Owner: Markism Explored URL:http://issuesandcurrentevents.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:09:53 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: A running collection of my thoughts and opinions about the current events of the world, focusing on politics, technology, and news, with a liberal slant. Site statistics:Click here
Decriminalizing Prostitution 2008-04-22 03:01:40 To fight prostitution, some say target clients | Reuters The rise of international sex trafficking is causing many countries to rethink their laws on prostitution and re-examine legal frameworks that for decades have treated the purchase of sex as a social nuisance or "victimless crime".Not long ago I was teaching at a firm called Centrum Addictology. They were largely a group of graduate students who were trying to to radically change the concepts of law and social thinking with things like drugs and alcohol. Generally they spoke remarkably good English, so most of our classes were mostly spent discussing and debating social structures globally and here in the Czech Republic. One of my favorites of those discussions was the idea of decriminalizing prostitution.One of many things I lea
Higher gas taxes 2008-04-22 02:14:27 John McCain gas tax | Salon News The U.S. is just now starting to get on board with the idea that we need to fight climate change, and this is just reversing that fight. Basically we're going to reduce the price of gasoline, which means consumers are going to respond by either driving more in the short term or changing how they make vehicle purchases and buying less fuel-efficient cars, because fuel efficiency won't be as important.My regular readers out there will know that I'm in favor of higher gas prices. I often discuss this with my friends, and occasionally at social occasions. Mostly the subject gets changed, or people simply refuse to engage me on this topic. That often surprises me based on the company I keep, which is obviously largely made up of American expats.One would thi Read more:Higher
Soil Day? 2008-04-22 01:57:05 Earth Day | Salon If thousands of inedible species can't adapt to our monomaniacal quest to return every last bit of fossil carbon back into the atmosphere, why should we care? Other species will do just fine, like kudzu, cactus, cockroaches, rats, scorpions, the bark beetle, Anopheles mosquitoes and the malaria parasites they harbor. Who are we to pick favorites?I ran into this article in Salon. I find it humorous and generally directly in line with my feelings about environmentalism and saving the planet. I don't want to distract from the article by blathering endlessly. Read it, then maybe comment on it. Join the conversation.
More guns in schools 2008-04-24 02:55:39 Boy, 10, fires semiautomatic at N.J. school - USATODAY.com Police say a fourth-grader fired a semiautomatic handgun inside a New Jersey elementary school as he was showing it to a friend. Linden Lt. Raymond Tyra says no one was injured in the gunfire at School Number 2 on Wednesday afternoon. A 10-year-old boy was showing the .38-caliber gun to his friend in a coat closet when the weapon went off. A bullet passed through the wall and into the classroom next door, where it lodged in a wall. Tyra says most of the kindergarten to fifth-grade students who attend the school had gone home before the incident. Police officers recovered the gun and secured the school.Anyone want to lay odds as to where the boy got the gun? Could it possibly be from his parents? Anyone want to lay odds as to
Desperately seeking a legacy? 2008-04-23 01:48:14 Bush administration offers new fuel economy rules - CNN.com The plan is expected to save nearly 55 billion gallons of oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 521 million metric tons over the life of the new vehicles built between 2011-15. It will add an average cost of $650 per passenger car and $979 per truck by 2015.Environmental groups and their allies in Congress, who have criticized the Bush administration's handling of the requirements, said they were mostly encouraged by the proposal."After years of fighting a fuel economy increase, the Bush administration is showing faith in the American auto industry's ability to reform," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, who sought the higher standards.So the bush administration has fought tooth and nail for it's entire time in office
Pot, I'd like you to meet kettle 2008-04-25 02:42:28 Israel's U.N. envoy calls Jimmy Carter bigot | Politics | Reuters Speaking to reporters at a gathering in New York organized by The Israel Project, Gillerman said that he was saddened by the meeting and that in his mind Carter had become "what I believe to be a bigot" for having the meeting. Carter "went to the region with soiled hands and came back with bloody hands," he said.I was so shocked and appalled by anyone calling Jimmy Carter a bigot that I even had to look the term up, just to make sure it meant what I thought it meant. Just to be clear:bigot - Definitions A person who regards his own faith and views in matters of religion as unquestionably right, and any belief or opinion opposed to or differing from them as unreasonable or wicked. In an extended sense, a person who is into
