Originally Posted By mrkthompsn A vote for the Libertarians is the only way. Vote for NONE of the candidates you see daily on CNN and Fox News. Any of them will continue the disaster. Some may continue it slower or faster than others, but they will all be disasterous.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Is America really so incredibly stupid as to buy into this rebate thing? Does anyone see the icredible insanity of being 59 trillion in debt and then giving away free money? Then both "parties" gleefully taking credit as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do.>>> Although there is the secondary issue of using the checks for propaganda purposes in an election year, the primary purpose of the checks is to stimulate the economy. There's a large number of households in the US that more or less spend every dollar they have available to them each month. Any rebate checks sent to these households will almost immediately be put back into the economy as increased consumer spending. It doesn't require faith or belief in any economic theory or trust in the politicians for this to happen.
Originally Posted By jonvn If I were to get a check, and apparently I won't, I'd spend it all on disney pins.
Originally Posted By dsnykid And here I thought you would buy copious amounts of fried chicken and a surveillance system to see where it all goes in the middle of the night
Originally Posted By dsnykid I knew it! Now if it weren't for your stance on tattoos, you would, hands down, be my hero
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn My check's going straight to the bank, and there it will stay (until I need new tires or a water pump or something in a hurry).
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<No, it won't be like that. As long as the government can pay the military, it will keep it together.>> I have wondered about this. I don't think that our corporate masters would approve of a civil war in SoCal (or anywhere else for that matter) as there would be too much to lose. I think that they would push for negotiations with those wishing to secede. As long as their property rights are protected, the borders remain fairly open and a common currenct (Amero?) is used then I think that they would approve of a breakup of the US. I am also unsure that DC would still have the stomach to suppress a secession of the SW.
Originally Posted By jonvn The central government would have to be extremely weakened in order for anyplace to seceed. The military would step in, and the people in the army, or whatever, would be more than willing to shoot american civilians in the name of patriotism to keep the nation together. The only question is how long. 40 years? 50? 75? Who knows, but the handwriting is on the wall. Again, if I were younger, I'd leave this country right now. There is no future here. Not a good one anyway.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 "Is America really so incredibly stupid as to buy into this rebate thing?" No, but Congress and the president seem to think we are... "Although there is the secondary issue of using the checks for propaganda purposes in an election year, the primary purpose of the checks is to stimulate the economy. There's a large number of households in the US that more or less spend every dollar they have available to them each month. Any rebate checks sent to these households will almost immediately be put back into the economy as increased consumer spending. It doesn't require faith or belief in any economic theory or trust in the politicians for this to happen." I'm not sure about people really spending the checks. A lot of those families are in serious debt and those checks would end up going to pay bills, or put in savings. I was watching a news piece on this the other day and they asked people on the street what they would do with the checks and almost all said they would pay bills with them. That's not the economic stimulous the government was counting on, but it is people's reality...
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << No, it won't be like that. As long as the government can pay the military, it will keep it together. >> Well, FWIW, they are already trying to figure out how to reduce payments to the military. A "blue ribbon" panel recently came up with a number of options to figure out how to stop paying military retirement benefits. Their recommendation to the SECDEF was that military retirees shouldn't receive their pension checks until they are age 57. Currently, you get paid as soon as you choose to retire after at least 20 years of service. There's a number of other plans that the current administration has floated to reduce military pay and benefits, but they don't have much chance of passing while troops are dying in Iraq. They'd much rather write checks to defense contractors than to citizens that choose to wear a uniform.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Sport Goofy, that is pretty sad news. Of all people, we should not be taking from our troops and veterans. It's all about numbers, they don't really care about the people on the ground doing the job...it stinks.
Originally Posted By jonvn OK, then the seeds of disloyalty to the feds are already being planted. People will not sit around do fight and not be paid. They'll go home, form militias in the various states. and that's how it will go.
Originally Posted By jonvn OK, then the seeds of disloyalty to the feds are already being planted. People will not sit around do fight and not be paid. They'll go home, form militias in the various states. and that's how it will go.
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<They'll go home, form militias in the various states. and that's how it will go.>> Some might even do that if they are getting paid. But the bottom line is once Uncle Sam's Visa card is maxed out it will be hard to maintain any sort of advanced military. I think that once we reach the tipping point that the US will disolve quickly, much like the USSR did in the 90's.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan You guys need a trip to Disneyland or something. Too downbeat a world view.
