Well... I'm not sure exactly who to blame for No Child Left Behind
that one there, that was bush's baby...
remember this idea? let's teach kids according to a standardized test and punish the teachers who have kids that do not do well on it.
Right... but it had strong bi-partisan support in both the house and senate
that was back when republicans and democrats got along. you know, when the republicans had the majority and the dems were willing to do something instead of just filibustering the shit out of every piece of legislation. had the dems been in the majority and it was their bill, there would be no no child left behind today, because it would have never been brought up for a vote....
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
is there a social issue that republicans have been out in front of and on the right side of in the last 25 years??
i can not think of a single one.
they oppose:
abortion
gay marriage
gay adoption
the equal right for everyone to vote
unemployment benefits
taxes
immigration
separation of church and state
muslims EDIT TO ADD- they oppose obamacare and any sort of universal health coverage and they oppose medicare and medicaid as well...can't believe i forgot about that.... :fp:
and that list is just from me putting a minimum amount of thought into it.
does anyone have an example of something they support being on the right side of the issue?
I guess I am a Republican in the company of Democrats and vice versa. I have views of both parties because neither is a solid party. Also, neither have served up a candidate IMHO worth a fight over, let alone a vote.
What I oppose is:
Taxes, especially those that are being paid to the federal government. Obamacare is such a tax.
I oppose state or federally run healthcare. I believe regulations need to be in place but I do not want our government to be running health care. I supported Medicare and medicaid, but those now are taking too much from our seniors to really be worth a damn.
I supported social security, but it does not support its citizens because the funding continues to be cut, and soon to run completely out. If your grandparents or parents have this to live on then you know how bad it is to have a country promise something and when it is time to deliver they cut it back and shut it down, and both parties are guilty!
These reasons alone should send a signal to a rep or dem brain that says "Our government can not run a business, or a system."
Our government is the largest profiting business in the world, but we the citizens, middle class and below, are not the ones profiting.
Egypt has its people calling for their president to resign, they are marching, and they are demanding. Why dont we do the same? I'll march against both parties to send a message. Im sick of "politics"....the word translate to mean "clique" and Im not in it.
I believe that abortion is an option and a choice.
I believe that people have the right to love, marry and bare, have or adopt children.
I believe in separation of church and state.
I also believe that we have freedom to express our believes.
Im tired of people saying they are offended because someone prayed at school or work or the mall. I do not pray but others praying does not offend me. Someone saying Merry Christmas or God bless you does not offend me either.
I am not offended easily and I do not worry about what you are doing, I got plenty to keep myself busy.
I think a good place to start building a bridge is right here. Not everyone is clinging to their party with a death grip. So, this being a liberal forum, you should heed your own advice and take a good look at the other side and you will see that they are just like you!
Tolerance.
You'll also see a ton of us standing in the middle that get lumped into one side or the other.
I do not post much. I am a PJ fan, and I seen someone say they can not drive without listening to PJ!!! ME EITHER!! 20yrs and I still aint tired of that sh*t, as my hubby calls it..lmao
is there a social issue that republicans have been out in front of and on the right side of in the last 25 years??
i can not think of a single one.
they oppose:
abortion
gay marriage
gay adoption
the equal right for everyone to vote
unemployment benefits
taxes
immigration
separation of church and state
muslims EDIT TO ADD- they oppose obamacare and any sort of universal health coverage and they oppose medicare and medicaid as well...can't believe i forgot about that.... :fp:
and that list is just from me putting a minimum amount of thought into it.
does anyone have an example of something they support being on the right side of the issue?
I guess I am a Republican in the company of Democrats and vice versa. I have views of both parties because neither is a solid party. Also, neither have served up a candidate IMHO worth a fight over, let alone a vote.
What I oppose is:
Taxes, especially those that are being paid to the federal government. Obamacare is such a tax.
I oppose state or federally run healthcare. I believe regulations need to be in place but I do not want our government to be running health care. I supported Medicare and medicaid, but those now are taking too much from our seniors to really be worth a damn.
I supported social security, but it does not support its citizens because the funding continues to be cut, and soon to run completely out. If your grandparents or parents have this to live on then you know how bad it is to have a country promise something and when it is time to deliver they cut it back and shut it down, and both parties are guilty!
These reasons alone should send a signal to a rep or dem brain that says "Our government can not run a business, or a system."
Our government is the largest profiting business in the world, but we the citizens, middle class and below, are not the ones profiting.
Egypt has its people calling for their president to resign, they are marching, and they are demanding. Why dont we do the same? I'll march against both parties to send a message. Im sick of "politics"....the word translate to mean "clique" and Im not in it.
I believe that abortion is an option and a choice.
I believe that people have the right to love, marry and bare, have or adopt children.
I believe in separation of church and state.
I also believe that we have freedom to express our believes.
Im tired of people saying they are offended because someone prayed at school or work or the mall. I do not pray but others praying does not offend me. Someone saying Merry Christmas or God bless you does not offend me either.
I am not offended easily and I do not worry about what you are doing, I got plenty to keep myself busy.
I think a good place to start building a bridge is right here. Not everyone is clinging to their party with a death grip. So, this being a liberal forum, you should heed your own advice and take a good look at the other side and you will see that they are just like you!
Tolerance.
You'll also see a ton of us standing in the middle that get lumped into one side or the other.
I do not post much. I am a PJ fan, and I seen someone say they can not drive without listening to PJ!!! ME EITHER!! 20yrs and I still aint tired of that sh*t, as my hubby calls it..lmao
I think you should start calling yourself Independent.
I pretty much have the same views as you.
