The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

[tinnitus photography]

Yes I did see your comment. I believe some of this. I just dont believe all of it. I've read up on it a lot and I honestly don't know how anyone who does and doesn't have an agenda can come away being a full on convert to the climate change cult (indulge me. I'm mostly just joking around with my choice of words there. The use of the terms "denier" and religious like rhetoric surrounding this both astounds me and cracks me up.)

Do I believe we have seen a rise in temperature? Yes.

Do I believe polution has contributed to that? Yes.

Do I believe that's the whole story? No.

Do I think we need to take common sense and cost effective steps toward cleaning g up where we can? Yes.

Do I believe we are on the precipice of the Apocalypse vis a vis any of this? No.

I don't buy the hysteria. People like Al Gore and others of his ilk are in this to make money. The scare tactics surrounding this are both amusing and sickening.

The folks screaming the loudest about this all have a vested personal interest and I aint talking about a cleaner planet when I say that. Some of power grabs by the government in the name of global warming are something to behold.

The thing is, a lot of folks have fixed opinions on this but not many of them have done much digging. They don't want to.

And finally, it a long, long way from being the overwhelming majority that is certain this all just like what the alarmists say it is. Some very respected scientists say something quite different.

I spend a lot of time outdoors. I am a big time hunter and fisherman (I just mean that I do both of those things a lot), I love to camp, hike, and kayak. I care about the environment. But I care about what is true as well.

so what do you think the magnitude of $ gained vs lost is here, vis a vis the shadow clean energy cabal vs the petro-chemical titans? if Al Gore wanted to make real money, he'd be a lobbyist for Halliburton or some shit like that. you think this is his way to riches?


do you have opinions on brain surgery too? done a lot of digging?

i'm glad that you care about the environment in your backyard. the world's a whole lot bigger.


maybe you, like Rick Perry and Pruitt, don't think that CO2 causes warming?

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Handel wins, Ossoff not the Messiah

[schlanky]

Now off to mow front yard now that it's cooled down to 105. Ain't gonna mess with the back

You're giving your lawn a mullet?

[Iowan]

Now off to mow front yard now that it's cooled down to 105. Ain't gonna mess with the back

You're giving your lawn a mullet?

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Now off to mow front yard now that it's cooled down to 105. Ain't gonna mess with the back

You're giving your lawn a mullet?

[tinnitus photography]

Now off to mow front yard now that it's cooled down to 105. Ain't gonna mess with the back

You're giving your lawn a mullet?

[Cole Younger]

Yes I did see your comment. I believe some of this. I just dont believe all of it. I've read up on it a lot and I honestly don't know how anyone who does and doesn't have an agenda can come away being a full on convert to the climate change cult (indulge me. I'm mostly just joking around with my choice of words there. The use of the terms "denier" and religious like rhetoric surrounding this both astounds me and cracks me up.)

Do I believe we have seen a rise in temperature? Yes.

Do I believe polution has contributed to that? Yes.

Do I believe that's the whole story? No.

Do I think we need to take common sense and cost effective steps toward cleaning g up where we can? Yes.

Do I believe we are on the precipice of the Apocalypse vis a vis any of this? No.

I don't buy the hysteria. People like Al Gore and others of his ilk are in this to make money. The scare tactics surrounding this are both amusing and sickening.

The folks screaming the loudest about this all have a vested personal interest and I aint talking about a cleaner planet when I say that. Some of power grabs by the government in the name of global warming are something to behold.

The thing is, a lot of folks have fixed opinions on this but not many of them have done much digging. They don't want to.

And finally, it a long, long way from being the overwhelming majority that is certain this all just like what the alarmists say it is. Some very respected scientists say something quite different.

I spend a lot of time outdoors. I am a big time hunter and fisherman (I just mean that I do both of those things a lot), I love to camp, hike, and kayak. I care about the environment. But I care about what is true as well.

so what do you think the magnitude of $ gained vs lost is here, vis a vis the shadow clean energy cabal vs the petro-chemical titans? if Al Gore wanted to make real money, he'd be a lobbyist for Halliburton or some shit like that. you think this is his way to riches?


do you have opinions on brain surgery too? done a lot of digging?

i'm glad that you care about the environment in your backyard. the world's a whole lot bigger.


maybe you, like Rick Perry and Pruitt, don't think that CO2 causes warming?

