US Politics: Catholic Suicide Bombers?

[Inigima]

Ok...no links, no substantiation (though maybe if somebody runs the right search)...

There was a fellow at the grocery store an hour ago, promoting what he claimed to be a nationwide plan to idle (park) all fuel and grocery delivery trucks in the nation for a one to two week period, apparently in protest of high fuel prices and 'big government'. I didn't hear any dates for this proposed action.

Most likely its bunk. But...idling even say 10% of those vehicles for that length of time were talking 'state of emergency' type stuff.

sounds legit, just remember a few weeks ago when truckers became president

[Fez]

What's even more disgusting isn't that J&J pulled this bullshit but that yet again a major corporation gets away with essentially fraud, bribery, and murder by paying a huge amount of cash to the government.

Well, that's how we make injured parties whole, with cash, do you know a better way? The amount of cash should be higher in this case, certainly, but I find the link between improper marketing practices and murder to be extremely weak.

The potential real thorn for J&J in the settlement is that they have to enter a consent agreement with DOJ where they can clawback compensation directly from executives who engage in future misconduct. Threatening individuals' wallets, as opposed to just the company treasury, can have a way of motivating management to play nice.

[Inigima]

Well, that's how we make injured parties whole, with cash, do you know a better way? The amount of cash should be higher in this case, certainly, but I find the link between improper marketing practices and murder to be extremely weak.

Well, that's the issue, isn't it? If ( profit to be made from misbehavior) > ( fines to be paid by misbehavior ) then you have an incentive problem.

[Fez]

Well, that's the issue, isn't it? If ( profit to be made from misbehavior) > ( fines to be paid by misbehavior ) then you have an incentive problem.

That's true. And either the criminal fines needs to be increased appropriately, or executives should start being put on trial directly for crimes they did commit; bribery, misleading advertising, etc. This settlement was $1.7 billion in civil settlements, with no admitting of liability, and $485 million in criminal fines and forfeited profits relating to single guilty plea. Its the second number in that sentence that should be a lot higher.

Just saying that murder is a bit far, imo.

[lokisnow]

corporations are people, my friend, they are people who are allowed to get away with murder.

you can't expect to hold corporations responsible, they're just a penumbra, not people.

but don't forget that corporations are people, too.

[awesome possum]

That's true. And either the criminal fines needs to be increased appropriately, or executives should start being put on trial directly for crimes they did commit; bribery, misleading advertising, etc. This settlement was $1.7 billion in civil settlements, with no admitting of liability, and $485 million in criminal fines and forfeited profits relating to single guilty plea. Its the second number in that sentence that should be a lot higher.

Just saying that murder is a bit far, imo.

They paid doctors and pharmacists to pass a drug used to treat schizophrenia onto seniors with dementia and kids with ADHD and autism, knowing full well that it increased the risk of stroke and death in the elderly.

Murder might be a little hyperbolic but how does that not make the company and the people who made those decisions complicit in the deaths the drug caused?

[Lightsnake]

Very well written to say the least. Though I really think Democrats need to fight back aggressively on this "Food stamp recipients are lazy leeches gaming the system" bullshit the right has gotten away with for too long.

[Sci-2]

Very well written to say the least. Though I really think Democrats need to fight back aggressively on this "Food stamp recipients are lazy leeches gaming the system" bullshit the right has gotten away with for too long.

Definitely someone out there needs to be speak up against that idea, preferably in tandem with pointing out how corporations game the system and get all sorts of "freebies".

[Commodore]

There was a time when the ability to feed one's self was a basic expectation of being an adult in a free society. If you couldn't, it was seen as a defect of character.

Adam Carolla often talks on his podcast about how debilitating it is to a child's development to see their parents unable/unwilling to provide for them. The most important thing he wants his kids to learn is grit and hustle, to understand the direct correlation between hard work and wealth.

All kids should have it ingrained in them from an early age that they will not be fed without themselves or their parents doing work.

Are 1 in 7 Americans incapable of feeding themselves? I'm skeptical.

Question: What is an acceptable level of food stamp spending?

[TrueMetis]

There was a time when people died of mass starvation too, but we've been working steadily to prevent that for years. Why do you want to undo that progress?

ETA Also there's no direct correlation between hard work and wealth.

[Sci-2]

Adam Carolla often talks on his podcast about how debilitating it is to a child's development to see their parents unable/unwilling to provide for them. The most important thing he wants his kids to learn is grit and hustle, to understand the direct correlation between hard work and wealth.

