The Politics Thread

[aMLCproduction]

So Iran can now make Bombs. What is our Pres going to do about this? Should Iran have bombs?

[bellcurve]

Should the U.S.?

[GoldenDogs]

Perhaps the concern is that the country supposedly now able to make a nuke bomb has openly stated it wishes to blow Israel off the face of the map. I think it is a question of responsibility with a weapon of mass destruction and the stability of certain countries who desire to have one. Concerned with the notion that the United Kingdom has a nuke? Nah. Iran? Ummm... hell yeah.

Just my honest opinion and not intended to be political in any way.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

OH MY GOD!!!!!!

I agree.

[GoldenDogs]

LOL at Jay!! <<relief>> I was beginning to think I was a radical... and in steps Jay to back me up! At least on this issue, I'm at last in step with someone... hehehe... I wish Roman was here to see this!!

[UCLAN]

Well even us radicals can be fearful of nukes in the wrong hands. I too agree with you. Iran with nuclear capability is a very scary thing.

[quartermainefan]

Hi,

If you are Iran, then the answer is 100% yes. George Bush showed that if you do not have bombs the US reserves the right to attack you at will without provocation (Iraq), and if you do have bombs the US will not attack you even if you point your weapons at US troops and allies (North Korea). The US will attack a country without bombs that harbors Osama Bin Laden (Afghanistan) but will not attack a country with bombs that harbors Osama Bin Laden (Pakistan).

So, you are Iran and there is the US...which kind of country do you want to be?

[Roman]

Hi, everyone!

I was in the hosital for the last two weeks, and I'm here to try and catch up with politics. Needed a break from it because it has gotten to the point that it has become so silly. There are many in the political arena who seem to be more interested in hearing their own voice and passing their own bullshit than really ;istening and doing what is in the best interest of the people.

We all have time, but maybe we all should start by listening to each other, and then seeing where we come down, instead of just blasting each other.

[GoldenDogs]

Hey Roman,

I wondered where you had gone off to... I'm glad you're back and glad you're okay!

B

[Roman]

Thanks, Brian.

It's good to feel alive again.

[Max]

Obama and the Democrats just had a terrible week.

First, there's the matter of Obama's tasteless "joke" where he compared his bowling skills to those athletes who compete in the Special Olympics. I find it really pathetic that fellow Democrats (including the Shriver family, which runs the Special Olympics) are making all sorts of excuses for him by stating that he really didn't mean anything hurtful by this joke. Can you imagine the holy hell that would be happening had Bush made this comment?

Then, of course, there's the fake outrage that Obama expressed over the AIG executives being paid huge bonuses. What's fake about this outrage was that it was produced only after the public had become so upset over finding out about the AIG bonuses. In fact, not only did Obama know that this "bonus clause" was in the bill he signed, but it was Geithner himself who pushed Senate Democrats to insert such a clause in the first place. (And don't even get me started on Chris Dood, who first said that he had no idea who inserted that bonus clause into the bill, but then--the very next day--admitted that he was the guilty party.)

Obama's first two months have been nothing but an endless series of blunders. (Which is to be expected given the fact that he had so little experience prior to being elected.) Now, I can almost be certain that one of the Democrats who post here will respond to this fact by stating "he's still a lot better than Bush." Unfortunately, that is a pointless line of attack for two reasons: First, his opponent in the last election was John McCain, not Bush. And secondly, Obama, his supporters, and the media set forth much higher expectations for Obama (when compared to the expectations Bush was faced with when he took office) by constantly comparing him to Lincoln and stating that he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Anybody is entitled to think that the liberal agenda is much better than the conservative one. However, what would be so refreshing is for any liberal to acknowledge the simple truth: that Obama is very much the typcial opportunistic politician as opposed to the great savior who's going to bridge the partisan divide and put an end to politics as usual.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Max

[SteveFrame]

Before I get started I'm not coming in here to get started on the Republican/Democrat or Bush/Obama thing. I don't care one thing about that or repeating any of the stuff anymore or even dealing with it. I have stayed out of here for that very reason because even if you try to discuss something bothering you that is all it comes down too.

I am just seeking some answers to something that I was wondering if anyone else had any info on and just to express an opinion or at least just vent about this. If you want to bring back up the other stuff or get into another debate about who is better or who's [!@#$%^&*] don't stink just please don't respond.

