Republican Candidates

[Calax]

Our deficit is pretty dang frightening, so pumping more money into the system is a pretty scary idea. I want the government to spend a lot less and still find ways to fix health care problems, lower foreclosure rates, and all the other problems we have. Considering how bloated the current federal system is, I think there is plenty of room to cut spending. The first place to start is legislator salaries. Those folks make a lot of money for not balancing the budget.

 

Well, one of the issues is that we are trying to do a lot more, with significantly less money compared to other administrations. The deficit would be gone within 10 years if we let the Bush Tax Cuts drop. It's just that right now a POWERFUL part of the republican base (Tea Party) is demanding that we do everything to cut spending AND taxes.

[Wrath of Dagon]

For your information, Obama is against letting the Bush tax cuts expire. Except for those evil rich people of course.

 

I assume the GOP is holding its real candidates back until 2016.

At least Romney has experience organizing something other than "community" Edited February 28, 2012 by Wrath of Dagon

[Drowsy Emperor]

A conspiracy theory:

 

the rich 1% want the the republicans to lose this election to keep social peace. As unpopular as Obama is now he's still a black president thus (in practice) representing the large non white American population - advocating (although not really going through with) a more lenient social policy.

 

With the economy being what it is the traditional republican policies of favouring the rich and the rhetoric that goes with it might create more problems than necessary. So, the republicans drag out some of the worst loonies they've got and hand Obama another term.

 

At the same time the 1% rub their palms as they have the perfect plebs representing president (who's growing a bit stale now) dangling policies in front of the masses he's never going to implement, while they get rich, rich, rich!

[Morgoth]

I don't think the 1% (or rather, the 0,1%) really care about the 2012 election and who's gonna win. It's not like there's gonna be any change for them.

 

I still hope to live in a politician-free society at some point in the future, 'cause to be perfectly clear, lousy politics is why we can't have nice things in this world.

[Calax]

For your information, Obama is against letting the Bush tax cuts expire. Except for those evil rich people of course.

Because if you want your economy to recover, you need money to move and the rich won't ever have the amount of money moving that the "pelbs" would under any circumstances.

[Malcador]

Aw was so hoping Santorum and his evangelical loonie base would come out on top tonight. Shame.

[Calax]

I am giggling at the sense of resignation that the republicans are showing as in reference to romney being the nominee

[WDeranged]

Their [RT's] bias is kinda straightforward. You instantly know what you are dealing with, like Fox News. To me that counts in their favor.

 

Agreed, I watch a fair amount of foreign news, you can get a lot of good info if you stay sceptical.

[Gorth]

Their [RT's] bias is kinda straightforward. You instantly know what you are dealing with, like Fox News. To me that counts in their favor.

 

Agreed, I watch a fair amount of foreign news, you can get a lot of good info if you stay sceptical.

I always wondered if BBC World News has a bias. If they do, they hide it well. Besides BBC, I catch Al Jazeera english news on occasion, which seems a good source of news with a different focus.

[WDeranged]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfuS6gfxPY

 

Whoops, almost missed that, pretty epic.

[Humodour]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfuS6gfxPY

 

Whoops, almost missed that, pretty epic.

 

Yeah, that one is pretty good.

[Walsingham]

LOL. Imagine.

 

Neat video. But two points:

 

1. The point about China or Russia being chosen - rather than, say France - is that we know to suspect their motivations. I ought to be shocked to see Krezack conflating the nature of US culture and government with Red China.

 

2. _Imagine_ that a large proportion of resistance to our friendly Russo-Chinese occupiers was due to sectarian religious fundamentalists. Who described Russo-China as the great satan. And whose very first step on the occupiers leaving would be to seek to dominate the US and turn its great strength towards the sole purpose of harming Russia and China.

 

~

 

3. Imagine that the Russian or Chinese are actually puppies. And they just want to play. Do you want to take the puppies away?

 

DO YOU!?

