I believe you concerning Memphis. But Katrina was a clusterfuck of near epic proportions, so it makes a poor example when comparing it to refugees making their way into Canada. I won't speak to the US policies regarding standards and screening of refugees, but I'm familiar with Canada's screening process. Screening starts with the host countries. In our case those countries are Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. They are the first, and arguably weakest line of defense, simply because there are so fucking many of them that separating the wheat from the chaff is near impossible. Next up is the UNHCR which performs its own triage, identifying legitimate refugees with multiple interviews, questioning them about their past or current military activities or affiliations, and their future plans. Their system includes various anti-fraud measures and records the composition of families along with photos and fingerprints. The big criteria for resettlement in Canada are the following: - Are they at risk of physical harm in their home country? - Are they survivors of torture or violence? - Do they require medical care that's not available in their country? - Are there women and children at risk? Very few are chosen for resettlement. Next up is the federal government. A visa officer based in the host country will review an applicant’s supporting documents, as well as the conditions in both the country they have fled, and the country where they are currently living, then conduct an interview with the refugee — essentially to see if their story stands up. After that, CSIS rolls in and does their thing. Now, in the interest of not bullshitting you or anyone reading this, it's not a perfect system. Even our Public Security Minister Ralph Goodale has said it's not foolproof. But let's face it, nothing is. Anything from human error to a great liar can fuck up the whole process, but it's very intensive nonetheless, going through several agencies. And that's why I have faith in it. The ultimate goal is to only take in those most in need of our help. Of the millions of registered refugees we're considering, the goal is only to bring in 25,000. Those are reasonably good odds in my books. Also, is there a link or source about the so-called 14 year old? I am very interested in reading about that.
Pictures like this do warm the heart: The vetting process here is pretty top-notch. I have never felt "invaded" or threatened. There is a large Muslim population in my city that I've never had a single issue with. Over in Germany and Sweden, the climate is far, FAR different than in North America. You do not see or hear this here:
Wal Mart just announced they are closing 154 stores in the US, affecting 10K workers. So, I go look to see how the Dow is reacting. Absolute nosedive. Like off a cliff.
I'm not sure those are necessarily directly connected. In the chart you attached, it fell 365 points on Wed without any Walmart announcement. Plus, of the 154 stores, 102 of those are the little WalMart express stores that were basically a trial program started a few years ago. And, they are also still planning to open 100 new stores in the next year, with 60 of those as Supercenters. Those 60 Supercenters will employ more people than the 100 Express stores.
Walmart has been dropping most of last year, down from around $90. Those 10k lay offs might actually UP its share price. Whatever market volatility might be attributed to WM was already factored in long ago. Plus, those workers have little to no spending power. Oil went back under $30 a barrel. All this nonsense today is because of oil. Chevron is down almost 50% in the past year. Oil popped back up yesterday and a bunch of idiots bought back into Chevron, which is now almost 3% down again. I have a hard time wrapping my head around investing habits.
These oil prices are tanking the Houston economy. All the big oil companies are laying off en masse. My gf's office is laying off 1/3 of its Houston force. The only thing it is marginally helping here is the overvalued real estate market.
Layoffs suck. At that size it is a big deal. The ramifications effect so many more sectors from the sudden halt in spending. The oil recovery is a myth. If by some chance it does double up to $60 like some are saying, we can look forward to another mini-collapse when this same scenario happens again in a year or two. The surplus is huge. Bring on the solar, wind, geothermal, next gen batteries. Investment opportunity, manufacturing, construction, sales jobs, without the expense of drilling, environmental cleanup, and probably cheaper R&D. This is a market waiting to explode. Unlike oil and gas which is literally waiting to explode. http://gizmodo.com/the-la-gas-leak-is-scarier-than-we-thought-1752935526
They are predicting an upturn in the prices maaayybbee by 4th quarter of 2016. If we actually make reasonable attempts at green/renewable energy, it won't matter how cheap the Saudis make their oil, we just won't need it.(we will always need oil in some form, just not to the degree it is now) Watch how our political spectrum changes toward Saudi Arabia when we no longer need them. Once the market competition grows in alternative energy forms, the prices will drop considerably. And this should appeal to the libertarian types that want more independence from government intervention because they can make their own power without paying an energy company monthly for it.
They just had a huge rate hike for solar customers here in Vegas plus they now receive less for the buy back power. People that invested $10K + in solar systems for their homes are understandably pissed. Solar energy firms are laying folks off left and right. We're in the middle of a fucking desert, let's fuck over people using solar energy. Brilliant. http://www.reviewjournal.com/busine...ors-reject-call-delay-new-rooftop-solar-rates
We already don't need it. I suspect we keep getting oil from the Saudis just to keep a nice business relationship. It might have more to do with us wanting to promote stability there, than us needing the oil from them. The US oil consumption is overwhelmingly made up of domestic oil. Only a little over 20% comes from foreign sources, and most of that comes from Canada (and Mexico and Venezuela). In 2014, the US imported about 9 million barrels a day, but we also exported about 4 million barrels a day.
