What are your thought on all this "Occupy" Stuff?

[Intense]

The 'income gap' is going to continue to widen no matter what is done due to the number of baby boomers retiring.

Not necessarily, and in any case that is not the reason why income gaps have widened over the past thirty years. The biggest single reasons are the loss of union representation among the work force, the flattening of the tax system, the deregulation of the financial industry, and the increase in health-care costs, and all of these come down to a common cause of corruption of the government by campaign financing.

If these were corrected, any unbalancing -- and I'm not at all sure there would be any -- from Boomer retirement would be more than offset.

This economy has been running on 'consumer credit' for the last 50 years. Try again.

No it hasn't. The mere existence of a nonzero amount of consumer credit does not equate to the economy "running" on it. Again, you need to stop thinking in binary and start thinking in scales.

In the decades following World War II, up through the mid-70s at least, wages were high on the average, and most purchases were made out of immediate income. Yes, people sometimes borrowed. If they bought a car, a house, or a major appliance, they generally took out a loan to do so. They might also have a credit card or two for convenience. But in the 1980s and more so in the 1990s and 2000s, the use of consumer credit increased to unsustainable levels.

One can of course blame people for irresponsible borrowing, and also blame banks for irresponsible lending, and both of these are true, but the fact remains that if that hadn't happen the economy would have crashed in 2000 or 2001, not in 2008. Or possibly even earlier and there would have been no dot-com boom.

There is an enormous quantitative difference, so great that it amounts to a qualitative one, between the consumer borrowing of the '90s and '00s compared to that of the 1960s, which would be 50 years ago.

And you would never admit that Union's are Corrupt? Of course not.
Campaign Financing is corrupt? The tip of the Iceberg.
You think Industry faces less regulation today? Bullshit.
Your premise is false. You go down hill from there.

 

[Dragon]

OMG!!! Are you SERIOUS? You're proud of the accomplishment of your [generation] for "making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted"?!?!?

Absolutely. Next question?

 

[Dragon]

And you would never admit that Union's are Corrupt?

Union contributions to campaigns compared to those of corporations are a mud puddle compared to an ocean.

However, in practice any means used to remove the one would also remove the other.

Campaign Financing is corrupt? The tip of the Iceberg.

No, it's the root of the evil. That's why the government serves the corporate interest instead of the public good.

You think Industry faces less regulation today? Bullshit.

I think the financial industry faces less regulation than it did in the 1970s. Yes. Not bullshit but a demonstrable fact.

I said nothing about industry in general.

 

[Katzndogz]

Thoughts on Occupy

Kinda reminds me of 1917 and the Bolshevik Revolution.
'Cept, people have plenty of food these days.
How'd that communism/socialist thing work out for em?
After seizing all the wealth from the top 5%, they still ended up just as poor, just as hungry and just as stupid as when they started out.

One word,

History

The parasitic class of today believes just as the Bolsheviks did, that once the government seizes that wealth, of course they'll distribute it fairly. After all anything else would be unfair.

 

[GeorgiaBoy]

OMG!!! Are you SERIOUS? You're proud of the accomplishment of your [generation] for "making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted"?!?!?

Absolutely. Next question?

What good has making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted done for this country? except for legalizing gay marriage in places

 

[Intense]

"Changed the world"??? Really? How? Last I heard, you parasites on the left HATE America and everything about it.

You need your hearing-aid adjusted, or perhaps you just need to listen to something other than Beck and Limbaugh.

So if you changed it, then you're to blame for how bad it is.

Hmm, not really. The focus from the Awakening era (mid-1960s until the mid-1980s) was cultural and values change, not really political or economic change. As a result of that cultural upheaval, we have:

1) Changes to sexual morality and the related morality of gender relations, making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted, and gender inequality no longer accepted.

2) Changes to the attitude towards American imperial power, so that support for wars abroad is no longer a given and the whole idea of the U.S. as a military superpower is open to question.

3) The inclusion of environmental ideas in the national value-set.

The changes that are causing problems now are mostly economic and political, not changes in these areas.

OMG!!! Are you SERIOUS? You're proud of the accomplishment of your parasite class for "making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted"?!?!? That's what you are PROUD of?!?!? Are you proud of all of the Aids and Herpes that have resulted from that kind of stupidity?

Seriously folks - you can't make this stuff up. He's actually proud that his side helped make premarital sex acceptable! LMAO... And you wonder why the countries collapses when a Democrat takes office. This is their idea of "success".

Yeah, why don't we poll some Hemophiliac's, and get their opinion.... no wait, the contaminated Blood supply took care of that focus group. But the People with HIV, felt less oppressed, right? That's more important than General Health Safety Protocol. The discomfort factor is what mattered more than keeping people safe, right? Sure. Let's run with that. Everyone's priorities ans sense of Right and Wrong are so convoluted, No One will notice anyway right? Shit, the achievers are getting Richer and All. Let's not worry about Reason, Private Property, or Justice, and just do what Our Masters compel us to do. Wave your fingers in the Air in Solidarity now.

 

[Dragon]

[
What good has making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted done for this country? except for legalizing gay marriage in places

Regarding premarital sex, it's removed an enormous measure of hypocrisy (because of course people were doing it anyway), and allowed unmarried people to have more honest and healthy sex lives.

Regarding homosexuality, it's lessened bigotry towards a category of people who have historically been subject to great persecution, and so made many people's lives better. (Legalizing gay marriage is only a small part of that.)

 

[BDBoop]

[
What good has making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted done for this country? except for legalizing gay marriage in places

Regarding premarital sex, it's removed an enormous measure of hypocrisy (because of course people were doing it anyway), and allowed unmarried people to have more honest and healthy sex lives.

