If/When the GOP takes over in 2010 or 2012...

[The Showstoppa]

Sign me up! 

You ever see "Do the Right Thing"?  Its sort of like that all the fucking time. 

Ouch!  I remember that movie.  I have been to most larger US cities, but only flown thru NYC.  I'm just not big a fan of that much humanity in one place.  Brings out the worst in people.

[Soul Crusher]

Ouch!  I remember that movie.  I have been to most larger US cities, but only flown thru NYC.  I'm just not big a fan of that much humanity in one place.  Brings out the worst in people.

Its crazy bro.  There are something like 26 million people living in 50 mile radius or some shit like that. 

Its a blessing in that I have more street knowledge and sense for ten lifetimes, but its also a curse in that I am always sizing people up, suspicious of shit, looking for angles on things, looking around corners and in door frames, etc.     

[The Showstoppa]

Its crazy bro.  There are something like 26 million people living in 50 mile radius or some shit like that. 

Its a blessing in that I have more street knowledge and sense for ten lifetimes, but its also a curse in that I am always sizing people up, suspicious of shit, looking for angles on things, looking around corners and in door frames, etc.     

I know exactly what you mean.  When people from NYC move down here, they are so thrown off by people actually saying hello, or how are you?  they look at you like just slapped them...haha.  I refuse to change how I am, as they are the ones who moved here, not the other way around.  The ones who embrace the way people act here absolutely love it.....if not, get ready for some grief.

[240 is Back]

You notice I did not include
2. A strong and viable military

great post man - your contributions here are great. 

But this one point - I thought Obama was like bush II when it came to military spending and troops everywhere- he hasn't changed a thing.  In fact, more troops to afghanistan. 

[GroinkTropin]

We are actively recruiting Mike to move to NC as we speak...

I'm leaning that way. I'm finishing my undergrad before beginning nursing school. Some nice medical programs out there. Beautiful area. I'll have to fly out in a couple months and spend a few days there. I just spent 3 days in Seattle area. Nice place but far too cold and rainy. 35% chance I would like living there.

[Soul Crusher]

People wonder how I know so much about stuff, its just living here you deal with so much so soon, so often, you just adapt.  

I mean Geithner lives 8 minutes from here, Scarsdale and Greenwich 15 minutes away, Harlem and S. Bronx 10 minutes.  Wall Street 20 minutes down the West Side.

I live minutes away from DMX, Mary J. and P Diddy.

I got the whole deal over here.      

[The Showstoppa]

I'm leaning that way. I'm finishing my undergrad before beginning nursing school. Some nice medical programs out there. Beautiful area. I'll have to fly out in a couple months and spend a few days there. I just spent 3 days in Seattle area. Nice place but far too cold and rainy. 35% chance I would like living there.

December thru March is not the best, as far as weather and how scenic it is.  But the fall and spring are awesome and you can travel all over from this location.  Glad to hear you are giving it a shot.  PM me if you have any specific questions or things I might be able to help with.

[GroinkTropin]

great post man - your contributions here are great. 

But this one point - I thought Obama was like bush II when it came to military spending and troops everywhere- he hasn't changed a thing.  In fact, more troops to afghanistan. 

He's sending more troops because he is being told to do so. Also since when does sending 10's of thousands of our troops overseas make our military any more viable? If anything it weakens it as we are less capable of defending an attack on our home soil. I think cutting our losses and honoring our dead who made huge sacrafices is the best way from here. Time heals all wounds. Just blowing more cash and losing more lives for a futile goal is not going to accomplish anything. Once the war drum starts it's hard to stop but it must be stopped. We can no longer afford it. Our troops are sick of the whole thing and financially we cannot keep paying hundreds of billions with no foreseeable return. I don't like it one bit.

[Soul Crusher]

He's sending more troops because he is being told to do so. Also since when does sending 10's of thousands of our troops overseas make our military any more viable? If anything it weakens it as we are less capable of defending an attack on our home soil. I think cutting our losses and honoring our dead who made huge sacrafices is the best way from here. Time heals all wounds. Just blowing more cash and losing more lives for a futile goal is not going to accomplish anything. Once the war drum starts it's hard to stop but it must be stopped. We can no longer afford it. Our troops are sick of the whole thing and financially we cannot keep paying hundreds of billions with no foreseeable return. I don't like it one bit.

Either do the job for a completion or dont do it at all. 

[Soul Crusher]

December thru March is not the best, as far as weather and how scenic it is.  But the fall and spring are awesome and you can travel all over from this location.  Glad to hear you are giving it a shot.  PM me if you have any specific questions or things I might be able to help with.

Another thing Show - I have lived amongst obama types my whole life.  Whether it be the Columbia and NYU types or the Brooklyn Barbara Boxer types, I know these people, who they are, and what they are about.  They are Stalinists at heart and abhor the founders and the constitution. 

