Trump Has a Blank Check on Executive Power. Thanks Obama! (New Reason Podcast)

Q&A with Cato's Gene Healy on the 44th president's most lasting legacy.

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Trump Has a Blank Check on Executive Power. Thanks Obama! (New Reason Podcast)

"Trump already looks like a thought experiment you'd make up to scare liberals straight about the concentration of executive power," says the Cato Institute's Gene Healy, who has a cover story in the current issue of Reason arguing that Obama's "most lasting legacy" will be to "leave to his successor a presidency even more powerful and dangerous than the one he inherited from Bush."

In our latest podcast, Healy chats with Editor in Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward about the most likely long-term impact of a president once touted as our first civil libertarian in the White House—and it won't be what "your neighbor who put a 'Hope' sticker on his Prius" had in mind.

Click below to listen to that conversation—or subscribe to our podcast at iTunes.

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Comments

[esteve7]

This is why I feel no sympathy for my prog friends. They want to government to have all sorts of power over you, and now they complain how Trump will misuse it.

Like with the fillabuster --- Reid ended most of it so go hang by the noose you created.

These people are so arrogant they think they will always be in power. The complete opposite of the libertarian position of 'whenever you give power to the government, imagine it in the hands of your greatest enemy'

[Hyperion]

Leftists do not believe in unintended consequences. And they always start with the presumption that they will always be in power.

[GILMORE?]

These people are so arrogant they think they will always be in power.

I don't disagree there's a tremendous amount of narcissism and arrogance on the left.... but i think the idea behind the Imperial Executive is =

"Endow so much power in a single office that voters will be TERRIFIED to let anyone *other than a liberal* have it!"

its half arrogance, and half naivete about how incentives actually work, and naivete about how unbelievably incompetent government actually is. They seem to think that, given enough power, that Government will "solve" problems *(rather than perpetuate them as a means to justify more government)

It is derived from the assumption that Government *needs* to do stuff ... (paraphrasing bastiat - they seem to think that if the government doesn't do something, no one will)... and that people all want the same things from that government

[Austrian Anarchy]

Hell, they do that shit everywhere and then throw a fit when they don't get away with it. Part of it is believing they actually can bully people.

Remember the Hollywood tards who wanted the EC to "vote their conscience"? Clinton lost five(?) EC votes after that. They thought they could actually bully the Republican voters with death threats and implying they had no conscience.

Wonder why they are not working on Joe Biden? He is the one who does the final vote count.

[Ken Shultz]

The reason I have no sympathy for progressives on this is because they see executive power, not as a necessary evil, but as a necessary good.

The entire premise of progressivism is the belief that the coercive power of government should be used to force individuals to make sacrifices for the common good. The problem is not that progressives don't realize that government force can be used against them, too. The problem is that they see directing government force against individual choice as a primary means by which to improve society.

They have no problem with Trump's power. The only thing they don't like is how he uses it. They're so in love with power and the ability to use it against individuals, they wouldn't even take it away from Trump for abusing them with it--because they want to keep that executive power to use once it's their turn again.

Don't feel sorry for the progressives. They don't even feel sorry for themselves. They're still glad the President has that much power--even when it's used against them. Even when it's used against them, the progressives will still wish the President had even more power. Haven't you seen progressives extol the beauty of forced sacrifice?

[esteve7]

funny, i don't see them moving to Cuba or Venezuela, despite all of their America bashing. Hell, most can't even stay in their liberal enclaves of California or New York (I live in the bay area) --- instead they leave and bring their failed politics with them to other states.

They talk about sacrifice, yet never do it themselves. My brown proggie friend just sneered at one of the schools in our area ---- oh it's a distinguished school, meaning it's white! --- oh har har har, you mean the fucking school you went to as a kid? and the 'white' area you live in now? I don't see you moving to east Palo Alto or to south Oakland anytime soon.

Like how other leftists are going ape shit over Trump's education pick on my derpbook, but they would be the first to send THEIR kids to private school, or to move to a better area with better schools....

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

It's funny how we've gotten to a place in this country where someone out of the private sector "can't be president". to wit: Trump trades and owns stocks! No one who trades or owns stocks can be president because as President, you have the power to reshape the entire economy and even set policy and affect the bottom line of corporations!

