POLITICAL THREAD

[jamo0001]

Wilmore was mediocre. Seth Myers is still the reigning champ, IMO.



from his commencement speech at Michigan this weekend:

Michael R. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, denounced what he called the “demagoguery” in the Republican and Democratic Parties in a commencement speech delivered on Saturday at the University of Michigan.

“In this year’s presidential election, we’ve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember in my lifetime,” he said. Mr. Bloomberg compared the leading contenders from both parties, as a group, to a list of divisive figures from the 20th century, including Patrick J. Buchanan, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and Gov. George C. Wallace. Like those demagogues of years past, he said, candidates in both political parties focus on blaming “easy targets who breed resentment” for the country’s problems instead of offering workable solutions.

“For Republicans, it’s Mexicans here illegally and Muslims,” he said, “and for Democrats, it’s the wealthy and Wall Street. The truth is, we cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone.”

“Every generation has had to confront its own demagogues, and every generation has stood up and kept them away from the White House, at least so far,” he told the graduates and their guests at the ceremony in Ann Arbor, Mich. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Neither party has a monopoly on good ideas; each demonizes the other unfairly and dishonestly,” he said. He called for rewarding “those who reach across the aisle in search of compromise.”

“If we want to stop demagogues, we have to start governing again,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “And that requires us to be more civil, to support politicians who have the courage to take risks and to reward those who reach across the aisle in search of compromise.”

 

[ram1955]

Ida, I'm getting up in the morning, getting dressed and will head on in to church. I'm gonna sing loudly and clap my hands. Somewhere in there I will place a proportionate amount of my earnings last week in the offering plate. Then I will sit back and hear a little more about what the Bible says. Then I'll leave feeling good about knowing that God loves me (and you) in spite of myself. Ahhhh ... such a sweet delusion.

I work with several people that suffer from delusions. Very rarely do I deal with such a person that is happy, secure, content with his state in life...not to mention being productive, etc... If, indeed, this is a delusion, it's one of the few positive and helpful ones.

 

[ram1955]

Wilmore was mediocre. Seth Myers is still the reigning champ, IMO.
from his commencement speech at Michigan this weekend:

Michael R. Bloomberg, .......

A lot of what he said merits thought. There are a lot of things to blame our problems on . Lots of blame being passed around but no candidate has given a substantial plan for solving any of them. I do agree with some of the Trump stuff, though I think he focuses too much on Mexicans. IMO, Mexicans present only a fraction of the problems that muslims present and will increasingly cause. IMO, the biggest problems are 1: Change in our social morals (discussed ad nauseum on this site) 2. People have no hope/reason to be productive.

Have been watching a show on PBS about the national park system. They talked a lot about how many parks were formed during the depression by people working in Roosevelt's public works programs. I always thought that was a great program. It put people to work doing good things in order to earn essentially what was the equivalent of today's welfare benefits. It developed a sense of pride...taught people to work, etc...

Why don't we do that today? A couple years ago when the politicians bantered about extending unemployment benefits, why didn't they put people to work in parks, on roads, in schools, etc...????
Like I said before, I'm not nearly as astute politically as 90% of you guys, but why wouldn't programs like that work today?

 

[krazykats]

Because people today won't work.

That's the thing about the Mexicans, people only focus on the race baiting issues. Instead the problem is they come over illegally and took jobs at a lower pay scale driving labor through the floor. Which made it impossible to get certain jobs over the Mexicans. Then slowly but surely we as a nation have gotten lazy and dependent.

So free money won votes and gave lazy losers what they wanted. Win/win per democrats.

 

[Willy4UK]

Willy is the loveable atheist. If God is there at the end, He'll probably say, "Gee, Willy, I really hate to do this. You would be a lot of fun to have around, but you've gotta go."

Yep, titty sprinkles for everybody, Starchief.

 

[Willy4UK]

Eff 'em if he can't take a joke.

"Sorry, Willy. I created you in mine own image. Now I don't like what I see. I think I'll cast you (a self professed extension of myself) into eternal damnation."

lol

"oh come'on God, can't you see that it was just a prank, bro?"

 

[EvilMD]

We truly live in a messed up world. If an alien race came down and treated us the way we treat each other, the animals and the rest of the planet, maybe the light bulb would click on. But it wouldn't stay on. How long did patriotism flourish after 9/11? Six months?

 

[IdaCat]

I work with several people that suffer from delusions. Very rarely do I deal with such a person that is happy, secure, content with his state in life...not to mention being productive, etc... If, indeed, this is a delusion, it's one of the few positive and helpful ones.

