Tammy Duckworth addresses the Republicans.
I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft-dodger. And I have a message for Cadet Bone Spurs: If you cared about our military, you’d stop baiting Kim Jong Un into a war that could put 85,000 American troops and millions of innocent civilians in danger.
It’s a good speech. I do have concerns that it takes praising the military, rather than the lives of children or ordinary working people, to rouse some rudimentary sense of shame in the electorate.
busterggi says
Now there’s someone who deserves a future as a Dem presidential candidate, she’s been doing a excellent job for years.
chatt says
This is supposed to be a new post but I couldn’t figure out how to do it.
I also wondered what the “PZ Myers” button is for.
This is about a letter to the editor in the local rag the Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/8084423-jan-22-einstein-scene-is-fantasy-illegal-pot-dispensaries-and-other-letters-to-the-editor/
Pro-religion argument based on fantasy
RE: Evil exists in God’s absence (Jan. 11)
The author of this letter makes the suggestion to Peter Schneider (and anyone else who questions the existence of God) that they read “God vs. Science.” He then quotes a long passage from the book which has Einstein dressing down his “atheist philosophy professor.” The dialogue seemed to be at odds with what I have read concerning Einstein’s views on the matter so, I took the advice and set about in pursuit of the book.
Problem. The book doesn’t exist. It was revealed as an internet hoax about five years ago. The only reference you can find to “God vs. Science” is on Christian websites, where they quote the exact same passage Mr. Dosen does. If the best argument you can come up with to support your viewpoint is a poorly written fantasy scene from a fictitious confrontation contained in a book that doesn’t exist, perhaps you should re-examine your own belief system.
Mark Summers, Waterdown
If it’s valid (even if it’s not?) it’s made my day and I thought other skeptics would be interested.
I have found this:
Religion and Science Kindle Edition by Albert Einstein
https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Science-Albert-Einstein-ebook/dp/B0047Y0FVE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516643488&sr=1-1&keywords=god+vs+science+by+albert+einstein+1921
Peter Chatterton
PZ Myers says
I think you’ve confused “blog” with “forum”. This is my blog, only PZ Myers gets to create new posts.
Tabby Lavalamp says
For once I don’t mind that it’s pro-military because she lost both her legs in a war zone (that shouldn’t be a war zone, but that’s a whole other matter) and Cadet Bone Spurs keeps bringing up the military to attack the Dems. Hell, Mike “Ah! Women!” Spence just attacked the Dems in a speech to your troops.
robro says
Obviously no one in power cares about the lives of children. However, they care a great deal about potential children. Once born, though, forget it. You’re on your own, kid.
Zeppelin says
Going to war really fell out of fashion with rich people after we stopped automatically promoting to command anyone sufficiently posh. If you pushed Trump on it he’d probably claim he was clever for dodging the draft, like he did for dodging taxes.
cervantes says
It doesn’t really follow that praising the military is the “only way” to raise a rudimentary sense of shame. It’s the approach Sen. Duckworth happens to be taking in this instance, in direct response to Cheeto Benito trying to claim the mantle of Alexander the Great. She has standing to talk about the military; he doesn’t.
Yeah Zep, he does think he’s clever for dodging the draft, and apparently his fans do to.
quotetheunquote says
@busterggi #1:
Not my country, so not really my affair – but I’d say yes, she’s got an impressive resume already.
Pity it’ll never happen – turns out she’s not American-born.
(Maybe that requirement needs to be retired … seems it’s not helping you guys out much recently).
Azkyroth, B*Cos[F(u)]==Y says
Well of course. Repigfuckers can’t masturbate over piles of blastocysts, they need them to be born and then mass-shootinged or bombed to get the proper effect.
Rob Grigjanis says
quotetheunquote @8:
Her father is American, so she may qualify as a “natural-born” citizen. The Wapo seems to think so.
davidnangle says
It would be awfully interesting to see the GOP Slime Machine gear up and attack her disability and lack of penis and heroism and service. Perhaps the leading charge against her would be the word, “duck” within her name. Perhaps her open use of eyeglasses. Or her ability to read, or something.