[Nunya]

Exactly. The entirety of public office was supposed to be that it was a public service, not a job. That those people can't even fathom that they trying to solve a problem backwards simply speaks to the mindset, or lack thereof, that we're dealing with.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

It's funny how we've gotten to a place in this country where someone a Republican out of the private sector "can't be president"

Hate to do the "FIFY", but FIFY.

Replace "Trump" with "Buffet" or "Soros" and all you'll get from Democrats is "sploosh".

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

But you don't get a Democratic president Trump or Soros, you get Clinton I, Obama, Clinton II, Sanders etc.

Professional apparatchiks who've spent their entire lives and got rich while in the public sector.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Hey, if Bernie revolution almost worked, why not cut out the middleman and go Soros next year?

Well, not born in US part - but someone of that ilk. Shit, why not Bloomberg?

[DenverJ]

You know who else wasn't born in the USA?

[Ted S.]

Marie Dressler?

[Jimbo]

My mom?

[Jimbo]

Meant to write " my mom."

[Mr. Paulbotto]

Alexander Hamilton?

[Chipper Morning Wood]

Bruce Springsteen?

[Austrian Anarchy]

Almost everybody in "Canadian Bacon"?

[Chipper Morning Wood]

Are you saying Canadian bacon is made of Canadians? No wonder it tastes like flannel.

[Austrian Anarchy]

Eh?

[Austrian Anarchy]

What about a guy who wrote an autobiography, then had an entire federal department(s) purchase a a load of copies?

[XM]

"AAARRR The scurvy era of the opposition obstructing the president's will is now over says I AAARRRRR"

Harry Reid, when he weakened the filibuster.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Obama's "most lasting legacy" will be to "leave to his successor a presidency even more powerful and dangerous than the one he inherited from Bush."

We've seen from the Obamacare vote to the recent election that the Democrats haven't lately been adroit at the long view. It probably doesn't help that everyone was so certain that demographics had changed to the point where Republicans would never again win a national election.

[Hyperion]

I remember in 2008 when they were declaring a thousand year reign for Democrats. Well, it lasted 2 years anyway. So you can't say their prognostications are 100% wrong. More like 99.8% wrong.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

+1 538

[Jimbo]

You know who else was going to have a 1000 year reich, I mean REIGN?

[Libertymike]

Franz Von Papen?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

God-Emperor of Mankind?

[Jimbo]

That's a bingo!

[Chipper Morning Wood]

Charles Taze Russell?

[Austrian Anarchy]

LBJ?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

We need to concentrate on even younger voters! The 11-14 Demographic!

[The Fusionist]

"We're way ahead of you."

/several Democrats

[The Fusionist]

(Oh, dear me, no, counselor, I wasn't referring to *your* client)

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Man, I crave pizza all of a sudden. Weird.

[Crusty Juggler]

Ha.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Age, gender and ethnicity of voters. All these things were supposedly shifting heavily in the Democrats' favor. It's another symptom and consequence of the focus on urban and suburban interests that we've been seeing from the party that doomed them in the recent election cycle.

They haven't been helping themselves by virtually ignoring state and local races in favor of national campaigns, either. The GOP can stop the Democrats from redistricting in their favor or they can redistrict themselves to gain advantage. The Republicans will likely also have a deeper bench of candidates moving up the levels of government.

The GOP isn't the stupid party. Not on its downticket approach, at least.

[The Fusionist]

Maybe not on the lower levels, but like with your brain getting less oxygen at higher altitudes, Republicans seem to get dumber the higher they climb.

[Hyperion]

Yeah, there's a reason why they want to make voting age, 14. Their current constituents are not naive, uneducated, or dumb enough, apparently.

[Hyperion]

"Trump already looks like a thought experiment you'd make up to scare liberals"

First. There ain't NO FUCKING LIBERALS!

Now I feel better.

[Playa Manhattan.]

I used to use "President Rick Santorum" as a thought exercise with progressives.

This is so much better.

[Sevo]

Playa,
Manhattan Beach Pier:
http://www.bing.com/

[Playa Manhattan.]

Interesting. I was there that night.

Also the fireworks a week or 2 later.

I took this with my iPhone. I was planning on bringing my Nikon P900 and tripod, but I decided I was going to have fun instead.

[Libertymike]

California permits open displays of Christmas lights?

[Hyperion]

That's 'Winter Holiday Lights', mister! +1 hate speech charge for you!