~Carter~
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
is there a social issue that republicans have been out in front of and on the right side of in the last 25 years??
i can not think of a single one.
they oppose:
abortion
gay marriage
gay adoption
the equal right for everyone to vote
unemployment benefits
taxes
immigration
separation of church and state
muslims EDIT TO ADD- they oppose obamacare and any sort of universal health coverage and they oppose medicare and medicaid as well...can't believe i forgot about that.... :fp:
and that list is just from me putting a minimum amount of thought into it.
does anyone have an example of something they support being on the right side of the issue?
I guess I am a Republican in the company of Democrats and vice versa. I have views of both parties because neither is a solid party. Also, neither have served up a candidate IMHO worth a fight over, let alone a vote.
What I oppose is:
Taxes, especially those that are being paid to the federal government. Obamacare is such a tax.
I oppose state or federally run healthcare. I believe regulations need to be in place but I do not want our government to be running health care. I supported Medicare and medicaid, but those now are taking too much from our seniors to really be worth a damn.
I supported social security, but it does not support its citizens because the funding continues to be cut, and soon to run completely out. If your grandparents or parents have this to live on then you know how bad it is to have a country promise something and when it is time to deliver they cut it back and shut it down, and both parties are guilty!
These reasons alone should send a signal to a rep or dem brain that says "Our government can not run a business, or a system."
Our government is the largest profiting business in the world, but we the citizens, middle class and below, are not the ones profiting.
Egypt has its people calling for their president to resign, they are marching, and they are demanding. Why dont we do the same? I'll march against both parties to send a message. Im sick of "politics"....the word translate to mean "clique" and Im not in it.
I believe that abortion is an option and a choice.
I believe that people have the right to love, marry and bare, have or adopt children.
I believe in separation of church and state.
I also believe that we have freedom to express our believes.
Im tired of people saying they are offended because someone prayed at school or work or the mall. I do not pray but others praying does not offend me. Someone saying Merry Christmas or God bless you does not offend me either.
I am not offended easily and I do not worry about what you are doing, I got plenty to keep myself busy.
I think a good place to start building a bridge is right here. Not everyone is clinging to their party with a death grip. So, this being a liberal forum, you should heed your own advice and take a good look at the other side and you will see that they are just like you!
Tolerance.
You'll also see a ton of us standing in the middle that get lumped into one side or the other.
I do not post much. I am a PJ fan, and I seen someone say they can not drive without listening to PJ!!! ME EITHER!! 20yrs and I still aint tired of that sh*t, as my hubby calls it..lmao
I think you should start calling yourself Independent.
I pretty much have the same views as you.
I'll stick with being an American. All for one, and one for all. The only sides we have are citizens vs. government. There is only one side that counts, citizens; because the government is to support the citizens, not the other way around. We citizens need to remember why we have a government and the purpose for which it serves. We give our power to an entity that cares not for us.
Ok, so now I am gonna go listen to Arc and Present Tense, over and over and over again
Yes!! That is what I call myself too. haha. Glad to see someone else say it.
I just don't get the whole label thing. We are all Americans, we should think freely like Americans, not think like someone with specific views (which Washington pointed out in his farewell address )
~Carter~
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
I have a problem with broadly labelizing all Americans. Just because we have problems, BIG problems, none of us should be showcased in the way in which we all support our problems and are the cause. The cause of the problems is big government, dirty politicians (in other words, ALL politicians), conglomerates, corporations, and the filthy rich looking after only their own greed. Point the finger in that direction and not in the "You Americans" direction.
is there a social issue that republicans have been out in front of and on the right side of in the last 25 years??
i can not think of a single one.
they oppose:
abortion
gay marriage
gay adoption
the equal right for everyone to vote
unemployment benefits
taxes
immigration
separation of church and state
muslims EDIT TO ADD- they oppose obamacare and any sort of universal health coverage and they oppose medicare and medicaid as well...can't believe i forgot about that.... :fp:
and that list is just from me putting a minimum amount of thought into it.
does anyone have an example of something they support being on the right side of the issue?
I guess I am a Republican in the company of Democrats and vice versa. I have views of both parties because neither is a solid party. Also, neither have served up a candidate IMHO worth a fight over, let alone a vote.
What I oppose is:
Taxes, especially those that are being paid to the federal government. Obamacare is such a tax.
I oppose state or federally run healthcare. I believe regulations need to be in place but I do not want our government to be running health care. I supported Medicare and medicaid, but those now are taking too much from our seniors to really be worth a damn.
I supported social security, but it does not support its citizens because the funding continues to be cut, and soon to run completely out. If your grandparents or parents have this to live on then you know how bad it is to have a country promise something and when it is time to deliver they cut it back and shut it down, and both parties are guilty!
These reasons alone should send a signal to a rep or dem brain that says "Our government can not run a business, or a system."
Our government is the largest profiting business in the world, but we the citizens, middle class and below, are not the ones profiting.
Egypt has its people calling for their president to resign, they are marching, and they are demanding. Why dont we do the same? I'll march against both parties to send a message. Im sick of "politics"....the word translate to mean "clique" and Im not in it.
I believe that abortion is an option and a choice.
I believe that people have the right to love, marry and bare, have or adopt children.
I believe in separation of church and state.
I also believe that we have freedom to express our believes.
Im tired of people saying they are offended because someone prayed at school or work or the mall. I do not pray but others praying does not offend me. Someone saying Merry Christmas or God bless you does not offend me either.
I am not offended easily and I do not worry about what you are doing, I got plenty to keep myself busy.
I think a good place to start building a bridge is right here. Not everyone is clinging to their party with a death grip. So, this being a liberal forum, you should heed your own advice and take a good look at the other side and you will see that they are just like you!
