There are many things about these United States that stick in the craw of atheists, and one of them is the requirement that “In God We Trust” be emblazoned on all of our currency, both paper and specie. Their hearts are warmed at the thought that, like the Euro, any references to God would be …
The Hole in the "Dominionist/Theonomist Plan" for America
Ryan Lizza's piece in the New Yorker about Michele Bachmann brings up what must rate as the most incoate dread the left has about the Religious Right: the "dominionist" movement, which I prefer to refer to as the "theonomist" movement. You see this in left wing blogs (both in the articles and in the comments) …
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The Collapse of Political Trust = The Collapse of Expectations
In his interesting analysis about The Collapse of Political Trust, Jonah Lehrer makes the following observation: And this returns us to the present dysfunction in Washington. If trust is about the distribution of rewards – about learning to expect bonuses from others – then it’s going to be a lot harder to share those rewards …
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Rick Perry's Prayer Rally: It's Really Midnight Yell Practice
This Saturday Texas Gov. Rick Perry is sponsoring a prayer rally called "The Response." In a country whose elites are sensitive to any serious demonstration of faith, the reactions have been predictable. But in view of the buzz regarding Rick's plans after The Response, I think we need to look at this another way. Ags, …
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The American Middle Class: When You Have Nothing to Lose, You Don't Care If The System Makes It Or Not
That, according to "Spengler" is what's going on with the Tea Party's stubbornness in the recent debt ceiling debacle: The trouble is that both the Tea Party and President Barack Obama have existential reasons to force a crisis. Obama, as I wrote two weeks ago, faces probable defeat with a becalmed economy, and may benefit …
Barack Obama: Will the Caudillo Rise to the Occasion?
Sounds like he'd like to: "The idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. I promise you, not just on immigration reform. But that's not how our system works. That's not how our democracy functions. That's not how our Constitution is written," Obama said at the National Council of La Raza's annual conference. …
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The Debt Ceiling Debate is Rubbish
The current theatre riveting Washington these days is the debt ceiling "negotiation" between Barack Obama and the opposite of progress (otherwise known as Congress). But, as Felix Salmon (and others) point out, it may all be for nothing: Realistically, then, the government is likely to breach the current debt ceiling no matter what Congress agrees. …
Legalising Legislative Deception: Judge Sutton and the Individual Mandate
Orin Kerr is proud of himself that Judge Jeffrey Sutton agrees with him on the individual mandate rulig: I think Judge Sutton’s separate opinion is excellent, but then it’s easy for me to say: Judge Sutton’s views closely match what I’ve been saying here and elsewhere for a long time, so maybe this just proves …
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New York Owes the Cohabiters an Apology
Now that New York, financially struggling and seeing its people bail to avoid its high taxes, has legalised same sex civil marriage, they need to do one more thing to complete the act. When Governor Cuomo signs this bill, he should issue an apology to everyone--heterosexual and homosexual alike--who are cohabiting without civil marriage, especially …
Christian Militants Don't Need to Bring Down the Country
Rep. Shelia Jackson-Lee misses the point: In an exchange with witness Patrick Dunleavy, the former deputy inspector of the criminal intelligence unit, New York Department of Correctional Services, Rep. Jackson Lee mentioned the case of a man who blew up an abortion clinic and proposed that this perhaps was an attempt to undermine U.S. law …
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