• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Where does the GOP have the least grasp on reality?

Where does the GOP have the least grasp on reality?

  • Total voters
    54
Grendel said:
Yeah, but it's down in my car and I'm not in the mood to go down there. If I remember, I'll try to dig it out some time today, but I don't see how it matters. Why not just assume for argument that Virginia is the same as your state, and that I got whatever the average reading is -- say 60% of max or something?
Click to expand...

Where I live, there is no DEQ. Texas only requires DEQ in large cities, Oklahoma doesn't even do inspection and has no DEQ at all that I know of.

What is the Max?

It matters because this is a political discussion in which I wish to demonstrate something to you by having you answer questions about data you provide. There will be no bias, accusations about false data/interpretations or about sources this way.
 
DVSentinel said:
Where I live, there is no DEQ. Texas only requires DEQ in large cities, Oklahoma doesn't even do inspection and has no DEQ at all that I know of.

What is the Max?

It matters because this is a political discussion in which I wish to demonstrate something to you by having you answer questions about data you provide. There will be no bias, accusations about false data/interpretations or about sources this way.
Click to expand...

What is this, Car Talk? I share a car with my girlfriend, and I know nothing about it except it can get 20-25 mpg and it's passed the Smog test required by California law.
 
Tough to choose just one. I've always said it: I'm not dumb enough to be a conservative and not naive and idealistic enough to be a liberal. It's hard out there for a pragmatic person that's not legally retarded.
 
I'd rather look at these at an individual basis. Anyone, repub or dem, who denies climate change is a nut for example. Some of your other options can be reasonably debated. I think that the drug war, climate change, evolution, and gay marriage are all up there in terms of extremism and irrationality. It's difficult to rank them because it's all coming from the same pathology.
 
mpg said:
How does the term "trickle down economics" fit anything that happened in the 80s?
Click to expand...

Not to mention he raised taxes numerous times. He couldn't win a spot on a state legislature as a republican today.
 
Very few people from any political party have a grasp on reality.
 
Bait thread, there was no "other choice". Their least grasp on reality is thinking progressives are radically sane people.
 
DVSentinel said:
You say Reps have no touch with reality for environmentalism and you don't even know what a common Environmentalist agency does or what their purpose is?

Who again is out of touch with reality on this issue?
Click to expand...

Really, that's what you were getting at? That I must be out of touch because I don't know the activity of some bureaucratic agency? I was really hoping to hear a good, challenging argument.

First, there's a difference between being ignorant and being out of touch with reality, between having knowledge of a subject and knowing the facts but denying their validity.

Second, making me a straw man for liberal ignorance does not do anything to argue against the point we're making about the GOP's grip on reality.

Third, you don't have to take my word for it. You have plenty of voices in the GOP itself telling their own members not to be the "stupid party."
 
DaveFagan said:
The Republican philosophy can be summed up as "I got mine, I want more, and I'm keepin' it."
Click to expand...

the dem being "I get rich by buying your votes with their money"
 
aberrant85 said:
Really, that's what you were getting at? That I must be out of touch because I don't know the activity of some bureaucratic agency? I was really hoping to hear a good, challenging argument.

First, there's a difference between being ignorant and being out of touch with reality, between having knowledge of a subject and knowing the facts but denying their validity.

Second, making me a straw man for liberal ignorance does not do anything to argue against the point we're making about the GOP's grip on reality.

Third, you don't have to take my word for it. You have plenty of voices in the GOP itself telling their own members not to be the "stupid party."
Click to expand...

No, it wasn't the point that I was trying to lead you to. It's only the point the you were able to reach before completely blowing your own argument.
 
DVSentinel said:
No, it wasn't the point that I was trying to lead you to. It's only the point the you were able to reach before completely blowing your own argument.
Click to expand...

Well I'd like to hear your argument if you could get to it in your next post.
 
aberrant85 said:
Well I'd like to hear your argument if you could get to it in your next post.
Click to expand...

I need the data requested for the demonstration.

DEQ stands for Department of Environmental Quality. Emissions checks for vehicles are to enforce compliance of emissions standards. They are supposed to perform tests that measure vehicle emissions to ensure compliance. And yes, your state does have greenhouse gas standards different from Federal standards and has a program directed towards just those gases, so they are concerned with "global climate change" and the affect of vehicle emissions on it.

No, you do not have to do the test in SF because of pollution in LA. Your pollution only affects SF area and globally.
 
