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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#240976: May 3rd 2018 at 7:38:10 PM

[up][up] That's why I've said, they have always been a part of a broader progressive coalition.

The Christian Right is a a movement unto itself.

edited 3rd May '18 7:39:39 PM by megaeliz

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#240977: May 3rd 2018 at 7:39:10 PM

Greiten's is Missouri, not Kentucky.
My mistake. That's better though, right? Missouri is purple-ish? So in that case, what happens if there's not enough votes to impeach the scumbag?
The problem then becomes you create a more powerful Religious Left that, while nicer then the Religious Right, will still be at fundamental odds with certain Civil Rights (like Abortion and Recreational Drug Use).
The two most prominent religious-left-wing people I knownote  both see the best way to eliminate abortion the same way that I do - that is, promote birth control and social programs so that elective (non-medical) abortions aren't needed.note  I'm not sure of their opinions on recreational drug use, though I know one of them is very anti-"The War on Drugs" due to how it's been used solely for institutionalized racism. I think we're starting to slip off topic for this thread though.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240978: May 3rd 2018 at 7:40:47 PM

[up] Religion and Politics should be different topics in a secular state. But sadly they aren't.

I still hold Eisenhower at fault for agreeing to add "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.

edited 3rd May '18 7:41:34 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#240979: May 3rd 2018 at 7:46:19 PM

Eh, that kind of runs into an inherent contradiction.

How are your politics not informed by your religion?

And how is your religion not informed by your politics?

At one point, one is informed by your sense of right.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#240980: May 3rd 2018 at 7:49:20 PM

[up] That seems to imply that you can't have a sense of right without religion.

They should have sent a poet.
RAlexa21th Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I <3 love!
Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer
#240981: May 3rd 2018 at 7:49:28 PM

[up][up]Dude. I don't follow any religion.

edited 3rd May '18 7:49:39 PM by RAlexa21th

Continue writing our story of peace.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#240982: May 3rd 2018 at 7:50:24 PM

[up][up]I don't think that was the implication.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#240983: May 3rd 2018 at 7:50:39 PM

[up][up][up][up]Or something like that, even if it's not "Religion", in the formal sense of the word.

I mean, you can see all sorts of pseudo-religious behaviors at a Trump rally, even. Religion is a lot of ways, reflective of humanity, and it makes sense that these type of behaviors would be inherent in other things as well.

edited 3rd May '18 7:55:07 PM by megaeliz

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#240984: May 3rd 2018 at 7:53:58 PM

Yeah, not at all where I was going with that.

Mind you, my definition of religion is a bit broader than most people's as I define it as a series of traditions or philosophies which a person holds about the nature of the world.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#240985: May 3rd 2018 at 7:58:32 PM

[up] All of the Arts and humanities are much more intertwined and messy than most people think.

There are certain behaviors and ideas, that are "religious" in nature, even when unattached from an Traditional religion as such, and having an understanding of how they manifest in a religious context, can help us understand some of the wider sociological forces that drive humanity.

And anyway, the fact that it's a current issue, seems like a good reason to talk about it as any.

edited 3rd May '18 8:20:33 PM by megaeliz

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#240986: May 3rd 2018 at 8:14:40 PM

anyway, to bring it back to something more relevant to the current day, apparently Russian Trolls helped create a hysteria over a US Military exercise in Texas in 2015.

Apparently, Russian Trolls and Alt-Right Conspiracy Theorists spread the idea that a Military Training Operation, Jade Helm, was actually a Conspiracy by the Obama administration, to round up political dissidents, and ultimately ended up with the Texas governor sending the Texas National Guard to oversee it.

And in 2015, the NY Times Magazine also reported several other similar incidents, although it was overlooked at the time, which I've already put here

edited 3rd May '18 8:21:21 PM by megaeliz

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#240987: May 3rd 2018 at 8:22:42 PM

This is only tangentially related to politics, but what does this thread think of David Pakman? From what I've seen, I'm kinda conflicted. On one hand, he has some pretty good videos debunking the Republican "socialism has never worked" narrative and deconstructing "classical liberalism"... but on the other hand, he's done a bunch of these useless debates in the past and made a video called "CRINGE: Girl Implodes Trying to Explain How to Pay for Free College" or something where he samples three minutes of a Fox Business interview, seemingly for extra views. I was feeling pretty positive towards him before that, now I'm not really sure.

i'm tired, my friend
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#240988: May 3rd 2018 at 8:24:51 PM

Obviously Michael Hayden knows his stuff, and Clint Watts too, but that seems like a whole lot of guesswork to me. We shouldn't be so quick to point the finger at Russians when those conspiracy theories were legitimized and publicized by US elected officials.