A Call to McCain 2008-04-25 01:49:38 Floyd Brown's ad smearing Barack Obama | Salon What is remarkable about Brown is that no matter how much America changes, he does not. He not only survives but thrives, cycle after cycle, playing the same ugly game that first won him notoriety in 1988, back when he scripted and televised the flagrantly inflammatory Willie Horton ad. He lurks on the fringe of presidential politics because the Republicans tolerate and sometimes secretly encourage him, so long as they can claim that they have no connection with his schemes. Those denials have always been implausible -- and as he ramps up for a new season of divisive attacks, the question is whether the mainstream media will give Brown the kind of scrutiny he deserves.Who the hell is Floyd Brown and why does he hate Barack Obama? Fair questi Read more:McCain
Reverend Wright speaks 2008-04-26 02:58:05 I have generally avoided the ReverendWright
discussion, because I find it incredibly biased, ridiculously political, and absurdly naive. Mostly the conversation is about a black reverend for DARING to imply that America might share responsibility for 9/11, or that blacks in America might still be a little pissed about inequality. I feel bad for Barack that he had to distance himself from a man of incredible intelligence and character.For those that are interested, Rev. Wright took the opportunity to provide an interview with Bill Moyers. You can see a bit of his history as a patriot, a bit about the ministry, and hear him speak about what it means to be a black spiritual leader on the south side of Chicago. I recommend it.
Gun merchant in favor of guns 2008-04-26 01:27:50 I was less than shocked to read a story that a gun merchant
wanted to speak on campus in favor
of Conceal and Carry, an organization that wants to put more guns on college campuses. I think I've made it abundantly clear that I think this is a bad idea. What got me about this story is that this is the guy who sold the gun to the VA Tech shooter, and sold ammo to the Northern Illinois shooter.I was pleased to see that h only drew a crowd of 50 people, and that at least one was there in opposition to the whole idea. It amazes me that people actually seem to believe that increased gun carrying reduces the threat of violence, though there is no evidence to suggest that. He is so convinced that he is selling his guns at cost just to make sure more people can afford guns:Gun seller offering d
Where should the money go? 2008-04-28 02:12:21 Bush: Economy in slowdown, checks on the way | Reuters "Whatever the American people do with these checks will benefit the economy, whether they're buying products, whether they're helping to pay their gas bills, or whether they're paying off their credit cards, putting more liquidity back into the market," said House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio. "The American people are bright. They'll figure out how to spend this money the best way possible."I'm not really sure what makes John Boehner think that Americans are wise enough to spend money in a way that will stimulate and strengthen the economy. What you will find in this article is that many Americans are probably going to spend their rebate paying down debt. Personally, I think that's a great idea, though I think it will do v
Clinton-McCain Tax Holiday 2008-04-29 02:09:22 As Clinton
Seeks Gas Tax Break for Summer, Obama Says No - New York Times Mr. Obama's view is shared by environmentalists and many independent energy analysts, his position allowed Mrs. Clinton to draw a contrast with her opponent in appealing to the hard-hit middle-class families and older Americans who have proven to be the bedrock of her support. She has accused Mr. Obama of being out of touch with ordinary Americans who are struggling to meet their mortgages and gas up their cars and trucks.While I'm a little disturbed that the White House agrees with Barack Obama, I'm more concerned (if not the least bit surprised) that McCain
and Clinton have the same plan. It shouldn't come as a shock that the two campaigners rapidly developing reputations for doing anything to win votes would sup Read more:Holiday
Sound and Fury 2008-04-29 01:21:40 McCain rejects 'big government' takeover of health care - CNN.com The solution, McCain said, "isn't a one-size-fits-all-big government takeover" but "with the American people themselves." "We have always trusted in ourselves to meet any challenge that required only our ingenuity and industry to surmount," the Arizona Republican said. "Any solution that robs us of that essential sense of ourselves is a cure far worse than the affliction it is meant to treat."After McCain delivered his speech, the Democratic National Committee criticized McCain for "promising four more years of the Bush health care agenda."I read through this article twice looking for some kind of substance. Down at the bottom the author admits that this speech was given the day before McCain plans to release details of hi Read more:Sound
Holiday 2008-04-30 04:21:27 For my half dozen regular readers out there, and for those who happen by, I would like to let you know that I am off to Moravia for a four day Holiday
. I will be drinking Moravian wine, and if the weather holds I will be hiking the lovely Moravian country-side. I will not, however, be reading the news or posting to my blog. Please feel free to read and comment on older material.
