I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson
Clinton Surplus Myth
http://www.craigsteiner.us/articles/16
Oama Bin Laden came to power due to extreme wealth of his family and fighting Russia in Afghanistan. No link has ever been tracked to US. However he was offered to the USA when Clinton was President after he tried to blow up the WTC the 1st time and Clinton refused to arrest and try him. Anything after this time can be blamed solely on Bill Clinton
Democrats love for the minority.
It was the Republicans under Lincoln who freed the slaves the DEmocrats started the Civil War to stop them from being freed. They have deluded minorities for years by giving them crumbs from their table and blaming the people who freed them as responsable for their situation in life. (Feed a man a fish he eats for a day teach him how to fish he eats for a lifetime) The Democrat Socialist agenda is all about giving meals and keeping them from learning how to fish so they feel beholden to them and vote for them. The Stimulous mostly went to preserve govt. jobs, union jobs, teachers jobs all bastions of Democrat votes.
Bail outs to banks were wrong but most have paid back the money with interest excent Freddie and Fannie which received the most and have BOs blessing to continue the way that caused the issues. The fees BO is wanting do not stop the bad banking ideas they just require BO gets his share, he also plans on not requiring Freddie and Fannie to pay them.
BOs tax the rich and their medical plans policy has an exemption for union cadilac plans further payoff.
The cost of Health Care needs reformed BO plan has no cost containment just control and neith party has ever demonstrated the ability to control costs of a govt program. In addition if the plan is so good why did Reid need to put bribes totaling over a billion dollars to buy votes? Such as Nebraska bribe which even the good people of Nebraska opposed. Thereby requiring other states to pay more than their share?
BTW Republicans did have a Health Care reform plan that was even bipartisan but was ignored
And Bush continued to read a book for less than an hour to school children while he waited for more info to come in what was he supposed to do launch missiles. BO stayed on vacation in Hawaii for 2 days after his hand picked Neopolitan said having passengers defeat terrorists shows the BO plan works.
I'm an outsider here, and I'm not going to weigh in on his policies or successes and failures, but you have to admit that the fact that most non-Americans don't assume every single thing that the US is doing is automatically selfish, fear-driven, and opportunistic, for the first time in the better part of a decade, has to be worth something as far as political currency. Even if he's no better than most other guys doing the job (and isn't that a shock) the simple fact that he's the outward appearance of change is worth it's weight in gold.
In either case, to go back to the wisdom of Douglas Adams, "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."
Frankly until the rest of the world starts contributing their fair share of money, troops, UN costs etc I really couldn't give a Flying Fig about what they think, say, or do. The US should start heading to a reall self interest program and leave the rest of the world to do for them selves for a while so they can learn to appreciate what we do and not sit back watch us and then bitch that we didnt use our charity money the way they want us to.
I agree too many of our presidents have been elected because they wanted the job not because they were capable of doing it. And they were from both parties.
I have no problem helping my fellow man. From Darfur to Haiti. However, when my govt decides to take my money and donate it to their favorite charity to promote their agenda that is when I have a problem. Or when the people I help start bitching that I do not give enough or that what I gave is not what they wanted that is the last dollar they get from me. I feel once I earned the money it should be my decision where it is spent. I will not say how you should spend your money dont presume to tell me how I should spend mine.
Last edited by circmand : 01/22/2010 at 01:18 PM Reason: spelling
Whenever I feel like posting a link to a story that is outrageous, I always do a little fact checking first because if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Saves me from getting egg on my face.
In this case a simple google for "pelosi 757" will get you a little bit more background on that jet.
Because strong-arming is really effective at getting cooperation. It isn't about 'kissing asss' or 'acting tough' its about manipulating other countries to act in our best interest. It costs us nothing to play nice with the other kids on the playground - but it can yield enormous dividends, like Russia's change with respect to Iran as one simple example.
