Politcal Ramblings

[fortheloveofbowling]

Didn't that weak Al Gore actually WIN! The constitution needs an overhaul. it was written before we had missiles, jets, a-bombs and 50 states. Every thing in it is outdated.

Why does Martin Luther King Jr have his own holiday and everything in the Constitution is outdated........ I in all sincerity hope there are no young people around you that may be influenced by your ridiculousness.

[Tony]

The constitution has built into it the ability to be amended, thus updating or adding things that are needed with a 2/3 's majority.
This process had worked well for a number of years but due to the establishment of a ruling class and persons serving unlimited terms in congress the
corruption has taken over. In retrospect the 22nd amendment allowing a president to serve only 2 terms should have included all elected officials.

What needs an overhaul is the members of congress and ALL elected officials. Our entire political and court systems are corrupt and it needs to stop.

Just in the past month in a city near me the Chairman of the County board was forced to resign after it was discovered he had a 6000.00 sauna installed in his
home paid for by the county, the purchasing clerk was also forced to resign with a finding of bribes and sweetheart deals for certain vendors over a period of years.

In the same city the alderman voted to forgive a TIF district loan to a real estate development company owned by the mayor's father and brother ( he only gave up ownership after being elected ) They took out the loan and got the TIF money to develop an old school building into condo's in a blighted area of town, other than the mayor and alderman I don't know anyone who thought this would work. Hey lets put a bunch of money into a school in the worse area we can find ans make it into high end housing area.....
Shouldn't the fools who decided to take the risk be held responsible, instead of the tax-payers. Where is the accountability of these officials ?

In another nearby town they are investigating a state office that has large quantities of inventory missing. In another they allocated 20 million dollars to update and remodel a civic center, a couple of years later with the project less than 1/2 way done they confessed they didn't know what happened to a significant amount of the money, it was not spent, but it's not there anymore and no one seems to have any idea what happened to it.....

That's just a small local example, add all the other local state and federal corruption and it's pretty easy to see that the people running things are not serving the people at all, mostly they are serving themselves ........

[Aslan]

If Trump continues his momentum, we are likely seeing the end of the Republican party as we've known it.

This has little to do with Trump...who most people and most of his supporters recognize is a ludicrous conman. It has everything to do with Right wing media, Fox News, and the Tea Party...who have taken a fringe right wing element in the Republican party...and completely taken the party over. Their calculation was that if they could keep hammering the rhetoric down people's throats...that eventually the moderates in the party would accept a more right wing approach and more right wing party.

Their calculation failed. And it failed in two horrific ways:

1) It drove more people to the Democrats...a party that prior to the tea party had < 50% support and being a "liberal" or "Democrat" was considered a "bad word". It's now reversed...where being "conservative" is viewed by most people as a "bad" thing. The Tea Party essentially ate their own young...killing strong conservative politicians like John Boehner and others...claiming they weren't "true conservatives" because they compromised (very occasionally). They have essentially defined "conservative" to be SO far to the right...that only Michelle Bachman, Ted Cruz, and sometimes Rand Paul actually meet the definition. They've taken a party with 55% of support...and killed it to the point that only about 6% of Americans pass the conservative litmus test.

2) It's allowed the Democrats to move further left. In the past...if a Democratic candidate moved too far left...they were slaughtered in the general election. And if they moved too far right...someone like Ralph Nadar would step in and take votes away from them. It made for an easy path to the Presidency for any moderate Republican. By the Tea Party narrowly defining "conservative" as essentially a flat tax tea party evangelical Christian constitutionlist...they've allowed the Democratic party to become more liberal with no real consequences regarding electability.

Rubio is the Republican candidate. He talks about Tea Party things...but supports the "mainstream" Republican beliefs like illegal immigration being a good thing because it brings in cheap labor and free trade being a good thing because it allows corporations to make more money. Ted Cruz is the Tea Party candidate...but in a general election...his extreme right wing ideals would kill him.

So the Tea Party has their guy...who has won just enough to keep running. The establishment Republicans won't support a Ted Cruz nor a Donald Trump so they won't let Rubio drop out and will keep funding him. Trump is a clown...but he understands compromise and understands how to get things done...and so long as the Republican party stays divided...they have parted the Red Sea and allowed Moses Trump to walk through.

