April 2013
12 posts
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Breakdown: Everything about the Senate Gun Control...
Here is everything that you wanted to know - and ought to know - about the Senate gun control legislation, but probably didn’t. Bipartisan gun control legislation put forward by President Barack Obama and largely supported by the Democratic party failed in the Senate this past week, sparking a firestorm of public criticism, public support, presidential fury, and general shitstorminess. But what is...
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One Boston Marathon bombing suspect in custody,... →
Doing my best to keep abreast of the situation. Stay safe, Boston.
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“But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we...”
– - President Barack Obama
Speaking yesterday on the failure of Congress to pass a bill that would have extended background checks for those attempting to buy a gun. Ninety percent of Democrats in Congress voted in favor of the bill. Ninety percent of Republicans voted against it.
Truer words were...
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The Senate Fails American on Gun Bills →
I wanted to write about this, but sometimes others just say it better. I’ve had a lot of faith in the American government, but this - this is unconscionable.
Those senators, 41 Republicans and four Democrats, killed a bill on Wednesday to expand background checks for gun buyers. It was the last, best hope for meaningful legislation to reduce gun violence after a deranged man used...
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The Daily Breakdown: 4/16/2013
Boston Marathon: The final toll is three killed and more than 140 hurt by bombs at the Boston Marathon. The youngest victim was eight-year-old Martin Richards. Two bomb blasts detonated twelve seconds apart at approximately 2:40PM EST time yesterday. No suspects have been detained yet. Read: “Three Killed in Marathon blast” Earthquake: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Iran near the...
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Breakdown: Boston Marathon Bombing.
Update 3: As of 5:59PM EST hospitals report they are treating 69 wounded from the Boston marathon bombing.
Update 2: President Obama is to address the nation in ten minutes, at 3 PM PCT / 6PM EST.
Update 1: Boston’s Mayor Tom Menino has arranged a telephone hotline for worried friends and relatives: +1-617-635-4500.
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If you’re late to the news like me, here is what...
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““Obama phone” is the widely used — and misleading — nickname of a 28-year-old...”
– Washington Post, “‘Obama Phones’ Subsidy program draws scrutiny on Capitol Hill”
Sometimes I wonder if the people that laud Reagan and look to him as the ideal President actually know anything about what he did.
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The Daily Breakdown: 4/9/2013
Gun Control Resurrection: It has been announced that the Senate will hold a vote on Thursday on whether to debate a gun control law. The vote is not on the bill, but whether the Senate will discuss the gun control bill. Conservatives have been blocking the vote, but as their coalition splinters under the pressure to augment gun control, the 60 votes they need to filibuster may not be...
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The Daily Breakdown: 4/8/2013
The Daily Breakdown is a new series I’m trying out where I’ll post a few headlines of American and international news every workday morning. The idea is to keep you - and myself - knowledgeable on the important issues of (literally) the day. Let me know what you think. Oh, and if anyone is curious, we won the robotics competition.
Immigration: The Gang of Eight - the eight senators...
Scheduled interruption to the Daily Breakdown...
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The Daily Breakdown: Tuesday, 4/2/2013
Gun Control: Though the federal assault weapons ban may be dead, Connecticut is taking matters into their own hands. Lawmakers will vote on a comprehensive set of gun restrictions that would - among other things - ban high-capacity magazines, require background checks on all gun sales, and further expand the states’ assault weapons ban to include one hundred new types of firearm. The...
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The Daily Breakdown: 4/1/2013
US Immigration Reform: Senator Marco Rubio (Republican, Florida), the Cuban darling of the tea party hoped to bring Latinos to the side of the Republican party, has issued a statement saying that a legislative proposal for immigration reform is not yet complete. He is part of a bipartisan Senate group of eight (known as the “Gang of Eight”) working on a bill that would overhaul...
March 2013
13 posts
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The Daily Breakdown: 3/29/2013
I’m trying something new - a daily breakdown of a few relevant facts going on in the world today. Predominantly but not entirely based around the US. Read and enjoy.
Private Funding: In a move driven in part by Republican oppposition to increase government spending, President Obama is appealing to private sources to find infrastructure projects. The administration will propose tax breaks and...
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The Error in the Growth and Opportunity Project...
The RNC Growth and Opportunity Project report (released several days ago by the RNC) is a blistering, hundred page long self-critique of why the GOP lost the 2012 election and how it needs to change. It included a widespread plan to transform itself into a modern party; according to the Washington Post, the plan called for Republicans to change their views on immigration reform and spend millions...
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“At a time when controversy over the Obama administration’s drone program seems...”
– Daniel Klaidman, “No More Drones for CIA”
Those who are deeply critical of drone strikes may find some modicum of relief in the big changes that look to be coming to the program.
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“The US state of South Dakota has enacted a law allowing school districts to arm...”
– BBC News, “South Dakota to allow armed teachers in schools”
“Sentinels”? What is this, a video game? A sci-fi book? Giving everyone guns is not the answer.
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Then Again, Maybe Not.
