Rational Nation USA

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. From Declaration of Independence Preamble We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Preamble... United States Constitution Yuppers, the majority decision legalizing marriage equality stands on firm ground . Further, a majority of Americans now accept (and or approve of) marriage equality . Following is a roundup of articles: Gay Marriage Backers Win Supreme Court Victory Huckabee blasts SCOTUS "I will not acquiesce to an imperial court&q

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth In a 6-3 decision the SCOTUS upheld the ACA {ObamaCare} national subsidies and republicans have been responding as expected. Loud voices for the repeal of the ACA will constitute 2016 battle cry of the GOP presidential candidates. Clips from the HUFF POST POLITICS follow. Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) I disagree with the Court’s ruling and believe they have once again erred in trying to correct the mistakes made by President Obama and Congress in forcing Obamacare on the American people." “Despite the Court’s decision, ObamaCare is still a bad law that is having a negative impact on our country and on millions of Americans. I remain committed to repealing this bad law and replacing it with my consumer-centered plan that puts patients and families back in control of their health care decisions. We need Consumer Care, not ObamaCare. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush I am disappointed by today’s Supreme Court ruling in the King v. Burwell

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth As the shrinking " big tent republican " party struggles with doing the right thing as a party with respect to the confederate flag Governor Mitt Romney, the failed 2012 republican standard bearer came out loud and clear. It is time to take that flag down! POLITICO - After letting a White House win slip through their fingers in 2012, Republicans made a commitment: It was time to broaden the conservative tent, to bring in the minority voters and the younger voters who have often felt alienated by hard-line social stances. The past week showed that following through is a work in progress. As debate raged about the Confederate flag boldly flying in front of South Carolina’s Capitol building, even as the nation reeled from the vicious gunning down of nine black parishioners at the hands of a white supremacist fond of posing with the rebel flag, the Republican candidates consistently failed to strongly come out against

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth A forewarning, this post will cover a few things and may very well get off on a tangent at times. It may become rambling and likely piss someone off a time or two. My apology in advance if it does; but that is just the ways things are. As "they" say, there is an ass for every seat and it seems there should be a thought for every mind. At least for those who choose to use their mind. Watching the 2014 Netflix series The Following about a psychopathic serial killer with a cult of followers it got me thinking about how it parallels American politics. Now don't get me wrong here, the parallel has nothing to do with serial or cult murders, not one iota. It does however resemble, in a metaphorical way the followers of political parties and even religious sects conduct themselves as they instinctively react, almost in unison to what the party or religion asks them to. As a result engaging in any real and meaningful discussion is ma

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Well, there ya have it. According to ex Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee we do not need a discussion about race and healing the scars that human bondage and racism created in this nation; a nation founded on the principle that all men possessed the unalienable right(s) of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Rights which presumably flowed from their creator, God. Let us take a look for a moment at exactly where the southern Christians stood on human bondage {slavery]. Why Christians Should Support Slavery Key reasons advanced by southern church leaders Many southern Christians felt that slavery, in one Baptist minister’s words, “stands as an institution of God.” Here’s why. Biblical Reasons • Abraham, the “father of faith,” and all the patriarchs held slaves without God’s disapproval (Gen. 21:9–10). • Canaan, Ham’s son, was made a slave to his brothers (Gen. 9:24–27). • The Ten Commandments mention slavery twice, show

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth For every self aware, rational, and understanding individual the Confederate Battle Flag is a symbol of human bondage and racism. It has no place anywhere in a modern civilized nation, save a museum of history... PERIOD. While there are those who continue to deny it is racist and talk about heritage, honor, and even religion the saner and much more honest know the truth and we will continue to press the truth until even the most disillusioned can no longer deny it with a straight face. Note what Kentucky Senator Rand Paul had to say on the subject : Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says he believes the Confederate battle flag is “inescapably a symbol of human bondage and slavery” and needs to go. “No, I agree, I think the flag is inescapably a symbol of human bondage and slavery, and particularly when people use it obviously for murder and to justify hated so vicious that you would kill somebody I think that that symbolism needs to end,

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth America is becoming more liberal, or if you prefer less conservative. For many more liberal actually means more libertarian, especially in the social sense. Even when it comes to economics America seems to be moving towards more moderate to liberal and less conservative. Certainly news that will have the old guard ideologically pure conservatives scratching their balding heads and wondering what went wrong. Of course their virulent and obnoxious rants about how America is going to hell in a hand basket (thinking Levin, Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Coulter, et all here) will increase reaching fever pitch as the 2016 election grows closer. After all that is what conservatives do and do well; for the most part anyway. We can rest assured that conservatives will never give a serious thought to, let alone analyze just why the trend is moving away from conservatism. Nope; they will continue to talk about how liberalism has ruined the country because

