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

[WestPhillyPunisher]

right-o

Im all for every state having a universal standard for gun ownership, which they don't and some states are terribly resistant to

None moreso than my own state of Pennsylvania with all the avid hunters and gun nuts, especially in the western part of the state. Here in the east, namely Philadelphia, every time the city tried to pass tougher gun ordinances, Harrisburg politicians, most of whom could care less about the murder rate, or anything else in Philly comes stomping in to say no way. And the madness continues.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Yes, definitely. If Williams had only had a knife or stick or whatever then His victims would be possibly wounded but alive. What a silly question.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I can half agree, im a big history nut and those structures have stood through many a conflict and now ISIS, in their desire to control everything and everyone, wants to obliterate the past so they can control the future

The irony of it all is that their idea of the 'future' is right out of the dark ages with caliphates, women treated like cattle to be bought and sold and all that other bullshit they espouse.

[Arvandor]

Most say Sandy Hook was supposed to have been the tipping point, but, sadly, nothing changed. In the aftermath, I remember there being NRA bought and paid for politicians yammering that the shooting wouldn't have happened if there had been armed guards at the school or if teachers had been armed. Considering that nightmare was followed by shootings in Aurora and Charleston, and you can't help but wonder if there will be any massacre horrific enough that will finally turn public opinion towards meaningful gun control. I don't think there will, the gun culture in this country is just too ingrained, and the NRA do everything it can to maintain that status quo.

There doesn't seem to be any unity or leadership among anti gun campaigners. The groups campaign separately, and don't agree on what exactly to do about guns. They need to come together, maybe form an independent party. There needs to be a single, strong, unified voice to challenge the US gun lobby.

Relying on the Democrats is not going to work.

[Detox]

The knife argument is ridiculous. Guns are designed to make killing easy. If he'd been using a knife, chances are one or both would have lived.

Guns create such panic that people are unwilling to help also. If Holmes for instance, had walked into that theater with a knife, hammer, large boulder or whatever the hell they wanna use as an example...somebody would've taken him down. It takes a special kind of person to charge a man that's firing a gun.

[worstblogever]

Trump being Trump managed to make this story somewhat slip through the cracks...

A couple days ago, presidential candidate Ben Carson talked about getting rid of the Department of Veteran's Affairs as a "smaller government" idea.

This man needs a history book about what went down when our country didn't want to take care of veterans back in the Bonus Army days. Now he wants to eliminate the government agency that delivers medical care, psychological help, and various other services EARNED by men and women who put their life for this country? Backing down on a promise made to the troops that we'd take care of them, after the fighting was done, because you're pinching pennies and that's one "unnecessary" expense towards smaller government? Gee, it would be a great idea to piss off a bunch of blue collar soldiers with advanced military training, because they wouldn't be a more advanced form of a riot, at all.

F***ing Ben Carson. You should be so, so much smarter than this.

[Arvandor]

I'm beginning to think a more direct intervention in Syria is inevitable. IS cannot be allowed to take over, and stabilizing Syria is the only viable solution to the Migrant Crisis. But of course getting involved in yet another Middle Eastern war would be deeply unpopular. But I don't know what else we can do. Just ignoring the mess that we caused is not working.

[TheInvisibleMan]

I'm beginning to think a more direct intervention in Syria is inevitable. IS cannot be allowed to take over, and stabilizing Syria is the only viable solution to the Migrant Crisis. But of course getting involved in yet another Middle Eastern war would be deeply unpopular. But I don't know what else we can do. Just ignoring the mess that we caused is not working.

the other countries in that region have to step up and do something, because its only a matter of time until IS comes for them

[Mister Mets]

Trump being Trump managed to make this story somewhat slip through the cracks...

A couple days ago, presidential candidate Ben Carson talked about getting rid of the Department of Veteran's Affairs as a "smaller government" idea.

This man needs a history book about what went down when our country didn't want to take care of veterans back in the Bonus Army days. Now he wants to eliminate the government agency that delivers medical care, psychological help, and various other services EARNED by men and women who put their life for this country? Backing down on a promise made to the troops that we'd take care of them, after the fighting was done, because you're pinching pennies and that's one "unnecessary" expense towards smaller government? Gee, it would be a great idea to piss off a bunch of blue collar soldiers with advanced military training, because they wouldn't be a more advanced form of a riot, at all.