Tolerance.
You'll also see a ton of us standing in the middle that get lumped into one side or the other.
I do not post much. I am a PJ fan, and I seen someone say they can not drive without listening to PJ!!! ME EITHER!! 20yrs and I still aint tired of that sh*t, as my hubby calls it..lmao
you didn't say what issue the republicans have been on the right side of in the last 20 years.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
I have a problem with broadly labelizing all Americans. Just because we have problems, BIG problems, none of us should be showcased in the way in which we all support our problems and are the cause. The cause of the problems is big government, dirty politicians (in other words, ALL politicians), conglomerates, corporations, and the filthy rich looking after only their own greed. Point the finger in that direction and not in the "You Americans" direction.
That comic strip doesn't 'broadly label all Americans'. It criticizes government policies related to such things as education, and military expenditure.
is there a social issue that republicans have been out in front of and on the right side of in the last 25 years??
i can not think of a single one.
they oppose:
abortion
gay marriage
gay adoption
the equal right for everyone to vote
unemployment benefits
taxes
immigration
separation of church and state
muslims EDIT TO ADD- they oppose obamacare and any sort of universal health coverage and they oppose medicare and medicaid as well...can't believe i forgot about that.... :fp:
and that list is just from me putting a minimum amount of thought into it.
does anyone have an example of something they support being on the right side of the issue?
I guess I am a Republican in the company of Democrats and vice versa. I have views of both parties because neither is a solid party. Also, neither have served up a candidate IMHO worth a fight over, let alone a vote.
What I oppose is:
Taxes, especially those that are being paid to the federal government. Obamacare is such a tax.
I oppose state or federally run healthcare. I believe regulations need to be in place but I do not want our government to be running health care. I supported Medicare and medicaid, but those now are taking too much from our seniors to really be worth a damn.
I supported social security, but it does not support its citizens because the funding continues to be cut, and soon to run completely out. If your grandparents or parents have this to live on then you know how bad it is to have a country promise something and when it is time to deliver they cut it back and shut it down, and both parties are guilty!
These reasons alone should send a signal to a rep or dem brain that says "Our government can not run a business, or a system."
Our government is the largest profiting business in the world, but we the citizens, middle class and below, are not the ones profiting.
Egypt has its people calling for their president to resign, they are marching, and they are demanding. Why dont we do the same? I'll march against both parties to send a message. Im sick of "politics"....the word translate to mean "clique" and Im not in it.
I believe that abortion is an option and a choice.
I believe that people have the right to love, marry and bare, have or adopt children.
I believe in separation of church and state.
I also believe that we have freedom to express our believes.
Im tired of people saying they are offended because someone prayed at school or work or the mall. I do not pray but others praying does not offend me. Someone saying Merry Christmas or God bless you does not offend me either.
I am not offended easily and I do not worry about what you are doing, I got plenty to keep myself busy.
I think a good place to start building a bridge is right here. Not everyone is clinging to their party with a death grip. So, this being a liberal forum, you should heed your own advice and take a good look at the other side and you will see that they are just like you!
Tolerance.
You'll also see a ton of us standing in the middle that get lumped into one side or the other.
I do not post much. I am a PJ fan, and I seen someone say they can not drive without listening to PJ!!! ME EITHER!! 20yrs and I still aint tired of that sh*t, as my hubby calls it..lmao
you didn't say what issue the republicans have been on the right side of in the last 20 years.
No I did not add to your list. Why? Because its ridiculous to divide a country into two parties, and then argue that one side is better than the other because of a perceived slight.
I used myself and my views, which encompass both sides, not totally but partially, to show you America that is truly the majority.
To live and die by one side, and build a list to amplify what you believe is wrong with a group of people, and not even out the sides with what each does wrong is ridiculous. Why? Because it is people that run this country, and if they can get you to hate the other side but not them, they just wagged the dog!
Make a list of PEOPLE who work in POLITICS and list each move they have made to better the system for themselves, their friends and special interest groups.
When you do this you will find that Democrats have done their equal part to get what they want and help their groups of special interest while making you feel warm and fuzzy about getting screwed.
All I ask is to go to the heart of the problem and start there to build a case of what has and has not been done and by whom. This is a strong argument that you could hold, so long as you do not slant one way or the other. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
This thread is a nice way of bashing people, republicans, and making those who do the polite bashing feel superior and that is a false state of mind and being. I hope to shed some light to dark corners and help bring a country together. We have to remember who we are fighting!
i think you missed the point of the thread. there is one party in this country that is clearly standing in the way of any progress at all. there is only one party that is against civil rights. these people are out of touch with reality. they have voted to repeal obamacare 37 times, yet have not held a single jobs bill since obama was elected. this party speaks out of both sides of its mouth. remember when boehner said the number one prioirty for the american people was jobs? that same week mitch mcconnell said the number one priority was making obama a one term president. this party let the tea party take over, thus alienating a large number of voting blocs. the dems have their problems, the main one being that they are spineless, but let's be bluntly honest, the republicans are holding votes on things that will not help this country while delaying or refusing to vote on things that will help the country. look through this thread. there is plenty of evidence that the republicans are regressive and not listening to the will of the people.
my question remains. what issue have the republicans been on the right side of in the last 20 years? they have been wrong on every single social and foriegn policy issue that i can think of.
No I did not add to your list. Why? Because its ridiculous to divide a country into two parties, and then argue that one side is better than the other because of a perceived slight.
I used myself and my views, which encompass both sides, not totally but partially, to show you America that is truly the majority.
