Politics – Page 29 – Doug's Views

July 7, 2013April 18, 2020

Why Do We Have To Choose Between Privacy Or Security?

created image of guy looking in a window with POLICE on shirt

If you aren’t doing anything wrong then this should not be a problem, right?

The media coverage over what National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden did, by publicly revealing the large surveillance program conducted by the NSA, included ridiculously breathless stories about his whereabouts, if the guy is a traitor (he’s not), and if Glenn Greenwald should be jailed for doing his job of reporting the story. What still isn’t being discussed is the reasons and methods behind the program Snowden exposed and why there isn’t much discussion about the accountability of the program. We have been given a false choice between privacy or security.

Bob Sullivan, on the NBC News website wrote a good essay about the problem of having the false choice of privacy or security:

July 1, 2013April 18, 2020

Gov. Kasich And Anti-Women Ohio Republicans Have Lost The Next Election

Ohio Gov. Kasich celebrating a victory against women

On Sunday June 30th, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed into law a state budget that included one of the most restrictive abortion regulations enacted by a state so far. This cheap attack on women’s right to choose was inserted at the last minute, with no debate or public input, and rammed through the Republican controlled legislature. The new law not only redefines pregnancy to include any fertilized egg but also says using birth control pills is an abortion. If Kasich and his Republicans get any votes from women in 2014, I will have to consider moving out of the state. I really hate bigots and I really hate stupid people and any woman who would vote for people who took away their rights would be very stupid.

The new abortion restrictions are worse than the Heartbeat Bill I wrote about before because it defines pregnancy to include any fertilized egg:

June 26, 2013April 18, 2020

Scalia: We Have No Power To Invalidate Legislation Except When I Don’t Like It

Justice Antonin Scalia: Hypocritical Asshat

In his dissent in United States v. Windsor, Justice Antonin Scalia once again showed he lacks any judicial values beyond his selfish ends. His reasoning for dissenting basically came down to his view that the court lacked the power to invalidate a law democratically adopted. Yet he found no such concern in invalidating the Voting Rights Act yesterday. It is obvious that his personal view of the law determines if he thinks the court has the power to give a ruling. In my world that is known as being a hypocritical asshat.

June 24, 2013April 18, 2020

Dear Media: I Don’t Care Where Edward Snowden Is

I don’t give a shit where Edward Snowden is

One of the big reasons I don’t trust ‘The Media’ nor like them much is their complicity in supporting the one percenters. Corporate control of news media gives us press releases passed off as facts and political talking points going unchallenged as long as they support the corporations. We see the same behavior in the coverage of whistle blower Edward Snowden, where ‘The Media’ is more concerned in his location than in the facts he disclosed about the domestic surveillance program by the NSA. Hey media, I don’t give a shit where the guy is – when are you going to talk about the spying he uncovered?

This past Sunday, corporate tool David Gregory said some stupid shit as David Sirota points out:

June 17, 2013April 18, 2020

Could You Eat On $4.50 A Day? Republicans Think Even That Is Too Much

Republicans think they can get elected in 2014 if we have more of these soup lines

The Congress is considering a Farm Bill right now that could cut $20 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which is also known as Food Stamps. It is part of the social safety net where the government provides some help for people to buy food when they are poor or have low income. The reason for the cuts is the same tired false assumptions Republicans make about poor people. Many in the GOP claim that Food Stamps make people dependent on the government, the program is being abused, or worse that charity will cover the need. Like all GOP claims, their attack on food assistance is full of crap.