What about Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, or any other believer who is not of your faith? Surely you're aware that they aren't all complete lunatics and that many are at least as happy, secure, content, and productive as yourself. Are they deluded, compartmentalizing,...?

What is the correct diagnosis from your educated scientific perspective? Of course you'll need to engage your intellectual dishonesty to spin something up that doesn't also apply to yourself.

 

[starchief5]

We truly live in a messed up world. If an alien race came down and treated us the way we treat each other, the animals and the rest of the planet, maybe the light bulb would click on. But it wouldn't stay on. How long did patriotism flourish after 9/11? Six months?

I read somewhere that our nation's memory lasts only about thirty years. We learn our lesson from mistakes and swear we won't repeat those mistakes. Thirty years or so later we forget and repeat the same mistakes. We learned in Vietnam that you can't send troops to another country half way around the world and keep them there protecting people who don't want us there (except their financial exploiters there) and won't fight for the things they say they want. The expense is too great and the citizens eventually get fed up with it. Almost always we end up walking away with little to show for our troops' sacrifices and the people worse off. Thirty or so years later we repeat the same mistake in Iraq (and Afghanistan?) with the same results.

The memory of the Great Depression lasted more than thirty years but we did eventually forget - and ended up with the Great Recession starting in about '07.

 

[starchief5]

If it is real gold, why don't we just split it and you go serve whatever entity you want to serve and I will serve the Lord. With Daboss's permission of course. That communist moron wants nothing to do with anyone who does not think like him. He wishes that we never existed. He has said as much.

Just you. Not we.[/QUOTE]

I've got to say I personally have no problem with DaBoss. We don't agree on much but I find him intelligent and mostly civil - and you can't ask for much more from a poster than that. I don't dismiss any poster for their opinion. I do have a problem with those who cannot state an opinion without including insults - a feel-good but unproductive tactic in any argument. (This why I've never taken a shine to Trump) This applies to those with whom I agree as well.

 

[starchief5]

Yep, titty sprinkles for everybody, Starchief.

Hey Willy. When you went to Washington recently and met with the RNC (we know you did. Seeing the sights, ha) did they give you any indication they were going to recruit you on the second ballot at the Convention?

 

[Bill Derington]

What about Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, or any other believer who is not of your faith? Surely you're aware that they aren't all complete lunatics and that many are at least as happy, secure, content, and productive as yourself. Are they deluded, compartmentalizing,...?

What is the correct diagnosis from your educated scientific perspective? Of course you'll need to engage your intellectual dishonesty to spin something up that doesn't also apply to yourself.

Why would he need to spin? He was speaking on his professional and personal experience.

Sounds like you aren't as much atheist as you are anti-Christianity.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Honest question, if Mexicans voted Republican, how loud would Dems be about protecting the borders and getting these people deported?

If any of these bleeding heart Progs had to live among or with these groups they're all about bringing in, they would sing a different tune.

The truth is they don't contribute anything of significance. They lowered the pay of jobs (only helping employers pay crap and do it off the books) , have killed us economically with having to prop them up and their millions of kids with education costs, commits a lot of crime and destroys neighborhoods.

Eff all of them that do not assinilate and actual legal immigrants who did it the right way, would say the same.

 

[IdaCat]

Why would he need to spin? He was speaking on his professional and personal experience.

Sounds like you aren't as much atheist as you are anti-Christianity.

If he doesn't need spin, then he should be able to easily answer my question. He was responding to my charge that Christians are deluded. I want to know what he thinks believers of other faiths are, if not deluded. I don't think the question is that difficult.

What you think I am is irrelevant.

 

[Willy4UK]

Hey Willy. When you went to Washington recently and met with the RNC (we know you did. Seeing the sights, ha) did they give you any indication they were going to recruit you on the second ballot at the Convention?

There was talk of it, but it pretty much died down during dinner. Apparently, farts are unconstitutional.

 

[IdaCat]

Let me help. Misled, deceived, fooled, conned, betrayed. Lot's of options. Pick one and I'll try to remember to use it instead of deluded.

 

[Bill Derington]

If he doesn't need spin, then he should be able to easily answer my question. He was responding to my charge that Christians are deluded. I want to know what he thinks believers of other faiths are, if not deluded. I don't think the question is that difficult.

What you think I am is irrelevant.

You're question to him was irrelevant and simply a gotcha question.
He was citing examples he had seen from his personal and professional experiences from people of faith.
Why even bring up other religions? What does that have to do with what Ram posted?

