A disgusting vat of filth that no self-respecting intelligent person would wade into.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by taxwonk
I had read the article, and I think it's great. But I'm pretty sure any attempt to engage in real discussion here would prove unproductive.

Just ignore the tRolls.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Just ignore the tRolls.

who would you talk with here then?

[Adder]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
North is saying exactly what I've heard a relative (an army officer) say; if you click on the link to his article, I think he is exactly right.

If you're looking at troop strength, I think the choices are (i) radically increase forces, by 100,000 or more; (ii) increase modestly, as Bush is proposing; (iii) remain stable or slowly decrease; and (iv) radically decrease. There is a second choice that has to be made as well, which is whether to expose troops to riskier maneuvers in order to have more impact.

Choice (ii) is, from a military perspective, shear idiocy. It doesn't get us enough additional fire power or presence to make a difference, has a steep political cost in Iraq and the Middle East generally, and can likely be countered by our opponents (for whom American escalation becomes a recruiting vehicle). With choice (ii), the only way to really have an impact is simultaneously engage in riskier, more aggressive maneuvers, resulting in a surge in American losses.

Choice (i) can be justified, but requires a level of backbone Bush doesn't have, since we either need to increase the size of our military or launch a major diplomatic initiative. This is the choice that allows our troops to both maintain their current, relatively cautious approach there and have a significant impact.

Choice (iv) is what we'll be left with if the situation deteriorates. Choice (iii) is the only real option if Bush doesn't push choice (i).

Any way you look at it, he has to explain his thinking and tell us what his goals are. I'm looking forward to that - it's been a long time coming.

i agree with your analysis but am less hopeful that bush will explain "his" thinking in a meaningful way. instead, we will learn that we have to do what he says to "protect freedom," "fight the terrorists" and "support Iraqi democracy."

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Adder
i agree with your analysis but am less hopeful that bush will explain "his" thinking in a meaningful way. instead, we will learn that we have to do what he says to "protect freedom," "fight the terrorists" and "support Iraqi democracy."

Drinking game!

[Spanky]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Unfortunately, both you and I will be dead long before the full efficacy of stem cells is fully understood, let alone approved for therapeutic use. But I appreciate your contribution to the cause.

Unless you plan on dying in the next couple of years I don't think this is true, I think we will start seeing massive benefits from stem cell research in the next ten years.

At least that is what I have been told by the guys working on the Stem Cell project being funded by the California government. Clearly they are biased but they made a very convincing case.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Not Bob
You probably could find better examples for your point, since New York had a Republican mayor at the time of the assualt on Louima and the shooting of Diallo, and he was quite adamant about siding with the cops.

Re your general comments on institutional racism and your interaction with it in Chicago, it isn't a partisan issue so much as a machine politics issue (and I should note that those cops probably didn't vote for Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, or Kerry). Many machines are Democratic controlled, but not all. Nassau County on Long Island until quite recently is one example of a GOP controlled large machine (as my uncle from Mineola used to say, Al D'Amato made a lot of people rich before he went to the Senate), and there are many examples of smaller ones all over the country.

NY had a republican mayor but city council (or wahever its called) was still Dem controlled and the city was still beholden to the liberal teachers unions. Further, I would posit, the police and criminal justice system has so much long standing embedded racism that the system needs to be overhauled (and just the election of the R mayor doesn't do that). And in advance, Bloomberg is a RiNO of the worst kind.

Chicago and cook county are D, period. The Daleys not only control and oppress that populace but by themselves and their minions infect that national political process. Ceaucescu style justice would be the only justice for them. As for the cops in Chicago, I am not sure whom they vote for, although imo most are probably not literate enough to read the ballot and probably are instructed to vote by proxy coming out of the Cook County Demo machine HQ.

As for the R machines, name major US cities with R machines or even R control over both the executive and legislative branches. Nassau county/LI is not a city and no one outside of Nassau county gives a rat arse about it, further it is or was as much mob controlled (and I am not sure they are partisan) as it is politically controlled, and that includes D'Amato, a shitstain, regardless of party.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Not Bob
Bullshit. Only one who is himself ignorant of history would suggest that -- how conveniently you forget Saint Ronald Reagan's speech at the Neshoba County Fair in 1980 in Philadelphia, Mississippi (where voting rights activits Goodman, Cheney, and Schwartzman were murdered in 1964), in which he said:

• "I believe in states' rights. I believe we have distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended to be given in the Constitution to that federal establishment." He went on to promise to "restore to states and local governments the power that properly belongs to them."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy

That, my friend, is pretty clear.