[Libertymike]

Speaking of lights, in light of today's zeitgeist, would it be reasonable to conclude that Rudolph was subjected to hate speech by his fellow reindeer?

[Ted S.]

Rudolph's red nose is not alcohol-related.

[Jimbo]

It's fucking deliciuos

[The Fusionist]

It's basically the beginning of a holiday weekend, so time for some weekend trolling.

When does the VR video game come out? You know you want one.

[Hyperion]

I've held off on buying a headset. I just don't think VIVE, the first edition is worth $800. The next gen set will be both better and cheaper. Then I might jump on board the VR train. Just bought 2 more games in the Steam winter sale that I haven't played yet. 12 straight days off work, woohoooo!

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Oh shit, the sale is on?

*checks*

Ooh, I was wondering what that sound was. My credit card shrieking in terror, it turns out.

[Hyperion]

Yep, both of the games I just picked up were 66% off.

[John Titor]

Anything good on sale? Preferably city builders/strategy/weirdo Eastern European stuff?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

King of Dragon Pass is super cheap, if you never tried it. Also, all of Endless Legend DLC.
Man, do I want Conclave and Reaper's Due? Every playthrough I see that includes Conclave, guy is fighting endless civil wars in order to not enable Conclave features....

[John Titor]

Do not get Conclave, it's awful, it was basically designed to slow down expansion and add another dimension of difficulty for 2000+ hour players. Reaper's Due is much better, the disease mechanics are fun (I keep getting scurvy cause Viking) and has the added benefit of killing off AI characters which makes it run better late game.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Other than "threat", which is part of main game (and can now be turned off), in what other ways does it stop expansion? Council taking war-declaration power?

I mean, if it added shit to do inside the country, I'd be down with lack of expansion. In my current Amalfi game, I swear I'm fighting wars purely to attrit my neigbours before they get it in their heads to attack me - if I had something to do except grow and curse the democracy in Europe*, I'd be down with it.

*seriously, elective monarchy is evil, there's no stability of NAP when idiot I marry my daughter to might not inherit when his father dies. I need long-term non-aggression pacts so I don't have to club idiots over the head repeatedly when they start looking askance at my lands.

[John Titor]

Councils are made up of various people who have different interests and will actively attempt to achieve them, so unless your council is made up of loyalists (even pragmatists will be a problem, because sometimes they'll think a war you're going to fight is too risky, even if you know how to defeat a superior opponent) you'll constantly have to be collecting favours and dealing with them. Gloryhounds will bitch if you fight weak powers, zealots bitch when you war against fellow Christians/whatever when a Crusade/whatever is on, etc. When they get favours from you they'll use it to push for votes that increase the council's power, effectively depowering you.

Elective's a popularity contest, and so it has to be played as such, i.e. you have to be willing to suck up to everyone and have good traits, and the AI is not great at it.

EU4 is also dirt cheap right now, and I recommend it and a couple of the expansions (Common Sense and Art of War are basically required). Just don't play these poor bastards first.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

I am tempted by EU4 and CK2 converter. If I can get Amalfi to survive till 1453, exporting it to try making it a true merchant republic would be cool
Of course, since it's Ironman I'm constantly terrified of everything, despite having the largest army and warchest that lets me get thousands of mercs no problem. Damn, I wish I knew what vassal mechanics were like - if I could count on Basileus not to be self-defeating dick by fucking with me, I'd swear fealty and try to get Roman Empire restored behind the scenes.
And God, no, Serbia in 1444 has less chance than the Byzantine Empire.

I'm OK with Elective (Patrican Elective is the truly fair one, because you can pay gold to win, as you should). But damn, it's so frustrating when I make a good alliance, and the guy is replaced by the relative six branches distant, so I just wasted a daughter.

[John Titor]

Serbia is actually really, really good, most of their national ideas are fantastic and they have a gold province at game start. The problem is, of course, the Turk. Being Orthodox means it's hard to get alliances with Catholic powers that could back you up, but if you rival the Ottomans you can get Poland or Austria to help you out. It's somewhat luck based, but if you kick them out of Europe early on it's actually not that bad. Now Albania, they're screwed.

