Political leanings

[Tomcat]

You been on the opium pipe again Paccers

Al Quaida was formed in 1988

[pacman]

So it seems...      

I do recall the story as to some confusion just who the hijackers were connected with. And how long it took for them to be identified as Al Qaeda. Which was then declared "convenient" once they embraced their "new" name.

But Wikipedia does give dates & I will never be able to track down the article from 2001 so I retract my statement.

[guydesavoy]

(Tomcat @ May 21 2010,21:35) You been on the opium pipe again Paccers

As Afghanistan produces up to 90% of the world's opium supply, can this be a coincidence ?  

Aaah Wikipedia...short changed again

[Jake_Sully]

If we really want to fight terrorism, we can do it in 3 simple steps.

1. Use bikes and trains, not cars. Cut the amount of money spent on crude oil
2. Stop the UN from sending food to areas in question and force them to grow food rather than opium.
3. Stop policing the world and let them handle things themselves. When they're tired of fighting amongst themselves.. they'll learn why we are so accepting of others, even idiots.

[Tomcat]

(Jake_Sully @ May 21 2010,22:49) If we really want to fight terrorism, we can do it in 3 simple steps.

Religion is like a virus and Islam is like no other. I think Europe has a  much bigger problem than the USA ...these guys are breeding like rabbits now in Europe/ Russia and its going to be a real problem in 10 years time to contain threats within EU borders let alone from outside them.

They need an enemy and we are it. There are no simple steps.
If it were simple to eradicate it we wouldnt be discussing it here now.

btw
I noticed that France has banned the Burka now. 1 year in the clink now for wearing it in public. Viva La France   If only other states grew some balls and followed our Froggy friends.

[JaiDee]

good points man.....religion is the root of all evil. 500 years ago the Christian asswipes were just as bad as these Muslim fuckheads are now, butchering their way through Europe and the middle east and killing anyone who wouldn't convert to their crappy, fairy-tale religious views and bow down to some guy with a pointy hat in Rome. Fast forward to present day and those same assholes are still hurting people all over the world by raping young boys and polluting the minds of anyone who is stupid enough to listen to them; some things never change.

Islam is no different, it's a fucking joke........ the clowns leading these fights in crappy hellholes in places that end in -Stan represent only .1 percent of Islams around the world but they make life hard for ALL of us, their fellow Muslims included.

PS- agreed about France banning the Burka, good for them!

[PigDogg]

Have some computer poblems so watched a bit of FOX the past couple of days.  Saw Glen Beck for the first time.

Can see how that guy appeals to Middle America.

[Jake_Sully]

Last time I was in middle america (Alabama).. I was waiting for an appointment in an office lobby and a teenage kid came in and filled out a job application. Except he was puzzled by 1 thing on the application and asked the lady.. "Spouse's name, who's that, my mother?" The lady professionally reply, "No hon! That's your wife if you have one!"

[Torurot]

Texas board adopts new social studies curriculum
http://news.yahoo.com/s....studies

By APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer April Castro, Associated Press Writer €“ Fri May 21, 10:43 pm ET

AUSTIN, Texas €“ The Texas State Board of Education adopted a social studies and history curriculum Friday that amends or waters down the teaching of religious freedoms, America's relationship with the U.N. and hundreds of other items.

The new standards were adopted after a final showdown by two 9-5 votes along party lines, after Democrats' and moderate Republicans' efforts to delay a final vote failed.

In one of the most significant curriculum changes, the board dilutes the rationale for the separation of church and state in a high school government class, noting that the words were not in the Constitution and requiring students to compare and contrast the judicial language with the First Amendment's wording.

The ideological debate over the guidelines, which drew intense scrutiny beyond Texas, will be used to determine what important political events and figures some 4.8 million students will learn about for the next decade.

The standards, which one Democrat called a "travesty," also will be used by textbook publishers who often develop materials for other states based on guidelines approved in Texas, although teachers in the Lone Star state have latitude in deciding how to teach the material.

The board attempted to make more than 200 amendments this week alone, reshaping draft standards that had been prepared over the last year and a half by expert groups of teachers and professors.

As new amendments were being presented just moments before the vote, Democrats bristled that the changes had not been vetted.

"I think we're doing an injustice to the children of this state by piecemealing together, cutting and pasting, coming up with new amendments as late as today," said Mary Helen Berlanga, a Democrat. "What we have done today and what we did yesterday is something that a classroom teacher would not even have accepted."

During the monthslong revision process, conservatives strengthened requirements on teaching the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation's Founding Fathers and required that the U.S. government be referred to as a "constitutional republic," rather than "democratic." Students will be required to study the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.

They also rejected language to modernize the classification of historic periods to B.C.E. and C.E. from the traditional B.C. and A.D., and agreed to replace Thomas Jefferson as an example of an influential political philosopher in a world history class. They also required students to evaluate efforts by global organizations such as the United Nations to undermine U.S. sovereignty.

