Threads on the Atomic Bomb Subject and Various Factors Involved in Objectively Assessing the Moral and Ethical Ramifications Thereof--A Rerum Novarum Recapitulation Thread (circa August 6, 2009)
The above thread from eight years ago summarizes every posting to this humble website from August 17, 2005 to August 23, 2008 on the subject of the atomic bombings of imperial Japan in WWII. For those interested in that subject, there is plenty there for their perusal.
Since taking this site out of mothballs earlier this year, I have written one post on the subject of war atrocities in general which referenced that thread. It can be read here for those who are interested:
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
The Other Russia: Poisonings, 'Accidents,' and Assassinations
Meanwhile we in America have #morons on all sides who imagine that our political parties operate the same way Putin and his thugs act over in Russia...
Meanwhile we in America have #morons on all sides who imagine that our political parties operate the same way Putin and his thugs act over in Russia...
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Points to Ponder:
Every time I or someone else criticizes the police for shooting an unarmed person, particularly if they're black, someone inevitably says "well what about black on black crime?" as if the presence of one invalidates the concern of the other. Well today, like I do every year, I came to East Cleveland for the dedication ceremony for the 3 women (including my friend Shirellda) who were killed a few years back and at the same time there was a Stop the Violence march led by the Word Church. A TON of people marching. I didn't see not a single one of y'all that use "black on black crime" as a talking point out there. Nor did I see not one TV truck. Hopefully I'm wrong and they got footage of it earlier, but I didn't see them. So If you are not willing to put the keyboards down and get out in the streets and prove that you care about black on black crime for real, then sit the hell down and shut the hell up cause you really ain't about nothing and you're just using the existence of black on black crime as a way to defend the police. [Darvio "Kingpin" Morrow]
Every time I or someone else criticizes the police for shooting an unarmed person, particularly if they're black, someone inevitably says "well what about black on black crime?" as if the presence of one invalidates the concern of the other. Well today, like I do every year, I came to East Cleveland for the dedication ceremony for the 3 women (including my friend Shirellda) who were killed a few years back and at the same time there was a Stop the Violence march led by the Word Church. A TON of people marching. I didn't see not a single one of y'all that use "black on black crime" as a talking point out there. Nor did I see not one TV truck. Hopefully I'm wrong and they got footage of it earlier, but I didn't see them. So If you are not willing to put the keyboards down and get out in the streets and prove that you care about black on black crime for real, then sit the hell down and shut the hell up cause you really ain't about nothing and you're just using the existence of black on black crime as a way to defend the police. [Darvio "Kingpin" Morrow]
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Monday, July 17, 2017
On the Cruz Amendment to the Senate Obamacare Repeal Bill:
(Musings of your humble servant at Rerum Novarum)
I am no fan of Senator Ted Cruz for reasons I have noted in the past many times, albeit not on this humble website. However, a good idea deserves to be recognized whomever comes up with it and the Cruz Amendment to Majority Leader McConnell's bill is a good idea for many reasons. The first is that it actually targets the whole issue that Obamacare was supposed to be aimed at but never came close to achieving: lowering premiums. The second reason is a bit more subtle but this article notes it as well: acting as a hedge against future single payer.
For if folks have health care choices that lower their premiums as the Cruz Amendment allows for, then there would be no interest whatsoever in single payer later on which (as anyone with a normal intact functioning brain knows!) will never lower rates and will only jack them up higher while entrenching more government into the process. The Cruz Amendment operates as a hedge against this while leaving an option in place for those who for some odd reason actually like their Obamacare plan and giving everyone else actual options. And if people prefer non-Obamacare plans and choose them, then the market has decided on this matter and that is what is important, not what some dipshit bureaucrats decide arbitrarily to demand that someone obtain.
So again, as I know what some of you will say after reading much of this and accuse me of being some Cruzbot, I am not a Cruzbot or a Trumpbot. Nor have I carried water for the Republicans for more than two decades now unlike those of you who only recently thought it was cool to become an Independent voter. However, reason and ethics demand that a good idea be recognized and promoted wherever one finds it and on the issue of the Obamacare repeal, the Cruz Amendment is a welcome compromise to get to 50 votes provided (of course) that the repeal legislation also fully repeals the individual and employer mandates as well without any gimmickery attached to those elements. The end result of these three elements is a defacto repeal of Obamacare even if not a de jure repeal as well as a hedge against further movement in the direction of single payer. And considering how far we are from having the votes for a full statutory repeal, this is as good as it will get until we find 60 votes somewhere for a full statutory repeal.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Points to Ponder:
"[B]e very slow to characterize your fellow Americans. I know that when people have to run for office they have to say 'I’m smart and my opponent’s dumb,' or 'I’ve got better ideas than my opponent.' That’s politics there’s nothing wrong with that. But, I get very very concerned when I hear people start characterizing their opponents as stupid. I still understand that because politics is a little rough and tumble at times, but I don’t buy it and when they start calling each other either crazy or evil. You and I, we don’t compromise with crazy people or evil people. And so, I don’t think that’s helpful. Generally speaking, just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them crazy or evil.
