home

Sunday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 02:55:33 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

As this long holiday weekend comes to a close, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Homeless Numbers Rising in Denver | Teeeebbooooowwww! >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Sunday Open Thread | 24 comments (24 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Is the euro as we know it finished? (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 03:11:13 PM EST


    Frankly, (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by lentinel on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 07:05:21 PM EST
    I hope not.

    It seems at this point that Germany is the villain.
    Perversely, it is the richest member of the Euro zone.
    I say perversely because it started and lost two disastrous wars.
    And it is now wealthier than the people to whom it lost.

    Germany needs to support the weaker members of the EU for the Euro to survive. That is my understanding of the situation.

    And they ain't about to do it.

    I hope that we're not on the brink of an international disaster.

    Parent

    Krugman said the euro was always (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 07:41:10 AM EST
    doomed and those who brought it into being had been told by many economists such as himself that what has happened would happen.  Nobody would listen to them.  Instead of stabilizing, the affect of financially connecting everyone together in the fashion that they did meant that shocks would reverberate, and some countries would be forced to starve while others surged.

    Parent
    The (none / 0) (#25)
    by lentinel on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 04:52:33 PM EST
    only thing is that I think nobody is surging and maybe everyone will be starving in the near future

    I can see that for people in France - who are not doing all that great - to have to send funds to Italy or Greece to bail them out is not going to be very popular - and it is not even fair.

    I hope the EU stays together. I think that a common currency is a good thing. It represents one less thing that separates us.

    Parent

    I find your comment a little absurd (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Nov 29, 2011 at 07:40:41 AM EST
    The people of Greece, Italy, and Portugal don't deserve to be trampled to death.  The people of Germany did certain things and made strategic cuts to shore their economy up....they should have to be trampled either.  I'm with Krugman on this.  If a common currency destroys people and their ability to live a stable life it isn't worth it in my book.  Once again, for me it is about the things that feel and breathe and cry and laugh and not about words on paper or pieces of paper called currency.

    Parent
    Last week (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Edger on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 03:47:44 PM EST
    the ACLU reported that the worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision attached to to S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing so that no one could set up filthy tents outside the door to Occupy the future of the country.

    This morning I called the white house and spoke to a man pretending to be president, who assured me in a very warm and soothing tone that this is nothing to be concerned about, saying...

    I told you I would veto this bill.

    And you can always tell exactly what I am going to do by reading my words in reverse.

    So let me be very clear:

    I, Pres. Barack Obama, WILL VETO S. 1867, THE 2011 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT.

    There - I said it again. LoL.

    You can take that to the BANK!

    Would I lie to you?

    I feel much better now, knowing that the whole misunderstanding was just the Traitorous Far-Left Group ACLU Plotting Subversion Again.

    Amazing how much bipartisan cooperation (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by ruffian on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 04:45:47 PM EST
    there is when they want to seize power over everyone.

    Parent
    Not a problem (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Edger on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 04:51:10 PM EST
    No matter how far they go, they'll never stop people from shopping.

    Parent
    Freedom to shop (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Mr Natural on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 06:33:00 PM EST
    That's like, uh, the 666th amendment?

    Parent
    Dammit! (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Edger on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 06:42:53 PM EST
    Don't do that while I'm drinking something here, willya please! Now it's all over the friggin' monitor again!

    Parent
    Kinda like (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Amiss on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 07:26:07 PM EST
    Teddy Kennedy locked behind closed doors with the insurance companies coming out telling us how great the new health care would be.

    Parent
    About that health insurance legislation (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by MO Blue on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 09:27:50 AM EST
    The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan isn't even doing that well and it's already running out of money that's supposed to last until 2014. This was completely expected. High-risk pools are extremely expensive. link

    California:

    State officials may need to curtail enrollment in the federally funded Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in as little as two months from now, if more federal dollars aren't allocated to it.
    ...
    Every month, at every board meeting, the report was always the same -- that the flow of enrollees into the program was increasing, but at a surprisingly slow rate.

    The threshold for the number of Californians who might participate in PCIP was estimated at about 23,000 people. Since a few more than 5,000 people signed up in that first year -- and new enrollees came on board at a rate of roughly 500 a month -- it seemed that the program was financially stable and able to take on more participants.

    But after the first year, state officials got their first real claims data to test that estimate, and the amount required by recipients was much higher than expected. That 23,000-person threshold estimate was reduced to 6,800 Californians.

    That means (given current enrollment of 5,290 including last month's bump of 726 new subscribers), there's now only room for a little more than 1,500 new enrollees (which is about two months' worth of enrollees, given October's bump of 726 new subscribers).

