Where on the political spectrum do you lie? (Mods: Please don't move!)

It's unfortunate the situation with your relatives (was it grandparents?) occurred. I don't blame you for being upset that their modest inheritance was so thoroughly confiscated. Nonetheless, there is a wide expanse of middle ground in between public seizure of Grandpa Johnson's piggy bank before they lower him into the ground and being able to pass on hundreds of millions of tax-free inheritance assets. Efforts were made multiple times in the last decade to accommodate people like your grandparents by raising the eligibility threshold to as high as $8 million, but ideologues in Congress wouldn't budge without an all-or-nothing repeal of the tax. Supporting the developing plutocracy slated to become law in 2010 will not bring your grandparents' inheritance back.

Is this a thread on politics that no one is getting pissed and posting alot of crap? Shows people can disagree and not flame each other. :smiley31:

Just saw these 2 links on a website, both are pretty funny. Enjoy!

http://democraticleaders.ytmnd.com/ This one is titled "Democratic Leaders"

http://crayons1.ytmnd.com/ This one is titled "Mind Fuck"
-Mike

reaganyouth, the first of the two links you provided inadvertently spelled out what will be the downfall of the Republican Party. I know, I know, you were just joking, but indulge me a little here.... :smiley2:

As much vitriol as is spewed out about "Democratic leaders," your link is correct. They are not leading anything right now. The modern conservative movement has gained its momentum by generating a manic rage against a "liberal establishment." When Congress was teeming with a corrupt and arrogant Democratic leadership, the conservative movement was successful in putting Newt Gingrich in charge. Then they replaced Bill Clinton with George Bush....then they swelled the ranks of hard-right ideologues in Congress...somewhere in between they created their own media so that conservatives don't have to hear any news story or editorial that doesn't concur with their pre-conceived notion of reality...and now they're ridding the courts by trading in one brand of "activist judge" for another. The problem is.....the movement is running out of bogeymen to blame society's ills on.....and that's a pretty big consequence of absolute power when the entire movement is built on foaming-at-the-mouth anger about a "liberal establishment" that has been thoroughly dismantled.

are you here to talk about anything but politics?? Every one of your post is either in this thread or has something to do with government, politics or mentions politicians........

And Yes.... I do know this is the Politics forum

bk, I assume you are addressing me in your post. I'm quite passionate about politics, but have generally kept the discussion in this one thread where I feel it is appropriate until the moderator tells me differently. I have been keeping up with the posts on the Cigar Board, but probably haven't posted on there in a week or so. I'll probably be on another cigar kick soon and will be posting regularly about that again before long.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Amanda

My major is education. I'll be teaching social studies, but hopefully end up at a school with political science courses since that's obviously my passion. Considering all the tiny rural schools in Iowa, however, I could easily end up at a school without political science in the courseload.

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I messed up my post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David G. Hall

Mandy, what is your major?

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I meant to say, "What is your major malfunction?"

I would have to say I am a conservative Republican.
I am not a holy roller by any means but there is something say about living your life by some kind of commandments.
From a business point of view I am a republican all the way. I work hard and smart so why should my tax dollars go to social programs that have a losing track record. I want smaller goverment. Let me decide what to do with my money.
I know liberals are all about school systems but why do our public schools fail?
Moral issues abortion, Let the women decide what she does with her own body.
I have nothing positive to say about liberals, I have many friends that are.

Thats my take
TonyDogs

Why do our public schools fail?

This is a very common question that has no single identifiable answer. First of all, the premise that public schools are indeed failing is an argument primarily made by groups and individuals who have a political interest in seeing public schools fail. With that said, a large percentage of our schools, particularly those in areas with the highest-risk student populations, are consistently producing unimpressive standardized test scores and graduation rates.

As someone a year and a half away from graduating college with an education degree, I can tell you that teacher pay is an issue. I currently work 24 hours a week as a waitress, but am expecting to take a pay cut when I become a full-time teacher. And there are states that pay even less than Iowa to beginning teachers. And all this at time when the conventional wisdom among the public is that teachers are being paid too much. When waiting tables four nights a week yields a better living than trying to teach math, science and history to a classroom full of students, it's a huge disincentive for the best and brightest to pursue a career in the education profession. Just as a company that wants to pay its CEO $50,000 a year is unlikely to score the most effective company leader, a society that wants to pay its teachers $23,000 a year is unlikely to attract the top caliber of educators.

Poverty is also a huge issue, much as conservatives would like to pretend it isn't. It's much harder to reach children in an impoverished climate (particularly urban poverty) because they're less likely to have high IQ's, less likely to have grown up in an environment with parents who planted the seeds of knowledge in them during their most formative early years, and more likely to face the distractions of gangs, drugs and daily survival in today's urban warfare culture. This will open up a whole new can of worms but my personal belief is that the entire urban culture, including its public schools, would benefit greatly if narcotics were decriminalized and distribution was shifted from teenage gang members to licensed pharmacists whose commerce is regulated. This is unlikely to ever happen, however, so further speculation on its potential benefits (and downfalls) is hardly worth mentioning.

Lastly, and this is the most controversial position I will take, is immigration. The most common denominator in all of America's public schools deemed "failing" is that their student body includes a higher percentage of first generation Americans than the national average. In today's America, corporations feel an entitlement to saturate the labor force with a revolving door of immigrant workers with the endgame of suppressing wage levels....and then leave taxpayers to pick up the bill for social costs. Highest among that list of social costs is schools overflowing with students who can barely speak English. As a future educator, it will be my duty to educate any young person who comes through my doors, but is sure will be more challenging if I end up in a meatpacking town whose student body is composed of 50% ESL students than it will be if I end up in suburban Des Moines teaching the sons and daughters of doctors and lawyers.

Bottom line.....as long as this country tolerates third-world living conditions for a quarter of its population while the rest of the civilized world is effectively alleviating poverty within its borders, public schools will NOT be utopian bubbles capable of obliterating every negative influence that young people experience outside the walls of the school.

My father is actuallya 3rd grade teacher and he used to teach at an inner city school. The problem there was it was under funded, under staffed, and the facility was in poor condition.

Now he teaches at a school which is mostly first generation american kids with immigrant parents. He actually has an easier time teaching these kids because the parents care more about their kids doing well and having bi-lingual classes and special programs because the school is better funded probably helps.

The whole no child left behind act however was a good idea, but then they cut the finding on it. So now students have to meet this stricter criteria but the schools don't have money to put into it to make sure the kids can pass. Some schools the children should be in special education at least part time but because of cuts to funding they can't afford it.