October 23, 2008 at 12:06 pm
David Reed (10/22/2008)
I failed my saving throw against the temptation of political posting. Bad me. I was doing good, Peter, until you replied.I'm not sure where peterus gets his propaganda from, but...
I am a Muslim. I took shahada in 1991. Didn't expect what's happened since, but none of it's shaken my faith.
I believe McCain is the best choice for this country of the options that we have. Bob Barr might be more entertaining (and more libertarian), but he doesn't have a prayer. John's not my favorite politician; I don't even like his voting record, but he's the guy.
I'm not convinced that Barak wants what's "best for this country" but I am convinced that he'll grow the size of government faster than John will. We can't afford the irrational spending that Barak plans.
How did the Republicans get credit for being small government and conservative spenders when the deficit has grown more under Republican control than when any Democrat has been in office? I can never understand that.
Notice that McCain wants more tax cuts (at least for the wealthy) but he still wants to have an unending war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who pays? Our descendants.
October 23, 2008 at 4:20 pm
jpowers (10/23/2008)
Bryan Esposito (10/21/2008)
How would you feel about a Republican running around town tearing down signs for the Democrat candidates?Funny you should mention that. Some Republicans have actually been tearing out signs in support of Obama and have been caught on video.
Links or it didn't happen. 😛
October 23, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Richard Gardner (10/23/2008)
I'd love to have a discussion with peers, any suggestions on where?
Where what? Where to have a discussion or where to find some peers? 😉
Either? Most of the people whose opinions I respect (for better or worse) are already here. 😛
You Americans really need to reevaluate your attitude to socialism you know, it's not a dirty word, it certainly isn't evil and it really does make the place much nicer to live in....
Socialism is evil. It's even more inefficient and wasteful than the free market. If it were so great, why are all the so-called socialist democracies across the pond trying to get out from under it? 😉
jpowers (10/23/2008)
How did the Republicans get credit for being small government and conservative spenders when the deficit has grown more under Republican control than when any Democrat has been in office? I can never understand that.
Possibilities: a) the democrats don't want credit for something so naughty as letting the people who earned it keep more of their money or b) it's true.
Please don't blame conservatives for the spending habits of RINOs. The Governator and all the big Republican spenders from Nixon to W are in the wrong party. For some silly reason, they think that people will like them or they have to let the Democrat programs slide under the veto in order to get their own priorities accomplished. 🙁
If we could've given McCain to the democrats during the primaries, we'd've been happy to!
Notice that McCain wants more tax cuts (at least for the wealthy) but he still wants to have an unending war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who pays? Our descendants.
McCain wants tax cuts that make it easier for my kids to save for college. If that makes me wealthy, too bad. I've had my share of second jobs. Other people need to get some second jobs, too!
What unending war? Iraq is wrapping up and we'll be out of there by '10 or '11. We do need to pour some surge on Afghanistan and stabilize it, but I'm afraid a President Obama will wind up having to nuke Pakistan to stabilize the region -- he's already threatened to invade it and he's not even been elected yet.
October 23, 2008 at 4:39 pm
David Reed (10/23/2008)
jpowers (10/23/2008)
Bryan Esposito (10/21/2008)
How would you feel about a Republican running around town tearing down signs for the Democrat candidates?Funny you should mention that. Some Republicans have actually been tearing out signs in support of Obama and have been caught on video.
Links or it didn't happen. 😛
http://conservationreport.com/2008/10/16/john-mccain-supporters-stealing-political-campaign-signs/
:pinch:
October 23, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Don't really want to get involved in much of this, but this
If we could've given McCain to the democrats during the primaries, we'd've been happy to!
is definitely something with which I agree. 😀 I have to admit that I'm surprised that he won the nomination for the Republican party. He really does live up to the maverick name in that he tends to vote the way he wants and not always along party lines.
And with regards to the sign stealing, it's happened on both major party sides around DFW - enough to warrant a couple of local news stories. I don't have a citation, but I know it's happened enough to be noteworthy. IIRC, it was even so bad that people were swapping out the signs so McCain signs were replaced with Obama signs and Obama signs with McCain signs if they weren't just destroyed/stolen/burned. Sad that people behave this way at times. I really don't see the point as someone having a sign in their yard has never influenced my vote.