Many people get on me for my fierce loathing of this man in the WH.  Its because I know what he's about and whats behind him that i cant stand him and hate what he is doing and the ends he seeks. 

If you ever listen to Michael Savage, he is sort of like me, we grew up amongst the red diaper doper babies and know them far better than people in middle america who see only a shiny face and a smile.  They are like the sheep ready for slaughter.  They have no idea they let a wolf in the pen. 

I truly feel sorry for the people are are not yet awoken to the horror that is upon us with this communist radical.   

[The Showstoppa]

Another thing Show - I have lived amongst obama types my whole life.  Whether it be the Columbia and NYU types or the Brooklyn Barbara Boxer types, I know these people, who they are, and what they are about.  They are Stalinists at heart and abhor the founders and the constitution. 

Many people get on me for my fierce loathing of this man in the WH.  Its because I know what he's about and whats behind him that i cant stand him and hate what he is doing and the ends he seeks. 

If you ever listen to Michael Savage, he is sort of like me, we grew up amongst the red diaper doper babies and know them far better than people in middle america who see only a shiny face and a smile.  They are like the sheep ready for slaughter.  They have no idea they let a wolf in the pen. 

I truly feel sorry for the people are are not yet awoken to the horror that is upon us with this communist radical.   

I used to listen to Savage on my drive home...he often cuts thru all the bullshit.  And I agree with you.  I've had the opportunity to travel and live in many different places.....rub elbows with some "elite" on occasion.....and they were hands down the worst.  At least rednecks are upfront about their thoughts, these people would preach equal rights and how disenfranchised some people were, yet they lived in gated communities and were the first to trash the "locals" as being beneath them.

One night at a dinner party I hadn't said very much and after half the room chuckled over their brie and chardonnay at how "ignorant" the locals were, someone asked where I was from.....after finding out NC....they all backtracked and stumbled all over themselves.  Idiots.... and the sad part was that if you got them out of their only comfort zone of science, they were completely lost.

[240 is Back]

I think cutting our losses and honoring our dead who made huge sacrafices is the best way from here.

Most people would consider this a liberal strategy.

They'd say the terrorists would be laughing at us, the whole world would see us as weak.

[Soul Crusher]

I used to listen to Savage on my drive home...he often cuts thru all the bullshit.  And I agree with you.  I've had the opportunity to travel and live in many different places.....rub elbows with some "elite" on occasion.....and they were hands down the worst.  At least rednecks are upfront about their thoughts, these people would preach equal rights and how disenfranchised some people were, yet they lived in gated communities and were the first to trash the "locals" as being beneath them.

One night at a dinner party I hadn't said very much and after half the room chuckled over their brie and chardonnay at how "ignorant" the locals were, someone asked where I was from.....after finding out NC....they all backtracked and stumbled all over themselves.  Idiots.... and the sad part was that if you got them out of their only comfort zone of science, they were completely lost.

Where I live, i am literally wedged in between wealth like you wouldnt imagine, Greenwich, Scarsdale, etc, and just south of me is the South  Bronx and Harlem.  To my immediate left is Mt. Vernon.  Then a little further south is Wall Street and the Upper East & West Side gang. 

I see it all bro and know the deal far more than most of the people on this board.     

[GroinkTropin]

Most people would consider this a liberal strategy.

They'd say the terrorists would be laughing at us, the whole world would see us as weak.

I can understand this but which is worse- committing many billions of dollars and sending in our troops with their hands tied behind their backs or just coming to the logical conclusion that it's better to let the savages just wipe themselves out? I mean honestly have terrorists been lauging at Russia for bailing on afganistan? I'm all for seeing the job to completion, but let our boys do what they know they should. My buddy is a capt in the MC and he used to tell me all kinds of BS like you cannot chase after somoene if you lose line of sight. Do not fire unless fired upon etc. Remove the handcuffs and I say go for it. Send us over there half crippled and it's a huge waste of time. Sending 40k more troops now is a bad idea.

[Straw Man]

simple solution

let's stop wasting money on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

roll back the Bush Tax Cuts

[240 is Back]

I can understand this but which is worse- committing many billions of dollars and sending in our troops with their hands tied behind their backs or just coming to the logical conclusion that it's better to let the savages just wipe themselves out? I mean honestly have terrorists been lauging at Russia for bailing on afganistan? I'm all for seeing the job to completion, but let our boys do what they know they should. My buddy is a capt in the MC and he used to tell me all kinds of BS like you cannot chase after somoene if you lose line of sight. Do not fire unless fired upon etc. Remove the handcuffs and I say go for it. Send us over there half crippled and it's a huge waste of time. Sending 40k more troops now is a bad idea.

I agree there is nothing more to be gained in iraq and afghanistan. 

