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| Economy |
| Can Our Union be Saved? |
| 2011-07-19 |
| h/t Gates of Vienna ...The spending path that Congress has chosen for the last half-century is unsustainable and will end up with economic collapse but little or nothing can be done about it unless I'm grossly wrong about the American people. Americans who detest our country and those who love our country are hell-bent, wittingly or unwittingly, on destroying it. ...Everyone who receives government largesse and special favors deems his needs as vital, deserving, proper and in the national interest. It is entirely unreasonable to expect a politician to honor and obey our Constitution and in the process commit political suicide. What's even worse for our nation is that voters ousting a politician who'd refuse to bring, say, aid to higher education back to his constituents is perfectly rational. If, for example, he's a Virginia politician and doesn't bring higher education grants back to his constituents, it doesn't mean Virginian taxpayers will pay a lower income tax. All that it means is that Marylanders will get the money instead. Once legalized theft begins, it pays for everyone to participate. Those who don't will be losers. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #8 > KNOW MOST OR ALL OF WHAT YOUR HIDING UNDERNEATH YOUR CLOTHES ANDOR IN YOUR PERSONAL BAGS. > CAN EAVESDROP ON YOUR PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS, BE IT VIA CELL PHONE OR IN ORAL AMONG FRIENDS. No way. Mom passed some years back |
| Posted by: S 2011-07-19 23:21 |
| #7 IMO many Amers only seemingly appear to "do nothing" [sheeple] because, being the oft-criticized "puritanical/moral-ethical/ conservative society" they are, they want to give those in errant another chance to do good - UNFORTUNATELY, SOME ONLY CARE ABOUT CONTINUING THEIR ABUSE, CORRUPTION, + EXPLOITATION, ETC. WHILE PRETENDING THAT THEY AREN'T. "EVIL NEVER STOPS", as the saying goes, UNTIL GOOD DECIDES TO THROW CAUTION + COURTESIES TO THE WIND + TAKE A STAND. The Govt. has the tech ability to > READ YOUR PRIVATE EMAILS, to include so-called "SNAIL MAIL", ENCLOSED OR NOT. > MANIPULATE, ADD OR DELETE, or otherwise CHANGE YOUR EMAIL MESSAGES/TEXTS. > KNOW MOST OR ALL OF WHAT YOUR HIDING UNDERNEATH YOUR CLOTHES ANDOR IN YOUR PERSONAL BAGS. > CAN EAVESDROP ON YOUR PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS, BE IT VIA CELL PHONE OR IN ORAL AMONG FRIENDS. All while you are doing it, in real or current "now" time, + WIDOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT, ETC. The best you'll get at this time is a 911-related public warning e.g. "This Area is under 24-hour Security Monitoring" WHERE THE BURDEN IS ON YOU TO FIND OUT EXACTLY OR SPECIFICALLY WHAT "MONITORING" MEANS. All this hoopla about formally regulating the Net is just fluff-n-bluff Govt. PCorrectness-Deniability to CYA what they are ALREADY DOING + HAD BEEN DOING FOR MANY YEARS + DECADES, TO MINIMIZE THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY LITIGATION OR MASS COMPENSATION THAT MAY BE UNILATERALLY PAID OUT BY THE GOVT FOR VIOLATING YOUR RIGHTS. Until these I/E-regulations are formally passed, YOU COULD BE TREATED LIKE A CRAZY/INSANE PERSON, WHEN IN REALITY THE GOVT IS RUNNING SCARED BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE WRONG. The above being said, since the Govt wants to read + know ANY EACH + ALL DETAILS of your Personal + Group communications, etc, + WIDOUT YOU BEING ANGRY ABOUT IT, WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO SHOW THE MAINSTREAM THEIR INTERNAL GOVT. COMMUNICATIONS THEMSELVES WIDOUT GETTING ANGRY IT??? And widout asking you to vote on it just like you weren't asked to vote for OWG-NWO + "Globalism", or even "Regionalism", "Trans-" or "Continentalism, etc. where AMERS ARE SUBJECT TO AYSMMETRICALLY/UNILATER OBEYING THE MANDATES, DIRECTIVES, POLICIES + PROTOCOLS OF LEADERS + GOVTS BEYONG THE NATIONAL OR STATE LEVEL. Once again, Virgina, we learn why the Martians attacked Earth in "MARS ATTACKS" in SPACE GOVT-MANDATED "POLICE ACTION" AGZ RADICAL EARTHICAN PLANET/GLOBAL NATIONALISTS-SEPARATISTS, + why we never give up our Gun Rights, etc. to the US Govt or any Govt., + why both the Declaration of Independence + the US Constitution does not forbid our forced overthrow of our own Govt. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-07-19 19:46 |
