The consolidation of a strong Federal government with incredible control over each individual State was something that many of the founding fathers considered the largest threat to the Republic. It is exactly what we got post-bellum. 

Yeah, and combine that with Wickard v Filburn in the 1940s and there's nothing the feds can't do now.

Unfortunately. 

Yeah ... the idea that the fed can regulate something "if it exerts a substantial economic effect on interstate commerce" pretty much renders the commerce clause toothless, because the economy is so complex that everything affects everything else.

Thu Jun 20 2019 06:58:20 MST from IGnatius T Foobar

Yeah ... the idea that the fed can regulate something "if it exerts a substantial economic effect on interstate commerce" pretty much renders the commerce clause toothless, because the economy is so complex that everything affects everything else.

Yup.  It's utterly infuriating, especially when it exerts no substantial economic effect but merely might affect it a little bit.

Wed Jun 05 2019 13:47:17 MST from ParanoidDelusions

The consolidation of a strong Federal government with incredible control over each individual State was something that many of the founding fathers considered the largest threat to the Republic. It is exactly what we got post-bellum. 

 

Sad but factual! 

Sat Jun 22 2019 21:53:29 MST from Wangiss

 

 

Sad but factual! 

Yes, but today if you say this, you get called a "pro-slavery southern apologist and racist." 

By members of the party that actually FOUGHT to prevent the emancipation of the slaves. 

Right.  And yet they still push that myth that after the civil rights movement, the two parties "switched sides".

It's soooooooo ridiculous.  Half the nation has been brainwashed into believing that the other half are nazis.

Tue Jul 09 2019 07:30:15 MST from IGnatius T Foobar

Right.  And yet they still push that myth that after the civil rights movement, the two parties "switched sides".

It's soooooooo ridiculous.  Half the nation has been brainwashed into believing that the other half are nazis.

I always call them directly on this. 

"So, you're suggesting that the Democrats and Republicans all agreed to switch sides completely, at the same time - so that the Republicans would become the party of racism and the Democrats would become the party of progressive tolerance - because... the Republicans thought this would be good for votes? I mean... who sold this switcheroo to the Republican party? Was it a Kennedy? Did the Republicans just feel sorry for the Democrats and want to give them a chance in elections? Was it pity?!? " 

They never have an answer. 

The answer I hear is that the southern democrats became republicans.   

Tue Jul 09 2019 18:52:20 MST from New User

The answer I hear is that the southern democrats became republicans.   

And the Northern Republicans were all just, "Sure, hey, you've been a practicing racist who we've opposed for the last 40 years - but we believe you've had a change of heart, come on aboard, and we're going to give you our full support!" 

The argument is preceded on the assumption that all white politicians were racist - and that therefore the Northern Republicans really didn't mind if the Southern Democrats were racist. 

But that leads to the conclusion that nothing has actually changed. If all of the Northern Abolitionist Republicans were actually closet racists, ready to accept white Southern Democrat racists with open arms... 

Then when the "progressive" Republicans "switched" to become Democrats in the great flip - the same thing applies - there were a bunch of racist white Democrat politicians who didn't care... 

So at the very MOST... nothing actually changed - if you follow this logic through to its conclusion. 

I wish it were as clear as it should be that since its inception one party has insisted there is such a thing as racially appropriate behavior and the other has not. I'm not a Republican, but this is something they get right: you don't have to act a certain way because of your race. All day I'm getting protocol update posts from my Democrat friends about how I'm supposed to act because of my race and how I'm supposed to treat people because of their race. It's insane.

Sat Jul 13 2019 11:57:53 MST from Wangiss

 All day I'm getting protocol update posts from my Democrat friends about how I'm supposed to act because of my race and how I'm supposed to treat people because of their race. It's insane.

This is the thing that drives me nuts. The Republicans are, at WORST - "you're probably just who you are and you may not be able to change that - and that is tough shit." 

The Democrats are... "Nazi!!!!" 

