US Politics Thread |OT| THE DARKEST TIMELINE

[Positive Touch]

cant wait to read the 600-page writeup

[Joe Molotov]

Greenwald's boyfriend detained for 9 hours in Heathrow for no fucking reason

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/18/glenn-greenwald-guardian-partner-detained-heathrow

Oh, there's a reason. 

[Joe Molotov]

Highlights from Ted Nugent's nationwide Klan rally concert tour:

[Broseidon]

Highlights from Ted Nugent's nationwide Klan rally concert tour:

https://twitter.com/TedNugent/status/369542311077638145

[Joe Molotov]

Why the hate for John Waters?

[Phoenix Dark]

WASHINGTON — Estimates from 19 states operating health insurance exchanges to help the uninsured find coverage show that at least 8.5 million will use the exchanges to buy insurance, a USA TODAY survey shows. That would far outstrip the federal government's estimate of 7 million new customers for all 50 states under the 2010 health care law.

STORY: States readying their push to get people insured

USA TODAY contacted the 50 states, and 19 had estimates for how many of their uninsured residents they expect will buy through the exchanges. About 48 million Americans were uninsured in 2011, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"For the most part, that's a very good thing," said Paul Ginsburg, president of the Center for Studying Health System Change. "First, these are people who need health insurance. And second, the scenario that only sick people will enroll is less likely."

Under the law, also known as the Affordable Care Act, people without health insurance provided by their employers, the government or their parents will have to buy insurance on the exchanges, which are websites where they can compare prices and choose policies. They will pay a fine if they decline to buy the insurance.

To stay financially viable, insurers need healthy people to help round out the costs of those with chronic conditions. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office did its own research to determine 7 million people would enroll for the 2014 exchanges.

California alone said it expected to sign up 5.3 million people.

"I am not aware of any enrollment expectations that may have been set," said Melissa Fox, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Pennsylvania is allowing the federal government to create its exchange.

To diversify the health of the pool, the Department of Health and Human Services has targeted three states where half of uninsured people ages 18 to 35 live: Texas, Florida and California.

The states said they made their estimates based on how many individuals are uninsured and aren't likely to become insured by an employer, what insurers in their states expect and conversations with HHS about reasonable goals.

"It's not a positive development for the Republican opponents who would like to see this fail," Ginsburg said. "But it's still very early in the process."

Opponents of the law say 7 million new people will buy insurance, but they may be the wrong people to keep costs down. "They could sign up 7 million sick people," said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank opposed to the law. "It will be hard to sign 7 million that are healthy."

It's also possible that many new insurance customers may simply shift from getting insurance through employers who drop their health insurance coverage when they realize their employees can buy affordable insurance on the exchanges, said Ed Haislmaier, senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. According to the CBO, 2 million fewer people may receive their insurance through their employers in 2014.

Ginsburg said more people may sign up for the exchanges because not all of the states are expanding Medicaid to adults who make less than 137% of the federal poverty level. Adults in that category who make at least 100% of the federal poverty level are eligible for subsidies through the exchanges.

"Having a target and having a metric to reach that target is important," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told USA TODAY. "I'm optimistic we'll have millions of people sign up. We've been working a long time on this." Last week, Sebelius announced $67 million in grants to groups across the country that will spread the word to potential insurance customers about the law and the exchanges.

The open enrollment for new insurance customers in the exchanges starts Oct. 1 and ends March 31, 2014. States either created their own exchanges, have a partnership exchange with the federal government or defaulted and had the federal government created an exchange for them.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/08/19/health-care-law-uninsured-estimates-obama/2671489/

So good so far; given that they have nearly 9 million people with less than half the states actively setting up exchanges, I'd imagine the final numbers will be more than twice as much. . They'll need nearly 3mil young, healthy people to sign up though to control costs.

[brawndolicious]

http://m.apnews.mobi/ap/db_6776/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=VJwUDlR9

So it looks like Mubarak will be free due to a legal technicality but Morsi is still in custody. Who knows, some say legally he has to be released while other articles seem to suggest the government would never let him out because of the protests it would cause. It's already pretty bad the level of  violence of the current unrest/civil war.

For the US, if there is a full on civil war against the military, that would require cutting our losses with Egypt or backing Muslim Brotherhood rebels.

[Oblivion]

"Just cause Obama got re-elected by running on Obamacare doesn't mean the American people want Obamacare!"

[Shadow Mod]

http://swampland.time.com/2013/08/20/the-party-of-old-white-guys-changes-its-look/

Can't stop the lols.

