Note: Each block of text actually is a link to a story or a web page that I am commenting on. Click on that text and it will take you to the page being referred to.
A few bombshells apparently fell today … it does seem that we indeed live in interesting times … as the ancient Chinese curse/adage says.
It seems that Pope Francis' speech to Congress yesterday was well received. Which is good and bad. Good that our representatives can see truth in what he says; bad in that no matter what he said, different people heard different things ... and now they all will be saying "but the Pope urged us to do this"
John Boehner's decision to step down has opened a Pandora's box ... but it highlights the reality of Washington today. Newt Gingrich's take on it is most insightful. The problem, really, is this. There are certain things that the Democrats are willing to go to the mat for and shutdown the government ... and they will have the backing of President Obama ... secure in the knowledge that regardless how it plays out, the Republicans will be blamed for any shutdown. In a nutshell, the Republicans don't have an absolute veto-proof majority, and the Democrats know it. So any bill that comes out, has to meet whatever demands they put on the table, or there will be no bill. Simple. And, of course, anything that can put egg on the GOP's face is all that much better. So, the segment of the GOP which is saying that if the Democrats are willing to go to the mat, then so are we ... which is fine in principle, but folly in practice. Too many people depend on the federal government now for it not to create a maelstrom. The Democrats know this and that is why they are unwilling to compromise, period.
This illustrates the problems the Republicans have in presenting a united front ... which is irrelevant anyway, because of a lack of absolute majority. Add to the mix the inflated egos of all the people on Capitol Hill and in the White House, and you begin to see why the US is in such trouble.
And you can put out reports like this left and right .... and as far as progressives are concerned they are irrelevant. The important thing is domestic spending and income redistribution.
The problem with the Highway Trust Fund is that it hasn't been a Trust Fund for years ... it has been yet another piggy-bank to be raided to pay for pet projects and domestic entitlement programs.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, Hillary Clinton just seems to be immune to all this, and you would think that will all these cuts, people would finally get the drift of what a disaster she really is.
This commentator makes probably what is a valid point these days: Disagree with a progressive/liberal and you immediately will be labeled with some pejorative term dismissing your argument ... not because they don't have a counter-argument but to change the subject. My favorite one came at me when I was in a class on International Relations in high school having a debate with our resident left-winger (he still is by the way) and my arguments had backed him into a corner (well he already was sitting back in a corner of the classroom) and he screamed at me that I was "politically and socially naive". Well, that definitely stopped the debate. How does one respond to that?
Paul Greenberg has an interesting point here ... sometimes imperialism has its positive and moral goods ... and maybe we don't need to be apologizing for it all the time.
Interesting point here ... instead of Islamophobia, maybe there are those among us (primarily progressives and liberals) who are suffering from Islamophoria.
This article identifies the real problem in the US these days: We have just got to stop trying to not offend anyone. People, you are going to get offended half the time no matter what is happening. Get used to it. Get over it.
It seems the government of Colombia and its foe FARC are near a peace agreement ... which is good, if the Colombians can work it out among themselves ... unfortunately, as the story points out, human rights advocates and sticklers for international law may cause it all to come undone. That would be sad.
A gloom and doom reaction to John Boehner stepping down as House Speaker
US-China Cyber Truce? I hope so, but I have my doubts .... just like I have my doubts how committed China is to reducing carbon emissions. We shall see.
Mr. Rachel offers his interesting take on the new meme: #SHOUTYOURABORTION
I appreciate what Pope Francis is trying to say ... and in a perfect world it would be as he says. But man, unfortunately, is terribly imperfect and despite millennia of trying ... man is no closer.
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