The Well-Mannered Politics Thread

[usmccharles]

Well, this should be interesting. Just trying to remember to keep it clean and lets not resort to name calling just because you disagree with someone. We are all Raven fans, just keep that in mind. This could go very badly, or not that bad at all. Hell, might as well make a religion thread. Enjoy.

 

[The Raven]

Ahh... probably the only thing I like more than football. Is that sad? Probably.

 

[ThatsMyJoeTerback]

"Well mannered"

 

[The Raven]

"Well mannered"

I think it's doable. There are some issues that will undoubtedly turn into a battle of ad hominem attacks but for the most part I think it's feasible to stick to the issues and not the personal attacks.

*crosses fingers*

 

[ThatsMyJoeTerback]

I think it's doable. There are some issues that will undoubtedly turn into a battle of ad hominem attacks but for the most part I think it's feasible to stick to the issues and not the personal attacks.

*crosses fingers*

I think politics has a slim chance of feasibility but religion, oh boy.

 

[The Raven]

I think politics has a slim chance of feasibility but religion, oh boy.

I like a good religion debate but I think some people take it even more personally than politics, which inevitably leads to bad times.

 

[usmccharles]

I like a good religion debate but I think some people take it even more personally than politics, which inevitably leads to bad times.

Which is understandable. Someone else feel free to make that thread, im not going to be able to handle the notifications.

 

[K-Dog]

So, does anyone here think Kap is a good quarterback?
This is a political thread, right?
Kap is a political activist, right?
Lets talk about Collin Kaepernick and his quarterback abilities.

 

[RavensPunkXVX]

So, does anyone here think Kap is a good quarterback?
This is a political thread, right?
Kap is a political activist, right?
Lets talk about Collin Kaepernick and his quarterback abilities.

Is he better than any of the current 32 starting quarterbacks? some would argue. Is he better than any of the 32 backups? Yes.

 

[allblackraven]

Well, this should be interesting. Just trying to remember to keep it clean and lets not resort to name calling just because you disagree with someone. We are all Raven fans, just keep that in mind. This could go very badly, or not that bad at all. Hell, might as well make a religion thread. Enjoy.

Don't know about religion thread but the Everything Science thread has been resurrected here:
https://purpleflock.com/threads/91/
[doublepost=1495519525,1495518558][/doublepost]

So, does anyone here think Kap is a good quarterback?
This is a political thread, right?
Kap is a political activist, right?
Lets talk about Collin Kaepernick and his quarterback abilities.

Come on now, K-Dog.

You keep overreacting, like you did at the end of the now closed thread. Even the RSR article you linked started with the possible distraction by the move like that and the video in it put the accent on how the whole issue cannot be viewed as just a football move. It's too fresh to be ignored. BmoreBird just pointed that out, he certainly didn't attack you.

 

[Oldfaithful]

I think it's doable. There are some issues that will undoubtedly turn into a battle of ad hominem attacks but for the most part I think it's feasible to stick to the issues and not the personal attacks.

*crosses fingers*

I think so as well. I'm a political science major(along with one in econ) currently (and am rocking a solid 4.0 in those classes) and LOVE it. I like talking politics. Having been both poor, and rich in my life (well.. my family situation) I have an ability to empathize with both sides of the arguments.

"But lost you're just a kid". I've been helping my dad with his taxes since I was 15 and have been following politics since I was 14. I give a damn about several of the issues.

So to start off. My moms side of the family is immigrants. Super liberal. Loved Hillary. Acted like children when they lost. My dad's side is uber conservative. 1%er who works 50+ hours a week(something that I've taken from him. Why I'm posting so late). Me? Unlike my parents I'm somewhere in the middle.

Examples
I'm all for gun regulation, but banning it entirely is stupid. Gun training should be like drivers ed imo. I could theoretically go to downtown Denver and run over 50 people before the cops show up. We need to educate our population better. I think this wouldn't solve the problem entirely, but it would help out significantly in the long run.

I'm a fiscal conservative. I think the progressive tax is nonsensical. Contrary to popular belief, most rich people I've encountered have not only earned their money fairly, but have worked their asses off to get it. Just because they make more, doesn't mean their percentages should go up based off of their earnings. The government takes 1 out of every 2 dollars that he earns. I also believe that some federal programs should have their funding decreased(notice how I didn't say cut) as I believe that if the people truly want to keep something they will pull together and fund it themselves.

