Politics

What is the balance to be found here? Surely, there are valid arguments to be made about the importance of gun right protections and the ability of people to own them, and also valid arguments to be made that this has become a bit of a national health problem or epidemic that we should seriously consider addressing like we would a disease. To frame the discussion, consider these facts: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/27/guns-children-hospitalizations/4796999/ Every year since 2006 in the US, in a typical year there are 30 mass killings with 137 victims. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/16/mass-killi…

A recent study of traffic that determined most of the gridlock on the highways is caused by a few jerks driving badly and forcing everyone else to put on their brakes, robbing the system of its momentum. I say jerks mainly because these folks are completely oblivious to the fact that they ARE the problem they're spending so much time complaining about! They're so wrapped up in themselves and what THEY want, they fail to recognize themselves as the source of it all. When it's pointed out to them, they deny it vehemently, and insist that if everyone drove like them, everything would be fine. Are political conservatives being the tailgaters, lane-changers, and cutter-off…

"Medicine Hat becomes the first city in Canada to eliminate homelessness" http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.3074402/medicine-hat-becomes-the-first-city-in-canada-to-eliminate-homelessness-1.3074742 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/14/medicine-hat-homelessness-end-2015_n_7280232.html They did exactly what I said numerous times f.e. here: http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/87282-how-to-reduce-wealth-inequality/?p=846769 "And now f.e. half of Detroit is dead city without population, with quarters of houses owned by banks, ruined, and waiting to be demolished. They could/should be resident by all these NY homeless people.." …

Clarence Thomas, disgusting nomination, and betray of democracy.. Guy who molested womans, she passed lie detector test (Anita Hill), he has been nominated to US Supreme Court Justice... That's disgusting to justice. Until he pass through lie detector test. Which he will never do... That's disgusting to democracy. ps. if you would put him in front of lie detector, he would piss off, because of afraid of being examined.... ps2. I don't want to be accused to attacking just russians. Like here: http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/94549-russian-democracy/ Nationality does not matter, really. It matters what you do, and who you are, really. I will threat …

I really respect this community alot, and love the discussion of scientific ideas...so hopefully this will be my first and last thread on a political topic. People who are advocating public restrooms, locker rooms and showers all seem to use the same scenario in defending their position: "Well, if a pedophile or rapist wanted to molest or rape someone, what's stopping them from walking into a woman's bathroom or shower and doing it?". Firstly, it's illegal, so I think it's going to deter a large percentage of the rapists/ molesters out there. Secondly, its not normalized for a man to walk into a women's restroom or shower. So, when a man does this, it kinda it stic…

hey guys, I was just wondering what was it that caused the Iraq war to occur? How did politicians from various countries manage to manipulate the masses in such a coordinated way as to be successful in fulfilling their objectives of starting a war?? Also, who have been the major beneficiaries of the war?? Did the Iraqi people do enough to prevent other countries from attacking their country? If you were a politician and Iraqi and wanted to prevent such a conflict what would you do? Do ordinary people have any power at all? What was it which lead to so many people being killed and so many people doing nothing? Typically, is it easy to start wars li…

To start, I don't want this to be a giant political argument. I want you guys to post your thoughts on each of the 4 candidates(Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Bernie Sanders. After that who you would probably vote for. Now you don't have to go into extreme detail, but the basic reasoning would be nice. If you post your thoughts on one candidate, please post your thoughts on a candidate on the other side as well, to keep it even. Also, try to use minor opinions, rather than just saying things that don't really add up at all. If two post counteract each other, or one is proven wrong, they really don't point out anything except that you didn't really research e…

Not all advocates for climate action are 'green/left' and not all are anti-nuclear. Not all advocates for nuclear are 'conservative/right' and not all are against strong climate action or oppose renewables. Yet that divide looks strong. Open and direct opposition to nuclear is well known and broadly popular - even if I think distrust of nuclear is not so deeply held that many would abandon it were there compelling need for it. And there is compelling need for low emissions solutions and it seems unreasonable to me that somehow such advocates can have set the energy agenda in the face of it. Something else has to have been going on - or perhaps not going on - for them to h…

Majority of Ukrainians want Ukraine to become a developed, civilized European country. But development of this country is going slowly staggered by internal and external problems. What do you think about implementing some kind of "Marshal Plan" for Ukraine under which developed countries would take most of administration in Ukraine in their hands and develop new administrative system for this country? Also Ukraine may form some kind of Confederacy with more developed country. From what I know about Ukrainians, the vast majority of them would agree to live under foreign administration if it will help bring down corruption and increase level standards drastically.

What do you think about possibility to legalize short range cell phone jammers which could be used for security purposes (electronic bug jamming)? Government could certify such devices making sure they work on very short range and unlikely creating threat to other people.

Bruce Springsteen explaining the cancellation of his recent show Bryan Adams in his press release also cancelling a show In which god-forsaken hell hole are these ageing rockstars (who still really rock) cancelling tour shows because of the recent wave of anti LGBT legislation? It's the land of the free - the Good Ole U S of A. Springsteen cancelled in Greensboro North Carolina and Adams cancelled at the Mississippi Colisseum

We all know that Trump has said some strange things about global warming, including it is a Chinese hoax to perturb US industry. His latest on twitter includes 'It's freezing outside, where the hell is "global warming"?' Now, I think that it is not important that our leaders underststand global warming, but it is important that they listen to those experts that clearly do know. Trump of course has gone beyond not understanding and has landed in the crack-pot bin. What are your thoughts in general on our leaders understanding science?