October 23, 2008 at 4:53 pm
What unending war? Iraq is wrapping up and we'll be out of there by '10 or '11. We do need to pour some surge on Afghanistan and stabilize it, but I'm afraid a President Obama will wind up having to nuke Pakistan to stabilize the region -- he's already threatened to invade it and he's not even been elected yet.
From the Wonkette website this comment and link to YouTube video:
"He [McCain] says that getting our troops out of Iraq is “not too important” considering the fact that we have military bases in such places as Japan and Germany, still. You may recall this “permanent occupation” line of logic from the Republican primary season, as it was the single most horrifying thing a presidential candidate said all cycle. [YouTube]
October 23, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Are you saying that the guys stationed in Germany and Okinawa shouldn't come home first? I think that we're move overdue to come home from Korea than either of the sandboxes.
Socialism == Bad. House Democrats Contemplate Abolishing 401(k) Tax Breakshttp://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/83/58.php
For lots more Obama embarassment, including YouTubes.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/21/the-comprehensive-argument-against-barack-obama/[/url]
At the risk of being on topic, Steve's podcast is my favorite (just wish that the feed worked in my Zune!), followed closely by http://gunrightsradio.com/[/url] :w00t:
October 24, 2008 at 2:28 am
Socialism is evil. It's even more inefficient and wasteful than the free market. If it were so great, why are all the so-called socialist democracies across the pond trying to get out from under it?
What, like Austria? Denmark? England? Sweden? France? Germany? Where are these crumbling socialist democracies? There's different degrees of socialism you know, you should go live in a high tax and spend country for a while, the problem socialism has in America is that it's such an emotive knee jerk topic nobody bothers analysing it, it's all black and white (I blame McCarthy). Personally I like the fact I won't have to sell my house to pay my medical bills if I get cancer or have a heart attack, and my wife is pregnant at the moment so I REALLY wish I lived in Austria.....
You're not one of those Americans without a passport by any chance?
October 24, 2008 at 6:04 am
Sadly, I'll admit to being one of those "Americans without a passport". I can't afford to travel overseas, even though I'd love to. If I have to pay increased taxes for government healthcare, I'll remain passport-less. I have enough trouble paying for a trip cross-country.
I've experienced government healthcare in the US - it's bad. Months just to get a check-up. Good luck finding a doctor who will deal with the hassle without a significant drive. There was even some discussion nation-wide because of some veterans receiving really bad care and it wasn't addressed until someone brought the news people in. With the track record our government has of providing social services, I think I'd prefer that it remain private. 😛
October 24, 2008 at 7:17 am
It's bad because it's underfunded, the health service in the UK is pretty good. Me, I'd rather get treated by a doctor who is a doctor because they want to stop people dying, call me old fashioned but I don't think cash is the optimal motivator when it comes to deciding what kind of treatment I need... As to having no cash - how much do you spend on medical insurance? Prisons? You tend to find the very high taxation countries have much lower levels of social deprivation which trickles up - insurance costs less because there's less crime, streets are cleaner because people have more social responsibility, childcare is provided for free, everyone is better educated and generally more civilised - yes you pay more tax but you get stuff for it and people as a rule have a higher standard of living because they have less things they need to spend their money on.
October 24, 2008 at 7:33 am
Now I will agree to a couple of those points - I'd love to have a doctor motivated by healing as opposed to money. Most people I know in healthcare aren't in it for the money, though there are definitely people who are. I'd love to see more community-service oriented stuff. I kind of like the idea of needing to do community service as part of your school. I was in Scouts and that was a big part of what we did and some of that still sticks with me.
I do disagree a little that the programs are under-funded. I personally see more mismanagement. Once our government gets involved, costs just go up and paperwork goes up. I did foster care - I want to help. However, the increased paperwork and rules year after year just became overwhelming. You can't legislate good parenting, but the government sure tries. One thing happens - make a rule. Something bad happens because you made the rule - amend the rule or add another one. If you buy supplies, they have to be made to xyz spec, even though the generic @ the local store would work just fine. You make some great points and I will grant that there are definitely some attractions to the idea. I just don't see our government doing it right and thus am pretty concerned about the idea.