They should have sent a poet.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#240989: May 3rd 2018 at 8:32:16 PM

On the religious left remember that there are actually two religious lefts, the religious left that are socially right wing due to their faith but vote left for other reason (often race based) and the religious left that are socially left wing due to their faith (the churches that sued to bring in gay marriage). The second group is even smaller than the first and I’d argue is the only proper way to win the faith argument against the religious right.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#240990: May 3rd 2018 at 8:39:10 PM

[up][up] They tend to play off each other, I think. Like how the insanity that is Q Anon, was started by American Conspiracy Theorists, but was quickly picked up and promoted by Russians.

And the Dates seem to line up with the timeline that was established in the indictments of 13 Russians.

By in or around April 2014, the ORGANIZATION formed a department that went , by various names but was at times referred to as the "translator project." This project focused on the U.S. population and conducted operations on social media platforms such as You Tube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. By approximately July 2016, more than eighty ORGANIZATION employees were assigned to the translator project.

According to the indictment, two of the defendants visited Texas in June 26, 2014, and other co-conspirator visited Atlanta in approximately November 26, 2014 through November 30, 2014. The first incident happened September 11th 2014, and was focused in Louisiana, and the second and third incidents happened on December 13, and were focused on Atlanta.

I'm not trying to take the blame off the conspiracy theorists that helped it spread, I'm just saying it makes sense.

edited 3rd May '18 9:03:27 PM by megaeliz

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240991: May 3rd 2018 at 8:49:36 PM

@Physical Stamina

Concerning David Packman...

I'm wary of anyone who takes donations in cryptocurrencies as opposed to real money.

edited 3rd May '18 8:49:57 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#240992: May 3rd 2018 at 8:52:17 PM

Venezuela offered India a 30% off deal on crude oil if they bought it in cryptocurrency.

edited 3rd May '18 8:56:22 PM by CharlesPhipps

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#240993: May 3rd 2018 at 8:58:03 PM

I'm just going to point out that the Separation of Church and State refers just to keeping the Church and the State out of each other's official affairs, and that controlling/screening individuals and their life experience and what influences their political opinions is not the point, and also literally impossible. Yes, our politics are often influenced by our faith, but the local pastor isn't also the mayor of the town or in an official position to advise the mayor, and so on.

Obviously this doesn't stop said pastor from having a political opinion and encouraging his congregation to vote a particular way, or a politician from talking about their faith. But this works for both Republicans and Democrats and in any case I'm not sure how we're supposed to limit that without possibly stepping all over the First Amendment.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#240994: May 3rd 2018 at 9:06:50 PM

[up] Actually, Churches and Pastors are not allowed to endorse or oppose Political Candidates and Politicians to their Congregation, or else they lose their Tax Exempt Status (via the Johnson Amendment). Even though Trump wants to remove this Amendment in the Tax Code (which would also allow Churches to publicly endorse and fund Politicians), it is still the law of the land.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#240995: May 3rd 2018 at 9:15:25 PM

So, apparently Rudy and Trump are drafting statements, including the Daniels 180, without consulting the rest of the legal team.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/03/politics/rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-legal-team-disarray/index.html

Only the best stable geniuses.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#240997: May 3rd 2018 at 9:30:33 PM

What did I just watch? The West Virgina Coal Mining Barron that's running for Senate as a Republican in West Virginia just made a ad, really you should just watch it.

"Swamp Captain Mitch Mc Connell has created millions of jobs for China People. While doing so, Mitch has gotten rich. The fact is, his China family has given him tens of millions of dollars. Mitch's Swamp People are now running false negative ads against me."

edited 3rd May '18 9:34:17 PM by megaeliz

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240998: May 3rd 2018 at 9:41:51 PM

[up] Why is he even complaining about Mc Connell. He's running as a Republican in West Virginia.

edited 3rd May '18 9:42:23 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#240999: May 3rd 2018 at 9:42:02 PM

[up][up]...That was like something out of a parody.

Did I mention satire's dead? Because it is.tongue

edited 3rd May '18 9:42:13 PM by kkhohoho

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#241000: May 3rd 2018 at 9:43:24 PM

What even is with that grammar. China people? He can't just say "the Chinese"?


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