bleeding heart

I'm not sure how the link is related to your post, unless the Belafonte story is buried in there somewhere. As to the linked story itself, incidentally...there was much better Jewish support for Reagan (though still a definite minority). Jewish people vote Democrat; American Jews tend to be liberal or further left than what is normally deemed "liberal." And have been for many, many decades. That's not going to change anytime soon.

Well, no...we're talking about a man who believes that Obama is actually behind all the murders, a sort of American Reichstag fire if you will. That remains the clear winner. Bellafonte doesn't even come close; heck, even the birthers sound sane by comparison.

Seriously. Too many people here are responding to phantoms, rather than to actual posters.

The "possible serial rapist" hasn't even been charged, Shady. He's wanted for questioning. Further, he fully agrees to the questioning...with the provision that he won't be extradited to the United States. Sweden refuses to make this agreement. Equador is protecting Assange from possible persecution from American authorities. It is certainly a legitimate action, and considering Equador's relationship with all three countries in question (Sweden, the UK, and the US), it's no doubt a decision they don't take lightly.

It's interesting that Equador is now protecting an individual's rights from the supposed defenders of individual rights.....

Interestingly, I saw your typed word "Nugent" and my eye was instantly drawn to "teenage sex" in your signature...coincidental, but quite apt, if you know anything about Nugent's sexually....um...controversial past. (*cough* thirteen year old *cough*)

Oh sure, I sympathize. But to deem "success" as a hallmark of "quality" seems pretty spurious. I doubt I need to make the ten thousand comparisons, in movies, books, television, poetry and visual arts, that immediately spring to mind. Let's just say that anyone--including ten-year olds--who think Transformers a better film than Taxi Driver not only doesn't understand art--he doesn't even like movies, and so his opinion is worthless on the entire subject. (I use this particular example because Taxi Driver is even a superior action movie to Transformers....in case "genre" arguments surface.) Similar comparisons extrapolate to the other arts.

This is pretty awesome, actually. The Obama critics have now all been outgunned; this is the new Gold Standard. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/dave-mustaine-megadeth-si_n_1784525.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment?utm_hp_ref=entertainment&ir=Entertainment&utm_hp_ref=entertainment

As a synonym for quality? If only that were credible.

So I've heard. But I can't say I've actually seen or heard anybody, ever, express any sort of "guilt" for being white. I suspect that some people, irritated at certain forms of political correctness, have misread or massively overexaggerated the effects.

Argus is a conservative. But he's not doctrinaire. He's not "such an Obama supporter," at least not that I've seen. He simply prefers him over Romney (which may well align him with majority American opinion....since that seems important to you). I don't think Argus is as obssessed over Presidential politics as you are. No, he's well to the right of the NDP...on virtually everything. No, Romney is to the right of Harper...on virtually everything.

The rational standard that any thinking person would apply: the difference between the literal and the metaphorical. If by "shitting [my]self" you mean "couldn't care less," you're correct.

Hmmm. I don't think so.

American poll results, AW. Your issue is with Americans, not with a Canadian who posts those results. Patriotic hyper-sensitivity, now...not quite so cute. (But I knew you couldn't ignore me for much longer....I predicted it, if you'll remember. I'm too sweet to be on ignore forever. )

Also, tithing to one's church is not ordinarily considered "generosity," but rather a religious duty. I suppose an argument could be made either way...but I certainly never heard my parents (or anyone else, ever) boast about their "generosity" in this regard.

I revised my post just before you responded: Biden was using metaphor...whether good metaphor or not is certainly open to question. But the cries of "socialist" are used literally. So yeah, there's a big difference.

If Biden had said "fascist" you'd be on to something. Or if "socialist" was used metaphorically, rather than as an expression of political ignorance. Metaphorical slavery is perfectly bipartisan.

At any rate, the public consensus seems to be that more money should be placed into these programs and others, at the expense of military spending. Not that public consensus is considered vitally important, mind you.

Or you're taking my response way too seriously. Who knows?

Gods, no! Where are all these superior Canadians, anyway? Maybe I just don't see them because I live in New Brunswick! But I doubt it. It's borne of nationalist sentiment, so is, at least arguably, bad by definition.

An old story (in a way, a truly ancient one), but Taibbi makes a good case here. Unlike the would-be prosecutors, who aren't especially interested. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/ag-eric-holder-has-no-balls-20120815

And most Americans would prefer to see some more of the money spent on the evil "social spending" than on the military. I personally don't find this surprising, but I'm betting that some people do. Many Americans, like many people eslewhere, are fed up with throwing away money needlessly on an essentially imperialist-style military. http://www.public-consultation.org/pdf/DefenseBudget_May12_rpt.pdf

Ye gods.

It appears that August is referring to two sins committed by another poster: 1. An admittedly ugly and spurious little analogical joke about Bernardo; 2. The more serious crime of disagreeing that Iran is a "threat to Western civilization," an opinion which deserves only the harshest condemnations, evidently.

You always take the weather with you, as the song says. Idiots and wingnuts are--leaving aside the subjectivity of the charge--a permanent part of the human condition. That goes for those with the "Will-to-Mars," certainly.