregious example of public abuse than the expropriation of higher education by profit-seekers who have subjected underemployed young people to years of student loan obligations. The collection of outstanding student debt is managed in good part by big banks like JP Morgan and Citigroup.
In most countries tuition remains free or nominal, but in America, as noted by Noam Chomsky, the belief that education strengthens a country is giving way to a philosophy of paying for your own educational benefits. Meanwhile, the “corporatization of universities” has led to a dramatic increase in administrators while relatively expensive programs like nursing, engineering and computer science are being cut.
But the easy loans keep accruing interest long after college ends. With a hint of foreboding, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Education reported that the student loan debacle has been fueled by the same forces that led to the subprime mortgage collapse.
5. Big Box and Fast Food Companies
Smaller government is promoted by the very companies that make record profits while forcing their employees to accept public assistance.
While McDonald’s enjoyed profits of 130 percent over the past four years, and Yum! Brands (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC) made 45 percent, and while the Walton family made $20 billion in one year, the median hourly wage for food service workers and Walmart employees is about $9 an hour. Many workers are stuck at the $7.25 minimum wage, which according to the National Employment Law Project is worth 30 percent less than in 1968.
Food service and big box store employees, among the fastest-growing job segments in the nation, are making barely enough to stay out of poverty. And it’s not just the employees who are subsidizing their bosses. We all are. Low-wage employees are more dependent on the food stamps and Medicaid that are paid for by our tax dollars.
Some Alternative Targets: Panic, Poison, Plowing, Postage, Prison
What is the incentive for private companies to deal with tragedies like Hurricane Sandy? The Pacific Standard aptly stated that “the free market doesn’t want to be in the flood business.”
What is the incentive for private companies to keep the poisons out of our drinking water? Without sufficient government regulations the Clean Water Act was violated a half-million times in one year.
What is the incentive for private companies to plow the county roads? Or to reduce the number of prisoners in profit-seeking prisons? Or to allow you to send a birthday card for just 45 cents? Or to simply treat its customers with respect rather than as a source of profit?
The “invisible hand” of the free market is unable, or unwilling, to satisfy the needs of society in all these areas. For that it is worthy of our contempt.
..................................................................................................................................
Monday, December 10, 2012
U.S. policies favor religious and their organizations
..................................................................................................................................
Atheists around world suffer persecution, discrimination: report
By Robert Evans, December 9, 2012
While freedom of religion and speech is protected in the United States, the report said, a social and political climate prevails "in which atheists and the non-religious are made to feel like lesser Americans, or non-Americans."
Atheists around world suffer persecution, discrimination: report
By Robert Evans, December 9, 2012
Atheists and other religious skeptics suffer persecution or discrimination in many parts of the world and in at least seven nations can be executed if their beliefs become known, according to a report issued on Monday.
The study, from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), showed that "unbelievers" in Islamic countries face the most severe - sometimes brutal - treatment at the hands of the state and adherents of the official religion.
But it also points to policies in some European countries and the United States which favor the religious and their organizations and treat atheists and humanists as outsiders.
The report, "Freedom of Thought 2012", said "there are laws that deny atheists' right to exist, curtail their freedom of belief and expression, revoke their right to citizenship, restrict their right to marry."
Other laws "obstruct their access to public education, prohibit them from holding public office, prevent them from working for the state, criminalize their criticism of religion, and execute them for leaving the religion of their parents."
The report was welcomed by Heiner Bielefeldt, United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, who said in a brief introduction there was little awareness that atheists were covered by global human rights agreements.
The IHEU - which links over 120 humanist, atheist and secular organizations in more than 40 countries - said it was issuing the report to mark the U.N.'s Human Rights Day on Monday.
According to its survey of some 60 countries, the seven where expression of atheist views or defection from the official religion can bring capital punishment are Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
The 70-page report lists no recent cases of actual execution for "atheism" -- but researchers say the offence is often subsumed into other charges.
In a range of other countries - such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Kuwait and Jordan - publication of atheist or humanist views on religion are totally banned or strictly limited under laws prohibiting "blasphemy".
In many of these countries, and others like Malaysia, citizens have to register as adherents of a small number officially-recognized religions -- which normally include no more than Christianity and Judaism as well as Islam.
Atheists and humanists are thereby forced to lie to obtain their official documents without which it is impossible to go to university, receive medical treatment, travel abroad or drive.
In Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin and North America, countries which identify themselves secular give privileges to or favor Christian churches in providing education and other public services, the IHEU said.