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth A psychopathic 21 year old white male guns down 9 people in a historic black church in Charleston South Carolina, a crime most likely motivated by racism and hatred for African Americans and the right wing, in this particular incident Rick Perry, tries to frame the issue as one of drug use. Instead of talking about guns, Perry said, we should be talking about prescription drugs: “Also, I think there is a real issue to be talked about. It seems to me, again without having all the details about this, that these individuals have been medicated and there may be a real issue in this country from the standpoint of these drugs and how they’re used.” He said that such drugs are responsible for high suicide and joblessness rates, adding that “there are a lot of issues underlying this that I think we as a country need to have a conversion about... - Right Wing Watch Rather than recognizing the possibility and likelihood this was a racially motivat

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Wal-Mart Stores Inc. owns more than $76 billion of assets through a web of units in offshore tax havens around the world, though you wouldn’t know it from reading the giant retailer’s annual report. A new study has found Wal-Mart has at least 78 offshore subsidiaries and branches, more than 30 created since 2009 and none mentioned in U.S. securities filings. Overseas operations have helped the company cut more than $3.5 billion off its income tax bills in the past six years, its annual reports show. The study, researched by the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union and published Wednesday in a report by Americans for Tax Fairness, found 90 percent of Wal-Mart’s overseas assets are owned by subsidiaries in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, two of the most popular corporate tax havens. Units in Luxembourg -- where the company has no stores -- reported $1.3 billion in profits between 2010 and 2013 and paid tax at a rate o

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth It comes as really no surprise that The Donald would know how important it is to grease the wheels of government through personal relationships with government officials. After all, knowing when and how to butter both sides of your proverbial bread is important in business as well as politics. Given The Donald's wealth you can almost consider him a special interest. Yet we wonder why American politics and government is so GD screwed up. A small hint, looking into the mirror (collectively and thinking long and hard should give a clue. POLITICO - Donald Trump jumped into the crowded and rowdy Republican presidential field on Tuesday, but the business magnate has astutely played both sides of the aisle for years, and has been especially cozy — financially and personally — with Hillary Clinton. Clinton, the Democratic front-runner and former New York senator who had some say over policy that could have impacted Trump’s vast busines

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth The Donald made it official yesterday, he is jumping in the clown car and tossing his hat into the ring for the republican nomination for the presidency of the United States of America. In a pre Trump announcement the FiveThirtyEight laid out The Donald's chances of securing his party's nomination. Supported by data going back to 1980 Trump has no chance of success. Of course The Donald knows this, and we believe The Donald is merely looking to parlay what is certain to be an ill fated run into a media event. Simply put, he is looking to make money of the event and fill his bulging pockets further. ... A whopping 57 percent of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to an average of the three most recent polls. That beats former record holder Pat Buchanan, who had a 43 percent unfavorable rating at this point in the 2000 election cycle.1 Buchanan, of course, ended up running as an independent. Taking into acco

Will it be a rerun? Damn, lets hope not. America can't stand yet afford another war or a financial meltdown .

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Donald Trump, or The Donald if you prefer, is all about, well, Donald . A blustery showman and political con man he is about as qualified as my next door neighbor to be president of these United States of America, his 9 billion notwithstanding. In fact his wealth should be a disqualifier because the dude hasn't got a clue what it's like to live like the middle class and average Americans. With The Donald the wealthy would become even more wealthy because the wealthy are his pals; not that there is anything wrong with that as long as everybody else shares in economic growth , but we all know that is unlikely don't we? Here's a good idea fof ya Donald, why don't you build a sound proof wall around yourself? Most of America is tired of hearing from you. Odds are he won't run, he just loves the limelight and patting himself on his back every chance he gets. The Latest Donald Story . Via: Memeorandum

ROCHESTER (CBSDFW.COM/AP ) — A New Hampshire man wants to defy an Islamic prohibition on depicting the prophet Muhammad in pictures and plans to host a “Draw Muhammad” art contest in August. Jerry Delemus, a 60-year-old former Marine, says the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment trumps any religion’s limitations on such expression, “If we back away from our freedom as citizens a little bit at a time, the next thing you know, we don’t have any freedoms left,” DeLemus explained to the CBS affiliate WGME. Damn straight! I'm down with free speech and the right to express ones viewpoints peacefully. In writing and comedy for sure. DeLemus said he hasn’t heard from the local Islamic community, but residents in the area aren’t sure the event is a good idea. Eric Adema said, “I don’t understand the point of inciting violence, it’s just going to cause more problems.” On the other hand the residents have a point, I suppose. Keep quiet so as to not to upset. Wonder

