smonster, I also recommend Vitamin Water - Formula 50 for post hangover use.

Hey! I did watch (and still do) Firely, 1/2 of West Wing, the first season of BSG, Deadwood (which I LURVED) and Toy Story. I'm watching The Wire now (S4).

Well no wonder you fit in so well and we miss you so much! :)

Hi Hec. Not quite true. Liberals and Conservatives are both hypocrites on States rights. Reactionaries loved the fugitive slave law, and today DOMA. Liberals invented the idea of state nullifcation and early abolitions supported free states withdrawing from pro-slavery union. Ultimately the conservative position is the aristocratic one. The consistent thread in conservativism in the U.S. is not states rights but maintaining hierarchies so that if you are not an aristocrat you can still have a lower class to spit on and can go on supporting aristocrats.

Left and right both oppose and support centralization and decentralization depending on how it affects outcomes.

Unless of course you're even now on your way to bust out a moppet from the clutches of The Man(droid).

Well, that's an emergency.

Say, what's the big deal with the debate about centralized government, or the different concepts of liberty, freedom and citizenship. Or the federal system. Or the place of religion. Not to mention that some states are much, much younger than I thought they are.

Well, often as not, "states rights" is code for "don't tell us what to do with our nigras".

The individual states upon founding generally meant "freedom to practice OUR religion" when they mentioned "freedom of religion".

And when the nation announced its "Freedom of Religion" that was a) so the states could carry on as-is; b) because they weren't going to have a king -- the two went hand-in-hand at the time. The soverign's religion was the country's religion. If it changed you had wars; and c) the religions were generally various flavors of Protestantism.

(Which is why it cracks me up when people talk about this country being founded as a 'Christian Nation'. There wasn't much sense when we were founded of eccumenical Christanity. You were Puritains or Anglicans or whatever, not "Christians")

This is why I love studying. It makes sense of the world, and makes the world so much richer with meaning.

Love this. May I tag?

How do you like The Wire, Shir??

BWAH! I KNEW erika would pipe in about The Wire. I love when I can count on something.

Love this. May I tag?

Sure! My pleasure.

And The Wire is awesome. Gold. I still love Buffy better, though.

Now, I really got to go. But I'm marking this discussion, to come back with more knowledge and to actually understand your arguments better later.

I missed you all. So much.

"states rights" is code for "don't tell us what to do with our nigras".

Or our wimmin.