There was nothing wrong with the U.S. government in 2008

[8537]

$608 billion (+4.5%) - Social Security
$386 billion (+5.2%) - Medicare
$209 billion (+5.6%) - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
$324 billion (+1.8%) - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
spent

Payroll tax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
$927.2 billion
income from payroll and SS tax
you want to keep doing this?

as you can see this is where the un funded liability is, not the defense of this country
This is from 2008 and what we needed is 2 million jobs for lost revenue and about 250 billion trimmed here to break even

What in the world are you talking about? Those SS and Medicare expense are paid out of the trillions in the fund - paid for.

The war? No trillions set aside to pay for it.

what fund?

The trust fund that contains a couple trillion in special US treasuries.

Now, about that revenue generated specifically to pay for the war - where is it, JRK? You assured the class it existed.

 

[JRK]

What in the world are you talking about? Those SS and Medicare expense are paid out of the trillions in the fund - paid for.

The war? No trillions set aside to pay for it.

what fund?

The trust fund that contains a couple trillion in special US treasuries.

Now, about that revenue generated specifically to pay for the war - where is it, JRK? You assured the class it existed.

Dude there is no trust fund for SS. I do not know where you get that from but it does not exist
That revenue generated to pay for the wars comes from the general pool, which by the way is where your Payroll tax goes as well
I assured the class of nothing but what is the responsibly of the U.S. Govt.

I can find nothing in our constitution that states welfare is more important than defense of this country. In fact I cannot find anything in our constitution that says we should be paying 1 penny for welfare

 

[toxicmedia]

Sonny I have never run across a more obtuse individual than yourself.
Yes, Obama is an economic train wreck, but to keep defending the awful economic manipulations under Bush as some sort of high point of human achievement is absurd to the point of astonishing. Every single thing these libs have said about his administration is true. It doesn't excuse that Obama is worse by comparison, but it doesn't make their points any less accurate.

The unnecessary war in Iraq had nothing to very little to do with national defense. Saddam was no threat to anybody but his own citizens. BFD, that describes most of the world's leaders. Going hugely in debt to the Chinese to pay for that absurdity? Now that is a national security problem and it was brought upon us by our own leadership.

The Iraq war had the full support of congress, not just GWB, BI PARTISAN SUPPORT
what you see as national defense must not be the same those we elected to represent us seen

Our leadership? how did we ever get in a place were the left is so brain washed that GWB gets the blame for the things Saddam did and did not do that caused that war?
I my mind that is treason. Dis agreeing with the war is a right, that came the 2004 election you had the chance to speak it. To blame the Iraq war on us after 9-11 and 12 years of Saddam lying is irrational

Saddam's Iraq and Support for Terrorism

My testimony focuses on the role and actions of Iraq as a state sponsor of terrorism under the control of Saddam Husayn. Iraq under Saddam was a major state sponsor of international terrorism:

Baghdad actively sponsored terrorist groups, providing safe haven, training, arms, and logistical support, requiring in exchange that the groups carry out operations ordered by Baghdad for Saddam's objectives. Terrorist groups were not permitted to have offices, recruitment, or training facilities or freely use territory under the regime's direct control without explicit permission from Saddam.
Saddam used foreign terrorist groups as an instrument of foreign policy. Groups hosted by Saddam were denied protection if he wanted to improve relations with a neighboring country and encouraged to attack those Saddam wanted to pressure. If they refused Saddam's "requests," they were exiled from Iraq

raining Camps. Two defectors, one of whom claimed to be a senior mukhabarat officer, alleged they had worked at an Iraqi camp south of Baghdad called Salman Pak, where Islamist terrorists had been trained since 1995. The training included, in particular, hijacking techniques useful in seizing aircraft like the American-made Boeing model in use there. How did the defectors know these were Islamists? The defectors said the men prayed and had beards, obviously marking them as Islamists in Saddam's secular Iraq. The information on the Islamists was provided by the Iraqi National Congress (INC) and was not confirmed by other sources. The existence of a terrorist training camp at Salman Pak has been long known, but the aircraft used for training was an old Soviet Antonov and not a Boeing 707, as the INC sources claimed. See Chris Hedges, "Defectors Cite Iraqi Training for Terrorism," The New York Times, 8 November 2001.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...kYSRAw&usg=AFQjCNFNNIZsb90jtDvGqYZlGW_9LZ3R4w