[Steve Contra]

Oklahoma’s Shannon, who suggested that the party should stress its belief in limited government and personal responsibility, two values that he learned from his local African-American church.

YOU WENT TO A SHITTY CHURCH

[Shadow Mod]

Some minorities hate themselves we should capitalize on this.

[Steve Contra]

Ive been saying it for years.  PD should go Republican.  He'd be a state senator in like 2 years.

[Great Rumbler]

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.

[Steve Contra]

[Broseidon]

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.

[Great Rumbler]

"It used to be that, you know, that if somebody was on food stamps it's like 'hey, they're on food stamps, you know... loser,'" said Roberts.

[Oblivion]

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a denizen of the moocher class to enter the kingdom of God.

[Joe Molotov]

"It used to be that, you know, that if somebody was on food stamps it's like 'hey, they're on food stamps, you know... loser,'" spaketh Jesus.

[Brehvolution]

And spotteth twice they the camels before the third hour. And so the Midianites went forth to Ram Gilead in Kadesh Bilgemath by Shor Ethra Regalion, to the house of Gash-Bil-Betheul-Bazda, he who brought the butter dish to Balshazar and the tent peg to the house of Rashomon, and there slew they the goats, yea, and placed they the bits in little pots.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm sure this was an honest mistake
http://www.mediaite.com/online/fox-and-friends-daily-caller-falsely-report-3-black-teens-arrested-in-chris-lane-murder/

[Great Rumbler]

There’s your angle, Rev. Al. The one with the lightest skin got the lightest charge. The one who looks the least like Obama will get the least punishment. Let the racebaiting begin.

[DCharlieJP]

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.

I think what Jesus was trying to say here was to set up a hedge fund and short sell every stock on a downward tick to capitalise on their "poor" predicament.

It is amusing that staunch GOP supporters are so big into the biggest socialist to have ever walked the planet - but i seriously wonder which version of the bible they were reading. Would Jesus be for free health care? Pretty sure he was apparently going around curing uninsured people but hey... let's concentrate all our focus on the bible's hate messages instead!

[Human Snorenado]

Clearly you dirty fucking hippies aren't familiar with the Gospel Of Supply Side Jesus.

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/17_franken.html

If you are prosperous on Earth, that means that God is rewarding your RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM.  If you are poor, it is a sign that God frowns on your reliance on handouts.

[Positive Touch]

Yeah, I totally remember in the Bible where Jesus set up a government and seized property in the form of taxes and made people be nice to each other.

When they showed him those coins he was all like, "Render undo me, lol."

 

[AdmiralViscen]

Luke 3:12-13

Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”

[Mandark]

Hey, this is fun!

Romans 13:5-7

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

[AdmiralViscen]

To be fair I think that was Paul, not Jesus

[Human Snorenado]

To be fair I think that was Paul, not Jesus

I am pretty sure, however, that the only time Jesus ever got pissed was when he took a whip to those rationally motivated self-movers in the temple who were just trying to make an honest shekel changing money for people

[Phoenix Dark]

executive trolling

[Mandark]

To be fair I think that was Paul, not Jesus

I didn't know we were sticking to Jesus; your quote was from John the Baptist!

[Phoenix Dark]

To be fair I think that was Paul, not Jesus

Mandark figured he'd quote the apostle to the Gentiles, as Jesus had no message for us

[AdmiralViscen]

To be fair I think that was Paul, not Jesus

I didn't know we were sticking to Jesus; your quote was from John the Baptist!

annihilated

[Joe Molotov]

To be fair I think that was Paul, not Jesus

I didn't know we were sticking to Jesus; your quote was from John the Baptist!

annihilated

You got baptized, son!

[Oblivion]

Yeah, I totally remember in the Bible where Jesus set up a government and seized property in the form of taxes and made people be nice to each other.

When they showed him those coins he was all like, "Render undo me, lol."

So this is generally the excuse I hear from the freedom lovers whenever Jesus' compassion for the poor is brought up. I suppose this could be a reasonable argument, that Jesus wanted to help the poor, but not have government lead the way. And yet, the fundamentalists have no problem with government coercion when it comes to dealing with the gheys and abortion.

Did Jesus ever talk about a wall of separation between economic policy and social policy?

[Great Rumbler]

Yeah, I totally remember in the Bible where Jesus set up a government and seized property in the form of taxes and made people be nice to each other.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

[Human Snorenado]

Yeah, it's unfortunate that only a fringe population views any taxation as theft. 

