Politics And Current Events

[Freddy Rumsen]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/fbi-un ... NA:InFocus

[PFiDC]

The quote above, from the judge, assumes that the fear was put into the girl's head by the parents and not the black people who held them at gun point. Or that the parents have control over their daughter's irrational thoughts, which is insane.

The quote does not presume that the fear was put in the girl's mind by the parents, but rather that it is being perpetuated by the parents. We're talking about a crime that happened two years ago, when the child could not possibly have had the cognitive ability to comprehend what was happening; which means this kid has spent half her life fearing black people because of an event that she may have no memory of as an adult.

Do three year olds form such generalized, stereotyped and racist opinions of others?" he wrote. "I think not. Perhaps the mother had attributed her own views to her child as a manner of sanitizing them."

Did it say the girl couldn't comprehend what was going on?
As far as I read, the article didn't say whether she showed an understanding of what happened or not. Maybe I missed it. I'll check again!

From what I remember, If anything, her reaction shows that on some level she understood that something negative was going on between the two people and her parents and formed this irrational behavior as a result. And unfortunately, she would be correct in thinking that something negative transpired.

Whether she remembers what happened is yet to be seen. We could speculate all day. Her parents will remember. If anything they can look it up on the internet unfortunately. And if she finds herself in such a situation hopefully therapy follows.
Or they could take her to a Beyonce concert. She is like a real life princess. Who can sing. And is beautiful. Sigh. Who can resist Beyonce?!

But in all seriousness, if what you say does happen then it is important, I think, to understand why the initial events transpired in the first place so that this situation happens less often.

What factors led those two people to confront that family in the first place? And what needs to happen in order for that situation to be avoided?

Unless you are some psychopath without a network of positive friends and family relationships chances are you don't want to commit a crime.

Poverty breeds crime. Race does not.

[CBear3]

{Racism, racism, scarred for life...}And if she finds herself in such a situation hopefully therapy follows.
Or they could take her to a Beyonce concert. She is like a real life princess. Who can sing. And is beautiful. Sigh. Who can resist Beyonce?!

The cure to all the worlds ills is a Beyonce concert. I love it.

[shafnutz05]

Poverty breeds crime. Race does not.

I think this is true to a large extent, but it doesn't help that committing violent acts, breaking the law, and "hustling" are glorified by racial culture. I would also argue that bettering yourself and trying to escape the vicious circle of poverty is openly discouraged and mocked in some of these same communities.

[PFiDC]

Poverty breeds crime. Race does not.

I think this is true to a large extent, but it doesn't help that committing violent acts, breaking the law, and "hustling" are glorified by racial culture. I would also argue that bettering yourself and trying to escape the vicious circle of poverty is openly discouraged and mocked in some of these same communities.

I completely agree. The glorification of the "thug life" has done immense damage to advancing the poor black man out of poverty. It tells us that crime is the way out of poverty so it only perpetuates the situation. Stealing because you are hungry, while still stealing, is one thing. Stealing because you are trying to be a bad ass (because you are hungry?) is another.

[tifosi77]

Which begs the question: How did that glorification get traction?

[Kaiser]

+1

[MWB]

Which begs the question: How did that glorification get traction?

Because white people bought cd's?

[MWB]

Poverty breeds crime. Race does not.

I think this is true to a large extent, but it doesn't help that committing violent acts, breaking the law, and "hustling" are glorified by racial culture. I would also argue that bettering yourself and trying to escape the vicious circle of poverty is openly discouraged and mocked in some of these same communities.

The same discouragement and mockery happens across racial lines. I think it's a case of poverty being the reason, but the other things being the front for the reason.

[columbia]

Some Blackwater thugs headed for jail....

http://gawker.com/blackwater-guards-sen ... socialflow

[Willie Kool]

Republicans push for a permanent aristocracy

On Tuesday afternoon, the House Rules Committee took up H.R. 1105, the “Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015,” with plans to bring it to a vote on the chamber floor Wednesday — Tax Day. It is an extraordinarily candid expression of the majority’s priorities: A tax cut costing the treasury $269 billion over a decade that would exclusively benefit individuals with wealth of more than $5.4 million and couples with wealth of more than $10.9 million.

And this at a time when the gap between rich and poor is already worse than it has been since the Great Depression? Never in the history of plutocracy has so much been given away to so few who need it so little.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), appearing late Tuesday before the Rules Committee, claimed that the estate tax is “absolutely devastating” to family farms, and he claimed the repeal would remove “an additional layer of taxation” from assets that had already been taxed.

Double taxation? Americans for Tax Fairness, citing Federal Reserve data, notes that 55 percent of the value of estates worth more than $100 million comprises unrealized capital gains that have never been taxed.

