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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: The Luke on January 01, 2009, 04:40:04 PM
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Having watched the trailer for the upcoming IOUSA documentary:
http://www.iousathemovie.com/
...I was somewhat surprised to have heard nothing about this movie in the press.
Is it actually already on release Stateside?
Is it being deliberately blanked by the mainstream media?
The Luke
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first time hearing about this one...
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It's a documentary. Documentaries rarely get significant publicity. Kind of hard for the media to "blank" coverage when it's all over the internet. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963807/
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It's a documentary. Documentaries rarely get significant publicity. Kind of hard for the media to "blank" coverage when it's all over the internet. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963807/
al gore's documentary got all the publicity it needed to get him the nobel Lol
you know damn well cnn and msnbc pushed that movie hard. There's an obvious agenda behind it for personal benefits.....but this particular docu. i don't see a need for an agenda...just flat truth
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were fuked
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were fuked
truer words were never posted.
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al gore's documentary got all the publicity it needed to get him the nobel Lol
you know damn well cnn and msnbc pushed that movie hard. There's an obvious agenda behind it for personal benefits.....but this particular docu. i don't see a need for an agenda...just flat truth
Yes Gore's movie got plenty of press. One of the exceptions. Most documentaries aren't produced, directed, etc. by a former VP and released in theaters.
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Yes Gore's movie got plenty of press. One of the exceptions. Most documentaries aren't produced, directed, etc. by a former VP and released in theaters.
I've seen about a dozen documentaries in theaters just in the last 2-3 years.
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This piece of film made me seriously doubt if Obama is appropriate as the man to lead U.S in these troubled times. I hope he mutates into the next Ron Paul pretty damn quick.
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al gore's documentary got all the publicity it needed to get him the nobel Lol
you know damn well cnn and msnbc pushed that movie hard. There's an obvious agenda behind it for personal benefits.....but this particular docu. i don't see a need for an agenda...just flat truth
I just watched this documentary. This is far above anything Al Bore could ever conjure up.
This is the real deal and is why i am a conservative and not a socialist. Spending more on nonsense programs is going to destroy us. Its ridiculous.
Unless we are willing to face the facts and tell everyone of the gravy train that enough is enough, we are finished.
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Ah well, every superpower/empire has to end at some point. U.S probably doesn't have much time left. It will be interesting to see what happens when the almighty dollar plummets.
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Ah well, every superpower/empire has to end at some point. U.S probably doesn't have much time left. It will be interesting to see what happens when the almighty dollar plummets.
Everyone wants a bailout/handout/entitlement/or some other taxpayer funded goody.
We refuse to say no to anyone:
The Seniors
The Disabled
The Illegals
The Children
The politically well connected
The Ethanol lobby
The CSEA
We are finished because as a nation we refuse to say no. Social Security is a bigger ponzi scheme than Madoff could imagine. Medicare and medicaid is rife with fraud and waste and operate as a day care for seniors who run to the doctor for every sniffle.
Illegals are on the dole and collect welfare.
And on and on.
Its over.
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I just watched this documentary. This is far above anything Al Bore could ever conjure up.
This is the real deal and is why i am a conservative and not a socialist. Spending more on nonsense programs is going to destroy us. Its ridiculous.
Unless we are willing to face the facts and tell everyone of the gravy train that enough is enough, we are finished.
congratulations on being conservative...now if you could just convince the conservative party to be conservative
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I've seen about a dozen documentaries in theaters just in the last 2-3 years.
Really? Which ones?
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congratulations on being conservative...now if you could just convince the conservative party to be conservative
Yeah, me too.
We have a one party cartel in DC and that state govts. They have consolidated power to such a great extent that only a severe collapse will affect a change we need.
Obama is not going to do damn thing about any of this because the people that voted for him are looking to increase entitlements, not end them.
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I'm always surprised at just how terribly brainwashed conservative Americans are... they are afraid of "socialism" and "socialized medicine" because they buy into the propaganda pushed on them by the cleptocratic Corpocracy.
ALL the countries overtaking America are socialist.
ALL the countries already ahead of America are socialist.
EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY with a better healthcare system than America (all 40 of them) has universal "socialized medicine".
American citizens have TOO FEW benefits... not too many. The most socialist countries: France; Germany and the Scandinavian countries, have HIGHER standards of living than the USA, not lower ones. More benefits, not less.
The French work 32 hours a week... Americans work 50 hours per week on average (for example).
It's not 1950 any more... American is not #1!
America needs to ask itself qui bene...? Who benefits from the systematic negation of the American people as a revolutionary threat?
Who benefits from the destruction of the American education system?
Who benefits from Americans being morbidly obese malnourished carb addicts?
Who benefits from the dysgenic trend in the American population?
I'll give you a hint... they can have their talking points parroted on FOX News.
The Luke
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Really? Which ones?
religulous,bigger stronger faster,murder ball,metallica some kind of monster,march of the penguins,born into brothels,all together now(the Beatles)...there's more having trouble remembering them all....and not as recently Fahrenheit 911,bowling for columbine,super size me. If you live in a major city near a college you get to see most documentaries in theater when they first come out.as most all are in limited release.
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I'm always surprised at just how terribly brainwashed conservative Americans are... they are afraid of "socialism" and "socialized medicine" because they buy into the propaganda pushed on them by the cleptocratic Corpocracy.
ALL the countries overtaking America are socialist.
ALL the countries already ahead of America are socialist.
EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY with a better healthcare system than America (all 40 of them) has universal "socialized medicine".
American citizens have TOO FEW benefits... not too many. The most socialist countries: France; Germany and the Scandinavian countries, have HIGHER standards of living than the USA, not lower ones. More benefits, not less.
The French work 32 hours a week... Americans work 50 hours per week on average (for example).
It's not 1950 any more... American is not #1!
America needs to ask itself qui bene...? Who benefits from the systematic negation of the American people as a revolutionary threat?