God bless you.

[Cole Younger]

Handel wins, Ossoff not the Messiah

Pretty predictable, man. Ossoff was a terrible candidate and the fact that he isn't from there and nobody there knows much about him made it easy for the Republicans to cast him as some sort bed wetting little wannabe who was trying to come into those people's district and "straighten them out".

[Iowan]

So is the killing of Philando Castile a race thing, or is it a police thing, or is it both?

My gut feeling is that the cop would have walked regardless of the victim's skin color. But that doesn't make it any better. The police in this country have a license to kill, carte blanche. The cop wasn't white, but that also doesn't mean race wasn't a factor.

[brett27295]

My gut feeling is that the cop would have walked regardless of the victim's skin color.

Maybe. But I strongly suspect if the driver of the car had been white there wouldn't have been an incident at all. According to the dashcam video the driver of the car did everything right. And the police officer still shot him dead. We have a problem in this country where law enforcement are killing civilians (mostly black) with very little justification. It's been going on a long, long time. But because of things like smart phones and dashcam videos we are starting to see the incidents with our own eyes and not just read a short article about it in the newspaper. And it also seems like the court system is giving them free reign to shoot people without fear of being convicted.

I'm not saying that law enforcement is out there just killing black folks because they feel like it. I'm just saying there's a problem. The Black Lives Matter movement is trying to draw attention to it. And I don't blame them. I come from a rural upbringing where nearly everyone I knew was white and owned guns. I'm not anti-gun. I don't feel "white guilt". But I acknowledge that white privilege exists (I've been pulled over a few times in my life and never one time feared for my life). I teach and work with a people from a wide variety of racial backgrounds and I can tell you that it is a legit concern among many minority groups. And I certainly acknowledge that there are a whole lot of black folks that are getting gunned down for what seems like very questionable reasons.

In the above situation the officer seemed to imply he shot the man because he smelled like weed. I didn't realize that was a death sentence.

[Iowan]

My gut feeling is that the cop would have walked regardless of the victim's skin color.

Maybe. But I strongly suspect if the driver of the car had been white there wouldn't have been an incident at all. According to the dashcam video the driver of the car did everything right. And the police officer still shot him dead. We have a problem in this country where law enforcement are killing civilians (mostly black) with very little justification. It's been going on a long, long time. But because of things like smart phones and dashcam videos we are starting to see the incidents with our own eyes and not just read a short article about it in the newspaper. And it also seems like the court system is giving them free reign to shoot people without fear of being convicted.

I'm not saying that law enforcement is out there just killing black folks because they feel like it. I'm just saying there's a problem. The Black Lives Matter movement is trying to draw attention to it. And I don't blame them. I come from a rural upbringing where nearly everyone I knew was white and owned guns. I'm not anti-gun. I don't feel "white guilt". But I acknowledge that white privilege exists (I've been pulled over a few times in my life and never one time feared for my life). I teach and work with a people from a wide variety of racial backgrounds and I can tell you that it is a legit concern among many minority groups. And I certainly acknowledge that there are a whole lot of black folks that are getting gunned down for what seems like very questionable reasons.

In the above situation the officer seemed to imply he shot the man because he smelled like weed. I didn't realize that was a death sentence.

The systemic racism issue definitely exists and has been a factor in a lot of these cases. I just think we're hitting a point that an even deeper problem is on our plate - and that's the acquiescence to a police state. A significant percentage of Americans, when push comes to shove, will find it acceptable for the police to kill without justification or provocation.

[Zip City]

Additionally, every cop who is acquitted in one of these cases just emboldens the rest of law enforcement to act the same way.

It's going to take serious consequences for these shootings to even start changing behaviors

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

So is the killing of Philando Castile a race thing, or is it a police thing, or is it both?

