The unimportant news thread

[Ken B]

Guild.
http://popehat.com/2015/05/06/two-stories-about-the-criminal-justice-system-and-consequences/

[Cato]

Okay, I am in my 8th Grade Homeroom.

Two boys, brothers, the most identical of identical twins, and not particularly bright, have decided to start arm-wrestling.   

Again, these are identical twins!

After two to three minutes of going nowhere, and restarting a few times, I simply said: "Hmm: i-den-ti-cal twins arm-wrestling:  I wonder why there is a perpetual tie!"

One of the spectators says: "Oh yeah!  That's right!"

To quote the waiter in Ferris Bueller: "I weep for the future!   

[North Star]

Okay, I am in my 8th Grade Homeroom.

Two boys, brothers, the most identical of identical twins, and not particularly bright, have decided to start arm-wrestling.   

Again, these are identical twins!

After two to three minutes of going nowhere, and restarting a few times, I simply said: "Hmm: i-den-ti-cal twins arm-wrestling:  I wonder why there is a perpetual tie!"

Well one of them might exercise more. . .

[Karl Henning]

Okay, I am in my 8th Grade Homeroom.

Two boys, brothers, the most identical of identical twins, and not particularly bright, have decided to start arm-wrestling.   

Again, these are identical twins!

After two to three minutes of going nowhere, and restarting a few times, I simply said: "Hmm: i-den-ti-cal twins arm-wrestling:  I wonder why there is a perpetual tie!"

One of the spectators says: "Oh yeah!  That's right!"

To quote the waiter in Ferris Bueller: "I weep for the future!   

Plus:

The shallowest slogan ever to come out from some of the worst demagogues in history. 

It's the journey, not the destination.

[Ken B]

The shallowest slogan ever to come out from some of the worst demagogues in history. 

"Ego te absolvo."

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Excuse me while I take a potty break

[Ken B]

Think Baltimore.
http://popehat.com/2015/05/07/ville-de-granby-takes-the-lead-in-protecting-endangered-official-feels/

Can a jail hold a hundred million people?

[Karl Henning]

Think Baltimore.
http://popehat.com/2015/05/07/ville-de-granby-takes-the-lead-in-protecting-endangered-official-feels/

Can a jail hold a hundred million people?

"Denmark's a prison" . . . .

[ibanezmonster]

Happy Goku Day!

Today, May 9, has been officially recognized as a holiday commemorating Goku, the great Saiyan warrior who saved our universe from evil. "Go" is "5" and "Ku" is one way of saying "9," so 5/9.

Article:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-05-09/may-9-officially-recognized-as-goku-day/.87998


From Japan Anniversary Association's website: http://www.kinenbi.gr.jp/
says it right here:

悟空の日   5月9日

[Ken B]

I have long argued that the true conservative position on abortion rights is pro-choice. The kind of government intrusion needed to truly enforce a ban on abortion dwarfs even that claimed by the most radical statist. In the USA at the federal level there is also another consideration counselling the same conclusion: enumerated powers.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/05/10/abortion-republicans-congress-limits-column/27083275/

Will the GOP stick to principles or god-talk? My money is on god-talk. 

[kishnevi]

I have long argued that the true conservative position on abortion rights is pro-choice. The kind of government intrusion needed to truly enforce a ban on abortion dwarfs even that claimed by the most radical statist. In the USA at the federal level there is also another consideration counselling the same conclusion: enumerated powers.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/05/10/abortion-republicans-congress-limits-column/27083275/

Will the GOP stick to principles or god-talk? My money is on god-talk. 

The same applies to immigration.  To actually achieve what the GOP says it wants on that issue would require a true police state, where everyone must produce papers on demand.

These points illustrate the fact that conservatism is not necessarily small government in orientation.  Authoritarian conservatives have a long history. 

Perhaps we could say that Republicans are against big government except when they are for it.

[ibanezmonster]

Perhaps we could say that Republicans are against big government except when they are for it.

That would be completely accurate. 

[Jo498]

It is a very strange understanding of "conservative" to take "government intrusion" as an overruling criterion. I'd call this libertarian, not conservative.
If abortion is, as the opponents claim, something like a murder of an innocent human being, it seems obvious that preventing this had to overrule any qualms about government intrusion.
Even a minimalist nightwatchman state is supposed to stop atrocities (which abortions clearly are if the opponents are right). If they are wrong, the state shouldn't intrude. But the very point of debate is whether abortions are atrocious or not, so you cannot just assume one side to be obviously right, and conclude what amount of intrusion would be appropriate.

[North Star]

Perhaps we could say that Republicans are against big government except when they are for it.

Or in it. 

And Jo, American and European definitions of conservative are somewhat different.

[Florestan]

It is a very strange understanding of "conservative" to take "government intrusion" as an overruling criterion. I'd call this libertarian, not conservative.
If abortion is, as the opponents claim, something like a murder of an innocent human being, it seems obvious that preventing this had to overrule any qualms about government intrusion.
Even a minimalist nightwatchman state is supposed to stop atrocities (which abortions clearly are if the opponents are right). If they are wrong, the state shouldn't intrude. But the very point of debate is whether abortions are atrocious or not, so you cannot just assume one side to be obviously right, and conclude what amount of intrusion would be appropriate.

I agree 100%.

American and European definitions of conservative are somewhat different.

Exactly, just like the definitions of liberal.   

[Jo498]

I agree and I am aware of different usages of these terms, still "conservative" without qualifier does include "social conservatives" as well.
But I was actually unclear: EVEN a libertarian who favors a minimal state would usually agree that among the few jobs of such a state would be the prevention of murder (and respectively the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators). So IF (and I completely agree that it is a big IF) abortion is akin to murder, even a minimalist state cannot just adopt laissez-faire wrt abortion as a default position. We can see this easily if we replace abortion with murderous robbery. To deny that the state should try to prevent (or at least prosecute and punish after the fact) murder and robbery is not libertarian but anarchist (or worse).

Of course, our society is divided in the question whether abortion is wrong. Still, my position is that precisely because our society is so deeply divided in this question there is at least the reasonable possibility that abortion is akin to murder, so laissez-faire should not be the default option for the state.

Sure, there is a slippery slope here. If there is a minority that claims that women not wearing a headscarf (or veil) are commiting a capital offense, should the state also take it as reasonable possibility that unveiled women are commiting a crime and therefore provide ruling?
Surely not. But it has to be decided case by case, and I think that for e.g. abortion there is a sufficiently reasonable case that it is a serious moral wrong and therefore laissez faire should not be the standard option.

"freedom of choice" might still be the *result* of a process of deliberation and legislation on this issue. But taking it as a *default option* seems to be begging a very serious and difficult moral question.

[ibanezmonster]

Forget the message in this. I despise both pictures. I think this sums up what I hate most about my fellow Americans.

[ibanezmonster]

Wtf is wrong with Florida men? 

http://www.mandatory.com/2015/05/12/man-kills-imaginary-friend-turns-self-in-takes-worlds-saddest/



edit: lol... well, looks like this story was fabricated. But believable.

[Ken B]

I am tempted to start a new thread, Too many people go to university.
http://reason.com/blog/2015/05/12/trigger-warning-mythology

I am serious btw. Too many people go to university.

Follow up. The best book of poetry I have read in a long time.
[asin]0374525870[/asin]
I think most of you can take it. You be careful though Nate. 

[Karl Henning]

I am serious btw. Too many people go to university.

Is this related to people being graduated from high school with less than what a high school education used to mean?...