What if!

Why do we have lunatics running our asylums in Washington, D. C.?

http://original.antiwar.com/engelhardt/2010/08/15/what-if-washington%e2%80%a6/

Do you want a job?

http://www.opednews.com/articles/America-s-Biggest-Jobs-Pro-by-Robert-Reich-100814-690.html

We must be living in the post nuclear neocon-modern dark ages.

Here are three articles offering both some facts--including the name change for the center--and some insights into the controversy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/opinion/16douthat.html

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/06/the-real-ground-zero.html

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/08/war-over-ground-zero.html

Young adults are bailing out of formal religion. There seems to be a disconnection between religion and real life situations. I am disappointed because I do not hear religions speaking out against the insanity of wars. “Jesus speaks sanity to a world of lunatics.” – G. K. Chesterton! Why are our religions silent on America’s immoral and wrong policies and practices toward God’s children?

http://www.freep.com/article/20100711/NEWS05/7110421/1320/Young-people-bailing-out-on-Catholic-Church-

The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right! - Shakespeare

http://fora.tv/2010/07/19/Richard_Dreyfuss_Improving_Civic_Education#fullprogram

I can't say how much I love Fora.tv! As an auditory & visual learner, I relesh the chance to listen to lectures and discussions that are on this site. Thom's discussion of "Screwed" is on here too. Nevertheless, I just watched the entire speech/discussion with Richard Dreyfuss. He talks about the lack of Civics education in our society as a whole, (not just in schools) and what we can do about it. It's a good talk, and although he talks slow, he has some good messages. It’s a topic that I wish Thom would discuss more of and that is ‘Societal Ignorance” and how we fix it. Dreyfuss say's that everyone has the right to be able to answer "Who are we, and why are we who we are." You should get him on to pitch his initiative: http://thedreyfussinitiative.org/

Democrats RIP!

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/2010_elections/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/08/13/elites_days_numbered&source=newsletter&utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Salon_Daily%20Newsletter%20%28Not%20Premium%29_7_30_110