Socially, I'm pro choice, all for gay marriage(some of my best friends are gay/lesbians) but hate political correctness. That doesn't mean that I'm an advocate for racism, very much against it actually. But the first amendment exists to protect contreversial speech so long as it is not overly obscene, or shows the intent to harm, etc. As a person of color, I have experienced racism, but those people to me are uneducated lost causes that I honestly feel sorry for more than anything. They'll never be able to grow up. For example: I think it's utterly stupid that people find the term "Islamic Terrorism" offensive. That term does not implicate all practitioners of islam as terrorist. The phase, "All muslims blow up buildings" would do that, and is incredibly offensive. There are domestic terrorist, and even christians have participated in terrorism.


I'm all about productive discussion. If there is something about the country that does scare me going forward, it's the media. Both sides. Fox and CNN are equally crappy. They all try to push their own damn agendas and a lot of idiots fall for it. They believe moreso in the headlines than the cold, hard facts, and ultimately, they are one of the catalysts for the society we live in today. People need to form their own damn opinions.

That's enough for me. I want us to keep it Civil. Some members who threaten others(we all know who) won't. Will likely call half of us losers, but that's okay.


Ladies and Gents. Let's discuss.

 

[Willbacker]

So, does anyone here think Kap is a good quarterback?
This is a political thread, right?
Kap is a political activist, right?
Lets talk about Collin Kaepernick and his quarterback abilities.

I think he socks. Just kidding.

 

[The Raven]

I think so as well. I'm a political science major(along with one in econ) currently (and am rocking a solid 4.0 in those classes) and LOVE it. I like talking politics. Having been both poor, and rich in my life (well.. my family situation) I have an ability to empathize with both sides of the arguments.

"But lost you're just a kid". I've been helping my dad with his taxes since I was 15 and have been following politics since I was 14. I give a damn about several of the issues.

So to start off. My moms side of the family is immigrants. Super liberal. Loved Hillary. Acted like children when they lost. My dad's side is uber conservative. 1%er who works 50+ hours a week(something that I've taken from him. Why I'm posting so late). Me? Unlike my parents I'm somewhere in the middle.

Examples
I'm all for gun regulation, but banning it entirely is stupid. Gun training should be like drivers ed imo. I could theoretically go to downtown Denver and run over 50 people before the cops show up. We need to educate our population better. I think this wouldn't solve the problem entirely, but it would help out significantly in the long run.

I'm a fiscal conservative. I think the progressive tax is nonsensical. Contrary to popular belief, most rich people I've encountered have not only earned their money fairly, but have worked their asses off to get it. Just because they make more, doesn't mean their percentages should go up based off of their earnings. The government takes 1 out of every 2 dollars that he earns. I also believe that some federal programs should have their funding decreased(notice how I didn't say cut) as I believe that if the people truly want to keep something they will pull together and fund it themselves.

Socially, I'm pro choice, all for gay marriage(some of my best friends are gay/lesbians) but hate political correctness. That doesn't mean that I'm an advocate for racism, very much against it actually. But the first amendment exists to protect contreversial speech so long as it is not overly obscene, or shows the intent to harm, etc. As a person of color, I have experienced racism, but those people to me are uneducated lost causes that I honestly feel sorry for more than anything. They'll never be able to grow up. For example: I think it's utterly stupid that people find the term "Islamic Terrorism" offensive. That term does not implicate all practitioners of islam as terrorist. The phase, "All muslims blow up buildings" would do that, and is incredibly offensive. There are domestic terrorist, and even christians have participated in terrorism.


I'm all about productive discussion. If there is something about the country that does scare me going forward, it's the media. Both sides. Fox and CNN are equally crappy. They all try to push their own damn agendas and a lot of idiots fall for it. They believe moreso in the headlines than the cold, hard facts, and ultimately, they are one of the catalysts for the society we live in today. People need to form their own damn opinions.

That's enough for me. I want us to keep it Civil. Some members who threaten others(we all know who) won't. Will likely call half of us losers, but that's okay.


Ladies and Gents. Let's discuss.

