I'm assuming you are grouping me into this? And yet, my religion has next to nothing to do with my political opinions. I don't want to legislate my religious believes on others. In fact, the entirety of my political views goes completely against that.

Nah, I prefer to be an idealist and fight for an actual good system rather than the lesser of two evils.

Okay so then you are in favor of government money funding the endowment for the arts. and you are in favor of the government hiring rangers and owning and maintaining federal lands and national parks.
WOW fascinating. okay so you must really dislike this congress then and you are likely voting democrat...?

There are few things I think are handled best at the federal government level. However, the National Parks are one of them.

My point is, alot of these trendy political persuasions dont ever seem to quite fully understand how a trillion dollar economy works at all. They always talk about limited government and less spending but never quite seem to pinpoint what it is specifically that we can just cut out.

The things that make America great are our landmarks. Anyone who comes here is shocked to find that our country is actually incredibly beautiful. I go west every summer for every vacation. Its a mind refresher. I plan on going to Yosemite for the first time this summer. I sure hope its there and the government doesnt shut down into some anarchy.

Well good.

I don't know if I'm grouping you into anything, Cyrus. I was mostly answering ILN's stock phrases. If you agree with those phrases, I guess I'm talking to you.

Let me know all about the pernicious evils of government defining marriage as between two consenting adults. I won't hold my breath, though.

"My point is, alot of these trendy political persuasions dont ever seem to quite fully understand how a trillion dollar economy works at all."

Like socialism...

Sorry Leth, we just have several conversations going on at the same time. I consider myself religious, but I believe that very much has nothing to do with anyone else.

Im all for disbanding the overblown US Military Industrial complex and all of its bases overseas. We can stop funding tank production too. If you wanna talk about reducing government spending theres a big ugly social program thats only valuable when were at war...

But politicians are only valuable when we're at war, so we have to be at war.

Especially if they're up for impeachment.

*cough*the president can't attend session right now because we're bombing Iraq*cough*

Politicians and their people also make money when we're at war, so we have to be at war.

A qualified rebuttal to the progs denouncing Scalia as Satan Incarnate:

https://reason.com/blog/2016/02/14/scalias-liberal-tendencies

"Vietnam War Memorial was a government funded contest for artists. over 1400 applicants tried and ultimately a woman won. The project is an example of Government funding something great. under a libertarian limited role of government regime her project wouldnt exist."

Wrong. First of all, I would dispute that the Vietnam War memorial is "something great". As monuments go, it's pretty staid. Second of all, if there had been no government money funding it, I guarantee you that a respectable portion of the hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War veterans, their families & friends, jingoistic military-worshiping Americans, and many other demographics would all have been willing to chip in a few bucks to a non-governmental foundation to create the same memorial if the government hadn't done so.

Liberal tendencies indeed.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/antonin-scalias-spirited-defense-torture

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/02/14/jf-10-of-the-worst-decisions-of-antonio-scalias-career-with-quotes/

I'm amused that Tolstoy has taken to quoting what he used to call fake libertarian rags like Reason magazine to defend Scalia.

"I guarantee you..."

Then why haven't they yet? 40 years on and we're still waiting for that non-governmental foundation to appear out of thin air. No one is stopping them.

The Vietnam wall wasn't funded by the government, it was funded by a non profit. Most memorials seem to be largely privately funded. Even WWII was overwhelmingly privately funded.

The Vietnam wall was designed by that "jingoist" Maya Lin, a 21 year old who was racially harassed after her identity was revealed by people like Ross Perot. Tolstoy's pal Pat Buchanan claimed it was designed by communists.

Sorry, approved by communists.

Saw an interesting article about how Obama gets his way if the supreme court is tied 4 vs 4; most the lowers courts (which he has packed with democrats) will have no-body to overrule them.

Thus no candidate approved will benefit Obama's legacy in the short term.

The most outrageous idea is for Obama to appoint a SCOTUS Justice *RIGHT NOW* because Congress is technically in recess. He could skip the "advise and consent" part of the Senate's duty right now if he wanted. That would be a really strong political move, but probably not the best thing for the country.

Speaking of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, if anyone is interested in a commemoration poster of the Three Soldiers monument signed by Frederick Hart (the sculptor of said monument), let me know. :D

blow_cox out

why on earth would you call yourself that..

People call me that all the time on here.

The shocking truth: Though I despise Obama, and no doubt will take great issue with whomever Obama appoints to replace Scalia -- I am **sick to death** of the fraudulent, hypocritical "I-love-the-constitution"-Conservatives screaming bloody murder about (GASP!!) the idea that the President may exercise his constitutional right to appoint a new judge.

This is why I disavow BOTH parties, and am but a wandering lost political waif awaiting a third-party savior...

Wow...in all the years of Draugnar, how did he fail to ever call you that...or for me to witness it if he did.

"Saw an interesting article about how Obama gets his way if the supreme court is tied 4 vs 4; most the lowers courts (which he has packed with democrats) will have no-body to overrule them."

Only sort of. If SCOTUS rulings end in a tie, the lower court ruling stands, but with no precedential value. So the stare decisis barrier to those rulings being overturned is much lower.

Also, in terms of legacy, I doubt Obama wants "couldn't even get a Supreme Court appointment through Congress in his last year in office" on his rap sheet. Just because Congress thinks black presidents only get 3/5ths of a Presidency doesn't mean Obama does.

@krellin ... I think it was Lando that came up with it but I don't want to give him credit where he doesn't deserve it (since, you know, he typically doesn't).