My gut feeling is that the cop would have walked regardless of the victim's skin color. But that doesn't make it any better. The police in this country have a license to kill, carte blanche. The cop wasn't white, but that also doesn't mean race wasn't a factor.

OK, I was gonna keep my mouth shut on this, but since you asked..... 963 people were shot and killed by the police in 2016, 991 in 2015. So far this year the number is 460 (today is the 173rd day out of 365, so the year is 47% done). Let those numbers sink in. Nearly a thousand people per year shot and killed by the police. Goes without saying that not all of those were bad shoots and not all were racism. But anyway you look at it, the police are killing nearly 1000 people a year and are not being held accountable for it in any significant manner. And clearly a great percentage of the American people are completely fine with this.

I agree with Iowan 100% when he said, "the police in this country have a license to kill, carte blanche." Juries obviously will not convict, even with clear video evidence. If a jury wouldn't convict the coward who shot Walter Scott in the back and then planted a weapon beside his body, it ain't gonna happen.

It seems pretty clear that we now have a whole lotta people in uniform who have no business with a badge and gun. There are likely numerous explanations for this: low pay, slackened requirements due to a growing number of people who can't meet the physical/educational requirements, training that emphasizes the public as "the enemy," etc. Whatever the cause, there are a ton of people in uniform who aren't cut out for the job. And that's not a diss--I know for certain I am not cut out for the job and wouldn't for a second think I should be in the position-- it's just a fact.

We keep hearing the "get out of jail free" card utilized by the police: I feared for my life. But with the police killing far more citizens than the other way around, at what point do citizens get to use the same rationale?

Police are citizens like everyone else, no better no worse. And their lives should not be count more or less than the life of anyone else.

[brett27295]

A significant percentage of Americans, when push comes to shove, will find it acceptable for the police to kill without justification or provocation.

There are several people in this very forum who think all someone has to do is "listen to the officer's instructions and you won't get shot". We've seen numerous incidents in just the last 18 months where that is clearly not true. If you're brown and you get pulled over or otherwise detained by police there's a much higher chance you will end up dead than if it was me who is pulled over or detained. That just ain't right no matter how you spin it.

[Zip City]

A significant percentage of Americans, when push comes to shove, will find it acceptable for the police to kill without justification or provocation.

There are several people in this very forum who think all someone has to do is "listen to the officer's instructions and you won't get shot". We've seen numerous incidents in just the last 18 months where that is clearly not true. If you're brown and you get pulled over or otherwise detained by police there's a much higher chance you will end up dead than if it was me who is pulled over or detained. That just ain't right no matter how you spin it.

Yes, it's an outrageous double standard. Cops can shoot innocent people because "they feared for their lives". But an innocent person with a gun in his face is expected to stay calm and perfectly obey orders? Fuck that shit

[Iowan]

Additionally, every cop who is acquitted in one of these cases just emboldens the rest of law enforcement to act the same way.

It's going to take serious consequences for these shootings to even start changing behaviors

Convictions would be a huge step, but if you can't get past that point, I don't know what you can do.

A component of the jury system has always been that people could ignore the law and impose their own will in a case. It happens all the time, and is just getting flat out of hand in the post-truth era.

[tinnitus photography]

Yes I did see your comment. I believe some of this. I just dont believe all of it. I've read up on it a lot and I honestly don't know how anyone who does and doesn't have an agenda can come away being a full on convert to the climate change cult (indulge me. I'm mostly just joking around with my choice of words there. The use of the terms "denier" and religious like rhetoric surrounding this both astounds me and cracks me up.)

Do I believe we have seen a rise in temperature? Yes.

Do I believe polution has contributed to that? Yes.

Do I believe that's the whole story? No.

Do I think we need to take common sense and cost effective steps toward cleaning g up where we can? Yes.

Do I believe we are on the precipice of the Apocalypse vis a vis any of this? No.

I don't buy the hysteria. People like Al Gore and others of his ilk are in this to make money. The scare tactics surrounding this are both amusing and sickening.

The folks screaming the loudest about this all have a vested personal interest and I aint talking about a cleaner planet when I say that. Some of power grabs by the government in the name of global warming are something to behold.