Just weeks after Clinton bombed the daylights out of suspected hideaways for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, he used his January 1999 State of the Union Address to warn America about both bin Laden and Saddam, mentioning the two terror kingpins almost in the same breath. "We will defend our security wherever we are threatened - as we did this summer when we struck at Osama bin Laden's network of terror," Clinton told Congress and the nation. "The bombing our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania reminds us again of the risks faced every day by those who represent America to the world." Moments later Clinton segued into the threat posed by Saddam:

"For nearly a decade, Iraq has defied its obligations to destroy its weapons of terror and the missiles to deliver them. America will continue to contain Saddam, and we will work for the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people." But rather than launch an all out assault on what reporters now call the "dubious" assertion that Saddam and bin Laden had made common cause, the press took Clinton's ball and ran with it.

In fact, as researched and documented this week by FrontPageMagazine.com, in 1999 the national news media was replete with reports linking the Butcher of Baghdad and the man who masterminded the killing of 3,000 Americans almost two years ago.

Here are a few highlights gathered by FrontPage from the press' Saddam-bin Laden file – stories that have since conveniently disappeared down the media's memory hole:

Associated Press Worldstream

Feb. 14, 1999 Taliban leader says whereabouts of bin Laden unknown

... Analysts say bin Laden's options for asylum are limited.

Iraq was considered a possible destination because bin Laden had received an invitation from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last month. And Somalia was a third possible destination because of its anarchy and violent anti-U.S. history .... San Jose Mercury News

SUNDAY MORNING FINAL EDITION

Feb. 14, 1999 U.S. WORRIED ABOUT IRAQI, BIN LADEN TIES TERRORIST COULD GAIN EVEN DEADLIER WEAPONS U.S. intelligence officials are worried that a burgeoning alliance between terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could make the fugitive Saudi's loose-knit organization much more dangerous ... In addition, the officials said, Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal is now in Iraq, as is a renowned Palestinian bomb designer, and both could make their expertise available to bin Laden. "It's clear the Iraqis would like to have bin Laden in Iraq," said Vincent Cannistraro, a former head of
Clinton-Era Reports Cited Saddam-bin Laden Ties

Congress, nor the American people, would have supported the Iraq war....if they knew there were no WMD's, or they knew in would take 9 years, or if they knew it would cost over 4000 American lives, or if they knew the Iraqiis would toss us out at the end, or if they knew the war would cost so much.

Our servicemen's efforts were phenomenal....but the war was a failure.

 

[JRK]

Sonny I have never run across a more obtuse individual than yourself.
Yes, Obama is an economic train wreck, but to keep defending the awful economic manipulations under Bush as some sort of high point of human achievement is absurd to the point of astonishing. Every single thing these libs have said about his administration is true. It doesn't excuse that Obama is worse by comparison, but it doesn't make their points any less accurate.

The unnecessary war in Iraq had nothing to very little to do with national defense. Saddam was no threat to anybody but his own citizens. BFD, that describes most of the world's leaders. Going hugely in debt to the Chinese to pay for that absurdity? Now that is a national security problem and it was brought upon us by our own leadership.

