General News Rick Perry Indicted for Abuse of Power

Although that is interesting, it appears that Texas is doing better than a lot of other states. According to the department of education on time graduation rates by state. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014391.pdf
From the link you provided

I'm not even sure what middle class is anymore. What are the parameters you have to fall into?

 

All these one-sided claims of corruption from people identifying with one side or the other (Democrat/Republican) are truly laughable. Both parties are exceedingly rife with it.

I won't lose any sleep over Perry, obviously - just amazed to see him actually get charged. You either have to have been really obvious or really hated to actually get punished as a politician. Didn't know he was either.

 

So, basically we're expected to differentiate and subdivide conservatives into multiple groups, and keep that in mind at all times? Fair enough. Then it would seem reasonable that conservatives should be expected to do the same - be aware of the different groups and schools of liberal thought and differentiate among them at all times. Yet, I've yet to see that happen much (if at all), and certainly not here in this thread.

I'm quite well aware that there are two sides to every coin and that some liberal commentators and groups have made nasty statements about conservative figures which led to other liberals condemning their actions. However, I'm also very aware that there is a significant difference between the statements of a liberal pundit on cable TV (whose whole act is based on making provocative statements) or a blogger somewhere and those of a sitting congressperson/senator/governor. And that there is rather a difference in degree between stating or implying that someone is an idiot or otherwise problematic and stating that an entire group of people (or our legally elected President) are lazy, immoral, and/or actively seeking to engage in treason, the fall of the country, or the legalization of forced sexual acts performed on children or the like.

No, I'm saying that Stridenttube has made posts in the past in which he said he felt bad about various things, some of them apparently connected to statements people in his life had made (people who it seemed reasonable to think identified as conservative based on the context) and that people here had come forward to try to make him feel better. A fair number of these people would identify as liberal to one degree or another. So, if we are so bad (as he's indicated in this and other past threads when politics comes up) -why would we want to help?

As to whether or not I think that conservatives are awful - I count various people who self-identify as conservatives among my friends. So no, I don't think all conservatives are awful (I do however think some of them are awful). However, the two things I've found with these friends is that:

a) One person's conservative is another's flaming liberal depending on which part of the country (or which situation) you consider.

b) They very consistently managed to refrain from making insulting statements about liberals even if they didn't agree with them on various things. I've yet to see that here.

Todd

 

Index of Economic Freedom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia claims that free trade cause deindustrialisation or overall job loses really dont match up with reality .

Free trade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The literature analysing the economics of free trade is extremely rich with extensive work having been done on the theoretical and empirical effects. Though it creates winners and losers, the broad consensus among economists is that free trade is a large and unambiguous net gain for society. In a 2006 survey of American economists (83 responders), "87.5% agree that the U.S. should eliminate remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade" and "90.1% disagree with the suggestion that the U.S. should restrict employers from outsourcing work to foreign countries

as much as i want many republicans to open there eyes when it come to science of sexuality etc.when i see extraordinary claims but sadly very common amongst the left like yours.it would be good if people on both sides would apply some critical thinking and look at the science .

 

If I wanted to say that every conservative is basically a nut job, I would just say it rather than dancing around the issue. And by focusing only on the fact that I apparently didn't subdivide out the categories of conservatives sufficiently for your taste rather than the central question, you're just avoiding it.

To get back to that and rephrase it so it is perhaps more clear: If you disagree so strongly with the social conservative side of things, how can you then be so sure that they are so correct on the economic side of things? The two are not inextricably entwined, but it seems somewhat odd that there can be total disagreement with the social side of it (understandably) and total agreement (with no apparent doubts, or questioning, or specific points of disagreement even) on the economic. So, I'm asking for you to explain to me how this works for you.

I don't know enough about you to know whether you are self-hating or not, although I would suspect not given the amount of change I've seen you make (as reflected in your posts to EC) over time.

So, when you consistently make disparaging comments about liberals and Democrats and the President (he has no respect for law, people who support gun control are ignorant, Perry is being indicted for no reason other than Democrats are out to get him, just in this thread alone) and so on (which you've done in various threads in the time I've been on EC), it's all just done out of a sense of respectful disagreement? Because it certainly doesn't sound very respectful to me. Pretty hateful though.

"Support" does not mean 'automatically agree with everything you say'. Your issues and your political leanings are both a part of you, so I don't see how they can't have some connection/interaction in some way, shape, or form.

As far as having a debate about politics and not putting each other down. As mentioned above, just in the course of this one thread you've made various disparaging and disrespectful remarks about liberals and Democrats and the President. Part of a pattern of doing such when political discussions come up. Since we're talking offense here, those statements are very offensive to me and probably to various other people here. The more so when someone pushes back on you about it and you immediately jump to 'I can't believe you're being so mean to me! mode.

If you truly want to have a polite and respectful discussion then try starting out by being polite and respectful - rather than being nasty and then trying to put anyone who pushes back on defense by complaining about how they're being mean or lowering the quality of the discourse or the like. If you're going to lead the charge down that road, you have no cause to complain (except to seek rhetorical advantage perhaps and we'll assume you aren't being that cynical) if others follow you.

Todd

 

Whats up with those new shades Perry's been sporting? They make him look like he might be your nutty uncle, who just got out of rehab, or something. I'm not sure the new image is working.

Other fun facts about Texas: 4th highest rate of teen pregnancy; 5th highest rate of not completing high school; 3rd highest rate of people living in malnutrition...one could go on and on. I just fail to see why the place is such a paradise.

This study points out many fun facts.

 

Those glasses aren't becoming for him.

As to the fun facts provided by your link, it would be a lot more exciting and informative if they weren't at least a decade out of date. Apparently though, I live in a bubble since I don't see anything that rings true except the obesity thing. I've never seen so many fat people in my life.

 

Nope, those glasses are not working. They sorta reminded me of that one speech he gave at this town-hall in NH, when he was all giggly, from being gooned up on pills and booze. I can't see him as being much of a contender, but then again, so many Republican hopefuls have been marred by scandals: McDonnell, Christie, Walker.

Well, looking about the net, it doesn't look like things are getting much better for people struggling down there....worse in some cases.

I'm sure there's nice things about the state, I'd love to visit the LBJ ranch one day, and visit a grapefruit farm, the ruby red kind.

On a funny note, I did love those photos of him eating a corn-dog in Iowa!

 

LOL at the pic. I really am coming to the conclusion that I live in a disconnect with things that don't affect me or those close to me.

I wonder if the statistics are skewed by illegal immigration at all.

 

There's also one of Michelle Bachmann:



Always good for a few chuckles!

 

She doesn't look as enthusiastic or versed in that implied activity.

On a note relevant to the thread, I really hope that the taxpayers aren't going to be stuck with the bill for his defense.

 

Odd, I was just reading about this, and it appears they are, though this is being questioned by Democrats in the legislature, if it's legally possible for him to forward the $450/hour attorney fees to the taxpayers. I'm sure we'll hear more about this angle.