Sega-16 Politics Thread

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Originally Posted by Kamahl

I'm curious, just how much do you have to pay to get a higher education there in the states? Here in portugal it's around 1k a year (taxes pay part of the costs, but not all).
In a private institution it's 3x that, plus a bunch of little additional costs (and medicine studies are a lot more expensive).

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It varies depending on state, what you want to study, etc. as previously mentioned. However, for just the 9 month Computer Support Tehcnician program I'm currently doing, not counting the scholarship I have it's 17k for everything. Books, classes, etc; and housing isn't included with that.

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Originally Posted by Pixelepsy

However, for just the 9 month Computer Support Tehcnician program I'm currently doing, not counting the scholarship I have it's 17k for everything.

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Damn you americans have it rough when it comes to education and health.

No kidding. It's the elephant in the room that politicians don't seem to like to talk about often, but in my opinion its killing our economy. You're expected to get higher education, which costs a fortune, and then work it off. I only got half of that 17k as a federal loan, and thankfully the rest I'm able to borrow from far better off than myself relatives. If not, it would be a bank loan, which here even for education purposes are horrendous.

Thankfully I got a 2500 dollar scholarship and MAYBE I'll get something from senatorial and delegate scholarships that I applied for...but that remains to be seen.

Our student debt in this country surpasses credit debt if I recall correctly by several millions of dollars. It's just flat out retarded.

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Originally Posted by Da_Shocker

I take it you're not a fan of celebrations?

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I haven't been a fan of professional sports since the early 90's when MLB went on strike. It made me realize how over-paid these people are for what their profession entails. That's an entirely different issue though.

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Originally Posted by EclecticGroove

Of course not. But there is also the fact that we help contribute to the situation that causes it. The "war on drugs" has created lots of opportunity for less than ethical people from Mexico all the way down through South America. It's a lucrative business that causes a LOT of problems. People escape for a better life, because living here as an illegal, even with all the negative crap that entails, is still several times better than what they had there.

Granting citizenship would obviously need to be mitigated. Probation period, no criminal history, needs sustainable employment, etc.
And it would absolutely need to go hand in hand with some sort of immigration reform as well, otherwise you're just going to be doing this again and again until you pick one side or the other to sit on.

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We have an open border and are too afraid to deal with this issue logically. Until that happens nothing will get done. One thing I find certain is rewarding illegal behavior is not fruitful. Whether or not someone has a bad life in some third world Tijuana should not take priority over the welfare of our nation. Period.

BTW, the war on drugs has failed. D.C. is too proud to admit it.

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Originally Posted by EclecticGroove

It is, but you can't deny people propose this crap all the time. And just look at the law passed in Indiana recently. You can't say that's not inviting legal discrimination of people who don't fit the hetero norm.

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Other states have similar laws with many others in the planning stages. For some reason Indiana seemed to garner heat that others (with the exception of AZ) did not. Religion is a touchy issue and whether one supports organized religion or not, not being forced to forsake your beliefs should not happen whether the belief is asinine or not.

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Originally Posted by EclecticGroove

One of the issues I take with that is the 2a is just that... an amendment. It's not some god given, granted on high by the divine rule. It wasn't even seen as needed in the first draft. It wasn't added until 4 years afterwards. Part of the constitution working is it's ability to change. The moment you state it's an immutable thing that can never be altered, it's no better than religious dogma.
Gun control and everything around it as a whole different topic, but it should not be shut down simply on the basis that there is a second amendment. That reasoning is flawed because it goes against one of the major principles of the constitution itself, the ability to change and adapt as the needs of the people change.

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Being able to protect myself is a god given right or in other words, a right granted by purely existing rather than from the government. It just so happens the easiest method by which to do that has a barrel and firing pin. The fathers saw firearms evolving before and after the revolution and Constitution but they did not put in restrictions that could have easily been inserted. Technology of all sorts has evolved far beyond what those authors ever dreamed imaginable yet they are still protected by amendments (1st, 4th, 5th, etc..,). Firearms are not any different.

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Originally Posted by EclecticGroove

I still feel they are the lesser of two evils, but it's not a clear cut divide. You're not talking about the difference between slashing tires and killing puppies. It's much more nuanced. There are many issues that people will feel are better suited towards one side or the other. And lets not forget that some will just blindly support one side or the other as well. Less of a thing now, but I know my parents and grandparents generation especially that was much more the norm.