[John Titor]

Wait, isn't Amalfi a Republic? I thought you were talking about elective monarchy. If you're playing a republic, staying in power's easy:

1. Have a bunch of courtiers who need wives.
2. Go to find character screen and look for unlanded, non-nobles women with high intrigue skills that will like you (if you're playing a republic right you're making more money than god, so bribe them if necessary).
3. Invite to court and/or marry them off.
4. Murder every adult male in the other houses of the republic with your team of badass pan-European lady assassins. Age is a factor in who is elected Doge, so as long as your heir (which you can switch as a republic, by the way) isn't complete shit and is older than his opponents he's likely to get. The only disadvantage of this is that it severely weakens the other houses, so less trade posts.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

No, no, I got the succession sorted. I only wiped out one major house, though one died out because of murders I committed 80 years ago and they never fully recovered - but who can judge me for that?

My problem is when entire Europe has gone elective, and any NAP/Alliance I make can collapse at any time. Then I have to go to war, which I hate, and smack them around to teach them that #1 military power means stronger than you! Luckily, only Shias were ever smart to invade when I was already in a war.
Fucking democracy, man, just makes war inevitable.

[John Titor]

How do people keep going to war with you if you're the top military power? Largely mercenary-based military? In both my Roman Empire and super-massive Britannia playthroughs (in the first twenty years the French elected me king because I was playing as William the Conqueror) no one declared war on me outside of Jihads and the fucking Mongols because of my overwhelming strength.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Well...it's kind of embarassing...

They don't so much go to war with me, as I identify a threat and club it preemptively because, you know, if I don't hit them when they have a nasty revolt/war with another state, they might hit me later. Look, it's totally defensive.
There's also my desperate attempts to appease Byzantines, which often lead to me warring to keep them alive. And that one time when I accidentally DoWed them because I clicked the wrong thing and had to kill 8,000 men and take Brendision.
I AM NOT A WARMONGERING MONSTER!
I swear to god, now I sympathise with Roman "what, we never attacked anyone first attitude".

[John Titor]

You don't need to justify your atrocities for the well being of your state to me, Paradox 'forces' us all to have blood on our hands.

CK2: "Just because I keep kicking the Jews out for money does not mean I'm anti-Semitic. I keep inviting them back! ...So I can kick them out again..."

EU4: "Hey look, I'm no fan of slavery, but I'm a mid-sized European nation that borders France, I need money to fund a large military, and the Triangle Trade is making slavery very cost effective right now..."

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

And my point was, if Kings of Europe insist on yoloing into thick of combat and getting incapacitated/killed, it would be nicer if that son over there I betrothed my daughter to when he was brother of next king would still be the brother of next king, and not his fourth cousin. Democracy makes me spill blood of thousands of Catholics, QED.

[thrakkorzog]

Well, I can think of at least one way to perform a quickie divorce that only involves killing one guy, then you can marry off your widowed daughter to the new Emperor's family.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Huh, I knew I was far too moral for that game. Never occurred to me. Also, see above re: paranoid. I don't think I moved my spymaster from my capital for last 25 years.
Wait I did it once to scout Egypt in a holy war.

Shit, I even refused to go into a contest with a vassal of "can I murder more children than you can produce before you go barren". Damn, I should just get a sainthood or someshit.

[thrakkorzog]

It's one life versus a couple of thousand dead soldiers. If anything, killing your son-in-law is the lesser of two evils. If you wanted to wash your hands of all the killings, then this is the wrong game for you.

If killing people bothers you that much, you might want to take a look at This War of Mine. I'm not being sarcastic, it's actually a pretty good indie game about the horrors of civilians just trying to survive while being trapped in a war zone, and it's 80% off.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

I was mostly facetious, the swathe three of my Doges cut through the Amalfi nobility was notable. As I said, one family eventually died out because they could never recover their male population back to stable level! It just never occurred to me that someone shunted out of line of succession would probably be a great target for murder. And easy way to recover a valuable female - for some reason "Prestige Effects" is always less a problem with women than men, when men even pay a bride price (I've been refused even when I'd pay 1000+ gold by a brokeass Karling, because morons).

An I did do occasional surgical strike outside the realm. I remember looking at an Egyptian prince and going "well, you're brave, honorable, capable and have a ton of cash. Who wants you dead?" This being CK2, the answer of course, was half the Egyptian court. So I had him killed simply to not to have to deal with him later.

