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[hector13]

"A dangerous movement, undetected by many, is now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom," Sessions said in his speech. "There can be no doubt. This is no little matter. It must be confronted and defeated."

I got your back guys, I can see it and I’ll stop ‘em, goddamn it.

I feel the only thing missing is the sandwich board with “GOD LOVES YOU” on one side and a dead foetus on the other.

[Dunamisdeos]

You know what enabled that?

The last cake-scapade. The SCOTUS found that the the entirety of the state courts was outright discriminatory and outwardly hostile, thereby "justifying" the creation of this department that will certainly not be used to police people religious beliefs in the future, no sir.

[Rolan7]

You know what enabled that?

The last cake-scapade. The SCOTUS found that the the entirety of the state courts was outright discriminatory and outwardly hostile, thereby "justifying" the creation of this department that will certainly not be used to police people religious beliefs in the future, no sir.

Yeah.  Technically they only found that a state court was being unfair (again, made no constitutional decision on the bakery's decision).

Which is a valid (in SS13 terms) reason to chip further away at the church/state barrier.

[Starver]

Dividends are only one means of getting value from shares. Another one is that shares tend to value ahead of inflation. A good spread of shares is overall better than a bank balance in maintaining value, which is why people get shares.

As these were Employee Stock Purchases, we got them at a 'discount' of the face value, based upon according to min_value(some_applicable_period) and so long as the company did not tank, we'd profit from their sale as soon as we were permitted.

Meanwhile, the company generates a 'demand' for the shares (which the balance needed to discount them not wiping out the advantages), guarantees the employees reinvest in the company with 'their' money before it even gets onto the more obvious taxable end of the paycheck (the Capital Gains, or similar, hit is taken upon cashing in, which the company doesn't care about and the employee hardly cares for because "hey, free money!", whether or not it actually is) and the employee is obviously already on-script with the whole Defered Gratification thing.

Because of specifically trying to use rules intended to promote investment, there's probably less tax (highly depending upon overall tax bracket) going to the government so maybe there is Free Money, for thr shrewder elements (the company, or else it wouldn't contemplate doing it - and an employee who does more than just dumbly receive their entitlement and redeem it ASAP can perhaps also benefit by tweaking things, though few will be as clever/lucky as it would be possible to be).


Oversees employees (such as I was) also have to think about the exchange rate at a given time. Salary (fixed) in pounds is shaved off to pay for dollar-amount shares (luckmof the draw!) but then thr cashing in can be better timed, not only for company performance (avoiding the common employee sell-off window, as there's amslight dip) but also for USD=>GBP, or whatever is relevent, which can be turbulent at times. Oh, and you have to deal with local Revenue rules on share profits, or just keep under the radar.

[Gentlefish]

...The hell, Jeff? Religious rights were and are still being upheld. Just because some people are not allowed to practice the parts of Christianity that affect others negatively, impinging on their religious rights, does not mean Christians are being prosecuted. And I'm speaking from experience, especially considering "Christian" is considered status quo alongside "white" and "male" in most communities even though they are losing the majority (and likely plurality).

[Trekkin]

You know what enabled that?

The last cake-scapade. The SCOTUS found that the the entirety of the state courts was outright discriminatory and outwardly hostile, thereby "justifying" the creation of this department that will certainly not be used to police people religious beliefs in the future, no sir.

That might be the proximal cause, but you could go back as far as Docetism to find what enabled their overarching need to feel persecuted, which in turn enables the kind of worldview that gives them hurt fee-fees at having to admit nonbelievers exist.

[Hanslanda]

...The hell, Jeff? Religious rights were and are still being upheld. Just because some people are not allowed to practice the parts of Christianity that affect others negatively, impinging on their religious rights, does not mean Christians are being prosecuted. And I'm speaking from experience, especially considering "Christian" is considered status quo alongside "white" and "male" in most communities even though they are losing the majority (and likely plurality).

Yeah, I am super fucking upset about this bullshit. Goddamn fucking Christains are oppressed? After 45 fucking Christain presidents? Are you fucking serious?! ARGH. Anyway, ignore me.

