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

[Vibranium]

someone should tell him that disease doesn't care if you read the Bible or not

[WestPhillyPunisher]

someone should tell him that disease doesn't care if you read the Bible or not

I couldn't agree more. The only thing in this world that doesn't discriminate is death. Black, white, gay, straight, Democrat or Republican, pious or sinful, the Grim Reaper plays NO favorites, and Ebola is nothing to wish on ANYONE.

[worstblogever]

someone should tell him that disease doesn't care if you read the Bible or not

I couldn't agree more. The only thing in this world that doesn't discriminate is death. Black, white, gay, straight, Democrat or Republican, pious or sinful, the Grim Reaper plays NO favorites, and Ebola is nothing to wish on ANYONE.

He's probably thinking Ebola isn't a disease, per se, it's like one of those "Plagues of Egypt" kind of illnesses that selectively can go through the population and afflict first born sons, or in this case, the LGBT community. Someone should tell him he's got his wires crossed. Everyone knows God uses a pillar of flame against that group. I mean, come on, Wiles!

*rolls eyes*

[Dr. Kusa San]

Yeah, 9/11 just helped their case to go into Iraq, by falsely associating Saddam with Al Qaeda. But if I'm not mistaken, Bush's first term Treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill has gone on record in his book and said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were called, and himself, to the White House in January 2001 to talk about going into Iraq.

I'm not.

I think Powell has gone on record too that discussions began before 9-11.

[Dr. Kusa San]

I don't know what this lunatic's political affiliation is, but Christian radio host Rick Wiles spouted some seriously CUH-RAAAAAAAAAZY shit about how Ebola could be "beneficial" to America:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0I0MO4Mrzk

LOL, don't know the political affiliation. Christian radio talk show = Christian right (self-titled moral majority), most likely Tea Party

[Vibranium]

so ISIS is pushing farther north and US is doing airstrikes...debate on MSNBC about what the endgame for ISIS is, and the popular opinion seems to be carving out its own country with the remains of southern Syria and northern and eastern Iraq

[Kid A]

I saw this coverage on Fox News, where they try to reduce the ISIS situation to just being a "War on Christianity" and then they post a world map showing where else there's a "War on Christianity." Good stuff.

[CSTowle]

Tennessee's Republican State Legislature decided to follow Florida's lead, and start drug testing all those pesky addicts living off the government dole (even though Florida didn't find that many, and lost money on the idea).

So far, they've got one person on drugs out of 800. Or .12% of people on welfare, can actually afford illegal drugs.

Your Republican Party again proves it's the party of fiscal responsibility, throwing money away on finding problems that don't significantly statistically exist.

I don't think it's a mistake on their part though, I think it's calculated. The calculation being that a large block of voters won't look beyond the headline of "Welfare Recipients to Face Mandatory Drug Testing" and so walk away with the impression that their tax money is going to people who are turning around and using it on drugs (one popular self-justification not to give money to homeless people extended to Welfare).

It's like the story of some people using EBT money on king crab legs. It gave the impression that every night these people are using your tax dollars to eat better than most middle class families. Never mind that it's a pretty small monthly budget, and the morons who were buying those crab legs were probably eating ramen and mac & cheese at the end of their monthly cycle and so were more hurting themselves than gaming the system.

It sound like what their base wants to hear though, so if they have to pay for an investigation into what people are spending their benefits on and writing up legislation to ban them from using it on certain items then that's what they'll do to keep their jobs. Money well-spent, especially as it's not theirs. Bring up corporate welfare for defense contractors or agribusiness and they'll clam up.

[Vibranium]

and numbers don't matter...if one gets caught, the supporters can say "SEE ITS WORKING"

[Mr. Mastermind]

I saw this coverage on Fox News, where they try to reduce the ISIS situation to just being a "War on Christianity" and then they post a world map showing where else there's a "War on Christianity." Good stuff.

Have they finally found something to move from Benghazi after the House Intelligence Committee (ironically led by the Republicans) have confirmed all their talking points and conspiracies were total nonsense?

[worstblogever]

and numbers don't matter...if one gets caught, the supporters can say "SEE ITS WORKING"

I think they're trying to throw people off of welfare for missing tests they would pass, but just due to a snafu, didn't get there to make it happen.

I mean, that's really what it's about. "Humiliation, jump through hoops, and if you can't get there like we say you have to, you filthy poors, no food assistance for you!"

In the meantime, it's a questionable search and seizure targeted at "not rich people" without any legitimate suspicion other than, "Well, maybe you're on drugs, because you're poor and that's what you spent all your money on."

Seriously, the d*****baggery of those laws really irks me.

[worstblogever]

Have they finally found something to move from Benghazi after the House Intelligence Committee (ironically led by the Republicans) have confirmed all their talking points and conspiracies were total nonsense?

They've got to wait until Congress comes back from vacation and Darrell Issa and Trey Gowdy can call another investigative hearing on the taxpayers' dime so that they can get all lathered up about Benghazi again. They have to do something instead for the next month.

[lancerman]

and numbers don't matter...if one gets caught, the supporters can say "SEE ITS WORKING"

I would love to see how much money it cost (probably millions) to screen those 800 people, vs how much that one guy was taking from government assisted funding to pay for his illegal drugs.

[worstblogever]

I would love to see how much money it cost (probably millions) to screen those 800 people, vs how much that one guy was taking from government assisted funding to pay for his illegal drugs.

Drug testing isn't as expensive as you're thinking. In Florida It's about $30 per person. But it's still a loss, big time, at the rate they're catching people.

Florida has lost six figure sums on it. Rick Scott predicted it would save money. Utah lost money on it. Both states found less than 2% of people on welfare on drugs. The national average of drug use is 8.9%. When Arizona did it a few years back, they screened 87,000 people, and found ONE person in two years. $30 x 87K is $2.61 million spent. Total saved on people kicked off welfare? $560.

Pretty much, to turn a profit and get their predicted "savings", they would need to catch 1 in 18 people.

But what we're discovering is, people on welfare are using drugs at a rate less than the average American. Mostly because they don't have the disposable income to be drug users, they need to get food and pay rent. Hell, in 2 of the 4 states, it's not just that they're in the red on these little crusades... they're flat out wasting money and finding statistically no drug use (and when they do, it's weed).

[Tendrin]

Drug testing isn't as expensive as you're thinking. In Florida It's about $30 per person. But it's still a loss, big time, at the rate they're catching people.

Florida has lost six figure sums on it. Rick Scott predicted it would save money. Utah lost money on it. Both states found less than 2% of people on welfare on drugs. The national average of drug use is 8.9%. When Arizona did it a few years back, they screened 87,000 people, and found ONE person in two years. $30 x 87K is $2.61 million spent. Total saved on people kicked off welfare? $560.

Pretty much, to turn a profit and get their predicted "savings", they would need to catch 1 in 18 people.

But what we're discovering is, people on welfare are using drugs at a rate less than the average American. Mostly because they don't have the disposable income to be drug users, they need to get food and pay rent. Hell, in 2 of the 4 states, it's not just that they're in the red on these little crusades... they're flat out wasting money and finding statistically no drug use (and when they do, it's weed).

It's because it is not really about drug users and welfare or even money.

It's about shaming and controlling welfare recipients, just like it always has been, and always will be. That 'welfare' is even a dirty word is so ridiculous.

The right in this country remains obsessed with shaming, degrading, and controlling the poor, to ensure they are appropriately 'punished' for the supposed moral failings that 'made' them poor in the first place.