Politics

[Tanks]

The gift that keeps giving.

US arms sales suffer setback after Ukraine weapons pause — Newsweek

Portugal and other European countries are beginning to question the U.S.' reliability as a defense ally despite its dominant role in global arms sales. Published March 14, 2025 U.S. arms sales have suffered a fresh setback as Portugal ruled out purchasing fighter jets from Washington, while...

apple.news

 

[USN]

According to Breitbart US has kicked the South African ambassador out. I would expect SA to do the same. Hunter’s could lose US embassy assistance.

 

[WAB]

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According to Breitbart US has licked the South African ambassador out. I would expect SA to do the same. Hunter’s could lose US embassy assistance.

I assume this is a typo and we didn’t really lick him?

 

[Jeff505]

As a non-American, im still confused. Do you guys want the states too look after education themselves, or for all schools become privatized?

You can ignore that after @SaintPanzer ’s post

There is one other aspect that is becoming more common, I have several family members and friends that home school their children. Had I not been able to send my kids to a private school I would have opted for this choice. It is not just academics but the unteaching of moral values that may cause parents to choose this direction.

 

[USN]

I assume this is a typo and we didn’t really lick him?

Old, can’t see and typing on phone, kicked not licked. Thanks edit completed

 

[wesheltonj]

I am 100% for defunding the DOE, Randi and the democrats cabal. Poor performing teachers should be sent down the road.

But we should start to pay quality teachers far more money. It’s should be a highly desirable profession. Attracting the best.

The rest of our society pivots on quality education. Reading early being most important.
Poor education is a pipeline to poverty and crime. The money we save on welfare and prison could be used to pay the best people to spend hours a day with our kids.

Now we actually allow people I wouldn’t let in my house to watch and teach our Kids.

You could pay them a million a year and if when they get home their parents are not helping them with homework and letting them run wild it will not matter.

And stop paying them on tenure, pay them on performance (merit).

 

[Tanks]

You could pay them a million a year and if when they get home their parents are not helping them with homework and letting them run wild it will not matter.
...

Well, letting them run wild and helping them with homework are two different things. I think the only time I ever helped my daughter with her homework was when she was taking Calculus her senior year in high school. And that was because her friends were not available. Rest of the time she chatted with her friends on AOL Instant Messenger to ask and answer questions. She'd have multiple windows open with different friends when they were doing projects.

Being the "trust but verify" kind of guy I had installed software on her computer that would mimic her desktop on my computer in my office. Verified occasionally that it was really homework, and it was.

 

[sgt_zim]

If the local school system is under performing, some believe that parents should have the option to choose a private school, and be reimbursed for the tuition via public funding. Because some (but not all) private schools are run by religious organizations and have religious teachings as part of their curriculum, others believe that this represents a conflict with a state sponsor of religion.

Which is as good an example as any of how poor our education system is.

Our founders wanted to ensure that what had happened in earlier colonial America to Quakers, Baptists, Catholics, and Jews (among others) would not happen in the new republic.

Jefferson's famous letter to the Danbury Baptist Church was to assure that the wall which existed between church and state actually protected the churches from government involvement, not the other way round.

 

[WAB]

Which is as good an example as any of how poor our education system is.

Our founders wanted to ensure that what had happened in earlier colonial America to Quakers, Baptists, Catholics, and Jews (among others) would not happen in the new republic.

Jefferson's famous letter to the Danbury Baptist Church was to assure that the wall which existed between church and state actually protected the churches from government involvement, not the other way round.

Exactly! The separation of church and state is quite possibly the most misunderstood and misapplied principle of the founding fathers.

 

[OxfordTheCat]

Old, can’t see and typing on phone, kicked not licked. Thanks edit completed

There was a time, not too long ago, where such a correction wouldn't be necessary.

... in this day and age, and in the current political climate, you really never know. Probably not a coin toss, but maybe one in ten chance he might have actually gotten licked through some farcical development.

 

[OxfordTheCat]

The gift that keeps giving.

US arms sales suffer setback after Ukraine weapons pause — Newsweek

Portugal and other European countries are beginning to question the U.S.' reliability as a defense ally despite its dominant role in global arms sales. Published March 14, 2025 U.S. arms sales have suffered a fresh setback as Portugal ruled out purchasing fighter jets from Washington, while...

apple.news

Germany and Switzerland both reconsidering, and I anticipate that Canada will as well.