[Rolan7]

I don't know the best way to agree.
It's almost like we're a minority living in a state which is theoretically fair, but still has many nonsecular laws.

Kinda like being a racial minority, but without any of the automatic Liberal defense...

[Hanslanda]

Don't agree. Because the NSA will put you on the same watchlist as me. They'll track you and record you and destroy you if necessary. Because American Freedom*. American Rights*.

I'm so sick of this fucking country.

*(Only applicable to white, male Christians of voting age)

[nenjin]

Can't wait to watch the moral, ethical and logical tap dancing going on during the unequal enforcement of their mandate. It will come to a head when two opposed religious organizations come head to head demanding "protection" and the Jesus Police eventually have to tip their hand and side with their constituency.

[Dunamisdeos]

Can't wait to watch the moral, ethical and logical tap dancing going on during the unequal enforcement of their mandate. It will come to a head when two opposed religious organizations come head to head demanding "protection" and the Jesus Police eventually have to tip their hand and side with their constituency.

HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED we enabled religious discrimination so we could discriminate against OTHER RELIGIONS this is NOT WHAT WE ORDERED and there was NO WAY we could have foreseen this.

~Way too many Christians in a decade or so

[Max™]

Of course, this makes me quietly hope for the next depression to come soon and do exactly that, which is probably not good. My dislike of corporations borders on the sadistic and sociopathic... or I suppose whatever term would cover gleefully cutting off your nose to spite your face, cheering as it winces and cries in pain. Or something like that.

Dislike of an alien entity exerting influence over the nation you live in while often doing things which directly screw you over because it has goals utterly unlike any rational person would ever hold isn't sociopathic, it's sane in fact.

We invented artificial intelligence centuries ago and only recently noticed and gave them personhood, but the term damn well covers far too many human beings, it definitely shouldn't be so broad as to include our alien conqueror corporations.

[ggamer]

The only thing that's going to pull America out of the shitter is someone coming through and kicking corporations in the fucking teeth, a-la Teddy Roosevelt. There has to be a point where the threat of corporations taking their business elsewhere has to be overruled by the threat of a company's net worth hitting a trillion dollars, what the fuck? It's getting so fucking inane it hurts.

Idk, I'm becoming increasingly exasperated with the leadership at the top levels of our government, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that someone needs to do something about it. Either someone who both parties respect enough that they can get something done, or someone who the people love enough that they can reorganize shit to work more smoothly. If something doesn't happen soon...

...The hell, Jeff? Religious rights were and are still being upheld. Just because some people are not allowed to practice the parts of Christianity that affect others negatively, impinging on their religious rights, does not mean Christians are being prosecuted. And I'm speaking from experience, especially considering "Christian" is considered status quo alongside "white" and "male" in most communities even though they are losing the majority (and likely plurality).

I'd be more inclined to agree with the Christian right if I was sure that all they wanted was to practice their religion in peace. Unfortunately, I've seen enough fucking mindbending leaps of logic to know that there's an absolute irrational hatred of designated "other" groups right now in the christian right; it's stoked by decades of gerrymandering to favor extremism and fueling by politicians seeking an easy route to state and national positions.

I'm very cynical about what might happen in the next few years. Either there's gonna be a lot of violence, or - even worse - there won't be, and we'll just be ground into nothing as a people. My own intentions during this period i'll leave unstated. I have a career to think about, after all.

[Reelya]

Idk, I'm becoming increasingly exasperated with the leadership at the top levels of our government, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that someone needs to do something about it. Either someone who both parties respect enough that they can get something done, or someone who the people love enough that they can reorganize shit to work more smoothly. If something doesn't happen soon...

Expecting a "someone" to come along and fix things is unrealistic. It's usually how you end up with dictators, not saviors.

[sluissa]

Idk, I'm becoming increasingly exasperated with the leadership at the top levels of our government, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that someone needs to do something about it. Either someone who both parties respect enough that they can get something done, or someone who the people love enough that they can reorganize shit to work more smoothly. If something doesn't happen soon...

Expecting a "someone" to come along and fix things is unrealistic. It's usually how you end up with dictators, not saviors.

Which is why we turn to a something