Progressive vs flat tax is an interesting. I would argue that a progressive tax is probably unconstitutional, but frankly, a flat tax just isn't feasible. No U.S. budget in the history of forever would be balanced with a flat tax. I like a progressive tax for the simple fact that it works and a flat tax doesn't. I would also argue that in our periods of fastest economic growth, the tax rate on the top 1 percent is higher than it is now. Until the Lord our Savior Ronald Reagan, the Only Son of God, came into the White House, the income tax rate on the top bracket was higher than 60. Once he slashed that, we started having deficits left and right.

There's no disputing that those people earned their money, but the thing is that for the uber rich, those 1 percenters, their money is just sitting there, more times than not. I mean, how can 1 percent of the population have over half of a country's wealth? With economic disparity like that, the system is doomed to fail. Economic growth requires spending and if that top 1 percent has 50 percent of the money, how much are they actually spending? The answer's obvious: not enough to make the economy grow.

Our average GDP growth back in the 60s and 70s was higher than any point since (in fact, GDP growth starts to decline under Reagan, contrary to the Republican Gospel).

There's probably extenuating circumstances, but the numbers paint a clear picture. When the tax rate on the top bracket was cut in half under Reagan (literally, from over 70 to about 33, from memory), tax dollars stopped being invested in the infrastructure that a country needs to grow. Our country has failing infrastructure in large part because every president and every Congress since LBJ's time has failed to do anything for infrastructure. Infrastructure is the key that makes the engine go.

Source: Income tax rate on top bracket goes from 70 to 28 in 10 years, beginning with Reagan. No wonder he could never balance a budget.

GDP growth source

 

[29BmoreBird22]

If I weren't a biochem/pre vet major, I'd have study Con Law, so if you all want to have a good civil rights debate, hit me up. I love it.
[doublepost=1495541329,1495541179][/doublepost]

Don't know about religion thread but the Everything Science thread has been resurrected here:
https://purpleflock.com/threads/91/
[doublepost=1495519525,1495518558][/doublepost]
Come on now, K-Dog.

You keep overreacting, like you did at the end of the now closed thread. Even the RSR article you linked started with the possible distraction by the move like that and the video in it put the accent on how the whole issue cannot be viewed as just a football move. It's too fresh to be ignored. BmoreBird just pointed that out, he certainly didn't attack you.

Some people take it way too personally and I don't understand.

He used a poor Ngata example. A more accurate example would be if we made a Ray Rice thread and expected DV not to come up or how other players with sexual assault/DV are playing (DGB, Mixon, Connelly). Totally unreasonable to not have expected someone to bring up his politics a reason to not sign him.

 

[flynismo]

Is he better than any of the current 32 starting quarterbacks? some would argue. Is he better than any of the 32 backups? Yes.

Yes, he is definitely better than at least 3-4 current projected starters.
But considering that there is only 12 or 13 QBs that I would actually want as my starting QB, that really isn't saying a whole lot.
[doublepost=1495545759,1495545427][/doublepost]

I think so as well. I'm a political science major(along with one in econ) currently (and am rocking a solid 4.0 in those classes) and LOVE it. I like talking politics. Having been both poor, and rich in my life (well.. my family situation) I have an ability to empathize with both sides of the arguments.

"But lost you're just a kid". I've been helping my dad with his taxes since I was 15 and have been following politics since I was 14. I give a damn about several of the issues.

So to start off. My moms side of the family is immigrants. Super liberal. Loved Hillary. Acted like children when they lost. My dad's side is uber conservative. 1%er who works 50+ hours a week(something that I've taken from him. Why I'm posting so late). Me? Unlike my parents I'm somewhere in the middle.

Examples
I'm all for gun regulation, but banning it entirely is stupid. Gun training should be like drivers ed imo. I could theoretically go to downtown Denver and run over 50 people before the cops show up. We need to educate our population better. I think this wouldn't solve the problem entirely, but it would help out significantly in the long run.

I'm a fiscal conservative. I think the progressive tax is nonsensical. Contrary to popular belief, most rich people I've encountered have not only earned their money fairly, but have worked their asses off to get it. Just because they make more, doesn't mean their percentages should go up based off of their earnings. The government takes 1 out of every 2 dollars that he earns. I also believe that some federal programs should have their funding decreased(notice how I didn't say cut) as I believe that if the people truly want to keep something they will pull together and fund it themselves.

