[vc318]

Old Thread: http://www.fanforum.com/f117/us-poli...4/index21.html

Carrying on:

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Top Paterson aide quits « - Blogs from CNN.com

It starts with game tickets and then it's something else. Kudos for quitting before it got worse.

[sunnykerr]

Huh?

[sunnykerr]

US will not adopt 'genocide' bill The Obama administration has said it will seek to block a controversial bill describing as genocide the World War I killing of Armenians by Turks. A congressional panel on Thursday approved the resolution, paving the way for a possible vote by the House. But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the administration would "work very hard" to prevent this. Turkey voiced strong protests after the vote and recalled its ambassador from Washington for consultations. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had been accused of a crime it did not commit, adding the resolution would harm Turkish-US relations. President Abdullah Gul said Turkey - a key Nato ally of the US - would "not be responsible for the negative results that this event may lead to". Change of position Mrs Clinton - who had urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee not to hold the vote - said on Friday: "We are against this decision. Now we believe that the US Congress will not take any decision on this subject." MASS KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS # Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks in 1915-6 # Many historians and the Armenian people believe the killings amount to genocide # Turks and some historians deny they were orchestrated # More than 20 countries regard the massacres as genocide The resolution - approved by 23 votes to 22 by the committee - calls on President Barack Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an understanding of the "genocide" and to label the killings of Armenians as such. A similar resolution was approved by the same committee two years ago, but did not go forward to the House after pressure from the George W Bush administration. Turkey is a major partner in US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and Iraq, and lies on a key route taking oil and natural gas to Western markets. Ankara accepts that atrocities were committed but argues they were part of the war and that there was no systematic attempt to destroy Christian Armenians. During his campaign for the 2008 election, Mr Obama promised to brand the mass killings genocide. Mrs Clinton has acknowledged his administration's change of opinion on the issue, saying circumstances had "changed in very significant ways". In October last year, Turkey and Armenia signed a historic accord normalising relations between them after a century of hostility. Armenia wants Turkey to recognise the killings as an act of genocide, but successive Turkish governments have refused to do so. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915, when they were deported en masse from eastern Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire. They were killed by troops or died from starvation and disease. Armenians have campaigned for the killings to be recognised internationally as genocide - and more than 20 countries have done so.

BBC News - US administration to block vote on Turkey 'genocide'

Well... how interesting. And, frankly, appalling.

I'm sorry, but what else do you call marching an entire people through the desert, denying them food and water, beating them, robbing them and raping them along the way if you don't call it a genocide?

And recognizing that it happened doesn't mean we don't like Turkey or the Turks who live today. If you look into the history of every country out there, you will find truly regrettable incidents everywhere. So, to me, this is no real dark mark on Turkey's reputation. I would no more blame today's Turks for the Armenian genocide (in Canada, that law passed years ago, it was a genocide) than I would blame today's Germans for the Holocaust.

And I understand the pragmatic reasons for balking at calling a spade a spade here. The Turkish president is holding the Afghanistan situation hostage. I get it. The US doesn't want to piss off an ally. Lord knows they need them.

But I think it's becoming quite clear that war considerations are taking precedents over transparency, honesty and showing regard for human rights.

[sunnykerr]

US borrowing rises unexpectedly Borrowing by US consumers rose for the first time in a year in January, according to the Federal Reserve. The central bank said consumer credit rose 2.4% or $5bn (£3.3bn) from December 2009 to a total of $2.45 trillion in the first month of 2010. It was the first gain after a record 11 straight declines and it was the largest increase since July 2008. Analysts were expecting a $4.5bn decrease in January following a $4.6bn fall in December. January's figure was boosted by a $6.62bn, or 5%, increase in credit for car loans. However, credit card borrowing, which has now fallen for the 16th month in a row, declined by $1.7bn, or 2.3%.

BBC News - US borrowing saw unexpected rise in January

Can anyone say Recession Part 2?

[Wildfire Girl]

Yeah ... I hope not. But who knows.

