South Dakota abortion ban. Thoughts? - by fett
hopper on 7/3/2006 at 09:31
Quote Posted by aguywhoplaysthief
But if you think that branches of the federal government should be able to forbid state and local government from banning rape porn from being sold or rented in their town, or God-knows what other sacred "freedoms" we'll soon discover, no I don't agree.
So what if your local government wants to legalize rape porn, and the federal government wants to ban it? It's OK if you say that as many decisions as possible should be made as locally as possible, as a matter of principle. But that doesn't mean every local-government decision is wise and just, and all the bad stuff comes from the federal government. It cuts both ways. One wonders how long some southern states would have upheld their segregation laws if they weren't banned on the federal level.
Rug Burn Junky on 7/3/2006 at 15:22
The problem is that simpletons like agwpt always frame it as "The locals should decide, not the feds"
...when the REAL way it works is that 95% of the time, the locals DO decide, unless they go so far over the line they start fucking things up.
Of course, this "deference to the states" thing tends to go completely out of the window when the states want to decide things like, oh, I don't know, medical marijuana, euthanasia or that pesky little thing like interpreting their own election law.
Swiss Mercenary on 7/3/2006 at 17:08
Quote Posted by aguywhoplaysthief
Quoting Swiss: Maybe its because the country that I live doesn't
seem to have anyone half as crazy as some of those southern mouthpieces
That was the key word. Should have bolded for emphasis. We have our share of crazies, but they don't exactly have the public eye. Or support, so to speak.
Or, at least, that's the impression I'm getting when I glance at the local rags. There's plenty of political dimwittery in them, but not so much of JENOVAH COMING DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS, or BRING ABOUT THE NEW COMMIE WORLD ORDER, and all that.
aguywhoplaysthief on 8/3/2006 at 07:28
Quote Posted by hopper
So what if your local government wants to legalize rape porn, and the federal government wants to ban it? It's OK if you say that as many decisions as possible should be made as locally as possible, as a matter of principle.
I don't think the federal government should even concern itself with pornography, unless states are trying to tax it when shipping between other states, or if it is being shipped here from another country, etc.
Quote Posted by hopper
But that doesn't mean every local-government decision is wise and just, and all the bad stuff comes from the federal government.
Never said that was the case. But at least you have a chance of changing things on a local level. As I've already said, there is no way a regular citizen has any say in the federal government if they aren't a billionaire, a union boss, or a judge.
Quote Posted by hopper
It cuts both ways. One wonders how long some southern states would have upheld their segregation laws if they weren't banned on the federal level.
Not significantly longer than it would have otherwise, in my opinion.
Quote Posted by Gingerbread Man
yadayada
That's true, but it's also true that politicians peddle to the "people" whose mission when they take to visiting polls is to take as much stuff from as many people as they can, and large federal power allows them to do it and not see any direct consequences.
With a few rare exceptions when the political duopoly isn't able to completely control the agenda, if the "who looks better on television" contest ends in a draw, which candidate promises the most (or best sounding) free stuff wins! Healthcare? You got it! Tax cuts? Yours! State grants for the pooooor underprivileged children? Shit nigga, I got lots of that! Money for the cute family farmers? Hell, we've got organic greenbacks for this special occasion!
Local governments and small states are generally about the biggest you want to go: you can see schools shutting down, garbage collecting in the streets for two weeks instead of one, crossing guards begging for change, businesses moving away, etc. when you vote for stupid people in elections.
Larger states see some of that, but on the national level it is non-existent. Even during a war these days people don't even know it.
Swiss Mercenary: It's clear to me that Canadians watch far too much television about America. TV is nothing but filthy lies and distortions. Just thought you might like to know.
Gingerbread Man on 8/3/2006 at 07:40
Quote Posted by aguywhoplaysthief
It's clear to me that Canadians watch far too much television about America. TV is nothing but filthy lies and distortions. Just thought you might like to know.
Sadly, it's nearly exclusively American TV up here. :(
The days of Beachcombers and Littlest Hobo and Wayne & Schuster are gone. Even Canadian channels like the Comedy Network, Teletoon, and Showcase are just venues for Comedy Central / Nickelodeon / HBO shows.
But then, we can say MOTHERFUCKER on basic TV, and you guys hardly even get away with "Goddamn" on CABLE. AHAHAHAHAHA
Swiss Mercenary on 8/3/2006 at 07:54
I haven't had TV for the past two years, so I can't comment. But from what I recall, and I know, yeah, what GBM said. All our TV comes from you.
I read the local paper. Sane enough for me, most of the time. Is it full of lies and distortions? I don't know, I'm certainly not seeing them. Well, except in the opinion pieces. That's kinda what they are for, no?
scumble on 8/3/2006 at 10:00
The solution is probably to stop watching television. I haven't turned the wretched thing on for at least six months.
Nicker on 8/3/2006 at 19:35
Quote Posted by aguywhoplaysthief
When you have huge masses of people, passing stupid and dangerous measures (like Social Security for example)...
Run 4 teh hills! It's the nude eel - a commiepassionate societeh!!
Lucky Hand of Glory on 8/3/2006 at 20:33
Well, its about time someone made a law that would make women slaves to their bodies. I mean, a bunch of cells are soooooooo much more important than a grown woman. And so what if she was raped by her father - that's the womans problem - she shouldn't have been a woman in the first place.
*hands out freshly pressed burkas*