The Iraq war had the full support of congress, not just GWB, BI PARTISAN SUPPORT
what you see as national defense must not be the same those we elected to represent us seen

Our leadership? how did we ever get in a place were the left is so brain washed that GWB gets the blame for the things Saddam did and did not do that caused that war?
I my mind that is treason. Dis agreeing with the war is a right, that came the 2004 election you had the chance to speak it. To blame the Iraq war on us after 9-11 and 12 years of Saddam lying is irrational

Saddam's Iraq and Support for Terrorism

My testimony focuses on the role and actions of Iraq as a state sponsor of terrorism under the control of Saddam Husayn. Iraq under Saddam was a major state sponsor of international terrorism:

Baghdad actively sponsored terrorist groups, providing safe haven, training, arms, and logistical support, requiring in exchange that the groups carry out operations ordered by Baghdad for Saddam's objectives. Terrorist groups were not permitted to have offices, recruitment, or training facilities or freely use territory under the regime's direct control without explicit permission from Saddam.
Saddam used foreign terrorist groups as an instrument of foreign policy. Groups hosted by Saddam were denied protection if he wanted to improve relations with a neighboring country and encouraged to attack those Saddam wanted to pressure. If they refused Saddam's "requests," they were exiled from Iraq

raining Camps. Two defectors, one of whom claimed to be a senior mukhabarat officer, alleged they had worked at an Iraqi camp south of Baghdad called Salman Pak, where Islamist terrorists had been trained since 1995. The training included, in particular, hijacking techniques useful in seizing aircraft like the American-made Boeing model in use there. How did the defectors know these were Islamists? The defectors said the men prayed and had beards, obviously marking them as Islamists in Saddam's secular Iraq. The information on the Islamists was provided by the Iraqi National Congress (INC) and was not confirmed by other sources. The existence of a terrorist training camp at Salman Pak has been long known, but the aircraft used for training was an old Soviet Antonov and not a Boeing 707, as the INC sources claimed. See Chris Hedges, "Defectors Cite Iraqi Training for Terrorism," The New York Times, 8 November 2001.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...kYSRAw&usg=AFQjCNFNNIZsb90jtDvGqYZlGW_9LZ3R4w


Just weeks after Clinton bombed the daylights out of suspected hideaways for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, he used his January 1999 State of the Union Address to warn America about both bin Laden and Saddam, mentioning the two terror kingpins almost in the same breath. "We will defend our security wherever we are threatened - as we did this summer when we struck at Osama bin Laden's network of terror," Clinton told Congress and the nation. "The bombing our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania reminds us again of the risks faced every day by those who represent America to the world." Moments later Clinton segued into the threat posed by Saddam:

"For nearly a decade, Iraq has defied its obligations to destroy its weapons of terror and the missiles to deliver them. America will continue to contain Saddam, and we will work for the day when Iraq has a government worthy of its people." But rather than launch an all out assault on what reporters now call the "dubious" assertion that Saddam and bin Laden had made common cause, the press took Clinton's ball and ran with it.

In fact, as researched and documented this week by FrontPageMagazine.com, in 1999 the national news media was replete with reports linking the Butcher of Baghdad and the man who masterminded the killing of 3,000 Americans almost two years ago.

Here are a few highlights gathered by FrontPage from the press' Saddam-bin Laden file – stories that have since conveniently disappeared down the media's memory hole:

Associated Press Worldstream

Feb. 14, 1999 Taliban leader says whereabouts of bin Laden unknown

... Analysts say bin Laden's options for asylum are limited.

Iraq was considered a possible destination because bin Laden had received an invitation from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last month. And Somalia was a third possible destination because of its anarchy and violent anti-U.S. history .... San Jose Mercury News

SUNDAY MORNING FINAL EDITION

Feb. 14, 1999 U.S. WORRIED ABOUT IRAQI, BIN LADEN TIES TERRORIST COULD GAIN EVEN DEADLIER WEAPONS U.S. intelligence officials are worried that a burgeoning alliance between terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could make the fugitive Saudi's loose-knit organization much more dangerous ... In addition, the officials said, Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal is now in Iraq, as is a renowned Palestinian bomb designer, and both could make their expertise available to bin Laden. "It's clear the Iraqis would like to have bin Laden in Iraq," said Vincent Cannistraro, a former head of
Clinton-Era Reports Cited Saddam-bin Laden Ties

Congress, nor the American people, would have supported the Iraq war....if they knew there were no WMD's, or they knew in would take 9 years, or if they knew it would cost over 4000 American lives, or if they knew the Iraqiis would toss us out at the end, or if they knew the war would cost so much.