In Greece and Russia, the Orthodox Church is fiercely protected from criticism and is given pride of place on state occasions, while in Britain bishops of the Church of England have automatic seats in the upper house of parliament.
In at least seven U.S. states, constitutional provisions are in place that bar atheists from public office and one state, Arkansas, has a law that bars an atheist from testifying as a witness at a trial, the report said.
..................................................................................................................................
Sunday, December 9, 2012
What Is It About Gay Marriage ... ?
For the second time in just a few days, the Olympian has shut down comments on an article about gay marriage. I had just logged on and was scrolling through 50-some comments, when suddenly they disappeared! But judging from the bilious nature of many of those comments, I guess it's not surprising. Sondra's new nom-de-guerre, Estrella, was in especially fine form.
A bullshit bluff
Paul L -
All one has to do is a little searching and you will find out just how much crime is being committed by transients. Most of which is not covered by this paper.http://olympiawa.gov/OlympiaWA/city-s...
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/08/2346617/teen-shot-during-attempted-robbery.html#disqus_thread#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy
Paul submits the website for the Olympia Police without one citation of proof of his claim. If such crime was so frequently committed, one would think that Paul could cite something from the website instead of bullshitting people with a link.
As to the coverage by The Olympian....that is a totally different complaint, relative to more money going to corporate needs in Sacramento, as opposed to reinvesting in staffing in Olympia.
All one has to do is a little searching and you will find out just how much crime is being committed by transients. Most of which is not covered by this paper.http://olympiawa.gov/OlympiaWA/city-s...
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/08/2346617/teen-shot-during-attempted-robbery.html#disqus_thread#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy
Paul submits the website for the Olympia Police without one citation of proof of his claim. If such crime was so frequently committed, one would think that Paul could cite something from the website instead of bullshitting people with a link.
As to the coverage by The Olympian....that is a totally different complaint, relative to more money going to corporate needs in Sacramento, as opposed to reinvesting in staffing in Olympia.
A dose of hypocrisy....
A couple of comments from Paul L on the Olympian threads.....
If you notice, his comments get nastier as the night goes on. It is a well known fact among the downtown crowd that he has a substance abuse problem. Vodka. If you had seen him at the last council meeting on Channel 3 you would know right away just by his face.Beet red all the time as are all alcoholics.Alcohol causes the capillaries at the skins surface to dilate, most often appearing on the nose and cheeks.
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/08/2346617/teen-shot-during-attempted-robbery.html#disqus_thread#storylink=cpy
Ok enough is enough. I urge people who are tired of Laurian Weisser calling people fascist pigs, filthy liars and posting peoples real names here to contact Tammy and have him banned again. His other name was Sage. Tammy can be contacted here.Tammy McGee
(360) 754-5447 tmcgee@theolympian.com I do not understand why this person is allowed to constantly get away with this abuse while others are banned for far less. It is time for the Olympian to show its so called fair mindness.Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/onl...
Whatever you do, Paul....don't call someone a fascist pig when you can accuse them of substance abuse and then complain about their comments....and by the way....
If you notice, his comments get nastier as the night goes on. It is a well known fact among the downtown crowd that he has a substance abuse problem. Vodka. If you had seen him at the last council meeting on Channel 3 you would know right away just by his face.Beet red all the time as are all alcoholics.Alcohol causes the capillaries at the skins surface to dilate, most often appearing on the nose and cheeks.
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/08/2346617/teen-shot-during-attempted-robbery.html#disqus_thread#storylink=cpy
Ok enough is enough. I urge people who are tired of Laurian Weisser calling people fascist pigs, filthy liars and posting peoples real names here to contact Tammy and have him banned again. His other name was Sage. Tammy can be contacted here.Tammy McGee
(360) 754-5447 tmcgee@theolympian.com I do not understand why this person is allowed to constantly get away with this abuse while others are banned for far less. It is time for the Olympian to show its so called fair mindness.Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/onl...
Whatever you do, Paul....don't call someone a fascist pig when you can accuse them of substance abuse and then complain about their comments....and by the way....
Rosacea is a disorder of the skin that can cause redness, bumps, pustules and telangiectasia on the face. The National Rosacea Society states there is no known cause for the chronic disorder, although studies indicate that a protein called cathelicidin may cause an inflammatory response of the skin that may affect the capillaries.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/253012-what-are-the-causes-of-broken-blood-vessels-on-the-face/#ixzz2EZjToxBC
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Some of the faces of gay marriage in Washington State
..................................................................................
