Focusing on those three because one of them seems most likely to get the nod. Yang is the smartest one of the bunch though.

"If your response is "they'll just stay home," i'm curious (1) why nominating a centrist in 2016 didn't work, and (2) whether you have accounted for the fact that an authentic progressive might turn out the left voters who typically stay home/vote Green in a manner that eclipses the number of "independents" a centrist candidate would get."

Progressives tend to be highly concentrated in specific areas, generally in states that are going to go for the Democratic nominee in the first place. For your argument to be valid, there would need to be more progressives in swing or purple states than there are independents or Repubs who would be willing to swing their vote towards the Dems. The more left the candidate, the less likely that would happen.

If Biden is the candidate, I'll vote Dem. Maybe Warren. But not Sanders. Ever.

"A trailer home isn't real estate. It's only a building; it's not the land underneath it."

Except that it is. I think there was maybe one listing that required a rental fee for the parking space.

"Because most of the cost is to rent the space, along with buying the home that's on the space, MadBomber ... "

Except the ones that didn't, of course.

"So you pay high dues, your value will never really increase so you might as well rent."

Renting is an excellent option for those who can't afford to purchase a house in the area in which they want to live.

"A far better option than what, and for whom?"

A far better option than using taxpayer dollars to purchase valuable land to build low income housing whose residents will generate low revenues; while depriving potential property buyers of the opportunity to buy the land at market value, and in doing so contribute more in tax revenues.

And that's just for SD city limits. There is a lot more available in the greater SD metropolitan area.

When people say there are a lack of jobs, they typically mean there are a lack of employment opportunities that provide a desired salary in a desired location doing a desired job. Affordable housing is not much different...usually. It's not a lack of affordable housing, it's a lack of housing at a price point you can afford in an area you can afford with the amenities you can afford.

"Did you look at HOA on those? Almost all of them were over 500 a month some almost 1000. Many were over 55 communities all, were mobile homes or land. So even the ones that didn't list a HOA probably have one because most mobile homes have to for sewer/water/etc."

I did.

The Senior Living Communities don't really count...unless you're over age 55. All were manufactured homes...although I'm not sure why that matters if your concern is affordability.

"It says they divide the progressive vote and share numbers. When you add their numbers together they collectively lead Biden. Ehen one or the other emerges as the progressive champion they will have a larger number than Joe the Rep. of the Banks. Dems need to reject Republican Lite Joe and go with a real Progressive and actually win and accomplish something good for the American people."

You're thinking that because you want this, so does the rest of the country.

You need to step back for a minute and consider what voters, especially the independents, care about. You'll realize that many voters could care less about the progressive issues that resonate with you.

"Unexploded bomblets resemble the packaging that contained the food aid we droopped on Iraq. As I recall, we changed the packaging of the food aid, after hungry kids kept blowing themselves up."

And I'm saying that we didn't use that type of CM in OIF. We certainly haven't used them since. Doc seems to recall that there were CBU-87/CBU-103 CMs used though...so I'll defer to him.

"Surprised you didn't suggest looking right across the border in Baja!"

Buying property in Mexico is pretty tricky. If you're having trouble buying a place in the US, I think you would find it even more difficult in Mexico.

"My search on Zillow found zero properties for sale under $100,000 in San Diego, CA"

See if this works for you. Does not include greater SD Metro area:

"It is a location-dependent issue."

Very much so. But what makes it location dependent are the market forces driving the demand (or lack thereof) in those locations.

High housing costs occur when supply is scarce relative to demand. And if the city government steps in to create affordable housing, all it's going to do is increase the demand and drive up costs for someone else, especially in those areas where cost is heavily correlated to location. Building public housing in an area where people would pay market rate results in a loss for the city (taxes), as well as a loss for potential home buyers who were denied the opportunity to purchase a property.

A far better option would be to encourage people to move to area with higher income opportunities and lower property costs. North Dakota, for instance.

"This means the average San Diego household spends well above 30 percent of their income on housing, and more than 70 percent of San Diegans cannot afford to buy a home."

Funny. I looked on Trulia, it seemed as if there was no shortage of properties available at less than $100k in San Diego or the greater metropolitan area.

I think affordable housing is an interesting issue. I'm in Las Vegas at the moment, which has one of the hottest housing markets in the country. It's still pretty easy to find a house for under $50k.

"Ah, I remember that one. The unexploded bomblets were in similar yellow packaging as the food packets we dropped. You'll never guess what happened next!"

Interesting. I don't remember that. Maybe you could elaborate a bit more.

Not saying it couldn't have happened, but the cluster munitions we did drop would have in no way resembled something edible. Unless you like the taste of tungsten.

I wish I would have read the article.

The use of cluster munitions is so rare as to be insignificant. The last time I am aware of their use was early in OIF, and even then the types used were either guided or inert weapons used against very specialized target sets.

"How about I'm just going to move to a different country that isn't stupid as hell."

Well, Mexico has very strict gun control laws

...and it's close.

This is interesting.

Virtually every community in Germany has some sort of war memorial for both of the world wars.

Do you, as Americans, see that as racist, or as some justification of the acts taken committed by National Socialists?

"I would imagine the US government vetted this guy as extremely as possible given the place he was in."

He's a Saudi aviator, which means he has an in with the royal family.

Had he not been killed by necessity..had he lived, I could almost guarantee you he would have been on a private jet headed back to KSA.

Somewhere in the kingdom, there is some royal who is livid that his relative was killed by kaffirs.

It freaks me out a little...I used to train these --------.

"This has been proven since Bush. REVENGE and the most negative of emotions are all that matters."

My $,02...we would have never gone into Iraq, had Afghanistan been such a tough nut to crack. And when AFG proved difficult to win decisively, USans needed another mark. And Saddam Hussein was an easy target, given that he was despised worldwide and had little ability to defend against a country like the US.

"Seems like we both agree if our government treated its subjects more like the Bundestag treats their subjects, Americans would be better off."

I think it's better here...but I don't think you would. You may have more rights here, but you also have more responsibilities. I'm not sure that responsibilities are your thing.

"There's the moral clarity you and Kurtz share. The only way to win in Afghanistan is by cutting off arms."

If the cutting off of arms is what it's going to take for a country to win a war, that's a decision they need to make. But there is no reason to go to war if you're not willing to do what it takes to win. That will just result in the senseless killing of people on both sides.

Had we approach the war with Japan the same way we approach wars today, we would have lost. Period. The war against Japan was won because they were given a choice of either surrendering, or being wiped of the face of the planet.

"So what do Germans understand as their duty to state, that you and I don't?"

I don't know it's so much an understanding as it is an obligation. Like selective service.

"So what your describing doesn't sound all that bad to me."

I don't think it's bad at all. I wish the US would trend more in this direction.

I identify as a Libertarian, but if you've heard me rant, my biggest problem with the US is the unraveling of the connective tissue between rights and responsibilities. I have little issue with the government paying for healthcare, education, whatever, provided that the recipients of those benefits understand their obligation to the society that funded them. Compare that to the progressive US left, where healthcare should be a right, even if you want to do nothing. Living wages should be a right right, even if you don't want to work. Education should be a right, even if it would statistically earn you less money than if you had not gone to college at all.

I doubt you'll get where I'm coming from. Most lefties have a favorable view of Europe, only because they don't live here.

"Doesn't that system require their citizens pay almost 50% of their income in taxes."

That's tough to quantify. Income tax rates are higher than the US, but not significantly higher.

The big difference is the VAT, which is 19% here in Germany. Higher in many other places. It's not a sales tax, but it does increase the cost of most purchases by 19%.