RE: The Fiscal Cliff and punishing those who screw things up!

[keakap]

...
One reason to cause the financial disaster that brings the public to their knees and begs for a Socialized Government. This is how every country that ever had socialized government got that government. The people screamed for it. Those that forget history are destined to repeat it.

You got it, Ed!
It really is that simple.

And who brought us Socialized government (Soc. Sec., Medixxx, welfare, etc., etc.)? The same people who brought us all our major wars, including Iraq (al Qaeda declared War on the US in 1998)?
Democrats.

[tcbetka]

I never expected to read anything political on this forum. I hear moaning & groaning from both parties...

Snip...

This is, without a doubt, one of the best posts I have ever read. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

The problem in this country, as I see it, is Partisanship. It's even rampant in this thread! It's not about Bush doing that, or Obama doing this. It isn't about republicans opposing taxation of the rich, or the democrats "protecting the 47%." The problem is GREED. Everyone wants something. Lobbyists, insider trading, blah, blah, blah. It's SICKENING. This "fiscal cliff" deal is a joke. The numbers are a pittance--but the good 'ole boys on BOTH sides of the fence are patting themselves on the back today. "Boy, we really earned our money!"

What a joke.

Look, if we don't immediately get back to doing what's most important, this country will continue to decline in every important facet. Our children are not only steadily declining in academic performance in the world, now they are being killed more and more frequently in our schools. We've stopped inspiring people, in favor of *entitling* people. We galavant around the world to "stamp out tyrany" when we can't even prevent it in our own country?!? But hey, as long as somebody is making money on it, then it's the thing to do. And now our politicians screw around until the 11th hour--then pass some BS "deal" to avert financial catastrophe? Really? That's ALL you guys in Washington got? You could have done that much on a Sunday afternoon, between the early and late NFL games, for God's sake. And it took DAYS of intense negotiations to get this done? And we wonder why things are getting worse?

Therein lies the problem(s): Greed. Ignorance. Cowardice. Stupidity. Partisanship. POLITICS.

Look, I am all in favor of democracy. However I would like to point out that democracy is supposed to involve checks, balances and compromise to make things better. Are we getting "better" in this country? I must have missed that part--because it looks to me that at this point, about the best we can do is slow the free-fall. But we're still going to smack into the rocks...it just won't be this month.

[keakap]

Dusty,
The average GS Dept of the Army employee working for me probably makes about $75,000 per year. A 1% raise is about $14 per week before taxes. After taxes closer to $10. Their health insurance is going up more than that.

Funny, I never thought before of separating GS Dept of the Army from Army (etc.) employees. I'm all for any raises given to our military volunteers, but I see no reason for GS employees (non-military) getting raises in these times.

[wlhayesmfs]

If anyone thinks they can make sense out of this president they are lost. I have gone from being able to retire at age 65 before he took office to not being able to retire at all since he took office. He take Million Dollars vacations and I have not had one in 4 years and don't see one in the near future. One thing can be said about our government. If you weren't crooked and self centered when you took office you will be in a year or two. The goal of this administration is to take all they can and keep it and turn us into a socialistic state. Most people no longer work for what they want and want to set and let someone give it to them because we owe it too them. He is building a country of mindless lazy people that feels just because they are we owe them the good life.
I feel all is lost and we will never be the nation we once were. We have become a nation of complainers and weaklings easy for the take over.

[keakap]

... I always look at the glass as being half full not half empty. ....

The thieves in Washington depend, for their very political existence, on the voting majority always looking- or at least in Novembers- at the half full glass.
{That's the one with the motto on the side "always blame Republicans"}

[keakap]

I could not disagree more. Republicans have done nothing but cater too the rich. Giving big tax cuts to those who do not need them. Promoting outsourcing and squeezing the middle class anychance they can. ...

The biggest Bush tax cut was for a family of four making $44k a year. 100%.

Now can anybody tell me how that is catering to the rich?
How that is giving big tax cuts to those who do not need them?
"and squeezing the middle class anychance they can"?

Bush was handed a recession and a war (declared on America in 1998, but Clinton was too cowardly to do anything about it. "Let the next guy deal with it" was the Clinton Doctrine.)

Anybody want to list all of the reports about how Bush complained about what he was left?

We went to Iraq with full Congressional urging- Both sides- , approval and funding.

Can we say "Libya"?

[keakap]

...We've become a society of wusses and pansies. Not all of us, but what has happened to this great society of ours? ...

What happened?

Teddy Roosevelt.
Woodrow Wilson.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
J.F. Kennedy.
Lyndon Johnson.
William Clinton.
B. Hussein Soetoro/Obama

Socialism and Communism happened to us.

[keakap]

...
The problem in this country, as I see it, is Partisanship. ...

I'm not disagreeing, but I do wonder: at what level? Thinking specifically about todays Main Stream Media, owned by you know who and proud of it, 1) would a Republican President and Senate have gotten away with breaking Law and not producing a federal budget for a year? for 2 years? for 3 years? for 4 years?;
2) would a Republican president have gotten away with breaking Law and knowingly and wantonly violating the Constitution by illegally making Hitlery Clinton Secretary of State?

Why go further? If these very clear questions cannot be answered, why bother?

[jhut83]

This whole thread is a perfect example of what has happened to this country. Everyone here joined this forum because they have something in common. Now people are throwing around insults and hate as if it's just the thing to do. Where does that get us as an online community? I promise none of you are going to solve our country's problems on this forum. Especially with nasty posts like (some) of these.

[keakap]

... Now people are throwing around insults and hate ....

Phew, what a relief! I thought maybe I'd gone too far, but in reviewing my comments I see, with two very minor and well deserved exceptions (removed), they were all factual corrections or points.

If I have a chance to enlighten someone as to the incorrectness of his assumptions I feel it my duty to do so, as a way to diminish or eliminate insults and hate.

Truth, by the way, can never be an insult.