Secular Café: Republican "Wisdom"

Secular Café For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Republican "Wisdom" Mar 28th 2012, 20:53 (Not loaded: 9PFd_-4F2vY&feature=player_embedded) LOL!

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Secular Café: Supreme Gods Hear Health Reform Mandate Arguments

Secular Café For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Supreme Gods Hear Health Reform Mandate Arguments Mar 28th 2012, 17:21 Our nine Supreme beings are examining the latest legal tribute laid before them and are already expressing some displeasure with their worshipper's offerings. Until a few days ago I assumed a full endorsement of the health care act was a given...now I am not so sure. As usual, the focus is on the Supreme Kennedy and this demi-god does not seem pleased with the arguments of the Obamacare tribute bearers. Quote: Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and Kennedy. Based on today's argument, it looks like all four of those Justices accepted the basic framing of the case offered by the challengers to the mandate. In particular, they all seem to accept that a legal requirement of action is quite different from a legal requirement regulating action, and that therefore the expansive Commerce Clause precedents like Raich did not apply to this case. That was the key move Randy Barnett introduced... http://volokh.com/2012/03/28/four-th...date-argument/ Quote: Justice Kennedy's skepticism of the individual mandate, a provision of the legislation requiring almost every uninsured American to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, did not end there. A few minutes later, he echoed the criticism lodged at the mandate by its opponents, who have argued that by requiring people to purchase insurance under the threat of a penalty, Congress breached its powers under the Constitution's commerce clause by forcing people to enter into commerce. "[W]hen you are changing the relation of the individual to the government in this… unique way," Justice Kennedy asked the government's counselor, "do you not have a heavy burden of justification to show authorization under the Constitution?" More than half-way through Verrilli's question-and-answer session, Justice Kennedy reiterated his concern over the government's requirement of "the individual to do an affirmative act." The unprecedented use of federal power, the justice continued, "changes the relationship of the Federal Government to the individual in [a] very fundamental way." While Justice Clarence Thomas maintained his usual silence during oral arguments, the other conservative justices also pounced on Verrilli, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. lodging the softest queries. http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelb...key-provision/ Let us hope that Kennedy has the courage of his seeming conviction...

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Secular Café: Google under fire in UK MPs' report into privacy

Secular Café For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Google under fire in UK MPs' report into privacy Mar 28th 2012, 17:29 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17523020 Quote: An influential group of UK lawmakers has called on Google to introduce an algorithm to remove search links found to be in breach of privacy - or face legislation to force it to do so. It follows complaints from ex-Formula One boss Max Mosley about the difficulty he faced in getting a video removed from the internet. The search giant argued it was not its job to monitor net content. The cross-party committee said this argument was "totally unconvincing". The report by a committee of MPs and peers was commissioned by the government to look into privacy and free speech issues after a series of high profile super-injunctions were made public last year. Celebrities including Ryan Giggs found that gagging orders against newspapers were routinely flouted online. In Mr Giggs' case, the details of his super-injunction were mentioned at least 75,000 times on Twitter, the committee said. Its report said that online firms needed to be brought in line with offline media in such cases. cont... http://www.publications.parliament.u...nj/273/273.pdf the report. I wonder how long it would take, if this system were put in place, for it to be abused by the government; my guess would be that the time could be measured in minutes. I'm not the trusting sort... If I were Google, and they forced me to do this, I would put a link right on the front page listing the URLs that had been blocked and the reasons why, obviously not naming names. What is it with governments and trying to mess about with the internet recently :dunno:

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Secular Café: Amen Averse: Record Number of Americans Want Less Religion in Politics

Secular Café For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Amen Averse: Record Number of Americans Want Less Religion in Politics Mar 28th 2012, 10:13 http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2012...+News+Daily%29 Some good news..... Quote: It seems that Americans have heard just about enough about religion in political campaigns. A new survey released by the Pew Forum On Religion & Public Life found that 38 percent of Americans said politicians have spent too much time expressing their religious faith and praying. That's up from 2010, when 29 percent of Americans said there was too much religious expression by political leaders. According to Pew, "[t]he number saying there has been too much religious talk from political leaders now stands at its highest point since the Pew Research Center began asking the question more than a decade ago." The survey even found that there has been an increase in this sentiment across party lines. The biggest spike came from people who identify as Democrats, 46 percent of whom said politicians talk too much about faith (up from 32 percent in 2010). Dissatisfaction is also growing among people who identify as Republicans, 24 percent of whom said candidates spend too much time on religion. In 2001, only 8 percent of Republicans had the same gripe. Among those who identify as Independent, a coveted demographic for both political parties, 42 percent said politicians talk too much about religion, a 6 percent increase from 2010. (In 2001, only 14 percent of Independents thought there was too much emphasis on religion.) The Pew survey also asked respondents about how much involvement churches should have in politics. Sixty percent of Democrats, 58 percent of Independents and 44 percent of Republicans said churches should not be involved in politics. (It should be noted, however, that respondents were asked if churches and other houses of worship "should stay out of political matters." The question shouldn't have been phrased that way, because there's a big difference between a church endorsing a candidate – which violates federal tax law — and a church discussing a national political issue, which does not.) This survey is yet another example of how out of touch some politicians are with the electorate – and it's far from the only example. LifeWay Research, which is the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, found that just 16 percent of Americans are more likely to vote for a candidate who speaks regularly about his or her religious beliefs. It's no secret that politicians work hard to stay "on message" during a campaign, but it's clear that some candidates have played the faith card too many times. The American public is tired of this broken record and wants to hear a new tune. Candidates should be discussing the myriad of problems facing this country, not how often they pray. What people really want is a stable economy, more jobs and a better life for themselves and their families. Politicians who spend most of their time talking about how often they pray aren't doing much to deliver any of those things.