And the establishment Republicans can't do anything about it. If they rally behind Cruz...they lose the Presidency because Cruz is unelectable in a general election. His only path is if the Democrats simply quit. If they try a brokered convention...with Trump winning the most delegates...the Trump supporters will vote Democrat and they'll lose...OR...Trump will claim shenanigans...and run as an independent which would pave the way for the Democrats or possibly lead to the first election that goes to the House because one nominee can't get 270 electoral votes.

Either way, the Republicans have only themselves to blame. By continuing to demonize anyone that disagrees with them...even their own...and nearly every moderate in the country...many of them Reagan Democrats and compassionate conservatives...they've killed their own party.

[Aslan]

Another major reason the Republican party is failing...is because their core belief is no longer relevant due to globalization.

In the past, trickle down economics was effective...give more money to the rich...they expand and create jobs for America...and we have a stronger America. The system was always rigged...but so long as the middle class was strong...people bought that concept. And it allowed them to dangle a carrot in exchange for votes. "Vote for me, I'll take less of your money (taxes)."

Free trade and a failed GW Bush/Karl Rove Presidency taught Americans that if you give money to the rich...they open plants in China and India and close plants in the United States. Suddenly the Republicans lost half their arsenal...and could only rely on Evangelical Christians to vote Pro-Life...but with far less people believing in Evangelical beliefs and being Pro-Choice...especially in swing states...that's a huge problem. Their message of "give to the rich...and someday...you too might be rich...maybe...unlikely...but maybe..." That message isn't selling the way it used to.

On the flipped...Democrats are offering everything and anything!! Free college. Free Health Care. Free Daycare. Free paid leave. And...the rich will pay for everything...and if they don't...we'll make it so they won't make as much money and force them to leave. Now, Republicans say that is a thing that will force companies to leave...which it will...but as long as America is the strongest economy...they can't "really leave". They need us to buy their stuff. If we don't, the global economy collapses...overnight. They need us, more than we need them. Thats our true US power. Not the Navy, not the oceans, not the nuclear missiles. Russia had all those things when they collapsed. We have consumers...with money and credit and a debt ridden mentality of "live for the now".

Don't want to sell us clothes...thats okay...we can make our own. Don't want to sell us bicycles? We can make those too. Don't want to sell us steel? Or oil? Thats okay...we have our own. We have the leverage.

So, back to the point...what can Conservatives off now that tax cuts are seen as just a trick to make the top 2% even more rich than they already are? Thus far...that answer is a resounding, "WHAT?!" And to quote Yoda, "That is why you fail."

[Hot_pocket]

Well, HP...the good/bad (depending on where each person stands) news is:

The Republican party is about to collapse.

In my opinion, the Republican party has been hijacked by the extreme right wing: Rush, Levin, Hewitt, Prager, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Fox News, etc... They've convinced 10-20% of their party that 90% of the country is ultra-conservative. And that's just not the case. So each election cycle, the Republican candidate fails and they claim it's because he's "not conservative enough" or "not a true conservative". When in fact...they are losing BECAUSE they are TOO conservative for the general electorate. Fox News thought they could pull the rest of the country over to the conservative side...and all they've done is push moderates out of the party.

So now you have a "silent majority" that is upset and voting for a very unlikeable moderate conservative...almost to 'spite' the right wing extremists.

And on the left...you're also seeds of this. The Democratic party has went from nominating a moderate Democrat (Bill Clinton) to having a very left-leaning Hillary against a Democratic Socialist. And BLM (blacklivesmatter) is serving as the wedge...that could seriously damage the party going forward. Reverse racism "plays well" during Democratic primaries and on ultra-liberal talks shows...but most people in this country are white...most Democrats are white...and like me, white people are kinda getting tired of defending ourselves as "not being racist" every time something happens in the black community. You (HP) may say that "I shouldn't feel that way"...but every time I turn on CNN or MSNBC there's a BLM operative explaining police brutality as if this is 1957...as if cops are just driving around gunning down innocent black kids on their way home from Sunday school. Yet in each scenario...that narrative ranges from completely false (M. Brown) to "not really accurate" (Garner, Trayvon, most others) to "sort of true, but not really". And if people raise their hand...and say, "excuse me sir, but didn't <insert victim>:

...all these questions paint me as a "racist". And even though I'm not...and most white Democrats (or Republicans) are not...the general white population is going to get tired of having to say "I'm not a racist, but..." It's going to cause a divide in the party...especially when these "prison reforms" start to lead to increased crime and murder rates...which is what we had BEFORE Bill Clinton signed into law 3 strike polices, etc... The Deomocratic party is trying to disarm law obiding people...telling them that they don't need guns to protect themselves because that is what the police are for...and then going to a rally and talking about letting felons out of jail and reducing the police presence because white police officers are making black people nervous and causing them to commit crimes.