Larry Duncan and Randy Shepherd
Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen
Grethe Cammermeyer, and Diane Divelbess
Laurie Johnson and Margaret Witt
Brendon K. Taga and Jesse Pageat
Jeri Andrews and Amy Andrews
AIN'T LOVE WONDERFUL?
........................................................................................................
Larry Duncan and Randy Shepherd
Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen
Grethe Cammermeyer, and Diane Divelbess
Laurie Johnson and Margaret Witt
Brendon K. Taga and Jesse Pageat
Jeri Andrews and Amy Andrews
AIN'T LOVE WONDERFUL?
........................................................................................................
Friday, December 7, 2012
71st Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
.................................................................................................
Pearl Harbor: The survivors grow few, the lessons live on
BY JOEL CONNELLY, December 7, 2012
Pearl Harbor: The survivors grow few, the lessons live on
BY JOEL CONNELLY, December 7, 2012
..................................................................................................................................
Thursday, December 6, 2012
An almost impossible gift?
.................................................................................................
Another case of commenting being shut down
..................................................................................................................................
Apparently the local nasty righties got out of control this morning. If you look at the "Most commented" column, you will see that "16 same-sex couples get first marriage licenses in Olympia" had 44 comments at one point. There aren't any comments now, though, meaning that the Zero shut down commenting on that article instead of doing a proper job of moderating. Another reason why so many of us won't be "subscribing" to the online newspaper.
..................................................................................................................................
Apparently the local nasty righties got out of control this morning. If you look at the "Most commented" column, you will see that "16 same-sex couples get first marriage licenses in Olympia" had 44 comments at one point. There aren't any comments now, though, meaning that the Zero shut down commenting on that article instead of doing a proper job of moderating. Another reason why so many of us won't be "subscribing" to the online newspaper.
..................................................................................................................................
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Can't the GOP establishment handle disagreement?
..................................................................................................................................
GOP leaders remove 4 from plum House committees
By KEVIN FREKING, December 4, 2012
House Speaker John Boehner's decision to take plum committee assignments away from four conservative Republican lawmakers after they bucked party leaders on key votes isn't going over well with advocacy groups that viewed them as role models.
GOP leaders remove 4 from plum House committees
By KEVIN FREKING, December 4, 2012
House Speaker John Boehner's decision to take plum committee assignments away from four conservative Republican lawmakers after they bucked party leaders on key votes isn't going over well with advocacy groups that viewed them as role models.
Reps. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Justin Amash of Michigan will lose their seats on the House Budget Committee chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan next year. And Reps. Walter Jones of North Carolina and David Schweikert of Arizona are losing their seats on the House Financial Services Committee.
The move is underscoring a divide in the Republican Party between tea party-supported conservatives and the House GOP leadership.
"This is a clear attempt on the part of Republican leadership to punish those in Washington who vote the way they promised their constituents they would - on principle - instead of mindlessly rubber-stamping trillion dollar deficits and the bankrupting of America," said Matt Kibbe, president of the tea party group FreedomWorks.
Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, would only say Tuesday that the party's steering committee chaired by the speaker made the decision "based on a range of factors."
Groups aligned with the tea party movement were generally big supporters of Huelskamp, Amash and Schweikert. Jones is viewed more as a conservative maverick than a tea party Republican. He has frequently siding against GOP leaders on a range of issues over the years. For example, he voted against the GOP budget because he opposed the changes proposed for Medicare.
Schweikert said it was made clear to him "I should vote for the team more."
"Look, we're walking into the 113th Congress with a smaller majority," Schweikert said. "I would have though the fixation would have been family unity. This isn't the way you start a family meeting."
"The GOP leadership might think they have silenced conservatives, but removing me and others from key committees only confirms our conservative convictions," Huelskamp said in a statement Tuesday. "This is clearly a vindictive move and a sure sign that the GOP establishment cannot handle disagreement."
All four lawmakers had voted against the summer 2011 deal negotiated between Republican leaders and President Barack Obama for extending the government's ability to borrow money in exchange for $1 trillion in spending cuts and the promise of another $1 trillion in reduced deficits. Three of the four, the exception being Schweikert, voted against the Ryan-written GOP budget blueprint that the House passed last March.
Their removal from key committees with jurisdiction over the two issues was viewed by some as a signal to other Republican lawmakers to look favorably on whatever final deal Boehner and Obama put together to avert a "fiscal cliff" combination of automatic tax increases and spending cuts in January.
