Controversial Opinions (For Everything Other Than DC Comics)

[Gray Lensman]

NO! I just screamed no so many times I lost my original voice and had to get a new one. I refuse to acknowledge this.

It doesn't take up a huge amount of time in the story if that's what you are worried about.

[PwrdOn]

Is America winning or losing the war on drugs? Neither. I believe President Reagan must have envisioned a drug-free America when he coined the phrase "war on drugs".
The federal government spent hundreds of millions of dollars every year investigating, arresting and prosecuting drug dealers and busting drug rings. Despite all this effort by the authorities, Americans are still buying and using drugs. You can stop the supply but you can't stop the demand. A FBI agent who was devoted to investigating and arresting heroin dealers became a heroin addict.

https://livengrin.org/fbi-agent-arre...ts-became-one/

The war on drugs was never a good faith effort to actually limit drug use, but rather a cynical ploy to blame the nation's supposed moral decay on undesirables like hippies and black people, because at the same time that we were locking people up at home in record numbers, the CIA was also covertly supporting anti-communist guerillas all over the global south, whose primary source of income was, you guessed it, drug trafficking. It's not a coincidence that Afghanistan became the world's largest producer of opium after the US toppled the Taliban regime, which had banned its cultivation for being un-Islamic.

[Zauriel]

Have you read Power of the Dog? If not its a crime novel done with a lot of research by Don Winslow and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the war on drugs

No, i haven't read it but I will someday

The war on drugs was never a good faith effort to actually limit drug use, but rather a cynical ploy to blame the nation's supposed moral decay on undesirables like hippies and black people, because at the same time that we were locking people up at home in record numbers, the CIA was also covertly supporting anti-communist guerillas all over the global south, whose primary source of income was, you guessed it, drug trafficking. It's not a coincidence that Afghanistan became the world's largest producer of opium after the US toppled the Taliban regime, which had banned its cultivation for being un-Islamic.

That is why I was skeptical about the outcome of the "war on drugs".

After Taliban was ousted from power, they ironically started cultivating and trafficking opium to finance their terroristic activities.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Kind of why I wish there was just a "thumbs up" or "like" button? Because 95% of my interaction is lurking, including reading a post and thinking it's interesting, maybe even starting to respond, then going, "Nah..." If there was just a button you could click, I could at least let someone know I read and appreciated what they wrote, even if I'm too socially averse to respond in an in-depth way.

I wish there was a laugh button, posting "lol" or an emoji feels like spam.

[OopsIdiditagain]

I'm not a fan of Africa by Toto. I'm just tired of it, people play it every chance they get. Mr Brightside by The Killers is another one too.

[Zauriel]

Why is immigration still an issue in America? Several politicians including Jeff Sessions were not only against illegal immigration but also against legal immigration. Opposing illegal immigration is one thing, I understand as a law-abiding citizen. But to take a stance against legal immigration was something I don't understand. America is founded by immigrants.

President Andrew Jackson was the son of immigrants. Barack Obama's father was an immigrant. Donald Trump was a second generation American whose mother was a Scottish immigrant. Trump's paternal grandparents were immigrants from Germany. Stan Lee, Bob Kane, Jack Kirby, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were children of immigrants. Steve Ditko was the grandson of Slovakian immigrants.

Scrooge McDuck, one of the most beloved Disney characters was a Scottish immigrant. Captain America/Steve Rogers is the son of Irish immigrants.

Nearly Half of All Fortune 500 Companies Were Founded By Immigrants or Their Children, A recent American economy study found that immigrants and the children of immigrants founded 45 percent of U.S. Fortune 500 companies, amassing $6.1 trillion in annual revenue last year.

One such second-generation immigrant is Steve Jobs. Furthermore, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the son of a Cuban immigrant. That's two of the largest U.S. companies in history that owe their existence to immigrants. As a matter of fact, 216 companies on the Fortune 500 were founded by immigrants or their children.

[PwrdOn]

Why is immigration still an issue in America? Several politicians including Jeff Sessions were not only against illegal immigration but also against legal immigration. Opposing illegal immigration is one thing, I understand as a law-abiding citizen. But to take a stance against legal immigration was something I don't understand. America is founded by immigrants.

President Andrew Jackson was the son of immigrants. Barack Obama's father was an immigrant. Donald Trump was a second generation American whose mother was a Scottish immigrant. Trump's paternal grandparents were immigrants from Germany. Stan Lee, Bob Kane, Jack Kirby, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were children of immigrants. Steve Ditko was the grandson of Slovakian immigrants.

Scrooge McDuck, one of the most beloved Disney characters was a Scottish immigrant. Captain America/Steve Rogers is the son of Irish immigrants.