I also think money plays some factor. If I want/need something right now, I can pay for that treatment to get it. If the government controls everything, I'm stuck waiting in line until the rules/regs say that it's my turn. On the flip side, if I want/need something and don't have the money, I'm out of luck unless someone steps in. (Although life/death needs tend to be taken care of, if not covered completely.) There are advantages and disadvantages each way. I just have a lot of concerns having seen the mess that our government makes with tax dollars. (And this is not directed at any particular party - while there was a time when Republicans were generally for better/lower spending, it sure hasn't been in recent years. All parties are equally bad recently.)
October 24, 2008 at 10:19 am
Peter, interesting comments.
I think some of the issues aren't just that it's government, but that it's often there's not enough transparency and accountability. Not enough of the desire to really succeed. And we often set too many rules to cover every little possibility.
Interstingly enough, Gore did a lot of work as VP to try and streamline things. Not sure it's continued on.
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October 24, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Richard Gardner (10/24/2008)
Socialism is evil. It's even more inefficient and wasteful than the free market. If it were so great, why are all the so-called socialist democracies across the pond trying to get out from under it?
What, like Austria? Denmark? England? Sweden? France? Germany? Where are these crumbling socialist democracies? There's different degrees of socialism you know, you should go live in a high tax and spend country for a while, the problem socialism has in America is that it's such an emotive knee jerk topic nobody bothers analysing it, it's all black and white (I blame McCarthy). Personally I like the fact I won't have to sell my house to pay my medical bills if I get cancer or have a heart attack, and my wife is pregnant at the moment so I REALLY wish I lived in Austria.....
You're not one of those Americans without a passport by any chance?
I haz a passport. It's even current. 😉 We're even planning to visit my wife's home country (Pakistan) next year on our way to hajj. I spreckenzi a bit o' Spanish, German, Urdu, Arabic and Irish (Gaelic, actually, but saying that outloud sounds funny to an English speaker). Duz I qualify as a non-bigot now? I can haz teh caek?
😛
Can we send y'all a passle of illegal immigrants who're doing superhuman feats to get into this country? It would be impressive indeed if we could find creative ways to put those devious minds to work on something besides soaking up the free, socialist healthcare that we already provide in the US. (That I'm paying way too much for.)
For the record, I have family members who receive Medicare/Medicaid (I can't keep them straight, so I'll call them Medi*), and I'm working my butt off to save enough to get them private care. My mother-in-law refuses to move in with us (in another state) so that we can get her on our company-funded insurance to take care of the much-needed knee replacements (for which she's been on a two+ year waiting list @ Medi* to treat severe arthritis). The low level of care that my wife described from Medi* during her childhood was frightening.
Anything that takes us to a single-payer system is Teh Eeevil®. Ironic as it is, any further attempts to socialize medicine in the US are the most likely cause of another Tea Party® and subsequent revolution.
FOTR, I know that Teddy the Swimmer is working on a revision of Hillary Care® from his hospital bed that he hopes will be enacted by Congress "in his honor" when he dies.
:sick:
October 24, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Steve Jones - Editor (10/24/2008)
I think some of the issues aren't just that it's government, but that it's often there's not enough transparency and accountability. Not enough of the desire to really succeed. And we often set too many rules to cover every little possibility.
Steve, take a look at #5 on this list from Heritage: Top 10 Examples of Government Waste
Bureaucracies exist to make rules. Making or growing bureaucracies will only result in more rules, not results.
Barak's "home state" (adopted, we presume) is a prime example: Illinois Odd Laws
Interstingly enough, Gore did a lot of work as VP to try and streamline things. Not sure it's continued on.
Now you're just trolling. You're hoping that bring Algore into this will send me into orbit. :hehe: Gore did no such thing. Links or it didn't happen.
BTW, y'all need to change your style sheet so that links are underlined. Links that aren't blue and underlined are Wrong®. 😉
October 24, 2008 at 5:52 pm
David, while it's not a link, the website you gave by the American Heritage folks (Top 10 Examples...) contains a reference to Al Gore's work (which I quote here - italics are mine):
For those seeking past recommendations that went unheeded, the 1984 Grace Commission report on government waste and the 1993–1995 publications of Vice President Al Gore’s National Performance Review can still be found.
The sky is sure pretty from up in orbit. :hehe:
Steph Brown
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