| #6 "It would seem that our politicians in D.C. ought to see the gravity of the problem and be able to do something about it." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thanks, John - best laugh I've had all day. Oh, wait - you were serious? |
| Posted by: Barbara 2011-07-19 18:36 |
| #5 ...when it all comes crashing down, the debate will be over and the reality will bite. Polls are crap to run a country by. It's called leadership. The current so called leaders are just driving the vehicle off the cliff. If real consequences to this embezzlement of the American people were in their view, you'd bet they'd be talking different. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-07-19 16:51 |
| #4 The House is currently debating Cut, Cap, and Balance on C-SPAN1. A vote will occur around 7:00 p.m. It may pass the House but it will not pass the Senate, and if it did, Obama said he will veto it. It is largely symbolic but it will give the Pubs things to talk about in the run-up to the 2012 election. I've heard people on Fox say the Pubs are losing the debt limit debate to Obama. They say the polls say the Pubs are looking intransigent and uncompromising. I'm not so sure the polls have it right--just a gut feeling. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-07-19 16:44 |
| #3 It would seem that our politicians in D.C. ought to see the gravity of the problem and be able to do something about it. Quit playing politics and trying to gain some party advantage. That's why the Trunks should play Obama's tax increase demand against him. Since the two biggest growths in the federal budget are SS and Medicare, then the revenue source of those programs should be increased accordingly. When the man insists, then offer up increases in the payroll deductions already in place. Make him choke on his own intransigence. It's not the rich bloating those expense of those programs, so they shouldn't be the source of rescuing them. Of course, the worker who'll see a big bite come out of their take home will finally feel the consequences of rhetoric over reality and maybe actually pay attention. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-07-19 11:10 |
| #2 Graphics seem easier to grasp for me than narratives. Here is a graph of the Federal income and outgo: Graphic of Federal Income/Outgo For those eager to cut Social Security and Medicare. It is not just older citizens who benefit from this system. You can get both Social Security benefits and military retirement. Generally, there is no reduction of Social Security benefits because of your military retirement benefits. YouÂ’ll get your full Social Security benefit based on your earnings. There are 9.4 million military veterans receiving Social Security benefits, which means that almost one out of every four adult Social Security beneficiaries has served in the United States military. In addition, veterans and their families make up almost 40 percent of the adult Social Security beneficiary population. Policymakers are particularly interested in military veterans and their families and have provided them with benefits through several government programs, including Social Security credits, home loan guarantees, and compensation and pension payments through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Paying taxes on Social Security income goes on after benefits begin. Likewise, Medicare is not exactly an entitlement. Working citizens paid for Social Security all their working life. Paying continues on after retirement which Walter Williams did not mention. Retirees pay a significant amount for Medicare every month after benefits begin. They also pay a significant amount every month for a Medicare Supplemental policy. Moreover, if you work after retirement, you are taxed on income like everyone else and you are taxed up to 13% additional for an additional self-employment tax. It would seem that our politicians in D.C. ought to see the gravity of the problem and be able to do something about it. Quit playing politics and trying to gain some party advantage. Do something for the country for a change. It is like so many other issues in Washington, politicians sense elections coming up and they don't want to do anything that will offend any constituent group rather than do the right thing for the country. A good start would be for our politicians to live by the same rules and laws that we have to--no special perks. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-07-19 09:33 |
| #1 Ooops, should have gone to opinion. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-07-19 05:54 |