All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Lightsabretooth]

More proof that no political party does super-duper dumbass like the GOP.

It's hard to pay attention to details while trying to appease your raging, frothing at the mouth base, who are determined to scream at and instill fear in a group of children on a bus.

"Look, a bus! Let's get'em!!!"

Whoops, wrong bus everybody! Put the torches and pitchforks away...Until next time!

[Mark]

She's my senator and she hasn't impressed me yet. The only thing I agree with her on is bringing back Glass/Steigal.

But honestly as noted before I'd consider voting in a one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater if I thought it would do any good or change anything. I don't see any president stopping republicans from hating democrats as much as democrats despise republicans. Jesus coming down from heaven couldn't bridge the gap between the two parties.

I do think the opposition from the establishment will only help him, especially since most people polled say they want to intervene less in the world. He hasn't said he wanted to be isolationist, he's just said he wants to take on fewer problems abroad and cut down on military spending. I'd never vote for him because of his far-right libertarian views on things like the Voting Rights Act and allowing restaurants/hotels/etc. to ban people based on race/orientation/etc., but I agree with him on our "need to project force".

I'd love it if Warren ran, but I think it's both too soon and she's too liberal to ever win. I wish I were wrong, but I just don't see her as a serious contender in a general election. I'll be pulling for her to run so we can at least hear her in the debates though.

[Mark]

Good thing there isn't any such thing as crazy frothing at the mouth democrats, they are all such saints.

It's hard to pay attention to details while trying to appease your raging, frothing at the mouth base, who are determined to scream at and instill fear in a group of children on a bus.

"Look, a bus! Let's get'em!!!"

Whoops, wrong bus everybody! Put the torches and pitchforks away...Until next time!

[Kid A]

She's my senator and she hasn't impressed me yet. The only thing I agree with her on is bringing back Glass/Steigal.

But honestly as noted before I'd consider voting in a one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater if I thought it would do any good or change anything. I don't see any president stopping republicans from hating democrats as much as democrats despise republicans. Jesus coming down from heaven couldn't bridge the gap between the two parties.

Which is hilarious considering that the Republicans are just bigoted versions of Democrats. The "gap" between the parties is only when it comes to social issues.

[Lightsabretooth]

Good thing there isn't any such thing as crazy frothing at the mouth democrats, they are all such saints.

Oh look, there's the "they're just as bad as we are" argument.

[Michael P]

Haven't heard of any Democrats spitting on children lately. If someone's got links, I'd like to see 'em.

[Charles RB]

And then a reporter for NBC News 12 asked him, "You do realize that bus was full of children headed to YMCA Camp, right?"

Uh oh, spaghettios!

Thinking about it a little more this afternoon, I'm not sure it's the teachers that are the problem. The Education Secretary being hated by the unions and the teachers is pretty much Situation: Normal. It's when you lose the parents that you're in trouble.

Have parents turned on him that much? Generally when I hear parents talking about the teacher strike, it's a moan that the strike exists. "They get 12 weeks holiday a year, why are they complaining!" and stuff. (If he has lost the parents, whoops!) IDS, you're right; he doesn't need to be competent when he's telling everyone what they want to hear. (Why we want to hear it is a question for psychologists)

[Charles RB]

And now we know that a senior detective for the Lancashire Police was investigating Cyril Smith way back in 1970 and reported "this man looks guilty as sin and someone we could definitely prosecute, and also a magistrate friend of us was threatening us to drop the case". And what happened? Sir Norman Skelhorn, Director of Public Prosecutions said they weren't going to prosecute because he didn't think the victims were good enough to give evidence.

Sir Norman said that any charges of indecent assault founded on their allegations would be "somewhat stale", and, in his view, "completely without corroboration".

He also said the characters of some of the young men "would be likely to render their evidence suspect".

The bastard could have been taken out in 1970 and at best he got off because the victims weren't Silver Age DC characters.

[lancerman]

Which is hilarious considering that the Republicans are just bigoted versions of Democrats. The "gap" between the parties is only when it comes to social issues.

I wouldn't say that. The gap between parties is relatively small when you compare it to the actual political spectrum. They're all in the same section, just different opinions on how that section should work. I'd say they are extremely close on foreign policy when you really get down to it. Economically it's more about how far regulation should go and differing opinion on the tax system. It's still significant and I think there they do actually balance each other out and I wouldn't really want one to completely overpower the other. Socially is by far the biggest difference. And I think that's really coming down to the same age old social shifts there have always been throughout time (the old status quo gradually accepting a newer one).

[Mikekerr3]

The Green Party deserves the benefit of the doubt.

And dude, use the multi quote function ffs.

I Don't agree, the grrens are prety uncarring about the folks who wold get crushed by their agenda, just as uncaring as the republicans or the Democrats

Good thing there isn't any such thing as crazy frothing at the mouth democrats, they are all such saints.

Name the Democratic equivalent of Gohmert of Cruz please

[Kid A]

I Don't agree, the grrens are prety uncarring about the folks who wold get crushed by their agenda, just as uncaring as the republicans or the Democrats

I'd rather actually see them in office first.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I Don't agree, the grrens are prety uncarring about the folks who wold get crushed by their agenda, just as uncaring as the republicans or the Democrats

Name the Democratic equivalent of Gohmert of Cruz please

The last really entertaining crazypants we had was Cynthia McKinney, but she went Green in 2008.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Here's a fun article that won't be at all controversial. Scientists find deep psychological differences between liberals and conservatives, suggesting that some political opinions are hardwired and that compromise might be impossible. Apparently conservatives have something called "negativity bias," where they are more attuned to negative stimuli in their environments, and thus more likely to support things like, say, punishing mothers for using drugs even if that drives them to have abortions.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...egativity-bias

Don't read the comments on this article if you value your mental well-being.

So what do you think?

[Arundel Armor Hunter]

Where do weirdo libertarians fit?

[Puppetmaker Grae]

Have parents turned on him that much? Generally when I hear parents talking about the teacher strike, it's a moan that the strike exists. "They get 12 weeks holiday a year, why are they complaining!" and stuff. (If he has lost the parents, whoops!)

I think he has. Parents are not convinced by their schools being converted to academies, local education funds being diverted to free-schools, and the cancellation of the new school building program when the coalition first came to power really pissed-off those who were waiting for long overdue improvements to their buildings.

I know it's anecdotal, but the parents on my school run are broadly supportive of the teachers, or at least dislike Gove enough to go along with them. Having said that, the strikes are walking a fine line, they can be a total ball-ache especially if you've only received the minimum 24 hours notice and alternative childcare can be expensive. If they become too frequent parental support will evaporate.