Our servicemen's efforts were phenomenal....but the war was a failure.

So what your saying is the troops failed. I would hope you would go to your nearest marine recruiting center and share that with those who you find there
DO NOT EVER TELL ME THAT OUR TROOPS FAILED THERE AGAIN
U GOT IT?
GO TELL THE TROOPS, NOT ME
IT IS NOT TRUE

As far as weapons go, if you had any class you would take the time to your own DD as to why we went to Iraq, why it is a success and what WMDS really had to do with it

 

[8537]

what fund?

The trust fund that contains a couple trillion in special US treasuries.

Now, about that revenue generated specifically to pay for the war - where is it, JRK? You assured the class it existed.

Dude there is no trust fund for SS. I do not know where you get that from but it does not exist

Dude, yes there is. It contained 2.4T dollars in special-issue US Treasuries as of the end of 2010.

 

[Utilitarian]

The biggest mis conception of Obama is that he inherited a Government that was in shambles. The banking sector and the housing sector was in shambles but the U.S. govt. Was not in that bad of shape.
In fact:
2007 we were within 163 billion of a balanced budget
2008 we signed the peace treaty with Iraq that today we see has came to pass, all troops will be gone in 8 weeks or so
Tarp and the 250 billion that GWB Admin used stopped the banking collapsed and that sector was turned around in months. Not like it was in 07, but also not collapsing either. Most of that money we got back in months

So exactly what was it that Obama inherited that forced him to spend over 4 trillion dollars we did not have?

The American government has been dysfunctional ever since lobbyism took over the system.

 

[JRK]

The biggest mis conception of Obama is that he inherited a Government that was in shambles. The banking sector and the housing sector was in shambles but the U.S. govt. Was not in that bad of shape.
In fact:
2007 we were within 163 billion of a balanced budget
2008 we signed the peace treaty with Iraq that today we see has came to pass, all troops will be gone in 8 weeks or so
Tarp and the 250 billion that GWB Admin used stopped the banking collapsed and that sector was turned around in months. Not like it was in 07, but also not collapsing either. Most of that money we got back in months

So exactly what was it that Obama inherited that forced him to spend over 4 trillion dollars we did not have?

The American government has been dysfunctional ever since lobbyism took over the system.

Lobbying is just another form of free speech. We may not like it, but why would we want to stop it

 

[Dr.Drock]

The biggest mis conception of Obama is that he inherited a Government that was in shambles. The banking sector and the housing sector was in shambles but the U.S. govt. Was not in that bad of shape.
In fact:
2007 we were within 163 billion of a balanced budget
2008 we signed the peace treaty with Iraq that today we see has came to pass, all troops will be gone in 8 weeks or so
Tarp and the 250 billion that GWB Admin used stopped the banking collapsed and that sector was turned around in months. Not like it was in 07, but also not collapsing either. Most of that money we got back in months

So exactly what was it that Obama inherited that forced him to spend over 4 trillion dollars we did not have?

The American government has been dysfunctional ever since lobbyism took over the system.

Lobbying is just another form of free speech. We may not like it, but why would we want to stop it

Actually one of those involves millions and billions of dollars (lobby groups).

Look at how much our gov't is bought off, all politicians have been bought and paid for.

 

[JRK]

The American government has been dysfunctional ever since lobbyism took over the system.

Lobbying is just another form of free speech. We may not like it, but why would we want to stop it

Actually one of those involves millions and billions of dollars (lobby groups).

Look at how much our gov't is bought off, all politicians have been bought and paid for.

If this was all that true we would be drilling oil most states?
Or is the lobbying designed to make it more difficult so profits will be higher?