The worst mistaken view by the right wing is the "makers vs takers" dichotomy. Reality simply doesn't work that way. We all make and we all take anyone who isn't making is trying to make. The idea that any significant number of people, given a choice, would prefer to live perpetually in the poorhouse and never attempt to move up, and lazily live on welfare, is nonsense. There may be a tiny handful who act like that, but they are statistically insignificant. Almost everyone strives to better themselves, and attributing failure to do so as indicative of poor character and malicious motives is just idiotic. That the right wing paints a large segment of the American people as lazy and selfish like that stifles any realistic discussion of the economy or of the social safety net. Eschewing this wholly unsupported "us vs them" mentality that the right harbors for its fellow Americans will substantially help us in reaching common ground. We cannot hope to address the problems facing the American people if we cannot even comprehend who and what the American people actually are.
 
Paschendale said:
The worst mistaken view by the right wing is the "makers vs takers" dichotomy. Reality simply doesn't work that way. We all make and we all take anyone who isn't making is trying to make. The idea that any significant number of people, given a choice, would prefer to live perpetually in the poorhouse and never attempt to move up, and lazily live on welfare, is nonsense. There may be a tiny handful who act like that, but they are statistically insignificant. Almost everyone strives to better themselves, and attributing failure to do so as indicative of poor character and malicious motives is just idiotic. That the right wing paints a large segment of the American people as lazy and selfish like that stifles any realistic discussion of the economy or of the social safety net. Eschewing this wholly unsupported "us vs them" mentality that the right harbors for its fellow Americans will substantially help us in reaching common ground. We cannot hope to address the problems facing the American people if we cannot even comprehend who and what the American people actually are.
Click to expand...

Yes, I also think that the concept is a concerted campaign to distract the middle class from what is really affecting their decline: income inequality with the very rich. By convincing Americans that poor people are consuming their tax dollars, they are able to ignore the fact that the very rich have managed to consolidate wealth and are paying relatively little in taxes. I see the phenomenon playing out against unions especially. People who no longer have pensions get angry when they hear about union members who do, and say "if I don't get one why should they?" Instead, they should stand up for unions receiving their benefits, because when they no longer do what hope is there for everyone else to ever regain these benefits?

These rich will try to extinguish what meager benefits remain using the public's own directed indignation, and will line their pockets along the way. I have to say it's an amazing sort of psychological jujitsu, so maybe "makers vs. takers" should not be on this list as it is a sort of Machiavellian calculation instead of just being out of touch.
 
DVSentinel said:
I need the data requested for the demonstration.

DEQ stands for Department of Environmental Quality. Emissions checks for vehicles are to enforce compliance of emissions standards. They are supposed to perform tests that measure vehicle emissions to ensure compliance. And yes, your state does have greenhouse gas standards different from Federal standards and has a program directed towards just those gases, so they are concerned with "global climate change" and the affect of vehicle emissions on it.

No, you do not have to do the test in SF because of pollution in LA. Your pollution only affects SF area and globally.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry I can't provide the data you need but I would like to hear where you're going, so if I could ask you to assume the data points needed for your argument I will accept that.
 
Paschendale said:
The worst mistaken view by the right wing is the "makers vs takers" dichotomy. Reality simply doesn't work that way. We all make and we all take anyone who isn't making is trying to make. The idea that any significant number of people, given a choice, would prefer to live perpetually in the poorhouse and never attempt to move up, and lazily live on welfare, is nonsense. There may be a tiny handful who act like that, but they are statistically insignificant. Almost everyone strives to better themselves, and attributing failure to do so as indicative of poor character and malicious motives is just idiotic. That the right wing paints a large segment of the American people as lazy and selfish like that stifles any realistic discussion of the economy or of the social safety net. Eschewing this wholly unsupported "us vs them" mentality that the right harbors for its fellow Americans will substantially help us in reaching common ground. We cannot hope to address the problems facing the American people if we cannot even comprehend who and what the American people actually are.
Click to expand...
And all of the takers liked.
 
Paschendale said:
You're a taker. Just like everyone else. Stow the misplaced egotism and face reality, and this country will be a much better place.
Click to expand...

Let's see, in addition to earning enough to take care of my family I also pay enough in taxes to support one other family. So explain to me what you mean by taker.
 
Misterveritis said:
Let's see, in addition to earning enough to take care of my family I also pay enough in taxes to support one other family. So explain to me what you mean by taker.
Click to expand...

You benefit from everyone else's hard work. You benefit from the collective effort. You benefit from centralized effort. Just like everyone else. Just because your job pays more than a sandwich maker at Subway doesn't change the fact that we all take and we all make. Every action we take is built upon the collective efforts of thousands of people. Everyone is part of the chain.
 
Some of the things the Republicans are doing they know full well the consequences of. For example they know what they're doing re: trying to disenfranchise people but they're doing it anyway of malice. Same thing with the debt limit. They hate Obama so much that they'd sacrifice the solvency of this nation's finances in order to end it.

But I voted for reproductive rights because I really think they don't realize that it's none of their goddamn business. They're too religiously inclined.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom