If one is interested in actual results instead of adherence to discredited economic theories, it turns out that people in every income category do better under Democratic presidential administrations than Republican ones (except the extreme rich, who do equally well under Democratic and Republican administrations). So even people of extreme self-interest cannot point to their own well-being to justify voting Republican. Really, the only reason, from a personal economics standpoint to vote Republican is if it bothers you to see other classes of people doing better than they might.
Johnny McCain, shameless power whore, is proving yet again what a MAVERICK he is, what a Washington outsider, by doggedly proceeding in the foot steps of Rove/Shrub. You know, the ethical and financial wizards who’ve done such a swell job with the country the past 8 years.
And the taxes thing? Even flaming liberal Greenspan says McWhore’s generous plans for tax breaks won’t work.
Or if the Vice President of the U.S. used to be your corporation’s CEO. Those types of companies seem to do inexplicably well under Republican administrations. Crazy, huh?
Weirddave, I feel for ya buddy, I really do, because you’re right about a lot of this. What you don’t realize is that this fight is over. It’s been over for a long time, because sheeple in America really really like it when their government spends a lot of money. Seriously, who is going to spend less? The Republicans? Give me a break. Bush massively increased the size of government with a whole new cabinet department and a Medicare entitlement that could choke a horse. The only thing the Republicans can offer you is a teency weency bit more credibility when they rail against government spending, because at one time, in the long-long ago, they may have cut a program once or twice. But railing against it and actually doing something about it are totally different things, and I’m sad to say that the “smaller government” ship has sailed.
So where does that leave us, once we have accepted that neither side is going to shrink the size of goverrnment, and both are most likely going to expand it? It leaves us needing to make a decision about who is the most responsible, and that ain’t the Republicans. You may call Dems “tax and spend,” and that may be true, but Republicans are “don’t tax and still spend more,” and that’s worse. It transfers the responsibility for our selfishness off of us and on to our children, and it gives people the impression that we can just spend and spend and never have any consequences. As long as people don’t feel any consequences, they are never going to decide, as you already have, that the government needs to get smaller. Americans need to reap what we sow.
I’m really sick of the ‘tax-and-spend-liberals’ chestnut. It’d be thrilling if the Republican party of the last decade hadn’t thrown money around like drunk sailors on leave. Unfortunately, the party supposedly in favor of fiscal responsiblity, well, lied like motherfucks about that too.
It sucks but Republicans under Rove/Shrub/McShame/Creationist Barbie are tax-and-borrow ‘conservatives’. We’re in hock up to the eyeballs and won’t get out of it easily or soon.
Denial, a la McShame, will just make an already dismal situation worse.
Whether or not you adopt John McCain as a role model is up to you.
The boilerplate response to how to cut government spending is usually “cut waste. you know, wasteful stuff. That I don’t want or need or understand.”
I’d like to see specifics. What programs should be cut and how much would that save.
And spare me the tears about the sad people making over $600,000 a year who will have to pay more taxes under Obama’s plan. They’ve had some major tax breaks over the past 8 years. This is just playing a little catch up.
To reiterate what others have said:
DON’T SPEND WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE. Yes, cut some programs. (which ones again?). BUT primarily, PAY FOR YOUR SPENDING NOW.
Canada has run a budget surplus for approx. 12 years now. A surplus. The Canadian debt clock is running backwards. These days, any party in Canada that runs a budget deficit is committing political suicide. All parties in Canada came to the conclusion that they had to pay for government services NOW, and not wait for our children to pay for them. As a result, we are now paying much less than before to service the debt, and taxes for all Canadians have dropped (and will likely drop further in the future.
I humbly suggest that the Democrats and Republicans get on the same page and do what is right for the country.
Bush has been running record deficits for years. Has there been any reduction in spending as a result?
The “starve the beast” strategy is stupid. It doesn’t work. Historically it has NEVER worked.
You what’s really going to happen if we keep running massive deficits? Massive inflation. That’s how governments historically get rid of big debts they can’t pay.
You want smaller government? Elect people who will actually cut programs. But cutting spending without cutting programs is destroying America.
Compassion is a piss poor way to run a government, there’s always someone else whose sob story merits “compassion”. Compassion is not the province of government. Basic needs met for the truly destitute and that’s it. Anything beyond that is just varying degrees of socialism. If you feel such compassion for the less fortunate, then you should help them on your own hook. I do. Why do you need government to force you to do the right thing?
How’s that cite comin’?
I find it hilarious that “nuclear” was spelled out phonetically for her on her teleprompter. What an imbecile.
This is an awesome site.
The best page is this one:
http://www.theobamafile.com/ObamaOsama.htm
Apparently, people sometimes confuse his actual name, “Obama”, with “Osama”, the name of the terrorist! Did anybody else know that? HOW CAN ANYBODY VOTE FOR THIS MAN!?!?! HIS NAME IS SIMILAR TO A FAMOUS TERRORIST’S NAME!!!
I can do the right thing. It’s the other 300 million people I’m worried about.
Bottom line, I prefer to live in a country with a good standard of living for all rather than one with a good standard of living provided you can pony up the dough.
And if it’s such a piss poor way to run a government, I really have to wonder why practically every country on Earth that you’d actually be comfortable living in does it that way.
ETA:
It is, isn’t it?
The Trinity United Christian Church is not a Christian church? That site makes my head hurt.
That is a funny site. Barack Obama said in 1987 that his favorite color is light blue. Yesterday, on Meet the Press, he said his favorite color is sky blue. Was he lying then or is he lying now?
"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned-they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.’
‘Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.’
‘If they would rather die,’ said Scrooge, 'they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
Weirddave, I think you would have made out rather well in Dickens time.
So this isn’t a thread about Palin lying. It’s a thread to convince Weirddave of the wisdom of a graduated income tax. Maybe the ninth year will be the charm. Well played, Dave.
Of course she’s an imbecile, but Jimmy Carter, a noo-kyoo-lah engineeah with the Navy, pronounced it the same way.
Why, cuz you didn’t like seeing your candidate’s lies in black and white? What cite do you want, dear heart? The absolute best cite out there is this one: Obama for America. Ignore the politicizing stuff, and go right to the section where he talks about what he wants to do.
Increase the size of the military. cite
Hey, look, here he wants to give us $50 Billion to “jumpstart” the economy. Heh. “give”. cite
And, hey look! He wants to institute a “windfall tax” on oil companies! No way that’ll just be passed on to consumers, no way at all.cite
Man, that one page is a gold mine. Now the IRS gets to collect personal data on all of us, to make our lives “easier” of course.cite
Pork for farmers! Oboyoboycite
This one’s a particular favorite of mine: Students will now be required to “volunteer” for community service in order to graduate. Sounds like a great idea, we can call then the Obama Youth cite
Do I need to go on? It’s all on his webpage, for anyone who bothers to go look.
Just wanted to mention that the website ManiacMan linked to - “Obama’s Lies” - has a google ad offering free Obama buttons from MoveOn.org.
When they claim to have invented the blackberry.
and yes, I know it was an “aide” but if it were an Obama aide saying that about Obama, you guys know you’d be all over it.
Having more expenses than income is silly. Private citizen, corporation or government. If you have to get a loan for some reason, have a plan for repaying the loan. And that plan should not be “get another loan.”