Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Campaign 2016

In one sense they are right, since prisons existed 2000 years before Jesus was born. "The beginning of prisons can be traced back to the rise of the state as a form of social organization. Corresponding with the advent of the state was the development of written language, which enabled the creation of formalized legal codes as official guidelines for society. The most well known of these early legal codes is the Code of Hammurabi, written in Babylon around 1750 BC. The penalties for violations of the laws in Hammurabi's Code were almost exclusively centered on the concept of lex talionis ("the law of retaliation") where people were punished as a form of vengeance, often by the victims themselves. This notion of punishment as vengeance or retaliation can also be found in many other legal codes from early civilizations, including the ancient Sumerian codes, the Indian Manama Dharma Astra, the Hermes Trismegistus of Egypt, and the Mosaic Code." So, one could also note that prisons were part of the Judeo Christian tradition.

It was actually Plato that first came up with the idea of using prisons as reformatories. But it was Christians of the 18th Century that promoted the idea of "Penitentiaries", "based on religious ideas that equated crime with sin, and saw prisons as a place to instruct prisoners in Christian morality, obedience and proper behavior. These later reformers believed that prisons could be constructed as humane institutions of moral instruction, and that prisoners' behavior could be "corrected" so that when they were released, they would be model members of society." So, in the larger sense, as with so many things espouse on the extreme right, they are diametrically wrong.

And there is no "rehabilitation" with the onset of prisons for profit. Just more corruption as with that judge who was just sentenced to 28 for abusing the system

US judge receives 28-year jail term for his role in kids-for-cash kickback

I never thought that Jim Webb had much of a chance at the Democratic nomination. I don't think that he'll do any better for the Independent one, either.

Can Justin Trudeau run for President? He'd not be the only Canadian in the race.

Some RWNs are claiming that if Webb runs as an Independent that it will split the Leftie vote. I think it's more likely that he would split the Rightie vote to some degree.

I agree.I think that most Democrats will vote for either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. They will vote Blue, before voting Independent. But Jim Webb may draw the more moderate Republican vote, with all the nutjobs running for the GOP spot.

In the most recent Gallup poll American voters are 27% Republican, 27% Democrat, and 43% Independent. A record high for Independents. When asked which way they "leaned" Independents were split pretty much evenly bringing the total to 45% Republican and 44% Democratic.
That leaves 11% of the voters up for grabs. source

Even Republicans are not excited about their candidates. Once they've made a decision which one gets to run in the general election it's hard to imagine that American voters at large are going to be particularly thrilled with the idea of voting for a Trump/Carson/Bush/Cruz/Rubio.

The Democratic field is far more mainstream and is addressing the issues that, poll after poll, say Americans are more interested in than the divisive social issues predominating the Republican discussion.

If Webb has the financial backing to continue his run as an indepent it's far more likely he'd do more damage to Republicans than Democrats. I don't see him as a game changer in any event though.

There's a conservative nut job that wrote today that Jebb Webb will now go Independent and split the Dem ticket.

I replied to said nut job that Jim Webb hardly has any Dem attention, and a Rep split is more likely if Webb goes independent.

I tell you, the right wingers are nuts and in their so-called analysis, they always get things backwards.

Well said. Thank you!!