To live and die by one side, and build a list to amplify what you believe is wrong with a group of people, and not even out the sides with what each does wrong is ridiculous. Why? Because it is people that run this country, and if they can get you to hate the other side but not them, they just wagged the dog!
Make a list of PEOPLE who work in POLITICS and list each move they have made to better the system for themselves, their friends and special interest groups.
When you do this you will find that Democrats have done their equal part to get what they want and help their groups of special interest while making you feel warm and fuzzy about getting screwed.
All I ask is to go to the heart of the problem and start there to build a case of what has and has not been done and by whom. This is a strong argument that you could hold, so long as you do not slant one way or the other. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
This thread is a nice way of bashing people, republicans, and making those who do the polite bashing feel superior and that is a false state of mind and being. I hope to shed some light to dark corners and help bring a country together. We have to remember who we are fighting!
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
I have a problem with broadly labelizing all Americans. Just because we have problems, BIG problems, none of us should be showcased in the way in which we all support our problems and are the cause. The cause of the problems is big government, dirty politicians (in other words, ALL politicians), conglomerates, corporations, and the filthy rich looking after only their own greed. Point the finger in that direction and not in the "You Americans" direction.
That comic strip doesn't 'broadly label all Americans'. It criticizes government policies related to such things as education, and military expenditure.
I have to agree with you on this one because it's true.
Education continues to be a big issue in America.
i think you missed the point of the thread. there is one party in this country that is clearly standing in the way of any progress at all. there is only one party that is against civil rights. these people are out of touch with reality. they have voted to repeal obamacare 37 times, yet have not held a single jobs bill since obama was elected. this party speaks out of both sides of its mouth. remember when boehner said the number one prioirty for the american people was jobs? that same week mitch mcconnell said the number one priority was making obama a one term president. this party let the tea party take over, thus alienating a large number of voting blocs. the dems have their problems, the main one being that they are spineless, but let's be bluntly honest, the republicans are holding votes on things that will not help this country while delaying or refusing to vote on things that will help the country. look through this thread. there is plenty of evidence that the republicans are regressive and not listening to the will of the people.
my question remains. what issue have the republicans been on the right side of in the last 20 years? they have been wrong on every single social and foriegn policy issue that i can think of.
No I did not add to your list. Why? Because its ridiculous to divide a country into two parties, and then argue that one side is better than the other because of a perceived slight.
I used myself and my views, which encompass both sides, not totally but partially, to show you America that is truly the majority.
To live and die by one side, and build a list to amplify what you believe is wrong with a group of people, and not even out the sides with what each does wrong is ridiculous. Why? Because it is people that run this country, and if they can get you to hate the other side but not them, they just wagged the dog!
Make a list of PEOPLE who work in POLITICS and list each move they have made to better the system for themselves, their friends and special interest groups.
When you do this you will find that Democrats have done their equal part to get what they want and help their groups of special interest while making you feel warm and fuzzy about getting screwed.
All I ask is to go to the heart of the problem and start there to build a case of what has and has not been done and by whom. This is a strong argument that you could hold, so long as you do not slant one way or the other. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
This thread is a nice way of bashing people, republicans, and making those who do the polite bashing feel superior and that is a false state of mind and being. I hope to shed some light to dark corners and help bring a country together. We have to remember who we are fighting!
I do not want to argue for or against a party, neither is worth the fight.
The parties have to be broken down into individuals who work in politics. List them and let it be shown who does what and who does not. This list will show more than you want to admit, and I understand that because it is scary to look at what you fight for and see they are no better than those you fight against.
This list will have Democrats and Republicans leaders, and what they have done for and against the people of the country they serve. Its a very long list and its muddy.
A true argument is one that shows facts of all sides.
I will be happy to add to this new list if you choose to create it. I can give examples for both parties and would love to help stop politics from being a game show.
I have a problem with broadly labelizing all Americans. Just because we have problems, BIG problems, none of us should be showcased in the way in which we all support our problems and are the cause. The cause of the problems is big government, dirty politicians (in other words, ALL politicians), conglomerates, corporations, and the filthy rich looking after only their own greed. Point the finger in that direction and not in the "You Americans" direction.
That comic strip doesn't 'broadly label all Americans'. It criticizes government policies related to such things as education, and military expenditure.
Upon rereading it, it does criticize policies related to education and military spending. I don't like the "You Americans" that it repeats a few times. Rather than it specifically being aimed at the government, it's aimed at "YOU AMERICANS"; lumping all the citizens broadly.
...and would love to help stop politics from being a game show.
Good luck with that!
As for the two parties, well, of course, the focus of them is to divide the nation of sheep, nothing else, I agree with you there. But if you're a minority, it's very obvious to the world at large that the the republican party is doing a fine job at looking down their noses on all minorities. It's just a plain fact, and if you're a female, they're doing a fine job at seeking to destroy them all, as well.
I do not understand how people in a nation where people go bankrupt because they get cancer, or die of a curable illness because they're poor, can support a private healthcare system where the insurance companies benefit financially by paying out as little as possible. It is INSANE to me that decent human beings would support this. Healthcare SHOULD NOT be a private money making industry that favours the wealthy!!!!! How can people even sleep at night if they support such a system? It blows my mind.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I do not understand how people in a nation where people go bankrupt because they get cancer, or die of a curable illness because they're poor, can support a private healthcare system where the insurance companies benefit financially by paying out as little as possible. It is INSANE to me that decent human beings would support this. Healthcare SHOULD NOT be a private money making industry that favours the wealthy!!!!! How can people even sleep at night if they support such a system? It blows my mind.
It didn't use to be that way, the government got in bed with big insurance and big pharmacy and screwed everything up. Get ready for the train wreck next year and then we can go to a terrible single payer system where there will truly be two classes of care.