 

[Utilitarian]

The biggest mis conception of Obama is that he inherited a Government that was in shambles. The banking sector and the housing sector was in shambles but the U.S. govt. Was not in that bad of shape.
In fact:
2007 we were within 163 billion of a balanced budget
2008 we signed the peace treaty with Iraq that today we see has came to pass, all troops will be gone in 8 weeks or so
Tarp and the 250 billion that GWB Admin used stopped the banking collapsed and that sector was turned around in months. Not like it was in 07, but also not collapsing either. Most of that money we got back in months

So exactly what was it that Obama inherited that forced him to spend over 4 trillion dollars we did not have?

The American government has been dysfunctional ever since lobbyism took over the system.

Lobbying is just another form of free speech. We may not like it, but why would we want to stop it

It's unfortunate that our system interprets it that way. Thankfully, a lot of other systems don't.

 

[Utilitarian]

Lobbying is just another form of free speech. We may not like it, but why would we want to stop it

Actually one of those involves millions and billions of dollars (lobby groups).

Look at how much our gov't is bought off, all politicians have been bought and paid for.

If this was all that true we would be drilling oil most states?
Or is the lobbying designed to make it more difficult so profits will be higher?

Oil isn't the only lobbying interest, and we're already drilling in the areas where oil is easiest to extract.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Lobbying is just another form of free speech. We may not like it, but why would we want to stop it

Actually one of those involves millions and billions of dollars (lobby groups).

Look at how much our gov't is bought off, all politicians have been bought and paid for.

If this was all that true we would be drilling oil most states?
Or is the lobbying designed to make it more difficult so profits will be higher?

What big oil company has been struggling in the last decade?

Our politicians aren't bought off by entire industries, they're bought off by certain select super corporations within the industries. So they mold their legislation around the select companies who have bought them off. In other words facism, and it's prominent in both parties.

 

[healthmyths]

you wrote"The unnecessary war in Iraq had nothing to very little to do with national defense. Saddam was no threat to anybody but his own citizens. BFD, that describes most of the world's leaders. Going hugely in debt to the Chinese to pay for that absurdity?
Where were you when the dot.com bust occurred? Were you around for 9/11? Did you know the worst hurricane "SEASONS" in history occurred?

All of the above created the following BUT evidently YOU totally ignore this reality!
The Stock Market Crash of 2000-2002 caused the loss of $5 trillion in the market value of companies from March 2000 to October 2002.[13] The 9/11 terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, killing almost 700 employees of Cantor-Fitzgerald, accelerated the stock market drop; the NYSE suspended trading for four sessions. When trading resumed, some of it was transacted in temporary new locations.
18,000 businesses destroyed. ... away from the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Massive job loss. Dot-com bubble - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But you evidently NEVER thought nor has the majority of people realized that $5 trillion in losses are written off against income.. called by the IRS Net operating Losses!
As a result if NONE of those events occurred there would have been a surplus!

So either ADMIT these events occurred and then the resultant $5 trillion losses or
NOT admit and be considered CRAZY!

 

[8537]

you wrote"The unnecessary war in Iraq had nothing to very little to do with national defense. Saddam was no threat to anybody but his own citizens. BFD, that describes most of the world's leaders. Going hugely in debt to the Chinese to pay for that absurdity?
Where were you when the dot.com bust occurred? Were you around for 9/11? Did you know the worst hurricane "SEASONS" in history occurred?

All of the above created the following BUT evidently YOU totally ignore this reality!
The Stock Market Crash of 2000-2002 caused the loss of $5 trillion in the market value of companies from March 2000 to October 2002.[13] The 9/11 terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, killing almost 700 employees of Cantor-Fitzgerald, accelerated the stock market drop; the NYSE suspended trading for four sessions. When trading resumed, some of it was transacted in temporary new locations.
18,000 businesses destroyed. ... away from the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Massive job loss. Dot-com bubble - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But you evidently NEVER thought nor has the majority of people realized that $5 trillion in losses are written off against income.. called by the IRS Net operating Losses!
As a result if NONE of those events occurred there would have been a surplus!

So either ADMIT these events occurred and then the resultant $5 trillion losses or
NOT admit and be considered CRAZY!

