Well, at least, they're releasing the Amelia Earhart files...

[Invisible Man]

The above is not really up for debate.

RHETORICAL TRUMPISM

[Chankgeez]

D.o.S. = Dictator.of.Spiel.

[jrfox92]

It seems like a lot of people confuse right-wing for statist/authoritarian.
I'd argue that Hillary is likely center & authoritarian leaning while Obama is somewhat left of center & authoritarian leaning.
Trump is probably just right of center (though probably a strong authoritarian), honestly, but he's surrounded himself with hard right supporters and has molded his rhetoric in kind.

[D.o.S.]

Obama is only left of center if you think of "the center" of US politics as "centrist". That's sort of the point.

[snipelfritz]

Economically, yes. Socially, not really, but that's complicated by Reagan's consolidation and empowerment of the Evangelical bloc.

But in recent years, I've become less concerned with the philosophy of ideals/rhetoric and moreso the balances of power. Of course those things play off each other. I'd love to see some Teddy-style Trust-Busting come back into vogue (which is being embodied now by the Sanders/Warren wing).

[Disarm D'arcy]

I don't know I'm still waiting for Roosevelt's second bill of rights. Are you sure the political spectrum has shifted that far right?

[Chankgeez]

All I can say is that we're definitely at a political low-point in our country's history.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fac ... de56ba9b22

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... 53beb15ce7

[D.o.S.]

This is a good read from a perspective I do not necessarily share entirely but making a point that I do agree with, generally:
https://fee.org/articles/immigration-is ... man-right/

A basic tenet of liberalism* is that every person, regardless of what country she happens to live in, has the same basic human rights. If it doesn’t apply to everyone, everywhere then it can’t be a basic human right. And among those rights is the right of free association.

Free association simply means that Jack is free to peacefully associate with Jill, as long as Jill wishes to peacefully associate with Jack. Indeed, Jack can’t exercise that right unless Jill can also, which is another characteristic of a basic human right. It applies broadly to all forms of association, related but not limited to political activity, religious observance, and commerce.

It does not imply that others are obliged to pay Jack’s and Jill’s costs of associating with each other and it does not imply that we are obliged to associate with others if we don’t want to.

If the government dictates that I may live and work only in North Dakota, that’s a clear violation of my right of free association and my right to property. It’s merely a difference in degree, but still a violation of my basic rights, if the government dictates that I can live and work anywhere except in North Dakota.

It’s makes no fundamental difference if, instead of North Dakota and the rest of the United States of America, the restriction applies to North Dakota or to North Korea.

(*from earlier in the piece: Here, Mises uses the term “liberal” in its earlier, non-interventionist or “classical” meaning. This is how I’m using the term “liberal” in this essay.)

[Strange Tales]

And Betsy DeVos is confirmed. Why go for rock bottom when you can break the bedrock on the way?

[Invisible Man]

And Betsy DeVos is confirmed. Why go for rock bottom when you can break the bedrock on the way?

I generally don't take this shit too seriously (laughing at tyrants/bogeymen), but this one hurts. Kids shouldn't suffer because we are fucked-up morons who don't know how to manage ourselves.

And she's from Michigan! wheeeeeeeee

[odontophobia]

And Betsy DeVos is confirmed. Why go for rock bottom when you can break the bedrock on the way?

I generally don't take this shit too seriously (laughing at tyrants/bogeymen), but this one hurts. Kids shouldn't suffer because we are fucked-up morons who don't know how to manage ourselves.

And she's from Michigan! wheeeeeeeee

As a grand rapidian I get it. She's a deplorable religious nut but white people love her because school of choice means they can live in the neighborhoods about to be gentrified and not have to send their kids to school with all the poor/black/Latino kids. And they'll say things like: Crimson goes to preschool at a GR school that has strong ties to the DeVos family and it's amazing. I'm also glad that she's into school of choice. Any person that lives in a city (like a real city) and has little ones is lying when they say they're cool sending their babes to a dangerous school. Truth.

Quotes from facebook. Grand Rapids is a pretty small city. This person clearly sends their kid to a private, Christian school that the DeVos family has probably dumped a ton of money into.

[PeteeBee]

Genuine question: is there a difference between public charter schools and private charter schools? I've been saying for years that I think our local system in this county of some normal public schools and some charter (which are disproportionately full of more affluent children) creates classism in our school system. Everyone tells me that it's different than what DeVo is supporting but I can't find anywhere that offers a real distinction. I think, as previously mentioned, it's a case of people pointing out a flaw and being enraged over something that they benefit from.

And I do get it, I'd love for my daughters to go to the local "Charter School of the Arts," where every kid learns violin and another instrument, has art class, all that junk that is completely absent from the other schools, but I don't want to be complicit in class struggle

[D.o.S.]

yeah no fuck poor people they only need to be taught enough to line the factories that we don't have anymore.

[comesect2.0]

You get what you pay for. Segregation. homogeneous class...when is the population control bill gonna hit?

[jrfox92]

I think public schools should only be allowed to spend a tiny portion of their funds on sports.
$20 says that if you did that, you'd see a notable positive change in public schools.

Keep in mind, I don't really know anything about "bad" public schools, though.
Considering that I went to school in a relatively affluent area (but not too affluent) that was also fairly multicultural with good funding means that I had good teachers, well funded classrooms, well funded arts programs, on top of extremely well funded sports programs.
My junior year (when I went to Senior High), the school I went to had just recently finished building a special building that had four large arts classrooms, four sizable classrooms for government/economics classes, and a gigantic classroom which was filled with rows of brand new macs that were used by graphic design and video editing classes.