Yellow Doors-
Nice try but you will not find a place for such sense on AMT. (ain't gonna be any middle anymore)
"The really important thing is not to live, but to live well. And to live well meant, along with more enjoyable things in life, to live according to your principles."
— Socrates
The GOP has become the heartless party of cutting food aid to the poor, abortion bans and denying people health coverage
Michael Cohen
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 July 2013
What is the single most consequential political development of the past five years? Some might say the election (and re-election) of Barack Obama; others might point to the passage of the most important piece of social policy (Obamacare) since the 1960s; some might even say the drawing down of US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But in reality, it is the rapid descent of the Republican party into madness.
Never before in American history have we seen a political party so completely dominated and controlled by its extremist wing; and never before have we seen a political party that brings together the attributes of nihilism, heartlessness, radicalism and naked partisanship quite like the modern GOP. In a two-party system like America's, the result is unprecedented dysfunction.
Whether it was the promiscuous use of the filibuster and other blocking techniques in the Senate to stop President Obama's agenda; the manufactured fiscal crises highlighted by the disastrous debt limit showdown of 2011; or the unceasing efforts to undermine the economic recovery by blocking any and all measures to stimulate the economy, President Obama's first term was dominated by the Republican's unbridled obstructionism and disinterest in actually governing the country. That anything was accomplished is nothing short of a miracle.
But after the results of the 2012 election one might have expected the Republican fever to break and some level of sanity and good sense restored to the party of Lincoln.
Think again.
If anything, the first half of 2013 has seen the GOP continue its journey towards "peak awful". Go back to the beginning of the year. As millions of Americans were celebrating New Year's Eve, the Republicans were careening the country off the fiscal cliff because of their insistence that no rich person should ever pay a cent in higher taxes. The budgetary mania continued through the sequestration and refusal to compromise with President Obama even after he put the liberal sacred cow of Social Security on the table. Along the way Republicans foiled modest efforts at gun control, ginned up made-up scandals involving the IRS and the death of four Americans in Benghazi and couldn't actually be bothered with the difficult task of proposing public policy legislation. And after three years of complaining incessantly that Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget, key Republicans have spent the last 100 days obstructing the budget process.
But in the past few weeks things have actually gone from terrible to unimaginable. There's the GOP "Ebenezer Scrooge" Farm Bill, which would have cut food stamps by $20.5bn, causing nearly 2 million poor Americans to lose food assistance. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Republican House also passed an amendment to the bill that would force food stamp recipients to work in return for benefits, but provided no actual funds for job training. In fact, it even barred states from spending more money on employment and training. So if you're a poor person and you lose your job, you lose the government benefits that allow you to feed you family. This piece of monstrous legislative cruelty was supported by all but six House Republicans. Thankfully the larger bill failed, but Republican heartlessness has hardly been dimmed.
Across red state America, Republican legislators are doubling down on new abortion restrictions like those soon to become law in Wisconsin that would force women who want a constitutionally protected abortion to have, in some cases, a wand inserted into their vagina so they can see the fetus they are about to abort. In Ohio, the state recently enacted new anti-abortion laws that not only divert federal funds away from Planned Parenthood to anti-abortion "crisis pregnancy centers" where women are fed a witches brew of mistruths about the health risks of abortion.
Perhaps the worst case is in Texas, where a proposed law would ban any abortion after 20 weeks and allow precious few exceptions for the health of the mother or the condition of the fetus. So imagine if a woman goes in to see her doctor in the 21st week of her pregnancy and discovers that her baby is afflicted with a genetic anomaly. This is not a hypothetical since procedures like an amniocentesis are performed in the later stages of pregnancy and can detect such disorders. Under the Texas law, a woman would be forced to carry that baby to term. This is akin to state-sanctioned torture. And even if the woman's health were partially, but not severely at risk, abortions would be forbidden. Amazingly, this ban is actually more generous than the recent post-20 week abortion ban passed in the House of Representatives, which would have no exceptions except in the case of the life of the woman.
Texas legislators and Governor Rick Perry have defended these bans as part of their fierce regard and respect for human life. Unfortunately, that pro-life agenda is all too rarely applied to non-fetuses. For example, Texas also has one of the paltriest welfare programs in the US (recipients get less than $300 a month). The state has also consistently refused to take federal money to expand health insurance for children and Texas has joined two dozen other red states in refusing to take federal money to expand Medicaid for its poorest citizens.
The GOP's efforts to reject Medicaid expansion (which is a crucial part of Obamacare) are perhaps the best example of the Republican party's achievement of "peak awful". Even though under the provisions of the law the federal government would be picking up the tab for the first five years of the program and even though Republican governors like Rick Scott in Florida, Rick Snyder in Michigan and John Kasich in Ohio support the expansion, GOP legislators are balking. They plead fiscal rectitude as the root of their opposition (a fallacious claim) but in reality the opposition is yet another example of Republican psychosis about Obamacare. The decision to reject Medicaid money will not only increase the economic anxiety of potential recipients, it will harm mental health and literally cost lives. But such "humane" arguments have done little to shake GOP intransigence.
Indeed, Republicans on the national level are now doing everything in their power to ensure Obamacare fails. Just this past week, key GOP senators, after discovering that the Obama administration was working with major sports leagues to encourage people to sign up for coverage, wrote a stern letter threatening the leagues for partnering with the White House on a law that was passed along partisan lines and is "controversial". Hmm, wonder how that happened?
