Political leanings

[Stewart]

From Jai Dee:

 Obama has already done a lot of good for the world IMO......  by us electing him it shows the world we are not the narrow-minded right wingers and war-mongerers that Cheney and his evil little stepson from texas portrayed us as;  people around the world now see us as more liberal and open-minded and hope that we can be leaders on the world stage once again. From 2000-2008 we were looked at as a joke and rightfully so, I mean look at the buffoon we had representing us?

Obama will do his job, trust me.... his foreign policy will come around to be more liberal, and yet at the same time pragmatic in regard to todays world stage; he has his hands full now with the economy and a million other things but by 2012 I think we will see that he was a good choice.

From Pacman:

Now that W is no longer in charge, the country has a chance to restore its prestige & win over many of those who gave up after the re-election of the unelectable - George W.
It was the re-endorsement of this intellectual lightweight that was the last straw for so many around the world.
Myself & friends of mine - we felt that the US had just given itself a black eye, a huge own-goal that had permanently diminished America's status in the world.

Ooooops, yet another Bush policy resurrected:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8052999.stm

"There is no detainee at Guantanamo who cannot be tried and shouldn't be tried in the regular federal courts system. This is perpetuating the Bush administration's misguided detention policy."
Kenneth Roth, head of Human Rights Watch, said: "By resurrecting this failed Bush administration idea, President Obama is backtracking dangerously on his reform agenda."

Just because America becomes more liberal, it does not mean that the foreign policy issues have more liberal solutions. Same same

[BlueBallz]

Hey come onm folks of course there are going to be taxes.....while we dont like them they are necessary. I am not for anarchy. Its the waste and corruption of all governments. The powers that be have forgotten that they work for us not the other way around!!!!

Both statements still ring true. Piggdogg is right and that my point. The middle class gets fucked. you think the Kennedys have paid more than a pittance in estate taxes?? They and those of the same persuasion rant about the "rich". They ARE rich but dont play by the rules. they are hypocrites and there isnt anything I hate more than a hypocrite. Thats why if you revamped the "death tax" those cheaters would ahve to pay more than they do now, which is next to nothing. thats a political leaning....

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!

[ladyboyluva]

(Stewart @ May 16 2009,09:51)

(ladyboyluva @ May 15 2009,14:01)

(BlueBallz @ May 15 2009,11:04) Polical leaning:  It is IMMORAL for governments to take more than 50% of what one earns-no matter how much one makes!!!
Also:  The death tax is basically IMMORAL.  If one pays any tax on one's estate, it shold be a "flat tax" and on a sliding scale.  I would say no more than 10% for the HIGHEST brackets.
You know if you estate is over a certain amount this year (not certain what it is this year but its less than a $2 million estate) the govt can take up to 55%.  Thats criminal.  The problem is ultra rich people odnt pay it as they set up (with the help of slick lawyers) complicated trusts that enables them to weasel out of the taxes.

There are MORAL taxes?
I just thought Government was a gang of thieves writ large and that we paid up or got beat up?
I can't remember signing any contracts with them.
*ok, I know there are reasoned arguments for the justification of taxation, but most of them are pathetic defenses for what really is theft by the monopoly holder of force*

What total drivel Your contract is that you get to vote them in or out every few years.

Moral taxes - well the National Health Service in the UK has saved a few lives over the years, not sure what the streets would be like without a police force, and some of that aid to africa has probably saved a few people from starvation.

According to your logic, the benificent state ought to take over all charity and the raising of our children.

Have you not heard that the free market can provide for the services you mentioned, nor the overwhelming evidence that they do it more efficiently.

Charity is the path to slavery and dependence. We ought not be so keen to empower a state to steal from one half and enslave the other.

And do "I" get to sign a contract with a vote? It is actually impossible that my single vote would turn an election of any significance. If there were a 1 vote difference, in all likelihood there would be a re-vote. Re-counts usually come up with varying numbers you know.

Anyway, I'll sell my vote to you and you can have all my tax obligation along with all the presents our kind overlords afford us.

Hail Stalin, Mao, FDR and those other glorious socialists who helped the people so much.

[Stewart]

What total drivel Your contract is that you get to vote them in or out every few years.
Moral taxes - well the National Health Service in the UK has saved a few lives over the years, not sure what the streets would be like without a police force, and some of that aid to africa has probably saved a few people from starvation.

