OT Bush calls Lebanon A new front for global war on terror

[Kodama]

What's wrong Kodama? Did something strike a nerve?

It was just laughable really.

[djadonis206]

When in fact they have more choices available to them to succeed than most - they just have to take that first step and try...a lot of these people don't even try

You can't really prove that, dude - just so much hyperbole.

God, reading these arguments (on all sides) is like reading cue cards from Crossfire or something...

I only speak from personal experience - that's all the proof I need

[hoffman2k]

Adonis..
It's 2/3 free. We have to pay 1/3th of our medical costs.
meds, doctors,..

[djadonis206]

So where do we get our custodians, our lower class undesirable workers, should they just be losers or just stupid or ideally both?

Do we get a reality show so we can laugh at them when bad health or hard times hit them and they just stayed in their situations not being able to afford a home or health care?

And how exactly does a CEO work harder than 3000 construction workers?


Theft.

No, a CEO goes the extra mile in school than the janitor -

but the world does need ditch diggers, no doubt - I'm just not going to be one

[deva]

I considered it - but I can't ignore that "libertarian" and "socialism" are really opposing ideologies.

There is no pure system. Centralized state socialism is a failure. It has shown itself so. Centralized state capitalism is also showing itself as a failure.

The common failure is centralization. Too much power in the hands of any single structure is bad for society as a whole.

What we are calling socialism in Venezuela, is the response from the majority of people there to the imposition by the U.S. of its system upon them. You keep saying how you do not want something imposed upon you, and people there are saying the same thing.

What I personally find interesting and valuable is the bottom up approach happening in Venezuela. Libertarianism is basically a bottom up idea. What is being attempted in Venezuela is a synthesis. It is written into the new Constitution (as I quoted) a respect for the individual and a recognition that positive change must come from the individual, not imposed by an overarching structure. This is a Libertarian idea and I submit it is being put into practice better there than here at this point.

The purpose of the government then is to educated and seed the garden. Time will tell what it grows into, but what is happening there is not what you are afraid of. It is a bottom up approach.

Now, try starting a radio station in the U.S. and then compare that to the hundreds of community radio stations forming in Venezuela (not with any help from the government)

We are a highly regulated country here, that is not very free when you really get down to it. You cannot do much of anything without permission from some government agency. and more and more that permission is given only to big corporate interests.

We are living with the idea of freedom more than the reality of it

[Kodama]

And how exactly does a CEO work harder than 3000 construction workers?


Theft.

No, a CEO goes the extra mile in school than the janitor -

but the world does need ditch diggers, no doubt - I'm just not going to be one

So your arguement is that it's not your problem because it's not your problem?

[djadonis206]

So where do we get our custodians, our lower class undesirable workers, should they just be losers or just stupid or ideally both?

Do we get a reality show so we can laugh at them when bad health or hard times hit them and they just stayed in their situations not being able to afford a home or health care?

And how exactly does a CEO work harder than 3000 construction workers?


Theft.

No, a CEO goes the extra mile in school than the janitor -

but the world does need ditch diggers, no doubt - I'm just not going to be one

Whoa whoa whoa - you're saying if someone goes the extra mile and tries just a little bit harder then the next guy they don't deserve what they deserve (a CEO position, a cool job etc)

and the person who does nothing, or tries a little less deserves the same title as everyone else

no way jose

[djadonis206]

And how exactly does a CEO work harder than 3000 construction workers?


Theft.

No, a CEO goes the extra mile in school than the janitor -

but the world does need ditch diggers, no doubt - I'm just not going to be one

So your arguement is that it's not your problem because it's not your problem?

no this is what I'm saying - see below

Whoa whoa whoa - you're saying if someone goes the extra mile and tries just a little bit harder then the next guy they don't deserve what they deserve (a CEO position, a cool job etc)

and the person who does nothing, or tries a little less deserves the same title as everyone else

you get what you work for - not to many janitors out there with PH'ds and law degrees

[Kodama]

I'm saying that their is a scale according to your contribution and I'm saying that the scale is royally effed.

[Kodama]

You're making alot of idealic assumptions on how people end up poor or rich.

[djadonis206]

You're making alot of idealic assumptions on how people end up poor or rich.

call it what you will - I don't want to live in a place that doesn't reward hard work - whether it be financial, social or whatever

Not to many of us kids (being black, raised by single parents in a big city) had much of a chance according to Statistics - a chance I mean lving past 18

whatever - we all did well (except for like 2 guys) we all went on to get good jobs, own homes, have kids etc etc

perhaps if my primary care giver (my mom) didn't work 2 jobs to send me to a private school because public schools aren't where kids like me should go I'd think I was doomed as well - maybe I'd be less idealistic

then there was the one white girl who was born and raised in a really bad home, was dirt poor and really didn't have a chance - she used to ride her bicycle from Bellingham to Seattle every weekend (I called her crazy)

but she went on to get a PHD and is ballin' now

maybe it's where I'm from, or who I know or my personal experience but you really can do ANYTHING you put your mind to, anything

With all due respect it's people like you keeping people like that down. Some times a dream is all a person needs to succeed - why piss on their dream?

[knotkranky]

Our economy is not weak. Following the Clinton Recession, and 9/11... we've seen the greatest and fastest economic recovery in recent history. This is due primarily to lower taxes for small businesses. While taxes have been lowered, tax revenues are at all-time highs. The stock market is back near all-time record highs, as well. Unemployment is near an all-time low, as well.

O...M.........G !

subterCONFUSED, your name is perfect and you write utter nonsense which is pulled from your ass.

Who stands behind subterCONFUSED ?

Lets see them hands.............................. hello ?

.

[Gyu]

America gives everyone an opportunity to reach their goals - if you're goal is to be a good for nothing loser, america's cool with that

This is the 'American Dream'. As far as i'm concerned it is a myth at best, a lie at worst. I know some people might make do well from it. It sounds like you have and good luck to you. I commend people for working hard for what they get. I do not, however, believe that the playing field is level.

[Kodama]

With all due respect it's people like you keeping people like that down. Some times a dream is all a person needs to succeed - why piss on their dream?

Explain bucko.


"If only we could pull all public funding for cancer research and give it to millitary contractors and tax breaks for billionares, so cancer victims could strive to be their best and succeed!!!"

What's the choice drug of conservatives these days?

[rtopia]

And you would not have to worry about your house being confiscated. The sanctity of your home and ownership of it are guaranteed by the constitution. However, if you own a factory that is sitting idle it may be expropriated and put to use. There is wealth and land redistribution happening. The redistribution is being put into the hands of communities and not government ownership.

Confiscation is confiscation regardless of who the recipient is, what it's for and what other cute name collectivists like you dream up to make it sound nice.

Your house is not safe in this country. How many people have had their houses taken for various freeways or other public projects!

Now, you have corporations taking peoples houses because they can generate greater revenue and therefore it is called for the public good!

I'll repeat that. A private corporation can now take your house, land or business (with approval from local politicians they very well may own) if it can show that it will generate more revenue than you do with it.

you're "preaching to the converted now"...

However - this form of eminent domain isn't at the Federal level.

It's wrong and it sucks and there are state legislatures now writing laws to prevent it from happening in their specific states.

It's up to individuals to start driving propositions (where applicable), and pushing their representatives to make this happen where they live.

- r