Who benefits from the destruction of the American education system?
Who benefits from Americans being morbidly obese malnourished carb addicts?
Who benefits from the dysgenic trend in the American population?
I'll give you a hint... they can have their talking points parroted on FOX News.
The Luke
Which country is overtaking us????
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Which country is overtaking us????
...educate yourself.
The Luke
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...educate yourself.
The Luke
Another nonsense post by yourself.
I asked the question because I cant see what country is overtaking us. You made the statement, not me.
I am probably far more educated than yourself and looking for your brilliant answer because by all measures, Europe has higher taxes, higher unemployment, and a declining birth rate.
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Which country is overtaking us????
China.
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religulous,bigger stronger faster,murder ball,metallica some kind of monster,march of the penguins,born into brothels,all together now(the Beatles)...there's more having trouble remembering them all....and not as recently Fahrenheit 911,bowling for columbine,super size me. If you live in a major city near a college you get to see most documentaries in theater when they first come out.as most all are in limited release.
I live in a major city near several universities and we rarely have documentaries in theaters.
Regarding this one, it is on the Oscar watch list:
15 Docs Continue in 2008 Oscar® Race
Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 81st Academy Awards®. A record 94 pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order:
“At the Death House Door”
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)”
“Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“Fuel”
“The Garden”
“Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts”
“I.O.U.S.A.”
“In a Dream”
“Made in America”
“Man on Wire”
“Pray the Devil Back to Hell”
“Standard Operating Procedure”
“They Killed Sister Dorothy”
“Trouble the Water”
The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed all the eligible documentaries for the preliminary round of voting. Documentary Branch members will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles on the shortlist.
The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2008/08.11.17a.html
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Which country is overtaking us????
None. No country offers our combination of freedom, opportunity, education, lifestyle, etc. on such a grand scale. Not perfect and yes we have problems, but there is a reason we continue to have people flooding our borders, legally and illegally, every year.
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China.
And you have the balls call anyone else dumb????????????
China is near a recession depression itself over the global melt down and cant even feed all its people.
And I am happy to see you are looking to a communist country with slave wages, no EPA, no labor laws, no enviro-nazis, no EEOC, no ERA, no unions, etc.
Is that the direction we should go???
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And you have the balls call anyone else dumb????????????
China is near a recession depression itself over the global melt down and cant even feed all its people.
And I am happy to see you are looking to a communist country with slave wages, no EPA, no labor laws, no enviro-nazis, no EEOC, no ERA, no unions, etc.
Is that the direction we should go???
LOL. "China" was exactly the answer I was waiting for someone to give after The Luke's idiotic remarks. Sheesh... whatever! Let them move to China if it's so great there. Or France. "Higher standard of living" ...Yeah right.
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And you have the balls call anyone else dumb????????????
China is near a recession depression itself over the global melt down and cant even feed all its people.
And I am happy to see you are looking to a communist country with slave wages, no EPA, no labor laws, no enviro-nazis, no EEOC, no ERA, no unions, etc.
Is that the direction we should go???
What are you talking about? ::)
We owe China $1.4 trillion dollars.
China will prosper through this economic downturn. Do some research before you try to debate.
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So I guess we should lower the minimum wage, get rid of all labor laws, get rid of all environmental laws, get rid of the unions like China has???
You clowns fawning over a communist dictatorship are amazing.
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So I guess we should lower the minimum wage, get rid of all labor laws, get rid of all environmental laws, get rid of the unions like China has???
You clowns fawning over a communist dictatorship are amazing.
What the fvck are you talking about?
As The Luke posted, educate yourself.
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What the fvck are you talking about?
As The Luke posted, educate yourself.
China is not taking anything over. They need us as much as we need them.
They are hurting very much from the slow down as much as anyone else.
Like I said:
What do they do different than us???
1. Slave wages
2. Child Labor
3. No EPA
4. No environmental regs.
5. No labor unions
6. very low standard of living.
Also, their GDP is nowheres nears ours.
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The responses in this thread are textbook examples of what I was addressing.
Ignorant... uneducated... dysgenic... and proud of it.
America is not #1 anymore... the fact that Americans don't know this, is a symptom of the process at work.
The Luke
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The responses in this thread are textbook examples of what I was addressing.
Ignorant... uneducated... dysgenic... and proud of it.
America is not #1 anymore... the fact that Americans don't know this, is a symptom of the process at work.
The Luke
I agree.
The problem is we as Americans have taken our way of life for granted.
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The responses in this thread are textbook examples of what I was addressing.
Ignorant... uneducated... dysgenic... and proud of it.
America is not #1 anymore... the fact that Americans don't know this, is a symptom of the process at work.
The Luke
China is number 1????
most of their people are peasants and farmers.
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China is number 1????
most of their people are peasants and farmers.
Dude, the Chinese are starting to realize they don't need America any longer. Do some research.
When they wright us off we're done.
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Dude, the Chinese are starting to realize they don't need America any longer. Do some research.
When they wright us off we're done.
Dont get me wrong, I think we have dug our own grave in many areas. This was done since the late 1960's.
However, I dont think it is a foregone conclusion that China is our successor. They have many many problems themselves.
We have saddled ourselves with insane taxes, regulations, costs, and stupid trade policies that spell doom for us, not to mention entitlements to baby boomers that will put the icing on the cake.
I agree with you that we are screwed, but just for different reasons.
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China is number 1????
most of their people are peasants and farmers.
...China hasn't overtaken the US (yet). But they are progressing very quickly, meanwhile America is regressing at an alarming rate.
The American Dollar is backed (for all intents and purposes) by 8,000 tons of gold bullion (Fort Knox), the Chinese Yuan is backed by less than 1,000 tons... but China just bought another 4,000 tons this last month, and they paid cash for it too.
When was the last time America paid cash for something?
