Quibbling While Bleeding

[AVG-JOE]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

 

[Madeline]

I cannot understand why killing people is so popular among "conservatives", but educating them or giving them adequate health care is not.

 

[Missourian]

Evil does exist in the world; sometimes war is justified

I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek, in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed.


We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations--acting individually or in concert--will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.



I make this statement mindful of the creed and lives of Gandhi and King. But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms.

President Barack Obama

​

Source: Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway Dec 10, 2009

Barack Obama on War & Peace

 

[Missourian]

We did the right thing in Afghanistan

I have always thought that we did the right thing in Afghanistan. My only concern with respect to Afghanistan was that we diverted our attention from Afghanistan in terms of moving into Iraq and I think we could have done a better job of stabilizing that country than we have in providing assistance to the Afghani people.

Senator Barack Obama​

Source: In His Own Words, edited by Lisa Rogak, p. 5 Mar 27, 2007

Barack Obama on War & Peace

 

[Missourian]

Focus on battle in Afghanistan and root out al Qaeda

One of the things that I think is critical, as the next president, is to make absolutely certain that we not only phase out the Iraq but we also focus on the critical battle that we have in Afghanistan and root out al Qaeda. If we do not do that, then we’re going to potentially see another attack here in the US.

Senator Barack Obama​

Source: 2007 Dem. debate at Saint Anselm College Jun 3, 2007

Barack Obama on War & Peace

 

[Madeline]

Are we any safer for having killed thousands of Afghanis, Missourian....or have we just radicalized that many more?

I'm not a supporter of war for it's own sake. We dun seem to have any clear objective in the ME; I can't tell what yardstick we'd use to decide if we are winning.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Brilliant.

You pick your pet projects, yet refuse other people the right to do the same. You are part of the problem. Everything has to be on the table, and that includes defense, education, Social Security, Medicare, and every other part of the budget.

And, yes, that includes raising taxes, mostly through the elimination of credits and deductions that do not apply to everyone. No more use of the tax code to favor one business or industry over another. The deficit commission spelled it out, and we need to actually talk about their recommendations, not pick and choose before we even get serious.

By the way, the US already spends more money per student than any country except Switzerland, and get less bang for the buck that any major industrialized country in the world. Can you present a single, reasonable, reason not to cut education?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I cannot understand why killing people is so popular among "conservatives", but educating them or giving them adequate health care is not.

I cannot understand why wasting money is popular on either side, yet both sides continue to support it.

 

[syrenn]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Bleeding from how many holes? If you want to live you dont stop bleeders in one spot to save your life. You stop ALL of the holes from bleeding. You may stop the carotid but femoral bled you to death.

 

[BolshevikHunter]

I cannot understand why killing people is so popular among "conservatives", but educating them or giving them adequate health care is not.

I cannot understand why wasting money is popular on either side, yet both sides continue to support it.

Exactly. ~BH

 

[shintao]

By the way, the US already spends more money per student than any country except Switzerland, and get less bang for the buck that any major industrialized country in the world. Can you present a single, reasonable, reason not to cut education?

Really, no. We should end education in America. The more people know, the less they want to learn. It would be far cheaper to let foreigners run America for us, and save that tax money we spend on 3.2 million teachers.

 

[shintao]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Bleeding from how many holes? If you want to live you dont stop bleeders in one spot to save your life. You stop ALL of the holes from bleeding. You may stop the carotid but femoral bled you to death.

And it follows, since there is no reason for a military, it should be gutted by about 98%. Just keep enough troops to tun off the lights.

 

[syrenn]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Bleeding from how many holes? If you want to live you dont stop bleeders in one spot to save your life. You stop ALL of the holes from bleeding. You may stop the carotid but femoral bled you to death.

And it follows, since there is no reason for a military, it should be gutted by about 98%. Just keep enough troops to tun off the lights.

If you are going to bleed the country, bleed it all the same. If you are going to stop the bleeding, stop it everywhere equally. What will fix all of this. 30%? Then you cut EVERYTHING 30%. No more sacred cows.

 

[Skull Pilot]

By the way, the US already spends more money per student than any country except Switzerland, and get less bang for the buck that any major industrialized country in the world. Can you present a single, reasonable, reason not to cut education?

Really, no. We should end education in America. The more people know, the less they want to learn. It would be far cheaper to let foreigners run America for us, and save that tax money we spend on 3.2 million teachers.

Nice dodge.

Answer the question as the the horrible quality of education in this country despite the money we spend.

 

[Vel]

Mainstream Media Fail to Highlight Plight of Afghan Convert to Christianity Facing Death Sentence or Note Obama's Silence | NewsBusters.org)

Mainstream Media Fail to Highlight Plight of Afghan Convert to Christianity Facing Death Sentence or Note Obama's Silence
By Ken Shepherd | February 22, 2011 | 11:08

The Taliban is no longer in power, but the U.S.-supported government in Afghanistan has a long way to go towards supporting freedom of conscience for its people.