Keep the bases, let their forces deal with the riff raff in cities, and let the war lords do their thing. 

But can you imagine the 3-year mocking Obama would get from Rush, hannity and friends for "quitting" on the wars?  For "declaring Defeat!"   I can hear it now.  The 2012 candidate would rub his nose in it too - even if it makes sense.

[Kazan]

I agree there is nothing more to be gained in iraq and afghanistan. 

Keep the bases, let their forces deal with the riff raff in cities, and let the war lords do their thing. 

But can you imagine the 3-year mocking Obama would get from Rush, hannity and friends for "quitting" on the wars?  For "declaring Defeat!"   I can hear it now.  The 2012 candidate would rub his nose in it too - even if it makes sense.

Afghanistan is a black hole for a foreign military, every army that has tried to conquer that shit hole has been bled dry and left. IMHO you pull out the ground forces and a scorched earth policy with air power and be done with the fuckers. What the government doesn't seem to undertand is you can't win the hearts and minds of people who's culture and religion brand all non Muslims as infidels. 

The US tries to play by the rules when no one else is.

[240 is Back]

Afghanistan is a black hole for a foreign military, every army that has tried to conquer that shit hole has been bled dry and left. IMHO you pull out the ground forces and a scorched earth policy with air power and be done with the fuckers. What the government doesn't seem to undertand is you can't win the hearts and minds of people who's culture and religion brand all non Muslims as infidels. 

The US tries to play by the rules when no one else is.

All correct.

However, the 2012 repub candidate, as well as FOX news, beck, hannity, and Rush will spend the next 37 months talking about how Obama "surrendered to the terrorists".

We all know it's true. 

if he wants to have any chance of winning in 2012, he can't give them that card.  It sucks, and personally, i'd end the war tomrrow (and keep some bases of course).

But we all know they'll never let him hear the end of it.  They'll cal lhim every name in the book for leaving. 

[Kazan]

All correct.

However, the 2012 repub candidate, as well as FOX news, beck, hannity, and Rush will spend the next 37 months talking about how Obama "surrendered to the terrorists".

We all know it's true. 

if he wants to have any chance of winning in 2012, he can't give them that card.  It sucks, and personally, i'd end the war tomrrow (and keep some bases of course).

But we all know they'll never let him hear the end of it.  They'll cal lhim every name in the book for leaving. 

I'm sure that the way it would go, but in the mean time American soldiers pay the price for political advantage. I don't want either party controlling things. The sad truth of the matter is neither can be trusted and need to be put in check by the other party

[240 is Back]

I'm sure that the way it would go, but in the mean time American soldiers pay the price for political advantage. I don't want either party controlling things. The sad truth of the matter is neither can be trusted and need to be put in check by the other party

both sides politicize the troops, that's nothing new.

It sucks for obama - do the right thing and pull them out of afghanistan and they'll destroy him and call him a coward and tell america he betrayed the soldiers by failing their mission.

[tonymctones]

both sides politicize the troops, that's nothing new.

It sucks for obama - do the right thing and pull them out of afghanistan and they'll destroy him and call him a coward and tell america he betrayed the soldiers by failing their mission.

right but one side politicizes them in both negative and positive ways and one side in positive...Ill let you figure out which is which 

fact is one side uses the troops one day and throws them under the bus the next

[Kazan]

both sides politicize the troops, that's nothing new.

It sucks for obama - do the right thing and pull them out of afghanistan and they'll destroy him and call him a coward and tell america he betrayed the soldiers by failing their mission.

Obama doesn't need any help being destroyed, he is doing fine job all by himself. He painted himself into a corner long ago, when he decided that is was a good idea to say that Afghanistan was the good and just war, when the Iraq war wasn't going so well. Policticians make me want to vomit

[GroinkTropin]

both sides politicize the troops, that's nothing new.

It sucks for obama - do the right thing and pull them out of afghanistan and they'll destroy him and call him a coward and tell america he betrayed the soldiers by failing their mission.

He can get away with it if he has enough faith that his other programs will be successful. For example if his healthcare plan takes off and the econ rebounds he could weather the storm. Things aren't looking good considering he won't gamble.

[240 is Back]

He can get away with it if he has enough faith that his other programs will be successful. For example if his healthcare plan takes off and the econ rebounds he could weather the storm. Things aren't looking good considering he won't gamble.

Good point.  IF healthcare is successful and we're back at 7% unemployment in 2012, people could be happy enough to keep him in.

[drkaje]

What will they do to change things?

The common answer seems to be "Cut spending!" but that will result in a lot of jobs lost.  Remember the reason neither candidate in 08 would admit *where* they'd cut spending is because any cut in any sector means a lot of jobs get slashed.

SO if we're sitting at 12 or 15% official unemployment and the GOP takes over - what are they going to do, specifically?

Cut taxes and increase the deficit.