I know that in Arkansas, where I work, the sales tax earnings (which support my job) were THANKFULLY higher than projected the past two months. That might be a good sign.

[sunnykerr]

Oh, I really hope not either. Selfishly, of course, if the United States enters a recession, then it's that much harder to Canada to NOT have one. Of course, I don't wish a recession on any of my friends either.

My point is that, this is from the socialist perspective of course, it's bad enough that American banks operate with little to no governmental oversight AND they're deemed "too big to fail". Because, again from the socialist perspective, that seems a recipe for disaster. Banks have every incentive to make risky high-stakes decisions with people's money and, should it fail, they will never be held responsible as the people will pick up the tab.

So that's one problem. But if the hint of better times leads to an immediate hike in customer borrowing? Obviously you can't blame people for wanting to let off a little steam. And, seriously, I'm such a spendthrift myself that I really shouldn't go about telling people what to say about saving. But I would hope people make an effort with personal finances... even if there are so many elements that are out of their control.

[sunnykerr]

School axes prom for lesbian date A school board in the US state of Mississippi has cancelled a high school prom after a female student asked to attend with her girlfriend. The board said it would not host the event due to "distractions to the educational process". Student Constance McMillen, 18, said the move was in retaliation for her request to bring her girlfriend to the event and wear a tuxedo. The school had circulated a memo prohibiting same-sex dates. Ms McMillen, 18, approached school officials shortly before the memo was issued. Ultimatum According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is backing Ms McMillen's case, the school board told her that she and her partner would not be allowed to arrive at the event together nor would she be allowed to wear a tuxedo, AP reported. Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton also reserved the right to ask Ms McMillen and her girlfriend to leave if it made any other students feel uncomfortable, the ACLU said. The ACLU had given the Itawamba County school district until Wednesday to reverse the school's ban on same-sex couples attending proms. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the board said it hoped that "private citizens will organise an event for the juniors and seniors" instead. Ms McMillen said cancelling the prom was an act of "retaliation". "A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this," she told local media. She also said that when she asked a teacher about the school's ban on same-sex dates at the prom, she was told she had to remember where she was.

BBC News - US school cancels prom 'over lesbian date'

I saw this story on CNN while I was waiting at my dentist's office this morning. It's kinda disappointing that this kind of behaviour is still going on in the 21st century.

For shame, what does any prom have to do with the educational process, except maybe that students plan to party the memories of education away?

Schools have a piss poor record of fostering a safe environment in which people learn to develop as unique human beings. It's to the point where they've become schools in how to confirm with no original thought. This is a young woman. Her school ought to protect her, not throw her to the wolves.

[Callace]

wtf? why is it any of the school's business what she intend to wear at the prom, and who she intend to go with? I cannot imagine that her choice of date for the prom would have any effect on the school's educational process

[sunnykerr]

And notice how they sent the anti same-sex memo after she notified them of her intentions to bring one. So, really, the lesson here is to do away with courtesy notices since she would have been free and clear had she just showed up on the night in question.

But, seriously, what century are we living in that an 18-year-old showing up to prom with her girlfriend is an issue?

[Callace]

She shouldnt have notified. Noone normally tells the school in advance who they are taking to the prom as their dates, so she shouldnt have to either.

[sunnykerr]

I get the feeling someone asked her and that she didn't actually volunteer that information.

I mean, if she has a girlfriend she fully intended to bring to the prom, she couldn't have been in the closet all that much. I don't think anyway.

Sounds to me like a school official or a teacher got a little overzealous.

[Callace]

it might have been that way it happened. It seemed a little weird to file a permission request for who you are gonna bring to the prom. And it shouldnt have been the school's business when they found out either Who she dates is up to her, and noone else. Seriously, what did they think were gonna happen?

[sunnykerr]

Apparently, it was gonna "distract from the educational process". You know, her bringing her girlfriend to PROM is what was gonna distract from the educational process.

[Callace]

Apparently. Although who knows how there was gonna come any learning troubles out of that?

[sunnykerr]

I mean, seriously, at prom. Worrying about education at prom.