So China hasn't overtaken America just yet... but it might before 2030, and almost definitely by 2050. Contrarily, Dr Jared Diamond ("Guns Germs and Steel" and "Collapse; How Societies Choose to fail or Succeed") gives the US a 50/50 chance of surviving till 2050.
However, despite the beliefs of redneck Republicans, Japan; Australia; Scandinavia; Canada; and the vast majority of European countries have ALREADY overtaken the US in every measurable positive living index.
Americans don't have the high standard of living they think they have, they just have lots of mega-rich plutocrats bringing up the average.
The Luke
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I am not disagreeing with you on all those things and think that our uber-rich class have done more to sell us out than any other group.
Whether it be Rick Rubin, George Soros, Paulson, Buffet, Gates, Greenspan, GWB, Corzine, et al, they have all conspired in one way or another to screw us over. They are "citizens of the world".
I am speaking as a small business owner when I tell you that we are already taxed to death, pay a ton in energy costs, real estate taxes, and have little or nothing to show for it. As a nation, the US taxpayer is getting royally ripped off by the government.
We are basically screwed as a nation because we will soon have almost as many retirees as workers and that is a recipee for disaster for any nation.
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I am speaking as a small business owner when I tell you that we are already taxed to death, pay a ton in energy costs, real estate taxes, and have little or nothing to show for it. As a nation, the US taxpayer is getting royally ripped off by the government.
We are basically screwed as a nation because we will soon have almost as many retirees as workers and that is a recipee for disaster for any nation.
...petrol/diesel is twice the price in Europe (300% tax on gasoline). Americans pay about two thirds of the tax Europeans pay.
America is not being ripped off... the USA insists on paying out 60% of GDP on the military.
Again, educate yourself... it is the ignorance of the American public (such as yourself) that is the true downfall of America.
Educate yourself... or keep voting Palin till you're living in a Bushville.
The Luke
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That's right Americans dont pay
SALES TAX
FICA TAX
REAL ESTATE TAX
ENERGY TAX
GAS TAX
INCOME TAX
SOCIAL SECURITY TAX
CAPITAL GAINS TAXES
STATE TAXES
FEES & USE TAXES
PHONE TAX
DEATH TAXES
WORKERS COMPENSATION COSTS
UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES
You are the fool who has no idea what the heck you are talking about. I own two businesses and understand far more than you ever will about the cost of doing business in this country which is killing us.
Why do you think companies off shore so much work????? Taxes and costs.
Let me know what companies you own or have managed and then talk to me.
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You are the fool who has no idea what the heck you are talking about. I own two businesses and understand far more than you ever will about the cost of doing business in this country which is killing us.
Why do you think companies off shore so much work????? Taxes and costs.
Let me know what companies you own or have managed and then talk to me.
...almost every European citizen pays more tax (percentage wise) than his American counterpart.
Again, if you don't know this... educate yourself.
The Luke
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China is not taking anything over. They need us as much as we need them.
They are hurting very much from the slow down as much as anyone else.
Like I said:
What do they do different than us???
1. Slave wages
2. Child Labor
3. No EPA
4. No environmental regs.
5. No labor unions
6. very low standard of living.
Also, their GDP is nowheres nears ours.
7. Government owned real estate
8. Religious persecution
9. Censorship
10. Forced abortions and population control
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1. Slave wages
2. Child Labor
3. No EPA
4. No environmental regs.
5. No labor unions
6. very low standard of living.
7. Government owned real estate
8. Religious persecution
9. Censorship
10. Forced abortions and population control
...behold: America 2050. (best add in race wars and rampant gun crime too)
The Luke
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...China hasn't overtaken the US (yet). But they are progressing very quickly, meanwhile America is regressing at an alarming rate.
The American Dollar is backed (for all intents and purposes) by 8,000 tons of gold bullion (Fort Knox), the Chinese Yuan is backed by less than 1,000 tons... but China just bought another 4,000 tons this last month, and they paid cash for it too.
When was the last time America paid cash for something?
So China hasn't overtaken America just yet... but it might before 2030, and almost definitely by 2050. Contrarily, Dr Jared Diamond ("Guns Germs and Steel" and "Collapse; How Societies Choose to fail or Succeed") gives the US a 50/50 chance of surviving till 2050.
However, despite the beliefs of redneck Republicans, Japan; Australia; Scandinavia; Canada; and the vast majority of European countries have ALREADY overtaken the US in every measurable positive living index.
Americans don't have the high standard of living they think they have, they just have lots of mega-rich plutocrats bringing up the average.
The Luke
I agree with you on some things. Watching China grow this quickly is like watching what America was during the industiral revolution. Speaking of which:
No, that's a Chinese girl working in a factory.
(http://teacherlink.org/content/social/instructional/industrialrevolution/childmillworker.jpg)
(http://www.teacherlink.org/content/social/instructional/industrialrevolution/childworkertextile.jpg)
Smell the American fresh air. I bet no one cared about dumping a few hundred thousend barrells of sludge in the water back then.
(http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/sia/31.1/images/malone_fig11b.jpg)
the similarities are the same when comparring wage, unions, enviromental laws, etc...
China is just starting to take off, the middle class is growing, people are demanding more, China's economy is expected to grow by 10 percent in 2009, despite the global reccession, what other nation can say that?
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...almost every European citizen pays more tax (percentage wise) than his American counterpart.
Again, if you don't know this... educate yourself.
The Luke
America and Europe are two completely different animals.
BTW - did you even watch the movie?
It is very clear that the social welfare state is bankrupting us and simply is not sustainable.
You post about China? Are you freaking kidding? Those people live in tiny apartments and on farms by and large and that is what you point to as progress?
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America and Europe are two completely different animals.
BTW - did you even watch the movie?
It is very clear that the social welfare state is bankrupting us and simply is not sustainable.
You post about China? Are you freaking kidding? Those people live in tiny apartments and on farms by and large and that is what you point to as progress?