"It's sending a clear message to get behind the leadership no matter what the policy is, and that is contrary to what the Republicans supposedly stand for," Freedomworks' Kibbe said.
"If it was intended to be a signal, it's going to be a weak signal because the majority of conservatives are going to do what they think is right based on principle," Jones, the North Carolina congressman, said.
Amash said he has not been told specifically why he was removed, only that it was not based on his votes and that he should go talk to leadership. He said he voted with the Budget Committee's leadership 95 percent of the time. He said the move is likely to make him more independent in the future.
"Being nice to leadership and playing well with them doesn't pay off," Amash said. "They expect a near total agreement with their approach."
The changes in committee assignments could bring about more discipline from the GOP on high-priority issues next Congress, but conservatives were taking the news as an attack on their priorities.
"As the sun rises this morning we can look at John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy and know the opposition is not just across the aisle, but in charge of our own side in the House of Representatives," Erick Erickson wrote on the conservative website, RedState. "All the time and energy I would otherwise have to spend to convince conservatives that these gentlemen would be a problem for the GOP has been spared. They've proven it themselves."
..................................................................................................................................Willard's Fact-Free Campaign: The Autopsy Continues
In the month that has passed since the election, it seems like every pundit on the planet has put forth an opinion as to why Willard "Mitt" Romney failed so miserably. From his "47% speech," to the Republican party's various wars on anything that is not white and male, to the campaign's anemic attempts at voter turnout, it seems that no stone has been left unturned in trying to make sense of the election results. However, there has been one issue that has not been discussed in any detail and which, in my humble opinion, there is a lesson to be learned: the missing tax returns. Willard's refusal to release the range of tax returns that the public has come to expect from its presidential candidates struck a chord with the American public, one that Harry Reid hammered on with his not-rhetorical question, "What's he hiding?" And there is an aspect to this issue that could shed some light: the one person in America who has seen the Romney returns is John McCain, who sought and received seven years worth of them when he was vetting prospective V.P. candidates four years ago. Think about this: John McCain reviewed Romney's tax returns, then selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. Sarah "I can see Russia from my house" Palin. 'Nuff said.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Yep, the GOP will be "more to blame"
..................................................................................................................................
Poll: Republicans will bear brunt of blame for ‘fiscal cliff’ failure
By Rachel Rose Hartman, December 4, 2012
..................................................................................................................................
Poll: Republicans will bear brunt of blame for ‘fiscal cliff’ failure
By Rachel Rose Hartman, December 4, 2012
Republicans will shoulder more blame than President Barack Obama if Congress fails to pass legislation to prevent automatic spending cuts and tax increases, a situation known as the "fiscal cliff," according to a new poll.
Fifty-three percent of adults said Republicans in Congress will be "more to blame" if an agreement is not reached, according to a new survey conducted by The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center Nov. 29-Dec. 2. Just 27 percent of respondents placed more blame on the president, and 12 percent faulted both the president and the GOP.
A party breakdown of respondents shows blame directed at the opposing party. But among independents, Republicans received 52 percent of blame and the president received 21 percent. Sixteen percent of independents blamed both.
Americans appear to be pessimistic about the odds of a resolution, according to the poll. Nearly half of adults surveyed—49 percent—said they do not believe a deal will be reached, and 40 percent indicated they believe a deal is imminent.
The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Filling up space... taking up time
..................................................................................................................................
I think this explains the Olympian......
................................................................................................
I think this explains the Olympian......
................................................................................................
Cheney's "heart"
..................................................................................................................................
My question is: does this explain whether or not Cheney has a heart of stone?
..................................................................................................................................
Dick Cheney working on book about heart treatment
By HILLEL ITALIE, December 3, 2012
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the world's most prominent heart patients, is working on a book about his many battles with coronary disease and the revolutionary changes in treatment that helped keep him alive.
[snipped]
..................................................................................................................................
My question is: does this explain whether or not Cheney has a heart of stone?
..................................................................................................................................
Dick Cheney working on book about heart treatment
By HILLEL ITALIE, December 3, 2012
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the world's most prominent heart patients, is working on a book about his many battles with coronary disease and the revolutionary changes in treatment that helped keep him alive.
[snipped]
..................................................................................................................................
Monday, December 3, 2012
Border agents can search your electronic devices w/o suspicion of illegal activity!
..................................................................................................................................
