Public financing of campaigns. Make donations to candidates illegal. It's harsh but money is undoubtably fucking up our system. Virtually every single decision and bill passed is done to pander to monied interests. Shit is fucked upJay wrote:
So you're advocating what? Barter systems? Pure public campaign financing? Money is just the tool these schmucks use to maintain power. Take away the money and they'll still be douchebag powermongers.KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
The root of the problem is money.
These people didn't run for office and then get sidetracked by pursuit of money, they went into office because they wanted to feel important. They're in it for themselves first. Always.
Well, the obvious question is: why should I be forced to pay for a candidates attack ads or mistress payments if I want nothing at all to do with politics? Are we going to equally fund third and fourth and fifth parties too? Sounds expensive.KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
Public financing of campaigns. Make donations to candidates illegal. It's harsh but money is undoubtably fucking up our system. Virtually every single decision and bill passed is done to pander to monied interests. Shit is fucked upJay wrote:
So you're advocating what? Barter systems? Pure public campaign financing? Money is just the tool these schmucks use to maintain power. Take away the money and they'll still be douchebag powermongers.KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
The root of the problem is money.
These people didn't run for office and then get sidetracked by pursuit of money, they went into office because they wanted to feel important. They're in it for themselves first. Always.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat
Why should I be forced to pay into the defense budget if I don't agree with it? It's called a social contract. That's what comes with a civilized society.
An extra few hundred million $$ required for public financing could easily be made up by reducing bullshit contracts and crony legislation. I feel comfortable saying that.
An extra few hundred million $$ required for public financing could easily be made up by reducing bullshit contracts and crony legislation. I feel comfortable saying that.
A few hundred million is nothing in relation to the several trillion annual budget of the U.S. Federal government. Billions is the measurement that really matters when we talk federal budgets.
But it wouldn't change anything ken. They're still not going to listen to you. They have no reason to. You are one voice among millions to them. You have no power to create or destroy jobs. You have nothing to offer them as politicians. They spend their days making promises to voters that they can't keep. Everyone talks about jobs, politicians can't create jobs. It's impossible. They're dependent on your boss to create wealth and put people to work, so you damn well better believe that they'll listen to your boss before they'll listen to you. It's how the world works.KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
Why should I be forced to pay into the defense budget if I don't agree with it? It's called a social contract. That's what comes with a civilized society.
An extra few hundred million $$ required for public financing could easily be made up by reducing bullshit contracts and crony legislation. I feel comfortable saying that.
To quote Fat Mike "Sometimes the smallest softest voice carries the grand... biggest solutions!"
But it doesn't mean that solution will be heard or paid attention to. That's why you tell others your idea, get them to believe in it, then you form groups and through sheer numbers, you get heard. Ahh, but these are the problem right? Special interest groups. Evil. Too much of a say in things. Right?
At the end of the day, every politician knows that they aren't going to spend an entire lifetime in office. They always have one eye on that future cushy lobbying job that someone will offer them. Even if you forced politicians to spend zero dollars on their campaigns, they would still have that.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat
Annual budget is just a little over 1 trillion, but it should be orders of magnitude smaller.Macbeth wrote:
A few hundred million is nothing in relation to the several trillion annual budget of the U.S. Federal government. Billions is the measurement that really matters when we talk federal budgets.
And sorry, Jay, but Paul sounded like an absolute nut job last night when it came to foreign policy. Sounded like an addle-brained old man, tbh.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
Because he wants an isolationist America that minds its own business? I mean, I know that would make your job boring, and advancement more difficult. Tough noogies. It's what is best for America.FEOS wrote:
Annual budget is just a little over 1 trillion, but it should be orders of magnitude smaller.Macbeth wrote:
A few hundred million is nothing in relation to the several trillion annual budget of the U.S. Federal government. Billions is the measurement that really matters when we talk federal budgets.
And sorry, Jay, but Paul sounded like an absolute nut job last night when it came to foreign policy. Sounded like an addle-brained old man, tbh.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat
Err revenue in is almost 3 trillion. Total expenditures are almost 4 trillion. The deficit itself is a little over a trillion.FEOS wrote:
Annual budget is just a little over 1 trillion, but it should be orders of magnitude smaller.Macbeth wrote:
A few hundred million is nothing in relation to the several trillion annual budget of the U.S. Federal government. Billions is the measurement that really matters when we talk federal budgets.