How much grit and hustle was involved with giving us the Man Show? Seems like he just rode the wave of resisting critiques of straight male privilege combined with a helping of titties.

[Shryke]

to understand the direct correlation between hard work and wealth.

:rofl:

I can never tell if you are trolling or just truly the ultimate and perfect expression of conservative thought in all it's sillyness.

[SkynJay]

Question: What is an acceptable level of food stamp spending?

As much as is needed to ensure the population is fed. With zero exceptions.

[awesome possum]

Are 1 in 7 Americans incapable of feeding themselves? I'm skeptical.

Question: What is an acceptable level of food stamp spending?

What complete and - coming from you, unsurprising - ignorance. If 1 in 7 Americans are using food stamps, for most of them its not because they can't feed themselves; its because they have a choice: feed themselves or pay the bills.

Of course, you are an adult capable of reading words on a page/screen so you should know this. The fact that you push such idiotic drivel means, as Shryke said, you're either trolling or are a conservative automaton incapable of independent thought and analysis.

[Fez]

I'm getting a bit nervous about the Virginia-Governor race today (and, it may be recalled, I wasn't nervous about the 2012 election at all). There was a line of 4 people when I showed up at my indigo blue polling place in NoVa this morning, whereas last year it was well over 100. Granted, this year I showed up around 8:45am, and last year it was around 7:30am; but I was in line for well over an hour last year and when I left there was still a long line. If turnout sucks in NoVa, I don't see how Mackers can win (unless turnout sucks everywhere I suppose; but I don't like relying on that).

And its all anecdotal, but the WaPo's making it sound like turnout does indeed suck in NoVa today. Sure hope things pick up later today, or its going to be a very long four years in this state.

[DanteGabriel]

Why is it that advocating nullification and trotting out Civil War rhetoric gets a Republican branded as a patriot and not as a traitor or a dingbat?

“Jefferson obviously was a clear leader on the principle of nullification,” Paul said at a rally in Richmond, Va., according to Politico.

“I’ve been working on the assumption that nullification is going to come. It’s going to be a de facto nullification. It’s ugly, but pretty soon things are going to get so bad that we’re just going to ignore the feds and live our own lives in our own states."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ron-paul-calls-for-nullification-of-obamacare

[Maithanet]

I'm getting a bit nervous about the Virginia-Governor race today (and, it may be recalled, I wasn't nervous about the 2012 election at all). There was a line of 4 people when I showed up at my indigo blue polling place in NoVa this morning, whereas last year it was well over 100. Granted, this year I showed up around 8:45am, and last year it was around 7:30am; but I was in line for well over an hour last year and when I left there was still a long line. If turnout sucks in NoVa, I don't see how Mackers can win (unless turnout sucks everywhere I suppose; but I don't like relying on that).

And its all anecdotal, but the WaPo's making it sound like turnout does indeed suck in NoVa today. Sure hope things pick up later today, or its going to be a very long four years in this state.

Yeah, I have been worried about premature victory celebrations in the governor's race for a while now. There were a few people voting in my Fairfax location, but no line like at the presidential election. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Commodore]

I'm getting a bit nervous about the Virginia-Governor race today (and, it may be recalled, I wasn't nervous about the 2012 election at all). There was a line of 4 people when I showed up at my indigo blue polling place in NoVa this morning, whereas last year it was well over 100. Granted, this year I showed up around 8:45am, and last year it was around 7:30am; but I was in line for well over an hour last year and when I left there was still a long line. If turnout sucks in NoVa, I don't see how Mackers can win (unless turnout sucks everywhere I suppose; but I don't like relying on that).

And its all anecdotal, but the WaPo's making it sound like turnout does indeed suck in NoVa today. Sure hope things pick up later today, or its going to be a very long four years in this state.

Usually the anecdotal accounts gives people a false sense of hope/despair. Polling has gotten pretty reliable. Although off year elections are trickier (Booker underperformed for example).

[Fez]

Usually the anecdotal accounts gives people a false sense of hope/despair. Polling has gotten pretty reliable. Although off year elections are trickier (Booker underperformed for example).

From an intellectual standpoint, I totally agree. But its hard not get shaken up seeing so few people out voting.

[Maithanet]

I do think it's pretty amazing that Terry McAullife is polling well ahead in Virginia. McAullife is the worst kind of politician, I feel dirty voting for him. If Cucinelli was a little more of a pragmatist and didn't rail against contraception and the gays all the time, I think he could walk to victory.