"Torture" written by Drew on estrip.org

04/20/09 09:22 - ID#48446

Torture

Our government has admitted to torture, in general, but hasn't "named names" or prosecuted it. In my opinion, the Obama administration is failing to do its' duty here. While the "low-level" guys MIGHT have an excuse, the higher ups do not. Prosecution will be difficult, but if we do nothing, there is no deterrent to future torture.

To avoid trials, I would be willing to offer amnesty for all people that made a full reporting and apology for any involvement in torture. Following that period of amnesty, there should be a full investigation and trials.

To me, this is not a left/right thing. It's a humanity thing, a security thing, and a rule of law thing. There is never a reason to torture a person. Every time we condone torture, we gain enemies and alienate allies. Every time we ignore our laws and our values, we weaken them.

Permalink: Torture.html
Words: 149

Category: politics

03/01/09 03:59 - ID#47915

An economic stimulus proposal

So next year, quite a few military personnel will, if all goes according to plan, be returning from Iraq.

This could be bad news, or good news.

Of course, it is always good news if there is peace and safety, but the possibility of bad news is this: an economy that already has high unemployment will have a glut of new workers--workers that have spent at least a year outside of our culture (more for most), and who's skills may not have an equivalent in our economy.

To make matters worse, quite a few have suffered trauma. Historically, re-adjustment to civilian life has not been easy.

Here's the good news. Many of these service people will be flush with combat pay. They will want new homes and new cars and furniture and clothes without camo and all sorts of things.

As long as we are throwing around all sorts of cash, I think we should make an investment in this area. In addition to regular veterans benefits, I would provide an additional bonus for veterans to take a class on starting a business. Another bonus for attending a support group. We should pay them to rehab houses and give them affordable mortgages to buy them. I would also love a bonus paid to veterans who stayed drug and/or alcohol free, or pledged not to own a gun.

So much can go wrong when veterans return. More Vietnam veterans have died of self-inflicted wounds than died in the conflict. This, however, is not only preventable, but by making the right choices, the end of our current war can be an integral part of the economy's jump start.

Permalink: An_economic_stimulus_proposal.html
Words: 277

Category: politics

01/21/09 04:23 - ID#47474

Obamicon.me

Permalink: Obamicon_me.html
Words: 2

Category: politics

11/05/08 12:54 - ID#46556

It's amazing how much cooler . . .

. . . candidates get when they lose.

Comments on McCain sparked this, but I also remember watching Dole on Letterman after he was defeated and thinking he may have one if he acted more like that.

Gore got a lot more friendly after he got beat--grew a beard, put on weight, smiled more, and started talking about global warming more.

Maybe the conventional wisdom about how to behave in a campaign isn't so wise!

Permalink: It_s_amazing_how_much_cooler_.html
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Category: politics

10/31/08 01:26 - ID#46450

Redistribution of Wealth

I know that some people are coming out against it, but I have to think that in reality, they are not. If you are not in favor of "redistribution of wealth," than why do you work/invest/by/sell/trade? If you hope to receive an inheritance, than you expect your parent's wealth to be redistributed to you. If you have an interest-bearing bank account, then a borrowers' wealth is being redistributed to you. A lottery ticket is redistributing many small pieces of wealth, in the hopes of receiving a large redistribution.

Most people, when they say this, really mean that they prefer a "market-based" redistribution of wealth. Most of the time (because some people enter a market with advantages), in a completely open market, wealth becomes re-distributed by becoming concentrated. A concentration of wealth is the opposite of what is commonly referred to as "spreading the wealth around."

Nobody wants their wealth to be redistributed into somebody else's concentration, but everybody wants their concentration to grow.

If people do not think they will enjoy their wealth, than people will lose the incentive to work. Sometimes, high taxes discourage them from working. Other times, a market out of control discourages people, (as in "I owe my life to the company store.") Both must be checked.

I could go on regarding the different ways that tax policy encourages the re-distribution of wealth in different directions, but that isn't my point right now. My point is: everybody wants wealth redistributed. The only question is, how?

Permalink: Redistribution_of_Wealth.html
Words: 253

Category: politics

10/15/08 09:53 - ID#46123

700 Billion

I really should be working, but I found this and had to share it:

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

What will $700 billion buy? The South Florida Sun-Sentinel provides some interesting answers. Some examples:
Gasoline for a year for every adult in America. (175 billion gallons of gas)

You could literally buy the world a Coke. One 2-liter bottle per week for a year.

You could buy a 60-inch HDTV for every man, woman and child in the U.S.

Sounds like Monopoly money? It should. You could buy 10 Monopoly games for each of the 6.7 billion human beings on planet earth.

