@Bob, "It’s food for thought. Do middle-income people in Blue states feel ok with sharing the burden more than similar middle-income in Red?" I don't feel OK with sharing with those that disparage sharing. I don't mind taking care of me and mine (those in my State). I have no more interest in supporting Alabama than I do Afghanistan.
@Jaybird, Or, people can just continue to move to places they're comfortable with. I'll second you on the pony of course... and add the 14th to the 17th.
@willybobo, I'd say that there's more political diversity in the US than Sweden. Scandinavian countries, until very recently, have been rather homogeneous, where there are significant differences between the different regions of the US. When we dictate that both Oregon and Texas have to run on the same principles we deprive both.
Count me on board. This has been my basic rant for years. I do think that State governance would improve if they weren't tied so tightly to national politics. Washington is a great example of the problems of one party rule. There's no way for a vibrant regional conservatism to develop when it's tied to the National (Southern) iteration.
@North, I suppose it all depends. In my neighborhood you'd get more respect being gay than a bible thumper. Today, it seems more acceptable to ask people to quit being religious fundamentalists than it is to ask someone to quit dressing well.
This was a really good piece. However, it still seems a bit disingenuous. The Kinsey scale seems intuitively correct to me. What's the problem with sticking to it? Homosexuality may be a choice for many but for me (Jason or the author of the linked piece) it's not. Sexuality, like religion, may be a choice or may feel like a divine directive. It doesn't really matter and shouldn't be subject to political pressure.
@Trumwill, So, interference in our back yard (banana republics) are OK. There is no such thing as sovereignty in our hemisphere other than what we deem worthy. We can do to our neighbors what we wouldn't think of doing to strangers. That seems a bit strange. I have no more right to tell Georgia what to do than those in Afghanistan or the Congo.
@Trumwill, How about the places in the world that have slavery now? Should we invade all of those? Should we invade Iran, North Korea, a good chunk of Africa? Should we then Annex them and give them a vote?
I didn't really notice anyone engaging. Seems more like everyone throwing their two cents into the pot. I'd wager that more marriages are damaged by limited or habitual sex than too much great sex.
I particularly liked Rebecca's post, but dang, those are murky waters and you had better have a great relationship before going there or have a greater EQ than most guys have. Ultimately, it's going to come down to the preferences and compatibility of the four people involved. If one thinks sex is about puppy dog eyes and cuddling and the others strongly prefer acrobatics and a bit of the ol' spank and tickle there's going to be trouble and it would be best to call the whole thing off. And for those that have an exhibitionist streak, closet yourselves before you embarrass your parents and come off as a damaged individual.
This is just an outlier. There are so many decent moderate Christians that are against this sort of extremism this place will be out of business in a week.
@Tony Comstock, It's a bit hard to address this question without definitions. What exactly is the change? Less hair on the actresses? I believe the internet has had a great impact or at least facillitated a change. There are certain forms of cinema where authenticity count more than cgi. Porn is one. Extreme or gen-x sports are another. I wouldn't say that the internet is the cause of more extreme sex or sport but it does allow for a home production that can rival a slick package.
@Bob Cheeks, I'd love to see a Southern politician come out and call for invalidating the fourteenth, overturning White v. Texas in a serious way but they all seem to back away. It makes we wonder whether they're sincere. Perhaps someone needs to start a referendum like Quebec. It could be your calling. I would certainly support a new secessionist movement. I think you might even find more Copperheads than before.
@Mark Thompson, Just to flog a dead horse, hows about a rambling rough post on the Fourteenth? No need for anything polished. Just something to get the conversation started?
Couldn't we solve this with a show of hands? How many Southerners want a return of Slavery or Jim Crow? How many Northerners think it's worth the time of day to keep the South in the Union?
@John Howard Griffin, I believe that it was the North that first did threaten secession. We find nullification first in the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions in response to the Patriot Act of the day. If only these options were still open to debate without the charge of somehow romanticizing the confederacy or secretly longing for slavery. It's no mystery what the knee jerk cons would say "The Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper" or "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
@Mark Thompson, Trust me, I'm no fan of the South. However, focusing on their moral character as the de facto response to their complaints is misleading. They should have been allowed to leave. The political maneuvers used to bring about the war (Maryland) and to fundamentally alter the state (fourteenth) significantly undermine the moral high ground of the North in my view. Unfortunately, one can't have a conversation about something like secession or nullification without being charged with supporting slavery or worshiping Henry Clay.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Progressives should take a second look at competitive federalism”
@Bob, "It’s food for thought. Do middle-income people in Blue states feel ok with sharing the burden more than similar middle-income in Red?" I don't feel OK with sharing with those that disparage sharing. I don't mind taking care of me and mine (those in my State). I have no more interest in supporting Alabama than I do Afghanistan.
"
@Bob, Where's Washington?
"
@Jaybird, Or, people can just continue to move to places they're comfortable with. I'll second you on the pony of course... and add the 14th to the 17th.
On “Desire and Deviance, again”
@North, So, keep the arguments pertinent to the '50s? Why?