According to your logic, the benificent state ought to take over all charity and the raising of our children.

According to YOUR logic, this seems to be a binary situation ie the government does 100% or the free market does 100%.

Well, I don't see many communist countries around any more, and we can see all around us what happens when there is not enough state control in capitalist countries....human greed takes over.

Almost all countries are a mix of public and private sector, it is just a matter of degree.

A more reasonable comment would have been to comment on whether governments could do a better job, but to leave EVERYTHING to the private sector is pretty scary to me.

Have you not heard that the free market can provide for the services you mentioned, nor the overwhelming evidence that they do it more efficiently.

I agree, but someone has to set the rules for society as a whole, because free markets do not care about society as a whole.

And do "I" get to sign a contract with a vote? It is actually impossible that my single vote would turn an election of any significance. If there were a 1 vote difference, in all likelihood there would be a re-vote. Re-counts usually come up with varying numbers you know.

A relevant point of view if all you care about is yourself.

[Stogie]

but someone has to set the rules for society as a whole, because free markets do not care about society as a whole...

People in the UK are finding out that, actually, the people who govern society and those who govern a 'free market' are one and the same thing right now.

All the politicians are stealing from the tax payer... the Lords are being bribed to change the law in the favour of corporations... corporations are sleeping with the government.

Sure, it's happened in the past, but now only a revolution can restore government and justice back to the electorate.

[robbo]

here in the uk we had monster raving loony party in the past..........headed by screaming lord such.............i saw him once at a gig ( yes he had his own band he was back up) came on stage in a coffin with flames everywhere.......................................n ow what id like is to see our present politicians all go off stage in coffins i dont care about the flames
i vote monster raving loony
also anybody remember the monty python sketch about the election results and candidates.............fuckin brilliant..........one was called tarquin lin tin bin min wim biscuit barrel fatang fatang............or something..............politics as it should be.........or is?

[robbo]

ive got to google that sketch see if its on u tube

[jimslim]

(robbo @ May 16 2009,15:57) also anybody remember the monty python sketch about the election results and candidates....

The silly party

As I recall Simon Phillips Boooonnnngggg broke away to form the slightly silly party .

The Pythons were comic genuis , pretty ironic that that sketch is not far from the truth nowdays .

[Torurot]

This is well worth a read. Hudson is a well reasoned guy.


The Latest in Junk Economics
The Toll Booth Economy
http://counterpunch.org/hudson05202009.html
By MICHAEL HUDSON May 20, 2009

[alan1chef]

Hudson is a well reasoned socialist you mean. He beats around the bush a lot and trys to offer up the idea that Progressive Era solutions might be the ticket to resolve problems he sees with the bubble economy. However...his true agenda comes out in one sentence..."This long detour has been facilitated by the failure of socialism to provide a viable alternative." That's his real agenda....he wants to push socialism on us as if that is the real long-term solution to our problems. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Socialism as an economic model is NOT the answer because true socialism does not and cannot exist in a democratic political society. Socialism does not allow freedom...it needs severe controls.

I would argue that a flat tax is a better alternative. It eliminates all the loopholes and allows tax to be collected on a level playing field. No special interests...no free rides. The other solution is to remove all subsidies on all US products. It forces business to compete...to operate more efficiently, to innovate, to focus on profit.

[Stogie]

Why are Americans generally afraid of the word 'socialism'?

[Snick]

Brainwashing from an early age. We learn to fear communists and socialists along with our ABCs

Why are Brits afraid of dentists ?

[Stogie]

(Snick @ May 22 2009,14:25) Why are Brits afraid of dentists ?

Take a wild guess!

[sukhumvitpoler]

The only tool a Brit likes in his mouth pops out of a lb's panties ta da

[Tomcat]

(Stogie @ May 22 2009,13:55) Why are Americans generally afraid of the word 'socialism'?

The Chef Answerd it already....Socialism needs severe controls and state interferance .

example
In the UK alone i think 1.7 Million alone claim the in- capacity benefit and 90% are faking it.. there is fuck all wrong with them.

I was walking behind two guys in the street last week and i head one say, "well thats it .. im on the lame list now..ill never have to work again"

Everyone knows at least one skunk on the lame list...some even begin to believe they are lame after a while even though they faked the bad back.
Throw them all in the poorhouse and put them on mouldy bread and water