[Winstonm]

 steve2005, on 2017-October-07, 06:03, said:

and SC was non-political when?

Perhaps you're too young to remember, but there was a time when people could look beyond their political affiliations and act in the good of the country rather than the party.

[cherdano]

 Winstonm, on 2017-October-07, 07:46, said:

Perhaps you're too young to remember, but there was a time when people could look beyond their political affiliations and act in the good of the country rather than the party.

I don't know. How old were you when Roe vs Wade was decided? I don't know about you, but as much as I want abortion to be legal, I've never understood how it follows from the constitution.

I am sure SC justices didn't use to be as partisan, but I am sure it's been highly political for a while. I find it hard to distinguish SC opinions from sophisticated motivated reasoning, except that the former have consequences.

[Winstonm]

 cherdano, on 2017-October-07, 16:01, said:

I don't know. How old were you when Roe vs Wade was decided? I don't know about you, but as much as I want abortion to be legal, I've never understood how it follows from the constitution.

I am sure SC justices didn't use to be as partisan, but I am sure it's been highly political for a while. I find it hard to distinguish SC opinions from sophisticated motivated reasoning, except that the former have consequences.

I was 22 when roe v wade was decided

You have to take into account that SC judges are political appointees. The political issue is a matter of degree.

[Cyberyeti]

How the Dutch and much of Europe sees this:

https://www.huffingt...dushpmg00000003

[Phil]

Mods please pin this thread since mass shootings evidently will continue.

[diana_eva]

 Phil, on 2018-February-22, 21:16, said:

Mods please pin this thread since mass shootings evidently will continue.

I was wondering how come nobody mentioned the latest.

[jjbrr]

 Phil, on 2018-February-22, 21:16, said:

Mods please pin this thread since mass shootings evidently will continue.

it's cute that you think anyone cares.

[barmar]

 jjbrr, on 2018-February-23, 09:35, said:

it's cute that you think anyone cares.

Of course they do, isn't that why they offer prayer and condolences to the victims and survivors? It's not like anything else could be done. As Marco Rubio pointed out earlier this week, there's no point in passing laws (I wonder why he got into a profession whose product is useless?).

[jjbrr]

 barmar, on 2018-February-23, 10:16, said:

Of course they do, isn't that why they offer prayer and condolences to the victims and survivors? It's not like anything else could be done. As Marco Rubio pointed out earlier this week, there's no point in passing laws (I wonder why he got into a profession whose product is useless?).

thoughts and prayers are the best that are offered after a tragedy like this. death threats, conspiracy theories, victim shaming, and trashing children are also well within the expected response range, apparently. this is fine. perfectly fine.

[Winstonm]

 barmar, on 2018-February-23, 10:16, said:

Of course they do, isn't that why they offer prayer and condolences to the victims and survivors? It's not like anything else could be done. As Marco Rubio pointed out earlier this week, there's no point in passing laws (I wonder why he got into a profession whose product is useless?).

Or, as Hunter S. Thompson might have written had he written Fear and Loathing in Florida: "We can't stop here, this is bat-***** crazy country!"

[Phil]

 barmar, on 2018-February-23, 10:16, said:

Of course they do, isn't that why they offer prayer and condolences to the victims and survivors? It's not like anything else could be done. As Marco Rubio pointed out earlier this week, there's no point in passing laws (I wonder why he got into a profession whose product is useless?).

People DO care! Who else is going to give the teachers handguns and who else is going to reinforce schools with armor plating?

Maybe these are the 'infrastructure' projects that we've waited so long for!

[barmar]

 Phil, on 2018-February-24, 11:15, said:

People DO care! Who else is going to give the teachers handguns and who else is going to reinforce schools with armor plating?

Maybe these are the 'infrastructure' projects that we've waited so long for!

Maybe this is where Trump's wall should go -- around all the schools.

[jjbrr]

That's a prison. You're both describing a prison.

[Winstonm]

 jjbrr, on 2018-February-24, 16:23, said:

That's a prison. You're both describing a prison.

As long as it's a private for-profit prison, what's the problem?

[Phil]

 Winstonm, on 2018-February-25, 11:01, said:

As long as it's a private for-profit prison, what's the problem?

Right - thats why we need vouchers.

[Winstonm]

 Phil, on 2018-February-25, 11:34, said:

Right - thats why we need vouchers.

Well, I know a lot of Republicans who will vouch for its success...

[kenberg]

I was thinking back to the teachers that I had in high school, wondering which ones should have a gun. My biology teacher did not know much biology but he talked a great deal about his physical strength and how necessary it was to be forceful. In one of these lectures he was talking about a confrontation with a guy who was, I quote, "just as big as Berg back there". Actually I was (and am) 5'10" and I then weighed about 150 (more now, too much more) so I was not stand out large. I figured he had other reasons for singling me out. He would have loved to have a gun, I am sure.

There are nutty ideas that come up, and then there is insanity. Arming teachers falls into the second category. Becky saw a comment from someone along the lines of "The day that they do this is the day that I start home schooling".

[barmar]

 kenberg, on 2018-February-26, 07:01, said:

There are nutty ideas that come up, and then there is insanity. Arming teachers falls into the second category. Becky saw a comment from someone along the lines of "The day that they do this is the day that I start home schooling".

The really crazy thing is that since POTUS endorsed it, we're being forced to discuss it as if it's a real consideration. This is what happens when you have a total idiot in the White House.

I continue to wonder whether Trump is really serious about stuff like this, because he's just stupid, or if his plan all along since he entered the presidential race was to act like a crazy person and see how far they'd let him go. Because it's hard to see how a real idiot could make it so far in life (even with his silver spoon), it makes more sense for it to be an act.

[kenberg]

 barmar, on 2018-February-26, 09:39, said:

The really crazy thing is that since POTUS endorsed it, we're being forced to discuss it as if it's a real consideration. This is what happens when you have a total idiot in the White House.

I continue to wonder whether Trump is really serious about stuff like this, because he's just stupid, or if his plan all along since he entered the presidential race was to act like a crazy person and see how far they'd let him go. Because it's hard to see how a real idiot could make it so far in life (even with his silver spoon), it makes more sense for it to be an act.

I think that it is a bit of both. Some thoughts:

Success in one field does not always translate into success in another. In his previous business he got to say how things would be because he was the boss.In particular I hope that this idea that the presidency should be run like a business is not forever dead. At the very least it should not be run like a real estate business or a casino business. Or like a tv show business.

Someone in his 70s should not be taking up a new career, at least not of that sort. Becky is a retired math prof and now teaches yoga part time, that's fine. She didn't run for president. Not even for president of the yoga society if they have one.

Character matters. It matters in everything but as a leader of the nation and a force in world affairs it is absolutely crucial.

[barmar]

 kenberg, on 2018-February-26, 13:06, said:

Success in one field does not always translate into success in another.

This is obviously true -- I'm a successful computer programmer, and I've been successful at managing my personal finances, but I don't think I would make a good businessman.

But I wasn't really talking about domain-specific knowledge. Trump seems to be extremely idiotic in general areas -- history, interpersonal conduct, politics(!).