Politics
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- ********0
Troll-like rhetoric, or a relevant & tasteful political joke?
(whatever your opinion, you heard it here first)... Big-oil executives, flying around on corporate jets???... $62,000 dollars.
... Big-three automakers flying around on corporate jets???... $132,000
... Barack Obama flying all the way to Denver, CO to sign the American Recovery Act???... Priceless.
- When you want to confront the real problems, please let me know.TheBlueOne
- ok... I'm ready. Let's go. I promise to be honest. No troll here. Anytime.********
- TheBlueOne0
- that is fucking crazy/scaryBonSeff
- The amazing thing is that is is "only" 12% of US GDP...TheBlueOne
- ukit0
Politics in this country is getting out of control...the level of hatred and misinformation out there is pretty ridiculous.
I mean, we have a guy, who's pretty much a mainstream, center-left Democrat, and people on the right have somehow managed to convince themselves that a communist takeover of the country has happened.
All because the guy wants to raise taxes back to the level they were before Bush took office. And enact a centrist version of health care reform, which won't even be universal or government-based.
FFS, get a grip people.
- +1. And my point is, that by not dealing with facts we just get farther away from actual solutions to very, very real problems.TheBlueOne
- problems.TheBlueOne
- robotron3k0
Bush started the war to keep the money of weapons contractors flowing to the homes of the people in the Red States so they can buy their porn, booze, dominos pizza, nascar tickets and buy houses they can't afford. Once the war stops or slows down, all that money stops and now Obama gets blamed a mere 5 weeks on the job. IMO, mostly because he IS black and every single person who criticizes him is impatient about a recovery, jealous of his confidence and education and/or is a closet bigot.
- You cannot be serious. In fact, your statement is rather troll-like. Are you a troll?********
- yup, I never contribute to any Broadcasts or PV, I only hang around the Politics thread and mock you.robotron3k
- pretty much nailed getrefresh on all points.. good shit robotron :)Mirpour
- You cannot be serious. In fact, your statement is rather troll-like. Are you a troll?
- TheBlueOne0
"Ok folks, we've run the ship into an iceberg and taken on water, what should we do?"
"Well, this new guy, this 'captain', I hear he's not even a captain! He's a bus driver! From a bus company that funded anti-ship newspaper ads!"
"Um, yeah, thanks for that, but the lower compartments are flooding..."
"Well, back in my day, we didn't have any fancy boats like this, we went out and paddled on sticks we tied together."
"I don't see how that's relevant to..."
"I think the captain steered us into that iceberg on purpose! He's part of a vast iceberg friendly conspiracy!"
"Yeah, but the ship you see, it's sinking..."
"I want this captain to fail! I want this ship to sink! That way, I can be king of the lifeboat!"
"Look, we need to come up with some ideas here people, the ship IS sinking.."
"What if we back the boat up a bit and then ram it into the iceberg again?"
"What the hell would that accomplish?"
"I don't know, but that's the direction we were going for a long time, and it seemed right, so I figure if we just keep doing it, but harder and faster, well, that'd be progress of a sort, no?"
"That's insane!"
"Well whatever you folks are doing, I'm taking this gun and all these pastries I stole from the ship's mess and I'm going to go hole up in the crow's nest..."
"But the ship is sinking, that will only help for so long..."
"You sound like you might take my pastries! I'll shoot you!"
"For godsakes people the ship is sinking. CAn we come up with a repair plan? Or someone to work the radio and call for help..."
"I have the radio on right now. There's some guy, Dobs or something, talking about how the ship is sinking because they're were too many poor people in the lower decks see and they all ran over to the right side real fast, and that made the ship start sinking..."
"No, we hit a fucking iceberg you retard - look - out the porthole there you can see it! It's right fucking there..."
"Well, I don't care how we stay afloat but don't expect me to get my feet wet helping you. I can't be bothered..."
"Fuck you people. All of you. Really."
- ********0
^ well done.
- ********0
^ I also don't understand and am really starting to scratch my head at this point. Like you said: skeleton in closet = not eligible for high-level government post... GEEEZZZ!
- ********0
TOP 2%
So, if I am doing the math correctly, seeing how so many of you despise the top 2% earners in America. Given that there are some 300 million people in the USA, then 2% equals some 6 million of the wealthiest folks. Now, WHY would ANYONE suggest that these people should pay ANY MORE in taxes or otherwise, to support those whom are, shall I say, "less motivated, or capable of succeeding"?Furthermore, where do you draw the line. PLEASE WEIGH IN AS THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AND CENTRAL DEBATE.
In otherwise, should the top 2%, 5%, 10%, or more, bend over backwards for the betterment of the "middle class" (the very same people who will currently get ALL of the "shovel ready projects", etc.)? If so/not, WHY, WHY, WHY!!!
Trolls need not apply.
- ********0
^ In other words, if one chooses to work hard, pay their dues, and play by the rules, they should rightfully be rewarded.
On the other hand, if one choose to slack off, not work, etc, etc., then it's alright that we support them unconditionally?
- I was once got unemp, benefits lots of conditions to get themBattleAxe
- ukit0
GetRefresh, do you know what the top tax rate was in the 50s? Over 90%.
In 1980 - 70%.
Right now, it's 35%. Obama wants to raise it to 38%.
I seem to remember the economy working just fine before Bush. Is it really the end of the world if we allow his tax cuts which were never intended as permanent to expire?
