David on 6/2/2007 at 14:27
I know you're in a different timezone, but it has been February for quite a while now :p
Matthew on 6/2/2007 at 14:29
Besides, didn't the Reps in the House prevent even a non-binding 'slap on the wrists' motion from being heard recently?
Back on topic: Shayde, that severely dents my rather optimistic view of humanity in general and governments in particular. I hope thing work out for your group and as many others as possible.
fett on 6/2/2007 at 17:06
Right on, David (it's the drugs). I'm just saying that Bush and Republicans have been ramming this huge cock-up of a war down everyone's throats for several years now. The new congress isn't going to turn it around in a month's time (give or take a few days...:p ).
Vasquez on 6/2/2007 at 17:55
This thread not degrading to flames and name calling yet gives me hope and optimism in itself.
fett on 6/2/2007 at 18:36
Shut the fuck up Vasquez.
JUST KIDDING!!! :D :D :D :D :) :) :) :)
Pyrian on 7/2/2007 at 02:18
Quote Posted by Thief13x
umm, taxes are at an all time low...
Doesn't count when that's only because we're selling our future into debt. The only reason the deficit is down is that the economy is finally recovering. Bush's promises for a balanced budget in 2010 are based entirely on the premise that somebody other than him is going to end the Iraq war immediately after his terms ends.
Quote Posted by Thief13x
...and the economy is currently in very good health...
The economy is finally resurging after several years of near stagnation.
Quote Posted by Thief13x
...and gas prices are the lowest they've been in years...
Only because they've been high for years. This "low" is over twice what I was paying before. I guess the goalposts have effectively been moved.
Quote Posted by Thief13x
...but we are at war and that fucking congress has done nothing to stop it, seriously, does anyone know what's up with that?
They have no direct authority to do so; they can't force the president to, say, follow the ISG. At most they can cut funding.
Quote Posted by Thief13x
...or are they taking their sweet time too like Bush?
Meh. I think they just want to play the blame game - like Bush. Everybody knows Iraq is a debacle and is going to get worse before it gets better no matter what half-assed measures we take. (Seriously, a "surge" that leaves us still below 2005 troop levels?) As far as the politicians are concerned, the only question is who ends up with the blame. The Democrats are IMO a little
too happy to give Bush enough rope to prove he can't solve the problem. But
he's not running for re-election, boys!
Still, I'll be interested in seeing what happens with Bush's latest budget request.
demagogue on 7/2/2007 at 03:26
I think the more you look at the problem the more depressing it gets.
As we all know now, the Iraq war was began with scandalously little forethought about postwar reconstruction, and post hoc priority was put in such stupid directions -- managers couldn't speak Arabic (they were chosen for their loyalty) and Arabic speakers couldn't get into management positions, money was put towards encouraging foreign investment and not basic electricity and water services, there was little effort to build political alliances before the war so that factional in-fighting could only grow in the postwar uncertainty and chaos ... the problems going on now were probably easily preventable.
And on the other hand, unfortunately!, all things Africa get such hideously low priority in this country. Any time an African initiative is on the table, some policymaker has to point to the 1992 Somolia debacle and say: this is what happens when America cares about Africans. And add AIDS to the mix, America went through its own "spiritual crisis" in dealing with AIDS in America in having to admit that gays may have rights in this country ... I can imagine how reluctant policymakers are to deal with another region's.
The fact that everything is so well documented just makes it all the more depressing. It's not like anything is going on behind closed doors here. Most people just aren't caring enough to pay attention.
BEAR on 7/2/2007 at 04:02
Quote Posted by Thief13x
umm, taxes are at an all time low and the economy is currently in very good health, and gas prices are the lowest they've been in years, but we are at war and that fucking congress has done nothing to stop it, seriously, does anyone know what's up with that? or are they taking their sweet time too like Bush?
I wasn't saying anything about the current taxes, more my personal view of taxes. I would gladly pay more to do good, except thats not where our taxes go.
Also, with a ever motherfuckinghugeining deficit how are low taxes a good thing? What we need is someone with the balls to campaign on the platform of raising taxes and fixing some of our problems instead of borrowing them away, but then again thats kind of an American past-time lately.
The economy is in good health because all the money available to the middle class is going strait into it, as the middle class has no money. No money for middle class = happy economy.
Again, low gas prices arnt good, if anything the government should double taxes on gas immediately.
Also, the reason we cant get out of Iraq is pretty simple.
a)We've committed so much already they cant STAND the thought of pulling out totally. If we pulled out totally, it would destroy the entire country so like it or not we have to see this through to some extent.
b)The Congress only controls the purse strings. The president and the secretary of defense control how the war is executed. If the congress start cutting funding, the republicans and the president will claim they are anti-the troops, as that is who will most likely suffer (or at least thats what they will say), so cutting funding isn't a viable solution.
The only real option I've heard anyone come up with is Joesph Bidens idea of splitting the country into smaller pieces and letting them self govern, instead of trying to force Sunni/Kurd/Shi'a together (which is how it used to be if I've heard correctly). I dont know that it would work (maybe nobody does), but its one of the only semi-intelligent ideas I've heard that arnt basically stay the course or leave.
Sorry to totally derail the thread Shayde, I think its shit you are loosing funding and I hope we can settle this mess and start putting money where it does more good.
fett on 7/2/2007 at 17:17
I know Bono has said a million times, "History will judge America by what it does right now for Africa." I think he's right, and think most are so ignorant (including Bush) that they have no idea what he means.
