Is Progress Possible?

If we rid ourselves of society, then the rich become food, and rightfully so. The rich had better be careful what they wish for.
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Mitt Romney's Record On Affirmative Action In Massachusetts

Hard to see why Mitt Romney would want to reward people bearing the Mark of Cain, so of course Affirmative Action would be a target for him.
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Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State, Defends Voter ID Law

Real world translation:



"You see, if we don't purge democrats from the voter rolls we Republicans might lose elections."
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'Battleship' Movie Fail: Comcast CEO Says Film Is 'Unfortunate, Large Miss'

The problem is two fold in Hollywood in general:



1) There are too many MBAs making decisions and they are risk averse, and can't identify quality scripts so they fall back on rehashes and sequels.



2) The Parent Companies of the Studios are all Mega-Corporations who have their own Socio-Economic agenda so the narratives they approve are formulaic and support a particular world view. Battleship can be characterized as "A fun war picture", because we all know what "fun" war can be.
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Mike Elk, Labor Reporter, Has Microphone Yanked Out Of His Hands For Questioning CEO (VIDEO)

I'm sure Mr Elk would have received similar treatment from any Mafia Don he tried to question about their practices.
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Paul Krugman Appears On 'Newsnight,' Battles British Conservatives On U.K. Austerity Policies (VIDEO)

Krugman is absolutely correct, the Right Wing has been pushing ideologically based economic polices since Milton Friedman came on the scene with Ayn Rand to prove FDR and John Maynard Keynes wrong .... and then failed MISERABLY at that effort and continue to fail. But since the Right Wing Economic Principles are Faith Based ... just like any religion ... they disregard any empirical evidence that proves them wrong. And what is the long term resolution of the Right Wing ramrodding through their failed principles? My guess is an global economic crash of epic proportions followed by a horrendously brutal civil war/world war cycle.



Krugman is right and the Conservatives are addicted to fantasy.
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The Jobs Stall

The jobs numbers are just a symptom. The problem, in terms of the economy is this ... we are attempting to treat a compound fracture of the femur with a pedicure.
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Obama Ordered Sped Up Wave Of Cyber Attacks Against Iran

This is actually an extremely stupid policy for what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Unlike the United States' massive superiority in conventional and nuclear war making capability, in the arena of Cyber Warfare the United States is at parity with her enemies at best, and it is easy to see how a Cyber Attack on a sensitive computer system in the US infrastructure or economy would be far and away more devastating than anything that could occur via a conventional military strike.



And let us be clear, there is no networked computer system on earth that is beyond hacking and sabotaging. None.
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Koch Brothers Plan To Funnel Tens Of Millions To Conservative Allies To Influence 2012 Elections

The greatest ally of these miscreants is the high level of ignorance of a huge percentage of the US population, and the fact that this Know-Nothing group of Americans, militantly proud of the level of mental sloth they have acheived, can always be counted on to vote against the best interests of themselves, their families, their communities and their country when properly aroused to action.
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Jobs Report May 2012: U.S. Employers Added 69,000 Jobs In May As The Unemployment Rate Rose To 8.2 Percent

Being that Mitt Romney spent his career in Private Equity destroying American jobs this jobs report should bring a smile to his face and warmth to his heart. There is only 1% of America the Romney cares about and odds are you aren't in it and never will be.
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Super PAC Donors Complain About Attention

Please ... altruists do not become Billionaires. The purpose of these rich old white men is to use their wealth to commandeer the US Political System to serve their own myopic needs. They are narcissistic predators who are completely motivated by self interest. To ascribe any virtue to their involvement in this Super PAC scheme is farcical.
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Things That Are Better Than Having Dinner With Donald Trump And Mitt Romney, According To Twitter

Being skinned alive and thrown on a pile of rock salt.
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DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional By Federal Appeals Court

In a secular country by design, like the United States of America, any legislation that represents the ideological interests of a specific religion and promotes religious dogma of that group in the commons is by definition unconstitutional. As an Apathetic Agnostic American, I am only expected to tolerate the practice of religion by my fellow citizens, I am not obligated to allow their religious dogma to pollute my American experience. So, in short, of course DOMA is unconstitutional, as is DADT, and anti-abortion and anti-contraception legislation, for it is all driven by religious dogma, and the Constitution protects both the right to practice religion and the right not to.