That's it? That's your rebuttal? You're gonna Wiki-link about a justice system that has no influence on the population at large like it's a legitimate counter to government-implemented Sharia? Or imply that democratic justice systems that keep religion separate from the state are even remotely comparable to theocracies? You guys are honestly trying to draw equivalency in fucked up-ness between countries with legal gay marriage and countries that, as I mentioned, KILL GAYS AND ATHEISTS, STONE WOMEN FOR GETTING RAPED AND FUCK NINE YEAR OLD GIRLS, based on religious teachings? I mean, fair enough -- we do live in a society with free speech, afterall -- but please don't hit post reply and expect to be taken seriously. Well that's a pretty weak point then. You keep picking this small, unanimously-mocked group as the prime example of current Christian extremism, and your judgment ends at their beliefs, as if how they enact those beliefs is just completely irrelevant, and puts them on par with people who LITERALLY kill gays because god said so. When in reality, the WBC are a shining example of how the West has defanged and tamed our religious crazies -- if the worst thing Muslim crazies did was hold up signs and peacefully protest in otherwise secular, pluralistic societies, a big chunk of world problems would be solved. You didn't name me specifically but I'll repeat that I think we absolutely should let them in, specifically refugees, because: We are a better society (and doing so makes us stronger in the long term), and in North America, the actual threat is small (many more people come in through work visas). I would however keep a close eye on young, lone men, but to be honest I think we should do that regardless of their country of origin. It's this pathetic false equivalency put forth by otherwise intelligent people that really grinds my gears. It's not honest, and it comes across as weirdly masochistic. And make no mistake: a more than willing sadist exists. Again, stop inferring. Nothing I said even hints that all religious teachings are bad (do unto others predates Abrahamic religions, by the way). But ok, you agree not all religious teachings are equally benign. Based on what you know of the five most followed religions, which would you say has the most violent teachings and founder?
I read that very story. Florida does the same. It would take me 20 fucking years to make a profit on panels. It only makes sense for new construction. It's all a scam. State governments are directly sexing your anus in favor of these scumbags. To me, that is criminal. But we voted our resident Lex Luthor right back in, and also with him any chance of marijuana reform which would also be another revenue whirlwind. Nothing new, business as usual. But they know the tide is changing, not in their favor. Congress could finally make the solar push part of their long awaited jobs bill, but that will happen when moneys fly out of my butt, chyah. There is a 24mph wind going right now. All I need to run my TV, fridge, and computer is a couple windmills on my roof. Those residential suckers are like 10k a pop. Come on, this is goofy. How many years of renewable infrastructure growth is needed? 10? 20? Oil is not going to vanish overnight. Every other field has been forced to diversify except energy. They're laying people off in huge numbers, so why are we still propping them up with subsidies and sweetheart deals. This country has the opportunity to lead a whole new sector with ridiculous growth. Like Rush said, we don't even really need the oil. So why continue playing the Saudis game. Imagine in 20 years when we don't need them. Shit, they're even doing a solar push while pissing in our faces.
“In the first 11 days of the year, officers filed just 3,916 investigative stop reports compared to 16,698 during the same time period last year, according to police data. That’s a 79-percent decrease, and arguably evidence that officers are avoiding the kind of proactive policing better known as the “stop-and-frisk” investigative stops pushed by former top cop Garry McCarthy. That approach led to thousands of gun arrests and illegal guns being confiscated every year. Indeed, gun confiscations and arrest are each down more than 35 percent this year." http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...ops-signal-bigger-problem-than-more-paperwork
Town bans male refugees from pools amid complaints A town in Germany has banned male asylum seekers from public swimming pools after complaints from women that they were being harassed by migrants http://www.thelocal.de/20160115/town-bans-asylum-seekers-from-pools-after-spate-of-harassment
You said that the other religions don't even have justice systems. That statement was false. Now you're simply trying to distract from that by arguing the extreme; I didn't say that the existence of other religious systems of justice means that Sharia law is cool by me. By all means, say that Sharia is worse than Western constitutional democracies. I agree with you, but that's not really what you said, even if that's what you wanted to say. But let's not pretend that the most unsavoury aspects of our own systems of law and justice don't have religious origins. How long ago was it that buggery and adultery were illegal? How about issues like abortion and gay marriage? Interracial marriage? School segregation? Why do people make such a stink about even the most remote possibility of Sharia law being applied to Muslims in the United States when Orthodox Jews already use their own system of courts for various matters? By way of comparison, Crown said that no religion has sectarian violence quite like Islam, and that he'd never seen any serious squabbles between Christian sects. Obviously that statement was false, and I pointed that out... does the fact that Sunni-Shia conflicts are worse than current Catholic-Protestant conflicts somehow make it true? I know that using capslock is tempting, but relax.