Now let's put aside for a second that Obamacare was passed by Congress and upheld by the US supreme court. Even if Republicans remain unhappy with the legislation it is the law of the land and its proper implementation is the responsibility of the federal government. But the GOP goal is not to make sure even what they believe to be a terribly flawed law works; it's to make sure it fails so that Democrats will be blamed and Republicans will reap the political benefit. That millions of Americans will be harmed and will suffer because of this narrow political agenda seems to be of little concern.
Then again, none of this should be a surprise to even sentient observers of American politics. In the narrow pursuit of political gain, Republicans have adopted an agenda that is quite simply, inhumane and cruel. Even if one is charitable and defends it on the ground of adherence to an ideological agenda of smaller, less intrusive government (except in the case of lady parts) it can't be defended. If one's ideological predisposition means denying food assistance to people who are laid off from their job or forcing a woman to carry a dead fetus to term or preventing individuals from getting health care coverage, then you have a monstrous ideology.
This is not meant as an indictment of all Republicans because it's very likely that many rank and file Republicans don't share these predispositions (though clearly some do). Rather it's an indictment of a once proud political party that is plumbing the depths of radicalism and nihilism and doesn't yet appear to have hit rock bottom.
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
they are not out of touch...they have an agenda along with the rest of our elected officials..
“We the people are the rightful masters of bothCongress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
they are not out of touch...they have an agenda along with the rest of our elected officials..
An agenda that's completely out of touch with the American public, hence why they were trounced in the last elections, and hence why they were not elected.
Those i support: Mark Levin - Dr. Carson - Thomas Sowell- Allen West - Trey Gowdy - Ben Stein - Ted Cruz - Ravi Zacharias - Dr. Schweitzer- Herman Cain - Gen. Mattis - Lt. Michael Murphy- Chief Mark Kessler - Rand Paul - Andrew Breitbart.
...if these inspirational people make me "out of touch".
So be it. I am not ashamed to share who i support and realize each of these people have made mistakes and some will continue to make mistakes, during this life.
live and let live...unless it violates the pearligious doctrine.
they are not out of touch...they have an agenda along with the rest of our elected officials..
An agenda that's completely out of touch with the American public, hence why they were trounced in the last elections, and hence why they were not elected.
Carry on.
Trounced was what happened in 2010, the 2012 election was not as strong down ballot for democrats as it normally is when an incumbent president wins reelection.
"The really important thing is not to live, but to live well. And to live well meant, along with more enjoyable things in life, to live according to your principles."
— Socrates
in several states the gop is cutting it's own throat with women with all of these bullshit abortion bills stuck on to other legislation. bills that are trying to trump the roe v wade decision. if they keep this up they will never win the white house again.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
I do not understand how people in a nation where people go bankrupt because they get cancer, or die of a curable illness because they're poor, can support a private healthcare system where the insurance companies benefit financially by paying out as little as possible. It is INSANE to me that decent human beings would support this. Healthcare SHOULD NOT be a private money making industry that favours the wealthy!!!!! How can people even sleep at night if they support such a system? It blows my mind.
A million times this! And now corporations are making it worse so they can show how 'bad' Obamacare is by pulling the plug on health insurance for their employees. When we got back from vacation, my husbands very large, very profitable, very well-known company announced plans to eliminate spousal health coverage - too expensive. Of course, I find that hard to believe after the tens of millions that were paid out in bonuses and stock options to the 6 heads of the various divisions within the company. Oh, and lets not forget the healthy quarterly dividends that are paid out to shareholders. Republican ploys to destroy a system of health coverage that they fought tooth and nail against.
Are we getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned...
Comments
Right... but it had strong bi-partisan support in both the house and senate
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I guess I am a Republican in the company of Democrats and vice versa. I have views of both parties because neither is a solid party. Also, neither have served up a candidate IMHO worth a fight over, let alone a vote.
What I oppose is:
Taxes, especially those that are being paid to the federal government. Obamacare is such a tax.
I oppose state or federally run healthcare. I believe regulations need to be in place but I do not want our government to be running health care. I supported Medicare and medicaid, but those now are taking too much from our seniors to really be worth a damn.
I supported social security, but it does not support its citizens because the funding continues to be cut, and soon to run completely out. If your grandparents or parents have this to live on then you know how bad it is to have a country promise something and when it is time to deliver they cut it back and shut it down, and both parties are guilty!
These reasons alone should send a signal to a rep or dem brain that says "Our government can not run a business, or a system."
Our government is the largest profiting business in the world, but we the citizens, middle class and below, are not the ones profiting.
Egypt has its people calling for their president to resign, they are marching, and they are demanding. Why dont we do the same? I'll march against both parties to send a message. Im sick of "politics"....the word translate to mean "clique" and Im not in it.
I believe that abortion is an option and a choice.
I believe that people have the right to love, marry and bare, have or adopt children.
I believe in separation of church and state.
I also believe that we have freedom to express our believes.
Im tired of people saying they are offended because someone prayed at school or work or the mall. I do not pray but others praying does not offend me. Someone saying Merry Christmas or God bless you does not offend me either.
I am not offended easily and I do not worry about what you are doing, I got plenty to keep myself busy.
I think a good place to start building a bridge is right here. Not everyone is clinging to their party with a death grip. So, this being a liberal forum, you should heed your own advice and take a good look at the other side and you will see that they are just like you!
Tolerance.
You'll also see a ton of us standing in the middle that get lumped into one side or the other.
I do not post much. I am a PJ fan, and I seen someone say they can not drive without listening to PJ!!! ME EITHER!! 20yrs and I still aint tired of that sh*t, as my hubby calls it..lmao
I think you should start calling yourself Independent.
I pretty much have the same views as you.