By sitting down and talking with them, after having a good strong argument, going out and having a root beer with them, maybe showing up at the same church, maybe going to the hospital to see their kid when they’re having their appendix out, reminds you that they’re human beings too. There’s no reason to get all worked up as if someone is evil or crazy. For one thing, none of us are perfect and all-knowing, so this might be their right, and that’s why I don’t care for ideological people. It’s like those people just want to stop thinking. They know what they think, they don’t read anything but one newspaper that agrees with them or they watch only one television news show because it reinforces them, instead of listening to the ones that don’t agree with them. So, I think the way you get over it is, you take people one at a time and you give them the same credit you give yourself and your ideas." [James Mattis: Interview With A High School Student]
"[B]e very slow to characterize your fellow Americans. I know that when people have to run for office they have to say 'I’m smart and my opponent’s dumb,' or 'I’ve got better ideas than my opponent.' That’s politics there’s nothing wrong with that. But, I get very very concerned when I hear people start characterizing their opponents as stupid. I still understand that because politics is a little rough and tumble at times, but I don’t buy it and when they start calling each other either crazy or evil. You and I, we don’t compromise with crazy people or evil people. And so, I don’t think that’s helpful. Generally speaking, just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them crazy or evil.
By sitting down and talking with them, after having a good strong argument, going out and having a root beer with them, maybe showing up at the same church, maybe going to the hospital to see their kid when they’re having their appendix out, reminds you that they’re human beings too. There’s no reason to get all worked up as if someone is evil or crazy. For one thing, none of us are perfect and all-knowing, so this might be their right, and that’s why I don’t care for ideological people. It’s like those people just want to stop thinking. They know what they think, they don’t read anything but one newspaper that agrees with them or they watch only one television news show because it reinforces them, instead of listening to the ones that don’t agree with them. So, I think the way you get over it is, you take people one at a time and you give them the same credit you give yourself and your ideas." [James Mattis: Interview With A High School Student]
Thursday, July 13, 2017
It’s Not Treason, but It’s Not Defensible, Either
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/449408/donald-trump-jr-didnt-commit-treason
The introduction says it about as well as I would have so I will simply quote it here as my comment on the rest of the article it is part of. Without further ado...
"One of the rules you should try to follow, if you talk or write about politics, is to apply the same basic standards and rules for longer than just whatever gets you through the current news cycle. That’s true of what you think is right and wrong and scandalous, and it’s doubly true of what’s legal and illegal. The rule of law exists so that we know what rules apply to our friends and political foes alike..."
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/449408/donald-trump-jr-didnt-commit-treason
The introduction says it about as well as I would have so I will simply quote it here as my comment on the rest of the article it is part of. Without further ado...
"One of the rules you should try to follow, if you talk or write about politics, is to apply the same basic standards and rules for longer than just whatever gets you through the current news cycle. That’s true of what you think is right and wrong and scandalous, and it’s doubly true of what’s legal and illegal. The rule of law exists so that we know what rules apply to our friends and political foes alike..."
Points to Ponder:
Those who are gung ho about not vaccinating their kids and who refuse to should wear a scarlet V in public so if their choices result in others getting infected (or worse), said persons can be more readily identified for possible legal action (if applicable). [Me (circa July 8. 2017)]
Those who are gung ho about not vaccinating their kids and who refuse to should wear a scarlet V in public so if their choices result in others getting infected (or worse), said persons can be more readily identified for possible legal action (if applicable). [Me (circa July 8. 2017)]
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Hillary Clinton looks for her role in midterms
"Hillary should do what she does best...
- Help candidates set up unsanctioned email accounts
- Hand out drills for destroying your harddrives
- Hand out plastic red reset buttons
- Sell uranium to our enemies in order to help fund campaigns" ["Guomino"]
- Help candidates set up unsanctioned email accounts
- Hand out drills for destroying your harddrives
- Hand out plastic red reset buttons
- Sell uranium to our enemies in order to help fund campaigns" ["Guomino"]
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Ultra Briefly on President Trump's Visit to Poland:
In my opinion, visiting Poland was a good choice for President Donald Trump. Why? Well, they are perhaps the most pro-American country in continental Europe for one and secondly, it is a good momentum builder going into his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin.
In my opinion, visiting Poland was a good choice for President Donald Trump. Why? Well, they are perhaps the most pro-American country in continental Europe for one and secondly, it is a good momentum builder going into his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin.
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