You can't fight violence with violence

Halting mass violence, including terrorism, requires a political will to address the problem at its roots. That requires western nations to revise their foreign policies in ways that do not generate and sustain cycles of violence. Unfortunately, such political will appears unlikely at this stage of human history.

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The Rightnetwork

We’re creating a welcome place for millions and millions of Americans who’ve been looking for an entertainment network and media channel that reflects their point-of-view. Rightnetwork will be the perfect platform to entertain, inform and Connect with the American majority about what’s right in the world.

Because we certainly don't want to challenge our thinking of anything we perceive to be correct.

Even if we're wrong.

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Report: 237 millionaires in Congress

Two-hundred-and-thirty-seven members of Congress are millionaires. That’s 44 percent of the body – compared to about 1 percent of Americans overall.

And how can they possibly understand the issues of average Americans? That's right. They can't.

Read more, then replace Congress with people who actually represent the American people.

Conservatives Now Outnumber Liberals in All 50 States, Says Gallup Poll

At the same time, more Americans nationwide are saying this year that they are conservative than have made that claim in any of the last four years.

Ouch.

Read more unless you're over at Fox News.

Obama Releases Torture Memos, Vows Not to Prosecute

The Obama administration on Thursday released top secret memos outlining the legal rationale used to justify the CIA's torture of terror suspects, but vowed not to prosecute the torturers.

And anything else was expected?

Hardly.

It appears some animals are more equal than others.

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Why Does the World Feel Wrong?

Those of us who want little more than peace and freedom don’t run the world.  Pursuing freedom contradicts controlling others, so we can reason that people who pursue power have some motivations separate from our own.

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Too often, I have assumed that the people working for the state take the jobs only because of the easy hours and good pay, benefits, and retirement.  For the predator, though, it offers all these things with the appetizing fringe benefit of satisfying their criminal urges without the risk of retribution.

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After considering the possibility that psychopaths have taken control of society, we find volumes of evidence to support the hypothesis.  Did Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot sympathize with their victims or have any sense of guilt?  More recently, among Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, or Clinton , can we point to one who even exhibits a façade resembling normality?  Obviously not—these lists name one person after another who has zero accountability to a rational morality.  If people like this could make their way to the highest levels of power, what does that say about lower offices?

It suggests people like this have control over the levers of power everywhere.  We live at a time when the population at large cannot achieve its wants, yet few seem to know why.  As one example, polls consistently indicate that educational matters concern the public, yet decade after decade, schooling gets quantitatively worse.  What a mystery!  Evidently, if we believe our well-meaning masters, 2,000 years of Western civilization has not yet determined effective ways to transmit key knowledge to younger generations.   However, what happens if we suspend our belief in their benevolence for a moment and consider other possibilities?  If schools fail to achieve their stated goals over several decades, might some groups see this as a success?

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Software spots the spin in political speeches

Skillicorn has been watching out for verbal "spin". He has developed an algorithm that evaluates word usage within the text of a conversation or speech to determine when a person "presents themselves or their content in a way that does not necessarily reflect what they know to be true".

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Biden calls paying higher taxes a patriotic act

Although Republican John McCain claims that Obama would raise taxes, the independent Tax Policy Center and other groups conclude that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposals.

That's because their plan targets those that make over $250,000 a year.

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No Questions, Please. We'll Tell You What You Need To Know.

According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don't care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace -- in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough's show -- the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin's scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads. Here's the exchange:

Watch the video and read more.

Senator Biden Wrong: AIPAC Does Represent the Government of Israel

Accused of not backing AIPAC sponsored legislation, Biden told reporters, "They think they know the Senate better than I do. They don't know the Senate better than I do...AIPAC does not speak for the State of Israel."

The outspoken Senator Biden, often compared to president John F. Kennedy, is wrong. Newly declassified documents reveal that before his death, JFK's most pressing concerns were registering the Israel lobby as foreign government agents and inspections of the Israeli nuclear weapons program.

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Gov. Sarah Palin - just another dirty politician

The top 10 things you should know about Sarah Palin:

I think we can add an 11th one: she was once a member of AIP (Alaskan Independence Party).

Check 'em out.