Nearly Half of All Fortune 500 Companies Were Founded By Immigrants or Their Children, A recent American economy study found that immigrants and the children of immigrants founded 45 percent of U.S. Fortune 500 companies, amassing $6.1 trillion in annual revenue last year.

One such second-generation immigrant is Steve Jobs. Furthermore, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the son of a Cuban immigrant. That's two of the largest U.S. companies in history that owe their existence to immigrants. As a matter of fact, 216 companies on the Fortune 500 were founded by immigrants or their children.

Obviously because the immigration debate was never about legality to begin with. Americans of a certain stripe simply don't want any brown people coming into the country, and because it is now passé to explicitly code racially based restrictions into law, they needed to come up with other justifications to keep them out. And for those who want to decry the horror of "open borders," we should remind ourselves that the border is already effectively open going the other way, and indeed most Americans take it for granted that they should have the right to vacation, study, or settle down in whatever country they choose, regardless of what the locals there think. It's only right that we return the favor.

[Kirby101]

Yes, Republicans are against non-white immigration. Not immigration in general.

[TheRay]

It doesn't take up a huge amount of time in the story if that's what you are worried about.

More like ruining a good character.

[Zauriel]

Obviously because the immigration debate was never about legality to begin with. Americans of a certain stripe simply don't want any brown people coming into the country, and because it is now passé to explicitly code racially based restrictions into law, they needed to come up with other justifications to keep them out. And for those who want to decry the horror of "open borders," we should remind ourselves that the border is already effectively open going the other way, and indeed most Americans take it for granted that they should have the right to vacation, study, or settle down in whatever country they choose, regardless of what the locals there think. It's only right that we return the favor.

Most Americans also don't speak local languages in the countries they are traveling to.

Anti-immigration activists fear immigrants from Latin America because they fear the Hispanics will take over the country. Hispanics is the largest minority in the USA, twice as many as African Americans, the next largest minority in the US. Many of them were able to assimilate into the American society. That is what got the anti-immigration people worried. 'In three generations", they say, "Mexicans will be able to take over the White House".

The Catholic Irish Americans were able to assimilate in the American Protestant society and even occupied the White House. But Nobody was worried about it. Most Americans accepted the Irish people. But some don't want to accept the Latinos.


Many employers including Cliven Bundy appreciate the presence of the hard-working undocumented immigrants in their companies, farms or ranches. They regard immigrants, especially ones without health insurance, as a cheap and convenient labor force. How many Americans actually want to take minimum wage jobs, harvest vegetables or clean public toilets? It is cheaper to hire an undocumented and uninsured immigrant than to hire an American citizen.

That is why Cliven Bundy is not a fan of walls. He even said “Are they good people or bad people? If they’re good people looking for refuge, we’re Americans and we should have a heart and we should try to help them,” he said, noting the harrowing journeys some have probably taken. “How much suffering and effort are they putting forth to get to our border? They are after some freedom and liberty and a better life.”

So Mr. Bundy employs immigrants. Did he really have a big heart? or did he want a cheaper labor force?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...on-border-wall

Bundy also said, "Now I understand that they come over here against our Constitution and cross our borders. But they’re here, and they’re people. And I’ve worked beside a lot of them. Don’t tell me they don’t work, and don’t tell me they don’t pay taxes. And don’t tell me they don’t have better family structures than most of us white people. When you see those Mexican families, they’re together, they picnic together, they’re spending their time together. And I’ll tell you, in my way of thinking, they’re awful nice people. And we need to have those people going to be with us – not not coming to our party.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...re-against-us/

[OopsIdiditagain]

Fishing mini-games are overrated.

[Jim Kelly]

I'm about 95% certain Scrooge McDuck is a duck.

[anyajenkins]

I always find interesting when immigration comes up, how the sides of the labor debate switch. The side that usually advocate for higher wages and ‘living wages’, suddenly start saying how business need really cheap labor to keep prices down.

[Kirby101]

I always find interesting when immigration comes up, how the sides of the labor debate switch. The side that usually advocate for higher wages and ‘living wages’, suddenly start saying how business need really cheap labor to keep prices down.

I don't think people for humane immigration say that at all. Can you site a pro-labor, liberal source that says we need undocumented workers making below minimum wage, or that immigrants shouldn't also get $15 an hour?

[CaptCleghorn]

I don't think people for humane immigration say that at all. Can you site a pro-labor, liberal source that says we need undocumented workers making below minimum wage, or that immigrants shouldn't also get $15 an hour?

You're specifying a particular group and I agree, those you mention are not for keeping undocumented workers in low-paying unpopular jobs. However, I have seem farmers and those in similar circumstances speak against cracking down on illegal immigration as those workers support their business. This was on one of the major non cable American networks (ABC, CBS, NBC). It's a distinction that isn't often made clear.

We'll have to see what Marty Walsh does as Secretary of Labor.