Former board chairman Don McLeroy, one of the board's most outspoken conservatives, said the Texas history curriculum has been unfairly skewed to the left after years of Democrats controlling the board and he just wants to bring it back into balance.

"I'm proud to have my name on this document," Republican board member Barbara Cargill said shortly before the vote.

Another Republican board member, David Bradley, said the curriculum revision process has always been political €” but this time, the ruling faction had changed since the last time social studies standards were adopted.

"We took our licks, we got outvoted," he said referring to the debate from 10 years earlier. "Now it's 10-5 in the other direction ... we're an elected body, this is a political process. Outside that, go find yourself a benevolent dictator."

GOP board member Geraldine Miller was absent during the votes.

Educators have blasted the curriculum proposals for politicizing education. Teachers also have said the document is too long and will force students to memorize lists of names rather than thinking critically.

The curriculum dispute contributed to McLeroy's defeat in the March state Republican primary.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said school officials "should keep politics out" of curriculum debates.

"We do a disservice to children when we shield them from the truth, just because some people think it is painful or doesn't fit with their particular views," Duncan said in a statement. "Parents should be very wary of politicians designing curriculum."

After the vote, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas urged the state Legislature to place more control over the board.

"At the end of three long days, the State Board of Education has amended, re-amended and approved curriculum standards that are more ideological than ever, despite pleas to not politicize what is taught to Texas school children," said the state ACLU's executive director, Terri Burke.

At least one lawmaker vowed legislative action to "rein in" the board.

"They have ignored historians and teachers, allowing ideological activists to push the culture war further into our classrooms," said Rep. Mike Villareal, a San Antonio Democrat. "They fail to understand that we don't want liberal textbooks or conservative textbooks. We want excellent textbooks, written by historians instead of activists."

[JaiDee]

(PigDogg @ May 22 2010,02:53) Have some computer poblems so watched a bit of FOX the past couple of days.  Saw Glen Beck for the first time.

Can see how that guy appeals to Middle America.  

Pretty funny dude, eh PD?? Counts Chuck Norris and all Tea Baggers as part his faithful audience.

some day his head will explode on national TV and it will all be caught on tape, awesome!

*Will replace O'Reilly at 8pm pretty soon as the pre-eminent announcer for FOX news; doesn't that tell people just how much of a joke that network is?

[pacman]

(Torurot @ May 22 2010,15:52) Students will be required to study the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.

At first blush, this comment seems at odds with Republican values as it occurred to me that the reality of the gold standard issue would make US policymakers look stupid.

Then I realised that they are probably going to resurrect the questionable legacy of that vile charlatan John Maynard Keynes.

I hope I am wrong & I look forward to seeing what spin US educators choose to put on this sad part of US history.

What chance do future generations have of getting competent legislation through parliament if they teach failed policies as some sort of shining truth? God help 'em...        

[Torurot]

What Happens When Deficit Hawks Set Policy
Meltdown in the EU
http://counterpunch.org/whitney05212010.html
By MIKE WHITNEY Weekend Edition May 21 - 23, 2010

Global markets have plunged for more than a month, wiping out more than $5.3 trillion in total market value. Ostensibly, the catalyst was Greece's large deficits, but that's only part of the story. Under the terms of the Maastricht Treaty, (aka--the Treaty on European Union) EU countries are not allowed to exceed the treaty's 3 per cent ceiling on fiscal deficits. The nonsensical treaty basically repeals the business cycle by edict. Are recessions forbidden, too?

Sanctimonious German bureaucrats and heads-of-state have taken up the cause of fiscal probity and turned a thoroughly-manageable matter into a full-blown crisis that could break up the EU and drag the world back into deep recession. Keep in mind, Germany has been the main beneficiary of Greek deficits as reflected in their bulging surpluses. One does not exist without the other; and as Keynes pointed out, surplus countries increase global instability by exerting "negative externality". That hasn't stopped German media from finger-wagging at their "spendthrift" neighbors to the south...

[guydesavoy]

Here's a nice little website that should interest some of you guys :

http://wikileaks.org/

Happy reading

[Jake_Sully]

(JaiDee @ May 22 2010,04:57)

(PigDogg @ May 22 2010,02:53) Have some computer poblems so watched a bit of FOX the past couple of days.  Saw Glen Beck for the first time.

Can see how that guy appeals to Middle America.  

Pretty funny dude, eh  PD??  Counts Chuck Norris and all Tea Baggers as part his faithful audience.

some day his head will explode on national TV and it will all be caught on tape, awesome!

     *Will replace O'Reilly at 8pm pretty soon as the pre-eminent announcer for FOX news;  doesn't that tell people just how much of a joke that network is?

You know next time some politician says they want less government, just ask them how much of their own staff are they willing to fire to lessen the government?

[pacman]

Dale Peterson's campaign ad in Alabama...

What's not to love?....