Oh god, This War of Mine was great! Really got me engaged, I should go back and try to not get my people slowly and painfully killed when I think I'm doing well....

[thrakkorzog]

He's doing it wrong. Empower the council -> give council war declaration authorization authority -> put the top 2 or 3 vassals on the council and you will hardly ever have factions fire against you. The main exception is when there is a succession, which will allow them to temporarily join factions.

That said, of the two I prefer Reaper's Due because it really does add a lot more flavor.

[Hyperion]

Depending on what you think it good. I bought Technomancer for $15. I like RPGs and liked Mars War Logs, so despite the so/so reviews, I might like it.

[Chipper Morning Wood]

The VIVE is awesome. Totally worth $800, just for the porn.

[The Fusionist]

"...outgoing [United Nations] secretary-general [Ban Ki-moon] stopped Wednesday at Abraham Lincoln's tomb. He said the 16th president "exemplified how a leader can inspire people to unite and reconcile and integrate." While in Springfield, Ban also visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum."

[Jerryskids]

don't mention the war

[Fist of Etiquette]

Gaia bless them, they always forget that part.

[Libertymike]

Do they forget about the deliberate mass murder of civilians?

[The Fusionist]

It's magic

"Brian Kirshenbaum said he was 9 years old when he knew he wanted to become a comedic magician. But what Kirshenbaum didn't realize at the time was that, along with fulfilling his dream, he would end up pulling something yummy out of his hat: homemade pizza.

"Kirshenbaum is the founder of Magic by the Slice, a Winnetka-based dinner show business that provides comedy, magic tricks and his gourmet deep dish pizza at his customers' homes for adult and family gatherings."

[The Fusionist]

"Chief Rabbi of Denmark Yair Melchior...clarified that legislation to ban brit mila (Jewish ritual circumcision) was not on the table, following media reports that the Danish Medical Association was pushing for legislation against the practice on anyone under the age of 18.

"The chief rabbi released a statement emphasizing that while the Medical Association had issued a statement claiming that it was ethically wrong to circumcise a person without his consent as an adult, it also made clear that it would not pursue legislation on the matter."

[Rockabilly]

Progs in panic

Transition Team's Request on Gender Equality Rattles State Dept.

WASHINGTON ? President-elect Donald J. Trump's transition team this week asked employees at the State Department to submit details of programs aimed at promoting gender equality, including a list of the positions primarily focused on such issues, fanning fears within the agency that the incoming administration might roll back a cornerstone initiative of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12.....-news&_r=0

--------------

Look at the picture - I had no that the United States has an ambassador-at-large for global women's issues - WTF?

[Rockabilly]

DUH - Look at the picture - I had no idea that the United States has an ambassador-at-large for global women's issues - WTF?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Only one?

Fucking misogynists.

[The Fusionist]

According to Wikipedia

"Ambassador-at-Large positions in the diplomatic corps of the US State Department include:

"Coordinator for Counterterrorism

"Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues

"United States Global AIDS Coordinator

"Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom

"Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues

"Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons"

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Quiz: "At-large ambassador or Reason contributor beat"?

[The Fusionist]

For some reason, I keep having to explain to people that I'm not an ambassador.

[DenverJ]

Nothing left to cut

[Suthenboy]

So, cutting taxes, cutting regulations, firing watermelons, and now dismantling the fedgov's social engineering apparatus. Trump truly is da debil.

Fake Libertarians hardest hit.

[ant1sthenes]

I'm hoping he goes and does a few very publicly pro-female things. It will shore up a weak spot, politically, take advantage of the recent prog hatefest for white wimmins to further pull them out of that coalition, and take some prog issues out of play. It will also let him mount an anti-sex-apartheid campaign that will allow him to selectively target the bad apples in the ummah while selling it as a feminist rather than Islamophobic measure.

[Yusef Adama]

mount, hehe

[JayU]

Australia stops a terrorist attack before it happens.

We'll never have privacy again.

[Derpetologist]

Amanda Marcotte: "The majority of white men in this country are consumed with resentment at being expected to treat women and racial minorities as equals."

[The Fusionist]

"But all I said was, while you're up fetch me a beer. And a sandwich."

[The Fusionist]

But at least the *non*-white men are total feminists, rights?

[Hyperion]

Translated: I'm an ugly whiney bitch and the majority of white men in this country won't even talk to me! Boohoohooooo!