Tethys says
Her father is not only American, he is a ex-marine (WWII) who later worked for the UN in se asia after the Vietnam war. That makes her a natural born US citizen, and possibly a Thai citizen too. Multiple current members of congress were born in other countries. John McCain was born in Panama, and I don’t remember anyone questioning his citizenship during his run for POTUS.
What a Maroon, living up to the 'nym says
Here’s a discussion of what a natural-born citizen is in the US (written to confirm that Ted Cruz was a natural born citizen). Their conclusion:
And I’m sure that Trump wouldn’t dare question the citizenship of a disabled veteran….
TheGyre says
Lets clear this natural born nonsense up. I was born in Germany to an American GI and a German mother. I was able to claim U.S. citizenship through my dad because he was an employee of the Federal govt. while stationed overseas. When I turned 18 I had to register for the draft while we lived in Munich. There’s never been any question in anyone’s mind about my citizenship. I’ve had a U. S. passport for as long as I can remember. I did go through the paces when I was in the Navy and got a Citizenship Certificate through the State Dept. just to make sure there was never any doubt. That’s more than most people have. If ICE breaks down my door I’ll wave that doc in their ugly mugs and say, We done here? Get the fuck out!
As for Duckworth I think she’s still being way too polite regarding Trump. I’m partial to Dodgin’ Don myself. It’s pithy, to the point and easy to remember.
jack16 says
My son was born in Korea when I was employed there. During his birth the land beneath him was US soil. Hence he is a US citizen. I believe he could claim Korean citizenship.
jack16
psanity says
This (birthright citizenship) is not complicated. You are a U.S. citizen by birthright if:
1. You are born on U.S. soil.
AND/OR
2. At least one of your parents is a U.S. citizen when you are born, wherever you are born.
People complicate this in all sorts of ways. “He’s a citizen because his father was in the military.” “She’s not a citizen because she was born in France.” Etc., etc., etc. All irrelevant. 1 and/or 2, that’s it.
If a child was born to 2 foreign parents in a U.S. embassy abroad, for some reason, that would be an interesting conversation, but they’d give the kid citizenship if desired, because it is very important to maintain and protect the legal/diplomatic construct that embassies are literally the soil of the nation to which the embassy belongs.
That’s why Tammy Duckworth is a birthright citizen, so is John McCain, so is TheGyre, and why Obama would still be a citizen even if he had been born in Kenya.
Remember this for future stupid arguments.
quotetheunquote says
Thanks for clearing that up. In all the madness of the past year, I’d forgotten about Hair Furor’s (ill-informed) questioning of Cruz’s eligibility for the presidency; but I came away with the vague impression that where you were born made a difference, it was not a simple question of cititzenship.
(I remember that this made quite a difference to the Dutch during WWII, when the royal family was in exile in Ottawa. A potential heir to the Dutch throne (Princess Margriet) was born there in 1943, and the maternity ward had to be temporary designated as “extraterritorial” to Canada (i.e. similar to international waters) so that the baby would not become a Canadian citizen at birth. Apparently that would have caused some sort of constitutional problem under Dutch law).
chigau (違う) says
psanity #16
I am NOT questioning you but
can you link or tell me where to look for the relevant legal stuff?
What a Maroon, living up to the 'nym says
chigau,
See my link in @13.
rietpluim says
psanity
This is a common misconception. Embassy personnel are protected by diplomatic rules but the soil remains part of the host country. The US embassy in Amsterdam for example is not a part of the US and is subject to Dutch law.
chigau (違う) says
What a Maroon
Thanks, I missed that.
David Marjanović says
A few people on teh intarwebz did try, but of course that went nowhere because his parents were US citizens.
Your son is a US citizen because you were a US citizen when he was born. No part of Korea was ever part of the US.
He could claim Korean citizenship if people born in Korea can automatically claim it. I don’t know if that’s the case; in many countries it doesn’t work like that.