What in the world?! The 5 trillion is the market value of all of the companies, not the profits exposed to taxes. If Apple shuttered its doors tomorrow, the government wouldn't lose 35% of its 373B market cap. It would lose the portion of its profits paid in taxes.

 

[JRK]

Actually one of those involves millions and billions of dollars (lobby groups).

Look at how much our gov't is bought off, all politicians have been bought and paid for.

If this was all that true we would be drilling oil most states?
Or is the lobbying designed to make it more difficult so profits will be higher?

Oil isn't the only lobbying interest, and we're already drilling in the areas where oil is easiest to extract.

Do what?
If this is true then why are we buying sands oil from the brutal cold of Canada as well as 5000' below sea level in the Gulf when there is ample oil shale/sands as well as un known crude oil deposits right here in the USA?
and what about coal? we spent billions to build scrubbers to use the very cheap coal BHO shut down
What is up with that?

 

[Care4all]

things were inherited, the Banking/aig/ automobile/fannie/freddie, lehman brothers etc failures and most importantly Housing bubble burst....and it is still broken and will be for another 10 years more than likely....all of this has caused major layoffs, bringing unemployment to the high of the century, causing gvt to spend more on social services while bringing in less taxes due to all of the unemployed....

Adding 6 trillion in 8 years to the National Debt while in "the good years" was also a huge negative to inherit.....along with 2 wars started previously as well....

 

[8537]

If this was all that true we would be drilling oil most states?
Or is the lobbying designed to make it more difficult so profits will be higher?

Oil isn't the only lobbying interest, and we're already drilling in the areas where oil is easiest to extract.

Do what?
If this is true then why are we buying sands oil from the brutal cold of Canada as well as 5000' below sea level in the Gulf when there is ample oil shale/sands as well as un known crude oil deposits right here in the USA?
and what about coal? we spent billions to build scrubbers to use the very cheap coal BHO shut down
What is up with that?

Which scrubbers did Obama shut down?

 

[Avatar4321]

The corruption in government started before Obama, heck, before Bush. It's been in the system for a while. The people have been corrupt and let this cancer spread throughout them and thus throughout the system as well.

We need to wake up the people and become an honest and upright people who love speaking the truth, who love seeking the truth, and who are not afraid to sacrifice and show courage to live the truth.

 

[Utilitarian]

If this was all that true we would be drilling oil most states?
Or is the lobbying designed to make it more difficult so profits will be higher?

Oil isn't the only lobbying interest, and we're already drilling in the areas where oil is easiest to extract.

Do what?
If this is true then why are we buying sands oil from the brutal cold of Canada as well as 5000' below sea level in the Gulf when there is ample oil shale/sands as well as un known crude oil deposits right here in the USA?
and what about coal? we spent billions to build scrubbers to use the very cheap coal BHO shut down
What is up with that?

Most of our oil deposits aren't in easy to extract areas. This is why so much oil sands and offshore/deep sea drilling is done.

By contrast, Saudi Arabia and a lot of the rest of the Middle East has easily accessible oil. That being said, we do buy more oil from Canada and Mexico than from the Middle East, but that has more to do with convenience and trade deals than anything else.

Canada has always depended on us to consume most of their exports, so they cut deals for us. Mexico is somewhat similar.

As for coal, most First World nations have pollution standards, because even industries prefer to have some level of air quality to live in. If we went the Chinese or Indian approach to air quality, the incidence of respiratory illnesses would increase exponentially.

 

[Toro]

The biggest mis conception of Obama is that he inherited a Government that was in shambles. The banking sector and the housing sector was in shambles but the U.S. govt. Was not in that bad of shape.
In fact:
2007 we were within 163 billion of a balanced budget
2008 we signed the peace treaty with Iraq that today we see has came to pass, all troops will be gone in 8 weeks or so
Tarp and the 250 billion that GWB Admin used stopped the banking collapsed and that sector was turned around in months. Not like it was in 07, but also not collapsing either. Most of that money we got back in months

So exactly what was it that Obama inherited that forced him to spend over 4 trillion dollars we did not have?

lol



Outstanding