Anyway as I have trie to say before the recession has hit me and mine very hard. Every month just finds more and more stuff we are having to cut. And if things don't get any better soon I may not even have Internet access. Each month just keeping my kids in college and stuff gets to be more and more of a burden esp. since my small business just keeps getting hit and basically at this rate is dead. All we are waiting for is the sign that says we are going out of business. Technically the last month you can say we have been out of business because we have none.

Anyway I thought the stimulus plan was supposed to help but the first letters I got on it this week just leaves me with more questions. I am supposed to start a new plan for payroll which I don't have any way. Basically I am supposed to take less out on my employees so that they get more money during the year and at the end of the year there will no more tax refunds. Instead of getting a check at the end of the year now employees will have more money during the year. They are doing that from the letter I got instead of sending out stimulus checks like were given last year.

Where my boyfriend works they put this into play this week with his check. They usually hold out 30 to 40 dollars per week on him for withholding. This week they only took out 5 dollars. So he ended up with 33 dollars more on his check this week than he normally does. His accountant said at this rate he definitely won't get a tax refund and most likely he will owe the government money come tax time next year. Needless to say he is not happy at all.

What I don't understand is how does this help the unemployed. If they don't get a check now where is their stimulus money coming from.

Plus like me the majority of my income is my social security. Last year I got a stiumulus check but with this plan I won't get any. My SS check is not increasing.

So to me this plan is only helping a small portion of the population and not really helpng many that are needing help. Esp. the unemployed.

I don't know I am just at the point to where any glimmer of hope that you see just gets dimmer and dimmer. I just don't have any faith that any of them are really trying to help us anymore. And what is going to be left if help doesn't come soon. My mortgage payment has doubled in the last year, and since my extra income from my business has been cut I have gotten behind on my payments. Tuition rates went up this year in Tennessee due to the fact that TN cut spending to colleges. My daughters lost their financial aid due to the cuts as well.

I am closer than I have ever been to losing my home - a home that has been in my family for almost 30 years now.

And my story is not even as bad as so many others out there. I don't know I had at least hoped that the stimulus money would come in a bigger lump sum that just a little more each week or something. And what good is it going to do if people end up owing at the end of the year.

I'm just frustrated.

Oh well I said my peace and vented.

Over and out.

[GoldenDogs]

Hi Steve,

Facts are facts and it is clear that Obama is doing very poorly. Yeah, I admit that I'm not an Obama supporter and I'm sure Roman and others can feast on my statements as being ultra-partisan... and it's true, I'm quite partisan... but pointing out my partisanship really does nothing to mask the very plain fact that Obama has truly bungled his first months in office.

I'm worried for the country.

[UCLAN]

Well, I don't think the president is doing poorly. I think that any recovery that is going to happen is going to be slow. SteveFrame, I believe that you are seeing your tax cuts immedately, I don't believe that your boyfriend will end up paying at tax time because the rate will be adjusted.

Do I think the pres has his fingers in too many pieces of the pie? Yeah, I do, but that's cause I'm a work on one thing at a time person. We are in a place when we have to radically change our corporate structure, the way we do business. That's a scary thing for a lot of people. To me, the bottom line is that trickle down economics did not work. We can't continue to try to make it work. Everybody needs to get together and come to agreement on a plan. Tom Brokaw said it best on MTP this morning. He said in effect that you have to leave your ideaology behind and support what the president is trying to do ala FDR.

It seems we create arguments just for the sake of arguing. (I could go on about that but I am distracted by the madness.And I'm doing better in the brackets than the pres.) My point being, we can't expect things to happen overnight. Sometimes the steps forward are lost in the muck that they are moving through. Are our dire straigts really that die? Our consumption is growing, recovery is happening. We get sidetracked by thing like AIG bonuses, Leno show etc. Patience is something we need to all exercise.

Edited March 22, 2009 by UCLAN

[Roman]

Brian, guess what?

I no longer give a [!@#$%^&*] what you think.

If you think he's doing poorly, fine. [!@#$%^&*] it.

After what he was left, and after a long campaign season where everyone else sounded like the idiots they were, things are more important than a partisan who no matter what seems to not long at things objectively and seems to hang on to the hatred he or she has for a president, even when they are telling others not to do the very same thing they are doing.

Oh well, Brian. Your [!@#$%^&*] loss, man.