nedhamsonMay 7, 2023
Bill banning Chinese from owning land in Florida passes in the House https://asamnews.com/2023/05/06/bill-banning-chinese-from-owning-land-in-florida-passes-in-the-house/ (Me: Racism and xenophobia popular with GOP - hate sells for them. Who will they extend their hate to next?)
Bill banning Chinese from owning land in Florida passes in the House – AsAmNews

A bill banning Chinese citizens and other foreign nationals from buying land in Florida has passed the House, MSNBC reports. SB 264 would prohibit Chinese people who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents from owning property in Florida. According to The Tampa Bay Times, the bill would also prevent residents from “foreign adversaries” like […]

AsAmNews
Show threadThreadbaneMay 7, 2023
@nedhamson
It doesn't take much of a xenophobic personality to not want China buying property in the US. I am nulli secundis in my loathing of Generalissimo DeSantis and the GOP mass murderers that back him, but I'm not a free trader, not a capitalist. China is the enemy.
Show threadPaulie ✅May 7, 2023
@Threadbane @nedhamson With this template, it's easy for them to change it from China, to Chinese persons (or other non white ethnicities) who are Americans or permanent residents, during the sales cycle.

Why not make it all foreign ownership? I think you know why! 👋
Show threadThreadbane
@Paulie @nedhamson
Actually, I don't know why, unless you're saying that Russia and the Saudis own Florida's politicians, which I would agree with. And yes to ALL foreign entities barred from profiting from real estate speculation. Individual real estate ownership should be limited for non citizens, their race or nationality irrelevant.
I agree that the Dictatorship of Florida would use any law to inflict suffering on PoC if they could - and they probably will.
May 7, 2023 at 1:07pmWeb
Show threadPaulie ✅May 7, 2023
@Threadbane @nedhamson No disagreement from me, except for the distraction of using "China is enemy" is how these nutters divide us. One little thing they can pick at to open the door to horrors.

We have to question all their motives even if we agree with one aspect. Look at all the angles; where you are not looking, that's where the shiv is coming from. ❤️
Show threadThreadbaneMay 7, 2023
@Paulie @nedhamson
Yeah, could have done without "the enemy".
Show threadnedhamsonMay 8, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie British, Dutch, Canadian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, South Korean, Taiwan, Indian, … companies and citizens who own property in US?
Show threadThreadbaneMay 8, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
And the foreign entity owning the most real estate? The Vatican, of course. Only federal and state governments own more real estate than the Vicar of Christ.
Show threadnedhamsonMay 8, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie I doubt that is accurate. Just think about the amount of property held in US by BP and by Shell.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 8, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
BP and Shell? The land those two operate on belong primarily to the US, state or local gov't and are *leased* to BP and Shell and many other extractors, on and offshore.
In any case, the Archbishop of the Holy See owns 177M acres worldwide and its holdings in the US are substantial. I can't find the figure I once read in Mother Jones, but maybe 10-15M acres(?), way ahead of the top private landowners in the US, the Emmerson family #1 at 2.1M acres. (Ted Turner is #3 at 2M.)
Show threadnedhamsonMay 8, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie not just referring to wells but all their service stations, refineries…
Show threadThreadbaneMay 8, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
There are lots of Catholic churches with parking lots and manor houses, monasteries and nunneries with vineyards and farmland. And why Shell and BP that are British and Dutch? Why not pick ExxonMobil the gorilla of oil companies? None of them are listed in the top ten, so it doesn't matter.
I don't understand your resistance to this idea that the Church owns more land in the US than anybody except federal and state governments. What's in it for you? Is it a matter of faith?
Show threadnedhamsonMay 9, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie I just don’t think it is accurate. But also ignores or downplays all sorts of other ownership and investment by nationals and companies and governments of other nations in the US. It also reminds me of anti-Catholic history in US. Cincinnati, where I live, once had a 10 day anti-Catholic riot in 1800s.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 9, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
We eliminated the Divine Right of Kings from our gov't and hoped that religion would play no part in the new Republic. At least that was the plan. The Vatican now controls SCOTUS, so again the Pope might decide who will be our next POTUS.
Could you name all these other sorts of ownership that could own more land than the Church? I actually did that FOR you.
There are more than 30K Catholic owned properties in the US, some of them thousands of acres.
https://archive.curbed.com/2017/10/18/16483194/catholic-church-gis-goodlands-esri-molly-burhans
Where does the Catholic Church own land around the world?

Building a GIS database to help one of the world’s largest property owners better manage its lands

Curbed
Show threadnedhamsonMay 9, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie the Vatican does not control the Supreme Court or who will be elected President.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 9, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
Six of the Justices are not merely Roman Catholics(Gorsuch was raised Catholic), but religious fundamentalists. They have toed the line on the Pope's dicta concerning same sex marriage, abortion, and the rights of religious organizations above secular ones. Religious rights have been allowed to trump Constitutional ones. The Church actively campaigns for Republicans (as do the Talibangelicals), viz. Nuns speaking at anti-abortion rallies, aka, Nuns and God for Trump.
Show threadDr. FlowersMay 9, 2023
@Threadbane @nedhamson @Paulie I remember when people worried about voting for the Catholic Kennedy because he might be more loyal to the Pope than the US.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 10, 2023
@AlliFlowers @nedhamson @Paulie
Reflecting on that election, I remember having to write an at-home essay about the election. (I was in Honors English.) I had wanted Kennedy to win, but I knew my teacher was rooting for Nixon. I wasn't all that politically wrapped around the axle in 1960, so I blamed Nixon's loss on his nerves, "wipe out the farmers...uh...farm surplus" and the sweat glistening on his upper lip, versus Kennedy's polished, smooth delivery. Easy A.
Show threadnedhamsonMay 9, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie American Catholics are as diverse as are other religious groups in US. We all should work together to overcome inroads and gains of right wingers in US.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 9, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
"Catholics are as diverse as are other religious groups in US." Diverse in what way? Taste in toothpaste? Favorite musicians? From where I sit they are a monolith, paying homage (as well as actual cash) to the Pope, and believing in absolute nonsense, like transubstantiation and exorcism, or that a zygote is a child.
Show threadnedhamsonMay 10, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie They are diverse in political views and actions - no monolith from my view after 50 year of being active in US politics at all levels.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 10, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
While land use by the Vatican is quantifiable, what constitutes a Roman Catholic is not. I suspect your definition might be someone baptized a Catholic, whether or not they believe in the redeeming grace of Jesus. My Jewish friends have all been agnostic/atheist, but most of them still observed Jewish holy days with their families; I suspect most "registered" Catholics show a similar pattern: they don't believe the nonsense, but do not admit it because of social pressure.
Show threadnedhamsonMay 10, 2023
@Threadbane @Paulie I am not interested in discussung the ins and outs of how people practise or not practise their religious beliefs. As far as I can see, none of the major religions are monolithic when it come to politics. Some use religion to provide cover for their political beliefs. It’s the politics that interest me.
Show threadThreadbaneMay 10, 2023
@nedhamson @Paulie
My definition of a Catholic is, loosely, someone who has been baptized into the Catholic religion and believes in transubstantiation, demonic possession, and the infallibility of the Pope. The Pope believes these things (at least professes to believe them) and I would think a true Catholic must believe them perforce or change religions.
In the US, Catholicism is still associated with Irish and Italian immigrants, ie, "lower class" groups. And the Mafia, of course.