Your "Conservative" President

[rtwngAvngr]

Repubs will lean on the Federal Reserve to devalue the currency by buying government bonds with paper money made up from thin air--which gives us a hidden "stealth" tax of inflation. And the opening salvos in the war on Iraq was started under President Slick btw.

But they also hopefully will cut spending. That's what we know dems WON'T do. And dems will raise taxes definitely.

Are you a libertarian? I used to be. Legal crack and smack would devastate society. Even Private charity wouldn't be able to keep up.

 

[bush lover]

It's all paper and good faith. If you believe in the dollar, we can print as many we need. It's very simple. Our inflation rate is close to zero because of China and Wal-Mart. So we can print as much money as we want and pretend it's irrelevant, because it is. Give the wealthy tax breaks, give the poor welfare. It's all irrelevant. We can print money and spend as much as we want. Everyone will be happy! Merry Christmas!

 

[Huckleburry]

Bush lover...You are really really wrong

 

[Annie]

Bush lover...You are really really wrong

I may be wrong but I think he was being facetious. Speak up Bushlover, make your voice heard.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

It's all paper and good faith. If you believe in the dollar, we can print as many we need. It's very simple. Our inflation rate is close to zero because of China and Wal-Mart. So we can print as much money as we want and pretend it's irrelevant, because it is. Give the wealthy tax breaks, give the poor welfare. It's all irrelevant. We can print money and spend as much as we want. Everyone will be happy! Merry Christmas!

Yes. It all has to do with faith in america and a future based on global business and not communoIslamic totalitarianism. Controlling the future has an unlimited upside.

 

[bush lover]

On the level: Japan has printed mountains of money (it has more government debt per person than the U.S.) by issuing bonds, which the central bank has bought. The proceeds were used for tax cuts to stimulate the economy. The economy is growing slightly now after a decade of stagnation. But the country still has deflation, or declining prices. So that stands economic theory on its head. Meanwhile, interest rates there are near zero. China is the great deflator, with Wal-Mart's help. It makes things so cheap that this helps keep U.S. inflation to near zero, despite low interest rates and record government spending and borrowing.

 

[Huckleburry]

Bush Lover,
This is actually kind of a shitty response because I have a mountain of work this week and will not be able to respond to often. Now that you are warned.....
You are misunderstanding basic economics here. Deflation is accounted for in standard economic theory. It is also a fate worse then death. Deflation means that your money is getting more and more valuble everyday, thus negating the TVM preference and making it impossible for financial institutions to operate. Think about it, If you could store your money in a big safe in your house and watch it appreciate, would there be any reason for you to invest? Would'nt you try and save (horde) as much money as possible. Deflation in Japan caused so much damage because it is virtually untouchable by normal monetary and fiscal policy.

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

If prices are going down, there are two possibilities:

1) The supply of money has shrunk
2) The supply of goods has increased, due to improved productivity, free trade, that sort of thing.

#1 is bad, but it has not happened anytime lately, certainly not in Japan. #2 is good, because it means that productivity per worker is up (the only way the standard of living can truly rise).

The most drastic example is probably computers--radically better products for less money. Other industries follow this pattern, just on a slower/smaller scale. If it weren't for the Fed, we'd see a slow, steady drop in prices. Obviously people haven't stopped buying computers, even though they know a better/cheaper model will come out next year. They haven't stopped buying cars, even though performance and quality continues to outpace modest increases in price. So the idea that people will hoard their money when goods are getting cheaper is bunk.

If anything is a deterrent to people investing, it's inflation. Notice how we americans now have a negative savings rate. When interest rates can't even keep up with inflation, putting your money in a bank is a bad investment. People are forced to turn to riskier/higher paying investments, such as stocks and the current favorite, real estate. The fed increases the money supply (inflation), which then means the banks have plenty of cash to loan out, so there's no reason to offer anything more than a token interest rate.

 

[Emmett]

Marijuana is an illegal drug, yet alcohol is legal. Hmmmmmmmm! Noe honestly, is there not something wrong with that!

The average time served for marijuana possession is longer than a Drunken Driven conviction. Which person presented a bigger threat to society?

Taking drugs is stupid! Legal or not! I have never known a succesful drug addict!

It should not be up to government to decide anything for anybody! We are born into this world with a certain soverign right to make up our minds on what is right and wrong so long as it does not hurt another! Every time we (our government) makes another "rule to follow" we take one tiny step toward communism / socialism. Where does it stop?

For all I care you can sit in a corn field and shoot heroin all day, but DO NOT ask me to pay for your rehab or medical bill when you walk out in front of my car and do 4,000 dollars damage to it with your fool head.