- Wow, for every $1M you earn, $380,000 will be taxed/taken away. Absolutely crazy!!!********
- Wow, for every $1M you earn, $380,000 will be taxed/taken away. Absolutely crazy!!!
- ********0
^ The economy was great, leading up to W. Bush, indeed... but then, rather suddenly, KABOOM! The internet bubble. I don't necessarily blame this at all on Clinton, the same that I wish you all didn't blame entirely on Bush, that is, despite the internet bubble, and then 9/11, Bush's economy was reasonable enough, leading up to the end of his Presidency.
Anyhow, in large part I agree with your point above, however, I am still for lower taxes for everyone.
P.s.: If your combined household income is $25k or greater, your paying much more taxes also. Sorry, but this REALLY sucks!
- Dude, the S&L crisis came before the internet bubble...TheBlueOne
- BattleAxe0
either way you cut it, this guy or that gal, if the thought starts to become , well look at me, I did this I did that, and we can all be like Mike , it sounds great ! and then you see your aunt , co-workers , everyone, seems depressed, space me the economics of it all, it is true what people are saying, people are pissed, had a co worker walk up to me , talks to me about his portfolio (investment) and tells me he is down 30k, says in 1 week lost 10k,
meanwhile life itself unfolds, kids, ma and pa, , lover boy/girl ,
in less than a year, 2 coworkers lost their fathers,
and everything else in between,
or is it just me
- TheBlueOne0
"Here’s a case in point...: in Golden Age Athens, when democracy was truly invented, there was a particular tax levied on the wealthiest citizens. The amount of the tax equaled the sum needed to outfit a trireme, an Athenian warship. Why? Because Athens’ defense and her economic power was based on her navy. The Athenians realized that the people who benefited most from living in a democracy are those who are well-off. A slave’s life was likely the same no matter where he or she lived. A free but poor farmer would also not necessarily notice a huge difference in quality of life from one political system to another. The higher on the socioeconomic scale you go, the more dependent on democracy a group is for their continued way of life. This culminates in the wealthiest landowners and merchants, who simply wouldn’t exist in anything other than a free society.
Given this, reasoned the ever-reasonable Greeks, it makes sense for those who have profited most from democracy and have the most to lose from its destruction to pay more for its upkeep and defense. Hence, a tax on the wealthiest citizens to supply Athens with the ships and sailors upon which her political and economic might depended.
Some wealthy Athenians took pride in contributing to her defense and nearly reveled in the cache that outfitting a trireme brought. Others, understandably, were less than completely enthusiastic and tried any number of legal maneuverings and challenges to get out of this tax (some things don’t change). But the central idea remained: those who profit most from living in a free society owe the most for its maintenance. Unless one argues that Solon and Pericles were somehow channeling the spirits of Marx and Engels backward through time, the canard that progressive taxation is somehow antithetical to democracy is rubbish. It’s part of what democracy is (at least a healthy one).
By the by, the Athenians were also too smart to cut taxes while at war. During the Peloponnesian War, Athens levied an extra 1% land tax to help defray the costs of the struggle against the decidedly undemocratic Spartans. It was a relatively modest tax that only affected the wealthy, but went a long way in avoiding monstrous debts that would cripple the city into the future. We leave it to the reader to draw your own analogies. "
- TheBlueOne0
Conservative columnist Rod Dreher calls the current Limbaugh dominated republican thinking as "white kids on dope". I agree. And I agree with most of this guys points on where conservatism is failing America, and what it needs to do to become a vibrant and uselful part of the American political landscape:
- designbot0
The blaming Bush and the republicans for every problem our country has is getting old. (For the record, I didn't vote for him and was never a fan either) Here is my question to all you folks who constantly blame Bush for every problem we have......
When does the economy and our countries problems become Obama's?
In a year when things don't change or are worse (hopefully not) will you still be blaming Bush and the "right wingers" for everything? How about 2 or 3? or at the end of his term?
sorry to interrupt, but the blame game I keep seeing is tired.
Please continue....- at the State of the Union would be a good start, 1st 100 days, He's only been on the job 5 weeks...robotron3k
- When his policies take effect, not the resistance prior and not based on daily stock market averages...IRNlun6
- ********0
Obama ran his campaign on certain ideas and promises that he never intended to keep. It's so sad. He pulled the wool over everyones eyes— even those like me who didn't vote for him, accepted the fact that he is our new President. And in my case, felt a sense of excitement concerning the future.
But in just 5 weeks, my enthusiasm turned into nervousness, and then fear. Obama seems like a nice guy, and is very smart and all, but he is going to set our country back big-time, and has already started.
- Fear's the enemy, man.waterhouse
- What's with conservatives and fear?TheBlueOne
- Im not a staunch conservative.********
- Just because of taxes?IRNlun6
- ********0
Report:
Three top Dems are jumping ship concerning the Omnibus spending bill. Bluedog Dems are also beginning to turn their backs on NObama. Excellent.
- BattleAxe0
my beef is the bailouts, hated that Bush did it and hate it that Obama is not really doing anything different in this realm, I understand the first bailout was passed under bush, but Obama voted for it in the Senate ,
all we are told is to sit back and wait, like we were not going to do that anyways ,
let the big bank business system crash and fail ;
I am not interested in helping them out, the repercussions of it all I am interested and that is where we need the bail out ,
as my personal protest, I will be closing my bank accounts and looking for smaller independent local branches
or under my mattress
- Good for you BattleAxe. I think I will do the same thing.********
- Good for you BattleAxe. I think I will do the same thing.
