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[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by zeek

An ad hominem argument is a fallacy unless it can be shown that the character of the proposer is relevant to the truth of his/her proposition. Even a pathological liar may correctly observe that the sky is blue. So, it doesn't necessarily follow that if Nee transgressed then his propositions regarding politics are false. If you wish to refute Nee's points, you can't just attack Nee. You actually have to show how they are false.

The recent hurricanes have underscored the fundamental weakness in the political process.

During Hurricane Harvey it was depicted as "unprecedented" to have a storm drop that much rain. Harvey dropped 50 inches, the previous record in the continental US was 49 inches. So although it was record setting it was hardly "unprecedented". Add to this the fact that scientists have been warning that bigger storms are a consequence of climate change and I would say that this was "precedented", they were warned, and they should have expected that with the Gulf 2 degrees warmer than usual we would get this.

So then, why were so many homes caught in the flood zone? You can be sure the insurance companies weren't caught off guard, that is why 80-85% of those flooded in Harvey and Irma didn't have flood insurance.

Here is the problem for politicians -- if they tell people they can't build in certain areas they take them to court and argue they have freedoms, rights, etc. Insurance companies don't care because they make the flood insurance prohibitively expensive so that no one has it. The city absolves itself by creating maps of flood zones and then telling people "buyer beware" knowing full well that the majority of Americans have no idea how to "beware". Primarily the poor suffer as the rich are not going to go without flood insurance and if it is too expensive they'll get a property elsewhere.

So then the politicians take the money from the real estate developers for their campaign, absolve themselves by claiming people have the liberty to do as they please. Developers don't care. The risk of the storms hitting in any six month period is much smaller than the risk of it hitting over 20 or 30 years (life of a mortgage). Insurance companies don't care. This leaves banks. But, flood damage rarely destroys 100% of the value. A $300,000 house is generally a third land value and two thirds house. If the house loses a roof that can be $50,000 or less. Flood damage can add to this. But even if the damage is $100,000 the bank might not lose anything. The only real losers are the home owners who cannot afford to fix the damage, declare bankruptcy and lose everything.

This happened in Katrina, it happened in Harvey, and I expect it happened in Irma. Prior to Irma I heard that Florida had "prepared for hurricanes". Idiotic. You cannot prepare for a category 4 or 5. You can "prepare" for a Cat 1 or 2, but unless you can guarantee you won't be hit by a 4 or 5 you aren't prepared. Once again, all the politicians do is take the developers money to run their campaigns and then put a positive spin on things when the disasters do hit.

These disasters have been predicted, often 20 years before the fact. There is no "real" preparation or response except for a few exceptions. I read of one town along the Mississippi, they were told that they needed to move to higher ground and they did. They move the entire town to an area 200 feet higher and have not been flooded since.

So then, I think Christians should be aware of the weakness and ineffectiveness of politicians. That doesn't mean that government service is unchristian or that some jobs are more sanctified than others, a position that was pushed in the LRC. But if you are going to go into it you should not be ignorant of what is involved and the bargains that have to be made.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

This happened in Katrina, it happened in Harvey, and I expect it happened in Irma. Prior to Irma I heard that Florida had "prepared for hurricanes". Idiotic. You cannot prepare for a category 4 or 5. You can "prepare" for a Cat 1 or 2, but unless you can guarantee you won't be hit by a 4 or 5 you aren't prepared. Once again, all the politicians do is take the developers money to run their campaigns and then put a positive spin on things when the disasters do hit.

These disasters have been predicted, often 20 years before the fact. There is no "real" preparation or response except for a few exceptions. I read of one town along the Mississippi, they were told that they needed to move to higher ground and they did. They move the entire town to an area 200 feet higher and have not been flooded since.

Hurricane proof? I saw some of the damage from Irma. Houses never built on stilts. Trailer homes set on cinder blocks. They should read the scripture about building on sinking sand.

These storms are "unprecedented" not because they have never happened before, but because we now have more people living on the shoreline than ever before. You can thank National Flood Insurance programs for that. Hurricane Donna was worse than Irma, yet in 1960 there were less than 5 Million people in Florida. Funny thing is that Donna occurred while the early climate change crowd were crying "ice age."

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Hurricane proof? I saw some of the damage from Irma. Houses never built on stilts. Trailer homes set on cinder blocks. They should read the scripture about building on sinking sand.

These storms are "unprecedented" not because they have never happened before, but because we now have more people living on the shoreline than ever before. You can thank National Flood Insurance programs for that. Hurricane Donna was worse than Irma, yet in 1960 there were less than 5 Million people in Florida. Funny thing is that Donna occurred while the early climate change crowd were crying "ice age."

All of those houses are built where any geologist could tell you clearly you were in danger in the event of a hurricane, etc. However, people assume that if the govt allows the house to be built then it must be safe. The reality is the government is allowing people to gamble. You can gamble with your life savings. They just didn't know that this is what the deal was.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

All of those houses are built where any geologist could tell you clearly you were in danger in the event of a hurricane, etc. However, people assume that if the govt allows the house to be built then it must be safe. The reality is the government is allowing people to gamble. You can gamble with your life savings. They just didn't know that this is what the deal was.

Talking about buildings, did you hear about that new skyscraper in San Francisco built on sinking sand? Called the Millennial Building, they decided not to build it on bedrock. They should have hired a decent geologist named ZNP. What a boondoggle! The thing is leaning too.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Ohio

You can thank National Flood Insurance programs for that.

Trump couldn't insure his Mar a Lago, and his Jupiter Fl resorts, cuz no insurance company would insure a known flood zone.

So he had to sign up with the FEMA insurance program. That program is in debt to the fed gov'ment to the tune of 1.5 billion, and if it were a private large insurance company it would be in receivership long ago.

Funny thing is, the FEMA insurance program was being discontinued (for obvious reasons) but Trump sign legislation to extend it. Trump will always take care of Trump, first and foremost, damn the debt.

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by awareness

Trump couldn't insure his Mar a Lago, and his Jupiter Fl resorts, cuz no insurance company would insure a known flood zone.

So he had to sign up with the FEMA insurance program. That program is in debt to the fed gov'ment to the tune of 1.5 billion, and if it were a private large insurance company it would be in receivership long ago.

Funny thing is, the FEMA insurance program was being discontinued (for obvious reasons) but Trump sign legislation to extend it. Trump will always take care of Trump, first and foremost, damn the debt.

Now you know why he wanted to be president. I'm sure he realized the danger to his resort long before running.

[zeek]

At the UN yesterday Trump showed once again that the biggest threat to the world today is Trump himself.

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by zeek

At the UN yesterday Trump showed once again that the biggest threat to the world today is Trump himself.

Well let's see if Israel announces the rebuilding of the temple now that they have Trump in their corner.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

Well let's see if Israel announces the rebuilding of the temple now that they have Trump in their corner.

And the rest of the world has Jared?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by zeek

At the UN yesterday Trump showed once again that the biggest threat to the world today is Trump himself.

I no longer question your intelligence.