    Read more:



    Parent
    The Mayor's deadline passed a few hours ago (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by Peter G on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 06:48:14 PM EST
    for Occupy Philly to pull up stakes, so a long-planned construction project on that plaza can begin. (They were offered a place to move, to another plaza just a block or so away, but on condition there would be no overnight camping. Not acceptable to most Occupiers.)  No police action so far.  Everyone is kind of holding their breath.  Trouble later tonight seems most likely.

    Do they really think (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by sj on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 07:54:44 PM EST
    that preventing overnight camping will cause the effort to fizzle?

    Fighting fire with gasoline, indeed.

    Parent

    It's still (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by CoralGables on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 06:53:31 PM EST
    Tebow time in Denver as the Broncos win again

    As a Gator, (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Amiss on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 07:35:21 PM EST
    and my husband a converted Gator along with BTD we are darn proud for Timmeh! Today almost gave me a heart attack tho, but then the announcer says"and the Tebow Train continues" It made me so proud for him as he grew up not far from where we live. There is a Pro Team here in Jacksonville, but they passed him over. I knew there was a reason I wasn't a fan of theirs. You should always support a hometown boy!

    Parent
    Read it and weep. (5.00 / 3) (#17)
    by caseyOR on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 11:17:52 PM EST
    Bloomberg News has a story up detailing the trillions of dollars the American taxpayer provided to keep the big banks from total collapse. The Federal Reserve waged a mighty battle to keep this information hidden away, but the Freedom of Information Act prevailed.

    Just as many suspected, TARP money was just a drop in the bail-out-the-banks bucket.

    I am so furious after reading this story that I cannot trust myself to comment any more. My blood pressure is just about to burst. Tonight 60 Minutes reported on the upsurge in homelessness among families. Here in Oregon we learned that our state ranks #1 in child hunger.  But hey, the bankers made out like bandits, so it's all okay.

    You gotta love (none / 0) (#19)
    by Edger on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 08:07:31 AM EST
    the confidence inspiring final close of that article, too...

    In the end, Geithner had his way. The Brown-Kaufman proposal to limit the size of banks was defeated, 60 to 31. Bank supervisors meeting in Switzerland did mandate minimum reserves that institutions will have to hold, with higher levels for the world's largest banks, including the six biggest in the U.S. Those rules can be changed by individual countries.

    They take full effect in 2019.

    Meanwhile, Kaufman says, "we're absolutely, totally, 100 percent not prepared for another financial crisis."



    Parent
    Boo (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by CST on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 10:08:16 AM EST
    In news that will make wingnuts everywhere rejoice, but which makes me kind of bummed,

    Barney Frank announces he will not seek re-election.

    Really sorry to hear that (none / 0) (#22)
    by ruffian on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 12:18:39 PM EST
    No doubt Congress will take another step to the right.

    Parent
    CST: What can you tell us about (none / 0) (#23)
    by christinep on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 12:40:45 PM EST
    Cong. Frank's district? Composition? Who is likely to run, etc?  Unfortunate that he decided to retire; but, after all those years & accomplishments, he deserves to retire on his terms and with a remembered legacy.

    Parent
    it's so hard to tell (none / 0) (#24)
    by CST on Mon Nov 28, 2011 at 04:26:54 PM EST
    right now with all the redistricting going on.

    To give you some idea, part of the reason he's stepping down is that his new district is more conservative than the old one.

    MA is losing a congressional district.  Right now 2 people are retiring and 2 people have landed in the same district, so one of them may move to a new district or they could run against each other.  I really have no idea how this is going to play out, especially since his district has changed drasticly.  It use to be a mix of wealthy suburbs and blue-collar cities, now it's almost all wealthy suburbs.  Some of those suburbs are very blue - like Frank's hometown of Newton, but some are not.  I think the republicans in MA will be excited by this.

    As for who will run on the Dem side - no idea, there are too many variables with the redistricting, and tons of city/state democratic politicians to choose from.

    Parent

    Congrats to the Boylan High Titans (none / 0) (#7)
    by ruffian on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 06:41:02 PM EST
    who won the Illinois 7A football championship yesterday. I'm a proud member of the class of '76.

    Go ahead, search your yearbooks for Ruffian.

    A horde (none / 0) (#15)
    by Edger on Sun Nov 27, 2011 at 07:55:22 PM EST
    of almost 10,000 zombies moaned and shambled its way through in Mexico City on Saturday in a bid to set a new world record.

    Ok.

    Mexico City has biggest WalMarts in world?

    Sunday Open Thread | 24 comments (24 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment