776

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

It's "so hard to understand" because there's no straight definition of what that means, or even whether "respect an establishment of religion" actually means "separation of church and state."  tongue

777

(66 replies, posted in Drafting)

Sucks for you, Arby!  smile

778

(66 replies, posted in Drafting)

Yay!

779

(66 replies, posted in Drafting)

Why don't I get a team?  sad

780

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

Kemp would probably say either one is fine.  tongue

781

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

Wait... there was no "aha, brilliant argument coming up?"  Just informing?  Bah, that was boring!  tongue

782

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

Right...

783

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_we_trust

The motto was first challenged in Aronow v. United States in 1970, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled: "It is quite obvious that the national motto and the slogan on coinage and currency 'In God We Trust' has nothing whatsoever to do with the establishment of religion. Its use is of patriotic or ceremonial character and bears no true resemblance to a governmental sponsorship of a religious exercise."[27] The decision was cited in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, a 2004 case on the Pledge of Allegiance. These acts of "ceremonial deism" are "protected from Establishment Clause scrutiny chiefly because they have lost through rote repetition any significant religious content."[28] In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court also held that the nation's "institutions presuppose a Supreme Being" and that government recognition of God does not constitute the establishment of a state church as the Constitution's authors intended to prohibit.[29]

784

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

"In God we trust" has been money since 1864.  "One nation under God" since 1956.

How?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-eYBZFEzf8

785

(5 replies, posted in Politics)

How much Middle Eastern production is done by US and European foreign workers?  Remember, we're talking about an industry where nations have created entire cities so foreign workers could live without interfering with local cultural traditions.

786

(154 replies, posted in General)

> The Yell wrote:

> > Nolio wrote:

> This thread is lamer than Zarf and Skoe put together -_-<<


Wonder Twin powers - ACTIVATE




FORM OF... A train!  big_smile   Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

787

(105 replies, posted in Politics)

Yes.
Beginning of 1st Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;


Additionally:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

788

(5 replies, posted in Politics)

Actually, I should add to this:

Since, with events as they've unfolded, technology wouldn't be an impediment to businesses entering the oil market, you would have a scenario where oil companies could more freely enter and leave the oil industry.  So in order to drive down prices to kill US production, the foreign oil nations would need to near-perpetually keep oil prices tanked.  The result?  Mission friggin accomplished!

789

(5 replies, posted in Politics)

> The Yell wrote:

> bogus

OPEC will just open the taps and drive the price down until US production diminishes





And the US would then be able to respond with equivalent import tariffs, as per WTO regulations.  Even if the US outproduces Saudi Arabia, the vast majority of its production would be for domestic consumption, so that works.  Meanwhile, the Middle Eastern nations that depend on oil for... oh, 90% of their budgets... would be sort of screwed.

790

(66 replies, posted in Drafting)

Nick: Zarf
Location: The moon
Preferred role: Inactive

791

(154 replies, posted in General)

I'd reply to that, but I'm too busy staring at pictures of trains.  hmm

792

(154 replies, posted in General)

Can I close this thread for the sake of our sanity?  Not sure if there's a rules violation here, but it just seems like the right thing to do.  tongue

793

(154 replies, posted in General)

I'm pretty sure it's fair to say that since the theme change means we won't have to listen to Flint's rapping anymore, everyone won that round.

794

(22 replies, posted in Politics)

Um... this is kind of a big deal.  I get what you're saying, but of all Flint's threads to complain about being here... this probably wasn't your best pick for a target.  tongue

795

(154 replies, posted in General)

Mafia would be like "Okay, let's kill the special roles at night," then declare their names as various townie names, while at the same time focusing their killings on the townies whose names aren't disputed and the special roles.

796

(34 replies, posted in Politics)

It would be really fun if when people refer to "numbers" that can be broken down, they actually showed said numbers!  That would be fun!  smile

Not that I disagree... but yeah... it's sort of weird to base a claim on uncited statistics.  tongue

797

(37 replies, posted in Community)

If California elects him governor, I vote to kick that state out of the Union!

798

(37 replies, posted in Community)

He got better.

799

(11 replies, posted in Politics)

I just want to add to the argument against Justinian that enforcing his proposal would actually require the IRS to perform physical examinations of individuals as part of their audits.  "Okay, now that we're done examining your books, we need to check your blood pressure."

800

(154 replies, posted in General)

Worst... thread... ever...