Socially, I'm pro choice, all for gay marriage(some of my best friends are gay/lesbians) but hate political correctness. That doesn't mean that I'm an advocate for racism, very much against it actually. But the first amendment exists to protect contreversial speech so long as it is not overly obscene, or shows the intent to harm, etc. As a person of color, I have experienced racism, but those people to me are uneducated lost causes that I honestly feel sorry for more than anything. They'll never be able to grow up. For example: I think it's utterly stupid that people find the term "Islamic Terrorism" offensive. That term does not implicate all practitioners of islam as terrorist. The phase, "All muslims blow up buildings" would do that, and is incredibly offensive. There are domestic terrorist, and even christians have participated in terrorism.


I'm all about productive discussion. If there is something about the country that does scare me going forward, it's the media. Both sides. Fox and CNN are equally crappy. They all try to push their own damn agendas and a lot of idiots fall for it. They believe moreso in the headlines than the cold, hard facts, and ultimately, they are one of the catalysts for the society we live in today. People need to form their own damn opinions.

That's enough for me. I want us to keep it Civil. Some members who threaten others(we all know who) won't. Will likely call half of us losers, but that's okay.


Ladies and Gents. Let's discuss.

No, I think any sort of gun regulation, with the exception of background checks for felons, is unconstitutional, and just as importantly, won't solve anything.
And I think that even felons should have their rights restored, after they have shown to be rehabilitated and have led a clean and productive life after X number of years since their offense.
I don't think FOX is anywhere near as bad as CNN. FOX's viewership is so huge that it's pretty much impossible for it to be anything but diversified. I just think that these days, anything that is not outright against Trump is viewed as "alt right bias".

[doublepost=1495546231][/doublepost]

There's no disputing that those people earned their money, but the thing is that for the uber rich, those 1 percenters, their money is just sitting there, more times than not.

Not at all. The wealthy have a saying: poor people work for money, money works for the wealthy. Meaning, nobody just has a billion sitting in some savings account. Their money is usually tied up in investments, very often in highly significant industries such as medical companies, which is providing those companies with capital they need to advance their goals.
I find it truly admirable that people like Gates and Zuckerberg pledged to give away 99% of their fortunes, and more impressively, they're doing it in a structured, well researched manner so that they can make the biggest impact possible with that money.
[doublepost=1495546922][/doublepost]As for my own personal political views, I'm independent / moderate. Not because I cannot make up my mind, but because I am not lazy enough to choose a side. And it just falls in line with who I am as a person; I'm very pragmatic and analytical, a free thinker. The minute you let others do your thinking for you is the minute you die intellectually. This two party nonsense really is hurting our country. This is how we end up with people like Trump as president. And mind you, I voted for Trump. He was what was best for this country in the long run, given our choices.

 

[The Raven]

Yes, he is definitely better than at least 3-4 current projected starters.
But considering that there is only 12 or 13 QBs that I would actually want as my starting QB, that really isn't saying a whole lot.
[doublepost=1495545759,1495545427][/doublepost]

No, I think any sort of gun regulation, with the exception of background checks for felons, is unconstitutional, and just as importantly, won't solve anything.
And I think that even felons should have their rights restored, after they have shown to be rehabilitated and have led a clean and productive life after X number of years since their offense.
I don't think FOX is anywhere near as bad as CNN. FOX's viewership is so huge that it's pretty much impossible for it to be anything but diversified. I just think that these days, anything that is not outright against Trump is viewed as "alt right bias".

[doublepost=1495546231][/doublepost]

Not at all. The wealthy have a saying: poor people work for money, money works for the wealthy. Meaning, nobody just has a billion sitting in some savings account. Their money is usually tied up in investments, very often in highly significant industries such as medical companies, which is providing those companies with capital they need to advance their goals.
I find it truly admirable that people like Gates and Zuckerberg pledged to give away 99% of their fortunes, and more impressively, they're doing it in a structured, well researched manner so that they can make the biggest impact possible with that money.
[doublepost=1495546922][/doublepost]As for my own personal political views, I'm independent / moderate. Not because I cannot make up my mind, but because I am not lazy enough to choose a side. And it just falls in line with who I am as a person; I'm very pragmatic and analytical, a free thinker. The minute you let others do your thinking for you is the minute you die intellectually. This two party nonsense really is hurting our country. This is how we end up with people like Trump as president. And mind you, I voted for Trump. He was what was best for this country in the long run, given our choices.

