Since they both are growing less popular in their respective nations, Putin and Gingrich are going to face each other in an election to be President of the Moon.
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PoliGAF 2012 Community Thread
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Since they both are growing less popular in their respective nations, Putin and Gingrich are going to face each other in an election to be President of the Moon.
Ghost_Protocol
Member
Someone please, PLEASE, explain to me what the obsession is with Israel. I legitimately do not understand the fixation.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
Evangelicals believe Jesus will return when all the Jews return to Israel. Hence why they support a Jewish controlled state. Evangelicals make up a huge portion of the Republican base.
A27_StarWolf
Banned
No one here can give you a correct answer, I suggest researching it yourself.
Ghost_Protocol
Member
How do you know? Gaf is full of know-it-alls. I know there's someone who understands the relationship well enough to lay it out here.
A27_StarWolf
Banned
Its always struck me as an issue you had to go and decide on your own, what matters to you, what values are more important.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
quadriplegicjon pretty much summed it up regarding the evangelical support, though.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
.
A27_StarWolf
Banned
Never mind the fact they are surrounded by countries that want to wipe them off the face of the planet.
Black Republican
Member
Probably Romney's strongest speach against Obama in NV
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
.
The Republicans also think they can win the Jewish vote by letting Israel write the United States' Middle East policy. There was a special election in NY for Weiner's seat that scared the shit out of the White House.
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/NY-congressional-race-Turner/2011/09/14/id/410895
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/NY-congressional-race-Turner/2011/09/14/id/410895
Invisible_Insane
Member
Sarcasm this dry needs to be highlighted.
I want to focus particularly on this second point. Deposing a dictator doesn't solve problems, it just creates different problems, and those problems aren't any easier to solve. You can't simply go from a society based around dictatorial rule to one based on the rule of law overnight.
Evangelical Christians and a well-organized Jewish lobby that insists on one very narrow way of framing the issue. For pointing this out, it's possible that I would be accused of being anti-Semitic--some people have tried to appropriate that phrase to refer to anyone who sees Israel as anything other than benevolent and reasonable at all times.
Opposing apartheid, for example.
That sounds like critical thinking if I've ever heard it.
Arrowgigantic
Member
Pretty good.
They have peace with Egypt and Jordan, Lebanon mainly want to off itself and Syria is in a middle of a civil war, and even if it wasn't, the IDF will wipe its ass with their 80s soviet technology in 5 minutes.
Also, nukes.
Don't believe everything Netanyahu says.
No, wait, don't believe anything he says.
Reporter at NV caucuses expelled, ridiculed as being "a spy"
http://www.latimes.com/news/politic...d-from-nevada-caucus-20120204,0,6946417.story
http://www.latimes.com/news/politic...d-from-nevada-caucus-20120204,0,6946417.story
Black Republican
Member
aaaand Santorum's
off the Indiana ballot
Thus, his already marginal prospects have been extinguished.
Precisely. You exchange a problem for an equally intractable problem. Only, you are now invested in the situation. And your intervention may actually exacerbate the difficulties.
Unless one has been immersed in the Evangelical culture, I doubt they truly comprehend the prominence of Israel in their theology. First, they believe the U.S. is fulfilling a Biblical duty by "protecting" Israel from its enemies. Further, Israel is central to their eschatology. They genuinely believe Israel is going to be ravaged by a multinational force led by the Antichrist who instills a false peace. Then, in Israel's most dire hour, Jesus is going to alight from Heaven then slay the Antichrist and his army; if you thought the Dead Men of Dunharrow were a deus ex machina, Tolkien just copied Revelations. Mind you, they believe this is a necessary antecedent to Jesus's second coming. It's obviously absurd, but a considerable amount of Americans believe it.
Mortrialus
Banned
A27 was right, it's a complex issue. There isn't just one answer. The reason why it is such a huge deal among the religious base is primarily because Israel plays a big role in the end times prophecy, or rather Israel's destruction does.
Narpas Sword0
Member
The question wasn't for a full rundown of Israel's situation, just for an explanation of those who fixate on it. Which is pretty easy to explain, as has been proven.
Bulbo Urethral Baggins
Banned
Good post.
People sure do an inordinate amount of talking about taxing the rich--as if it will solve our fiscal problems. It won't. But as empty vessel will tell us, debt and deficits don't matter so who really cares.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
A: Depends on what you mean by "reformed." Changes in the tax bracket structure are highly likely if either party gets total control (GOP would most likely raise taxes on poor or leave them the same and definitely cut corporate taxes and taxes on wealthy, democrats vice-versa, although I don't think they have the balls to raise taxes on the rich right now)
B: Almost anything you can think of, but nothing really sticks
C: National sales tax is brought up but rightfully shot down every time as being regressive. Any national sales tax/flat tax/"fair tax" is absurdly regressive.