Many Americans also live in "tiny apartments."
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BTW - did you even watch the movie?
It is very clear that the social welfare state is bankrupting us and simply is not sustainable.
...if Americans had a French style universal healthcare system then the average American would be much better off. The French have the best healthcare system in the world (whereas America has the 37th best), yet they pay only about 60% of what Americans pay in their competitive; efficient; free-market system.
...if the American food industry was regulated as tightly as the Germans are regulating the European food supply then the average American would be maybe 20 or 30 lbs lighter and 3 or 4 IQ points smarter.
...if America had a decent livable minimum wage crime might well be lessened enough that America would no longer be the country with the largest prison population per capita on the planet.
...if America had less wealth disparity then maybe it wouldn't need the highest ratio of police officers to civilians of any country on the planet.
...if America had a better public education system then maybe I wouldn't have to argue the bare-faced socio-political realities of America's collapse to the delusional propaganda-loving morons who are the root cause of all this.
See where I'm going with this? America needs MORE socialism, not less.
"...the social welfare state is bankrupting us..." 333386 you are a fool.
Firstly, America doesn't have a "welfare state" and secondly, socialist countries all around the world are overtaking America with less wealth; less resources and much bigger demographic problems.
If Germany; France; Norway; Sweden; Finland; Ireland; Spain; Denmark; Switzerland; Japan etc etc can all provide much better benefits, working less hours per week (on average), with less GDP, the burdens of better (more costly) education and health system... the question becomes: Where is America loosing the money?
The Luke
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...if Americans had a French style universal healthcare system then the average American would be much better off. The French have the best healthcare system in the world (whereas America has the 37th best), yet they pay only about 60% of what Americans pay in their competitive; efficient; free-market system.
...if the American food industry was regulated as tightly as the Germans are regulating the European food supply then the average American would be maybe 20 or 30 lbs lighter and 3 or 4 IQ points smarter.
...if America had a decent livable minimum wage crime might well be lessened enough that America would no longer be the country with the largest prison population per capita on the planet.
...if America had less wealth disparity then maybe it wouldn't need the highest ratio of police officers to civilians of any country on the planet.
...if America had a better public education system then maybe I wouldn't have to argue the bare-faced socio-political realities of America's collapse to the delusional propaganda-loving morons who are the root cause of all this.
See where I'm going with this? America needs MORE socialism, not less.
"...the social welfare state is bankrupting us..." 333386 you are a fool.
Firstly, America doesn't have a "welfare state" and secondly, socialist countries all around the world are overtaking America with less wealth; less resources and much bigger demographic problems.
If Germany; France; Norway; Sweden; Finland; Ireland; Spain; Denmark; Switzerland; Japan etc etc can all provide much better benefits, working less hours per week (on average), with less GDP, the burdens of better (more costly) education and health system... the question becomes: Where is America loosing the money?
The Luke
Idiot - did you watch the movie???????
Obviously not.
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...if Americans had a French style universal healthcare system then the average American would be much better off. The French have the best healthcare system in the world (whereas America has the 37th best), yet they pay only about 60% of what Americans pay in their competitive; efficient; free-market system.
...if the American food industry was regulated as tightly as the Germans are regulating the European food supply then the average American would be maybe 20 or 30 lbs lighter and 3 or 4 IQ points smarter.
...if America had a decent livable minimum wage crime might well be lessened enough that America would no longer be the country with the largest prison population per capita on the planet.
...if America had less wealth disparity then maybe it wouldn't need the highest ratio of police officers to civilians of any country on the planet.
...if America had a better public education system then maybe I wouldn't have to argue the bare-faced socio-political realities of America's collapse to the delusional propaganda-loving morons who are the root cause of all this.
See where I'm going with this? America needs MORE socialism, not less.
"...the social welfare state is bankrupting us..." 333386 you are a fool.
Firstly, America doesn't have a "welfare state" and secondly, socialist countries all around the world are overtaking America with less wealth; less resources and much bigger demographic problems.
If Germany; France; Norway; Sweden; Finland; Ireland; Spain; Denmark; Switzerland; Japan etc etc can all provide much better benefits, working less hours per week (on average), with less GDP, the burdens of better (more costly) education and health system... the question becomes: Where is America loosing the money?
The Luke
Now you have gone of the deep end with some of your comments.
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Idiot - did you watch the movie???????
Obviously not.
Now you have gone of the deep end with some of your comments.
...okay, you guys are right.
Wonder if you guys can explain why Germany; France; Norway; Sweden; Finland are NOT bankrupt?
The Luke
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...okay, you guys are right.
Wonder if you guys can explain why Germany; France; Norway; Sweden; Finland are NOT bankrupt?
The Luke
1. First off we have 300 million people. Those countries combined dont have a fraction of that. Many of our citizens are on welfare of one form or another, whether it be medicaire, medicaid, social security, section 8, wic, food stamps, etc.
2. Those countries have a homogenious population and dont have a perpetual underclass like we do. The sad truth is that we have a segment of the population that will never elevate itself.
3. Since the 1960's our country has made terrible financial choices in coming up with medicaid, medicare, and other entitlement programs that foster laziness and fraud.
4. Our education establishment is the heigh of mediocrity due to teachers unions, cultural influences, and other issues. Thus, we have millions and millions of uneducated people dropping out of HS or are otherwise illiterate.
5. We waste money like there is no tommorow.
6. Social Security is a ponzi scheme like that of Madoff. It was created when life expectancy was much less and there were far more workers than retirees. With the Baby Boom generation, we have a financial nuclear bomb about to be exploded on the USA.
If you watched the movie, which obviously you did not, the facts, figures, etc are all laid out on the table.
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1. First off we have 300 million people. Those countries combined dont have a fraction of that. Many of our citizens are on welfare of one form or another, whether it be medicaire, medicaid, social security, section 8, wic, food stamps, etc.