As a journalist, who believes in objectivity and facts and all that jazz, this bolded part made me vomit blood. Every journalist I know, young and old, including those who are registered Republican, consider Fox News to be a vile joke. Their ethics are poor. Their standards are low. They contribute nothing to society but fear mongering and pot-stirring. Fox News represents everything wrong with this country. Controversy for the sake of controversy. Hyper-polarized. Lacking substance. That network is a significant part of why this country is so divided. They routinely tell one side of the story, and it's oftentimes, not even factual. Case in point: when Comey got fired, their headline said that he resigned. What a joke. Not even the WH tried to say that Comey resigned. I can't remember a single time Fox News actually made headlines for breaking news instead of being a rabble rouser. At least CNN can say they actually break real news. At least Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, and Anderson Cooper actually hold both parties accountable in interviews.

Fox's viewership is huge because they pander to half of the country's ideology, and old people -- that was Roger Ailes's entire business plan. To pander. It makes for cheap ratings. The rest of the news outlets share the rest of the population. Their content is a joke. When Bill O'Reilly got fired, I laughed. When Roger Ailes died last week, I threw a party. That man was the anti-Christ.

If you're going to tell me that CNN has an agenda, you're going to have to give me examples, because as someone who actually does this for a living, I'm here to tell you authoritatively that CNN and Fox aren't even comparable.

 

[K-Dog]

Two party nonsense.
Spot on.

 

[flynismo]

As a journalist, who believes in objectivity and facts and all that jazz, this bolded part made me vomit blood. Every journalist I know, young and old, including those who are registered Republican, consider Fox News to be a vile joke. Their ethics are poor. Their standards are low. They contribute nothing to society but fear mongering and pot-stirring. Fox News represents everything wrong with this country. Controversy for the sake of controversy. Hyper-polarized. Lacking substance. That network is a significant part of why this country is so divided. They routinely tell one side of the story, and it's oftentimes, not even factual. Case in point: when Comey got fired, their headline said that he resigned. What a joke. Not even the WH tried to say that Comey resigned. I can't remember a single time Fox News actually made headlines for breaking news instead of being a rabble rouser. At least CNN can say they actually break real news. At least Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, and Anderson Cooper actually hold both parties accountable in interviews.

Fox's viewership is huge because they pander to half of the country's ideology, and old people -- that was Roger Ailes's entire business plan. To pander. It makes for cheap ratings. The rest of the news outlets share the rest of the population. Their content is a joke. When Bill O'Reilly got fired, I laughed. When Roger Ailes died last week, I threw a party. That man was the anti-Christ.

If you're going to tell me that CNN has an agenda, you're going to have to give me examples, because as someone who actually does this for a living, I'm here to tell you authoritatively that CNN and Fox aren't even comparable.

Dude... we know that Brazile gave Hillary the questions the day before the debate and she was coached on how to answer them. It isn't exactly a secret that CNN is left biased as hell.

And I'm certainly not claiming to be a fan of FOX either; after all, I consider myself an independent, and don't like the bias any of these outlets flaunt. I just don't think their bias is as strong as CNN's is.

 

[The Raven]

Dude... we know that Brazile gave Hillary the questions the day before the debate and she was coached on how to answer them. It isn't exactly a secret that CNN is left biased as hell.

And I'm certainly not claiming to be a fan of FOX either; after all, I consider myself an independent, and don't like the bias any of these outlets flaunt. I just don't think their bias is as strong as CNN's is.

Brazile goofed, but it's important to note that she's no longer with CNN. Not only that, but CNN's news staff, not the analysts, but the actual reporters and interviewers, are the very best in the business. Jake Tapper is the absolute best political journalist in TV news right now. Bar none. Negative coverage of Trump doesn't mean they're slanted, as long as the coverage is accurate. As a professor once told me in college, "the news is what the news is. Not our fault if it's bad news."

If you think CNN's bias is stronger than Fox's, then we'd better just stop this conversation, because there isn't a single journalist who works outside of Fox who holds that belief. You could argue MSNBC is more biased, but CNN? Hell naw

 

[gtalk12]

So, does anyone here think Kap is a good quarterback?
This is a political thread, right?
Kap is a political activist, right?
Lets talk about Collin Kaepernick and his quarterback abilities.

Why are you so upset about this? This is a real issue, open your eyes K. Kap is BETTER than most backups in this league. Aside from price tag, there should be no reason he does not find a job other than his political stance or lack thereof