From homeschooled fundie to free-thinker

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Thursday March 15, 2012 · 1:00 PM PDT

2012/03/15 · 13:00

Way back in 2005 I posted a largely unremarked-upon diary about how I escaped my Theocratic upbringing. As a result of recent discussions on homeschooling, particularly the differences between conservative homeschooling and progressive homeschooling, and also because many progressives think there's no way to escape the programming delivered by a theocratic religious conservative homeschooled childhood, I'm republishing this original diary. I've updated and clarified this a bit from it's original form, posted nearly 7 years ago. I've become less religious and more political in that time.

jabbausaf

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Saturday March 03, 2012 · 8:13 AM PST

2012/03/03 · 08:13

Over the last few weeks we've been subjected to a repeat of the old "culture wars" bullshit with respect to the battle by the right-wing to restrict reproductive rights. If I was a Democrat, I'd be overjoyed, because it'd be a sign the Republicans have nothing at all left in their toolbox. Additionally, the Republicans have ensured that any voter with a uterus who doesn't think her purpose in life is to pump out babies for Jesus is going to vote against Republicans this fall. It's been a truly fantastical blunder on the part of the right wing; apathy could have dramatically suppressed the left's voting base this year, as there was previously little difference between, say, Obama and Mitt Romney. Instead the Republicans have done what the Democrats were little incapable of doing on their own; they've motivated the Democrat base of women and younger voters to get out and volunteer and vote.

jabbausaf

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Tuesday February 14, 2012 · 8:10 AM PST

2012/02/14 · 08:10

The drones are indeed coming. Specifically, they're coming to the US, to our skies.

At first they will be unarmed. At first in Iraq and Afghanistan they were unarmed. How long do you think that will last?

There is an article in the LA Times, Pentagon working with FAA to open U.S. airspace to combat drones, which says:

The vast majority of the military's drones are small — similar to hobby aircraft. The FAA is working on proposed rules for integrating these drones, which are being eyed by law enforcement and private business to provide aerial surveillance. The FAA expects to release the proposal on small drones this spring.
But the Pentagon is concerned about flying hundreds of larger drones, including Global Hawks as well as MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers, both made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in Poway.

And last week Congress approved legislation that requires the FAA to have a plan to integrate drones of all kinds into national airspace on a wide scale by 2015.

jabbausaf

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Sunday February 12, 2012 · 7:00 AM PST

2012/02/12 · 07:00

Wholly unsurprising revelations have been made that the war in Afghanistan is an unmitigated disaster. Equally problematic is the undeclared drone war being waged across the border in Pakistan, chiefly by unaccountable CIA combat drones. In addition to killing people we're told are high-ranking Al Qaeda members, the drone strikes are killing innocent men, women, and children. Drone strikes are killing the first responders who show up at the scene of a drone strike to help the wounded. Drone strikes are killing mourners at the funerals of people killed by drone strikes. There's no accountability of this process, and there's very little condemnation of this in the media or the public at large. In a recent poll, even a majority of Democrats and liberals approved of the drone tactics. One can hope that this is simply because of a lack of understanding about the effects of the drone strikes, and their human cost.

jabbausaf

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Tuesday February 07, 2012 · 2:23 PM PST

2012/02/07 · 14:23

National Lawyers Guild calls for dismissal of charges against Bradley Manning

The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) calls for the dismissal of all charges against Bradley Manning. The Army announced on Friday that Manning will face a general court martial for allegedly leaking classified information about U.S. policy and practices relating to, among other things, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
NLG President David Gespass, said, “Manning’s prosecution is calculated to distract us from the real problem, that the U.S. government is once again hiding from the public proof of crimes committed in our name.”

National Review calls Mary Jo Kilroy a Socialist Revolutionary

jabbausaf

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Thursday September 09, 2010 · 4:38 PM PDT

2010/09/09 · 16:38

National Review article here.

On first read, I got all excited. Being a socialist myself, I would be overjoyed if my representative in Congress (yay OH-15) was a real socialist. Not a lot of those in politics for us to look up to these days. But then I turned on the critical reading (something the average National Review reader doesn't have any idea how to do) and gave it another look. After reading it again, I was very disappointed. Some things, pretty much all things, that I'd thought indicated that Kilroy was a Democratic Socialist, really don't indicate any such thing.

porn
dubstep
amateur porn

Poll

42 votes Show Results

Which Democratic Socialist are you?