Most people in this country are moderates...even though neither party likes moderates. And it's one thing to ask moderates to hold their nose and vote for the "best of two evils"...it's an entirely different thing to ask moderates to just accept an extreme right wing or extreme left wing candidate when that candidate is in favor of things that will harm them or could very well harm them.

There was a KKK rally in Anaheim recently...and the 3 members were attacked immediately upon exiting their vehicle. All I've heard from the media is how terrible the KKK is...which they are....which is probably why there were only 3 of them and nobody actually came to support them.

BUT...they have a right, a constitutional right...to peacefully protest....just like BLM does. You don't waive that right when most people think you're 'bad'. And to violently attack people...to set that precedent...I don't think it the precedent BLM should endorse...because only 13% of the country is black...and if being in the minority and spreading hateful rhetoric is suddenly deemed punishable by vigilante violence...BLM is going to have some problematic protests. And I predicted this...I predict that BLM will either disappear into the sunset like "Occupy Wall Street"...OR...we will see violent clashes between opposition groups.

Am I saying BLM = KKK in terms of hate groups. Absolutely not. The KKK is a domestic terrorist group with ties to white supremecists that are really nothing more than violent gangs of thugs. But if you look at the message of BLM...and how much hatred there is towards whites in this country...I'd be a little worried. MLK protested injustice peacefully. Malcolm X, Faraquan, the Black Panthers...those groups took another path...which is why we have an MLK national holiday...and those others are viewed negatively. BLM has been described more in line with the Black Panther mentality...that's a problem. To sum it up...it's one thing for a minority group to upset racists...it's another thing for a minority group to upset everyone that doesn't buy into their rhetoric.

It's too bad it costs so much to run for President...because a true moderate...who isn't as awful as Trump...this would be their election to win.

The funniest thing about conservatives is they don't truly understand conservatism. They don't realize they support a party that doesn't like change, which is the simple definition of conservative, while they are willing to support changes that don't even necessarily benefit from. They choose a party based on popularity or catering to "making America great again", W.E. that means, because we damn sure aren't third world and most of them haven't had their decent if not lavish ways of living affected in the past 8 years. The parties need to be disbanded and 1 party need to be created that shares ideas or they need to get rid of the over payed support, keeping the corruption damn near nil.

Once again if that is how you feel when you watch someone who expresses how they feel then it's a personal thing. If a man beats a woman do you feel it's your fault for being a man? If you hear anyone claim it's your fault directly, then know you are dealing with someone who is ignorant and uneducated, which i know you can distinguish between the 2. As i have also said, they are explaining what they have seen/ experienced, so if you feel what they are describing is the police brutality of the 1950's then that tells me you are unconsciously and unacceptably realizing it as such. Of course they aren't talking about water hosing and unprovoked dog attacks but the, some not all cases, of excessive force being used. We know it's a fact that minorities, mainly hispanics and blacks, are stopped by police more frequently. Why they are stopped is due to racial profiling, which even i can't argue, when its in bad neighborhoods. But when said minorities are being stopped at a higher rate in Manhattan, where the neighborhoods are predominantly white, then that raises the red flag. There are less of them with more of them being stopped. Meanwhile corrupt Jim is walking down the street with enough blow in his briefcase to fuel a coke party,not to be racist just truthful.

As for the questions you ask, i have a hard to believing that people would call you racist for asking them. anyone who says your racist is dumb and again ignorant. However to further bring understanding to the leading causes of resisting arrests, which i don't condone, is to understand what leads to it. while i tell people just comply and fight the good fight later, i also understand some of those incidents should have never made it to the point of arrest. For instance someone being arrested to be given a summons and released, the arrest was not not necessary.The fear that you hear them speak of is real. being arrested forever affects someones future as you know. To be processed and booked now also puts people in the system for what seems to be, just in case the commit a crime. that just in case has not hurt there job chances. The crazy part is no-one questions when a celebrity or a big CEO has had a past run in with the law but it matters when a regular person has. You even see the difference in the media when they describe black kids as thugs and white kids as misunderstood or troubled youth. As iv'e said before to judge someone on their pass or their possible future is not a reason to target them or label them. It's not a reason for them to be treated any different unless you are dealing with a dangerous individual.