...Europe (the European Union of EU) has 500 million people. Population does NOT explain America's wealth disparity. A lack of social spending does.
Europe's 500 million people have rebuilt a bombed and blitzed continent from rubble, with loans from the USA, which have been paid back in full. Meanwhile America, having never been invaded; bombed or bankrupted has squandered every opportunity. America is vehemently capitalist... the success in Europe is centred around countries so socialist Americans would (erroneously) deem them communist.
Some think Food Stamps are a symptom of a chronically lazy; entitled and coddled underclass (translation: urban black people). This is far from the truth. The way I see it, the need for a Food stamp Program is the proof positive that America's benefit system is inadequate.
You see endemic laziness... I see a population reduced to penury which is now on the brink of starvation.
Who is seeing the big picture and who is indulging his lazy prejudices?
2. Those countries have a homogenious population and dont have a perpetual underclass like we do. The sad truth is that we have a segment of the population that will never elevate itself.
...the EU has 23 different official languages. How homogeneous is that? 15% of Sweden's population (for example) are non-nationals (not born in Sweden).
Here in Ireland we opened our borders to migrant workers during the housing boom, within a year 500,000 immigrants had moved to Ireland increasing our population from 4m to 4.5m... could America tolerate an influx of Polish equal to 10% of the population?
Again, lack of proper socialist policies has created the "underclass" you refer to. To eliminate such a disparity you need MORE social spending (better schools; better unions; better benefits), not less.
3. Since the 1960's our country has made terrible financial choices in coming up with medicaid, medicare, and other entitlement programs that foster laziness and fraud.
...that's a strange way of looking at it.
The way I see it an entrenched cleptocratic corpocracy has worked very hard to slowly siphon off America's wealth and prevent any proper wealth redistribution: essentially instituting a quasi-neo-feudalism... reducing a society of equals to two distinct classes: serfs and aristocrats.
America now has an appalling wealth disparity; chronic lack of opportunity (poor education and restricted social mobility) and an institutional underclass.
Blaming the victims is exactly what those who benefit from this two-tier status quo want.
Again, this situation can only be fixed by significantly higher taxes and more social spending.
4. Our education establishment is the heigh of mediocrity due to teachers unions, cultural influences, and other issues. Thus, we have millions and millions of uneducated people dropping out of HS or are otherwise illiterate.
...and who benefits from this?
Blaming the unions doesn't explain why most other westernized countries spent far more on education per capita than America does? The "Greedy Teachers" argument rings hollow.
5. We waste money like there is no tommorow.
...Agreed. But the bulk of the waste is in the form of tax cuts for corporations and the super rich and military spending. Social spending is not necessarily waste.
6. Social Security is a ponzi scheme like that of Madoff. It was created when life expectancy was much less and there were far more workers than retirees. With the Baby Boom generation, we have a financial nuclear bomb about to be exploded on the USA.
...if the money was ring-fenced (like Germany does) this wouldn't be an issue. But it wasn't.
If you think this money was squandered on the poor and your education system you are misguided... Vietnam; Korea; the Cold War; Iraq; Afghanistan; the so-called Wars on Drugs and Terrorism, these are your culprits.
Why are Americans so frightened of the system that has allowed so many backwater countries to overtake them in the last 50 years?
Is it the word "socialism" itself? Could we rename it "Obamism"? ..."Jebusism"?
..."Patriotism"?
The Luke
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Funny considering in my neighborhood alone we have more illegal irish than in any part of the world.
What are all those people fleeing????
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...Europe (the European Union of EU) has 500 million people. Population does NOT explain America's wealth disparity. A lack of social spending does.
Europe's 500 million people have rebuilt a bombed and blitzed continent from rubble, with loans from the USA, which have been paid back in full. Meanwhile America, having never been invaded; bombed or bankrupted has squandered every opportunity. America is vehemently capitalist... the success in Europe is centred around countries so socialist Americans would (erroneously) deem them communist.
Some think Food Stamps are a symptom of a chronically lazy; entitled and coddled underclass (translation: urban black people). This is far from the truth. The way I see it, the need for a Food stamp Program is the proof positive that America's benefit system is inadequate.
You see endemic laziness... I see a population reduced to penury which is now on the brink of starvation.
Who is seeing the big picture and who is indulging his lazy prejudices?
...the EU has 23 different official languages. How homogeneous is that? 15% of Sweden's population (for example) are non-nationals (not born in Sweden).
Here in Ireland we opened our borders to migrant workers during the housing boom, within a year 500,000 immigrants had moved to Ireland increasing our population from 4m to 4.5m... could America tolerate an influx of Polish equal to 10% of the population?
Again, lack of proper socialist policies has created the "underclass" you refer to. To eliminate such a disparity you need MORE social spending (better schools; better unions; better benefits), not less.
...that's a strange way of looking at it.
The way I see it an entrenched cleptocratic corpocracy has worked very hard to slowly siphon off America's wealth and prevent any proper wealth redistribution: essentially instituting a quasi-neo-feudalism... reducing a society of equals to two distinct classes: serfs and aristocrats.
America now has an appalling wealth disparity; chronic lack of opportunity (poor education and restricted social mobility) and an institutional underclass.
Blaming the victims is exactly what those who benefit from this two-tier status quo want.
Again, this situation can only be fixed by significantly higher taxes and more social spending.
...and who benefits from this?
Blaming the unions doesn't explain why most other westernized countries spent far more on education per capita than America does? The "Greedy Teachers" argument rings hollow.
...Agreed. But the bulk of the waste is in the form of tax cuts for corporations and the super rich and military spending. Social spending is not necessarily waste.
...if the money was ring-fenced (like Germany does) this wouldn't be an issue. But it wasn't.
If you think this money was squandered on the poor and your education system you are misguided... Vietnam; Korea; the Cold War; Iraq; Afghanistan; the so-called Wars on Drugs and Terrorism, these are your culprits.
