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=== Plot Spoiler and Caveat Emptor ===
Here there be philosophy, ethics, and politics, as they relate to business and baseball. If that's not your thing, you might wish to click on past this one.
Tacoma Rain axs,
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Guys - hang in there with me on this, cuz' I'm really not trying to prove Bigfoot killed Oswald here....
The Mariners are always tight lipped about everything. Right? EVERYTHING. But the M's are ALWAYS - NO COMMENT - on any trades proposals, ESPECIALLY the ones that do not work. Jack has made it a point NEVER to include names.
Yet for THIS trade proposal, we know EVERY name.
Now at first we would say, yeah but the Diamondbacks are in volved too, so Towers is talking... BUT this story is on the Mariner's web site. This story is on Shannon's blog. This story has even had Jack himself talk about it. AND we know EVERY name. It's like the Mariner's are broadcasting this story... and the Mariners are fanning the flames too, by trying to keep people talking about this story.
Harold Reynolds is talking up the fact that UPTON does NOT want to come to Seattle EVER? Harold Reynolds, MLB TV Host.
What is going on?
...
The only thing that makes ANY sense to me is that Jack is doing this to get the attention of the MLB or the commissioner.
I am sure there are reasons to do this... like take pressure off the Marlins so they can make a trade, or get a first round draft pick next year, or ???
I am open to your suggestions and comments.
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=== Talking Points ===
1. Conspiracies do occur.
Some how, some way, at some date, the modern American press was able to stigmatize this phrase "conspiracy theory." Just the mention of the phrase is enough to falsify any protest against a political agenda.
There is a rich, complex set of arguments -- on both sides -- available on the subject of gun control. The NRA sincerely fears an agenda to completely disarm the American populace and in the NRA's view, this could lead to a totalitarian government riding herd over its citizens with impunity.
Most NRA members don't particularly feel like they need 30-round magazines for their rifles, but what they do feel like, is that some segments of American society are trying to incrementally work towards a situation in which no American legally owns a gun at all.
Very often the logical retort against the NRA consists of --- > laughter, pointing, and "Look at the conspiracy theorists!" And very often this retort is completely effective.
How many U.S. senators and representatives would like to see private gun ownership outlawed? Of course there are some. Why, then, respond to the NRA's protest with Conspiracy Theory Kook ridicule? Why not simply make the case that citizens should not own guns?
It's not about right wing or left wing, as such. The left wing might oppose prayers at school assemblies not because a 30-second prayer is so repugnant, but because of its fear of an underlying agenda -- that the right wing, if left unopposed, would saturate the K-12 system with Bible education. And that's a concern well founded. Many on the right actually would do this, if it were possible.
Why then ridicule the left over its concerns that an agenda exists? An agenda does exist. Those who deny the existence of the agenda are being dishonest, but they're being effectively dishonest. The "Conspiracy Theory" accusation wields tremendous power in our society. Too much power.
