Sam Harris further responds on Islam

Recall this post on the argument between Maher, Harris and Affleck on Islam. Sam Harris responds to it in this blog post, "Can liberalism be saved from itself." He is clear and specific in his accurate criticisms but some liberals just can't hear it because they are too busy projecting racism onto any criticism of Islam, legitimate or otherwise.

Do wah diddy

Another oldie that just popped up today.

The courts and gerrymandering

This Virginia Federal Court struck down the regressive gerrymandering which strongly favors GOP candidates and incumbents. In the last election such gerrymandering in VA gave the GOP an 8 to 3 advantage in the congressional delegation, despite the overall vote tally favoring the GOP by less than 2%. Not to worry though, since the Supreme Corp just rejected an appeal about gerrymandering in South Carolina, so if this case is appealed to the Supremes it will be overturned.

3D printing beats mass production in energy efficiency

See this article: "A study from Michigan Technology University shows 3D printed products require 41% to 74% less energy than large-scale manufactured goods."

HSBC investment bank on solar energy

HSBC is one of the largest investment banks in the world and this article highlights what they say about solar energy. Fossil fuel profitability is done and solar is in. Affordable battery storage is already here and will increase distributed energy generation while reducing demand from the grid. Solar energy generation with battery storage will achieve grid parity in Germany by 2015 allowing independence from the grid. The tech is here and the price is almost right. And when HSBC signs on you can bet your bottom dollar it is a good investment, not only in energy independence but environmental sustainability.

Jon Stewart on misplaced regressive paranoia

The regressives are literally up in arms about ISIS and ebola, that our government should do whatever it takes to stop these direct threats to our people. They fail to mention that to date neither one has caused any deaths in the US. But regressives are in complete denial about real killers in the US. Heart disease kills about 600,000 annually. Yet regressives make fun of the first lady's proposals on diet and do nothing to stop these massive deaths. Same with guns. 32,000 are killed annually in the US but no, we can't do anything to stop that either. It's our right to die by firearm, damn it. Same with climate change.

The Daily Show
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The fault in our stars 2

SNL does a take-off on the movie.

Scalia on separation of church and state

This regressive Justice of our Supreme Corp thinks that separation of church and state does not mean the state cannot favor religion over non-religion. He says it's nowhere in the Constitution and that it's just fine for state legislatures to open with prayer and for schools to do the same. Which of course should only apply to Christian demonstrations; I'm sure he'd be aghast and find plenty of Constitutional authority to prevent Muslims from so doing.

Discussion of Islam on Real Time

Maher starts by interviewing Sam Harris on Islam and ISIS and then the discussion gets heated. Maher and Harris point out that Islam has a lot of bad ideas, like treating women as property and gays like a disease. And it's not just radical Muslims, its the majority that hold these beliefs. Ben Affleck thinks that to hold all Muslims responsible for the radical actions of ISIS is racist. What Affleck does not address is that the majority do in fact hold beliefs contrary to liberal values, like those mentioned above.

George Lakoff strategy call

See the below from George Lakoff and please pass the word:

The 2004 presidential election had barely begun when I got an unexpected phone call. It turned out the Howard Dean campaign had read my book “Moral Politics” and wanted to use it as a guide for the election. They planned to run a different type of Democratic candidacy -- one which used moral framing to stand up for progressive principles. Just one year later, my next book “Don’t Think of an Elephant,” took the political world by storm, helping Democrats reframe the national debate and take back Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008.

Ten years later, Democrats have enjoyed numerous political victories at all levels of government by following Gov. Dean’s lead in articulating our own core values while rejecting Republican talking points. However, in recent years, Tea Party Republicans and Fox News have hijacked the national dialogue -- with the most recent example being President Obama’s “latte salute.”

That’s why, with control of the Senate on a razor’s edge -- and the 2016 presidential election looming -- we’ve got to take the narrative back again.

Will you join me on Tuesday, October 7, at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT for a special “DFA Live” strategy call to discuss how Democrats can win the framing wars in 2014 and 2016? Just click “Yes” or “No” below:

Yes, I will join the “DFA Live with George Lakoff” strategy call on Tuesday night.

No, I can’t make it, but I want to donate to DFA to receive a copy of the all new "Don't Think of an Elephant” -- updated for 2014.