Regarding homosexuality, it's lessened bigotry towards a category of people who have historically been subject to great persecution, and so made many people's lives better. (Legalizing gay marriage is only a small part of that.)

But things were so much better when you had to marry the one you slept with, or be declared a slut!

 

[GeorgiaBoy]

[
What good has making premarital sex and homosexuality generally accepted done for this country? except for legalizing gay marriage in places

Regarding premarital sex, it's removed an enormous measure of hypocrisy (because of course people were doing it anyway), and allowed unmarried people to have more honest and healthy sex lives.

Regarding homosexuality, it's lessened bigotry towards a category of people who have historically been subject to great persecution, and so made many people's lives better. (Legalizing gay marriage is only a small part of that.)

But things were so much better when you had to marry the one you slept with, or be declared a slut!

Are you going to answer our questions now? Or am I still a fool?

 

[Mr.Nick]

Thoughts on Occupy

I think the libertarians are arguing for true capitalism while the rest argue for socialism or are just there for the rave...

I think everyone there except for the capitalist libertarians are ignorant lunatics...

 

[Intense]

And you would never admit that Union's are Corrupt?

Union contributions to campaigns compared to those of corporations are a mud puddle compared to an ocean.

However, in practice any means used to remove the one would also remove the other.

Campaign Financing is corrupt? The tip of the Iceberg.

No, it's the root of the evil. That's why the government serves the corporate interest instead of the public good.

You think Industry faces less regulation today? Bullshit.

I think the financial industry faces less regulation than it did in the 1970s. Yes. Not bullshit but a demonstrable fact.

I said nothing about industry in general.

Union's control most Federal and State Employees. Big problem there. Sorry Charlie. Google, Microsoft, and Apple are currently playing with Off Shore Money, and get it back in the game untaxed. Does that count, or are they exempt because of who they are friends with?

Industry has been harassed and shut down through intimidation and regulation by the EPA and others, for too long. WTFU. Everything your side does makes the situation worse. You won over Wall Street in the last election, for all the good it did the Jack Asses. Through incompetence and bad aim, you seek to bring us all down. Blind man shooting at the World. Yeah you need more Power, Numbers, and Regularity Authority to make things worse, quicker, I get it.

 

[Dragon]

Union's control most Federal and State Employees.

It's the control of elected officials, not government employees, that's the problem.

Google, Microsoft, and Apple are currently playing with Off Shore Money, and get it back in the game untaxed. Does that count, or are they exempt because of who they are friends with?

All rules apply across the board. An action that is bad when done by a company that gives to Republicans is just as bad when done by a company that gives to Democrats. This is not a partisan issue. Both parties are corrupt. If that weren't so, the Democrats would have fixed it when they held big majorities in both houses of Congress plus the White House.

Your last paragraph is a total non-sequitur. To repeat: the FINANCIAL industry was deregulated in the 1980s and 1990s and that is part of the problem we face. If you have something to say about the FINANCIAL industry in response to that, please do.

 

[Sunshine]

Your head is so far up your ass that you need another orifice to be able to see. Now, I'm going to make a meatloaf! Ciao.

In other words, you have no way to respond to what I said, so you're falling back on empty insults. What a disappointment. I thought you weren't that kind of moron.

Another for the ignore list, it seems.

Knock yourself out.

 

[alan1]

Your head is so far up your ass that you need another orifice to be able to see. Now, I'm going to make a meatloaf! Ciao.

Like I always say,
Don't let your meat loaf.

 

[Sunshine]

Your head is so far up your ass that you need another orifice to be able to see. Now, I'm going to make a meatloaf! Ciao.

Like I always say,
Don't let your meat loaf.

LOL. It's done and cooling as we speak. The Indian succotash is done as well. Does cooking Indian succotash make me a racist?

 

[GeorgiaBoy]

Your head is so far up your ass that you need another orifice to be able to see. Now, I'm going to make a meatloaf! Ciao.

Like I always say,
Don't let your meat loaf.

LOL. It's done and cooling as we speak. The Indian succotash is done as well. Does cooking Indian succotash make me a racist?

you bastard. Might as well blow up a 7/11 while you're at it

 

[Mr.Nick]

Your head is so far up your ass that you need another orifice to be able to see. Now, I'm going to make a meatloaf! Ciao.

Like I always say,
Don't let your meat loaf.

That was good.

 

[MarcATL]

They have the right to peacefully assemble, a right to petition the government for redress of grievances, and freedom of speech, all granted by the 1st amendment. However the only place they can really make their voices heard is at the voting booth.

Many of these protesters really have no idea what they want or how to get it. All they know for sure is they want it and they want it for FREE!!

I think you inadvertently stumbled upon the REAL REASON why politicians should be concerning themselves with these citizen's issues.

They. Will. Vote. Period.

And do you think they will be supporting those politicians that have made it their duty to PUNCH DOWN and insult them? Or those who are at least attempting to hear their concerns, and more importantly, ADDRESS their concerns?

 

[Sunshine]

Like I always say,
Don't let your meat loaf.

LOL. It's done and cooling as we speak. The Indian succotash is done as well. Does cooking Indian succotash make me a racist?

you bastard. Might as well blow up a 7/11 while you're at it

ROFL. My potato salad will make me forget the error of my ways. I make potato salad with white wine. None of that gloppy mayo shit.

 

[GeorgiaBoy]

LOL. It's done and cooling as we speak. The Indian succotash is done as well. Does cooking Indian succotash make me a racist?

you bastard. Might as well blow up a 7/11 while you're at it

ROFL. My potato salad will make me forget the error of my ways. I make potato salad with white wine. None of that gloppy mayo shit.

A real American would have made coleslaw.....

Dirty Irish Potato Farmer....