The dems are not trying to disarm anyone and all states need to adopt the 3 strike rule. As a responsible gun owner and logical person the closing of loop holes aren't negatives. Checking psych backgrounds and making people wait to purchase something that can kill others if misused is a benefit. Plus they can't take guns away without some kind of small war breaking out inside the U.S., there are just way too many gun owners.

As for BLM, as iv'e stated before they aren't aligned with white hate as they are reported to be. Once again that's the media doing it's best to slander something that could be positive and use the people to dismantle it. They are anti-police brutality, simple as that. I haven't seen any videos of anti-white claims being made by the real BLM movement. So as you said "they are described", not they are, aligned with black panther mentality. Which isn't necessarily far off if you understand the truth of the black panther party and not just the the negative light they were given. They were anti-police brutality also, which was way worse during their time, but they also uplifted their own communities. One thing I say very absurd is how the KKK, a white supremacist hate group that carried out killings of blacks and other minorities for decades, was never disbanded but the black panther party was disband by the government.

[Aslan]

As for the questions you ask, i have a hard to believing that people would call you racist for asking them. anyone who says your racist is dumb and again ignorant. However to further bring understanding to the leading causes of resisting arrests, which i don't condone, is to understand what leads to it. while i tell people just comply and fight the good fight later, i also understand some of those incidents should have never made it to the point of arrest.

There's a couple problems with that platform.

1) White people get pulled over too. And, believe it or not, we also hate it. And believe it or not, if we get out of the car, refuse to cooperate, cuss out the officer, etc... we also usually have bad, bad consequences.

2) Often times, when we hear these stories, we get a picture of somebody like Ben Carson minding his business and a cop sees him in a fancy car and stops him. That's harassing, and it's most likely annoying...but Ben Carson goes about his business. I'm willing to bet over 90% of stops of black people don't go that way. 10% of the time, the officer thanks the individual and it's nothing but an annoyance and the person leaves a little late, a little upset, but no harm no foul. The other 90% of the time...there was a reason they were stopped...or after they were stopped...there was a reason they weren't let free...or they did something...that made the incident more severe.

So, many stops...the black teen has drugs or drug paraphanalia in their possession. So is that profiling? Is it undue harassment? or is it an officer enforcing a law? What if the person has expired tags? A suspended liscence? Or a warrant out? Are these all harassment? Because we see this over and over in videos of traffic stops...the police pull over the black suspect...whether due to profiling or whatever...and there is a problem...a suspended lisence or something to that effect. Obviously, the black driver isn't happy that they got "caught"...just like I wouldn't be happy if I got caught speeding in a speed trap. But I think the power of the racial argument loses potency when the person is in fact committing a crime. Or, at least, it should shouldn't it?

Same thing with this new 'trend' to "resist". Then we see videos of police beating someone and we all get appalled...but we forget...the person getting beaten had numerous chances...to NOT fight...to NOT resist...to peacefully provide paperwork/documentation to the officer. And that's a black/white issue...we see plenty of videos of white people...getting pissed about a traffic stop...and ending up getting a beatdown and handcuffed in the back of a squad car. Resisting arrest is a horrible, horrible idea 99% of the time.

And I guess that's where my major annoyance/worry comes from. If we send the message that police need to take a step back...and be less aggressive towards those that commit crimes...then we will have more people committing crimes. For some reason, Trayvon Martin thought the chip on his shoulder was a good enough excuse to attack George Zimmerman. Mike Brown had a chip on his shoulder big enough to lead to an attack on a police officer. The guy selling cigarettes who had been arrested for that many times before...felt that it was still something he should be able to do. I'm not saying their deaths weren't tragic...but what should police do? Not enforce the laws? If plates are out of date...just let it go because it ain't worth the hassle? In each of these cases, when you peel away the racism element...you get to the real complaint...that many of these people, black and white, don't want to register their cars, want to be able to drive on suspended liscenses, want to drive intoxicated, want to sell illegal cigarettes...and they use "excessive force" or "profiling" as an excuse.

George Zimmerman acted like a buffoon. But once he was on the ground getting punched and beaten...what was he supposed to do? Invent a time machine and go back to earlier in the day? Should officer Wilson have just let Mike Brown have the gun? I mean, he already had stolen cigars...might as well let him have the gun too. And should cops see people illegally selling cigarettes and just go, "oh well, that's a silly law...we're not going to enforce that." Or if people call the cops that a kid is in the park with a handgun or a homeless person is wielding a knife...or a naked drugged man is walking down the middle of the freeway with a machete...should cops just "let it be"....cuz the kid probably has a toy or the homeless person is just mentally ill or the drugged machete guy ain't hurtin anyone?

