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[RedKing]

In the same way I am a nationalist in the way that I believe we should be trying to make Danish culture attractive and sell it to people, show that we are awesome, so that others might want to be awesome like us, instead of isolating ourselves and being angry little white people because of some kebab and some mosques. 

To make clear: Outward influence is good, but the cultural assimilation of European culture and language that is happening through America(Hollywood especially) is a thing I very much dislike.

Wait, are you saying all influence is good in moderation, or that Danish culture is better and more awesome than American and that the spreading of Danish culture is good??

And I highly doubt this "cultural assimilation" is really happening. There has always been a interplay of dominant cultures influencing others. Same as French during the enlightenment, or German during the medieval age. I don't see why this is something to get upset about. Change is good and enriching.

As memory serves, people got upset about cultural hegemony by the French and Germans back then too. It's a normal tension between nativism and absorption of foreign influences. I certainly don't want the rest of the world to be Americanized (but then I'm not a CEO trying to sell movies or Happy Meals).

[MonkeyHead]

People dislike what they see as thier cultural identifiers being replaced with those of a different culture, regardless of what might make political or economic common sense, be it through interplay, assimilation or cultural growth, development or trading, if it is sudden and appears to have no net positive gain. The Roman Empire spread through Europe, Middle East and North Africa as it generally led to improvements in the quality of life for people (gross generalisation i know). You try telling a Catalonian that they are Spanish, or telling me that I am English. Here in Wales one way we have dealt with this through entrenching in Law the protection of a number of cultural identifiers, with the most visible being the Welsh language. Seems to me a large amount of this "globalization is bad" is just a way of saying "USA out!" or "Death to the West!" and suchlike... some irony here seeing as many nations around the world that appear to be anti globalization have fallen under the yoke of some truly harmful imperial states and come out the other side with thier national identities more or less intact (heck, centuries of oppression under English rule in the middle ages has created the Welsh national identity), and are also all too willing to accept £, $ and € for tourism or oil. Will be interesting to see if the emerging powers of India and China "influence" western culture (in ways other than offering us tasty take away food for reasonable prices), should they go on to surpass the western world as some have predicted.

[Truean]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/first-lawsuit-filed-against-new-york-gay-marriage-law/story-e6frf7lf-1226102281008

Damn it.... These same assholes are pushing "tort reform" http://blog.heritage.org/2011/03/28/tort-reform-betrayed-in-new-york/ to prevent their corporate masters from paying out damage awards to severely injured victims and screaming "frivolous" at any and every lawsuit they see. Yet, they're suing:

"The plaintiffs were particularly upset that swing-vote Republicans allegedly turned off their mobile phones June 24, the day of the historic vote."



Cell phones were turned off during a legislative vote.... That preserves decorum and is respectful to the legislative process and everyone in the statehouse..... You're demanding the right to pester the shit out of lawmakers even as they vote?

To review, my client who lost a fucking leg should have his access to the courts and money damages limited but you fuckers should get to sue over this? Not frivolous, because it doesn't cost your company something? They have the audacity to call it "tort reform?"

Bring back the old guillotine, we'll show them exactly what we all mean.... Maybe after they have a few things cut off, they're realize how serious dismemberment injuries are and how frivolous their own claims play out as.... And me? I'm a greedy bastard ambulance chaser...? Maybe I wouldn't have to chase them if people would quit filling them with personal injury victims....

Cell phones off? During the vote? Really? Let's sue! That dude with nothing where his leg should be after the factory machine with inadequate safety protocols got done mangling it.... They can only amputate it once! Screw him, too expensive for the rest of us....

[RedKing]

I <3 Truean. 

Local NPR show reminded me of one our recent black eyes down here in North Cacalacky. See, the Republicans took control of both houses of the state legislature back in 2010, and ever since then it's been a rollercoaster ride straight to Hell. We used to be one of the leaders in the country in education spending (thanks in no small part to the efforts of the late, great Terry Sanford). Well, no more. "Let's be like our illiterate, inbred cousins in South Carolina!" seems to be the rallying cry of the state GOP. And the margin by which they hold the legislature is such that they can typically override gubernatorial vetos, reducing our Governor to a superfluous third nipple of state government. She's vetoed the hell out of things this year (including the state budget), and been overridden on almost all of them.

One of the most egregious is the new "Woman's Right to Know Act", which forces a 24-hour waiting period on abortions, requires that the woman submit to an ultrasound, and requires that the physician go over the ultrasound with the patient, pointing out all the various signs of development such as fingers, toes, the face, etc. Also requires state-mandated counseling. And if the abortion isn't done within 3 days of the ultrasound, she has to start all over and get ANOTHER ultrasound. This isn't about ensuring 'informed consent'. It's psychological warfare. It's trying to make an incredibly difficult, incredibly painful personal choice that much more difficult and painful.

We're a better state than that. We used to be a progressive model for the New South. Now it's like we're racing to drop down and rejoin our Deep South holy roller cousins. 

[Heron TSG]

Wow, that abortion law is stupid. What if the woman doesn't want an ultrasound, especially one that will be described in excruciating detail?