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Amanda is HazelMeade?

This explains everything!

[Chipper Morning Wood]

I am pretty sure the HazelMeade commenter is a dude.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

I think it's Bo (or the other way around, no idea who came first) but roll with it.

[Christophe]

Hazel Meade predates Bo and most of us, she's been there for at least 3 years-ish. I've not been lurking during the last year or so but back then she was pretty reasonable. Did TDS happen?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

White men, bigots, not caring for minorities, fuck guns. Pretty much why I made Marcotte crack.

[esteve7]

It's not stupid people I fear. It's completely fucking stupid people who think they are smart....

[Lee Genes]

The proggie left loves their straw men

[westernsloper]

Anybody who would say that, has not traveled to or lived anywhere but the US. Granted there are other countries that have similar values, but there are even more that do not.

Amanda Marcotte
@AmandaMarcotte

Politics writer for http://Salon.com , owned by two cats and a vinyl obsession.

I didn't even know who she was. I wish I still didn't after reading her Twitter feed.

[Suthenboy]

I suspect the metrics she used for classifying that majority are not the metrics she claims she used.

[westernsloper]

Here is one for Amanda

"My parents force us to undergo FGM because they want dowry. When girls are circumcised, their parents have already arranged for them to be married off.

[westernsloper]

News story for Amanda. I am not suggesting any FGM for her. Sucks that I feel I have to clarify that.

[Rockabilly]

No Ambassador-at-Large for Transgender Issues Coordinator or Ambassador-at-Large for Hate Speech Issues?

[Lee Genes]

I want to be the Ambassador Tsar

[Libertymike]

Special envoy to the Romanovs?

[Lee Genes]

It just sounds important and I bet you wouldn't have to do anything.

[Libertymike]

Yes, but don't forget the state dinners and other ceremonies...and the greeting lines the likes of which are likely to include Barry and bride.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Welch, tell the nephew to get off Overwatch for two minutes and reboot the server!

Fuck, I bet he mains Hanzo, too...

[Jerryskids]

The failure of public schooling in one chart.

It's one chart and it shows the failure of public schooling.

There's a thousand-word article attached to it for some reason though if you don't understand a picture.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

The university equivalent might be even more depressing...

[westernsloper]

That chart only goes to 2010. I am sure it is way better now.

[Sevo]

Ya know, it doesn't chart "self esteem"!

[Suthenboy]

My wife is watching the latest rendition of 'A Christmas Story'. I haven't seen it since I was a child. I never realized what a bunch of commie propaganda it is. Either that or this production has been chocked full of pinko propaganda. Ebenezer Scrooge is about as realistic a character as Scrooge McDuck.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

"A Christmas Carol"? The story is one with BB gun, right?

As far as that goes, much like "It's a Wonderful Life", you can see old Ebenezer as one sensible man surrounded by idiots, who in the end succumbs. A tragedy, if you will. Kinda like how Pottersville is way cooler place than Bedford Falls.

[Suthenboy]

Oh. Yeah. I had a brain fart.

[buybuydandavis]

Sequel "The Wonderful Life that Could Have Been"

Clarence returns to Bedford Falls in a drunken rage, and shows George the life he could have had if he hadn't dumped his dreams to see the world and stayed in Bedford Falls to save the Bailey Building & Loan...

George Bailey proved to be an extraordinary real estate financier, with suburban developments dotting the country.

He meets a young architect named Howard Roark. Arranges financing for Roark's low cost housing delopments. Slums across America are replaced with Roark Estates.

With profits, expands Bailey Enterprises into manufacturing. Purchases Twentieth Century Motor Company, which develops an electrostatic motor which harvests clean, free energy from the atmosphere. Hunger and want eliminated worldwide.

Funds fledgling Stark Industries, accelerating the development of repulsor technologies. Flying cars powered by electrostatic engines and replusor technologies replace internal combustion engine vehicles worldwide in the 50s. Stark Robotics sweeps the planet, with and standards of living skyrocket. Repulsor technology applied to space travel.

Roark Colonies established on Mars and Titan
...

Clarence: You fool! Look at the world your petty sentimentality destroyed!
With a cry of anguished despair, George leaps to his death off the Bailey Bridge.

[Loss of Reason]

The boy was being oppressed and denied his right by the 2nd amendment for a Red Rider BB gun.

