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Forum: News and Current Events Topic: London Mayor- 'too many white men' |
visagrunt |
Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 9:39 am
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Replies: 96 Views: 3,731
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As anyone in politics can tell you, local government is where the rubber hits the road. For the vast majority of citizens, city and local governments have vastly more impact over their daily lives than national or subnational governments. Clean water, sanitation, rubbish collection, policing and fir... |
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Forum: News and Current Events Topic: The cost of relinquishing U.S. citizenship |
visagrunt |
Posted: 26 Oct 2016, 9:23 am
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Replies: 50 Views: 2,144
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Now personally I'd rather fund our government off tariffs and excise taxes but the cat is out of the bag as far as the 16th Amendment goes. I don't really believe in dual citizenry either, I think the US should make those born with 2 to choose in between US and whoever else's citizenry after age 18... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: McCain: Republicans will block all Hillary SCOTUSes . |
visagrunt |
Posted: 24 Oct 2016, 12:55 pm
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Replies: 15 Views: 1,245
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This points out an enormous gap in the constitutional framework of the United States. The power of appointment is clearly vested in the Executive branch, and extends to the full range of administrative, judicial and military offices. But that power is held in check by the requirement of Senate confi... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: The Future of UKIP |
visagrunt |
Posted: 10 Oct 2016, 2:20 pm
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Replies: 39 Views: 1,809
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Well, if we take the Prime Minister's statements at face value, it certainly looks like the Conservative party have fully co-opted the UKIP's only meaningful agenda. However, the needlework isn't done on Brexit--not by a long shot. At some point the Prime Minister is going to have to face Parliament... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: End of the line for Trump? |
visagrunt |
Posted: 10 Oct 2016, 2:10 pm
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Replies: 109 Views: 5,059
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It seems to me that the significance of the withdrawal of RNC funding cannot be overstated. What is the ground game for Trump on Nov 8? To win, he has to get supporters in swing states out to the polls in large numbers. The Democrat machine will be getting voters who will vote blue down the line to ... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: First Amendment, as used by American courts, is hypocritical |
visagrunt |
Posted: 10 Oct 2016, 1:59 pm
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Replies: 16 Views: 901
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Yes. Some Americans enjoy talking about how, before the Civil War, the United States were (as in the plural), but after the Civil War, the United States was (as in the singular). In other words, the United States became a single nation after that time, when before that time, it was "only"... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: Bus lanes for hybrid cars? |
visagrunt |
Posted: 25 Aug 2016, 9:50 am
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Replies: 9 Views: 614
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In this jurisdiction the only concession is to allow Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in Hybrids to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes even if there is only a single rider. Using lanes restricted to buses is not a privilege that comes with driving an electric car. (To my occasional disappoint... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: A leader is elected by about 150 people out of 64 million? |
visagrunt |
Posted: 13 Jul 2016, 10:32 am
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Replies: 5 Views: 669
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Ironic it may be. But that's how Parliamentary democracies and constitutional monarchies work. The source of sovereignty in the United Kingdom is not, and never has been the people. It is the Queen in Parliament. The Prime Minister wields power not by virtue of an electoral mandate, but because she ... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: 'Matter is designed' argument for GOD... |
visagrunt |
Posted: 13 Jul 2016, 10:22 am
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Replies: 66 Views: 2,812
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1. Not 2. Of course it doesn't Einstein's observation breaks down in two critical ways, from my perspective. First, it doesn't necessarily account for any kind of "natural selection" in the formation of hadrons. When the early universe cooled sufficiently, and quarks came together to form ... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: E-mail server thing looks bad for Hillary |
visagrunt |
Posted: 13 Jul 2016, 10:03 am
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Replies: 185 Views: 5,032
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The Republicans have hated the Clintons for a quarter century. While they have given Bill the begrudging respect due to a triumphant foe, they reserve visceral, white-hot, uncompromising bile for Hillary. The fourth estate has--as is their duty--gone over her and her background with many, many fine ... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: No Left-Right Political Spectrum in 3rd World? |
visagrunt |
Posted: 13 Jul 2016, 9:30 am
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Replies: 6 Views: 711
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Of course the political spectrum exists in the third world. Anywhere that political opposition exists, there exists a spectrum of view on the key issues of government policy. About the only country where I would question the existence of a political spectrum is the DPRK. (And possibly the Holy See, ... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: Is there a country on Earth where Caucasians are "thriving"? |
visagrunt |
Posted: 29 Jun 2016, 2:34 pm
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Replies: 30 Views: 1,828
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South Africa, Brazil, Israel..... to name a few Whites are in no way going to "overtake another demographic as a majority." (to use the OP's words) in either South Africa or Israel, and in Brazil, I'm reasonably confident that they have outnumbered the Indigenous people for the better par... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: Those who voted to leave due to immigration enabled racism |
visagrunt |
Posted: 29 Jun 2016, 2:29 pm
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Replies: 34 Views: 1,979
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Racists voted for racism and that prompted racists to commit racist acts. Oh, piss off. Racists thought they voted for racism because they're stupid. The vote wasn't about legitimising racism - the vote was about leaving a political union. A majority voted for that. You have no window into the soul... |
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Forum: News and Current Events Topic: Scotland seeks independent entry to the European Union |
visagrunt |
Posted: 29 Jun 2016, 9:40 am
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Replies: 101 Views: 4,502
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The important word there is, "independent."
If Scotland becomes a sovereign nation state, it can do as it likes. But I maintain that it cannot both remain part of the United Kingdom and simultaneously seek membership in the EU. |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: Those who voted to leave due to immigration enabled racism |
visagrunt |
Posted: 29 Jun 2016, 9:26 am
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Replies: 34 Views: 1,979
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Well you start from a position of truism. Racists voted for racism and that prompted racists to commit racist acts. But you don't acknowledge a key principle: In the law of England and Wales, in the law of Scotland and in the law of Northern Ireland, people have the right to freedom of thought, beli... |
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Forum: Politics, Philosophy, and Religion Topic: Is there a country on Earth where Caucasians are "thriving"? |
visagrunt |
Posted: 29 Jun 2016, 9:15 am
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Replies: 30 Views: 1,828
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If your only measure is a minority that will overtake other cohorts to become majority, that's a bit silly. There are, typically, only two ways in which a minority population could displace a majority population: colonialism, and mass migration. In the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, colonizati... |
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