tzor wrote:Duck, please stop making me support CSS, just stop. But let's go over the points.
Oh, you're supporting CSS? I thought you were just missing Phatscotty and trying to fill his shoes...

But yes, let's.
#1. The government under the crappy Articles of Confederation and their lack of support for the veterans was one of the reasons why the retired General Washington went into politics, chaired the Constitutional Convention and unanimously elected for President. This is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government according to the Constitution.
It may be, but the Constitution can only say that a job should be done. It can't guarantee that the job will be done well. You've snipped out the things I said. I made it clear I agree that the veterans
should be taken care of. But "shoulds" don't magically overcome obstacles. There's too many vets, especially too many vets with long-term disabilities, and the piggy bank is empty. Not in a million years would I advocate against giving veterans a better deal. I'm just being realistic what the exchequer can and can't do.
Really what the U.S. should do is start fewer wars. Then there will be fewer injured vets to take care of. The final cost of your unprovoked war against Iraq still hasn't been completely tallied, and still you neocons are clamoring for a new unprovoked war against Iran, which if anything will be far bloodier and more expensive.
#2. WHAT VACANCY? The number of justices is nowhere to be found in the Constitution. Yes stacking the court was frowned upon after F.D.R. tried to pull that, but there is nothing that requires a certain number of justices. There is no vacancy. Hey, if Trump is elected, the court will become an odd member body again, right?
I don't know if you've been drinking the kool-aid long enough that you actually believe this shit or if you just feel obligated to toe the party line. The number of justices isn't specified in the Constitution, but it's been relatively stable in modern times. If there was some argument in favour of permanently reducing the number I wouldn't dispute it, but there isn't. This is really just a filibuster. The Senate has an obligation to review Presidential appointments, it's just holding up this one in the hope of getting another rabid neocon on the court in January. And that, I'm sorry to say, is an abuse of their prerogatives.
#3. Obamacare is going to collapse before the end of the next president's next term. There are many states where there is only one company providing Obamacare coverage. I think there are some states where there are NO companies providing the coverage. Repeal is the only viable solution. Single payer leads us to Canada and then where will rich Canadians go to get their hospital care?
Most Canadians are happy with our system. Even the rich ones. And yeah, in a few cases if people can afford it they'll go to the U.S. to get a procedure faster, but there's no evidence that they're any happier with the result. In any case, as a society we pay less than half of what you do for approximately the same level of care, so you'd do well to consider whether kowtowing to Big Pharma really is in your best interests, or whether you are actually screwing yourself.
#4. Mexico needs to pay for the wall. How will they pay for it? Well, the cost to Mexico to combat the drug cartels and to combat the weapon smuggling into the country is massive and certainly enough to pay for the wall. Sure, a lot of that money is going into bribes for the officials, but that's their problem.
No, actually, it is your problem. I don't think Mexico or anyone else cares about your desire to have a new public works project. As I said, you
might have a case for asking them to pay half, as is customary in the common law for shared fence-lines. Even that, you won't get, but it's an arguable case. More than that isn't even remotely defensible.
#5. You say it makes no sense? It's not supposed to be a job for life. The biggest problem with the Republican party are the people who have been in the same position for multiple decades. the biggest problem with the Democratic party is the same thing. Look at the so called "leadership" on both sides, they have the "I've waited for twenty years and now it's my turn."
I don't disagree that there's plenty of people in comfortable beds. But it's the voters' prerogative to throw them out, or not. I don't think statutory term limits should be substituted for due diligence by the voters.
Sure. Like I said, I don't disagree with the sentiment, I just know it won't happen. But since I don't disagree with it, don't ask me to argue it.
#7. / #8. Why not? Enforce the laws, god damn it. You know if you pulled this shit in Mexico according to the Mexican Constitution they can put you on a one way flight without any due process of any sort. The irony that the asymmetric laws of immigration between Mexico and the United States and the complaints always on the most liberal of the two is massive.
Look, economics wins in the end. You need cheap labour. That's why you don't prosecute illegals. People know where their bread is buttered. You can pass any law you want but as long as it doesn't make economic sense it won't work.
#9. We can't spend money that we don't have. If China wants to spend its money on Global Warming, have fun. But borrowing money from China to spend on Global Warming? Go to hell.
Once again, you snipped out what I said. And in this case it's very relevant.
Dukasaur wrote:#9. Sure, I understand it's like the Prisoners' Dilemma. If you cut back your emissions while other countries don't you'll pay an economic price, while if other countries cut back their emissions and you don't then you'll reap a windfall benefit. Everybody making the best move from their own point of view guarantees a bad result for everyone: If everyone looks out for their own stash of cash, then nobody cuts back their emissions, and in the end we all fry. International agreements are a way to break the deadly cycle of the Prisoners' Dilemma: if everyone makes an agreement to cut back at the same time, then nobody pays an unfair share of the cost. You'd do well to support them.
This bullshit about "I won't pay until he pays!" is childish. Everybody needs to agree to pay, or everybody loses.
#10. Remember an "unshackled" fossil fuel industry is still a billion times cleaner than the fossil fuel industry of China.
It may be. Is that your argument? You want to breathe filthy air because the Chinese do? That's like saying, "The idiot kid across the street is punching himself in the face again! I'm going to punch myself in the face right now! I have just as much right to suffer as he does!"