"You'll shoot your eye out"
"So what, I have another one!"

[Ted S.]

The Passions of Carol

[The Fusionist]

Bob Cratchit and Christmas Carol and Ted and Alice - A Christmas Orgy

[Sevo]

"Ebenezer Scrooge is about as realistic a character as Scrooge McDuck."

It's a muck-raking novel, for pete's sake! I have to remind proggies about that when they start whineging regarding how workers were treated at the time.
Every bit as honest as "The Jungle".

[Lord Humungus]

You know who else had a blank check on executive power...

[Ted S.]

Bob Barker?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Judge Dredd?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Wait, that's blank check on execution power, him being in Judiciary....

[Mr. Paulbotto]

Caesar Augustus?

[straffinrun]

Frank Abagnale Jr?

[Agammamon]

But hey, Obama's commuted more sentences than any previous president, shut down a surveillance program that was defunct 5 years ago, and said some sensible things about PC culture.

Thanks Obama!

[GILMORE?]

and said some sensible things about PC culture

He's true friend of free speech (*despite spying on/prosecuting journalists) and a genuine civil libertarian (*despite empowering the OCR to strip students of due process rights), according to our resident expert Soave.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

God dammit, Gilmore, don't make me defend Soave, or Groovus is gonna think even less of me. And he's my pipeline for Ukrainian chicks!

Soave would never make an unambiguous, declarative statement like "true friend of free speech".

[Ted S.]

But are those chicks VD-free?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

If I can't trust a Libertarian Doctor, may as well seppukku right now.

[GILMORE?]

Soave would never make an unambiguous, declarative statement like "true friend of free speech".

You're right.

He would say, "Obama is a genuine proponent of free speech on campus"

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

he qualifies it with although his administration's policies have not always reflected this stated commitment.

Like, how Obama didn't sugarcoat it that website wasn't perfect...

[GILMORE?]

Robby? QUALIFYING THINGS? i'd never have seen that coming.

if you see my comments on the original, my same thoughts apply.

Given that everything at OCR happened on his watch, and his recent action re: Lhamon was to promote her to an un-fireable 6yr position on the DOJ human rights commission....

when did his 'admins policies' EVER reflect this stated commitment? qualifying things to meaninglessness just suggests the praise wasn't worth giving in the first place.

[Loss of Reason]

Don't forget the Paris Treaty for CO2

[straffinrun]

KMW's voice, while not silky smooth, sits in your ear canal and has a picnic. Red and white checkered blanket, fresh baked apple pie and tightly rolled joints. IOW, perfect.

[straffinrun]

Here's how true women handle harassment on the streets of Manhattan.

[GILMORE?]

They set up their friends as props and film a video that pretends to be spontaneous reaction to 'random guys'?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

It's how YouTube was won!

[Chipper Morning Wood]

That was pretty funny. There are so many douches out there. Especially in New York.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Gavin McInes encapsulates H&R forum in fifteen seconds.

[John Titor]

Every time we argue about Libertarian Purity.

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

It's like they're watching us!

[Derpetologist]

ISIS burns alive 2 captured Turkish soldiers

video

[american socialist]

Hopefully this will cause Erdogan to cut the shit and deport his Islamic fundamentalist supporters to Siberia.

[ant1sthenes]

The Turks have a good track record with destroying Wahabi movements. It might be a good time for the US to remember that Turkey is a member of NATO, and Saudi Arabia is not.

[Derpetologist]

That was even worse than the one where they ran over a guy with a tank.

[american socialist]

IOW, all the crazy shit Trump is going to do is Obama's fault. You "libertarians" are awesome... never change!

[buybuydandavis]

The Left destroyed the rule of law.

Own it, commie boy.

[american socialist]

The issue with You is that you think this dumb country's problems started with Obama. Think again.

[Sevo]

No, asswipe, it started long before that, but I charge for lessons and you can't afford them.

[american socialist]

I think it started with stupid assholes bombing and shooting up the Mekong Delta and the politicians who assured us that was just fucking great.

[Sevo]

No, asswipe, it started long before that, but I charge for lessons and you can't afford them.

[american socialist]

Eh, I think it was probably 1776. A revolution led by rich, landed slavers dreaming of manifest destiny probably wasn't going to end well.

