Comments for Edd's Tavern - Blog http://eddstavern-blog.com Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:53:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 Comment on Politics and Religion by seapea http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/06/12/politics-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-15 seapea Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:53:35 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=69#comment-15 Oh, Gosh! We haven't even started on theocracy. Government and religion. What is the Iranian theocracy doing to its flock tonight? Edd, do you consider strong opinions to be unintelligent and immature? No, of course you don't. It's the style of argument, isn't it? I'm afraid I often offend people when I argue my considered opinions. Oh, Gosh! We haven’t even started on theocracy. Government and religion. What is the Iranian theocracy doing to its flock tonight?

Edd, do you consider strong opinions to be unintelligent and immature? No, of course you don’t. It’s the style of argument, isn’t it? I’m afraid I often offend people when I argue my considered opinions.

]]> Comment on Politics and Religion by seapea http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/06/12/politics-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-14 seapea Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:34:18 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=69#comment-14 I don't think a democratic political system is necessarily in conflict with 'socialist' public health and welfare economic programs (e.g. Social Security). The problem is that a democracy can only function in the public interest if the public has free access to a wide range of sources of information and if the public is educated enough to think critically. Sometimes it seems to me that a lot of Americans are only educated in consumerism and believe the political messages that they hear most often and most loudly. In a democratic political system, we could elect those that profess a conviction that universal, single-payer health-care makes sense, economically and socially. The scandal is that not enough of us can figure out that the insurance companies 'own' our elected officials. I've e-mailed all of my reps and senators (state and national) to tell them that if they don't support single-payer, not only will I not vote for them, I will work against them in coming elections. They've always written back. Unfortunately, they know that if the lobbyists give them enough $$, they can saturate the media with a slick ad that will get them re-elected, no matter how they vote. Yipes, I could go on and on. It all comes down to critical thinking by the public. And I don't mean that if people thought about it, they'd agree with me. I mean, ......well, you probably have an idea what I mean by now. I don’t think a democratic political system is necessarily in conflict with ’socialist’ public health and welfare economic programs (e.g. Social Security). The problem is that a democracy can only function in the public interest if the public has free access to a wide range of sources of information and if the public is educated enough to think critically. Sometimes it seems to me that a lot of Americans are only educated in consumerism and believe the political messages that they hear most often and most loudly.

In a democratic political system, we could elect those that profess a conviction that universal, single-payer health-care makes sense, economically and socially. The scandal is that not enough of us can figure out that the insurance companies ‘own’ our elected officials. I’ve e-mailed all of my reps and senators (state and national) to tell them that if they don’t support single-payer, not only will I not vote for them, I will work against them in coming elections. They’ve always written back. Unfortunately, they know that if the lobbyists give them enough $$, they can saturate the media with a slick ad that will get them re-elected, no matter how they vote.

Yipes, I could go on and on. It all comes down to critical thinking by the public. And I don’t mean that if people thought about it, they’d agree with me. I mean, ……well, you probably have an idea what I mean by now.

]]> Comment on Politics and Religion by Turtleholmes http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/06/12/politics-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Turtleholmes Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:54:27 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=69#comment-13 Yes! See, I've had trouble telling people I know that political systems could be better if we incorporated good bits from other ones, but they just wouldn't listen. The only problem is that things might contradict each other, but even that can be resolved eventually. I agree with El, though. It won't happen because *sarcasm* Democracy is Perfect, remember? */sarcasm* Yes! See, I’ve had trouble telling people I know that political systems could be better if we incorporated good bits from other ones, but they just wouldn’t listen.

The only problem is that things might contradict each other, but even that can be resolved eventually.

I agree with El, though. It won’t happen because *sarcasm* Democracy is Perfect, remember? */sarcasm*

]]> Comment on Politics and Religion by El http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/06/12/politics-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-11 El Sat, 13 Jun 2009 03:38:55 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=69#comment-11 You're right, the political system should just be called American and tweaked at need... unfortunately, that makes so much sense that I doubt anything resembling that will ever happen (this is politics, after all). Thanks for your opinion, though - I agree with you completely. You’re right, the political system should just be called American and tweaked at need… unfortunately, that makes so much sense that I doubt anything resembling that will ever happen (this is politics, after all). Thanks for your opinion, though – I agree with you completely.