On “Progressives should take a second look at competitive federalism”
@willybobo, I'd say that there's more political diversity in the US than Sweden. Scandinavian countries, until very recently, have been rather homogeneous, where there are significant differences between the different regions of the US. When we dictate that both Oregon and Texas have to run on the same principles we deprive both.
"
Count me on board. This has been my basic rant for years. I do think that State governance would improve if they weren't tied so tightly to national politics. Washington is a great example of the problems of one party rule. There's no way for a vibrant regional conservatism to develop when it's tied to the National (Southern) iteration.
On “Desire and Deviance, again”
@North, I suppose it all depends. In my neighborhood you'd get more respect being gay than a bible thumper. Today, it seems more acceptable to ask people to quit being religious fundamentalists than it is to ask someone to quit dressing well.
"
@North, What's the matter with choice? Why does it lose?
"
@Jaybird,
Good point. I'd rather be gay than do a come over.
"
This was a really good piece. However, it still seems a bit disingenuous. The Kinsey scale seems intuitively correct to me. What's the problem with sticking to it? Homosexuality may be a choice for many but for me (Jason or the author of the linked piece) it's not. Sexuality, like religion, may be a choice or may feel like a divine directive. It doesn't really matter and shouldn't be subject to political pressure.
On “More on Confederate Apologia”
@Trumwill, So, interference in our back yard (banana republics) are OK. There is no such thing as sovereignty in our hemisphere other than what we deem worthy. We can do to our neighbors what we wouldn't think of doing to strangers. That seems a bit strange. I have no more right to tell Georgia what to do than those in Afghanistan or the Congo.
"
@Trumwill, How about the places in the world that have slavery now? Should we invade all of those? Should we invade Iran, North Korea, a good chunk of Africa? Should we then Annex them and give them a vote?
On “Porn, again”
I didn't really notice anyone engaging. Seems more like everyone throwing their two cents into the pot. I'd wager that more marriages are damaged by limited or habitual sex than too much great sex.
I particularly liked Rebecca's post, but dang, those are murky waters and you had better have a great relationship before going there or have a greater EQ than most guys have. Ultimately, it's going to come down to the preferences and compatibility of the four people involved. If one thinks sex is about puppy dog eyes and cuddling and the others strongly prefer acrobatics and a bit of the ol' spank and tickle there's going to be trouble and it would be best to call the whole thing off. And for those that have an exhibitionist streak, closet yourselves before you embarrass your parents and come off as a damaged individual.
On “Bigotry Comes Out of the Closet”
This is just an outlier. There are so many decent moderate Christians that are against this sort of extremism this place will be out of business in a week.
On “Porn, again”
@Tony Comstock, It's a bit hard to address this question without definitions. What exactly is the change? Less hair on the actresses? I believe the internet has had a great impact or at least facillitated a change. There are certain forms of cinema where authenticity count more than cgi. Porn is one. Extreme or gen-x sports are another. I wouldn't say that the internet is the cause of more extreme sex or sport but it does allow for a home production that can rival a slick package.
On “Strange Things Allegedly Believed by Others”
@Freddie, Enough about you. Let's talk about me.
On “Porn, again”
@Tony Comstock, Could you provide a link to a Poulos piece that exemplifies what you're referring to?
On “More on Confederate Apologia”
@Bob Cheeks, I'd love to see a Southern politician come out and call for invalidating the fourteenth, overturning White v. Texas in a serious way but they all seem to back away. It makes we wonder whether they're sincere. Perhaps someone needs to start a referendum like Quebec. It could be your calling. I would certainly support a new secessionist movement. I think you might even find more Copperheads than before.
"
@greginak, How so? Lincoln is no knight in shining armor. He makes Shrub look like a philanthropist.
"
@Mark Thompson, Just to flog a dead horse, hows about a rambling rough post on the Fourteenth? No need for anything polished. Just something to get the conversation started?
"
@Bob Cheeks, I'll take my chances... and wait for the first one to raise their hand.
"
Couldn't we solve this with a show of hands? How many Southerners want a return of Slavery or Jim Crow? How many Northerners think it's worth the time of day to keep the South in the Union?
"
@John Howard Griffin, I believe that it was the North that first did threaten secession. We find nullification first in the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions in response to the Patriot Act of the day. If only these options were still open to debate without the charge of somehow romanticizing the confederacy or secretly longing for slavery. It's no mystery what the knee jerk cons would say "The Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper" or "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
"
@John Howard Griffin, ‘Don’t let the door hit you on the way out’
If only they had come up with that answer a hundred years earlier.
On ““The Ghost of Bobby Lee””
@Mark Thompson, Trust me, I'm no fan of the South. However, focusing on their moral character as the de facto response to their complaints is misleading. They should have been allowed to leave. The political maneuvers used to bring about the war (Maryland) and to fundamentally alter the state (fourteenth) significantly undermine the moral high ground of the North in my view. Unfortunately, one can't have a conversation about something like secession or nullification without being charged with supporting slavery or worshiping Henry Clay.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.