Pastor problems 2008-05-06 02:37:50 Glenn Beck: Obama's odd timing on Wright - CNN.com Obama's political excommunication of Wright is not only a sudden and stark departure from his vaunted Philadelphia speech on race -- it also appears to be retroactive. In his press conference he said about Wright: "I know that one thing that he said was true, that he was never my "spiritual adviser." He was never my spiritual mentor. He was my pastor. And to some extent how the press characterized in the past that relationship, I think, was inaccurate."I hate to give Glenn Beck any more attention. In fact I often try to ignore him as a rule. Unfortunately, in this argument I think he is expressing the views of an growing contingent of uninformed or really thoughtless people.I have many problems
with the problem that Obama faces in deali Read more:Pastor
Border Fence Horrors 2008-05-06 02:06:58 Border
-fence dispute snares rare jaguars - CNN.com Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told Congress that the agency continues to talk to some 600 landowners along the border to get their input. But in order to comply with the congressional mandate, he said, there is no time to deal with "unnecessary delays caused by administrative processes or potential litigation."After reading the article above you may or may not be in the least bit concerned. I guess it depends on whether you give a damn about the natural flora and fauna of the US. If you do care enough to believe that the government shouldn't be able to arbitrarily wave environmental laws, then I suggest you contact either Defenders of Wildlife or the Sierra Club, and get in on the conversation.I you are the type o Read more:Horrors
Obama wins N.C. 2008-05-07 03:20:34 So Obama
won in North Carolina with a pretty large margin, and Hillary took Indiana with almost no margin at all. I'm pretty sure this will cripple any momentum that Hillary picked up from her last win. The next few contests tend to favor her, but I'm starting to feel that even Hillary might have to start rethinking the merits of continuing her campaign.
What direction Cuba? 2008-05-09 03:02:15 The US is no longer the only superpower in the world. As China develops and Russia recovers, the US finds itself increasingly under competition for the hearts and minds of world citizens. Add to this the unpopular wars that the US is currently fighting, and our less than stellar foreign policy of the last 8 years (to say nothing of the last 50), and it seems like the US should begin to rethink some of our strategies.The reason I bring this up is that I have been watching Raul Castro since he took over Cuba. VOA News - Bush Says Cuba Has Made 'Empty Gestures' at Reform President Bush says the new Cuban leadership is not serious about reforms. He says the transition to Raul Castro has produced only empty gestures.But I'm not convinced. Bush says that he wants to continue to treat Cuba
Age is an issue 2008-05-09 02:33:12 McCain camp hits Obama over losing bearings | Politics | Reuters The McCain campaign said Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois who leads Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, was hinting at something when he used the words "losing his bearings."It was "a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue
," said Mark Salter, a McCain adviser, in an e-mailed statement.First thing I would like to say is that I don't think Obama was making a reference to McCain's age. If he was, then I disagree that it was not clever. Realistically, it was so hidden in his statement, that I didn't notice it until the McCain camp pointed it out. Personally I think Obama was making more of a point that McCain often finds himself flailing wildly while l
End of US Superpower 2008-05-12 02:36:49 Who's the superpower now? | Salon When questioned about why Iraqis are paying almost a third less for oil than American forces in their country, senior Iraqi government officials scoff at any suggestion of impropriety. "America has hardly even begun to repay its debt to Iraq," said Abdul Basit, the head of Iraq's Supreme Board of Audit, an independent body that oversees Iraqi governmental expendi
Obama-Clinton 08? 2008-05-12 01:54:34 Analysis: Could Clinton
land the VP nomination? - CNN.com A person close to her, with whom her campaign staff has counseled at various points, said this week, "I think the following will happen: Obama