Should government be responsible for every aspect of our life? If that be the case should it not be law that we must wear body armor in order to operate a motor vehicle? We would be safer! There would less medical bills unfairly dispatched to we (the small % of folks who pay taxes), we make motorcyclists wear helmets, why should car drivers not have to wear body armor?

Then again, should not cars be illegal? They cause death! Ban them. They are dangerous to society.

Since the burden placed on the rest of us by senior citizens is tremendous should we not terminate people at retirement age?

As soon as we made the very first "rule of intrusiveness" law, we started the ball rolling!

Should not smoking be illegal, it's dangerous and nicotine is a DRUG!!!!!

 

[LuvRPgrl]

I remember Prop 13 in calif. tax legislation.

The opposistion painted a picture of doom and gloom. FIre depts would go bankrupt, police wouldnt be able to protect you....blah, blah, blah

I have heard more wrong predictions on what will happen when certain laws are passed, than accurate ones.

I am not sure if legalizing drugs would make the usage go up or down.

I do not know ONE PERSON, who ever made their decision to use drugs based on its illegality or lack of.

I do know its easier to get drugs for a high schooler than alcohol.

If you really want to control drugs better, legailization would give the govt more control than they have now.

Which is scarier, having a cop show up at your front door, or the IRS? If its illegal, the cops show up, if its legalized, then the IRS will show up if you are abusing it.

some things we know for FACT

making it legal will reduce govt size WHICH IS ALWAYS GOOD

making it legal will reduce taxes

will increase police enforcement on other more important issues, like, uh, TERRORISM?????

The best thing the communities could do is to legalize and control it. Tax it and take the money from the gangs and give it to the govt (hmmm, is that a better choice?)

taking money from gang bangers will also give inner city kids more incentive to get a good education.

The local communities need to get extremely involved in not allowing teens to drink, smoke or use drugs.

Once you get past high school without doing those, chances are you never will.

High schoools should not be as big as they are, harder to enforce such laws/rules.

last thing. I have been in the recovery community, i.e. IM AN ALCOHOLIC, sober for 20 years

alcohol, drugs and cigarettes ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

some will claim alcohol is a liquid drug. WRONG!!!!!!!!

I do not routinely meet 65 year olds with two income properties who sit in their living room and say "honey, you feel like shooting up tonight?"

many people drink moderately and never become addicted (alcoholic)
many people drink heavy at times, or even all their lives, and never become addicted.

Virtually everyone who uses crack, heroin, cocaine, pot, and smokes cigarettes will become fully addicted.

I never understood smoking though, I mean, booze and drugs gets you high, what the F do cigs do for ya? I was always looked at oddly cuz I hung with people who got high, but I was always the only non smoker....

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I remember Prop 13 in calif. tax legislation.

The opposistion painted a picture of doom and gloom. FIre depts would go bankrupt, police wouldnt be able to protect you....blah, blah, blah

I have heard more wrong predictions on what will happen when certain laws are passed, than accurate ones.

I am not sure if legalizing drugs would make the usage go up or down.

I do not know ONE PERSON, who ever made their decision to use drugs based on its illegality or lack of.

I do know its easier to get drugs for a high schooler than alcohol.

If you really want to control drugs better, legailization would give the govt more control than they have now.

Which is scarier, having a cop show up at your front door, or the IRS? If its illegal, the cops show up, if its legalized, then the IRS will show up if you are abusing it.

If drugs were legal, and you were abusing them, why would the IRS show up?

 

[LuvRPgrl]

If drugs were legal, and you were abusing them, why would the IRS show up?

good question

when alcohol was illegal, cops showed up. Gangsters got off scott free.
Guess what wound up putting one of the most notorious criminals in prison?
tax evasion.

If a person is running a legal business, then they are more concerned about losing their license to conduct said business, and hence will follow the rules and regulations. If they dont follow the rules and regulations, the IRS, or some other arm of the govt will show up and shut them down.

If the cops show up, they get out on bail, and its business as usual.

Regulating a legal substance is easier to control and more effective than making it illegal.

Do you realize how quickly the main crop of colombia would change if suddenly coke were only $20 a pound?

I mean, coke is an agriculture product. You can buy a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $1. Meat is much more expensive. Coke, being an agricultural product, wouldnt cost that much to produce, process and ship.

Now, if the price suddenly dropped, the growers in colombia would have a glut, and would be forced to start growing pineapples....

 

[The ClayTaurus]

good question

when alcohol was illegal, cops showed up. Gangsters got off scott free.
Guess what wound up putting one of the most notorious criminals in prison?
tax evasion.

If a person is running a legal business, then they are more concerned about losing their license to conduct said business, and hence will follow the rules and regulations. If they dont follow the rules and regulations, the IRS, or some other arm of the govt will show up and shut them down.