Why are Americans so frightened of the system that has allowed so many backwater countries to overtake them in the last 50 years?
Is it the word "socialism" itself? Could we rename it "Obamism"? ..."Jebusism"?
..."Patriotism"?
The Luke
The Luke doing some serious owning there
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The Luke doing some serious owning there
Yeah if you want to be a ward of the state.
Luke is not an american and lives in a tiny little spec of a country and thinks he knows the deal in the USA??? Please.
People in this country are already overtaxed and he thinks we need to tax them more????
Yeah, brilliance for sure.
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Yeah if you want to be a ward of the state.
Luke is not an american and lives in a tiny little spec of a country and thinks he knows the deal in the USA??? Please.
People in this country are already overtaxed and he thinks we need to tax them more????
Yeah, brilliance for sure.
His rebuttals usually are more in detail and more researched.yours only seem very Bias and skewwed for the most part.
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I am biased, as is everyone. His bias is for socialism and for high taxes. You have your own bias as well.
Mine is for lower taxes and freedom along the lines of what the founding fathers wanted for this country. They left Europe and started this nation for the very reason he states.
I personally prefer freedom over equality.
Luke is not an American has no clue about what are problems really are. He is in Ireland and is spouting all sorts of nonsense as to why we should be more like Europe. I do not pretend to know what is best for Europe since I am not European.
He did not even watch the movie!
Additionally, his garbage postings are nonsensical.
On the one hand he says we are being overtaken by China, who has less regulations, less labor laws, less environmental restrictions, etc, yet wants to prescribe for the USA more taxes, more regulation, and more restrictions as a cure to our problems?????
It makes no sense.
Anyone in business in this country will tell you that the biggest problems we have are the high costs of regulation, labor regs, taxes, etc.
We need to go back to what worked in this country, not what may work for other countries.
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...okay, you guys are right.
Wonder if you guys can explain why Germany; France; Norway; Sweden; Finland are NOT bankrupt?
The Luke
France:
Prime Minister Francois Fillon caused a stir last week when he said the nation was "in a situation of bankruptcy" after decades of accumulated budget deficits and called for a change in mindset. Minister keeping the faith despite France's 'bankruptcy' rumours.
The news reaching the desk of Christine Lagarde at the French ministry of economy, finance, and employment is dreadful, and getting worse by the month. The budget deficit is ballooning to €42bn. The trade deficit is smashing records. Business confidence has fallen to its lowest in five years.
The euro is now hugely overvalued for France, though not for Germany. It is hammering French luxury exports and forcing Airbus to mull yet another €1bn of cuts.Her own prime minister blurted out last Friday that France was now "bankrupt", with no chance of halting its relentless slide down the global growth league unless there is a drastic change of course.
"I am at the head of a state that for 15 years has been in chronic deficit. I am at the head of a state that has not once passed a balanced budget in 25 years. This can't go on," he said. If that was not enough, Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, more or less said over the weekend that the country had become a basket case.
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I think you guys are confusing the French definition of bankrupt with your own.
If France can be described as "bankrupt", then the USA is "destitute".
The Luke
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I think you guys are confusing the French definition of bankrupt with your own.
If France can be described as "bankrupt", then the USA is "destitute".
The Luke
What is the french defintion of bankrupt? What word do/should they use when/if they really are bankrupt?
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I think you guys are confusing the French definition of bankrupt with your own.
If France can be described as "bankrupt", then the USA is "destitute".
The Luke
I think you're confusing the definition of "trying to save face" and "admitting you're wrong."
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...if the American food industry was regulated as tightly as the Germans are regulating the European food supply then the average American would be maybe 20 or 30 lbs lighter and 3 or 4 IQ points smarter.
What kind of regulation in the food industry are the Germans using and the Americans not using, that would see Americans 20 or 30 pounds lighter and make their IQ's go up if they adapted the same?
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France:
Prime Minister Francois Fillon caused a stir last week when he said the nation was "in a situation of bankruptcy" after decades of accumulated budget deficits and called for a change in mindset. Minister keeping the faith despite France's 'bankruptcy' rumours.
The news reaching the desk of Christine Lagarde at the French ministry of economy, finance, and employment is dreadful, and getting worse by the month. The budget deficit is ballooning to €42bn. The trade deficit is smashing records. Business confidence has fallen to its lowest in five years.
The euro is now hugely overvalued for France, though not for Germany. It is hammering French luxury exports and forcing Airbus to mull yet another €1bn of cuts.Her own prime minister blurted out last Friday that France was now "bankrupt", with no chance of halting its relentless slide down the global growth league unless there is a drastic change of course.
"I am at the head of a state that for 15 years has been in chronic deficit. I am at the head of a state that has not once passed a balanced budget in 25 years. This can't go on," he said. If that was not enough, Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, more or less said over the weekend that the country had become a basket case.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
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What kind of regulation in the food industry are the Germans using and the Americans not using, that would see Americans 20 or 30 pounds lighter and make their IQ's go up if they adapted the same?
...transfats, modified vegetable oils and a couple of other ingredients. Bigger discussion than is appropriate here. Type: "nutricide" into Youtube or Google.
What is the french defintion of bankrupt? What word do/should they use when/if they really are bankrupt?
I think you're confusing the definition of "trying to save face" and "admitting you're wrong."
...Okay, again with the "I'm American, educate me!"
France has very low wealth disparity... America has huge wealth disparity, meaning much more than half of Americans are worse off than the averages indicate.
The French people have personal savings... America has a severe savings deficit.
France is a member of the Eurozone (euro currency), meaning their currency is also backed by Europe's largest and most financially sound economy, Germany (one of the highest savings rates; creditor rates; GDP etc etc)... meanwhile many commentators (Peter Schiff; Max Keiser; Jim Rogers etc) are convinced the Almighty Greenback is well on it's way to the fiat currency graveyard.