Hurting family farmers and small businesses? In the entire country, only 120 small businesses and farms (100 of them large farms) were hit by the estate tax in 2013.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ ... story.html

[shafnutz05]

Poverty breeds crime. Race does not.

I think this is true to a large extent, but it doesn't help that committing violent acts, breaking the law, and "hustling" are glorified by racial culture. I would also argue that bettering yourself and trying to escape the vicious circle of poverty is openly discouraged and mocked in some of these same communities.

The same discouragement and mockery happens across racial lines. I think it's a case of poverty being the reason, but the other things being the front for the reason.

How does that explain all of these rich rappers and athletes getting caught doing everything from committing murder to petty theft? They all make far more money in a year than most of us ever will.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Republicans push for a permanent aristocracy

On Tuesday afternoon, the House Rules Committee took up H.R. 1105, the “Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015,” with plans to bring it to a vote on the chamber floor Wednesday — Tax Day. It is an extraordinarily candid expression of the majority’s priorities: A tax cut costing the treasury $269 billion over a decade that would exclusively benefit individuals with wealth of more than $5.4 million and couples with wealth of more than $10.9 million.

And this at a time when the gap between rich and poor is already worse than it has been since the Great Depression? Never in the history of plutocracy has so much been given away to so few who need it so little.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), appearing late Tuesday before the Rules Committee, claimed that the estate tax is “absolutely devastating” to family farms, and he claimed the repeal would remove “an additional layer of taxation” from assets that had already been taxed.

Double taxation? Americans for Tax Fairness, citing Federal Reserve data, notes that 55 percent of the value of estates worth more than $100 million comprises unrealized capital gains that have never been taxed.

Hurting family farmers and small businesses? In the entire country, only 120 small businesses and farms (100 of them large farms) were hit by the estate tax in 2013.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ ... story.html

I always get a bit of tickle out of these kinds of things. As someone who would approve of some kind of modified flat tax I think the idea the government has a right to tax the same dollar bill three or four times is ludicrously absurd.

That being said the whole meme that GOP loves the rich and the DNC loves the poor and that this would put in a "GOP Aristocracy" when the wealthiest candidate for President in 2016 (at present) is the DNC candidate and most of the 1% votes DNC shows how well the narrative has been sold.

(BTW guess who the former Democrat Gov. of Massachusetts is now working for? )

(Also guess what the Clinton's have done in order to not pay their fair share? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... -they-back )

[NAN]

We need to throw tea into the harbor.

[tifosi77]

Republicans push for a permanent aristocracy

On Tuesday afternoon, the House Rules Committee took up H.R. 1105, the “Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015,” with plans to bring it to a vote on the chamber floor Wednesday — Tax Day. It is an extraordinarily candid expression of the majority’s priorities: A tax cut costing the treasury $269 billion over a decade that would exclusively benefit individuals with wealth of more than $5.4 million and couples with wealth of more than $10.9 million.

And this at a time when the gap between rich and poor is already worse than it has been since the Great Depression? Never in the history of plutocracy has so much been given away to so few who need it so little.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), appearing late Tuesday before the Rules Committee, claimed that the estate tax is “absolutely devastating” to family farms, and he claimed the repeal would remove “an additional layer of taxation” from assets that had already been taxed.

Double taxation? Americans for Tax Fairness, citing Federal Reserve data, notes that 55 percent of the value of estates worth more than $100 million comprises unrealized capital gains that have never been taxed.

Hurting family farmers and small businesses? In the entire country, only 120 small businesses and farms (100 of them large farms) were hit by the estate tax in 2013.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ ... story.html

Yeah, this is not the kind of tax reform/simplification we need.

[grunthy]

You're right it's not, but it's a good start.

[MWB]

Poverty breeds crime. Race does not.

I think this is true to a large extent, but it doesn't help that committing violent acts, breaking the law, and "hustling" are glorified by racial culture. I would also argue that bettering yourself and trying to escape the vicious circle of poverty is openly discouraged and mocked in some of these same communities.

The same discouragement and mockery happens across racial lines. I think it's a case of poverty being the reason, but the other things being the front for the reason.

How does that explain all of these rich rappers and athletes getting caught doing everything from committing murder to petty theft? They all make far more money in a year than most of us ever will.

Like Eminem? In some cases you can take the man out of the ghetto, but not the ghetto out of the man. How do you explain rich actresses shoplifting?

[tifosi77]

I always get a bit of tickle out of these kinds of things. As someone who would approve of some kind of modified flat tax I think the idea the government has a right to tax the same dollar bill three or four times is ludicrously absurd.