 

[ram1955]

What about Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, or any other believer who is not of your faith? Surely you're aware that they aren't all complete lunatics and that many are at least as happy, secure, content, and productive as yourself. Are they deluded, compartmentalizing,...?

What is the correct diagnosis from your educated scientific perspective? Of course you'll need to engage your intellectual dishonesty to spin something up that doesn't also apply to yourself.

A delusion is not a problem if: It does not compromise your ability/willingness to be productive/self-sufficient; Does not cause emotional or physical problems for self and/or family/loved ones; and does not put others at risk.
As for the eternal merits or implications of a faith, that's another issue. As for believers of any faith, your's included, ultimately we will know who was deluded and who was not.

 

[IdaCat]

You're question to him was irrelevant and simply a gotcha question.
He was citing examples he had seen from his personal and professional experiences from people of faith.
Why even bring up other religions? What does that have to do with what Ram posted?

No. He was citing his experiences with people who have delusions and comparing that to his religious experience, which he does not consider a delusion. I simply wanted to know what he calls the religious experience of people of other faiths. To me, they're all the same and whatever he labeled the others would apply to his own, which he would need to deny without supporting facts (spin).

This is mind-numbingly stupid. You win. Your tactic of boring me to death has worked. I'm going to go do something constructive like mowing the yard.

 

[Supreme Lord Z]

I could (once again) post a list of historical Christian atrocities committed in the name of their fairy tale but when I do then I wind up getting banned because if it is ONE THING Christians cannot bear above all others, it is the truth. They cannot abide by it. Their whole little fantasy collapses under the weight of it. Their "faith" is a carefully constructed delusion to wax nostalgic about what great people they are on Sunday like a reset button to cover up all the hypocritical smut their actual lives are. They are presented with either handling truth or constructing fairy tales about what wonderful people they are and for them that is a seductive and easy choice and they will protect it savagely. Even on here. Even in this thread they bristle and snarl at the slightest trace of truth they are confronted by.

 

[IdaCat]

A delusion is not a problem if: It does not compromise your ability/willingness to be productive/self-sufficient; Does not cause emotional or physical problems for self and/or family/loved ones; and does not put others at risk.
As for the eternal merits or implications of a faith, that's another issue. As for believers of any faith, your's included, ultimately we will know who was deluded and who was not.

Thank you for replying. Bill was starting to drive me to wanting a delusion. That's supposed to be funny Bill. Kind of.

Your definition works for how I'm using the word, so I'll continue using it.

If I'm right, and I completely think I am, we won't ultimately know. You guys always say that. Just shows how little you understand the opposing views.

 

[BernieSadori]

Ayone else like the 'penny plan'?

 

[ram1955]

I could (once again) post a list of historical Christian atrocities committed in the name of their fairy tale but when I do then I wind up getting banned because if it is ONE THING Christians cannot bear above all others, it is the truth. They cannot abide by it. Their whole little fantasy collapses under the weight of it. Their "faith" is a carefully constructed delusion to wax nostalgic about what great people they are on Sunday like a reset button to cover up all the hypocritical smut their actual lives are. They are presented with either handling truth or constructing fairy tales about what wonderful people they are and for them that is a seductive and easy choice and they will protect it savagely. Even on here. Even in this thread they bristle and snarl at the slightest trace of truth they are confronted by.

There have been many atrocities committed in the NAME of Christianity by misguided, fallible, sinful Christian people but they were not Christian atrocities. I cannot think of any teaching or practice that Jesus Christ espoused as qualifying as an atrocity.
As for hypocrisy, yep there's lots of it in all walks. While I cannot speak for other Christians, I'd be the first to admit that I say and do things every day that are not aligned with Christ's teachings.
Who's bristling and snarling?

 

[ram1955]

If I'm right, and I completely think I am, we won't ultimately know. You guys always say that. Just shows how little you understand the opposing views.

Your view is understood. It may ultimately be the main point of our disagreement.

 

[Mojocat]

If only some of the great thinkers throughout history had thought to address the whole 'is there a God?' question.

Since that eluded them, we'll have to just settle it here, between and among the lofty intellects at kentucky.rivals.com.......I'm kinda looking forward to resolution, ought to clear a bunch of stuff up.

 

[Willy4UK]

If only some of the great thinkers throughout history had thought to address the whole 'is there a God?' question.

Since that eluded them, we'll have to just settle it here, between and among the lofty intellects at kentucky.rivals.com.......I'm kinda looking forward to resolution, ought to clear a bunch of stuff up.