France's banking sector is tightly regulated they have essentially NO defaulting mortgages, and they had no housing/real estate bubble... America has a grossly inflated housing market which needs to deflate to approx 40% of the height-of-bubble maximum prices; this is compounded by the stampeding din of impending AltA and Option Arm defaults when the teaser rates readjust. This crash will be 150% the size of the Sub Prime mess.
France's yearly budget deficit is €60 billion, that's approx €1,000 per garlic eating Frenchman.
America's yearly budget deficit is $455 billion, that's approx $1,500 per Ahmuriken.
Guess which country has a larger national debt?
France's National Debt is approx €1.6 trillion, that's approx €27,000 per cheese eating surrender monkey.
America's Nationa Debt is approx $13 trillion, that's approx $45,000 per redneck.
I could go on...and on... and on... and on... and on... but there comes a point when American's have to admit to themselves they really don't know enough about the rest of the world to be so sure that the USA is really number 1!
Also, France is beautiful and it's people are skinny.
The Luke
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...transfats, modified vegetable oils and a couple of other ingredients. Bigger discussion than is appropriate here. Type: "nutricide" into Youtube or Google.
...Okay, again with the "I'm American, educate me!"
France has very low wealth disparity... America has huge wealth disparity, meaning much more than half of Americans are worse off than the averages indicate.
The French people have personal savings... America has a severe savings deficit.
France is a member of the Eurozone (euro currency), meaning their currency is also backed by Europe's largest and most financially sound economy, Germany (one of the highest savings rates; creditor rates; GDP etc etc)... meanwhile many commentators (Peter Schiff; Max Keiser; Jim Rogers etc) are convinced the Almighty Greenback is well on it's way to the fiat currency graveyard.
France's banking sector is tightly regulated they have essentially NO defaulting mortgages, and they had no housing/real estate bubble... America has a grossly inflated housing market which needs to deflate to approx 40% of the height-of-bubble maximum prices; this is compounded by the stampeding din of impending AltA and Option Arm defaults when the teaser rates readjust. This crash will be 150% the size of the Sub Prime mess.
France's yearly budget deficit is €60 billion, that's approx €1,000 per garlic eating Frenchman.
America's yearly budget deficit is $455 billion, that's approx $1,500 per Ahmuriken.
Guess which country has a larger national debt?
France's National Debt is approx €1.6 trillion, that's approx €27,000 per cheese eating surrender monkey.
America's Nationa Debt is approx $13 trillion, that's approx $45,000 per redneck.
I could go on...and on... and on... and on... and on... but there comes a point when American's have to admit to themselves they really don't know enough about the rest of the world to be so sure that the USA is really number 1!
Also, France is beautiful and it's people are skinny.
The Luke
You're a fvcking idiot. ::)
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You're a fvcking idiot. ::)
The USA's national debt is roughly $13 trillion, and there are approximately 300 million Americans...
$13,000,000,000,000 divided by 300,000,000 is about $43.3k
Do it yourself:
13,000,000,000,000 divided by 300,000,000...
...cancel the zeroes:
13,000,000,000,000 divided by 300,000,000
...is $130,000 divided by 3 = approx $45,000 per person.
The maths is sound... and pretty straightforward... or were you taking unction at being labeled a redneck?
The Luke
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...transfats, modified vegetable oils and a couple of other ingredients. Bigger discussion than is appropriate here. Type: "nutricide" into Youtube or Google.
...Okay, again with the "I'm American, educate me!"
France has very low wealth disparity... America has huge wealth disparity, meaning much more than half of Americans are worse off than the averages indicate.
The French people have personal savings... America has a severe savings deficit.
France is a member of the Eurozone (euro currency), meaning their currency is also backed by Europe's largest and most financially sound economy, Germany (one of the highest savings rates; creditor rates; GDP etc etc)... meanwhile many commentators (Peter Schiff; Max Keiser; Jim Rogers etc) are convinced the Almighty Greenback is well on it's way to the fiat currency graveyard.
France's banking sector is tightly regulated they have essentially NO defaulting mortgages, and they had no housing/real estate bubble... America has a grossly inflated housing market which needs to deflate to approx 40% of the height-of-bubble maximum prices; this is compounded by the stampeding din of impending AltA and Option Arm defaults when the teaser rates readjust. This crash will be 150% the size of the Sub Prime mess.
France's yearly budget deficit is €60 billion, that's approx €1,000 per garlic eating Frenchman.
America's yearly budget deficit is $455 billion, that's approx $1,500 per Ahmuriken.
Guess which country has a larger national debt?
France's National Debt is approx €1.6 trillion, that's approx €27,000 per cheese eating surrender monkey.
America's Nationa Debt is approx $13 trillion, that's approx $45,000 per redneck.
I could go on...and on... and on... and on... and on... but there comes a point when American's have to admit to themselves they really don't know enough about the rest of the world to be so sure that the USA is really number 1!
Also, France is beautiful and it's people are skinny.
The Luke
Why don't you go and correct Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who knows maybe you'll get a job. ;D
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The United States has enjoyed tremendous success due to are capitalist system. Our recent socialist "ways" have put us in a sad economic state.
Our country is still home to some of the best Schools in the world, top scientists, most cutting edge technology, and culture.
The EU is a great place to visit, everyone there seems to have reached the same mediocre level of success. In no way does it surpass the United States though.
;D
You never know what will happen down the road though, especially considering the traitors who are determining our countries future. >:(
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we dont' have to worry about 1 country toppling us.
we do have to worry about the power of a china-russia-venez alliance.
they have iran in their little bed now, and cuba too. and that's just the start. iraq signed with china for the oil, add them to the list.
combined, they could cut off 60-80% of oil and most of our $ borrowing on the same day, if they wanted. And a few of them could drop the dollar at once, turning our 401ks into toilet paper.