Take the plight of one Said Musa, who faces a death sentence for daring to be an ex-Muslim. The convert to Christianity most likely will suffer the death penalty for the capital crime of "apostasy." Paul Marshall at National Review Online last week noted that:

He was forced to appear before a judge without any legal counsel and without knowledge of the charges against him. “Nobody [wanted to be my] defender before the court. When I said ‘I am a Christian man,’ he [a potential lawyer] immediately spat on me and abused me and mocked me. . . . I am alone between 400 [people with] terrible values in the jail, like a sheep.” He has been beaten, mocked, and subjected to sleep deprivation and sexual abuse while in prison. No Afghan lawyer will defend him and authorities denied him access to a foreign lawyer.

***********************************************************
If this is what we've fought to achieve in Afghanistan, then I'm all for pulling our troops out and letting the population know that if we EVER have another attack launched from there, we'll simply decimate the place. No rebuilding.. no bringing food.. just total annihilation.

 

[AVG-JOE]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Brilliant.

You pick your pet projects, yet refuse other people the right to do the same. You are part of the problem. Everything has to be on the table, and that includes defense, education, Social Security, Medicare, and every other part of the budget.

And, yes, that includes raising taxes, mostly through the elimination of credits and deductions that do not apply to everyone. No more use of the tax code to favor one business or industry over another. The deficit commission spelled it out, and we need to actually talk about their recommendations, not pick and choose before we even get serious.

By the way, the US already spends more money per student than any country except Switzerland, and get less bang for the buck that any major industrialized country in the world. Can you present a single, reasonable, reason not to cut education?

"Refuse other people the right to pick..."?



Is that even possible?

I certainly didn't mean to imply that nothing else be looked at - in my humble opinion, Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program, is a complete scam designed by lobbyists to move money from the tax payers to private insurance bureaucracies and in my opinion, the revenue side should not have been tabled for the next two years.

All I'm trying to make clear is that prosecuting two wars on a VISA Card from Bank of China and cutting education is a quick way to lose the vote of this average Joe.

 

[AVG-JOE]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Bleeding from how many holes? If you want to live you dont stop bleeders in one spot to save your life. You stop ALL of the holes from bleeding. You may stop the carotid but femoral bled you to death.

True.

And as allegory in political messageboarding, it paints an effective picture to the reader!

Education Rcks!!

 

[AVG-JOE]

By the way, the US already spends more money per student than any country except Switzerland, and get less bang for the buck that any major industrialized country in the world. Can you present a single, reasonable, reason not to cut education?

Really, no. We should end education in America. The more people know, the less they want to learn. It would be far cheaper to let foreigners run America for us, and save that tax money we spend on 3.2 million teachers.

Nice dodge.

Answer the question as the the horrible quality of education in this country despite the money we spend.

The quality is terrible! Especially considering what is spent on it. But the answer is not slashing the budgets of school systems - the answer in MY humble opinion is to return control to as local a level as is practical.

The money is going to be tricky - States need to fund their own education programs, but not until the hand of the federal government is not quite so deep into the pockets of the citizens of any given state.

I wonder if the federal government could be made to live off 10% of each states gross revenue? It'd be an incentive to create an environment conducive to well managed states.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

$1,200,000 per soldier per year. That's what we're putting on the Chinese VISA Card "fixing" Afghanistan. 1.2 million dollars per soldier per year.

Let's consider that when the discussion turns to trimming the funds spent on Education. Education is the one thing that should NOT be on the table for cuts. Quality Education for the masses is the key to EVER balancing our common budget.

If the first rule of accounting is to stop the bleeding, why are we hovering over local scratches with well-intentioned Band Aids while the patient hemorrhages over-seas?

Brilliant.

You pick your pet projects, yet refuse other people the right to do the same. You are part of the problem. Everything has to be on the table, and that includes defense, education, Social Security, Medicare, and every other part of the budget.

And, yes, that includes raising taxes, mostly through the elimination of credits and deductions that do not apply to everyone. No more use of the tax code to favor one business or industry over another. The deficit commission spelled it out, and we need to actually talk about their recommendations, not pick and choose before we even get serious.

By the way, the US already spends more money per student than any country except Switzerland, and get less bang for the buck that any major industrialized country in the world. Can you present a single, reasonable, reason not to cut education?

"Refuse other people the right to pick..."?



Is that even possible?

I certainly didn't mean to imply that nothing else be looked at - in my humble opinion, Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program, is a complete scam designed by lobbyists to move money from the tax payers to private insurance bureaucracies and in my opinion, the revenue side should not have been tabled for the next two years.

All I'm trying to make clear is that prosecuting two wars on a VISA Card from Bank of China and cutting education is a quick way to lose the vote of this average Joe.

You sure missed that point.

The problem is that everyone has a pet project that they think needs to be protected. That attitude is what got us into this mess, everything needs to be on the table.

Period.