I didn't know whether put it to politics or to "The Official JOKES SECTION", both fit IMHO quite nicely. See this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7sH4zLPBb8 russian parliament members vote for their missing colleagues, every one voted for 4 in the same bench, one even voted for 8... Maybe it's open day in state duma, and they are just visitors?

Given my skills to apply to any and all jobs on a job site I have compiled a list of the main inhibitors to employment here. 1. Availability of housing - Job-seeker's won't come work for you if it costs more than their paycheck to live in your area 2. Driving License - Many governments require driving licenses,tax and insurance before anybody is allowed to drive. It has become this money making scheme for them. However there is no point in forcing job-seeker's to have them because the job-seekers can't afford them but still have to drive to work and logically the government doesn't lose anything in taxes to let them drive. 3. Employers are lazy - The idea that they …

Should all politicians and presadintal runners (before you ask, no, this isn't aimed at Trump) take some form of a psychology* test, to even be considered for taking a job in the government. We have doctors who work in advance fields of health and science, and some of them have to take a test, right? Why not the people who run the country?

Is this info that needs to be available on the internet? Is this knowledge that should be freely available to every dummy on Earth? This kind of knowledge, no matter how simple the bomb, should be banned from the internet, like child porn or how to build a nuclear bomb or bio weapon, and other harmful or deadly subjects. It should be illegal to post this anywhere on the internet. I propose that anyone who posts info on how to build a bomb should be tracked down and arrested, and whatever they post be deleted upon detection.

There is a video clip where Conan O'Brien creates a utopic sandwich, which is meant as a joke. One you tube comment was that you shouldn't play with food, because in African children die cause of starvation. I believe this comment has no meaning, because if you waste your food or not doesn't matter children in Africa still die. Stores and supermarkets have to dump their unsold food(a big amount by the way). In Switzerland and also in America this is the case. But not in France anymore. Last year they changed the law. All French stores have to recycle, compost or donate their unsold food. That's good in my opionion. I wished we also had the law here in Switzerland…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism What does Socialism mean to you? What are it's strengths and weaknesses? In the US, we're being exposed to the Sanders campaign as a liberal socialist candidate, yet elsewhere he's barely on the left side of the scale. Is Sander's brand of socialism a good step in the right direction, or does he go too far for the US, or not far enough for everyone else?

Seems it is when we are silent and waiting when tolerant people will be killed. Do terrorist attacks in Belgium prove that European politics of toleration is mistake?

"Since at least 2004, a significant goal of the group has been the foundation of a Sunni Islamic state. Specifically, ISIL has sought to establish itself as a caliphate, an Islamic state led by a group of religious authorities under a supreme leader—the caliph—who is believed to be the successor to Prophet Muhammad. In June 2014, ISIL published a document in which it claimed to have traced the lineage of its leader al-Baghdadi back to Muhammad, and upon proclaiming a new caliphate on 29 June, the group appointed al-Baghdadi as its caliph. As caliph, he demands the allegiance of all devout Muslims worldwide, according to Islamic jurisprudence. ISIL has detailed its…

I read an interesting article yesterday. Forget about Godwining your discussions by equating Trump with Hitler. The better analogy is George Wallace. Which suddenly spotlights how history is rhyming, not repeating itself, and the 2016 election is rhyming with the 1968 election. Trump is George Wallace, with all his hateful racist rhetoric, and ability to grab free press coverage based solely on sensationalism rather than merit. Clinton is Hubert Humphrey, burdened with the Johnson/Vietnam legacy and party lines he wanted to deviate from, but didn't want to enough to fight the party. Bernie Sanders (white-haired liberal anti-war candidate beloved by college students) …

I am not an American, and I struggle to fully understand the cause of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri (link to theguardian.com). Obviously, the shooting of an unarmed black man living in Ferguson was for many people in at town the final straw. But there is surely a deeper problem than that. Is it that black people feel discriminated? Is it that the police are scared shitless patrolling the poor areas, and shoot much too quickly because of that? Is it because there is no good communication between law enforcement and local inhabitants (no understanding)? Can one even point out a single problem that is the major issue? I'd like to hear some input about this, because I j…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35571868 News coming in that Scalia has died http://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/feb/13/supreme-court-justice-antonin-scalia-dead-at-79

Day to day, I watch TV and surf the internet, and I see Americans, embarrassing themselves. Commenting that if the president their voting for, doesn't win, they'll leave the country. They're acting like children, acting butt-hurt. They're making protests, sure it's their right, but it doesn't feel right, the way their doing so. When someone runs for president, they are suppose to run for the benefit for the country, not to run for the job itself, because of greed. The Runners go out of their way, to find dirt on each other, they forgot the fundamentals. This country is splitting. Why, for two centuries, no matter how many new views people develop, we are stuck in traditio…

Is the right to peaceful protest under the First Amendment being violated at Trump rallies? In recent days, there are increasing reports of peaceful protesters being removed for wrongful reasons. It seems T-shirts get under the skin of Trump supporters. In a piece I just read, there were a couple of you girls wearing Bernie and Hillary shirts. They were friendly with those sitting next to them even though they were Trump supporters, often exchanging comments in a civil, respectful manner. However, a group of rabble rousers were not content with these shirts in their midst. After numerous cat calls and threats, the befriended Trump supporters intervened and chastis…