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j_b

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Everything posted by j_b

  1. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    Just imagine that it were the Bush Administration. Would you just believe their good word? what has Obama shown that he should be trusted blindly? Has he decreased warfare? renditions? etc ..
  2. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    you do have a point that some very well informed people, including intel folks and a twice prime minister of Pakistan, have said he was dead over the last 10 years.
  3. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    I guess we could all demand OBL's long-form birth certificate. I mean, why won't he release the death photos????? WHAT IS HE HIDING???? I don't want to see any birth certificate or photos but I certainly won't take anybody's evidence-free assertions on this topic as fact.
  4. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    the article was to show you that many people are disturbed by inconsistencies, not that I agreed with the author that the Obama admin was messing up (although that seems to be your sole concern). I have already noted the astounding lack of skepticism so it is likely that little can change public perception at this point. I don't care whether he was holding a gun or not so far, but I do care that uncertainty is all we have.
  5. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    The article makes the case that US officials can't seem to get their story straight about basic facts, which combined with total lack of evidence provided opens the door to pretty much anything including this farce being manufactured in Hollywood. Some solid evidence may yet surface but I haven't seen anything conclusive.
  6. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    "my panties in a bunch" about, at best, the gross incompetence shown in handling major PR? "sympathy"? laughable. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/may/05/obama-bin-laden-pr-defeat Obama's Bin Laden coup risks becoming PR defeat
  7. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    I am talking about the government version. If anyone believes that communication at that level is left to chance, especially about the War On Terra and OBL, I also have a few bridges for sale cheap.
  8. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    Almost every word used in the original version of facts has since been denied; a state of affair presumably due to someone's incompetence
  9. j_b

    live music

    [video:youtube]326A26LSao8
  10. j_b

    Well done Canada

    There was a referendum a few years ago regarding implementing a version of that for BC provincial elections (Single Transferable Vote) but it failed to reach the threshold for approval. There was some talk of trying again, but I haven't heard of any plans. It's also called Instant runoff voting, which seems a lot fairer than fptp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting
  11. j_b

    Well done Canada

    a list of electoral systems per country: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_voting_systems_by_nation It looks like most countries have some form of proportional representation in parliament.
  12. j_b

    Well done Canada

    There are at least 2 possible ways to account for more than 2 parties getting significant number of votes: proportional representation (or a mix of first past the post and proportional representation), and the preliminary + runoff I mentioned earlier (not to be confused with party prelims like in the US). Germany, Italy, Brazil and likely many more have proportional representation in parliament. I can think of France that has a 2 rounds election system for parliament and presidential, but I am sure there are more. My guess is that fptp systems exist mostly in England and former colonies (UK,Canada, US,.. and India) but I could be wrong about that. Not only fptp systems are less democratic but they also tend to force toward a 2-party system, which is terrible for pluralism.
  13. j_b

    Well done Canada

    These are positive developments but I wouldn't be so concerned if Harper hadn't already shown to be among the worst kind of warmongering, anti-regulation, anti-tax, anti-environment neoliberals. Canada largely avoided the recession because the Harper types didn't have the power to destroy the state's regulatory apparatus. That balance of power changed as of this weekend.
  14. j_b

    Well done Canada

    Well, at least you guys have more than 2 major parties but nothing justifies media silence about absolute rule of the minority for the next 4 years and how Harper will use it to entrench regressive rule, which will make amending the constitution even more difficult.
  15. j_b

    Well done Canada

    Ha! Good for you.
  16. j_b

    Well done Canada

    I'd be among the first to claim the electoral college an archaic practice that has no legitimate place in a democracy. Why are people so defensive they feel they have to defend the indefensible?
  17. j_b

    Well done Canada

    The concept of preliminary then runoff elections is so difficult to comprehend that commentators can only flaunt Harper's new found mandate for neoliberal policies.
  18. j_b

    Well done Canada

    54% of the seats for <40% of the vote. Something stinks in Canada.
  19. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    is there any evidence that celebrating the exaction of revenge brings closure? I heard on the boob tube it was a myth. Is that true?
  20. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    OBL is most probably dead as it would be easy to disprove if he wasn't but there are some obvious benefits about claiming "mission accomplished".
  21. j_b

    FINALLY! Bin Laden DEAD!

    I am surprised at the lack of skepticism about the official story, especially considering how NO evidence was given. I don't understand why they chose to not bring in independent observers before they got rid of the body as it would have been a very easy way to prove beyond any doubt they got OBL. Officials can't claim to be surprised that some people won't take their word at face value without some proof. Their pretending they don't have a credibility problem certainly isn't evidence of anything good.
  22. More propaganda from the king of cherry picking. On average, Public employees are still compensated less (~-4%) than private sector employees for equivalent qualification and experience.
  23. economics isn't a science.
  24. Apparently it's easier to believe that Western politicians (see European "socialists") are just prudently operating in our best interests. Yet, you'd think that the spectacle of GOPers repeatedly voting for Clinton's neoliberal agenda, followed by Democrats repeatedly voting for Bush's neocon agenda would have removed all pretense that anything other than the business party controls policy.
  25. It's the classic good cop, bad cop routine. None of them will acknowledge it though because Democrats still want to muzzle the progressive vote and so far, they only have to rattle the specter of a GOP electoral win to do so, while Republicans and other right wingers want to keep moving the Overton window to the right presumably to recreate robber baron times.
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