The real mind blower about this. Maybe one of us do know the answer. It's like the daily foot traffic over the sidewalk that was containing a large amount of gold. No one knew, but there was that homeless guy who was telling everybody about that gold under that sidewalk.. Last I heard, that homeless guy died. The gold still is under the sidewalk, and because he didn't have a an address, he couldn't receive Medicaid services. Apparently died of colon cancer.

Someone does know the answer, Mojo.

 

[Mojocat]

One of the great philosophical questions of all time - perhaps the most vexing, is there a higher being in the universe. It's deluded and befuddled the great minds in history, but somehow, someway, this mystery of all mysteries is made inherently plain to an ordinary guy. Maybe he's a nurse, or a satellite tv installer. No accomplishments of note, other than prodigious posting totals on a Kentucky message board. How he came to know the meaning of life is an amazing story.....

Willy, that's got the makings of a good short story. I like it!

 

[IdaCat]

If only some of the great thinkers throughout history had thought to address the whole 'is there a God?' question.

Since that eluded them, we'll have to just settle it here, between and among the lofty intellects at kentucky.rivals.com.......I'm kinda looking forward to resolution, ought to clear a bunch of stuff up.

It may be impossible to answer that question as you worded it. Shooting down the man made gods? Easy peasy.

 

[Willy4UK]

One of the great philosophical questions of all time - perhaps the most vexing, is there a higher being in the universe. It's deluded and befuddled the great minds in history, but somehow, someway, this mystery of all mysteries is made inherently plain to an ordinary guy. Maybe he's a nurse, or a satellite tv installer. No accomplishments of note, other than prodigious posting totals on a Kentucky message board. How he came to know the meaning of life is an amazing story.....

Willy, that's got the makings of a good short story. I like it!

I'd watch that shit. Unless it was made by Kirk Cameron

 

[jamo0001]

Trump leading Cruz by 15pts in Indiana.

HOO HOO HOO HOOSIERS

 

[fuzz77]

Honest question, if Mexicans voted Republican, how loud would Dems be about protecting the borders and getting these people deported?

If any of these bleeding heart Progs had to live among or with these groups they're all about bringing in, they would sing a different tune.

The truth is they don't contribute anything of significance. They lowered the pay of jobs (only helping employers pay crap and do it off the books) , have killed us economically with having to prop them up and their millions of kids with education costs, commits a lot of crime and destroys neighborhoods.

Eff all of them that do not assinilate and actual legal immigrants who did it the right way, would say the same.

Who hires Mexicans to work?
They come here because people will give them work. Many of those people are Republicans. Stop giving them jobs, start paying wages that 'mericans want and the problem is solved.

It is like the war on drugs. You will never be able to stem the flow of drugs or Mexicans into this country as long as there is a demand for their services. Wall or no wall. Hell, some of the biggest pipelines of drugs into this country have come via tunnels that have been dug in areas where there are already walls. 10's of thousands of people cross the border daily legally. All you need is your passport. Fake Mexican passports can be had for $10.

...and good gawd...can you get off this "they don't assimilate" crap that you rant about the Mexicans, Muslims....? Assimilation is a process that occurs over several generations not over night.

 

[JHB4UK]

Jezus, reading back the last few pages and some of you mofos need to get a touching life & unplug this garbage over weekends

 

[starchief5]

Who hires Mexicans to work?
They come here because people will give them work. Many of those people are Republicans. Stop giving them jobs, start paying wages that 'mericans want and the problem is solved.

It is like the war on drugs. You will never be able to stem the flow of drugs or Mexicans into this country as long as there is a demand for their services. Wall or no wall. Hell, some of the biggest pipelines of drugs into this country have come via tunnels that have been dug in areas where there are already walls. 10's of thousands of people cross the border daily legally. All you need is your passport. Fake Mexican passports can be had for $10.

...and good gawd...can you get off this "they don't assimilate" crap that you rant about the Mexicans, Muslims....? Assimilation is a process that occurs over several generations not over night.

Gotta agree with you here, fuzz. Our de facto open border policy (essentially what we have now) is crazy (maybe even suicidal for the country we have been) but there are few of us here, if we lived in Mexico or Central America, wouldn't be crossing that border any way we could in order to live here.

And I agree that Hispanics do assimilate over time. I have my doubts about Muslims though. National loyalties can change fairly easily but religious loyalties are a tough nut to crack. And the very heart of Islam is the submission of the world to Allah - hopefully by conversion, but by force if necessary.

I haven't lived in Kentucky since 1975. Yet I still love those mountains and people in eastern Kentucky. I still am a UK BB fan (gave up on UK FB a looong time ago) and even wear a UK cap. I am an assimilated non-Southerner but I have continued to be a Southerner/Kentuckian in my heart. Immigrants do the same thing.

