Letting off steam, comments by Ancil Nance on topics of the day.
February 7, 2012
Holding irrational points of view is everyone's right; that is what freedom of religion is all about. But for an elected official to expect his or her irrational view to become secular law is not what the Second Amendment is about. Newt Gingrich's Catholicism influences his rants. The Mormon church's tenets determine Mitt Romney's goals. Obama's Protestantism seems to have less influence against his rational side.
Religious beliefs about evolution, abortion, marriage and so forth are not guaranteed a place in American law. Only what can be shown with evidence to be true can be accepted as basis for law and that is why governments should not make laws that support religious views on marriage, abortion and the teaching of descent with change (evolution).
There is no evidence that marriage between heterosexuals is harmed when homosexuals marry. There is no evidence that God said anything about abortion. In fact there is no evidence that there is a God outside of people's idea of God. So to base laws upon this irrational belief is prima facie irrational.
It is time for those who have irrational beliefs to keep them to themselves and let laws that are supported by empirical evidence take precedence.
February 2, 2012
Capitalism in America is supported by socialism. Defenders of unregulated capitalism don't have a leg to stand on now that we all know that it was the commercial banks and investment banks gambling with trillions in deposits and knowingly selling crap to investors (because they made money when the investment failed, from the insurance payment). The bailout of these banks and investment houses was paid for by taxpayers. So it is socialism for the banks and free enterprise for your schools, libraries and health insurance.
The repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act helped this to happen because it allowed regular banks to start betting with savings deposits of millions of Americans. Sometimes the banks' bets were leveraged at 20:1. When the bets failed, the financial system was in free-fall.
So why do poor people (now most of the middle class) still vote against their own interests? Why vote against bank regulation in light of the evidence? Anti-regulation Conservatives want to dump even the modest attempt at regulation, the Dodd-Frank Act, and if they win that move, nothing separates the gamblers from what little money we have left, once again.
The documentary film, Inside Job, explains what happened in detail.
"Inside Job is a 2010 documentary film about the late-2000s financial crisis, and was directed by Charles H. Ferguson. The film is described by Ferguson as being about "the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption."[3] In five parts, the film explores how changes in the policy environment and banking practices helped create the financial crisis. Inside Job was well received by film critics who praised its pacing, research, and exposition of complex material."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Job_%28film%29
January 16, 2012 Published in The Oregonian
Too late the Republicans are waking up to what is happening as their candidates debate each other. It is almost as if the Democrats hired this group of office seekers to go on tour to show their weaknesses. Like a bunch of stand up comedians, they show us why none of them should be elected. RNS leaders meeting in New Orleans are saying it is time to bash Obama. Too late. When Romney begins his campaign against Obama we just need to recall the words of Newt Gingrich and the others to see why the Mitt will not fit.
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Letter re: blaming teachers is wrong