Political Facts

The Republican party is nuts and anyone who would vote for them has got to be a little nuts as well.

Okay, this is one where you have to read the links too...  either than or accept that I have read the links and drawn the appropriate conclusions, but seriously, read stuff! I do.  Its why I will not vote for a republican.

History shows us that their "plan" for the economy doesn't work.  In fact, it shows us that their plan makes things a lot, lot worse very quickly.  Facts and Figures also show us that Republicans are in office when the debt really jumps up higher.  The Republicans controlled a majority of all branches of government for five and a half years of Bush II's reign and it led to an economic recession that had people making comparisons to the Great Depression.

Lets look at the real numbers, shall we?

From ThinkProgress article

Lets look at the Great Depression, shall we?

Five top causes of the depression are generally agreed upon.

1. 1929 Stock Market Crash. This can be attributed to rampant speculation, risky loans and the political environment around passing a trade tariff. Much the same way as rampant speculation and risky fiscal hijinks led to the recent recession.  The Republicans risked an even worse stock market collapse when they held the debt ceiling hostage, leading to a downgrade in the U.S. Credit ranking.  Now, they are threatening it again!

2. Bank Failures. The banks had loaned people money to buy stocks. When the stock market crashed, people lost their investments and couldn't repay the loans.  The Glass-Steagall Act was passed to make sure that nothing like the Great Depression happened again... but congress repealed it  and banks again did the risky things it had prohibited, leading right back down the same path with very similar consequences. (Republicans introduced the repeal bill, both chambers had a Republican majority, Senate was divided along party lines with only 1 Democrat voting for it, the House had a more bipartisan vote in favor of it and Democrat Bill Clinton signed the bill into law.)

3. Spending Stopped.  People feared losing money so they stopped spending, which caused job losses, which reduced spending, which caused more job losses.  Now, when we are still on the brink of recession, slowly pulling ourselves up, Republicans want to stop spending, which will cause job losses, which will reduce spending, which will plunge us into another depression.  Bad Idea.

4 and 5 are a tariff and a drought.  I don't think Republicans can get a drought going, but I'm sure they would try if they thought it would cause Obama's defeat.  They would blame it on Obama even though they brought it about.  Sadly, some people would believe them.

The European recession was battled with severe austerity measures - which only made things much, much worse for the people and the economy.  Realizing their mistake, they are now moving toward a more balanced approach modeled on what the U.S. has done under Obama.  Republicans still say austerity is the way to go... even after noted, public, historic failures of that method.

"FDR ran into trouble only when he moved away from fiscal expansion toward austerity in 1937."

If we look at history, the economy thrives under democratic presidents, but somehow people are still unhappy, so they wind up electing a republican and the economy tanks, debt piles up and we wind up back in recession.  Then people put democrats back in charge to fix things, but quickly forget the damage the last republican did... like they way they forget George W. Bush and the total republican control led to recession and debt.

Republican policies make things worse - and their plans are designed to make things worse for average Citizens!

They want debt paid down.  Which, yeah, its pretty high right now. However, some can argue that all depressions have been preceded by a large pay-down in national debt... because that is true.

There was a "take-down" on a chart that showed debt increases by president.  What politifact failed to realize is that a president doesn't control the purse strings on the day he is inaugurated.  The fiscal year is controlled by the past president's budget. The economic facts and figures hold true: Republicans cause debt increases and recessions.

There are just TOO MANY things the Republicans lie about to try and cover in one post... I really want to... but... its too much.

Like Education - the Republicans keep saying that cutting funding is okay, because two-parent households should be doing most of the educating.  So, children with only one parent don't deserve an education? What did the kid do to be so undeserving?  What about the fact that Republican policies have driven wages down over the past thirty years so that a family now pretty much MUST have both parents working just to get by?  Are they going to correct that?  Are they going to get us back to a point where a construction worker could provide for his stay-at-home wife and their two kids AND afford a car and food and clothing for them all?
 

More garden pics!

 

This is Bed #1 - Marigolds and Squash doing very well.  One Tomato growing great, the other three doing okay.  The flat plant in the cinder block on the top right is Pennyroyal.  Supposed to keep ants away.  Radishes and carrots are doing well too.

 

This is one of the Scallopini squash. It has two squash on one 'stalk' on a couple plants.  Not sure how that is going to grow well-formed squash.  I'm thinking they will crowd each other, but we'll see.

This is Summer Squash.  It has LOTS of flowers and some little squashlings.  The little thing at the very center is a squashling.

I wanted a better view of the Mammoth Melting Snow Peas, so I used a backdrop!  The vines are pretty thick!  The flowers are very white, but kind of unimpressive.  Not an ornamental variety, LOL!

This is Bed #2, looking at Punk and the end of Bed #3.  The Borage in the center is huge.  The Radish at bottom right is about ready.  The light green is Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce and doing pretty good.  The top right is the Dragon Tongue Beans and they are about ready to harvest the first few beans.  We had to prop them up using some of the old grids.

Willice got some of the 'outdoor living room' furniture set up.  We have a few more pieces to retrieve and we will be ready to entertain!  This fall, I am going to level the area so there is less chance of breaking an ankle trying to walk around.

The pond is coming along great!  We have a solar water pump that has a battery backup and an on-at-dusk LED light.  The 'waterfall' is pretty cool.  Now, we need some fish!  Okay... so, we need to finish setting up the bed around the pond with some ground cover kind of plants and some grasses.  I've got a lot of Pennyroyal to set out!!

The grass in the top right of the pond was 'rescued' from the Reservoir.  It brought some duckweed with it, but it has not taken over yet.

Mississippi Pastor-Lawmaker Calls for Killing Gays

Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton, MS called for gays to be put to death by citing the Bible.

Granted, the verse only called for gay Men who act on their urges to be put to death and says their blood will be on their heads. ( I wonder if it meant after the good christians stone them to death? )

Now, On Friday, Gipson posted:

"I do not, cannot, and will not apologize for the inspired truth of God's Word."

One verse he cited in his post reads :

If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. Leviticus 20:13

When citing a verse, you can't just cite and endorse half of it. By citing the verse, he said men having sex is detestable and they should be put to death. However, Gipson said in a statement issued Monday:

"I have never publicly or privately called for the killing of any people. I believe all people are created in the image of God and I stand firmly for the sanctity of all human life."

Citing Leviticus 20:13 in public IS calling for gay men "to be put to death." So, which statement is a lie? Isn't lying a sin or is that just telling a lie on your neighbor?

This is what gets me about "christians."  The book, they claim, is the one and only, true and factual, whole and inerrant word of god, but they are only going to follow the parts they like. Either the book is true and men who have sex with one another must be killed or the book is just a book with some good parts and some parts that are just nuts.

If the book is the absolute true word of an all-powerful, all-knowing, vengeful-but-loving god then by not killing men who have gay sex, you are not following the word of god and will, by the book, be thrown into the pit of eternal fire by that same, loving god so that you suffer torment for the rest of eternity.

Either wearing a polyester cotton blend is a sin or the bible is not inerrant.

If, as some claim, the New Testament changed things, then stop citing the Old Testament as being applicable.

Of course, if you think the bible is true and the New Testament is the currently applicable text, forgetting all of the genocide, infanticide, rape and other horrible things ordered by god in the Old Testament, then, by the words of Jesus himself, you should not be christian unless you are from "the house of Israel".
(and that is also another example of the disciples being real jerks.)

This hypocrisy is almost as bad as those who supported the Patriot Act - and still do - opposing the Affordable Health Care Act's insurance or birth control coverage mandates.