quinky

Again with the liberals forcing abortions. Does anyone else see "blood libel" in these ideas?

3/22/2012 3:36:19 AM

shykid

And this is exactly why it's hilarious that Southerners cry foul when you point out how back-asswards the Deep South is.

Protip: The lack of redistribution of wealth is the problem.

3/22/2012 3:37:51 AM

jsonitsac

Right because we all know how binding and effective UN resolutions are on the member states.

3/22/2012 3:54:36 AM

Percy Q. Shunn

Ah, Tennessee; proudly taking two steps back for every step forward for more than 200 years.

3/22/2012 3:55:07 AM

gravematter

"I don't like it, therefore it's communism". Plus, recommending that we think about ways to reduce the world's population does not equal "forced abortion". I've never been to America, but if I do, I think I'll steer clear of Tennessee.

3/22/2012 4:28:27 AM

thelivingguano

Whatever one thinks of the implications of "population control," actually enforcing would be a Herculean and nigh-on impossible task. But this is a moot point anyway. We don't need to cap population, there is already a natural cap - that point at which our population growth outstrips available resources and lots of people die.

Currently we are nearing that limit and the brunt of the hardships are currently being borne by under-developed nations. What this guy is worried about is that the UN is suggesting that developed nations should be more responsible about their policymaking to try and slow down our inevitable hurtle towards that point, which very inconveniently gets in the way of their unachievable dream of unliimited growth.

3/22/2012 4:35:49 AM

Doubting Thomas

While nobody's forcing anyone to have an abortion, I'll never understand the thinking of the religious conservatives in this country who think that we need as many people on this planet as we could possibly produce.

3/22/2012 6:50:55 AM

sandchigger

@Doubting Thomas

It's really actually quite simple. All babies come from God. God knows what's best. Therefore God will let as many babies be born as is best.

That's the "thought process" behind it.

3/22/2012 7:18:19 AM

Brendan Rizzo

At least Tennessee has no bearing on the United Nations, but for crying out loud, why do Americans hate the UN so much?

And also, why are these always non-binding resolutions? Has the UN ever made a binding resolution? Because I'm beginning to think that the reason it has failed most of its objectives is because it utterly lacks a spine. Much like the Democratic Party, if you think about it.

3/22/2012 7:43:32 AM

Leliel

@ Brendan Rizzo

Bit of an isolationist streak over here. Many Americans don't like other countries sticking their nose into our business, and with saner leaders, we try to return the favor.

3/22/2012 8:48:10 AM

Mouse

Another day to be ashamed of my state. Thanks, dudes.

3/22/2012 10:43:30 AM

Jeff D.

Only took them 20 years to come to a decision? That's an incredibly fast turn-around for Tennessee to come to a decision about something that doesn't mean jack diddly.

3/22/2012 1:27:09 PM

Brendan Rizzo

@ Leliel:

If Americans were isolationist, we wouldn't have so many illegal wars. There must be a more ulterior motive here...

3/22/2012 1:42:48 PM

nazani14

cap the number of people this planet can have

I wish!

3/22/2012 3:02:21 PM

Skyknight

@ Rizzo, Leliel: Politically, isolationist. Economically, imperialistic. As in the base meaning of imperator, "commander". That politics ("matters of the city") and economics ("matters of the household") should know some overlap tends not to sit well with such a retinue. Especially with the sharpest-line libertarians, at least the ones who cleave rather closely to Ayn Rand's precepts--they'd rather abolish politics outright and leave only economics, the conceit being that only economics lets the cream rise as it ought to (that it also forces the whey to sink doesn't seem to factor into this).