The Myth of Sarah Palin as Tax Cutter and Budget Cutter

During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%.

She inherited a city with zero debt, but, despite the increase in taxes,left it with indebtedness of over $22 million.

Read more.

Is McCain Getting Set to Dump Palin?

And the Palin mess is getting uglier by the minute. The NY Times Tuesday reports that, in addition to Palin's daughter being five months pregnant, she's hired a private lawyer to defend her in her abuse-of-power investigation; was a member of a political party seeking Alaska's secession from the Union; and that her husband Todd was arrested 22 years ago for drunken driving. Jeez, the Republicans sure have a distorted view of "family values," huh? With McCain's temper, we can only imagine how much yelling and screaming must be going on behind the scenes right now.

But McCain likely has only himself to blame. Word on the street is that no one in his vice presidential selection committee but him wanted Palin. He wanted his pal Sen. Joe Lieberman, but hastily switched plans last-minute in a likely act of desperation following Obama and the Dems Denver blowout. His move, purely political to seduce Sen. Hillary Clinton's disaffected women supporters, hardly is a "country first" strategy. If McCain was/is so concerned about country, he wouldn't be pushing to put it in the hands of the very inexperienced Palin in the event something were to happen to him. He'd give us someone like Sen. Joe Biden, the Dems' VP nominee.

Will the "token" fall?

Read more.

Will she even survive the week?

Oh, most likely. But the very fact that the question needs to be asked – and I'm not the only one asking it, believe me – indicates what a joke Sarah Palin has already become. Wednesday night, she'll speak before an audience that (mostly) loves her – delegates to a GOP convention tilt heavily toward the socially conservative. That will sustain her for the week. But whether she'll survive the month of September seems a genuinely serious question.

The "token" will speak.

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Sarah Palin’s Preacher Problem. End Times Coming?

I did a drive-by of Palin’s church when I was traveling through Wasilla yesterday, not realizing the furor that would be churning the blogosphere less than 24-hours later about a speech Palin delivered there only three months ago. Here’s what she said regarding the war in Iraq.

“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God.”

Jesus. I'm sure "God" gets tired of being used in such ways.

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Lieberman hails McCain's record, criticizes Obama

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential pick eight years ago, on Tuesday criticized Barack Obama's national security record and hailed Republican candidate John McCain's, a clear boost to the GOP.

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Although his vote in the Senate gives the Democrats a narrow majority, he has riled former party members again this year by criticizing Obama and endorsing his longtime friend McCain.

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"He's going to be punished by the Democratic Party and he knows it. But he wants to do it because he thinks he's the best candidate for president," Kean said.

No he's doesn't. He's supporting his "longtime friend McCain." Which probably means if McCain gets elected, then Joe "I'll do anything" Leiberman will get appointed to a nice position.

Hey Joe (apologies to Jimi Hendrix there), I guess you'll do or say anything to try and make you believe that you are important. You are not.

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McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in School

In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska said of evolution and creation education, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

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"It's unfortunate McCain would pick someone who shares those particular anti-science views, but it's not a surprise," said Barbara Forrest, a Southeastern Lousiana University philosophy professor and prominent critic of creationist science. "She's a choice that pleases the religious right. And the religious right has been the chief force against teaching evolution."

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According to Fordham Institute science education expert Lawrence Lerner, Palin's nomination is less worrisome in terms of education than the broad relationship of science and government.

It seems to me Sarah Palin was chosen for her looks. Let's face it, McCain is, well, "weathered," and I'm sure having a "trophy VP" will help change the view of his "attractiveness" to Joe Public.

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Joe Biden's pro-RIAA, pro-FBI tech voting record

That's probably okay with Barack Obama: Biden likely got the nod because of his foreign policy knowledge.

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McCain unsure how many houses he owns

The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties.

Yeah. He can relate to me and my needs. He has no idea what the needs of the average American family are.

Rich people should not lead. They rarely can fathom budgets, economic difficulty, or fiscal responsibility.

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Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

“Now, I know there are some who bristle at the notion that faith has a place in the public square,” Mr. Obama intends to say. “But the fact is, leaders in both parties have recognized the value of a partnership between the White House and faith-based groups.”

Jesus.

Different wolf. Same sheep's clothing.

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