37 replies to this topic

[Inferno]

I remember watching "The Daily Show", where they brought up a clip from 2003. A Whitehouse spokesperson was saying what the cost of the war AND reconstruction would be. He stated that the planned budget would be 1.75 billion, and that no more money would be necessary for the aftermath.

What are we up to now, about 200 billion? I love how "The Daily Show" digs up old stuff to make people look like asses.

About the whole bumper sticker thing - "The Kerry/Edwards '04" thing is over. We're in a new year with the same President. How about a new bumper sticker? Something like "Bush Sucks" or "Kerry '08" could make people look smarter and less lazy. But hey, people can do whatever they want. It's just something that gets on my nerves.

[cxwq]

My bumper sticker says:

Vote Gamgee/Baggins
Defeat Evil in '04

I think I'll leave it on for now.

AA, I don't close threads because people still want to discuss things, I close threads because they're insanely off-topic or excruciatingly retarded. I think I've done that about 5 times in 2.5 years.

[Oroku Saki]

It's not just the president that's causing problems. It's also Congress that's letting him get away with it. Wait until 2006, and hopefully we can have some more partisan balance in Congress.

I find it kind of funny to see that some of the Republicans in office are even starting to realize that some of Bush's decisions are lame. I just hope it won't be too late for them to realize it.

I could sit here all day arguing about political issues, but I will only do that if I feel it is necessary.

Looking at current demographics, I have a feeling that many of the more conservative views will start to die off over the next 20-30 years. During this time period, more younger people will start to take office, replacing the middle-aged rich white guys that are currently running our government. I am sure that many members of the younger generations do not give as much of a shit about certain issues that are such a big deal today.

Additionally, at the rate of our government spending, the US will get to a point where it will have no choice but to either make huge budget cuts, causing other problems, or they will simply go under. I have already read that Bush's 2005 budget is proposing a drastic cut in the Drug War funding, which is another noun-based war that I feel is unfortunately futile no matter how much money is poured into it.

Does anyone know the possible consequences of the government not being able to pay off the deficit?

[Viper]

Good analysis Osaki. I actually agree with funding cuts on the "war on drugs." No matter what, even if 60% of coke boats are caught which is current estimates, if you want narcotics or any type of illegal drug you'll get it regardless. The thing is that by the time our generation gets to office we'll probably have become conservative individuals ourselves with things to lose, I mean what about many of the 60-70's people that are in office now, did they ever legalize marijuana? Although much of the conservative population is towards the older age bracket.

Edited by Viper, 17 February 2005 - 02:46 PM.

[Oroku Saki]

I support the legalization and regulation of controlled substances, mainly because of the fact that I feel that the drug war is a huge waste of money that could be put into more efficient programs, such as treatment for drug abusers (similar to the things done after alcohol prohibition was repealed). The other reason why I support it is because I believe that whatever consenting adults do behind closed doors is their fucking business, and the government should not tell people what they can and cannot do as long as it does not directly harm others. Besides, government regulation can easily reduce the amount of use of regulated items by minors (carding them). Look at how alcohol and tobacco are regulated. Also with regulation, the government can raise tax money to fund treatment programs for drug abusers, as well as other programs to help our society, not to mention kill a huge amount of the black market and organized crime.

I feel that each generation is getting more and more understanding of consentual activities, and over time, these stupid consensual crimes that people are being arrested for will be nothing more than a memory in the history books. Europe seems to be further ahead of us in that respect (we have more prison inmates incarcarated for drug offenses than Europe's entire prison population), and hopefully our officials will start to get the hint soon.

Edited by Oroku_Saki, 17 February 2005 - 09:36 PM.

[okto]

I should post up the picture Julie took last week in London of the Iraq protest signs outside their parliament building. Most people there hate Bush and they're our strongest allies.

There are nearly always people protesting in front of Parliament. They don't have the freedoms of expression in the UK that we do, so they go right to the heart of things when they express what freedom they have.

Edited by okto, 18 February 2005 - 02:14 AM.

[merlinski]

There are nearly always people protesting in front of Parliament. They don't have the freedoms of expression in the UK that we do, so they go right to the heart of things when they express what freedom they have.

Uhh no. They don't have the freedom of expression in the UK that we have here? Do you actually have any examples, or is this claim both ridiculous and baseless?

[AirApache]

Hahah, I want that bumper sticker cx.

Yeah, it's really late here and I just finished my Eng speech, but I just think its funny how civilians like us think we really understand the situations better than the government and that they are blind to what the actually problem is. I get a funny feeling they understand the situation quite well.

'gnite.
AA

P.S. Yeah, Okto, what the hell are you talking about? If you didn't know this, England allows for freedom of speech and press.

[cxwq]

They don't have the freedoms of expression in the UK that we do

Did you know that under the Patriot Act™ (which violates the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments) the FBI can launch a terror investigation against me merely because I exercised freedom of speech?

Did you know that if I am the recipient of search orders (without warrant or probable cause) it is illegal for me to tell anyone about it?

Check your facts.

[Viper]

Well the Bush team doesn't seem to understand simple economics, he has given nothing for foreign investors to invest in American cpmpanies, which is again connected to his unilateral policies, leaving us as a nation more isolationist finacially though imperial militarily. My "feeling" is that by synthetically driving inflation with his increasing debt and tax cuts the administration hoped to stimulate investment overall, though they really stimulated investment domestically, while scaring the foreign investors with the rising inflation. So I don't have a "feeling" they don't know what they're doing, I know they don't know what they're doing.

Edited by Viper, 18 February 2005 - 02:50 PM.

[Tinkerer]

Probably my favorite political bumper sticker would be:

"Frodo didn't make it, we've got Bush to prove it"

Needless to say, I don't like bush. He's dragged our country down to a depth I've never experienced.

His first action as president was to syphon the only surplus of funds we had, out, and to give it to I-don't-know-who. (I've never met anyone who got a penny of that "tax cut.")

He just threw most of his allies to the wayside and launched the US to war in record time in the name of "Imminent threats" and, of course, "WMD's" (which I could have cared less about)

He get's reelected by a populace who voted for him on the basis of moralls and values which are irrelevent when he can't run a country.

He speaks of "economic recovery" Which he had no part in, the economy hauled itself out of the hole.

And now, he's pushing to condemn a massive chunk of an entire generation to a miserable life after retirement. (if they can actually retire.)

Thank goodness presidents can only hold office for two terms.

[cxwq]

His first action as president was to syphon the only surplus of funds we had, out, and to give it to I-don't-know-who. (I've never met anyone who got a penny of that "tax cut.")

I got about $100 of that tax cut. Of course that puts me squarely in the category of people who don't really need $100. I'd gladly give it back to balance the budget.

[Viper]

Faucetious people elected Bush. He gave us tax cuts, which then drove inflation to the point where our purchasing power has decreased so low that even the wealthy would have been better off without a tax cut. It's a simple phenomenon when a nation borrows money from other banks, mainly China in our case, that the currency loses value. This happens especially when there is no near term actual paying back of the loans. The outlook is so bad for the government paying back its loans all of the american banks won't touch it and neither will anyone except for China and Japan and other aisian nations looking to hold power over us in some way, like the emerging superpower China.

Edited by Viper, 20 February 2005 - 12:08 AM.