The day after the election, I wrote a well-received opinion article called “Why the Republican Party Lost”. In it, I espoused that reflection over the abysmal loss would lead the Republican party to make some desperately needed changes in order to put forward viable candidates for governance once again.
The Republican Party lost the election last night because they were appealing to...
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“Chávez presided over a political epoch flush with money and lorded over a...”
– Michael Moyniham, “Hugo Chavez”
This is why I find the defenses of Hugo Chavez here on tumblr to be suspect at best, and completely uninformed at worst. Have a hard time understanding how you defend such a man.
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Future Warfare and Technology
I have a hard time understanding the vitriol many display when it comes to the topics of both drones and “killer robots”. As a political scientist and roboticist, I feel like I have a unique perspective into both worlds. So for me, the questions that first come to mind are: 1) I completely understand detesting war, detesting bombing, detesting civilian deaths. Why is it that the...
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Hugo Chavez Dead at 58. →
Big news with large repercussions. Read for more.
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“Every so often in history, you get a technology that comes along that’s a...”
– Peter Singer, “Robot Warriors”
February 2013
10 posts
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Senate Finally Confirms Chuck Hagel →
About damn time.
Anonymous asked: The sequester thingy what is??
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An honest question:
What do people in countries without pennies do when they’re owed 3 cents in change?
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“The budget cuts, known in Washington DC as the sequester, were devised in 2011...”
– “Sequester: Obama urges governors to prod Congress to deal” Breakdown/Update on the sequester situation coming soon. For information, look back to last fall’s Breakdown: The Fiscal Cliff.
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“The US Senate has cleared the way for the confirmation of former Senator Chuck...”
– BBC News, “US Senate Clears way for Hagel Defense Secretary vote.”
About bloody time. I simply don’t know what the problem was. Once conservative senators started suggesting ridiculous notions like he was in league with North Korea, it seems Republicans realized that further...
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“The Syrian opposition has agreed to attend an international summit in Rome,...”
– This will be difficult, considering to the best of my knowledge Syrian opposiiton is far from a homogenous, organized group. Still, curious to see what unfolds.
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January 2013
16 posts
Anonymous asked: You really really really have no idea about the drone strikes. You're not even Pakistani, Yemeni or Afghan. If you really want to know what the drone strikes do, you should read mehreenkasana's drones tag. She's Pakistani, she live in Pakistan. She knows a lot more than you do. Please open your eyes.
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Anonymous asked: If there's anyone who can provide a rebuttal to your claims of the drone war's necessity/effectiveness, it's mehreenkasana.
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The Political Breakdown: Breakdown: The Truth... →
yourpalfriendpatine:
thepoliticalbreakdown:
I did say I was on pseudo-hiatus, didn’t I? Be warned that unlike most, this breakdown contains personal opinions.
What is the Drone War?
The Obama administration, and the Bush administration, use drones - unmanned, semi-autonomous aircraft - to carry out air strikes on suspected militants…
This article boiled my blood with its quiet...
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“War is hell, and war has no easy answers. I won’t tell you whether I believe...”
– -The Political Breakdown
While it may be a bit conceited to quote an excerpt from one of my own articles, I got enough comments on this one and thought it well said enough to stand on its own.
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“Let’s look at it on a personal level. My son was attacked walking towards...”
– Comment #641, BBC News Gun Control Article.
Well said.
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US gun debate: Obama unveils gun control proposals →
Not that you don’t already know this, but a nice summary. I’ve always appreciated BBC’s concise articles; they’re very much an inspiration for the breakdowns.
For more info on the efficacy of gun control on gun violence, read the recent breakdown on gun control.
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An article on drone strikes everybody needs to... →
wryan:
I honestly have no idea how I feel about drone strikes. With my academic background in national security — and my senior thesis on presidential war powers — I can say that it’s an extremely nuanced and very difficult topic without one right or wrong answer.
The important thing to remember when considering your response to drone strikes is the last point the article makes: Are you ready...
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Breakdown: The Truth about Drone Strikes.
I did say I was on pseudo-hiatus, didn’t I? Be warned that unlike most, this breakdown contains personal opinions.
What is the Drone War?
The Obama administration, and the Bush administration, use drones - unmanned, semi-autonomous aircraft - to carry out air strikes on suspected militants outside of Iraq and Afghanistan. Originally used in Yemen in 2002, they are now most...
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This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking...
barackobama:
The official White House response to a petition to secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016:
By Paul Shawcross
The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn’t on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:
The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than...
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“Multiple sources have confirmed that the premise for the March 2003 invasion -...”
– Mohamed Elbaradei, The Age of Deception: Nuclear Diplomacy in Treacherous Times.
Elbaradei royally burns the United States and its allies on the ridiculous pretense that led to the Iraq war, and the untold suffering that follows. I’ve never felt more embarassed to be an American citizen than...
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“The measure [let] the top tax rate rise immediately from 35 percent to 39.6...”
– The Washington Post, “House Passes Fiscal Cliff Bill”
There you have it. Compromise is reached. Republicans had to let taxes rise on the wealthy. Democrats had to raise taxes on those making over $450k/year instead of everyone making over $250k/year Neither side got everything they...