[Humodour]

I ought to be shocked to see Krezack conflating the nature of US culture and government with Red China.

 

Hmmm? I didn't link the video nor do I think I conflated anything by saying "Yeah, that one is pretty good". Do you? But the vid does raise some valid points. Indeed, Ron Paul often does raise valid points alongside all his crazy - which is more than you can say for idiots like Rick Santorum.

[Gorth]

Neat video. But two points:

 

1. The point about China or Russia being chosen - rather than, say France - is that we know to suspect their motivations.

I think the idea was to pick something people can relate to? It can be hard to explain something to people when they have no point of reference. Whoever made the video could have used the Palestinian/Jewish conflict as an example, but people in the US wouldn't be able to relate to it, because it isn't their homes being flattened by tanks from an occupying force on a regular basis.

 

You need to paint the picture in colours people recognise so to speak, otherwise it's just an abstract smear on the wall

[Bos_hybrid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfuS6gfxPY

 

I thought that was the trailer for Homefront 2.

[Walsingham]

Neat video. But two points:

 

1. The point about China or Russia being chosen - rather than, say France - is that we know to suspect their motivations.

I think the idea was to pick something people can relate to? It can be hard to explain something to people when they have no point of reference. Whoever made the video could have used the Palestinian/Jewish conflict as an example, but people in the US wouldn't be able to relate to it, because it isn't their homes being flattened by tanks from an occupying force on a regular basis.

 

You need to paint the picture in colours people recognise so to speak, otherwise it's just an abstract smear on the wall

 

Fair point. But to choose Russia or China loads a lot of concepts in with it. Which would be wise and splendid if those concepts were justified. But I simply don't accept that the USA is morally or practically the same as China. So I suuggest that a much better analogy for Americans to think through would be if French troops turned up to shove them around.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Or the Brits. Oh, wait!

[Drowsy Emperor]

But I simply don't accept that the USA is morally or practically the same as China. So I suuggest that a much better analogy for Americans to think through would be if French troops turned up to shove them around.

 

I suppose the Chinese simply have to add a couple thousand more years to their civilization to get some respect, huh

 

4000 is simply not enough to catch up with US & UK's epic level morality

[Hurlshort]

But I simply don't accept that the USA is morally or practically the same as China. So I suuggest that a much better analogy for Americans to think through would be if French troops turned up to shove them around.

 

I suppose the Chinese simply have to add a couple thousand more years to their civilization to get some respect, huh

 

4000 is simply not enough to catch up with US & UK's epic level morality

 

That seems deliberately obtuse. We are clearly talking about governments and the military here, not the cultures and common people. The PRC has only been around for 60 years and really doesn't have anything in common with the classical dynasties (not that those would meet our modern expectations of humanity and morality.)

[Drowsy Emperor]

Regardless, nothing in today's China was created in a vacuum - not even the PRC (which has changed a lot during its existence). There may not be direct continuity between the many empires that existed on Chinese soil but there definitely is a Chinese volksgeist that encompasses how they do things (including the government/military you mention) and they're entitled to it, just as much as everyone else.

I don't see why they need to conform to our expectations or rules, written by European nations or US ages ago, for their own use.

Besides, there is the simple truth that not all people want democracy or human rights. as seen by the West and that those are not timeless, universal values no matter how much you'd like to present them as such.

 

Anyway, why don't you just stop trading if they're so bad?

[Humodour]

there is the simple truth that not all people want democracy or human rights.

 

Man, I could be quoting Stalin or Hitler for all we know.

[Calax]

there is the simple truth that not all people want democracy or human rights.

 

Man, I could be quoting Stalin or Hitler for all we know.

 

Ever heard of Bhutan?

[Zoraptor]

Is their tourist slogan The Awesome Bhutan?

 

(Be nice if more places had a National Happiness Index.)

[Calax]

No but they recently went to a constitutional monarchy, AGAINST THE DESIRES OF THE PUBLIC.

[Gfted1]

Its good to be the king.