You could buy everyone in America 2200 McDonalds apple pies. What's more American than that?

You could buy a brand new Hummer for each of the 11 million people on the island of Cuba

You could buy 2 mountain bikes for everyone in China.

You could buy 438 pounds of rice for every single person in Africa.

You could buy a Caribbean Island for every single person in the state of South Dakota.

Entire population of South Florida could cruise around the world continuously for 8.4 months.

dcoffee writes at 07:37:19 10/15/08 - Comment #40314: A lot of people are saying, "where's my $700 billion?" I think that's a completely valid question. How come we can bail out the rich and leave the rest of us empty handed? The stock market probably needed a boost, but this economy is going nowhere if the general public doesn't get their $700 billion too.

drew writes at 01:03:14 10/15/08 - Comment #40297: That's a good deal.

Of course, normally when they are purchased at a retail establishment, a donation is made to charity.

If you chose the "Terrible Top" you would not be the first to do so (but that doesn't make it a bad choice).

tinypliny writes at 12:58:21 10/15/08 - Comment #40295: :::link:::

I am sure bargaining skills from Delhi's mean markets will bring down the price of a 6.7 billion of 'em. Especially when they will be made to order in China. ;) Heheheh
I wish I had one of them RIGHT now. I just thought of a running theme for my "costume" at the party... But, darn it, I don't. :/

drew writes at 11:54:35 10/15/08 - Comment #40290: First of all, they cost more than that.

Secondly, buying a Terrible Towel for a person that lives in Cleavland is like buying an American flag for Osama Bin Ladin. I would never allow it to be desecrated in such a way.

jason writes at 11:18:02 10/15/08 - Comment #40285: Lol @ the Terrible Towel crack. See, you're not so foreign now, are you Tiny?

tinypliny writes at 11:17:17 10/15/08 - Comment #40284: The Universe probably contains around 100 billion galaxies. The bailing out of this country is 7 times that.
It's growing debt is probably equivalent to the number of stars in all those galaxies. 7 X 10^22.

tinypliny writes at 10:51:26 10/15/08 - Comment #40282

You can buy nearly 21 good quality Terrible towels for everyone on the planet*. All 6.7 billion of them.

at ~$5 a towel.

Permalink: 700_Billion.html
Words: 178

Category: politics

08/29/08 08:22 - ID#45494

Dream come true?

This morning I heard an NPR commentator ask if Obama's candidacy meant that Rev. King's dream had been fulfilled.

The guy that they asked didn't say yes or no, but instead hemmed and hawed about how this is historic but really there is a long way to go.

I wish he would have said: "Has the dream come true? What are you nuts!? King said, "we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

The candidacy is great. The election will be a major step forward. But we have a LONG way to go.

More on the dream, still deferred, not only for black Americans, but for most Americans:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

metalpeter writes at 02:16:11 08/30/08 - Comment #38368: Sorry to be the voice of doom but we don't know if this is really progress. If he lives through the entire Campaign yeah then it is but that hasn't happened yet. If he wins and makes it all 4 years then yeah it is progress. All it takes to stop progress and destroy this country is one sniper bullet. That would start race riots and then the supresion of them it could even start a race war. I'm not saying that will happen but Barrack Running isn't success yet.

joshua writes at 12:01:37 08/29/08 - Comment #38319: I'm glad you mentioned this, but am simultaneously disappointed at the thought that you may have missed the comments Benjamin Todd Jealous made on the subject on PBS. PBS - for my money the best coverage of all. Of course, stocked with sympathetic commentators (minus one David Brooks) but all were very erudite and had thoughtful things to say.

Ben Jealous, if you do not know, is the President-Elect of the NAACP and is a fascinating figure. He's an extraordinarily accomplished guy and has managed to become the next President of the NAACP by the age of 35. Ivy League educated, etc. - in many ways identical to Barack Obama.

Anyway, the significance of the event and the date in the past was incredibly inspirational to him and he was visibly emotional while talking about it. He said that regardless of whether or not Barack Obama wins, he sees the nomination of an African-American for President as an enormous step made all the more significant because of the date of the convention, as if it were one of those amazing and perfect moments that we rarely see. He's right.