So it's not one country we should worry about. It's all of them ganging up, believing it'll be way easier for them to gain without us around.
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We at least used to favor freesom here, not equality.
I dont want everyone equal in terms of wealth.
People are free to succeed or fail. If you want a system where there is little success or little failure stay where you are.
Our country was founded on principles opposite to that of Europe.
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We at least used to favor freesom here, not equality.
I dont want everyone equal in terms of wealth.
People are free to succeed or fail. If you want a system where there is little success or little failure stay where you are.
Our country was founded on principles opposite to that of Europe.
Good post
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Our country was founded on principles opposite to that of Europe.
...this is a good observation, but it misses the fact that Europe is no longer a feudal serfs/paupers system. Two hundred years ago this might have been true, no longer.
Seeing as Europe has a much lower wealth disparity than the US does, it could be pointed out that America is closer to a feudal system now than Europe is...?
Not to mention the fact that the wealthy ruling cleptocratic class in the US is indeed socialist: bank bailouts; auto-maker bailouts; credit card company bailouts; ethanol manufacturers bailout; steel industry bailouts.... isn't this socialism for the rich?
Do any of the guys shouting me down here have any idea how far America has slipped down the rankings since 1950?
The Luke
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...this is a good observation, but it misses the fact that Europe is no longer a feudal serfs/paupers system. Two hundred years ago this might have been true, no longer.
Seeing as Europe has a much lower wealth disparity than the US does, it could be pointed out that America is closer to a feudal system now than Europe is...?
Not to mention the fact that the wealthy ruling cleptocratic class in the US is indeed socialist: bank bailouts; auto-maker bailouts; credit card company bailouts; ethanol manufacturers bailout; steel industry bailouts.... isn't this socialism for the rich?
Do any of the guys shouting me down here have any idea how far America has slipped down the rankings since 1950?
The Luke
We have slipped because we have gone away from individual responsibility and freedom to a huge Nanny State, like in Europe, where the government has its hand in literally every shit you take since they regulate toilet bowls, tax toilet paper, and tax water consumption.
I dont care about wealth disparity if its done through free market principles. However, we have something very different. We have a corrupt government that favors the rich and very poor at the expense of the working middle class taxpayer.
We have morphed into what the founding fathers of this country rebeled and had a revolution against.
Its time for another one very soon.
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Do any of the guys shouting me down here have any idea how far America has slipped down the rankings since 1950?
I'm sure everyone in this thread realizes that we've slipped dramatically since the 1950's. That's the point. We we're furthest from current European style policy in the 1950's. 8)
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Here is another thing you need to consider:
Most Americans know that the government absolutely sucks at delivering quality services at a decent cost to the taxpayer.
Whether you go to the DMV, the Post Office, the police station, traffic court, etc, you are treated rudely by uncivil servants who treat the taxpayer as the enemy.
These are not the people who are going to administer or run a decent medical system or other plan you so seem in favor of.
Additionally, people like yourself seem to think that the same government to screwed up Katrina, Iraq, and cant keep track of 20 million illegal aliens are somehow going to effectively run a medical system????
Are you out of your mind???
We need drastically less government, not more.
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I dont care about wealth disparity if its done through free market principles.
...I think that might be the root of the problem.
America can't remain a cohesive society during a tough recession if such wealth disparity persists. Civility ends when people start to go hungry.
Most Americans know that the government absolutely sucks at delivering quality services at a decent cost to the taxpayer.
...This is a misconception.
France delivers a better healthcare system (and all-inclusive too) than any other country in the world and does it for a fraction of what Americans spend to have a crappy semi-inclusive system. So obviously it can be done.
Again, who benefits?
The same people who make huge profits from the privatisation of America lobby and pressure the American government to cut funding and otherwise sabotage state agencies in order that they can more easily convince Americans that government itself is the problem.
It's always the same pattern:
Failing state function paralleled by a shadow corporate monopoly which actively sabotages government efforts to erode either their monopoly or profits.
Healthcare:
...the private sector healthcare monopolies, the HMO's, skim the profits and pass the costly patients on to the state service which then becomes unable to cope. The HMO's take all the healthy young people and dump those unable to get coverage (the poor; invalid; handicapped; old etc) onto the state system while simultaneously lobbying Congress to undercut the funding of the state system. HMO's have record profits, the taxpayer gets screwed. Americans then blame the state system.
War:
...the private sector war monopolies Blackwater/Haliburton skim huge profits during wartime at the expense of the state sector, the American military. They actively place politicians in office that will encourage conflicts for them to profit from (Cheney; Bush; Rumsfeld; Guliani etc), and when these engineered fundraiser conflicts do erupt these monopolies actively prolong them... in Iraq for example Blackwater troops have been exempted from the Geneva Convention and any possible criminal prosecution so that they can more easily perpetrate the atrocities necessary to inflame Muslim groups.
Stock Market:
...the SEC (Securities Exchange Comission) is essentially a captured regulator. The SEC is grossly underfunded and overworked because the large investment groups want less regulation in order to better manipulate their Pozi schemes. They offer mega-salary jobs to SEC investigators once they leave the SEC, so long as they never investigated any of the big boys. That's why none of the Bailout Boys were found out till the market collapsed... that's why Bernie Maddoff wasn't found out till a French Bank discovered the discrepancies (France has a highly regulated fund system). Now, with the market in ruins and the speculators bankrupt the taxpayer is being tapped to bail them out.
Seriously guys... it's time to drop the superficial ideologies and look at the big picture.
"Smaller government!"
"Capitalism not socialism!"
"No welfare state!"
"No socialised healthcare!"
These are propaganda soundbites designed to encourage a reactionary, unthinking dismissal of big picture thinking... ask yourself, who benefits from your autonomic refusal to consider the wider picture?
Isn't it obviously the self same people who try so hard to make you think that way?
The Luke