Since we live so close to the border, you should be aware of this:
..................................................................................................................................
Border Agents’ Power to Search Devices Is Facing Increasing Challenges in Court
By SUSAN STELLIN, Published: December 3, 2012
Since we live so close to the border, you should be aware of this:
..................................................................................................................................
Border Agents’ Power to Search Devices Is Facing Increasing Challenges in Court
By SUSAN STELLIN, Published: December 3, 2012
The government has historically had broad power to search travelers and their property at the border. But that prerogative is being challenged as more people travel with extensive personal and business information on devices that would typically require a warrant to examine.
Several court cases seek to limit the ability of border agents to search, copy and even seize travelers’ laptops, cameras and phones without suspicion of illegal activity.
“What we are asking is for a court to rule that the government must have a good reason to believe that someone has engaged in wrongdoing before it is allowed to go through their electronic devices,” said Catherine Crump, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union who is representing plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging digital border searches.
A decision in one of those suits, Abidor v. Napolitano, is expected soon, according to the case manager for Judge Edward R. Korman, who is writing the opinion for the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
[snipped]
Courts have long held that Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches do not apply at the border, based on the government’s interest in combating crime and terrorism. But Mr. Pascal’s lawsuit and similar cases question whether confiscating a laptop for days or weeks and analyzing its data at another site goes beyond the typical border searches. They also depart from the justification used in other digital searches, possession of child pornography.
“We’re getting more into whether this is targeting political speech,” Ms. Crump said.
In another case the A.C.L.U. is arguing, House v. Napolitano, border officials at Chicago O’Hare Airport confiscated a laptop, camera and USB drive belonging to David House, a computer programmer, and kept his devices for seven weeks.
[snipped]
The agency did provide recent statistics on how many travelers this policy affects. From Oct. 1, 2011, through Aug. 31, 2012, 11.9 million travelers were referred to secondary screening after entering the United States. Of those searches, 4,898 included an electronic device. In the previous year, 12.1 million people underwent additional screening, with 4,782 searches of electronic devices.
While there is little public information about who is pulled aside for extra scrutiny, some people whose laptops have been searched say they feel they were selected based on their academic, journalistic or political pursuits.
Laura Poitras, a documentary filmmaker and the recipient of a 2012 MacArthur Fellowship, estimates that she has been detained more than 40 times upon returning to the United States. She has been questioned for hours about her meetings abroad, her credit cards and notes have been copied, and after one trip her laptop, camera and cellphone were seized for 41 days.
Ms. Poitras said these interrogations largely subsided after a Salon article describing her experiences was published in April, but she is editing her latest film in Europe to avoid crossing the border with her research and interviews. (The film, the third in a series about the war on terror, focuses on domestic surveillance.)
“I’m taking more and more extreme measures, to the point where I’m actually editing outside the country,” she said. “They use the border as a way to get around the law.”
[snipped]
..................................................................................................................................Atheists' oath for Scouts
..................................................................................................................................
This is a turn-about.... centuries ago people fled England for America in order to freely practice or not practice religion. But now in the USA the Boy Scouts of America are hide-bound and don't allow atheists to join unless they adhere to xtian religious practices they don't espouse. And in a reversal, in the UK the Scouts are much more broad-minded in their practices as shown in this article:
..................................................................................................................................
Scouts consider oath for atheists
BBC, December 3, 2012
The UK Scout Association is considering an alternative oath for atheists.
The 105-year-old movement is launching a consultation to see if members would back a Scout Promise for those who feel unable to pledge a "duty to God".
Versions of the oath already exist for the Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths, but this is the first time such an adaptation has been considered.
In March, the National Secular Society said atheist children and potential Scout leaders were being put off.
Membership of the Scouts has increased from 444,936 in 2005 to 525,364 this year.
But the movement needs more volunteers - it says that at present there are over 35,000 young people on waiting lists.
More than 50 groups catering for young people drawn mainly from Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities have opened in the last 10 years.
The Scout Association says its existing promise, which also contains a vow of allegiance to the Queen, would continue to be used alongside any new version.
UK Scout Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt added: "We are a values-based movement and exploring faith and religion will remain a key element of the Scouting programme. That will not change.
"However, throughout our 105-year history, we have continued to evolve so that we remain relevant to communities across the UK.
"We do that by regularly seeking the views of our members and we will use the information gathered by the consultation to help shape the future of Scouting for the coming years."
The existing Scout Promise reads: "On my honour, I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to God and to the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout Law."