Re: "Ground Zero Mosque": I was very disturbed as I listened to Thom's interview with Bill Keller. Why do we let folks like Bill make us engage them on their terms? I mean it's all about 9/11 isn't it? That's the reason for everything: The wars, the hatred of Muslims. Why not ask folks like Bill straight up: Do you believe that jet fuel brought down those buildings? Even building 7? (Which was struck by no airplanes, had only minor fires, yet suffered a complete symmetrical collapse at total freefall speed, falling on it's own footprint; pretty good trick for a fire to do that). The official report, BTW, didn't even mention WTC 7. What up with that???? Back to the other 2 buildings: An asymmetrical stimulus applied (plane hits corner of building), but a symmetrical result (simultaneous collapse of entire structure), is that what you believe, Bill? You believe that fire melted the support columns on the far side away from the strike, that they failed at the same time as those near the strike? Steel melts at 2,975 degrees F. Can a cold kerosene fire ( e.g. thick black smoke pouring off the building, not exactly an indication of a hot fire) melt steel? Raging infernos have burned for 18 hours on other high-rise steel structures, with only the steel frame remaining, but the building did not fall down. That's because a hydrocarbon fire can barely reach 1,000 degrees under the hottest of conditions. Did the lady named "Jessica", who stood there in the gaping hole where the plane went in, not give testimony that "Here I am, a flesh and blood human, standing quite comfortably" (as regards the temp, not the terror of being up that high in an open gash looking down), did she not testify that the temp was in no way anywhere near that which is required to melt steel? Can jet fuel get to the temps required to melt steel? No, but thermite can. And guess what was found in the dust of the WTC buildings 1, 2 & 7? The military grade chips that were found in the dust were tested, and were found to ignite at 430 degrees, but release energy (explosively) at guess what temp? 2,975 degrees F. Why would the top of the building fall at free fall speed with 47 steel box columns in the way (path of most resistance) if something didn't get them out of the way? Can you expect to walk through a door with the door still closed (path of most resistance)? Can a sportscar traveling at 80 mph suddenly strike a semi doing 50 mph and have the semi conveniently just jump out of the way? Come on kids, this isn't rocket science, a third grader would get that one. But based on this belief we are going to send our kids to war against the Muslims. Is the 1.5 to 2 million deaths in Iraq of innocent civilians (who would not have died but for the invasion), not enough revenge? Jesus said "To the extent that you do it unto the least of these, you do it unto me". What's the Lord going to say when He comes back and sees what we have done? The folks who brought those buildings down were technical experts, not guys in caves with boxcutters. Look at the evidence of all the groups who call the govenment's version of events into question, the architects, the engineers, the physicists, the pilots (some of whom had flight time in the actual planes that were allegedly flown into those buildings, and I do mean allegedly folks, don't fall for the con job here). A standard 767-200 commercial jet airliner cannot hold together in controlled flight at 500 feet (sea level) at the speeds listed by the govenment. That's the equivalent of supersonic flight. I don't think Boeing designed the 767-200 for supersonic flight! The airframe would come apart at that altitude and reported speed. The radio program called "The Power Hour" did a very nice presentation using materials that were already in people's living rooms, magazines and DVD's (i.e. could not be digitally doctored, and folks could examine them for themselves. Look for the DVD called "In Plane Site") that showed that these were clearly modified and not commercial jets, Why was all that steel, which was the physical evidence of the greatest crime scene in history, all cut up and immediately sent to Asia? How did Mayor Giuliani know the buildings were going to collapse? The firefighters were making plans and getting ready to knock down the fires (God Bless 'em, they suffered so much from this, and were told no problem, air was safe to breath during cleanup, and were denied health care later by the "party of no", and perhaps by that other wonder of the world, the "ConservaDems"; they might have conveniently let that one go, letting the blame go on the GOP, when they would have probably done the same), but the mayor was quoted on ABC radio that he had to get out there, the buildings were about to collapse. How did he know that? The first time in history, something that has never happened before is about to happen? Why did folks from Isreali firms get a call that morning to get out of harm's way? Why did 5 Israeli's stand there, high-fiving each other by the white van (famously known as the "dancing Israelis"), filming before the event, and during; why did they get whisked away to Israel without any questions being asked of them? Who stood to gain from this new-found hatred of Muslim's if this "illusion" were pulled off? Whose kids will fight and die in the war to come with Iran? Iran has not attacked anyone in 200 years. Who attacked and killed an American citizen in International waters on May 31rst? Who does have nuclear weapons and refuses to sign the NPT? Who invades and occupies land stolen in war? Were the people who occupied the land that they now invade and occupy (and pour Internationally banned White Phosphorous on), the ones who are the blame for the persecution suffered in WWII? I mean what up, dudes. Wake up. Call out the Bill Keller's of this world straight up. Is it that we are afraid of being called Conspiracy Theorists? Is not the government's own version of events the most unbelievable conspiracy theory ever put forth in front the good citizen's of this country? Evil triumphs only when good men stand by in slience. Call out these folks, before our kids die again in wars fought against not our own, but somebody else's enemies. It's We The People, right? Does our govenment stand for and defend We The People or some other country's people? Good on Mayor Bloomberg, who spoke for freedom of religion. These people who want to build a mosque, they lost folks in the WTC attack also. They did not pull off the events on that day. They did not stand down the best air defense system in the world and allow a plane to veer off course, while another has already attacked, and fly all the way from eastern PA to the Pentagon without being intercepted. I do not believe, like Bill says, that it is they who attacked us. Ever hear of Lee Harvey Oswald, do you think someone might want us to believe in the patsies they set up for us? Bill said all 1.6 Billion Muslims are going to Hell. Remember what the Lord said about the "Least of these", Bill???? What's really going on, here, Bill? It might not be what you think it is, so I am calling you out, buddy. It's not the 1.6 Billion we might be needing to worry about as regards salvation here, Bud. Take a closer look. It might just be ourselves, duped into doing someone else's bidding. If you're gonna go down, at least go down fighting for the side of right, for the brotherhood of man, not for some Bovine Excrement (as a certain well known radio journalist has coined), Good on ya!

a little more detail in your response would be helpful for your cause. I will be voting across the party line Democrat this November. Simpy because Regulation keeps big business from screwing over us ordinary Americans. In 1998 the republicans repealed the Glass Steagall act, financial regulation that kept Securities dealers and lenders separate. In 2006 Lehman bros was selling securities out one side of their office while taking bank deposits to short those same securities. They made a fortune because the securities they sold failed and became worth nothing. As you know when you buy a security short or any stock the more it loses the more you make. This was completely legal because of the Republicans actions in 1998.

re: #46: reminds me of the "Saturday Night Live" skit where a southern surburban family took-in prisoners to make ends meet. THAT reminds me of the skit with Jodie Foster about saving the bees. Prophetic, huh?

I think Jefferson was referring to the abstract cannibalism, in which we can feed on our kind even across generations.