]]> Comment on Suggestions by El http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/05/16/suggestions/comment-page-1/#comment-10 El Fri, 12 Jun 2009 03:41:12 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=64#comment-10 Many Americans seem to think that a government-funded public health system (or even a government-run insurance program) would be a sign that socialism is gaining ground in their country. And so, it seems that every time the idea of government health care comes up, it gets attacked with torches and pitchforks. I'd kind of like to know what you think of it - the socialists coming to take your freedom, or your government trying to help you out?. This is the article that made me think of it: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31232667/ Many Americans seem to think that a government-funded public health system (or even a government-run insurance program) would be a sign that socialism is gaining ground in their country. And so, it seems that every time the idea of government health care comes up, it gets attacked with torches and pitchforks. I’d kind of like to know what you think of it – the socialists coming to take your freedom, or your government trying to help you out?. This is the article that made me think of it:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31232667/

]]> Comment on Suggestions by roy hunter http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/05/16/suggestions/comment-page-1/#comment-9 roy hunter Mon, 18 May 2009 20:04:30 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=64#comment-9 OK, I looked at the Wikipedia page and now I think I see what the problem is: you don't trust your politicians because they're not trustworthy. Now it all starts to make sense about your attitude to politicians (and your low electoral turnouts). I really hope we can avoid ending up in that situation where politicians are on a gravy train for as long as they can avoid falling off it (ie getting caught), and the public don't trust them while they're actually supposed to be serving us. We have devolved local government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and they have a rigorous system of publishing members' expenses and commercial interests etc. on the internet. Here's the page for my local MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) Jackie Baillie: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/MSP/MembersPages/jackie_baillie/index.htm As you can see, her outside interests and expenses are available in minute detail. So far, this system seems to work. Unfortunately, the London Government seems resistant to the idea of complete disclosure right now. Why is that, I wonder? It's not like it costs a fortune to run, and it makes the electorate feel a whole lot better. OK, I looked at the Wikipedia page and now I think I see what the problem is: you don’t trust your politicians because they’re not trustworthy. Now it all starts to make sense about your attitude to politicians (and your low electoral turnouts). I really hope we can avoid ending up in that situation where politicians are on a gravy train for as long as they can avoid falling off it (ie getting caught), and the public don’t trust them while they’re actually supposed to be serving us.
We have devolved local government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and they have a rigorous system of publishing members’ expenses and commercial interests etc. on the internet. Here’s the page for my local MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) Jackie Baillie:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/MSP/MembersPages/jackie_baillie/index.htm
As you can see, her outside interests and expenses are available in minute detail. So far, this system seems to work. Unfortunately, the London Government seems resistant to the idea of complete disclosure right now. Why is that, I wonder? It’s not like it costs a fortune to run, and it makes the electorate feel a whole lot better.

]]> Comment on Suggestions by admin http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/05/16/suggestions/comment-page-1/#comment-8 admin Sun, 17 May 2009 21:45:49 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=64#comment-8 Unfortunately, Roy, politics has become almost synonymous with scandal in the US and we haven’t discovered a system of checks and balances that works when the ones who should be doing the checking and balancing are corrupt or incompetent. As a matter of fact, there is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_scandals_of_the_United_States" rel="nofollow">a Wikipedia page on political scandals in the US</a> that lists so many scandals they’re divided into groups based on the years in which they occurred and then subdivided by whether they’ve taken place in the Executive Branch or Legislative Branch. Unfortunately, Roy, politics has become almost synonymous with scandal in the US and we haven’t discovered a system of checks and balances that works when the ones who should be doing the checking and balancing are corrupt or incompetent.

As a matter of fact, there is a Wikipedia page on political scandals in the US that lists so many scandals they’re divided into groups based on the years in which they occurred and then subdivided by whether they’ve taken place in the Executive Branch or Legislative Branch.

]]> Comment on Suggestions by roy hunter http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/05/16/suggestions/comment-page-1/#comment-7 roy hunter Sun, 17 May 2009 00:35:21 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=64#comment-7 Right now I am incensed by the scandal about British Members of Parliament's expenses. Probably not top of your list of priorities, but I would be interested in what parallels there are in the USA. You (Americans) seem to trust your government a lot less than we (UK) do, so it would stand to reason that you allow them less leeway with their expenses than we do. What do you think about it? How should we deal with it? BBC news stories: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8039273.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8051091.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8053833.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8052709.stm Right now I am incensed by the scandal about British Members of Parliament’s expenses. Probably not top of your list of priorities, but I would be interested in what parallels there are in the USA. You (Americans) seem to trust your government a lot less than we (UK) do, so it would stand to reason that you allow them less leeway with their expenses than we do. What do you think about it? How should we deal with it?

BBC news stories:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8039273.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8051091.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8053833.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8052709.stm

]]> Comment on How is your day going to go? by Ubi Dubius http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/05/14/how-is-your-day-going-to-go/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Ubi Dubius Sat, 16 May 2009 21:43:02 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=62#comment-6 My day went well. I'm establishing my Venganza forums backup plan. My day went well. I’m establishing my Venganza forums backup plan.

]]> Comment on Make Yourself At Home by Ubi Dubium http://eddstavern-blog.com/2009/04/30/make-yourself-at-home/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Ubi Dubium Sat, 16 May 2009 14:46:10 +0000 http://eddstavern-blog.com/?p=51#comment-5 Aha! It worked this time! Thank you Edd. Now I'll have to post back at Venganza, to engourage the rest of our scurvy lot to drop in here too. Aha! It worked this time! Thank you Edd. Now I’ll have to post back at Venganza, to engourage the rest of our scurvy lot to drop in here too.

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