 

[starchief5]

Jezus, reading back the last few pages and some of you mofos need to get a touching life & unplug this garbage over weekends

Nahhh.

 

[Big_Blue79]

One of the great philosophical questions of all time - perhaps the most vexing, is there a higher being in the universe. It's deluded and befuddled the great minds in history, but somehow, someway, this mystery of all mysteries is made inherently plain to an ordinary guy. Maybe he's a nurse, or a satellite tv installer. No accomplishments of note, other than prodigious posting totals on a Kentucky message board. How he came to know the meaning of life is an amazing story.....

Willy, that's got the makings of a good short story. I like it!

Other than: 1) 375 yard drive; 2) doesn't even know who the Kardashians are; 3) wife is hotter than [random celebrity name generator.net] and has smoother elbows; and 4) got a great (not good) deal on an engagement ring.

 

[Catfan in Tn.]

President Obama and family will stay in DC for 2 years after he leaves office so his youngest daughter can finish High School. That should be interesting for the next incoming President.

 

[Mojocat]

Peggy Noonan is hard to take on television, but she often makes good points in her columns. As I said earlier, perhaps the most vexing issue in human history is -- God. Number two has to be, how can someone like Trump garner such support? heh. I think she may be on to something here:

"In my continuing quest to define aspects of Mr. Trump’s rise, to my own satisfaction, I offer what was said this week in a talk with a small group of political activists, all of whom back him. One was about to begin approaching various powerful and influential Republicans who did not support him, and make the case. I told her I’d been thinking that maybe Mr. Trump’s appeal is simple: What Trump supporters believe, what they perceive as they watch him, is that he is on America’s side.

And that comes as a great relief to them, because they believe that for 16 years Presidents Bush and Obama were largely about ideologies. They seemed not so much on America’s side as on the side of abstract notions about justice and the needs of the world. Mr. Obama’s ideological notions are leftist, and indeed he is a hero of the international left. He is about international climate-change agreements, and leftist views of gender, race and income equality. Mr. Bush’s White House was driven by a different ideology—neoconservatism, democratizing, nation building, defeating evil in the world, privatizing Social Security.

But it was all ideology.

Then Mr. Trump comes and in his statements radiate the idea that he’s not at all interested in ideology, only in making America great again—through border security and tough trade policy, etc. He’s saying he’s on America’s side, period."

italics added. Maybe it's that simple.....

 

[P19978]

President Obama and family will stay in DC for 2 years after he leaves office so his youngest daughter can finish High School. That should be interesting for the next incoming President.

Wonder if Trump will continually blame Obama for all the problems (he will have good reason).

Proximity will certainly make it convenient lol.

 

[P19978]

Then Mr. Trump comes and in his statements radiate the idea that he’s not at all interested in ideology, only in making America great again—through border security and tough trade policy, etc. He’s saying he’s on America’s side, period."

italics added. Maybe it's that simple.....

Absolutely yes.

No honest, intelligent person believes Obama has acted in America's best interest (other than the Bin Laden execution- I'm sure it was tough to assassinate a fellow Muslim).

 

[jamo0001]

Peggy Noonan is hard to take on television, but she often makes good points in her columns. As I said earlier, perhaps the most vexing issue in human history is -- God. Number two has to be, how can someone like Trump garner such support? heh. I think she may be on to something here:

"In my continuing quest to define aspects of Mr. Trump’s rise, to my own satisfaction, I offer what was said this week in a talk with a small group of political activists, all of whom back him. One was about to begin approaching various powerful and influential Republicans who did not support him, and make the case. I told her I’d been thinking that maybe Mr. Trump’s appeal is simple: What Trump supporters believe, what they perceive as they watch him, is that he is on America’s side.

And that comes as a great relief to them, because they believe that for 16 years Presidents Bush and Obama were largely about ideologies. They seemed not so much on America’s side as on the side of abstract notions about justice and the needs of the world. Mr. Obama’s ideological notions are leftist, and indeed he is a hero of the international left. He is about international climate-change agreements, and leftist views of gender, race and income equality. Mr. Bush’s White House was driven by a different ideology—neoconservatism, democratizing, nation building, defeating evil in the world, privatizing Social Security.

But it was all ideology.

Then Mr. Trump comes and in his statements radiate the idea that he’s not at all interested in ideology, only in making America great again—through border security and tough trade policy, etc. He’s saying he’s on America’s side, period."

italics added. Maybe it's that simple.....

I figured it was merely because so many people had never met a true Yankee con man before.