Each and every person ... even the most vile, disgusting, questionably-human people like Rosie O'Donnell and Barack Obama ... is a child of their Creator and loved by Him.

To say that one person is inferior to another, simply because that person is white or male or straight or cisgender, is to say that God made a mistake.

SJW's are spitting in the face of their Creator and they will regret it one day.

Mon Jul 15 2019 15:10:03 MST from IGnatius T Foobar

Each and every person ... even the most vile, disgusting, questionably-human people like Rosie O'Donnell and Barack Obama ... is a child of their Creator and loved by Him.

To say that one person is inferior to another, simply because that person is white or male or straight or cisgender, is to say that God made a mistake.

SJW's are spitting in the face of their Creator and they will regret it one day.

I'm a bit of an agnostic - but I think this is a solid way of looking at the world. I don't disbelieve in God - In fact, more and more I see more evidence that supports the concept of creative design, at the very least. 
What I don't trust is *our* interpretation of whatever we've been *told* about spirituality and creation. We may have the idea right - but our ability to translate and retell it might be lacking. 

The Bible is the complete and inerrant word of God.  Full stop.

But I won't persecute you if you disagree, unlike people who believe in false religions such as global warming, atheism, and islam.

Tue Jul 16 2019 14:16:15 MST from IGnatius T Foobar

The Bible is the complete and inerrant word of God.  Full stop.

But I won't persecute you if you disagree, unlike people who believe in false religions such as global warming, atheism, and islam.

My personal belief system isn't incompatible with that claim. It could be true - and still not be what you *believe* it means. 

I'm a bit of an ancient alien astronaut buff. I don't necessarily believe that Giorgio Snuffleufflogolopolis has it all right - but I think that there is some evidence our ancient scriptures may be ancient knowledge, passed down by word of mouth, through an actual dark ages that almost wiped us out. 
Some of my research is even quoted in a published book: 

https://books.google.com/books?id=3JxjMKB6_yMC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&dq=d%26M+pyramid+donovan+colbert&source=bl&ots=MNlqc2u8lS&sig=ACfU3U3Y6zje0v6Rm5x0dzkhEF7PgfTK4g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwicoff3wrrjAhUKsZ4KHU1ICWAQ6AEwAHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=d%26M%20pyramid%20donovan%20colbert&f=false

Multiple rants today. 

Godaddy called my office. The guy was acting slimy. I told him I needed more information to pass him on to the owners, that I was the technology and content manager. He said it was a confidential matter. I passed him on, the owner took it on speaker call. The guy instantly went into a sales pitch. The owner told him, "I don't make these decisions, Donovan did, I heard him tell you so. The guy kept trying to throw his pitch. The owner hung up on him. 

Today, same guy calls back - and acts as if nothing happened. When he realizes I remember who he is, he starts to try and justify it. I tell him, "you blew your chance." He gets aggressive, and I go, "I don't give a shit what you think," and he goes, "I think I expect you to act and talk professional with me!" 

I was like, "You were deceptive with me and wasted my time and my bosses time and we don't want anything you've got to offer." 

"You don't want anything we've got to offer?" 

And I hung up on him. 

So... Godaddy.com salespeople are doucheflutes, if you didn't know already. 

Next rant after I go work out. My wife scheduled me a personal trainer tonight, while she is out of country in India. I told her not to, she did anyhow. This is kind of a rant, too. I'm not excited about having to go work out tonight. When she is out of town, I like to come home and just veg. But she thinks unless everyone is living the life SHE finds fulfilling, their lives aren't complete. 25 years and she still can't understand that some of us don't have to occupy every moment of our time with some scheduled activity - some of us like to just sit in their underwear and watch TV and scratch their fat asses and argue on the Internet. 

I wish I could get that through to her. 

Many people think their preferences are the only valid ones.  This is my constant philosophical battle, to try to show other people that everyone is different and that's not only okay, but actually beneficial to the world.  Everyone is good at something, and few people are good at the same things, and that diversity of interest and ability leads to specialization which increases trade opportunities and technologies and all sorts of other good things.