General Political Thread

[Tweedling]

The big news there: an Argentinian pope.  Too bad he's another bigot.

"lighten up Fancis" hahahaha

Looks like a pretty good Pope to me

[KevinG]

"lighten up Fancis" hahahaha

Looks like a pretty good Pope to me

 

I friend of mine has a theory, all the Cardinals want to be pope so they pick the one who is going to die next.  Apparently the new Pope only has one lung.  

[ih8music]

I'm a Catholic and love the selection (unlike Benedict).

 

People who are upset because they didn't elect a true "progressive" pope re: gay rights, abortion, etc. are being unrealistic. That will never happen.

 

But in every other way, I couldn't be happier about the choice. First of all, he's a Jesuit - and anyone who's gone to a Jesuit-run high school or university knows they are a very different breed of priest... much more in touch with the real world than your typical priest. Also, from what I've read the new pope has spent most of his life working with the poor and fighting for social justice in Argentina. That's typical of Jesuits - they tend to focus on helping the needy more than enforcing religious dogma.

 

And the fact that he's from Latin America is huge. Nearly half of the worlds Catholics live there and it's about time they get their "own" pope.

 

We'll obviously have to see what he says & does re: the pedophilia scandals that have hurt the Church so badly - that will be a good sign for what to expect of his reign.

[Winston Legthigh]

I just hope the allegations against him in regards to the Dirty War are unfounded.

[LouieB]

I just hope the allegations against him in regards to the Dirty War are unfounded.

They seem to have been dealt with years ago.  If I were a progressive Catholic I would be concerned about hsi feeling about gay adoption (I suppose gay marriage, birth control and all that other sex stuff is a no brainer even at this late date.) 

 

LouieB

[Winston Legthigh]

They seem to have been dealt with years ago.  If I were a progressive Catholic I would be concerned about hsi feeling about gay adoption (I suppose gay marriage, birth control and all that other sex stuff is a no brainer even at this late date.) 

 

LouieB

"dealt with" does not equal "incontrovertible proof of innocence"

[uncool2pillow]

"dealt with" does not equal "incontrovertible proof of innocence"

Seems like a ridiculously high standard.  Can you provide incontrovertible proof that you weren't involved?

[Winston Legthigh]

Seems like a ridiculously high standard.  

Of course. I'm not suggesting that it be the standard by which he is judged. I should have just left it at "dealt with does not equal innocence." Powerful people in countries with a history of corruption, like Argentina, are able to have allegations made against them disappear. 

 

All I'm saying is that I hope he's innocent. 

[KevinG]

Of course. I'm not suggesting that it be the standard by which he is judged. I should have just left it at "dealt with does not equal innocence." Powerful people in countries with a history of corruption, like Argentina, are able to have allegations made against them disappear. 

 

All I'm saying is that I hope he's innocent. 

 

He is not Innocent he is Francis.  

[Tweedling]

He is not Innocent he is Francis.  

Man, the Popes of today have nothing on the dudes that came befor them. Wow!

[Lammycat]

I friend of mine has a theory, all the Cardinals want to be pope so they pick the one who is going to die next.  Apparently the new Pope only has one lung.  

One lung that he lost in childhood due to illness, I heard. He's a tough bastard.

[LouieB]

Just thinking of John Paul I who only lasted just over  4 weeks and got a song written for him by Patti Smith.

 

LouieB

[KevinG]

So PBO said that there was no debt crisis looming over our heads and Boehner agrees with him.  If you agree with them or not, why is the GOP budget so focused on cutting spending?  Right now our economic recovery is very fragile at best, shouldn't we focus our efforts fixing the economy rather then cutting programs for the people who need it most?  Get people working and once we are humming along then fix the debt problem to try to do it now would be disastrous.  

 

To clarify I don't think we should raise taxes nor do I think we should cut spending.  Ideally we need a mix of infrastructure spending and tax cuts.  

[Hixter]

It'll be interesting to see what transpires in the rest of Europe after what is about to happen to bank accounts in Cyprus. If I lived in Greece, Spain, Italy or Portugal I'd send my savings off to a non-EU bank ASAP.

[ih8music]

It'll be interesting to see what transpires in the rest of Europe after what is about to happen to bank accounts in Cyprus. If I lived in Greece, Spain, Italy or Portugal I'd send my savings off to a non-EU bank ASAP.

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous what they're trying to pull there. Personal savings accounts should never be taxed.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

What did people think about the CPAC straw poll? Looks like Rand Paul and Marco Rubio got the highest marks. Is that par for the course, picking the most right wing people available? Does it bode well or ill for the primaries? Did they learn nothing from 2012? After Paul and Rubio, Santorum (WTF?) and Christie polled a distant 3rd and 4th place.

I could see Christie, but Rand Paul? Santorum? Jeez, what about Bachmann, too, while you're at it? 

[uncool2pillow]

As a registered Republican I couldn't give a flying fuck about anything coming out of C-PAC.  They are part of the wingnut shit that is driving the party to irrelevance.  I'm pretty sure they exist mostly for the left wing to say, "See, we're right.  All you conservatives are racist idiots."

[KevinG]

As a registered Republican I couldn't give a flying fuck about anything coming out of C-PAC.  They are part of the wingnut shit that is driving the party to irrelevance.  I'm pretty sure they exist mostly for the left wing to say, "See, we're right.  All you conservatives are racist idiots."