[AdmiralViscen]

The government is not forcing you at gunpoint to hand money to poor people. It requires you (through nonviolent legal means) to supply it with a portion of your money, which then goes toward a big bucket that provides an enormous amount of services for all citizens, many of which you directly benefit from. I don't remember Jesus saying roads were bad.

[Human Snorenado]

The government is not forcing you at gunpoint to hand money to poor people. It requires you (through nonviolent legal means) to supply it with a portion of your money, which then goes toward a big bucket that provides an enormous amount of services for all citizens, many of which you directly benefit from. I don't remember Jesus saying roads were bad.

TYRANNY

[Broseidon]

Private property is theft

[Human Snorenado]

Unfortunately for you, most people don't agree with your assessment regarding what's a "hole" and what's not.  You're free to explore one of four options: a) grin and bear it, b) try to convince enough people to come around to your way of thinking to change it, c) refuse to pay some or all of your taxes and deal with the consequences or d) move somewhere where people don't have the same values we do in America.

[Broseidon]

Free Market of ideas

[Broseidon]

DEBT

I bet you think Ramirez cartoons are incisive.

[Human Snorenado]

Governments function just like regular households as far as money is concerned.  I know this, because the other day I took out a 2nd mortgage to pay for my latest war with Germany.

[Great Rumbler]

(Image removed from quote.)

Joe, make this a Bore emoticon, please.

[Human Snorenado]

THE DEBT EXISTS BECAUSE IT DOES

[Mandark]

The point being, Bliv, that telling people they should be nice and generous to one another is not the same thing as forming an army and making them.

Yeah, but you're not an anarchist.  You're very much in favor of forming an army and making them accept a particular distribution of wealth, only yours is a private property regime.

It's only different if you believe that property rights are so fundamental that they prefigure human society, in which case we've basically circled right back around to theology.

[pickle]

Anarcho-capitalists truly are the dull crayon of the political crayola box.

[Phoenix Dark]

lol you guys arguing over jesus?

[brawndolicious]

Unfortunately for you, most people don't agree with your assessment regarding what's a "hole" and what's not.

Red numbers in the ledger are a hole...  As in "we're in the hole."  Your agreement is not required as I'm not talking about something subjective.

(Image removed from quote.)

First rule of holes...

It's the debt-to-GDP ratio that really matters.  The size of the whole vs the size of the bucket..



Around what level of debt/GDP would you say is okay?

[Oblivion]

Unfortunately for you, most people don't agree with your assessment regarding what's a "hole" and what's not.

Red numbers in the ledger are a hole...  As in "we're in the hole."  Your agreement is not required as I'm not talking about something subjective.

(Image removed from quote.)

First rule of holes...

Yeah, that's pretty bad. Maybe we should raise some taxes to try and lower that debt!

[AdmiralViscen]

Medicaid creates a more affluent consumer market so people don't have to pay for their grandma's horse shit

The debt is almost meaningless

[Broseidon]

Anarcho-capitalists truly are the dull crayon of the political crayola box.

Anarcho-Capitalism is an oxymoron. Anarchism is fundamenally left-wing. You can be an anti-state capitalist, but there's more to Anarchism than being anti-state.

Something better would be "Propertarians" or simply "neo-Feudalists"

/Anarchist bone-pick

[Joe Molotov]

Listen guys, Mickelson could hit that ball a lot better if it wasn't for TYRANNY! 

[brawndolicious]

Thought that headline was sarcastic until I saw it was Breitbart.

[TakingBackSunday]

hitting a 1.5 inch wide ball for a living must be hard

[Phoenix Dark]

He made 30mil last year, the vast majority of which was from endorsements. In order to receive and maintain endorsements he has to, you know, perform well.

Dude is a fucking idiot.

[Great Rumbler]

Nothing about what he says there makes any sense.

[Phoenix Dark]

Swanson and Buehner: Boy Scouts Will Soon Have A 'Sodomy Merit Badge' And A 'Cannibal Merit Badge' - See http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/swanson-and-buehner-boy-scouts-will-soon-have-sodomy-merit-badge-and-cannibal-merit-badge#sthash.qut4zz2w.dpuf

No, not that Swanson

[Oblivion]

I get the sodomy badge, but a cannibalism badge? Wha?

[brawndolicious]

In a survival situation if you already eat da poo poo, I could see you being the first to be a cannibal.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

/sarcasm

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