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
I'll stick with being an American. All for one, and one for all. The only sides we have are citizens vs. government. There is only one side that counts, citizens; because the government is to support the citizens, not the other way around. We citizens need to remember why we have a government and the purpose for which it serves. We give our power to an entity that cares not for us.
Ok, so now I am gonna go listen to Arc and Present Tense, over and over and over again
Yes!! That is what I call myself too. haha. Glad to see someone else say it.
I just don't get the whole label thing. We are all Americans, we should think freely like Americans, not think like someone with specific views (which Washington pointed out in his farewell address
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
I have a problem with broadly labelizing all Americans. Just because we have problems, BIG problems, none of us should be showcased in the way in which we all support our problems and are the cause. The cause of the problems is big government, dirty politicians (in other words, ALL politicians), conglomerates, corporations, and the filthy rich looking after only their own greed. Point the finger in that direction and not in the "You Americans" direction.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
That comic strip doesn't 'broadly label all Americans'. It criticizes government policies related to such things as education, and military expenditure.
...because i want to be able to afford my good and bad decisions.
I think both d and r have lost their minds - for the most part , once they move to dc
No I did not add to your list. Why? Because its ridiculous to divide a country into two parties, and then argue that one side is better than the other because of a perceived slight.
I used myself and my views, which encompass both sides, not totally but partially, to show you America that is truly the majority.
To live and die by one side, and build a list to amplify what you believe is wrong with a group of people, and not even out the sides with what each does wrong is ridiculous. Why? Because it is people that run this country, and if they can get you to hate the other side but not them, they just wagged the dog!
Make a list of PEOPLE who work in POLITICS and list each move they have made to better the system for themselves, their friends and special interest groups.
When you do this you will find that Democrats have done their equal part to get what they want and help their groups of special interest while making you feel warm and fuzzy about getting screwed.
All I ask is to go to the heart of the problem and start there to build a case of what has and has not been done and by whom. This is a strong argument that you could hold, so long as you do not slant one way or the other. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
This thread is a nice way of bashing people, republicans, and making those who do the polite bashing feel superior and that is a false state of mind and being. I hope to shed some light to dark corners and help bring a country together. We have to remember who we are fighting!
my question remains. what issue have the republicans been on the right side of in the last 20 years? they have been wrong on every single social and foriegn policy issue that i can think of.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I have to agree with you on this one because it's true.
Education continues to be a big issue in America.
I do not want to argue for or against a party, neither is worth the fight.
The parties have to be broken down into individuals who work in politics. List them and let it be shown who does what and who does not. This list will show more than you want to admit, and I understand that because it is scary to look at what you fight for and see they are no better than those you fight against.
This list will have Democrats and Republicans leaders, and what they have done for and against the people of the country they serve. Its a very long list and its muddy.
A true argument is one that shows facts of all sides.
I will be happy to add to this new list if you choose to create it. I can give examples for both parties and would love to help stop politics from being a game show.
Upon rereading it, it does criticize policies related to education and military spending. I don't like the "You Americans" that it repeats a few times. Rather than it specifically being aimed at the government, it's aimed at "YOU AMERICANS"; lumping all the citizens broadly.
Good luck with that!
As for the two parties, well, of course, the focus of them is to divide the nation of sheep, nothing else, I agree with you there. But if you're a minority, it's very obvious to the world at large that the the republican party is doing a fine job at looking down their noses on all minorities. It's just a plain fact, and if you're a female, they're doing a fine job at seeking to destroy them all, as well.
It didn't use to be that way, the government got in bed with big insurance and big pharmacy and screwed everything up. Get ready for the train wreck next year and then we can go to a terrible single payer system where there will truly be two classes of care.
Yellow Doors-
Nice try but you will not find a place for such sense on AMT. (ain't gonna be any middle anymore)
— Socrates
Just how low can the Republican party go?
The GOP has become the heartless party of cutting food aid to the poor, abortion bans and denying people health coverage
Michael Cohen
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 July 2013
What is the single most consequential political development of the past five years? Some might say the election (and re-election) of Barack Obama; others might point to the passage of the most important piece of social policy (Obamacare) since the 1960s; some might even say the drawing down of US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But in reality, it is the rapid descent of the Republican party into madness.
Never before in American history have we seen a political party so completely dominated and controlled by its extremist wing; and never before have we seen a political party that brings together the attributes of nihilism, heartlessness, radicalism and naked partisanship quite like the modern GOP. In a two-party system like America's, the result is unprecedented dysfunction.
Whether it was the promiscuous use of the filibuster and other blocking techniques in the Senate to stop President Obama's agenda; the manufactured fiscal crises highlighted by the disastrous debt limit showdown of 2011; or the unceasing efforts to undermine the economic recovery by blocking any and all measures to stimulate the economy, President Obama's first term was dominated by the Republican's unbridled obstructionism and disinterest in actually governing the country. That anything was accomplished is nothing short of a miracle.
But after the results of the 2012 election one might have expected the Republican fever to break and some level of sanity and good sense restored to the party of Lincoln.
Think again.
If anything, the first half of 2013 has seen the GOP continue its journey towards "peak awful". Go back to the beginning of the year. As millions of Americans were celebrating New Year's Eve, the Republicans were careening the country off the fiscal cliff because of their insistence that no rich person should ever pay a cent in higher taxes. The budgetary mania continued through the sequestration and refusal to compromise with President Obama even after he put the liberal sacred cow of Social Security on the table. Along the way Republicans foiled modest efforts at gun control, ginned up made-up scandals involving the IRS and the death of four Americans in Benghazi and couldn't actually be bothered with the difficult task of proposing public policy legislation. And after three years of complaining incessantly that Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget, key Republicans have spent the last 100 days obstructing the budget process.