I wasn't trying to make a point, I was stating my belief. In my opinion, they and all fanatical religious groups are all a bunch of dicks, regardless of how they operate and what the results of their actions are. Sorry, I can't help but infer when I know you just want me to say Islam has the most violent teachings and founder. I don't even know that to be true since I know jack shit about Mohammed, Buddha, or Hindu deities, though Shiva, destroyer of worlds sounds pretty bad. Based on what I actually know, Judaism and by extension, Christianity have the most violent teachings and founder. Moses was responsible for killing every first born child in Egypt, and wiping out armies of Jewish enemies. All while writing laws that, for instance, guaranteed death for working on Saturday. Back when Judaism was founded, I have no doubt that they followed all of the same fucked up rules that are in the Old Testament that nobody follows now. I have no doubt that Islam will be the same way.
To call the other religions' rules, commandments and edicts a justice system, in comparison to Sharia, which is much more political and encompassing, covering religious and secular topics, is a stretch, to put it mildly. Jesus did not seek to overthrow Caesar to implement (Christian-equivalent word for Sharia that does not exist), for example. Mohammed's approach was...a bit different. And a constitutional democracy including religious teachings, then shedding those teachings because it's not dogma (unlike Sharia), is a step further. I also find it hard to believe you don't see the difference between a small segment of a minority choosing to follow their religious rules on some (mostly religious) matters, and government-instituted Sharia for everyone, whether they like it or not. And I capitalized because of this bullshit false equivalency you guys are putting forth, as if countries where gay marriage is legal are more or less as bad as countries where if you're gay the government will kill you. I find it shocking and frustrating how easily you guys can brush off these current, everyday atrocities by basically shrugging and saying, "Well, we used to be kinda sorta as fucked up, in the past, so what's the big deal?" Oh, that's weird. I thought you were trying to make a point when you said: My bad. But how can you say "...regardless of how the operate and what the results of their actions are"? Come on. Obviously there's a huge difference between believing something fucked up, and acting it out. You don't honestly think peacefully protesting a funeral and literally causing a funeral are even close to the same...do you? We agree both beliefs are fucked up, but wouldn't you agree that if every suicide vest was willfully replaced by a picket sign, the world would be vastly better off? I truthfully wasn't trying to get you to say anything. You agreed there's a spectrum of un-benign teachings and founders, and I asked which you would place at the top. You don't know enough to answer confidently. Fair enough. Read more if you feel like it, but I'll give you a head start by letting you know that Mohammed was not quite as benign, in his teachings or example, as Jesus.
As many as it takes. The price of freedom has always been, and always will be, blood. I know we don't like to think in those terms, but every freedom ever earned has been paid for in blood. Terrorism is a bullshit term. Murder is murder, doesn't matter why. People are killed every day. Spousal abuse, drugs, anger, road rage, and the list goes on. But somehow, as a society, we have deemed a single death due to terrorism to be unacceptable. We'll let 20 children be gunned down in a school and do nothing to prevent it from happening again. But the idea that some guy named Muhammed MIGHT do something nefarious and kill someone means we have to ban every one we don't like? A death is a death. They are all tragic, but what would be even more tragic would be to pervert the dream of what we are because we are too scared. That, to me, is the unacceptable outcome.
Your latter statement is exactly why nothing ever gets done to prevent your former complaint. People propose a possible solution to problem B and it is quickly shot down because A happened and no one did anything about it, so fuck it. I never said we should ban everyone I don't like. This may surprise you, but I actually have Muslim friends that immigrated from Yemen and Egypt. I think we need to cool our jets, step back, and review our vetting process before we just open the gates wide. We can't properly vet the folks we're letting in right now and that needs to change. That doesn't mean I hate Muslims. But the sad truth is we are at war with certain Muslims. Think about it, during WWII we were at war with Germany. Not every German was a Nazi or a Nazi sympathizer, but we were at war. What would've happened if we just started allowing Germans in our country during the war as refugees? How many spies or saboteurs would've been mixed in with innocents? As far as freedom costs blood, that is true. But the ones that bleed the most are usually the losers.
For you guys that are comparing the violence and intolerance in these cultures to our own and advocate an open gate policy, I have to ask: Have you spent time in a third world country like those in this discussion? I don't mean a 1 or 2 week vacation, I mean actually lived there and gained an understanding of the local mentality. Having spent time aplenty abroad in some of the world's less savory regions I don't see how a sane person could compare the two and act as if cultural differences are negligible. When you've seen someone beaten to death in broad day light on a weekly basis come back and tell me there's no difference. The idea that they're all seeking a better life and only want to earn to an honest living in peace (minus a few bad apples, same as any culture)is a nice one, but my experience says otherwise. What's happening in Europe that just sparked this conversation also says otherwise. I don't think Muslim immigrants is a problem. However, there are certain regions of the faith where a hell fucking no isn't emphatic enough. I think it's just too hard to believe that there's places in this world where the people really are just that fucking awful. 'Not all of them' isn't good enough in my opinion. Bring us your tired, your hungry, your poor, but not at the expense of rape and American lives. Wow.