Banning Youths From Streets May Make Us Less Safe: Mike Males - Bloomberg
Topic: Miscellaneous
5:56 pm EDT, Sep 8, 2011
In the wake of flash-mob riots in several cities, fears of gang violence and age-old anxiety about kids on the streets, authorities in Philadelphia, Chicago and other cities are adopting or beefing up curfews that ban youths from being in public during school hours and at night.
Juvenile curfews are unique to the U.S. No other country, including those in Latin America and Asia or even the U.K. during recent riots in London, invokes such measures except during national emergencies -- and then they apply to all ages.
We're presently experiencing a nationwide rash of youth curfew laws. These laws represent a stupid presumption of guilt that would never fly if applied to a different segment of our society. American society continues to have the unique point of view that people under the age of 18 are subhuman "minors" for whom normal standards of fair treatment, legal protection, and civil rights do not apply.
What's that?
The evidence does not support the argument that curfews prevent crime.
Lets hear that again.
The evidence does not support the argument that curfews prevent crime.
So the Republican candidate is going to be Romney, "balanced" with a suitably rabid culturally conservative VP pick to be announced at a later date. Sound familiar?
The first challenge will be winning the primary - I thought the whole premise of the Tea Party was to stop guys like Romney from getting the Republican nomination? Of course, the spin machine will be working hard for the next 6 months to tell Republicans that they are to like Romney, and I suspect that they will do what they are told.
If Romney looses the primary because the Tea Party doesn't succumb to the spin machine, the Republicans will loose the election, because their candidate will be too radical and too incompetent to win.
If, however, the Tea Party is brought in line and Romney wins, this could be an interesting election season. Obama's failure to do a large enough stimulus should be his undoing.
The problem the Republicans face is that they are a stuck clock - low taxes. Low taxes are sometimes the right thing to do for the economy. They are not the right thing to do for the economy at this time.
However, most people don't understand that. They do understand that a lot of people are out of work and they're not making enough money. The question is who they will blame?
Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult | Truthout
Topic: Miscellaneous
5:16 pm EDT, Sep 6, 2011
I find it a bit hard to believe that this was written by a Republican because of some of the observations made in the text are liberal memetic and linguistic hallmarks, but I can't help but sympathize with many of the general ideas here.
If Republicans have perfected a new form of politics that is successful electorally at the same time that it unleashes major policy disasters, it means twilight both for the democratic process and America's status as the world's leading power.
