Sunday, 20 January 2013

Secular Café: Presidential Inauguration

Secular Café
For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world
Presidential Inauguration
Jan 20th 2013, 11:36

With Obama's second Inauguration ceremony about to happen, how seriously does anyone take it?

Is it significant that the black POTUS's second inauguration will be celebrated on Martin Luther King Day?

I've seen discussion of how much god-bothering is usually present in these ceremonies.

I thought this was an interesting take on the whole business, however:

7 Ways in Which the President Continues to Break His Presidential Oath

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Secular Café: The future of the Republican Party?

Secular Café
For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world
The future of the Republican Party?
Jan 20th 2013, 12:03

Have they lost the plot, or is it a temporary setback?

See this article: http://www.policymic.com/articles/23...-self-destruct

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Secular Café: Islamist terrorism in North Africa

Secular Café
For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world
Islamist terrorism in North Africa
Jan 20th 2013, 10:18

I assume everyone knows that a huge petrol complex in Algeria owned by BP/Statoil was attacked by Islamist terrorists with a fairly large number of foreign workers killed or taken hostage. It is likely that the terrorists had been trained in one of a number of camps that have been established in Libya since the downfall of the Gaddhafi regime.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/wo...s.html?hp&_r=0

Meanwhile, Islamists are still trying to take total control of Mali and are being fought by forces from other African countries and from France, with, it is believed, some help from the USA.

Algeria has long been struggling with home-grown terrorism, but now North Africa seems to be the most effective base for the Islamists.

David Cameron said

Quote:

This is a global threat and it will require a global response. It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months. It requires a response that is patient and painstaking, that is tough but also intelligent, but above all has an absolutely iron resolve and that is what we will deliver over these coming years.
I imagine all European governments are very worried now, given all the links between North Africa and Europe and the number of immigrants from North Africa now resident in Europe.

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Thursday, 17 January 2013

Secular Café: Horrible child abuse in UK

Secular Café
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Horrible child abuse in UK
Jan 17th 2013, 19:00

This is one of a number of similar cases that have come before the courts in the past year or two.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-21059681

Quote:

A 12-year-old girl who was repeatedly raped by a group of men was also made to have a back-room abortion after falling pregnant, a court has heard.

She is one of six alleged victims of nine men accused of grooming children and exploiting them for sex in Oxford.

She was also "branded" with the initial of a man who claimed to "own her".

The men deny 51 charges including rape, arranging child prostitution and trafficking relating to girls aged between 11 and 15 from 2004 to 2012.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was "sold" to Mohammed Karrar when she had just turned 11 to "cure her bad attitude"...

..."He regarded her as his property. He showed her no regard.

"He felt he was entitled to have sex with her when he wanted and in whatever manner he wanted.

"If she had the courage to resist, he beat her. He branded her to make her his property and to ensure others knew it."

The court heard Mr Karrar would charge men between £400 and £600 to use the girl...

...The court has previously heard the group of men deliberately targeted vulnerable young girls with troubled upbringings which made it less likely anyone would be looking out for them.

The trial is expected to last until April. The defendants are all in custody.

The defendants are:

Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldwych Road, Oxford
Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, Oxford; and his brother Anjum Dogar, 30, of Tawney Street, Oxford
Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashurst Way, Oxford
Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Oxford; and his brother Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Oxford
Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Oxford
Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Oxford
Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead

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Secular Café: U.S Embassy worker stabbed to death in Johannesburg

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U.S Embassy worker stabbed to death in Johannesburg
Jan 17th 2013, 11:05

http://diplopundit.net/tag/christopher-norm-bates/

I knew this man, Christopher "Norm" Bates. He was a fellow Warhammer player and a good friend.

He jokingly adopted the nickname "Norm" and refered to his apartment as "The Bates Motel". He was a kind, generous and larger-than-life character with a fantastic sense of humour. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

I would like to apologise on behalf of the rest of my fucked up country for this senseless murder. The 29-year woman who killed him has been apprehended and has appeared in court.

Normster, may you feast long in the halls of Valhalla.

:(

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Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Secular Café: US gun debate: Obama unveils gun control proposals

Secular Café
For serious discussion of politics, political news, policy, political theory and economics and events happening round the world
US gun debate: Obama unveils gun control proposals
Jan 16th 2013, 19:35

Quote:

President Barack Obama has unveiled a raft of sweeping gun control proposals, setting the stage for a showdown with firearms rights advocates.

Mr Obama called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and wider background checks on gun buyers.

The Democratic president also signed 23 executive actions, which do not require congressional approval.

A month after last month's school massacre in Connecticut, he said gun-control reforms could wait no longer.

He unveiled the proposals at the White House on Wednesday, flanked by children who wrote him letters after December's Newtown shooting, which left 20 children and six teachers dead.

Mr Obama said: "If there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try."

'Gin up fear'
He urged Congress:
  1. to reintroduce an expired ban on "military-style" assault weapons, such as those used in several recent mass shootings
  2. limit ammunition magazines to 10 rounds
  3. introduce background checks on all gun sales; currently private sales and some sales at gun shows, constituting about 40% of the national total, are exempt
  4. pass a ban on possession and sale of armour-piercing bullets
  5. introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers, especially unlicensed dealers who buy arms for criminals
  6. finally approve the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Cont.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21049942

From what I've read here on SC, I think point 3 is going to be the most problematic.

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Monday, 14 January 2013

Secular Café: OZ: Gillard's bizarre act of faith leaves vulnerable unprotected

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OZ: Gillard's bizarre act of faith leaves vulnerable unprotected
Jan 14th 2013, 16:55

Quote:

I hesitate to say this but the Prime Minister is living in sin. I don't give a damn. Nor do most Australians. But that sort of thing bothers religious leaders. So much that Labor's Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill will renew their authority to bar anyone in Julia Gillard's shoes from any job in any of their schools, hospitals and charities, even those they run with public money.
It's a curious spectacle, a prime minister legislating against herself.
Only school funding is as heavily defended by bishops, orthodox rabbis and imams as the "freedom" to punish these sinners in the workplace.

Should she wish to work some day as, say, a cleaner in an Anglican hostel, she could solve the problem by marrying. But the woman who will be shepherding the legislation through the Senate really hasn't a hope. The new law will back any faith-based organisation that refuses to hire Penny Wong if having a lesbian on the payroll injures "the religious sensitivities of adherents of that religion".

Legislating against herself ...

This is not a summer spoof. Nor is it a distant symbolic issue like gay marriage. This is here and now. The bill is before a Senate inquiry. At present it will leave unprotected a long list of ordinary Australians working or wanting to work with some of the biggest employers in the country.

Most conservative faiths have most of the following on their lists of the sackable: gays and lesbians, single mothers, adulterers - yes, even adulterers! - bisexuals, transsexuals, the intersex and couples like Gillard and Tim Mathieson.

cont....
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/pol...113-2cnf0.html

WTF?!?!

I wonder if this cuts both ways, can an atheist sack a religions person for being wrong? Sounds like an omnishambles in the making...

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