Cops have seconds to make some of these calls. And these calls could be life or death for the public or their own safety. And they don't have judicial authority to just decide not to enforce certain laws and enforce other ones. The same people that are calling for cops to be less aggressive...are the same ones that will be on a 911 call screaming for police to get to their house because a naked machete wielding drug addict is in their front yard chopping up their dog.

There are people that commit crimes and people that don't. Sometimes people get caught in the "grey area"...where they are generally law abiding but have a "vice" or two. But all of us, with our "vices" run the risk that we get caught up in the "criminal" side of the law...and if we do...the consequences can sometimes be severe...even deadly. Black, white, Asian, latino....it doesn't matter. Breaking laws can have consequences. Especially when our lawmakers are cowards and refuse to change laws that they don't want enforced (prostitution, illegal immigration, marijuana, etc...) And I agree with "The Donald" on this...laws exist to punish cops who are dirty or racist. And those laws should be enforced to the fullest extent...a cop committing crimes is even worse than a standard citizen...an insult to the badge and the public trust. But the vast, vast majority of police...aren't doing anything wrong.

[fordman1]

I agree except I don't understand why you keep bringing up Travon Martin and George Zimmerman. If Zimmerman would have been minding his own business and not been allowed to carry a gun Martin would be alive today and maybe contributing to society. Not in and out of jail like Zimmerman.
Is it just me or there a lot of cops who were bullies in High School? They just love the authority the gun and badge give them.

[fortheloveofbowling]

I have been reading this back and forth between Aslan and Hot Pocket and have some perspective on some of these things.

First of all, i have in my life been pulled over 15-20 times in my life and that is no exaggeration. I have not had a speeding ticket in a while but over the course of my young life i had around 7-8 to the point of having my license suspended and taking classes to return it. In addition, i had other moving violations as well taillight, not coming to complete stop at stop sign etc. Just dumb kid stuff and being stupid essentially. I grew up in towns between 5,000 - 20,000 when at night the towns basically became silent. I was pulled over 4 or 5 times in my youth and into my early 20's and policeman told me i just wanted to see what you were doing out late. No reason, just what are you doing. Once i was pulled over and i got out to meet the officer (which i had done before) and he stopped cold and put his hand on his gun. Well that freaked me out and i have not done that ever again. Is all of this profiling a white guy or just a police officer doing his job?

When i first started getting really serious about bowling in tournaments my practice and travel partner was black. For several years we traveled all over ( Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois) and put many miles on our vehicles. In those years we NEVER got pulled over and i NEVER heard him say anything about being pulled over in the town WE BOTH GREW UP IN. This was my best friend and we talked extensively and that never came up. Maybe it was because there was never any continuing trouble with blacks just white rednecks.

Through high school i had long hair to my shoulders and was a little rebellious. Maybe that is why constantly in stores i would be watched. More profiling of the type of person in that city they were having trouble with? Now i don't want my fellow bowlers thinking i was a criminal, i was just a young partier like many people. Some just don't admit it.

Having said all of that, i have always believed in do as i say not as i do with my kids. Maybe i'm a hypocrite but my kids don't smoke, drink, and always get good grades and are respectful of all people. My son graduated with a degree in criminal justice and is now a Police Officer. The main advice i had for him was don't be a jerk and treat everyone with respect. He has these feeling of i want to serve and protect he community i grew up in and be someone people can respect as a good human being that cares about others. Well, i would never say this to him but especially in this day and age unfortunately that is naive. At this point after a small time on the job he has been told i am going to kill you and spit on. This kid sees no color, is a great person to all, and all he wants to do is his job and serve a community he has emotional ties with.

So when i hear white people are not pulled over as much and people railing on all police officers all the time they have no clue.

[fortheloveofbowling]

I agree except I don't understand why you keep bringing up Travon Martin and George Zimmerman. If Zimmerman would have been minding his own business and not been allowed to carry a gun Martin would be alive today and maybe contributing to society. Not in and out of jail like Zimmerman.
Is it just me or there a lot of cops who were bullies in High School? They just love the authority the gun and badge give them.

Totally wrong viewpoints, hopefully you never need the aid of police because obviously you won't call.

Changed my comment because fordman can't help the way he is.

[fordman1]

What a Dick. Yeah, i said it. Take away my account if you need to but this guy is dumber than a bucket of s**t.....

Seems a little harsh. Maybe you need to go to church next Sunday.