The Librarian
Banned
It depends. If Democrats at least keep the White House, I can definitely see Obama using the expiration of the Bush tax cuts to force Republicans to do tax reform.
The only thing I'm worried about, tax wise, is if Obama sticks with his "I'll only raise taxes on families making more than 250K." Everybody's needs to go up. Unless there's are enough loopholes that can be eliminated to allow everyone's rates to be lowered while raising the same revenue; excluding the rich.
RustyNails
Member
Ever heard of AIPAC? That, evangelicals and Florida.
That's not what the article is saying.
But yeah, that democrats really backed themselves into a corner by accepting the Repuglican narrative that tax cu...
You know what?
Fuck this.
Curt Schilling is posting on the gaming side?
My mind is full of pictures of Jackie Chan saying his mind is full of fuck.
Fuck it all.
<Flips a newspaper stand>
Bachmann/Voices in Bachmann's head 2012!
speculawyer
Member
This is the answer. I know it sounds ridiculous but that is truth. Of course it is more of a coalition between hardline Jews and evangelicals but it is mostly evangelicals. Why else would a modern industrialized nation receive such a large amount of foreign aid?
Now certainly Israel also gets support because they are an ally, they are one of the democratic states in the region, and WW2 history. However, the amount of support they get would not be as large as it is with just those reasons.
Romney is adding this to his list of shit to throw at the wall and see what sticks.
McDonnell: Economy Improving Thanks To GOP Governors, Not Obama
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), a Mitt Romney surrogate, said Sunday that the improving economic situation is thanks to Republican governors, not President Obama.
"Look, I'm glad the economy is starting to recover but I think it's because of what Republican governors are doing in their states. Not because of the president," McDonnell said on CNN's State of the Union.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), a Mitt Romney surrogate, said Sunday that the improving economic situation is thanks to Republican governors, not President Obama.
"Look, I'm glad the economy is starting to recover but I think it's because of what Republican governors are doing in their states. Not because of the president," McDonnell said on CNN's State of the Union.
speculawyer
Member
The nomination is over because Gingrich votes + Santorum votes < Romney Votes.
But the protest voting will continue (I hope). I wonder how long it will take before Romney can actually cobble together a majority vote? Nevada was close but that is a heavily Mormon state.
speculawyer
Member
Really? They are really gonna try that? Yes, please tie yourself to the ship anchors known as Kasich, Scott Walker, and Rick Scott. They are such popular governors.
Invisible_Insane
Member
The democracy thing is a canard. Jordan is an ally. And as I recall, the Bush Administration was none too thrilled with the results of the democratic process in Palestine.
One of my prof's wrote an op-ed talking about something similar to a protest vote, here it is
And it definitely wasn't anything that those no good Democrat governors did! Nope, only republican governors can provide this kind of help!
speculawyer
Member
How did we get banished to the 'community' section?
1) By becoming a GAF community.
2) By allowing the all-consuming OT PoliGAF megathreads to consume things such as a thread for the SotU.
It's going to be a little weird through the primaries but otherwise I think it'll work out well. I don't think of it as banishment. Heck, ~90% of my posts these days are in thread in Community (Halo, Skyrim, PoliGAF).
The only thing I'm worried about is getting new blood in this thread.
I routinely forget the community forum even exists.
But at least so far, there same to be similar number to contributors to this thread, so it might not be an issue.
And yes, I hated it when a nice slow developing conversation got drowned by pages of "ohhhh snap!" debate reactions.
Not that I have anything against liveblogging type of threads, in fact I like them a lot, but I agree that they don't mix all too well with other threads.
A 1%(or anything under 4-5%) national sales tax on non necessities(not food, clothing, etc) is absurdly regressive how? if you're truly poor, what are you spending money on besides necessities?
why is the tariff usually ignored for this topic? couldn't it be used to raise revenue and/or get more jobs in the country?
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
Yup, Palin's PAC did something similar as well.
If the middle class and super rich are paying the same, this is still quite regressive, even if the poor are spared.
It can be kinda hard to make sales tax not regressive, and you can only do it be creating rules, bureaucracy and probably loopholes.
It's also quite easy to evade, and it pushes more people into cash only shadow economy.
Because PROTECTIONISM!
Fun fact: every word that end with "ism" can be a counter-argument, no further explanation is needed.
Yup. I guess it's ok as long as they aren't "coordinating".
ShockingAlberto
Member
It feels vaguely like money laundering, though undoubtedly legal here.
most places won't be able to evade sales tax at the rate mom n pops are dying.
protectionism ain't bad. Look at China, their tariffs are higher and they give us the bird in the auto industry. their tariffs are much lower for german cars comparatively(2% for bmw vs 15-22 for GM and Chrysler).
I'm not sure I'm following.
Pretty much all developed countries used protectionism to grow their economy at some point, and in many cases with great results.
But that was before we started being ideological about such things.
I just read about this.
This can't be legal, right?
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