And sorry, Jay, but Paul sounded like an absolute nut job last night when it came to foreign policy. Sounded like an addle-brained old man, tbh.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedet … T-2012-BUD
Straight from the horses mouth
Yeah...confused the deficit with the budget. Still less than "several trillion annual" though.Macbeth wrote:
Err revenue in is almost 3 trillion. Total expenditures are almost 4 trillion. The deficit itself is a little over a trillion.FEOS wrote:
Annual budget is just a little over 1 trillion, but it should be orders of magnitude smaller.Macbeth wrote:
A few hundred million is nothing in relation to the several trillion annual budget of the U.S. Federal government. Billions is the measurement that really matters when we talk federal budgets.
And sorry, Jay, but Paul sounded like an absolute nut job last night when it came to foreign policy. Sounded like an addle-brained old man, tbh.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedet … T-2012-BUD
Straight from the horses mouth
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
No, because he thinks isolationism would be good for America in a globalized world. It would kill our economy. I'm only in the military for another three years...your jibes are meaningless.Jay wrote:
Because he wants an isolationist America that minds its own business? I mean, I know that would make your job boring, and advancement more difficult. Tough noogies. It's what is best for America.FEOS wrote:
Annual budget is just a little over 1 trillion, but it should be orders of magnitude smaller.Macbeth wrote:
A few hundred million is nothing in relation to the several trillion annual budget of the U.S. Federal government. Billions is the measurement that really matters when we talk federal budgets.
And sorry, Jay, but Paul sounded like an absolute nut job last night when it came to foreign policy. Sounded like an addle-brained old man, tbh.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
Several means more than 4? I view several as 3 or more.FEOS wrote:
Yeah...confused the deficit with the budget. Still less than "several trillion annual" though.Macbeth wrote:
Err revenue in is almost 3 trillion. Total expenditures are almost 4 trillion. The deficit itself is a little over a trillion.FEOS wrote:
Annual budget is just a little over 1 trillion, but it should be orders of magnitude smaller.
And sorry, Jay, but Paul sounded like an absolute nut job last night when it came to foreign policy. Sounded like an addle-brained old man, tbh.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedet … T-2012-BUD
Straight from the horses mouth
Several is generally around seven or more (a few being 3, a couple being 2...yes, there's a gap)...at least that's how I was always taught. Probably colloquial.Macbeth wrote:
Several means more than 4? I view several as 3 or more.FEOS wrote:
Yeah...confused the deficit with the budget. Still less than "several trillion annual" though.Macbeth wrote:
Err revenue in is almost 3 trillion. Total expenditures are almost 4 trillion. The deficit itself is a little over a trillion.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedet … T-2012-BUD
Straight from the horses mouth
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
I feel a poll coming on
That's what SHE said.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
My mind registers a few, a couple, and several as being three or more. I know it sounds odd for couple but everyone else in NJ views a couple as being more than two even though it doesn't make sense in a grammatical (bad word choice) way. It think it's regional thing.
"Yo Tony a couple of dudes jump your cousin Vinny!"
"Yo Tony a couple of dudes jump your cousin Vinny!"
Last edited by Macbeth (2011-12-16 20:38:01)
Say it isn't soFEOS wrote:
So you get the unbiased European news as well, then?Dilbert_X wrote:
Some colossal douchebag who will do anything to appease the rich, rednecks, jews and the christian right?
Fuck Israel
weren't jews a really big pro-obama bloc in 08?
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
~ Richard Feynman
Jews tend to vote democrat. Christian Conservatives tend to side with the state of Israel. There's a difference
isn't it true that only a small percentage of american jews actually fervently support (and put their political clout) behind zionism?
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Yes, because if they were fervent Zionists they'd be living in Israel.
When I said jews I should probably have said Israel....
When I said jews I should probably have said Israel....
Fuck Israel
well i dunno i guess you can be ideologically allied with something without wanting to leave your whole family/job/home behind for a new one.
much like the maoists of the 60's and 70's weren't all actually migrating to china
much like the maoists of the 60's and 70's weren't all actually migrating to china
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
I don't care for the whole Israel-Palestine debate but I don't really like how Jewish people who support and put the cause of Israel above all else don't get hit with the unAmerican label. People bitch when Mexicans cheer for Mexican sports teams instead of American but don't make a sound when someone goes full Zionist.
i think it's cause really the american establishment has always, even since pre-war days, had the notion that the less jews in america the better.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
I think you're confusing America with Europe.Uzique wrote:
i think it's cause really the american establishment has always, even since pre-war days, had the notion that the less jews in america the better.
Since WW2, the level of anti-semitism in the US has been fairly low, and sensitivity to it has been fairly high.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
public anti-semitism, maybe.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/