The alternative versions introduced more than 40 years ago allow Hindus and Buddhists to use the word "my Dharma" and Muslims "Allah" instead of God. Non UK citizens are able to replace the phrase "duty to the Queen" with "duty to the country in which I am now living".
In March, the National Secular Society, which aims to restrict the role of religion in public life, wrote to Chief Scout Bear Grylls, complaining that atheist children were being excluded or having to lie to join the movement.
Responding to the consultation announcement, NSS president Terry Sanderson, said: "This is a move in the right direction.
"By adjusting their promise to include people without a religious belief, the Scouts will bring themselves in line with the reality of 21st century Britain."
..................................................................................................................................
This is a turn-about.... centuries ago people fled England for America in order to freely practice or not practice religion. But now in the USA the Boy Scouts of America are hide-bound and don't allow atheists to join unless they adhere to xtian religious practices they don't espouse. And in a reversal, in the UK the Scouts are much more broad-minded in their practices as shown in this article:
..................................................................................................................................
Scouts consider oath for atheists
BBC, December 3, 2012
The UK Scout Association is considering an alternative oath for atheists.
The 105-year-old movement is launching a consultation to see if members would back a Scout Promise for those who feel unable to pledge a "duty to God".
Versions of the oath already exist for the Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths, but this is the first time such an adaptation has been considered.
In March, the National Secular Society said atheist children and potential Scout leaders were being put off.
Membership of the Scouts has increased from 444,936 in 2005 to 525,364 this year.
But the movement needs more volunteers - it says that at present there are over 35,000 young people on waiting lists.
More than 50 groups catering for young people drawn mainly from Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities have opened in the last 10 years.
The Scout Association says its existing promise, which also contains a vow of allegiance to the Queen, would continue to be used alongside any new version.
UK Scout Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt added: "We are a values-based movement and exploring faith and religion will remain a key element of the Scouting programme. That will not change.
"However, throughout our 105-year history, we have continued to evolve so that we remain relevant to communities across the UK.
"We do that by regularly seeking the views of our members and we will use the information gathered by the consultation to help shape the future of Scouting for the coming years."
The existing Scout Promise reads: "On my honour, I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to God and to the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout Law."
The alternative versions introduced more than 40 years ago allow Hindus and Buddhists to use the word "my Dharma" and Muslims "Allah" instead of God. Non UK citizens are able to replace the phrase "duty to the Queen" with "duty to the country in which I am now living".
In March, the National Secular Society, which aims to restrict the role of religion in public life, wrote to Chief Scout Bear Grylls, complaining that atheist children were being excluded or having to lie to join the movement.
Responding to the consultation announcement, NSS president Terry Sanderson, said: "This is a move in the right direction.
"By adjusting their promise to include people without a religious belief, the Scouts will bring themselves in line with the reality of 21st century Britain."
..................................................................................................................................
Sunday, December 2, 2012
We get the shaft from the Zero!
..................................................................................................................................
So the Zero is going to charge for access to its online entity. Doesn't it think that in order to justify that it ought to provide something for the money? Apparently not because it's still first publishing articles about Thurston County topics in the Trib! As an example, see this article about the GA building....
..................................................................................................................................
Future of GA Building on Capitol Campus hazy
By Brad Shannon, December 2, 2012
..................................................................................................................................
So the Zero is going to charge for access to its online entity. Doesn't it think that in order to justify that it ought to provide something for the money? Apparently not because it's still first publishing articles about Thurston County topics in the Trib! As an example, see this article about the GA building....
..................................................................................................................................
Future of GA Building on Capitol Campus hazy
By Brad Shannon, December 2, 2012
..................................................................................................................................
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Rudderless GOP.... but then what is new?
..................................................................................................................................
Excuse me? "Creates" a vacuum?? Wasn't there a vacuum in the first place? Otherwise the Repuglicans wouldn't have chosen Romney! Right? [snort]
..................................................................................................................................
Mitt Romney's loss creates GOP leadership vacuum
By Steve Peoples, December 1, 2012
Mitt Romney's shadow looms over a Republican Party in disarray.
The face of the GOP for much of the last year, the failed presidential candidate has been a virtual ghost since his defeat Nov. 6. He has quietly weathered the fallout of the campaign from the seclusion of his Southern California home, emerging only momentarily for a private lunch at the White House with President Barack Obama on Thursday.