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It's not like Governor Perdue has had the most brilliant ideas either, she just hasn't been able to pass any of them. In any case, NC has always been a swing state, local and federally. Things might change soon.

Wow, that abortion law is stupid. What if the woman doesn't want an ultrasound, especially one that will be described in excruciating detail?

"But thenthewomandoesntknowbabylifefullybeginsatconceptionnodifferencebetweenfetusandnewbornsinchristiannationblahblahblah!!!!"

[RedKing]

Wow, that abortion law is stupid. What if the woman doesn't want an ultrasound, especially one that will be described in excruciating detail?

[snark]Guess she shoulda thought about that before she went and got pregnant, huh?[/snark]

Yeah, that's about the only response I can figure. Also, we're late to the party. There are at least twenty other states that have very similar legislation (all under the exact same name, which kinda gives away the fact that this is the product of a concerted national campaign, not some local grassroots response).


@MSH: Oh believe me, I'm no supporter of Perdue. I voted for Mike Munger (the Libertarian candidate), even if he had no chance in Hell of winning. Perdue was too evasive during the debates and the primary season. She never takes a clear stand on any issue, so that she can try to hem and haw and be a damn Rohrschach blot in the hopes of not alienating anybody. But I've actually gained a small amount of respect her for now that (ironically) she doesn't have any power. It's like now that she's not actually responsible for anything being done, she's discovered how to take a stand, because her stands are meaningless.

[Leafsnail]

[snark]Guess she shoulda thought about that before she went and got pregnant, huh?[/snark]

I do like this argument.  I mean, clearly if you get pregnant you should be prepared to be hit by whatever arbitrary thing the state government wants to throw at you.  Personally, I think we should shoot people who drink wine.  I mean, it'd be bad for them, but they should've thought about that before they started drinking wine, huh?

[Truean]

There are times when I really like Leafsnail and this is one of them.

[Siquo]

Meh, cynicism never saved the world.

clearly if you get pregnant you should be prepared to be hit by whatever arbitrary thing the state government wants to throw at you.

Well, yes. For instance I'd like some kind of "how to raise a kid"-crash course, that'd help a lot of parents. Then there's the whole counseling thing, because as easy as it sounds, abortions often aren't. There's stress involved and it's not always an easy decision to make, and having a "time to think about it" period of one or a few days is pretty common, as well.

Now that I read and re-read that article three times I really can't find fault with it. Enlighten me please on how this is a "negative impact this intrusive legislation will have"?

[kaijyuu]

I'm pretty neutral on the abortion issue, but yeah that law's pretty dumb.

Now that I read and re-read that article three times I really can't find fault with it. Enlighten me please on how this is a "negative impact this intrusive legislation will have"?

The ultrasound is pointless. If they don't think the fetus is yet a human being, it won't change their minds.

[Truean]

http://news.yahoo.com/sao-paulo-council-calls-heterosexual-pride-day-220929986.html

The legislation's author, Carlos Apolinario, said the idea for a Heterosexual Pride Day is "not anti-gay but a protest against the privileges the gay community enjoys."

[kaijyuu]

...What privileges are those?

Well I guess they get to throw parades. But so does everyone else...

[sonerohi]

Meh, cynicism never saved the world.

clearly if you get pregnant you should be prepared to be hit by whatever arbitrary thing the state government wants to throw at you.

Well, yes. For instance I'd like some kind of "how to raise a kid"-crash course, that'd help a lot of parents. Then there's the whole counseling thing, because as easy as it sounds, abortions often aren't. There's stress involved and it's not always an easy decision to make, and having a "time to think about it" period of one or a few days is pretty common, as well.

Now that I read and re-read that article three times I really can't find fault with it. Enlighten me please on how this is a "negative impact this intrusive legislation will have"?

The idea is to try and force the woman to suffer throughout the process. If the lawmakers were really concerned about their "right" to know, they would also respect their right to not know, and allow them to get the abortion without that bullshit.

[G-Flex]

Meh, cynicism never saved the world.

clearly if you get pregnant you should be prepared to be hit by whatever arbitrary thing the state government wants to throw at you.

Well, yes. For instance I'd like some kind of "how to raise a kid"-crash course, that'd help a lot of parents. Then there's the whole counseling thing, because as easy as it sounds, abortions often aren't. There's stress involved and it's not always an easy decision to make, and having a "time to think about it" period of one or a few days is pretty common, as well.

Now that I read and re-read that article three times I really can't find fault with it. Enlighten me please on how this is a "negative impact this intrusive legislation will have"?

Is your sarcasm filter busted?


Now tell me, if aborting a fetus at a given state of development is legal, clearly it isn't a protected life. What purpose is served by forcing doctors to show those specific images and talk about those specific things? There's no medical reason, that's for sure; it's strictly emotional. They're trying to humanize the fetus as much as possible in order to guilt-trip the woman into not getting an abortion.

Forcing behavior upon people when there's absolutely no pressing need for it is intrusive by default. Forcing the doctors to make such information available is one thing, but that is not what this legislation is for.

...What privileges are those?

Well I guess they get to throw parades. But so does everyone else...

The privilege of being a minority, of course. Because being a marginalized minority means you get to complain, and us white, heterosexual, upper-middle-class Americans want that too!