F***ing Ben Carson. You should be so, so much smarter than this.

According to the link, he would stil provide the services the VA provides. It would be under the purview of the Department of Defense.

[jeanvaljean]

Have we not considered what the mountain wants?
The mountain...doesn't give a **** what we call it.
It's been there longer than the human race.
It will still be there long after we've idioted ourselves to extinction.
It likes to think of itself as "Gertrud".

Is it to late for Lisa Murkowski to join the GOP race, and name Getrud as her running mate?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump being Trump managed to make this story somewhat slip through the cracks...

A couple days ago, presidential candidate Ben Carson talked about getting rid of the Department of Veteran's Affairs as a "smaller government" idea.

This man needs a history book about what went down when our country didn't want to take care of veterans back in the Bonus Army days. Now he wants to eliminate the government agency that delivers medical care, psychological help, and various other services EARNED by men and women who put their life for this country? Backing down on a promise made to the troops that we'd take care of them, after the fighting was done, because you're pinching pennies and that's one "unnecessary" expense towards smaller government? Gee, it would be a great idea to piss off a bunch of blue collar soldiers with advanced military training, because they wouldn't be a more advanced form of a riot, at all.

F***ing Ben Carson. You should be so, so much smarter than this.

I suppose Dr. Oreo used to be smarter than that, but then, Donald Trump came along with his endless raving, so Carson and all the other bozos in the clown car have to say stupidly outrageous **** just to keep up or stay relevant. And who's to say the DoD would do a better job of treating our warriors? Carson just doesn't understand, and never will.

I'm beginning to think a more direct intervention in Syria is inevitable. IS cannot be allowed to take over, and stabilizing Syria is the only viable solution to the Migrant Crisis. But of course getting involved in yet another Middle Eastern war would be deeply unpopular. But I don't know what else we can do. Just ignoring the mess that we caused is not working.

You're probably right, but after the George Bush led misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the specter of conservatives wanting to kill the Iran Nuclear Deal where the alternative might well be boots on the ground there, the American public has precious little stomach for getting involved in yet another conflict in the Middle East which has been a clusterfuck ever since the Last Supper and will continue being an unholy mess long after we're all dead and gone.

[worstblogever]

According to the link, he would stil provide the services the VA provides. It would be under the purview of the Department of Defense.

Then Ben Carson's dumb ass should go look up the fact that both organizations have a lot of crossover already, because the DoD realize that today's soldiers will someday be the VA's patients. The former also realizes the latter would be better equipped to take care of our troops when they're OFF the battlefield, and they can still focus on the ones who will be on it.

I know you'll make excuses for any conservative, Mets, but this isn't a one-off. Carson called the VA Scandal "a gift from God" because he doesn't think a government should offer ANY citizens healthcare, and that was his supposed proof.

[Kid A]

The bizarre thing about Carson is that he has this demeanor of being this nice and well-intentioned guy, and he sticks out like a sore thumb being the only black GOP presidential candidate. But then as soon as he opens his mouth it's all downhill from there. It's clear that this dude is just the Koch brothers' token black guy after Herman Cain didn't work out.

The most annoying thing for me is that i have these med school friends who are definitely not stupid people, but then they like Carson just because they like the idea of a doctor president, as opposed to a career politician.

[worstblogever]

The bizarre thing about Carson is that he has this demeanor of being this nice and well-intentioned guy, and he sticks out like a sore thumb being the only black GOP presidential candidate. But then as soon as he opens his mouth it's all downhill from there. It's clear that this dude is just the Koch brothers' token black guy after Herman Cain didn't work out.

The most annoying thing for me is that i have these med school friends who are definitely not stupid people, but then they like Carson just because they like the idea of a doctor president, as opposed to a career politician.

A brain surgeon who denies evolution exists, compares homosexuality to pedophilila and beastiality, and has said the Affordable Care Act is worse than slavery and 9/11.

I'm all for a doctor president, but holy ****, not this guy...

[jeanvaljean]

A brain surgeon who denies evolution exists, compares homosexuality to pedophilila and beastiality, and has said the Affordable Care Act is worse than slavery and 9/11.

I'm all for a doctor president, but holy ****, not this guy...

The way Bush's campagin is imploding, Carson might become the inevitable "non-Trump."