And of course there are economic issues, too, and not everyone who moved to the GOP in the South is a racist. But the people in the audience that day knew exactly what "powers" Reagan suggested he would "restore" to Mississippi.

Freedom from intrusive and oppressive Federal taxation and business regulation? Reagan's philosophy resonates with me and like him I believe state and local government are the best places to address the needs of the people and community interest, without undermining or depriving the consitutional freedoms granted to all. Why do you hate local government (other than racist oppressive Democrat variety, which is hatable per se)?

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
The Admins and Moderators have failed Penske and Hank --
Friends don't let friends post drunk.
:sniffle:

S_A_M

I was drunk with righteous incite. And, fyi, I am a mod. The fair and balanced one.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Conceptually, I like it. I'd need to see more details on it, though, before making any pronouncements on good or bad. California (at least when I was practicing there five years ago) was an awful place for physicians to practice. I can't imagine that this would improve things much, though the likelihood of uncompensated care would go down.

OK. I think it has a pretty good chance of succeeding. The way I look at it (and the reason I am lobbying for it) is that it can't be all bad to cover everyone. Once hospitals know that everyone has insurance then you won't have all those emergency room tragedies.

I hope I am not helping to bring the NHS to CA, but on the other hand, the current system just isn't working. We need to try something. People getting truned down at emergency rooms is unaccpetible, even if the fix means means becoming more ike those systems I hate. I guess that is a price I am willing to pay because anything is better than children getting denied medical care, especially in emergencies. Whatever the cost, that has to stop.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Adder
Did y'all see the way that Senator McCain body-blocked the other "war heros" that participated in the coin toss of the BCS championship game last night, thereby keeping all of the free camera time for himself? Classy.

What's really classy is for a two-bit no-body to insult a war hero.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Penske_Account
Freedom from intrusive and oppressive Federal taxation and business regulation? Reagan's philosophy resonates with me and like him I believe state and local government are the best places to address the needs of the people and community interest, without undermining or depriving the consitutional freedoms granted to all. Why do you hate local government (other than racist oppressive Democrat variety, which is hatable per se)?

I was going to let that go, because I like NotBob, but certainly whoever wrote the Wiki short story here was biased. People who assume all white southerners are racists "know" what RR meant- don't you see? You don't get it, becuase you don't start from the "knowledge" that every white person in the audience wants to reinstate slavery. Guys like the Dems here- they understand better.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Just for the record, and I'm not going to engage in debate on the topic, you're acting like a real prick here. If that's your intention, fine. But make no mistake about it, you're acting like a prick.

Do you disbelieve my story? Or are you asserting (i) that many/most urban police departments are not infected with oppressive racism (have you done much criminal representation of poor and/or minorities in the Cook County court system?), (ii) Cook County governmental institutions are not corrupt, or (iii) all of the foregoing?

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I was going to let that go, because I like NotBob, but certainly whoever wrote the Wiki short story here was biased. People who assume all white southerners are racists "know" what RR meant- don't you see? You don't get it, becuase you don't start from the "knowledge" that every white person in the audience wants to reinstate slavery. Guys like the Dems here- they understand better.

Sidd once told me wiki is suspect as a source. I generally prefer to rely on Ty's blogs but, in his usual second string mod role, he is falling down on the job today. I hear boxed wine hangovers are a beeyotch! Word@!

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Funny how it's so easy for you to figure out, but they keep falling for it. You'll have to explain that to me sometime.

What's really funny is that this all started with me pointing out the R's "southern strategy" -- which their own chairman admits the Rs engaged in, but which some people want to pretend never happened.

So, I point out that Rs peeled off racist southern whites* with a foul and racist strategy of painting the Dems as evil for supporting things like the Civil Rights Act.

Some Rs respond by talking about Eisenhower, whose presidency -- and, to an unfortunately great extent, whose entire type -- predate the period of the Civil Rights Act and the southern strategy.

Others respond by talking about how stupid black people are, because they fall for the Dem lies and tricks that are so evident to anyone else (or at least to anyone who is white and Republican).

And when you call them on it, Ty, it's because you are a bad person.



*(Note: Any minimally intelligent person would recognize that referring to "racist southern whites," some of which certainly exist, does not equal "all southern whites are racist")

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
My supple, muscular ass is here, waiting for your kiss.

Since when is your ass supple and muscular? Is this why you need to buy shirts with a less boxy cut?