[John Titor]

Caesar was not just a product of his own ambition, he only achieved what he did due to the abuses of power and 'reforms' of Marius and Sulla. I know, I know, too nuanced for you to understand. Google some of those names and then get back to me when you've got your usual incoherent argument.

[DenverJ]

You know who else conquered Gaul?

[Pan Zagloba "The Stickler"]

Clovis the Frank?

[Sevo]

Patton!

[Jimmy Free Trade Pirate]

That was Italy doofus. =D

[american socialist]

Yeah, yeah... I know. Rounding up Syrian immigrants, sure to be greeted by a collective shrug by most of the commenters here, will be blamed on Obama by those who give a shit. Whatevs.

[Jimmy Free Trade Pirate]

AMSOC eat the red crayon cause the red ones taste the best !!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFiPANvxfDg

[John Titor]

What a surprise, an incoherent accusation and too stupid to understand my point.

[Sevo]

american socialist|12.22.16 @ 11:55PM|#
"Yeah, yeah... I know...."

No, asswipe, you never do.
Fuck off.

[MarconiDarwin]

Of course. Republicans posing as libertarians forgot to drop their hoods.

[__Warren__]

Mike Tirico......

[Sevo]

Mute button

[Jimmy Free Trade Pirate]

Long Live The Chief.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_AQFnqMY3E

[Sevo]

So 36 people die in the Oakland 'artist commune' warehouse fire in a structure which has been ignored by the inspectors for what seems to be decades.
You can argue that the inspections are irrelevant and people should live where they please, and I'll go for that; that's how some of us started owning SF property. And "we" took responsibility for them when "we" did.
But given the fire, it's a good bet that owners of similar properties are now on the hook unless they make sure no one is living in them; they're more than happy to have the properties inspected and thereby be 'indemnified' as it were.
Not so fast! Our 25YO 'artist' has words of wisdom for you:
" The nationwide scrutiny on such spaces ? including the recent eviction of six people from longtime punk venue Burnt Ramen in Richmond ? has been "too reactionary," Mastrine said. She added that taking a "punitive, forceful approach" runs the risk of displacing artists who say they have nowhere else to live with rents as high as they are in the Bay Area.
"The law is the law, but you don't have to be super forceful and heavy-handed in your enforcement of the law," said Mastrine, a 25-year-old San Francisco resident."
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/.....811861.php

She got (supposedly) 10K names on a web petition and so she should totes just get to live there!
I notice she hasn't offered to pay for the upgrades or to buy the place.

[Playa Manhattan.]

"The law is the law, but you don't have to be super forceful and heavy-handed in your enforcement of the law,"

So, the law ISN'T the law?

[Sevo]

If you were generous, you might think the Chron was offering the lefty twit enough rope to hang herself, but that is not to be.
The Chron is by now a dedicated lefty organ and presumes laws are to be bent in favor of what the Chron sees as 'correct'; I'm certain that quote was offered as if it were a valid comment on the enforcement of law. As evidence, you can check the Chron's coverage of Trump and the hag over the last year.
And she is very fortunate she isn't a black or brown kid caught with a joint and offering that excuse say five years ago.

[MarconiDarwin]

Obama's "most lasting legacy" will be to "leave to his successor a presidency even more powerful and dangerous than the one he inherited from Bush."

Oh, and not Obamacare? Not Fast and Furious? Not even Solyndraenghazi?

Because, if the black guy had not done something, Drumpf would never have thought of doing it himself. So it is the black guy's fault if Drumpf abuses power. To whatever extent, since all abuse or transgression of power is equally bad.

That is the libertarian way.

Seriously reason.com, you can make the switch to normalizing Drumpf any time now. No one will notice.

[kbolino]

The seriousness of your argument is underscored by your childish name-calling.

[MarconiDarwin]

Because once you focus on the "childish name-calling" you have no responsibility to read any of it.

[Vivian003]

good the application was called Playtube till a few months ago itube app the method to do so.iTube APK Download and install great.

[MarconiDarwin]

Right!

Because Drumpf has been following norms so much that had Obama not signed 260 of them, then even with Dubya signing 291, Willy 364, Dubya Sr. 166 (in half the time), Raygun 381, Drumpf would not have done anything.

Obama has signed fewer EOs per year than any President since Grover Cleveland. The first time.

Free minds and free markets make up free facts.