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth As America faces tough economic times and perceives the benefits of trade as being realized only by only the wealthiest of Americans and corporations the following article by David Frum in The Atlantic provides an interesting perspective on free trade in general an the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) specifically. Regardless of your trade stance the article warrants attention. The natural tendency of democratic societies is gradually to accumulate barriers to international trade. The Bush administration itself exemplified this: At the same time as it pleaded for fast-trade authority, it imposed restrictions on foreign steel. Relentless international action on trade liberalization offsets equally relentless domestic pressure for trade protection. Freer trade is always a tough vote. As long ago as the 1960s, Barry Goldwater tried to make a campaign issue out of John F. Kennedy’s allegedly excessive trade liberalization. Yet from the 1940s

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is soon to announce his candidacy for the republican nomination for president of the United States of America. Make no mistake about his intentions. Hailed as a right to work advocate his agenda in Wisconsin was to break the backs of labor and his agenda if elected president will no doubt be the same. He is no friend of labor or the small businessman or businesswomen. His loyalty lies with the millionaires and billionaires whose only concern is corporate profits and reducing labor costs as a primary vehicle in doing so. Gov. Walker, in his own words is to, " divide and conquer . Divide labor and secure the conquest. As for America and the middle class an their American Dream? Well, too f^cking bad. Beware of this man and think really really hard before considering him for the highest office in our republic. Unless you truly want a new feudalism taking root in America.  In Wisconsin, where the labor

Rational Nation USA Purveyor of Truth Rachel Dolezal, the president of the NAACP in Spokane and former education director of the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene, is seen here as a child, when she was growing up in Northwest Montana. A family member provided this photo. Kudos to the NAACP on their statement of support for Rachel Dolezal. While the media will likely keep this in the news for as long as it is possible American life will go on and people of all stripes will continue to struggle with the challenges of modern life and a fraying society. NAACP STATEMENT ON RACHEL DOLEZAL June 12, 2015 Baltimore, MD – For 106 years, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has held a long and proud tradition of receiving support from people of all faiths, races, colors and creeds. NAACP Spokane Washington Branch President Rachel Dolezal is enduring a legal issue with her family, and we respect her privacy in this matter. One’s racial identi

Rational Nation USA Purveyor of Truth As Obama and the federal government eye regulations to socially engineer communities to conform to the governments broad plan to make everything and everybody equal. Yeah right. Utopia Rising. THE HILL - The Obama administration is moving forward with regulations designed to help diversify America’s wealthier neighborhoods, drawing fire from critics who decry the proposal as executive overreach in search of an “unrealistic utopia.” A final Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule due out this month is aimed at ending decades of deep-rooted segregation around the country. The regulations would use grant money as an incentive for communities to build affordable housing in more affluent areas while also taking steps to upgrade poorer areas with better schools, parks, libraries, grocery stores and transportation routes as part of a gentrification of those communities. “HUD is working with communities across the country to ful

"We'll let you know depending on the outcome of the decision." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth As the SCOTUS considers the challenge to ObamaCare (ACA) subsidies the GOP finds itself in quite a dilemma. The GOP's not so secret hopes that the Justices do not rule in favor of the conservatives (TP'ers) desires to overturn parts of ObamaCare do to the political likelihood of losing support and votes from republicans who were getting subsidies is well known. So, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is sounding an awful lot like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who said, and I paraphrase, in order to know what's in the bill we have to pass the bill . I don't know about anyone else but I smell hypocrisy and the stench is not desirable. But hey, there is the modern GOP and whether it knows it or not the American people are on to their BS and hypocrisy and in coming election cycles the GOP will pay th

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth A Christian couple with children in Australia have decided to divorce should Australia vote to allow marriage equality, aka same sex marriage. Their decision for divorcing after 10 years of marital bliss would be their way of protesting what amounts to in their minds a redefining of marriage. Believing that marriage equality will destroy the "sacred bond" that exists between mother, father, and child in the traditional marriage they then believe marriage becomes meaningless and therefore just an empty contract they would no longer wish to be in. While the Jensen's logic thread when analyzed in the narrowest confines of Christianity and the Church is non contradictory (to a point) and therefor seemingly rational, it certainly seems less than logical and rational to divorce, thereby denying their children the sanctity of the marriage contract that was originally blessed by the Church and one the state would have no interest in c

Rational Nation U S A Purveyor of Truth More reasons to question why one should even consider voting for Jeb Bush for president in 2016 (or ever) should he nominated by republicans. Huffington Post - Public shaming would be an effective way to regulate the “irresponsible behavior” of unwed mothers, misbehaving teenagers and welfare recipients, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) argued in his 1995 book Profiles in Character. In a chapter called "The Restoration of Shame,” the likely 2016 presidential candidate made the case that restoring the art of public humiliation could help prevent pregnancies “out of wedlock.” "One of the reasons more young women are giving birth out of wedlock and more young men are walking away from their paternal obligations is that there is no longer a stigma attached to this behavior, no reason to feel shame. Many of these young women and young men look around and see their friends engaged in the same irresponsible conduct. Their parents