will be in a position where the party declares him the nominee by the first week in June. She'll still be fighting with everybody -- the Rules Committee, the party leaders -- and arguing, 'I'm winni
Feeding the SPR 2008-05-14 02:11:29 Congress defies Bush on oil reserve - CNN.com "Purchases for SPR [the reserve] account for one-tenth of 1 percent of global demand," Bush said in April. "And I don't think that's going to affect price when you affect one-tenth of 1 percent, and I do believe it is in our national interests to get the SPR filled in case there's a major disruption of crude oil around the world."As usual I think our Read more:Feeding
You gotta love the War on Drugs 2008-05-13 02:10:09 Ecuador Opposes Outpost in American War on Drugs
- New York Times In 1999, American officials negotiated a 10-year agreement with President Jamil Mahuad to set up the elaborate airborne radar detection project at Manta, a port of 250,000. The deal did not require the United States to pay rent to Ecuador. Nor did it allow Americans stationed here to be judged in Ecuadorean courts for crimes commit
Politics at it's most political 2008-05-13 01:34:59 House G.O.P. Adopts Change Theme - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog “Through our “Change You Deserve” message and through our “American Families Agenda,” House Republicans will continue our efforts to speak directly to an American public looking for leaders who will offer real solutions for the challenges they confront every day,” said the memo prepared for lawmakers.The pa Read more:political
Well it's about f***ing time! 2008-05-15 02:41:29 Edwards backs Obama's White House bid | Politics | Reuters "There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two, and that man is Barack Obama," he said, as Obama sat on a stool behind him.The long-awaited endorsement helped blunt the impact of Clinton's landslide 41-point win over Obama in West Virginia on Tuesday. That result barely put a dent in Obama's lead i
Brings a tear to the eye 2008-05-14 03:10:25 Bush says gave up golf in solidarity with Iraq dead | Reuters "I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the Commander-in-Chief playing golf," Bush said in an interview with Yahoo and Politico.com."I feel I owe it to the families to be as -- to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," he said.I was physica
McCain helps developer 2008-05-16 03:13:40 McCain
action helped Arizona developer: report | Reuters Upset with a state law that restricted development around the base, SunCor representatives met with McCain's staff to lobby for funding, USA Today reported, citing the company's president at the time, John Ogden.The Air Force later paid SunCor $3 million for 122 acres near the base -- three times its assessed value and twice the militar
An incredible new low 2008-05-16 02:21:39 Dems fire back at Bush on 'appeasement' statement - CNN.com The president, at Israel's 60th anniversary celebration in Jerusalem, suggested that some Democrats were acting in the same way some Western leaders did when they appeased Hitler in the runup to World War II."As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this
McCain must be dizzy 2008-05-17 06:25:50 McCain denies 'flip-flop' on Hamas, blasts Obama - CNN.com McCain said the United States would not be able to avoid a dialogue with the Islamic militant group."They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another," he said at the time. "And I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas, because of t Read more:McCain
Green thoughts 2008-05-20 03:06:31 So thanks to rapid increases in the price of gas in the US, Americans are finally getting on board with changing their lives to be more green. Now admittedly most people are really just interested in reducing their own costs, but its a start. So in response I thought I might start keeping attentions focused on ideas and articles in this arena.For a start, most people assume their best bet for re Read more:Green
, thoughts
I Can't seem to get away from McCain 2008-05-20 02:28:31 McCain agrees with Bush on farm bill veto | Politics | Reuters"I would veto that bill, and all others like it that serve only the cause of special interests and corporate welfare," McCain said in remarks prepared for a speech in Chicago.So McCain wants to veto the bill because it doesn't reduce subsidies to rich farmers enough, and says that he would veto any such bill. Yet strangely he supports Read more:McCain
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