But in the past few weeks things have actually gone from terrible to unimaginable. There's the GOP "Ebenezer Scrooge" Farm Bill, which would have cut food stamps by $20.5bn, causing nearly 2 million poor Americans to lose food assistance. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Republican House also passed an amendment to the bill that would force food stamp recipients to work in return for benefits, but provided no actual funds for job training. In fact, it even barred states from spending more money on employment and training. So if you're a poor person and you lose your job, you lose the government benefits that allow you to feed you family. This piece of monstrous legislative cruelty was supported by all but six House Republicans. Thankfully the larger bill failed, but Republican heartlessness has hardly been dimmed.
Across red state America, Republican legislators are doubling down on new abortion restrictions like those soon to become law in Wisconsin that would force women who want a constitutionally protected abortion to have, in some cases, a wand inserted into their vagina so they can see the fetus they are about to abort. In Ohio, the state recently enacted new anti-abortion laws that not only divert federal funds away from Planned Parenthood to anti-abortion "crisis pregnancy centers" where women are fed a witches brew of mistruths about the health risks of abortion.
Perhaps the worst case is in Texas, where a proposed law would ban any abortion after 20 weeks and allow precious few exceptions for the health of the mother or the condition of the fetus. So imagine if a woman goes in to see her doctor in the 21st week of her pregnancy and discovers that her baby is afflicted with a genetic anomaly. This is not a hypothetical since procedures like an amniocentesis are performed in the later stages of pregnancy and can detect such disorders. Under the Texas law, a woman would be forced to carry that baby to term. This is akin to state-sanctioned torture. And even if the woman's health were partially, but not severely at risk, abortions would be forbidden. Amazingly, this ban is actually more generous than the recent post-20 week abortion ban passed in the House of Representatives, which would have no exceptions except in the case of the life of the woman.
Texas legislators and Governor Rick Perry have defended these bans as part of their fierce regard and respect for human life. Unfortunately, that pro-life agenda is all too rarely applied to non-fetuses. For example, Texas also has one of the paltriest welfare programs in the US (recipients get less than $300 a month). The state has also consistently refused to take federal money to expand health insurance for children and Texas has joined two dozen other red states in refusing to take federal money to expand Medicaid for its poorest citizens.
The GOP's efforts to reject Medicaid expansion (which is a crucial part of Obamacare) are perhaps the best example of the Republican party's achievement of "peak awful". Even though under the provisions of the law the federal government would be picking up the tab for the first five years of the program and even though Republican governors like Rick Scott in Florida, Rick Snyder in Michigan and John Kasich in Ohio support the expansion, GOP legislators are balking. They plead fiscal rectitude as the root of their opposition (a fallacious claim) but in reality the opposition is yet another example of Republican psychosis about Obamacare. The decision to reject Medicaid money will not only increase the economic anxiety of potential recipients, it will harm mental health and literally cost lives. But such "humane" arguments have done little to shake GOP intransigence.
Indeed, Republicans on the national level are now doing everything in their power to ensure Obamacare fails. Just this past week, key GOP senators, after discovering that the Obama administration was working with major sports leagues to encourage people to sign up for coverage, wrote a stern letter threatening the leagues for partnering with the White House on a law that was passed along partisan lines and is "controversial". Hmm, wonder how that happened?
Now let's put aside for a second that Obamacare was passed by Congress and upheld by the US supreme court. Even if Republicans remain unhappy with the legislation it is the law of the land and its proper implementation is the responsibility of the federal government. But the GOP goal is not to make sure even what they believe to be a terribly flawed law works; it's to make sure it fails so that Democrats will be blamed and Republicans will reap the political benefit. That millions of Americans will be harmed and will suffer because of this narrow political agenda seems to be of little concern.
Then again, none of this should be a surprise to even sentient observers of American politics. In the narrow pursuit of political gain, Republicans have adopted an agenda that is quite simply, inhumane and cruel. Even if one is charitable and defends it on the ground of adherence to an ideological agenda of smaller, less intrusive government (except in the case of lady parts) it can't be defended. If one's ideological predisposition means denying food assistance to people who are laid off from their job or forcing a woman to carry a dead fetus to term or preventing individuals from getting health care coverage, then you have a monstrous ideology.
This is not meant as an indictment of all Republicans because it's very likely that many rank and file Republicans don't share these predispositions (though clearly some do). Rather it's an indictment of a once proud political party that is plumbing the depths of radicalism and nihilism and doesn't yet appear to have hit rock bottom.
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
nice find Byrnzie.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
An agenda that's completely out of touch with the American public, hence why they were trounced in the last elections, and hence why they were not elected.
Carry on.
...if these inspirational people make me "out of touch".
So be it. I am not ashamed to share who i support and realize each of these people have made mistakes and some will continue to make mistakes, during this life.
Trounced was what happened in 2010, the 2012 election was not as strong down ballot for democrats as it normally is when an incumbent president wins reelection.
— Socrates
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/24/c ... hpt=ac_mid
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
A million times this! And now corporations are making it worse so they can show how 'bad' Obamacare is by pulling the plug on health insurance for their employees. When we got back from vacation, my husbands very large, very profitable, very well-known company announced plans to eliminate spousal health coverage - too expensive. Of course, I find that hard to believe after the tens of millions that were paid out in bonuses and stock options to the 6 heads of the various divisions within the company. Oh, and lets not forget the healthy quarterly dividends that are paid out to shareholders. Republican ploys to destroy a system of health coverage that they fought tooth and nail against.
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned...
I AM MINE