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Secular Café: NYC is stupid at times

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NYC is stupid at times Mar 28th 2012, 00:33 http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/...ardized-tests/ WTF? Let's stop kids learning about useful and appropriate things... Quote: NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — George Carlin is rolling over in his grave. The New York City Department of Education is waging a war on words of sorts, and is seeking to have words they deem upsetting removed from standardized tests. Marla Diamond Talks To Walcott, Student About Banned Words Fearing that certain words and topics can make students feel unpleasant, officials are requesting 50 or so words be removed from city-issued tests. The word "dinosaur" made the hit list because dinosaurs suggest evolution which creationists might not like, WCBS 880′s Marla Diamond reported. "Halloween" is targeted because it suggests paganism; a "birthday" might not be happy to all because it isn't celebrated by Jehovah's Witnesses. Julie Lewis' family celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa, but she told CBS 2′s Emily Smith she wants her children to appreciate and learn about other holidays and celebrations. "They're going to meet people from all walks of life and they're going to have to learn to adjust," Lewis said. Words that suggest wealth are excluded because they could make kids jealous. "Poverty" is also on the forbidden list. That's something Sy Fliegal with the Center for Educational Innovation calls ridiculous. "The Petersons take a vacation for five days in their Mercedes … so what? You think our kids are going to be offended because they don't have a Mercedes? You think our kids are going to say 'I'm offended; how could they ask me a question about a Mercedes? I don't have a Mercedes!'" Fliegal said. In a throwback to "Footloose," the word "dancing" is also taboo. However, there is good news for kids that like "ballet": The city made an exception for this form of dance. Also banned are references to "divorce" and "disease," because kids taking the tests may have relatives who split from spouses or are ill. Some students think banning these words from periodic assessment tests is ridiculous. "If you don't celebrate one thing you might have a friend that does it. So I don't see why people would find it offensive," Curtis High School Sophomore Jamella Lewis told Diamond. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the DOE is simply giving guidance to the test developers. "So we're not an outlier in being politically correct. This is just making sure that test makers are sensitive in the development of their tests," Walcott said Monday. To which Fliegal responded: "It's all of life! I don't know how they figure out what not to put on the list. Every aspect of life is on the list." There are banned words currently in school districts nationwide. Walcott said New York City's list is longer because its student body is so diverse. Here is the complete list of words that could be banned: Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological) Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, or drugs Birthday celebrations (and birthdays) Bodily functions Cancer (and other diseases) Catastrophes/disasters (tsunamis and hurricanes) Celebrities Children dealing with serious issues Cigarettes (and other smoking paraphernalia) Computers in the home (acceptable in a school or library setting) Crime Death and disease Divorce Evolution Expensive gifts, vacations, and prizes Gambling involving money Halloween Homelessness Homes with swimming pools Hunting Junk food In-depth discussions of sports that require prior knowledge Loss of employment Nuclear weapons Occult topics (i.e. fortune-telling) Parapsychology Politics Pornography Poverty Rap Music Religion Religious holidays and festivals (including but not limited to Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan) Rock-and-Roll music Running away Sex Slavery Terrorism Television and video games (excessive use) Traumatic material (including material that may be particularly upsetting such as animal shelters) Vermin (rats and roaches) Violence War and bloodshed Weapons (guns, knives, etc.) Witchcraft, sorcery, etc. What do you think about the banned words list? Let us know below

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Secular Café: Is it time for world intervention in Tibet?

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Is it time for world intervention in Tibet? Mar 27th 2012, 11:32 Quote: China blames Dalai Lama for self-immolations after Tibetan sets himself on fire in India By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, March 27, 4:13 AM BEIJING — China on Tuesday accused the Dalai Lama of being behind a self-immolation protest by a Tibetan exile in India days before a visit by the Chinese president. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei offered no evidence linking the Tibetan spiritual leader to the exile who lit himself on fire and ran shouting through a demonstration in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on Monday. He said that the Dalai Lama and his associates have been instigating Tibetan independence and creating “disturbances” and that showed the Dalai Lama and his associates “single-handedly” planned the immolation on Monday. “These acts aimed at achieving Tibetan independence and separatism through taking people’s lives will never possibly be successful and will be severely condemned by the international community,” Hong told reporters at a regular news briefing. About 30 such protests have occurred over the past year in ethnic Tibetan areas of China, and a Tibetan self-immolated last year in India, where many exiles reside. The Tibetan self-declared government-in-exile has rejected the Chinese government’s accusations and issued statements discouraging self-immolation. “In the long-term interest of the Tibetan cause, we urge Tibetans to focus on secular and monastic education to provide the necessary human resources and the capability to strengthen and sustain our movement,” the group said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “We once again remind Tibetans to refrain from drastic actions.” Tibetans inside China and exiles say China’s crackdown on Tibetan regions is so oppressive, those who choose such a horrific form of protest feel they have no other way to express their beliefs. ... http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...gdS_story.html Dalai Lama would welcome investigations: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/...ogle_news_blog

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Secular Café: Santorum on Pr0n

Secular Café For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world

Santorum on Pr0n Mar 27th 2012, 03:31 Oh, shut the fuck up and go rent a few hours of gay porn and fap yourself to death you frothy mix. You COULDN'T do this. It would be unconstitutional and anyway congress likely wouldn't approve, or do you think the president rules by decree? Dumbass. :dunno: :bang: :mad:

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