His loss and immediate withdrawal from politics, while welcomed by most, has created a leadership vacuum within his party. It's left the GOP rudderless, lacking an overarching agenda and mired in infighting, with competing visions for the way ahead, during what may be the most important policy debate in a generation.
In his final meeting with campaign staffers at his Boston headquarters, Romney promised to remain "a strong voice for the party," according to those in attendance. But so far he has offered little to the Capitol Hill negotiations over potential tax increases and entitlement program changes that could affect virtually every American.
He declined to comment on the Treasury Department's recent refusal to declare China a currency manipulator, which was one of his signature issues over the past 18 months. He made no public remarks after his meeting with Obama, quickly fading away, again.
"If I had to tell you somebody who is the leader of the party right now, I couldn't," said Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express, which is among the conservative factions vying for increased influence. "There's a void right now."
There's no shortage of Republicans maneuvering to fill it, from House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio to a number of high-profile politicians looking to boost their national profiles, if not position themselves for a 2016 presidential run. That group could include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, son and brother of presidents, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Republican officials acknowledge party tensions between the moderate and conservative wings, as well as the tea party and evangelical constituencies. But they dismiss the leadership vacuum as a standard political reality for the losing party in the presidential race. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, never had a strong relationship with the conservative base, given his more moderate past.
Party officials are optimistic that a team of younger and more diverse leaders, drawn from the ranks of governors and Congress, will emerge in the coming months to help strengthen and unify what is now a party grappling with its identity. That list includes Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Nikki Haley of South Carolina.
[snipped]
..................................................................................................................................
Excuse me? "Creates" a vacuum?? Wasn't there a vacuum in the first place? Otherwise the Repuglicans wouldn't have chosen Romney! Right? [snort]
..................................................................................................................................
Mitt Romney's loss creates GOP leadership vacuum
By Steve Peoples, December 1, 2012
Mitt Romney's shadow looms over a Republican Party in disarray.
The face of the GOP for much of the last year, the failed presidential candidate has been a virtual ghost since his defeat Nov. 6. He has quietly weathered the fallout of the campaign from the seclusion of his Southern California home, emerging only momentarily for a private lunch at the White House with President Barack Obama on Thursday.
His loss and immediate withdrawal from politics, while welcomed by most, has created a leadership vacuum within his party. It's left the GOP rudderless, lacking an overarching agenda and mired in infighting, with competing visions for the way ahead, during what may be the most important policy debate in a generation.
In his final meeting with campaign staffers at his Boston headquarters, Romney promised to remain "a strong voice for the party," according to those in attendance. But so far he has offered little to the Capitol Hill negotiations over potential tax increases and entitlement program changes that could affect virtually every American.
He declined to comment on the Treasury Department's recent refusal to declare China a currency manipulator, which was one of his signature issues over the past 18 months. He made no public remarks after his meeting with Obama, quickly fading away, again.
"If I had to tell you somebody who is the leader of the party right now, I couldn't," said Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express, which is among the conservative factions vying for increased influence. "There's a void right now."
There's no shortage of Republicans maneuvering to fill it, from House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio to a number of high-profile politicians looking to boost their national profiles, if not position themselves for a 2016 presidential run. That group could include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, son and brother of presidents, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Republican officials acknowledge party tensions between the moderate and conservative wings, as well as the tea party and evangelical constituencies. But they dismiss the leadership vacuum as a standard political reality for the losing party in the presidential race. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, never had a strong relationship with the conservative base, given his more moderate past.
Party officials are optimistic that a team of younger and more diverse leaders, drawn from the ranks of governors and Congress, will emerge in the coming months to help strengthen and unify what is now a party grappling with its identity. That list includes Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Nikki Haley of South Carolina.
[snipped]
..................................................................................................................................
Republican jihad against Ambassador Rice
..................................................................................................................................
Republican obsession with Benghazi makes no sense
By Peter Bergen, November 29, 2012
Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, a possible nominee to be the next secretary of state, came to Capitol Hill Tuesday to perform a private mea culpa to key Republican senators for her erroneous initial public statements about the perpetrators of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in September in which four Americans were killed.
The conspiracy therefore was not to mislead the American public but to mislead America's enemies.
This is not conspiracy; this is the fog of war.
..................................................................................................................................
MORE:
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
Benghazi, Susan Rice and Shameless Republicans
..................................................................................................................................
Republican Senator Raises New Questions About Susan Rice
..................................................................................................................................
Why Susan Rice is wrong
..................................................................................................................................