The thing is, a lot of folks have fixed opinions on this but not many of them have done much digging. They don't want to.

And finally, it a long, long way from being the overwhelming majority that is certain this all just like what the alarmists say it is. Some very respected scientists say something quite different.

I spend a lot of time outdoors. I am a big time hunter and fisherman (I just mean that I do both of those things a lot), I love to camp, hike, and kayak. I care about the environment. But I care about what is true as well.

so what do you think the magnitude of $ gained vs lost is here, vis a vis the shadow clean energy cabal vs the petro-chemical titans? if Al Gore wanted to make real money, he'd be a lobbyist for Halliburton or some shit like that. you think this is his way to riches?


do you have opinions on brain surgery too? done a lot of digging?

i'm glad that you care about the environment in your backyard. the world's a whole lot bigger.


maybe you, like Rick Perry and Pruitt, don't think that CO2 causes warming?

God bless you.

Climate is not real but god is.

Gotcha

[Cole Younger]

Who said the climate isn't real?

[tinnitus photography]

Change.

Combo of iPad and oxy error.

[Cole Younger]

Change.

Combo of iPad and oxy error.

Ok. Who said climate change isn't real?

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

NJ State Assembly Passes Bill Require Schools to Teach Kids How to Interact with Police

Getting them hooked on the taste of boot leather at a young age

here's another brilliant idea: bring in Pill Cosby to teach the kids how to interact with potential rapists

[tinnitus photography]

Change.

Combo of iPad and oxy error.

Ok. Who said climate change isn't real?

most of the republican party, for starters.


if you want to parse it farther, are you saying it's not affected by human activity?

[tinnitus photography]

NJ State Assembly Passes Bill Require Schools to Teach Kids How to Interact with Police

Getting them hooked on the taste of boot leather at a young age

here's another brilliant idea: bring in Pill Cosby to teach the kids how to interact with potential rapists

Pill Cosby.

[Cole Younger]

Change.

Combo of iPad and oxy error.

Ok. Who said climate change isn't real?

most of the republican party, for starters.


if you want to parse it farther, are you saying it's not affected by human activity?

I'm not parsing anything. I said something. You want to make it into something I didn't say. If somebody is taking liberties with what was said here it isn't me.

[tinnitus photography]

go on, answer the question... i know you are skeptical from perusing all the data. let's hear your thesis.

[Cole Younger]

go on, answer the question... i know you are skeptical from perusing all the data. let's hear your thesis.

Did you read what I posted? That's not rhetorical. It really doesn't seem like you did.

[lotusamerica]

Pretty simple to me. We're living like drunken sailors as we sail into a major storm. Can we make it through? Maybe, we're sailors and may rally. But is it a good idea living like we do? Surely not.

It seems to me the overwhelming majority of climate scholars do think we are heading toward catastrophe. Al Gore doesn't mean anything and the politicization of climate change from the right is a blatant cover to keep oil money flowing. As soon as the economic winds change, and that's coming soon, the oil cabal will begin to lose its footing and the right will suddenly find Jesus on this issue and then probably find a way to blame the Democrats.

I think the left is on the right side of history on this one, even while being pretty much inert in doing anything much about it.

As to everyday people like us, what we think probably matters less than what we do. I have a good friend who thinks about the same as you Cole, and like you, he lives small, eats local, and cares just as much about his fellow creatures as I do, and I have no problem with him thinking differently than me on the subject. Better that someone questions and concludes differently than just follows whichever herd he's a part of.

[tinnitus photography]

go on, answer the question... i know you are skeptical from perusing all the data. let's hear your thesis.

Did you read what I posted? That's not rhetorical. It really doesn't seem like you did.

yes, i read it. you think that the movement is a front for a power grab. and you think some very well respected scientists are in opposition to the overwhelming majority of their peers and colleagues.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

NJ State Assembly Passes Bill Require Schools to Teach Kids How to Interact with Police

Getting them hooked on the taste of boot leather at a young age

here's another brilliant idea: bring in Pill Cosby to teach the kids how to interact with potential rapists

Pill Cosby.