The problem is contained in what Leliel said about not wanting other nations influencing American business. What the sharp-right is after is impunity--they're convinced that they're the...again...cream of the crop, and they're determined to make sure everything reflects their nobility. And I don't mean just figuratively; how do you think "noble" and "villain" got their contrasting definitions, other than classism? It's probably the classism that was such a hallmark of the Antebellum South (and many other feudal societies) at work here, especially when you look at many fantasies of wealth among American workers. Namely, abjuring work in favor of living the high life, hobnobbing with the rich, and FLYING FROM THE LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASSES. One of the cores of many peoples' wealth fantasies is escape FROM the rules--although I don't know HOW impunity became so lovely, with knowledge of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" (maybe we can blame Antinomianism?). If the purpose of classism is to make a slothful life viable, then you see what's going on--the archons want to be able to keep cleaving to sloth and what is effectively solipsism.

3/22/2012 3:12:27 PM

Tatsukun

Aaaah, the flyover states. Gotta love mocking them.

3/22/2012 4:41:12 PM

Anonymous

It's so shameful having to live in the same state as freaking elected politicians who believe things like the United Nations calling for "forced abortions." And they're 20 years late, too.

I can't wait to try and vote these clowns out of office come next election.

3/22/2012 6:35:13 PM

J. James

I can only imagine what the UN's reaction to this is.

Scene: Tidy office of a United Nations bureaucrat overlooking New York. An ambiguously European official sits at a desk with dozens of tiny flags on it, and little else. Her aide brings her a sheet of binder paper torn from a notebook.

Aide: This just came in from Tennessee.

Official: Beg pardon? Tennessee? This seems like an eighth-grader's homework assignment. It looks like someone attacked it with a highlighter. There are doodles on the back.

Aide: I assure you, this is from them directly.

Official: Well, what on earth do they want? We have a crisis in Syria on. We can ill afford something of low import.

Aide: They assure us that this is of the utmost importance, madam.

Official: What is this. They say that they have passed a resolution condemning the United Nations for... Communism? Wha- I don't- Wait, forced abortions?

Aide: This is in response to the environmental measures passed... I believe two decades ago?

Official: Are they even aware that the non-binding environmental guidelines we approved twenty years ago have not led to abortions, Communism, or redistribution of wealth? For goodness sake, it didn't even accomplish anything for the environment.

Aide: No, madam, they do not appear to be aware of that.

Official: Get me the president on the phone. Immediately.

Aide: Which president?

Official: Don't tell me the stupid has infected you. Obama, of course!

Yes, hello? This is the United Nations, calling on behalf of a Tennessee resolution which just passed...

Obama: Oh, hi. Yeah, we heard about that. Election season, tea party and all that jazz.

Official: How are you going to try to rectify this situation?

Obama: Yeah, sorry. There's not much I can do. They got elected, and mostly we just try to pretend that what they're saying is normal Republican stuff.

Official: Isn't that difficult when they control a majority of the House?

Obama: Lady, you have no idea.

3/22/2012 11:41:14 PM

Bollox

I'm sure the UN doesn't give a toss what local government thinks. Next, Milton Keynes Borough Council condemns Vladimir Putin.

3/23/2012 12:27:53 AM

@ Bendan Rizzo

Amercians don't hate the UN.

The small minority we call fundies hate it because they think America is supposed to be a religous theocracy and any agreement or alliance we might make with other nations would interfere with that.

Most of them have also been brainwashed for many years by Fox News and its ilk to believe in an imaginary threat of global forces determined to enslave them with "socialist/communist redistribution of wealth", as quoted above, though they're too ignorant to know that many socialist policies, like universal health care, that are found in other countries would only benefit them.

3/23/2012 6:01:51 AM

Wow, that took an amazing feat of gymnastics for them to try to make a connection between the resolution and abortion.


They're going back 20 years to find boogeymen now? This really shows how much crazier they're getting.

3/23/2012 6:10:25 AM

werewolf

Doesn't anybody in Tennessee know what the words "non binding" mean? Or other words like socialism, communism and redistribution of wealth? Do people from Tennessee even speak English?

3/26/2012 10:59:15 AM

Robespierre

Of course. We should have more people than we can decently provide for, live beyond our means for as long as we can and preserve grotesque inequalities in resource consumption.

If you disagree, you may be a one world government communist.

5/9/2012 5:41:20 AM