Capitol Hill cronyism targets Rice
..................................................................................................................................
Why Susan Collins’ Opposition To Susan Rice Is Hypocritical
..................................................................................................................................
Republican obsession with Benghazi makes no sense
By Peter Bergen, November 29, 2012
Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, a possible nominee to be the next secretary of state, came to Capitol Hill Tuesday to perform a private mea culpa to key Republican senators for her erroneous initial public statements about the perpetrators of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in September in which four Americans were killed.
It didn't work.
After Tuesday's meeting with Rice, Sen. John McCain said, "It is clear that the information that she gave the American people was incorrect when she said that it was a spontaneous demonstration triggered by a hateful video."
Sen. Lindsey Graham who also met with Rice observed, "Bottom line: I'm more disturbed now than I was before."
What is the Republican theory of the case against Rice? It appears to boil down to the idea that leading Democrats covered up the involvement of terrorists in some way connected to al Qaeda in the Benghazi attack during the run-up to the close presidential election because President Obama and others in his administration had for some time said that al Qaeda was close to strategic defeat.
Does this case make sense? First, you would have to accept that Obama, Rice and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all knowingly deceived the American public about what had happened at the Benghazi consulate.
When this notion was raised in October during the second presidential debate, Obama scolded Republican challenger Mitt Romney saying, "the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the secretary of state, our U.N. ambassador -- anybody on my team -- would play politics or mislead when we've lost four of our own, Governor, is offensive."
According to a CNN poll released Tuesday most Americans agree with the president and do not believe that anyone in his administration intentionally tried to mislead them about what happened in Benghazi.
Second, it was the intelligence community, not officials at the White House or State Department, that eliminated from the talking points used by Rice after the Benghazi attack the suspected involvement of the Libyan jihadist group, Ansar al-Sharia.
According to accounts of former CIA director David Petraeus' closed door testimony about Benghazi to congressional intelligence committees earlier this month, the intelligence community eliminated references to Ansar al-Sharia in the talking points so as not to tip off members of the terrorist group that the CIA believed that they were responsible for the attack.
If Rice had gone beyond her unclassified talking points and said that Ansar al-Sharia was suspected to be behind the Benghazi attacks, no doubt she would now be being hounded for the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
Third, it is worth recalling that whenever there is a news event in a chaotic country on the other side of the world, first accounts about the event are often wrong.
Remember the erroneous reports about another big news event last year; the death of Osama bin Laden. Initially, it was portrayed by the Obama administration that bin Laden had died during a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan and had used his wife as a human shield.
As more accurate information subsequently came in from the field, administration officials clarified that bin Laden put up no resistance and had not used his wife as a shield.
It is also worth recalling that the situation in Benghazi was so chaotic and dangerous that it took three weeks for the FBI to get in to the city to investigate what had happened at the consulate.
And it took even more time for the facts to emerge that the Benghazi mission wasn't really a consulate in any conventional sense, but was more of a CIA listening station and that two of the four Americans who had died in the attack weren't diplomats as initially portrayed but were, in fact, CIA contractors.
The fact that Republicans have pressed to learn more about the security arrangements at the consulate and security in Benghazi overall as well as the details of what happened the night of the attack has ended up bringing to light much useful information.
But none of that information has changed the basic fact that a tragedy occurred at Benghazi, not a cover up.
Stepping back from the whole debate about how Rice came to make inaccurate public statements about Benghazi, there is another premise of the Republican attacks upon her that deserves considerable skepticism.
We are supposed to believe that because Ansar al-Sharia -- a group inspired by al Qaeda's ideas, but having no links to the terrorist group that attacked the United States on 9/11 -- was able to pull off a deadly attack in a Middle Eastern country ravaged by a recent war against a lightly defended U.S. mission, killing four, that al Qaeda is suddenly an important threat again to the United States.
If you buy that, I have a bridge in Benghazi I'd like to sell you.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
MORE:
..................................................................................................................................
OMG! Criticism for NOT revealing classified info??
GOP Senator Criticizes Susan Rice For Not Revealing Classified Information..................................................................................................................................
Benghazi, Susan Rice and Shameless Republicans
..................................................................................................................................
Republican Senator Raises New Questions About Susan Rice
..................................................................................................................................
Why Susan Rice is wrong
..................................................................................................................................
Capitol Hill cronyism targets Rice
..................................................................................................................................
Why Susan Collins’ Opposition To Susan Rice Is Hypocritical
..................................................................................................................................
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)