If the cops show up, they get out on bail, and its business as usual.

Regulating a legal substance is easier to control and more effective than making it illegal.

Do you realize how quickly the main crop of colombia would change if suddenly coke were only $20 a pound?

I mean, coke is an agriculture product. You can buy a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $1. Meat is much more expensive. Coke, being an agricultural product, wouldnt cost that much to produce, process and ship.

Now, if the price suddenly dropped, the growers in colombia would have a glut, and would be forced to start growing pineapples....

I like pineapples - raw only. Pineapple juice, especially.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

I like pineapples - raw only. Pineapple juice, especially.

TOTALLY concur, except I like it cooked on alot of foods also.

My kids think my left leg is made of pineapple.

It really is amazing how many things it goes with, good thing canned pineapple is as good as fresh, skinning those things fresh is a real bitch, very low on my list of favorite things to do, right below arguing with a liberal about Iraq

 

[The ClayTaurus]

TOTALLY concur, except I like it cooked on alot of foods also.

My kids think my left leg is made of pineapple.

It really is amazing how many things it goes with, good thing canned pineapple is as good as fresh, skinning those things fresh is a real bitch, very low on my list of favorite things to do, right below arguing with a liberal about Iraq

Cooked pineapple makes me nautious. I'm weird like that.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

Cooked pineapple makes me nautious. I'm weird like that.

drop the "like that" and we are finally in 1000% agreement!

ha, I remember when I first started reading your posts, we got off on a bad start. I remember feeling hostility when I would see your avatar, then I went back and did some reading, and read your posts in a different light, and it came to me that you arent a dyed in the wool, Bush hating liberal. Im glad I didnt go the direction I was gonna go with responding to your posts.

I think sometimes we all get caught up in the emotions of things and simply want to "prove our point"! and I am probably the biggest criminal for that. However, at least I see the problem,,,,,,

 

[The ClayTaurus]

drop the "like that" and we are finally in 1000% agreement!

ha, I remember when I first started reading your posts, we got off on a bad start. I remember feeling hostility when I would see your avatar, then I went back and did some reading, and read your posts in a different light, and it came to me that you arent a dyed in the wool, Bush hating liberal. Im glad I didnt go the direction I was gonna go with responding to your posts.

I think sometimes we all get caught up in the emotions of things and simply want to "prove our point"! and I am probably the biggest criminal for that. However, at least I see the problem,,,,,,

Yeah, I think it's natural for people to stereotype. It makes life more efficient. People need to learn to accept that and not escalate everything to world war 3 the second someone makes an incorrect assumption about you. What's hostile about my avatar, or rather, what was hostile about my avatar? I'm guessing you're talkign about the agnostic thing, as I just finally got around to adding a picture...

Anyhow, it's good that you're capable of blinking once and awhile to make sure you're seeing things the right way.

 

[LuvRPgrl]

Yeah, I think it's natural for people to stereotype. It makes life more efficient. People need to learn to accept that and not escalate everything to world war 3 the second someone makes an incorrect assumption about you. What's hostile about my avatar, or rather, what was hostile about my avatar? I'm guessing you're talkign about the agnostic thing, as I just finally got around to adding a picture...

Anyhow, it's good that you're capable of blinking once and awhile to make sure you're seeing things the right way.

hahhah, thats pretty funny and you dont even know why.

We are talking about getting upset becuz somebody might misunderstand a poster (in part anyways) and....

nothing wrong with your avatar per se, its just that I knew a post FROM YOU was coming..

the medium presents peculiar problems.

A person doesnt really want to get into tooo much detail on things, otherwise the post gets too long. So sometimes we dont really get to fully explain. Hence, sometimes misunderstandings.

Other times, some are just plain disengenuous, like if you dont do the legalize, they will attack you.

as for stereotyping, it is USEFUL IF USED PROPERLY.

For example, if someone were to read my posts and assume Im a non drinker, republlican voting, pro Christian, and various other things that are correct, it MIGHT save time if USED properly. But what is funny is that so often Im attacked on two things that are so WRONG.

One, Im accused of being a puppet or listener of Hannity and Rush. I never listen to either.

The other is that my anti evolution beliefs are founded in superstition, faith in a God, and the Bible. Nothing could be further from the truth. I use to argue with my fellow Christians that evolution and the Bible are compatible. My anti evolution beliefs came from a different arena altogether.

I think stereotyping is like many things, if used properly, it can be useful, if abused, its not good.

others on that list that many throw out the baby with the bathwater:

discriminating
spanking of kids
violence is bad
intolerance is bad
compassion is always good