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Weekly Topic
31/5/10 11:04![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
abomvubuso.livejournal.comHi guys! Here's what you chose to be the [Poll #1572196]Any suggestions for more topics are very welcome.
31/5/10
abomvubuso.livejournal.com
green-man-2010.livejournal.comI have ben encouraged to write as a person and not a spokesman for the Green party, and been told tha I dissect some great issues.
So cop this one folks - Is Obama ~really~ a Socialist; What Socialism is and if it has any effect on society. My own opinions coming right up.
First, lets define what we mean. I will let the egg heads go for a dictionary definition , but here is the working man's definition.
Socialism is where Society, usually thru' an elected government, does things.
Now, all Communists are Socialists by default, but not all Socialists ae communists. How come/
Well, Communism does not allow private property. A men may own a suit or a car under a communist system, but the land and all the means of production , including businesses that create wealth thru providing services like transport - these are all owned by the state.
Now, Socialists cover everyone who wants some sort of state intervetion , be it total or partial. ( Read more... )
So cop this one folks - Is Obama ~really~ a Socialist; What Socialism is and if it has any effect on society. My own opinions coming right up.
First, lets define what we mean. I will let the egg heads go for a dictionary definition , but here is the working man's definition.
Socialism is where Society, usually thru' an elected government, does things.
Now, all Communists are Socialists by default, but not all Socialists ae communists. How come/
Well, Communism does not allow private property. A men may own a suit or a car under a communist system, but the land and all the means of production , including businesses that create wealth thru providing services like transport - these are all owned by the state.
Now, Socialists cover everyone who wants some sort of state intervetion , be it total or partial. ( Read more... )
telemann.livejournal.comI live in Brooklyn, which has one of the more conservative Roman Catholic bishops in the United States. His editorials in the weekly diocesan newspaper about such subjects evolution are the things that make intelligent Catholics cringe. The New York Times has published a large article dealing with the screening of potential priestly candidates in the Roman Catholic church in the wake of the child abuse cases. Because conservative elements in the hierarchy blame the scandal on homosexuality, vocations directors are now asking some tough questions to candidates. Apparently even celibate gay men will be likely barred (although it's claimed individual bishops have leeway to make that decision).
While the Brooklyn archdiocese would not allow seminarians to be interviewed for the New York Times article, the director of vocations the Rev. Kevin J. Sweeney said:
WHhhhhat? I *REALLY* think someone it taking the Biblical metaphor a wee bit too literally. Just absolutely insanity.
While the Brooklyn archdiocese would not allow seminarians to be interviewed for the New York Times article, the director of vocations the Rev. Kevin J. Sweeney said:
...the new rules were not the order of battle for a witch hunt. “We do not say that homosexuals are bad people,” he said. “And sure, homosexuals have been good priests. But it has to do with our view of marriage,” he said. “A priest can only give his life to the church in the sense that a man gives his life to a female spouse. A homosexual man cannot have the same relationship. It’s not about condemning anybody. It’s about our world view.”
WHhhhhat? I *REALLY* think someone it taking the Biblical metaphor a wee bit too literally. Just absolutely insanity.
johnny9fingers.livejournal.comDoes travelling first class on railways constitute corruption?
According to the Newspaper Barons' who have stirred up the public's perception of MP's expenses and allowances: obviously. According to common sense I'm not so certain.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/26/ministers-red-boxes-travel-separately
I suppose the new UK parliament has to be seen to be beyond reproach. This is why David Laws was right to go in the first 'scandal' for the coalition government. He paid his boyf rent for use of a room. I know married couples that do that, and not for expenses or tax purposes: just for the ease of accounting and making sure each pay their fare share. This sort of situation can be especially tricky if there are two sets of trustees to determine who pays for what. (And supposedly some of these folk are still sleeping together. It never does to enquire too deeply.)
Does the panel think that such a 'Zero Tolerance' approach to expenses, perquisites, and the like, could be pushed through for those that serve in office for the USA?
And would it be a good thing?
