If you want to make the case that these programs lead to divorce or encourage single mother family structures you need to be specific. Maybe some do. Most probably have very little impact. There're a lot of other factors that impact rates of births out of wedlock too, like the increased participation rate of women in the work force.

You also have to keep in mind that there's a balance between having compassion for people who're totally ****ed and dissuading others from going down that path. Basic nutrition offered at a soup kitchen is, i guess, on some level an incentive for women to have children out of wedlock since now they're less fearful that their children will starve. On the whole... probably still justifiable.

Hrmmm, just not seeing Tillerson supporting slavery:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...493_print.html

"A senior administration official, speaking after Trump’s comments, acknowledged a difference in “tone” with Tillerson. “But I think the policy is consistent,” said the official, "

“Tillerson may initially have had a view, then the president has his view, and obviously the president’s view prevails,” the official said."

"Throughout the week, the Pentagon has emphasized that the dispute has not affected its operations. Asked about Tillerson’s comment regarding hindered operations at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said the situation had not changed, but that the Defense Logistics Agency was drawing up contingency plans in case the U.S. military’s use of the Qatar base becomes a problem."

You do know how carrots and sticks work, yes?

But you saw me supporting slavery (when I said absolutely nothing of the sort) simply for questioning Trump in this situation. Tillerson is also questioning Trump by taking the complete opposite position as him!

Of course, you don't actually give a **** about slavery or Qatar's human rights record, you just twist your personal logic into whatever pretzels are necessary to support Donald Trump. Nothing more, nothing less.

Hey jiggy, who commits more ofbthevteerorism against the us? Shia or Sunni? You didn't answer above or maybe I missed it

there are tent stands all around the city. they are often outside of govt buildings and welfare buildings and other high traffic areas. usually it is a small tent and a desk and 2 ppl wearing shirts of the cell phone provider.

sign your name and fill out some info and get a phone. pretty sure you can use fake info. pretty sure you can go to every stand in the city and get 8 phones though I would guess you cant get 2 phones from the same provider.

the phones are garbage 10 dollar phones. no internet or touch screen.

its amazing that some ppl get so mad about these cheap phones.

You don't give a horse both of those at the same time, Jiggy.

I didn't know there were good terrorists and bad terrorists. If you want to make a case for going after one group, make it yourself.

So, you don't know how they work in regards to international diplomacy. I'm glad we've cleared that up.

Yeah that wasn't the question. Who makes up the majority of the terrorists attacking us?

Do you understand which countries are which sect of Islam? Does this cause you severe cognitive dissonance?

If you have point to make, make it.

Israel is about a tie with Saudi Arabia. Why would you leave out Israel?

It's not the value that makes them mad. It's the violation of the principle that the poor exist to be crushed. If the giveaway was a single chocolate chip the outrage level would remain the same.

No. No one is free in Saudi Arabia - or perhaps just the royal family is. Also Saudi Arabia is working on setting up hundreds of thousands of people to die in Yemen. It's not close.

Israel is probably like the 50th worst country/government. Still, that's pretty bad.

I admit Saudi Arabia is probably worse than Israel, which is not the consensus among people who generally think as I do (Israel being the worst among many leftists).

There are a lot worse things than what you mention about Saudi Arabia. As for Israel, there are millions of people inside who are not free and millions who are now rootless refugees outside. The people who are not free in Israel have it worse, in many ways, than those who are not free in SA.

In an objective evaluation of common measures, Israel is at least an honorable mention if not a medalist here. You're perspective seems to have matured somewhat from a few years ago. If that keeps going you will eventually let go of this sacred cow. So you might as well let it go now. How many times have you criticized Trump's proposed wall? What about the already existing segregation wall in Israel? Have you ever criticized that?

I've criticized the wall in Israel a lot and specifically cited it as one of the biggest problems in Israel. I haven't significantly changed my position about Israel, which has always been that the occupation in unjust. I just spent a lot of time arguing with people who are wrong on either side and also with a steady stream of antisemites in the I/P thread.

I've argued with people who irrationally blame the United States for too much as well while at the same time often talking about horrible things that the US has done.

We should not be deepening ties with Sunni countries. Iran and other Shia countries would be a natural countries for the us to play against Saudi Arabia, who certainly does not behave like our ally. But I'm not the one playing 4D chess, so who knows. Maybe trump has a grand plan.

Even if that country wants to "wipe Israel off the map"?

Israel is here to stay - the Muslim world needs to understand that.
There is a good point many make - if Muslims stopped taking up arms against Israel, there would be peace. If Israel dropped its arms, it would be destroyed.

Do either sect of Muslims truly want peace? Do I wish we could stop buying oil and simply protect Israel - sure.

Once again Trump makes an excellent point:
"Abbas - somebody in Palestine is going to make peace with Israel. Do you want it to be you or the next guy?"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...=.918bf968fb73

“Wipe off the map,” in other words, has become easy shorthand for expressing revulsion at Iran’s anti-Israeli foreign policy. Certainly attention needs to be focused on that — and Iranian behavior in the region. But we’re going to award a Pinocchio to everyone — including ourselves — who has blithely repeated the phrase without putting it into context."

Abbas may not want to make peace with Israel lest he end up like Rabin.

His point was that you don't know which countries are which denomination, and that you also don't know which denomination the majority of terrorist groups are.

And he already made it.

On the subject of the bolded, turns out it only took a few days:

His comments are absolutely amazing:

The group he's talking about "backing up" is ****ing ISIS, and he is gleeful about Iran being the victims of a terrorist attack.

Not into watching videos posted on Twitter. What point(s) are you trying to make here regarding US policy in the Middle East?

I posted a text snippet of his comments so that you don't have to watch a video. The point seems pretty clear, GOP politicians are kinda pieces of human garbage when they have to ask themselves about our political relationship with a country before deciding if we should be
- gravely sad (lol, not for Iranians apparently)
- a little sad but also you kinda deserved it (Trump)
- outright ecstatic (Rohrabacher)
that a country was attacked by terrorists.

Don't have a Washington Post subscription. Oh well.

While I am 1000% in support of your view about Twitter videos, you do realize this was a video of a member of Congress during a Congressional hearing?