That silly mosque

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Michael

In all the coverage I’ve seen on the proposed New York City mosque (and that’s virtually all that’s been covered lately it seems), what sticks out to me the most is the religious-fueled xenophobia. Worst of all, it can’t merely be chalked up to politics. Of course, the Republicans only care about the ‘issue’ for political reasons, but much of the country has bought straight into the political fear-mongering (a classic tool of Republican…well, tools).

The real issue here isn’t that Muslims are going to be allowed to build a place of worship. It’s that any religious group is being allowed to build a place that is tax-free. Aside from being plainly unconstitutional (despite its wide-spread and even welcomed acceptance), not taxing religions implies, perhaps outright says, that religion has something worthwhile to offer society. Given that religion is entirely impotent to inform us anything about the world (if not, then what has it ever said that was not trivial?), society would be better served taxing religious institutions and investing that money into education, infrastructure, and bringing people out of poverty.

Filed under: News, Religions | Tagged: , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Barton is in line with the Republican Party

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Michael

As everyone knows by now, Rep. Joe Barton apologized to BP for the $20b fund Obama strong armed from the company. The reason Obama was able to do this was because of the non-free market style economy the U.S. has which allows for the threat of greater, government-enforced penalties. Of course, the free market would be entirely flaccid in trying to wrest any real funds from BP. Thank goodness the U.S. has never had such an awful, awful system.

But Republicans and their sister Teabagging party wish we had a free market system. It sounds like liberty – despite the inevitability of monopolies, limited (if any) rights for workers, and no real enforcement of safety standards, retirement plans, or anything else that makes modern life comfortable. But it sure does sound swell. And that’s why they like it. It isn’t that it actually makes a majority of people happy or that it results in a strong economy. In fact, one of the few free market economies – Hong Kong – has only been able to experience any success because of the supporting structure of communist China. On their own, free markets will fail. If they don’t, the well-being of the people subjected to the whims of the few who become powerful will come under greater and greater strain over time.

But forget all that. It still sounds nice. Liberty! Boy, oh, boy! That’s why Rep. Barton made his apology.

What Obama managed to accomplish with BP runs counter to the free market principles the Republicans and Teabaggers support (until they need/want roads, schools, a place to put the homeless, a war on drugs, etc, etc). Rep. Barton is perfectly in line with the Republican Party on this one. Obviously they ran away screaming because of the political fallout of the situation, but if everything they’ve ever said was in the least sincere, then they hate that BP is being forced to pay.

Filed under: News, Politics and Social | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Thought of the day

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Michael

A characteristic of the Republican party is a hostility towards science.

Filed under: Misc | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Thought of the day

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Michael

If Obama and the rest of the Democrats would actually make the Republicans follow through on their filibuster attempts, things could actually get done. Because really, how long does anyone think the Republicans will actually stand on the Senate floor and talk continuously?

Filed under: Politics and Social | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

Thought of the day

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Michael

The Republican Party hates the idea of progress.

Filed under: Misc | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Republicans hate science. Still.

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Michael

Republicans move to delay climate bill progress because they hate science and deny it for the sake of petty politics and big business.

All seven Republicans on the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee plan to boycott next week’s work session on a climate-change bill, an aide said on Saturday, in a move aimed at thwarting Democratic efforts to advance the controversial legislation quickly.

“Republicans will be forced not to show up” at Tuesday’s work session, said Matt Dempsey, a spokesman for Republican senators on the environment panel.

Under committee rules, at least two Republicans are needed for Chairwoman Barbara Boxer to hold the work sessions that would give senators an opportunity to amend the controversial legislation and then vote to approve it in the panel, which is controlled by President Barack Obama’s fellow Democrats.

And then there’s the big business love.

Republicans on the environment committee say the climate-change bill would cause significant job losses by encouraging manufacturers to relocate more of their plants in countries that do not have as strict carbon controls.

…aaaaaand the denial.

The senior Republican on the committee, Senator James Inhofe, has been an outspoken opponent of legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saying there is no sound scientific evidence that the world is suffering due to carbon emissions resulting from human activities.

They make my case for me.

Filed under: News | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Obama continues to fix the errors of Bush

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Michael

Scientists will be allowed to make the guidelines surrounding use of embryonic stem cells.

The government issued final rules Monday expanding taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem cells, easing scientists’ fears that some of the oldest batches might not qualify and promising a master list of all that do.

President Barack Obama lifted previous restrictions on the field in March, but left it to the National Institutes of Health to decide just what stem cell research was ethically appropriate: Only science that uses cells culled from leftover fertility clinic embryos — ones that otherwise would be thrown away — the agency made clear in draft guidelines.

This is precisely how it should be. It is those well versed in science who should be making the relevant decisions within science. Politicians rarely ever know much of anything about how science needs to work. This is doubly true for Republicans. So it comes as no surprise that it has taken the election of Democrats to at least get a few things right.

Filed under: News | Tagged: , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

The Republicans are falling for it

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Michael

I keep hearing this crap about how Rush me some pills Limbaugh is now the voice of the Republican party. He apparently represents this group of old, racist, bigoted, zealous white men who hate all that is not evil. It makes sense. But really, what has changed between a year ago and now? The Republicans took a whacking in the election because they represent bad ideas that conflict with reality, but what about Limbaugh? How has he changed? He was tops in the radio business before this. Why is now different? The answer is actually quite simple. The Republicans are idiots.

Republicans hate the media (bar Fox Noise). Everything that happens is media bias and they’re all “in the tank” for Obama. Okay, swell. But who is it that has elevated Limbaugh so much? He’s in the same position he was in 365 days ago. He hasn’t done anything different from being a hateful, stupid, immorally obese, moron of a man. What has happened is that the media has donned him an unofficial leader in the Republican party. But at the same time, it is impossible to read anything about the Republican party that doesn’t talk about how they’re purging their ranks. Anyone who is moderate is not part of Real America. Anyone who takes the middle road is really a Democrat.

So what has happened is that the media has crowned Limbaugh the king of the Republicans. At the same time, it is impossible to not point out that the Republicans are going from being absurdly wrong to being utterly and radically wrong – with no odd bright spots to lessen the darkness of the party. Limbaugh represents this perfectly. Mention his name and you set off a chain reaction. This man could never be elected to the national stage. Moderates and liberals alike would join ranks against his ultra-conservative, bigoted, dumb ideas. And the Republicans are letting the media tell them that this is their leader. Hell, Michael Steele made some minor comment dismissing something Limbaugh said not long ago. Within a day or two he was apologizing. It’s hilarious. The Republicans are going “pure” under the flabby wings of Limbaugh. Good. Give that a shot for the next few election cycles. See how it works out.

Filed under: Politics and Social | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

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