Being nice hasnt gotten the USA anything but contempt from other countries and bowing and apologizing has gotten us nothing but contempt either. All your morally bankrupt countries run by dictators are like their leaders they only respect one thing strength. Despite hollywoods attempt at brainwashing the masses that gathering in a circle and singing Kum Bay Yah will solve everything and treating your kids like friends will raise great adults its untrue. Every country has been invaded the USA is the only one that gives the country back and taxes its citizens to rebuild the defeated country leaving them better off than they were when they started.
I'm surprised you say that when I've already given an example where diplomacy has been successful. It is no isolated incident either - for example even France has strongly endorsed the new "surge" in afghanistan with NATO troop counts expected to reach at least 47,000.
I'm not saying diplomacy is 100% effective, but I'm confident it is a whole lot more effective than trying to boss everybody around. And, its not like we have to act tough to scare anyone - everybody knows we've got the biggest stick in the world and have used it more than enough times since the end of WWII. Why do you think Iran wants nukes in the first place? We showed them what we will do to a country that we don't like who doesn't have nukes.
Perhaps you can name an example where beating on a country that was down, or just leaving it to rot, ended up as a net positive for the USA in the long run? Or at least a case where rebuilding ended up as a net loss?Every country has been invaded the USA is the only one that gives the country back and taxes its citizens to rebuild the defeated country leaving them better off than they were when they started.
The kind of treatment you seem to be advocating really backfired with respect to the Weimar Republic. Yet rebuilding paid huge dividends with Germany and Japan after WWII. Maybe I've just got a big blind spot, but I can't think of a single case where determined rebuilding of a defeated country was not a massive net benefit for the USA in the long run.
Do you honestly believe that countries are being nice to Obama because of his apologetic demeanor? How would it look if a country was "mean" to the first black president? They would immediately be marked as racist, and no politician wants that on their head, regardless what country they are from. No, the world is acting nice, and just like children, as soon as we turn our back/let our guard down, they will do whatever they can to hurt us or each other either financially, politically or other. We are the teacher on the playground, and the teacher is NOT friends with her students.
Then again, when you a-s-s-u-m-e the worst, that's generally what you end up with.
There's not much a person can do about past mistakes other than realize they were made, admit they were made, try to correct them, and move on. Doesn't it show more character, being able to do that, than it would to ignore them and expect others to do the same?
It's all a matter of perspective of course, but some may say that attempting to open or maintain a dialogue as equals, regardless of financial/political or other levels of power, is the true indicator of strength.
It also seems curious that some are of the opinion that Obama won the election just because he was/is a good public speaker. I mean, I personally do think that he is, although I was also of the opinion that at times during his campaign his speeches had almost started to sound like they were being delivered by a tele-evangelist. But regardless of his public speaking skills, it was what he was saying (and more to the point...doing) that had me leaning more in his direction. (And I should at this time say that Obama didn't eventually get my vote, in case anyone is starting to think I'm saying what I am to justify any decision I made after the fact).
What he did was actually put into practice what most people said they wanted a candidate to do; have the ability to focus on the issues while NOT falling prey to the tactic of making the campaign process a big mud-slinging contest...(similar to what's happening now with current opinion polls). That fact alone showed that the man had character, and that he could maintain a more mature level of discourse even when it may have been easier to simply fight fire with fire.
In my opinion, it's all still a matter of having realistic expectations. It seems that the majority of people wanted change, it's just turning out that the only change that will be considered acceptable is the type of change that doesn't require the people who wanted change...to change.
I have no response for that. To believe that the leaders of multiple countries are simply unable to say "no" in a diplomatic fashion because they are afraid of appearing racist is not debatable. Either one believes it fervently, or one laughs at the face of it.
Which is absolutely no different from the situation engendered by diplomacy through force. That's simply the nature of international relations.No, the world is acting nice, and just like children, as soon as we turn our back/let our guard down, they will do whatever they can to hurt us or each other either financially, politically or other.