If you applied that logic uniformly, then the only form of taxation would be corporate income. My paycheck is comprised of the dollars left over after my employer paid its taxes. Estate tax are the dollars left over when you die and transfer that wealth to your heirs.

Also, 99.8% of estates owe no tax; this is effectively a non-issue. When something affects so few people, it should not really be a legislative priority.

FWIW, I support a consumption tax/VAT type thing. It strikes me as odd that we would fund government by taxing the means the people have to support themselves. (Yes, that means I support the repeal of the 16th Amendment) But if we are going to go that route, than I think all money should be treated equally. No separate rates for capital gains, or estate, etc. It's all income.

[grunthy]

Corporations don't pay you from their profits, so no your paycheck wasn't taxed as income tax before.

[Freddy Rumsen]

I always get a bit of tickle out of these kinds of things. As someone who would approve of some kind of modified flat tax I think the idea the government has a right to tax the same dollar bill three or four times is ludicrously absurd.

If you applied that logic uniformly, then the only form of taxation would be corporate income. My paycheck is comprised of the dollars left over after my employer paid its taxes. Estate tax are the dollars left over when you die and transfer that wealth to your heirs.

Also, 99.8% of estates owe no tax; this is effectively a non-issue. When something affects so few people, it should not really be a legislative priority.

FWIW, I support a consumption tax/VAT type thing. It strikes me as odd that we would fund government by taxing the means the people have to support themselves. (Yes, that means I support the repeal of the 16th Amendment) But if we are going to go that route, than I think all money should be treated equally. No separate rates for capital gains, or estate, etc. It's all income.

Right, I am all in favor of repealing the 16th Amendment and do agree that all income should be treated the same, but only taxed once.

Forcing people to pay twice on the same income (payroll and income tax) is just one example of how crazy our tax system is.

[tifosi77]

The whole idea of payroll tax is stupid. "Oh, company... you want to hire someone? Pay us 6.2% of their salary, please."

I'd be much happier if that 6.2% tax was the Medicare tax, and it funded a proper single-payer system. (Or at least the catastrophic care single-payer model that Ben Carson favors)

[tifosi77]

El Salvador Jails Women For Miscarriages And Stillbirths

When Guadalupe Vasquez became pregnant at 17 after being raped by a neighbor of the house where she worked as a maid, she decided she wanted the baby. She even picked out a name: Gabriel.

Then, on a day in late 2007, pain shot through her back and abdomen. Vasquez says she started bleeding, but her employer wouldn't let her leave the house to get medical care. Sick in her room and alone, she went into labor.

She heard the baby cry briefly, and then he was dead.

Only then did the employer send her to the hospital, saying she did not want to "deal with two dead in my house," Vasquez recalls. She passed out, and when she came to, she was handcuffed to the bed at a state hospital.

The rapist was free, but now it would be Vasquez who would go to prison — for seven years and three months.

Reasonably sure that's not the way to go about that.

[Freddy Rumsen]

I find this kind of funny in a ha, ha kind of way, not in a "laugh at Louis C.K." kind of way.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/04 ... ne-before/

[Willie Kool]

That being said the whole meme that GOP loves the rich and the DNC loves the poor and that this would put in a "GOP Aristocracy" when the wealthiest candidate for President in 2016 (at present) is the DNC candidate and most of the 1% votes DNC shows how well the narrative has been sold.

Their personal wealth doesn't concern me, their legislative agenda does. I honestly don't recall any D's proposing such a blatant, aristocracy-building type giveaway to the uber-rich.

[Freddy Rumsen]

That being said the whole meme that GOP loves the rich and the DNC loves the poor and that this would put in a "GOP Aristocracy" when the wealthiest candidate for President in 2016 (at present) is the DNC candidate and most of the 1% votes DNC shows how well the narrative has been sold.

Their personal wealth doesn't concern me, their legislative agenda does. I honestly don't recall any D's proposing such a blatant, aristocracy-building type giveaway to the uber-rich.

Actions matter more than empty rants against the "rich". If paying taxes is patriotic and it is traitorous to try and figure out a legal way around it then why have the Clinton's done everything they can to skirt the Death Tax (as the Bloomberg article I posted notes).

How can someone who charged 300k for a speech as little as a month ago rail against CEO pay with a straight face?

An example of how the DNC assists the "aristocracy-building" right now and a policy that the Democrat-set in the Senate (and House) is blocking that would "hurt the rich" is the repeal of the Ex-Im Bank as well as the promotion of protectionist trade polices that demonstrably hurt the poor and assist the "rich", especially the way overpaid Union bosses.