In a general sense, when it comes to overall national politics, I still feel the Democrats are more in tune with at least telling the masses what they want to hear.
But of course, make no mistake... both are rife with greed and corruption. Both are full of entirely self serving and entitled assholes who are bending the country over for their own shortsighted gains... but they are currently all we've got. They have rigged the system so well that no one else can make it through the gauntlet to get into the important seats unless they are playing ball with one of the two parties.

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Let me let you in on something. Neither party gives a damn about you beyond what they can get from you. Sometimes, every now and again, a party will do something you approve of and agree with. Most of the time though, they screw you over and over.

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Originally Posted by EclecticGroove

Agreed, but the specific way he choose was either done of of complete ignorance of the backlash it would cause, or was more likely chosen specifically to cause the backlash so he'd have his name all over the place again. (No bad publicity and all that).

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This guy doesn't need to try in order to get his name in the headlines. He could do nothing and he would still be page one. That's what happens when you are in his position.

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Originally Posted by JCU

Other states have similar laws with many others in the planning stages. For some reason Indiana seemed to garner heat that others (with the exception of AZ) did not. Religion is a touchy issue and whether one supports organized religion or not, not being forced to forsake your beliefs should not happen whether the belief is asinine or not.

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Because other states laws, all the ones I've seen currently on the books, are not the same. They are all intended to block the government from blocking religious freedoms. Indiana's was unique in that it allows privately owned companies to essentially deny service to anyone so long as it has some basis in their religious beliefs.

That other states are looking to adopt anything similar is not proof of how harmless it is, but of how terrible the situation is.

When will this nitwit get the Darwin Award? Trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes!

Title: George Zimmerman injured in Lake Mary shooting

URL LInk: http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/loca...mary/27124931/

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Originally Posted by SEGA.GENESIS1989

When will this nitwit get the Darwin Award? Trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes!

Title: George Zimmerman injured in Lake Mary shooting

URL LInk: http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/loca...mary/27124931/

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Another OJ Simpson.

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Originally Posted by Lan Di

Another OJ Simpson.

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Except he's a marked man. If Zimmerman ends in jail, it's almost guaranteed that he'll end up in a coffin.

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Originally Posted by SEGA.GENESIS1989

When will this nitwit get the Darwin Award? Trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes!

Title: George Zimmerman injured in Lake Mary shooting

URL LInk: http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/loca...mary/27124931/

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For being such a weak pussy of a man he sure seems to instigate a lot of shit.

Or rather, people are so angry that they didn't get the "justice" they wanted they'll go out of their way to start shit with him.

People should look at events as they happen and be wary of the narrative the mass media spins around them (because they intentionally mislead people).

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Originally Posted by EmperorIng

Or rather, people are so angry that they didn't get the "justice" they wanted they'll go out of their way to start shit with him.

People should look at events as they happen and be wary of the narrative the mass media spins around them (because they intentionally mislead people).

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Maybe. Or rather a spade is actually a spade. Thanks for your wisdom, I was completely unaware of "mass media spin". But, just perhaps, despite edited 911 tapes played on NBC, character witnesses, and head injuries supporting his side of the story; he is a child molesting piece of shit, whom instigated an incident in which a 17 year old kid ended up dead by his hands. But that media narrative, goddamn, Zimmerman was clearly the real victim, fuck! How ever will he get by?

Whoa, calm down. It's best to tone down that emotional investment.

If you believe in the rule of law, you sort of have to take it in faith that the jury and judge made the right decision: not that he is "innocent", but rather there is not enough evidence to convict him of the crime. If he had been convicted then he would have deserved jail time. But that's not what happened and we have to leave it at that.

I will take a disappointing verdict over lawlessness. Clearly we have seen what happens in the last year or so when people choose the latter.

It's easy to call a spade a spade when you don't know all the facts, and a hyper-sensational media is whipping you into a frenzy. Darren Wilson shot the kid execution-style, right? What an asshole! (remember when the media believed this?)

Lol, no emotional investment here whatsoever, friendo.

So that's what no justice no peace means......:!:

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Originally Posted by EmperorIng

I will take a disappointing verdict over lawlessness. Clearly we have seen what happens in the last year or so when people choose the latter.

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As much as I hate disappointing verdicts I agree completely. Take the wonderful Baltimore riots for instance that happened not too far from me. If that was as annoying as it was where I live, it must have been hell actually in the city.