I'm particularly interested to see how Carney's Europe visit goes. The F35 was barely politically viable even before the recent nonsense; and I wouldn't be surprised if we go back to the Gripen, manufactured in Canada under license, as a stopgap and join the Tempest program for the longer term.

 

[Hank2211]

Germany and Switzerland both reconsidering, and I anticipate that Canada will as well.

I'm particularly interested to see how Carney's Europe visit goes. The F35 was barely politically viable even before the recent nonsense; and I wouldn't be surprised if we go back to the Gripen, manufactured in Canada under license, as a stopgap and join the Tempest program for the longer term.

I think prudence would dictate that countries should avoid US weapons systems for the foreseeable future, if at all possible.

 

[OxfordTheCat]

In lighter news, in a rare miss from Amazon, I did not receive The Science Of Success today.

I did however, receive a three disc Blu-ray set of the Jaws trilogy sequels instead. Slight mix up.

Rather bafflingly, the original Jaws movie is not included
Just the follow ons.
But apparently Charles Koch's books keep interesting company at the warehouse.

 

[SaintPanzer]

Which is as good an example as any of how poor our education system is.

Our founders wanted to ensure that what had happened in earlier colonial America to Quakers, Baptists, Catholics, and Jews (among others) would not happen in the new republic.

Jefferson's famous letter to the Danbury Baptist Church was to assure that the wall which existed between church and state actually protected the churches from government involvement, not the other way round.

I think I understand your point.

Where it all gets lost is when people say "suppose you reimburse a [Catholic] parochial school. Would you also reimburse a madrassa?

Well, if afterwards you can still pass the required academic tests...

 

[Scott CWO]

One of the american selfperceptions has often tied up to the individuel achievement and in the fresh of this a self-glorification. Its a different kind of poverty that doesn`t leave room for much.

If you’re from Australia, what do you know about American self perception?

 

[lwaters]

Feel free to provide one's own commentary, rationalization, whatever.

View attachment 671496

The stock market hates uncertainty plus it was over valued. For myself I hold my age in fixed income which I doubt that I will ever spend enough to worry about my stock funds. For my own Forcast which most likely to be wrong I like foreign stocks and small caps.

 

[Jeff505]

I think I understand your point.

Where it all gets lost is when people say "suppose you reimburse a [Catholic] parochial school. Would you also reimburse a madrassa?

Well, if afterwards you can still pass the required academic tests...

The problem that occurs when an institution accepts money from the government is that there are usually strings attached, although I sent my children to a private Christian school I never felt that I was owed reimbursement. This is a sacrifice that one makes and should not expect others to foot the bill. As public schools too often these days have taken on the roll of government reeducation camps it is more important then ever to be involved this educational process. My daughter is a public school teacher and is shocked by what is pushed by the NEA. Local control rather then federal is certainly a step in the right direction, reflecting the community values.

 

[spike.t]

I understand what you’re trying to say but several American producers still legally refer to their sparkling wine as champagne.

The 100-Year-Old Loophole That Makes California Champagne Legal

For a bottle of sparkling wine to be labeled Champagne, it has to be made in Champagne, France and produced using the méthode champenoise. If that bottle is produced using the exact same method, anywhere else, it must carry a different name. The production method itself must even be referred to...

vinepair.com

So there is “champagne” being produced here in the US and Trump is technically correct.

Interesting..never knew about that loophole.....

 

[WAB]

The problem that occurs when an institution accepts money from the government is that there are usually strings attached, although I sent my children to a private Christian school I never felt that I was owed reimbursement. This is a sacrifice that one makes and should not expect others to foot the bill. As public schools too often these days have taken on the roll of government reeducation camps it is more important then ever to be involved this educational process. My daughter is a public school teacher and is shocked by what is pushed by the NEA. Local control rather then federal is certainly a step in the right direction, reflecting the community values.

I don’t look at it as reimbursement. Your tax dollars are being spent on the public school. You are simply asking that they be spent on a private school.

 

[spike.t]

According to Breitbart US has kicked the South African ambassador out. I would expect SA to do the same. Hunter’s could lose US embassy assistance.

South African ambassador 'no longer welcome' in US, Rubio says

The US Secretary of State called the ambassador a "race-baiting politician who hates America".

www.bbc.com