I should remind everybody that this isn't 1962 in Alabama anymore. Vast improvements in race relations have occurred in our country since that time and people need to acknowledge it if they want to be considered intellectually honest on the subject. People always mention that there is a long way to go, as a caveat after every single step large or small made towards racial equality. There is still work to be done, but I think at times the steps being made are often downplayed, particularly by the likes of Jesse Jackson. Not that he is relevant anymore. I wonder if the full impact of an African-American nominee will be felt in its entirety only years from now. I wonder if people fully realize how monumental an achievement Obama has made for African-Americans. I have to say though, it didn't seem lost on Ben Jealous.

dcoffee writes at 09:31:53 08/29/08 - Comment #38308: Wednesday night was when it finally hit me, that this was a big step. It's definitely not the end, but it's a big step toward racial equality. Whatever millions of little things and big things people have done over the years to achieve a more equal nation, they have been successful in creating a better country for the next generation. Children are not born racist, and the younger generation has proven that they care more about the content of someone's character than the color of their skin. I think people didn't really know how much they had accomplished, this is their proof.

I watched congressman John Lewis on Wednesday night, he was interviewed on MSNBC. This man marched next to MLK, he was beaten in the streets by police, he marched all over the nation, and now he is a respected congressman. This nomination vindicates his struggle. I'm so glad he got to see his life's work rewarded in such a way. He deserves this, and so do all the others who struggled for equality.

tinypliny writes at 08:46:45 08/29/08 - Comment #38305: That's a nice dream. I hope its not just a dream. The colour thing is so silly scientifically that it makes no sense. Did you know, for instance, that even being a caucausian, you might actually have >40% African ancestry (according to your genes)? "Race" as a concept should never have been defined the way it was. According to modern genetics, skin colour means next to nothing. That dream requires people to change their cultural perceptions. I think paying more attention to science can pave the way. We do NOT need people who insist on teaching special creation in schools because the whole idea is laced with irrational prejudice against modern science.

Must. Stop. Ranting.

Permalink: Dream_come_true_.html
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Category: politics

04/10/08 11:47 - ID#43980

No way Clinton wins

Permalink: No_way_Clinton_wins.html
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Category: politics

03/05/08 12:38 - ID#43561

What if?

About 30 years ago, the parties flipped. Republicans used to like abortion, and Dems did not. If you think about this callously, it makes sense. More poor people have abortions, more poor people vote for Democrats. More abortions = more power for republicans. Democrats were always for "the little guy," and that once included the unborn.

I don't know why Democrats flipped.

The point of this is not to advocate for or against any abortion law. I understand both sides of that argument. I just want to point out one thing:

Many Christian voters, including many in my family, only vote for Republicans because of abortion. The rest of the platform doesn't matter.

For whatever reason, torture and war don't matter, but abortion does.

Once upon a time, the whole Roman Catholic church voted for Democrats.

I wonder, if that "flip" never happened, if the war would have happened? I wonder if Ronald Reagan would have been elected president?

Today, A pro-life democrat may never get the party's nomination, but he or she would walk in the general election. It would be a Reagan-style blow out.

jason writes at 01:00:38 03/05/08 - Comment #32417: Fascinating. I have some Liberal friends who are pretty much the same way - one issue voter on the abortion argument. I really don't understand that mode of thinking. What, the economy, national security, taxes, foreign policy, none of that stuff matters?

Call me cynical, but I think the Democrats flipped strictly because of fealty to powerful special interests. A pro-lifer could never be the Democratic nominee today, and probably not in the near future either. They would get the usual treatment, get castigated, called anti-woman, a 1800's throwback, and that's on the nice end of things.

Regardless of this flip, yes I do think Reagan would have won, because Carter was so unpopular (Kennedy even mounted a challenge), and his administration was so ineffective. Abortion policy was the least of our concerns in those days. I think he's been a much more effective personality outside of US politics, for what it's worth.

I don't really disagree that a Moderate (Pro Life) Democrat could win handily these days. The opportunity is certainly out there.

james writes at 01:00:36 03/05/08 - Comment #32416: About half the country supports abortion, if both major parties did not support abortion and worked towards a constitutional amendment outlawing it a third party would have formed. Women make up 55%-60% of the democratic party. It is hard to imagine them remaining a viable party with much of their base disinterested.

Also, my mom used to be a Democrat. Then she found Jesus and became super Catholic. She was suckered into the GOP on abortion. Now she is a war hawk, thinks all people on welfare are black welfare queens, and is disappointed Mike Huckabee did not get the nomination despite the fact I told her she thinks everyone with AIDS should be sent to an island and homosexuals are just as 'bad' as necrophiles and zoophiles. I think abortion gets people into church and they later drag you to the alter.

But, it is certainly an interesting 'what if?'

Permalink: What_if_.html
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Category: politics

09/27/07 08:36 - ID#41350

I am a one-issue voter . . .

. . . much to my surprise. I also never thought I would be in agreement with so many celebrities, but they are right on this one:

Some people are tired of Bono preaching, but he's a really good preacher!

Permalink: I_am_a_one_issue_voter_.html
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