It took a while, but this ruling on DOMA is just and in line with the Constitutional Design of the Founding Fathers. The place that religion belongs is in the hearts of the practitioners, and it should not infringe on the rights of other Americans who are non-affiliated with their belief system.
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GOP Outside Groups Plan $1 Billion Blitz

If we didn't permit American Citizens to become Billionaires we wouldn't have these problems. This issue can be easily corrected through taxation. Furthermore, the notion of geriatric billionaires is basically the punchline of a joke. Who are they kidding?
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Greece Euro Exit Would Prompt Greeks To More Than Half Their Income: Report

Nonsense, would the Drachma be worth less than the Euro? Absolutely, but regaining control of their own monetary policies would allow them to get the nation back on track. In the short run it will be harsh, to be sure, but the long term benefit of the Greeks being able to chart their own economic destiny will offset any initial pain.



And I see another opportunity for Greece, for when it exits the Euro Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and perhaps even France will follow their lead. All of these nations are way over their head and would benefit from regaining control of their individual monetary policies. I can see how a bloc of "EU Pariah States" could form a trading bloc amongst themselves to provide economic activity for one another.



These are just scare tactics directed at Greece, better short term pain than long term status as indentured servant to the ECB.
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Obama Memorial Day Ceremony: President Honors Fallen Troops

Had we taught the lessons of the Philippine American War and the failed American Colonial/Commonwealth relationship with that country, rather than suppressing it, there would never have been a war in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan.



Soldiers don't choose their mission, civilian politicians do and we have lost many soldiers, and killed many civilians who never were a threat, simply because we allowed the frivolity of politics and commerce to lead our nation to war.



Our soldiers in Vietnam were sent their for no good purpose. To denigrate them is to blame the victim. Those who should be denigrated are the politicians and business men who viewed unnecessary wars, and the squandering of innocent lives as a positive for them. And the American people are worthy of scorn, as well, because even with the life and death consequences of war, they can't be bothered to interrupt their busy schedules of nothingness to consider whether or not war is the proper path. As they say, the banality of evil.
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As Goes Greece

The EU tried to make an example of Greece, and The People of Greece are about to make an example of the EU. Tyranny Always Fails.
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Richard Leakey: Evolution Debate Soon Will Be History

Science builds its argument by methodically, acquiring and analyzing hard evidence to reach a conclusion. Religion presents mythological fables and demands they be accepted as fact without supporting evidence presented. I'll stick with Science.
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Chris Hayes: I Feel 'Uncomfortable' Using 'Heroes' To Describe Soldiers Killed In Action (VIDEO)

An example of a hero from WWII in Bataan, Philippines.



Congressional Medal of Honor

Awarded Posthumously

WILLIBALD C. BIANCHI



Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts.

Place and date: Near Bagac, Bataan Province, Philippine Islands, 3 February 1942.

Entered service at: New Ulm, Minnesota.

Born: New Ulm, Minnesota.

G.O. No.: 11, 5 March 1942.



When the rifle platoon of another company was ordered to wipe out two strong enemy machinegun nests, 1st Lt. Bianchi voluntarily and of his own initiative, advanced with the platoon leading part of the men.



When wounded early in the action by two bullets through the left hand, he did not stop for first aid but discarded his rifle and began firing a pistol. He located a machinegun nest and personally silenced it with grenades.



When wounded the second time by two machinegun bullets through the chest muscles, 1st Lt. Bianchi climbed to the top of an American tank, manned its antiaircraft machinegun, and fired into strongly held enemy position until knocked completely off the tank by a third severe wound.



Here is a link to Medal of Honor citations, where examples of acts of heroism are defined:



http://www.history.army.mil/moh.html
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'Star Wars' v. 'Lord Of The Rings': What's The Best Movie Franchise Of All Time? (VOTE)

I'm going with LOTR for a reason that maybe only George Lucas can confirm. I believe that, in ways, LOTR inspired Star Wars to begin with. For its era nothing surpassed Star Wars, but I would also say that the original Planet of the Apes, in 1968, was a tremendous feat in its own right ... even when compared with 2001:A Space Odyssey.



When I pick LOTR, I weight heavily the fact that Peter Jackson, with a few glaring exceptions (like the excising of Tom Bombadil) stayed true to Tolkien's works and really brought the trilogy to life within the confines of the film, which is generally stifling to works of literature when translated to the screen. Peter Jackson's bravery in translating a beloved work of fiction to the screen in a well received way was a tremendous feat. That is why, I favor LOTR over Star Wars.
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Christine Lagarde On Greece: IMF Chief Has More Sympathy For Poor African Children

The Greeks are the victims in this situation not the villains ... the IMF on the other hand.



Remember, DSK was removed from office because his approach to the economic crisis in the PIIGS was too humane from the perspective of the Bankers. Legarde's a leg-breaker in comparison.
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Christine Lagarde On Greece: IMF Chief Has More Sympathy For Poor African Children

I think the IMF only cares about Poor African Children when they are located in areas where resources need to be exploited and they have to be removed.
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