 

It is pretty true.  It truly is a shame that the far right has dominated the conservative voice for the last 30 years or so.  For all my leftist ranting and raving, I honestly think true conservative values have a place in our society.  I also think they give a needed balance.  However I would not call one person speaking at C-PAC a conservative.  I would call them right wing, neo-converatives, but conservative no.  I really blame the moral majority people and the Christian right.  

 

Republicans in power (and by in power i mean in the media as well) are not conservatives.  Right now the GOP is controlled by these people.  So when a meeting of "conservatives" show up and speak it is fair to point out that these people speak for the GOP.  And the Republicans let them speak for you.  That is why the left wing says those things, because unfortunately this is who controls your party.     

[LouieB]

CPAC doesn't have to speak for the Republican Party and in fact it does not.  Republicans if they wish could speak for themselves but many choose not to.  It is jsut like the bigoted right wing Christians who don't speak for all Christians.  It is up to the rest of the Republicans to break away and it isn't going to be the Rand Pauls and the Marco Rubios who end up as the next wave of Republican leaders. They have now hitched their wagons to this shit and they are going to be stuck with it.  Luckily for some Republicans with sense, like Chris Christy, they can walk away from this and return to run for national office on another day, perhaps.

 

LouieB

[lost highway]

Talk about spending:

 

 

It looks like while spending has more or less been even (not going up), it has been a lower % of the GDP, as the GDP has started to go up a bit.

[KevinG]

Talk about spending:

 

 

It looks like while spending has more or less been even (not going up), it has been a lower % of the GDP, as the GDP has started to go up a bit.

 

But don't you see if we don't stop the massive government spending immediately it will be the end of society as we know it!  It will be fire and brimstone! It will be cats and dogs living together! Mass hysteria!  

 

Really no one has answered me, why the GOP see the need that we need to tackle the deficit this very minute, rather then be smart and try to grow the economy first?  And if we have to solve this debt crisis the only way do it is through spending cuts (and not the military).  

[uncool2pillow]

If we've turned the corner on the economy, and the numbers and the administration suggest we have, then now is the time to start cutting back.  Maybe not the draconian and ill-devised cutbacks suggested by some.  

 

I think the long term health of our economy would be well served by making some serious entitlement reforms that would affect the younger generation.  Gradually raise the age of retirement and grandfather in some means testing on medicare.  Make people who can afford it start to pay a premium in 5-10 years.  Nothing huge.  I just cannot imagine the positive vibe that would send to the country and the world that the U.S. is going to be serious about fiscal sanity.  True fiscal sanity, not just the kind preached by Washington Republicans.

 

The deficit does matter.  There's a reason they are suggesting withdrawing people's personal savings in Cyprus.  We're not there and we don't need the extreme austerity of Greece, Italy or Spain.  But if we continue to ignore the deficit (and that chart shows it's still a higher percentage of GDP than when Obama took office, for a LOT of reasons -- not casting blame, just saying we're not out of the woods) we will be headed that way.

[KevinG]

If we've turned the corner on the economy, and the numbers and the administration suggest we have, then now is the time to start cutting back.  Maybe not the draconian and ill-devised cutbacks suggested by some.  

 

I think the long term health of our economy would be well served by making some serious entitlement reforms that would affect the younger generation.  Gradually raise the age of retirement and grandfather in some means testing on medicare.  Make people who can afford it start to pay a premium in 5-10 years.  Nothing huge.  I just cannot imagine the positive vibe that would send to the country and the world that the U.S. is going to be serious about fiscal sanity.  True fiscal sanity, not just the kind preached by Washington Republicans.

 

The deficit does matter.  There's a reason they are suggesting withdrawing people's personal savings in Cyprus.  We're not there and we don't need the extreme austerity of Greece, Italy or Spain.  But if we continue to ignore the deficit (and that chart shows it's still a higher percentage of GDP than when Obama took office, for a LOT of reasons -- not casting blame, just saying we're not out of the woods) we will be headed that way.

 

I agree most everything you said here, with one exception.  I believe we have turned the corner on the economy but we are not at the point were should start considering deficit reduction (and per lost highway's chart we are doing that).  True deficit reduction needs to come, I understand that, but with an unemployment rate of 7.7% (and if you believe the right wing hype machine it is much higher) now is not the time to cut spending.  

 

I saw on the news this morning our infrastructure grade is now a D+, which is up from a 2009 grade of D.  So our nation is falling part not in the esoteric economic sense that the Right rails about, but literally falling apart.  Bridges, roads, etc need to be fixed.  Private companies aren't going to this, it needs to be the US Government.  The US Government needs to spend money, this will create jobs, lower the unemployment rate, increase tax revenue and spur the economy.

 

As a note the one area we should start putting a plan in place to reduce costs is Medicare.  We need to this through means testing.  I believe that should happen immediately.  

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Bridges, roads, etc need to be fixed.  Private companies aren't going to this, it needs to be the US Government.  The US Government needs to spend money, this will create jobs, lower the unemployment rate, increase tax revenue and spur the economy.

 

This is exactly right. Unfortunately, with the constant drumbeat of "government bad, lower taxes good," it seems unlikely that it will be done on the scale that is needed.

[Winston Legthigh]

For those that are interested, here's a story regarding The Pope's testimony on his alleged activity (or lack thereof) during Argentina's Dirty War.