According to the Newspaper Barons' who have stirred up the public's perception of MP's expenses and allowances: obviously. According to common sense I'm not so certain.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/26/ministers-red-boxes-travel-separately
I suppose the new UK parliament has to be seen to be beyond reproach. This is why David Laws was right to go in the first 'scandal' for the coalition government. He paid his boyf rent for use of a room. I know married couples that do that, and not for expenses or tax purposes: just for the ease of accounting and making sure each pay their fare share. This sort of situation can be especially tricky if there are two sets of trustees to determine who pays for what. (And supposedly some of these folk are still sleeping together. It never does to enquire too deeply.)
Does the panel think that such a 'Zero Tolerance' approach to expenses, perquisites, and the like, could be pushed through for those that serve in office for the USA?
And would it be a good thing?
Oy Vey! It's a clusterf**k!
31/5/10 19:39devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.comNetanyahu defends aid ships raid, regrets loss of life
OTTAWA — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "regret" Monday over the loss of life in a raid on an aid convoy that left at least nine dead, but said Israeli troops acted to "defend their lives. We regret the loss of life," Netanyahu said in Ottawa during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
But he insisted the Israeli forces had acted to defend themselves, telling reporters later that the flotilla was seeking to smuggle into Gaza rockets or other weapons to attack the Jewish state.
The raid by Israel troops "was to prevent the infiltration of thousands of rockets, missiles and other arms that could hit our cities, communities or people," the Israeli leader said.
The Israeli soldiers "defended themselves from a lynching," he added.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iLX8cl6myUchicKmbyaNhwDKl93Q
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Dropping commandos - one at a time - into a crowd of hostile people on a ship in international waters doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do, either in terms of military planning or manageable PR. Did someone neglect to notice the lack of an 'element of surprise'?
OTTAWA — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "regret" Monday over the loss of life in a raid on an aid convoy that left at least nine dead, but said Israeli troops acted to "defend their lives. We regret the loss of life," Netanyahu said in Ottawa during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
But he insisted the Israeli forces had acted to defend themselves, telling reporters later that the flotilla was seeking to smuggle into Gaza rockets or other weapons to attack the Jewish state.
The raid by Israel troops "was to prevent the infiltration of thousands of rockets, missiles and other arms that could hit our cities, communities or people," the Israeli leader said.
The Israeli soldiers "defended themselves from a lynching," he added.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iLX8cl6myUchicKmbyaNhwDKl93Q
---
Dropping commandos - one at a time - into a crowd of hostile people on a ship in international waters doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do, either in terms of military planning or manageable PR. Did someone neglect to notice the lack of an 'element of surprise'?
green-man-2010.livejournal.comIt has been said that if Socialism ever came to the USA, there would be starvation, rioting in the streets, and the whole fabric of society would collapse. People would literally die as a result of policies.
Well, lets be honest, Americans have been dying of US government policies for a long time now.
Americans died as a result of the wars in Vietnam , Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Americans are dying as a result of the fact that many US citizens are tried for murder and end up on Death Row. Americans die, on average, at a significantly younger ge than people do in Sweden. Oh, and more babies per 1,000 die in America than in 31 other countries.
Fact: a baby has a better chance of reaching the age of 1, and the age of 5 in many European countries than a baby born in the USA. So much for the 'Free Market' saving lives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate
Now, why is this, you may ask? I mean, the USA is the one nation in the developed world where there is no National Health programme. Is this a good thing or not? Let me explain something to you that you might have missed...( Read more... )
Well, lets be honest, Americans have been dying of US government policies for a long time now.
Americans died as a result of the wars in Vietnam , Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Americans are dying as a result of the fact that many US citizens are tried for murder and end up on Death Row. Americans die, on average, at a significantly younger ge than people do in Sweden. Oh, and more babies per 1,000 die in America than in 31 other countries.
Fact: a baby has a better chance of reaching the age of 1, and the age of 5 in many European countries than a baby born in the USA. So much for the 'Free Market' saving lives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate
Now, why is this, you may ask? I mean, the USA is the one nation in the developed world where there is no National Health programme. Is this a good thing or not? Let me explain something to you that you might have missed...( Read more... )