42 votes Vote Now!

Which Democratic Socialist are you?

Eugene V. Debs

8 votes

Bernie Sanders

13 votes

George Orwell

7 votes

Mary Jo Kilroy

7 votes

Ed Asner

2 votes

Kurt Vonnegut

5 votes

In Defense of Liberalism

jabbausaf

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Monday June 14, 2010 · 3:25 PM PDT

2010/06/14 · 15:25

According to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, 49% of Americans believe that the Democrats are too liberal, and "four in 10" believe that Republicans are too conservative. I could go extensively into the intentional bias evidenced by the word choice there, 49% and 40% are much closer-sounding than "nearly half" and "four in 10", but that’s beside the point. As a progressive liberal who would doubtless be considered "too liberal" by significantly more then 49% of the country, someone who’s views are about in line with Russ Feingold and Bernie Sanders (he’s the only genuine democratic socialist in the Senate), I think that liberals in America have a real problem with their message. When I was growing up, during my impressionable and Republican teenage years, I remember Republican commentators back in 1996-2000 complaining about how they just couldn’t win against stronger Democrat messages. Seemingly, that strength of message has been lost in the intervening years. Liberals no longer seem able to impart to the general public the value of their position.

jabbausaf

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Thursday September 10, 2009 · 5:16 PM PDT

2009/09/10 · 17:16

If private insurance companies have been engaging in unacceptable business practices, to the extent that Republicans are willing to seek legislation to correct the problem, why are we supposed to continue to trust those same private insurance companies?

If prices for things like medical care, doctor visits, hospital stays, and drugs are too high, how will they be brought down without some form of government involvement?

If malpractice lawsuits become a thing of the past, what protections will exist for the poor saps that leave surgery with a scalpel sewn inside?

More detail and diatribe after the jump

jabbausaf

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Saturday April 26, 2008 · 11:21 AM PDT

2008/04/26 · 11:21

Atheist soldier claims harassment

But the short and soft-spoken specialist is at the center of a legal controversy. He has filed a lawsuit alleging he's been harassed and his constitutional rights have been violated because he doesn't believe in God. The suit names Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

"I'm not in it for cash," Hall said. "I want no one else to go what I went through."

Known as "the atheist guy," Hall has been called immoral, a devil worshipper and -- just as severe to some soldiers -- gay, none of which, he says, is true. Hall even drove fellow soldiers to church in Iraq and paused while they prayed before meals.

More here and here.

jabbausaf

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Friday March 07, 2008 · 6:44 AM PST

2008/03/07 · 06:44

Commander warns of Al Qaeda threat

Stay afraid people. We're not sure exactly what. But there's probably something to be afraid of. Keep being afraid, and let us keep control. We'll keep you safe. But not so safe you shouldn't be afraid.

jabbausaf

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Monday February 04, 2008 · 10:27 AM PST

2008/02/04 · 10:27

If you live in Ohio, today is the deadline to have your voter registration sent in, if you are not already registered or if you have moved.

jabbausaf

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Monday December 31, 2007 · 3:22 AM PST

2007/12/31 · 03:22

Inspired by this diary

We all know, or should all know provided nobody is holding a magnet to our moral compass, that torture is wrong. It is a crime easily on par with the worst of them, like rape, murder, genocide, and it frequently goes hand in hand with these. But there are still those who say that it can be worth it in certain situations, provided it provides useful information.

There's a problem with that. It doesn't. Can we know that for sure? Probably not, as we aren't omniscient. I don't know for sure that black holes exist. But an awful lot of people who know a lot about the problem say that torture does not work.

Poll

43 votes Show Results

Should torture be used?

43 votes Vote Now!

Should torture be used?

Never

40 votes

Only if it will produce critical information

1 vote

So long as it's better then what the worst country we can find is doing, we're alright

1 vote

It's not torture, it's "stressful interrogation"

1 vote

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From homeschooled fundie to free-thinker

The Birth Control Controversy (and why it's bull)

Domestic drone use, unarmed for now

The undeclared drone war

NLG calls for dismissal of charges against Manning

National Review calls Mary Jo Kilroy a Socialist Revolutionary

In Defense of Liberalism

Questions to ask Republicans about Health Care Reform

Atheist soldier sues military, Gates, for harassment

Maintain a General level of fear

Ohio Kossacks! Last day to register before primaries!

Torture doesn't work.