OT: Our Economy (US)

Kinboat · #1 April 7th, 2002, 08:56 PM

Trying to blame one side or the other for the current state of affairs is ridiculous. For where ever there are Democrats there are Republicans, and where ever there are Republicans there are Democrats. Both wasting so much breath blaming the other side for mistakes that they fail to do anything about it. And where ever there is money you will find both sides. I'm not sure about the whole free market issue, it seems that our economy is controled by the sale and use of military hardware more than anything else, a fact that I find completely revolting. And I don't see how you can say Bush is for lower government involvement (you site airline security) When first he puts National Guard troops in airports and then gives billions in aid to the airline companies so they don't fold... That doesn't sound very free-marketish. In a free market the companies that don't cut it go out of business, they don't get handouts. But I'm sure the Democrats would have done the exact same thing. And yes Democrats have sat on their asses while human rights are violated around the world... But so have the Republicans... Let's not forget the Chinese invasion of Tibet where buddhists monks were slaughtered and are still prevented from exercising their religion. Or how about Saudia Arabia, an ally during many presidencies of both parties, a repressive monarchy that we have helped hold up with our military sales and support, women are almost as repressed in many areas of the world as they are in this one country that we supposedly liberated (Afghanistan). Both the Democrats and the Republicans have ignored those issues that they feel can be ignored and when they can't they blame the other side. Both have supported Indonesia's 30 year occupation and ethnic cleansing of East Timor (look it up you won't find it on the nightly news). We have sold weapons to their army which they now use to kill civilians. Clinton, Bush I, Bush II, They're all the same... Grasping greedy politicians who can't wait to make more money and ruin the rest of us in the process... So instead of blaming the 'Democrats' for all the worlds ill's why don't you look at each person as an individual... A Republican can be just as greedy and heartless as a Democrat can... and they are often some of the worst...
We are all responsible for the evils our government does... This is supposed to be a democracy you know... We elect these men and women... We should all feel guilty when our leaders decide to bomb someone for not agreeing... If we do then we can get off our asses and change the system so we can all one day feel pride at the masterpiece we have created... But it won't happen as long as the Bushes and Clintons of the world hold power.

Baron Munchausen · #2 April 7th, 2002, 09:25 PM

Kinboat: Your whole spiel is summed up in a single sentence.

There's only one party, the incumbent party!

Versatile · #3 April 7th, 2002, 11:36 PM

I agree with Kinboat. Both sides are in the same bag and don't forget if it is necessary for them to kill us... they will !!! We do the same in SE IV... but it is a game not life.

Mysterial · #4 April 7th, 2002, 11:53 PM

George Washington warned, in his farewell address, not to have political parties. A pity we didn't listen.

Arak Koba · #5 April 8th, 2002, 03:44 AM

Ultimately, I blame the whole "rich get richer, poor get poorer" effect for our current economy; when all is said and done, there will be 10 rich people in the world that give hand-me-outs to the other 6 billion.

Ok, a little stretched there.

But all the same, "A house divided against itself can not stand", and the U.S. is definately a house divided politically. Less government and tax is good, but corporate despots aren't, and in a free-market, the corporate big-wigs end up replacing the government ones.

Kinboat · #6 April 8th, 2002, 04:03 AM

Yes it is a pity we didn't listen to some of our earlier leaders... One thing I forgot in my ramblings was this... The plight of the Afghani people wasn't on anyone's mind until it became politically beneficial to point it out (the terrorists we wanted were hiding in their country)... If we really cared about human rights violations there we would have done something many years ago. And yes a lot of my longer speils can be summed up in one sentence, that's an excellent one Baron Munchausen.

Damn didn't realize I started sounding so preachy there... That happens a lot with me. Sorry for the OT... There's probably a better place for this stuff.

[ 08 April 2002: Message edited by: Kinboat ]

geoschmo · #7 April 8th, 2002, 04:22 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Kinboat:
The plight of the Afghani people wasn't on anyone's mind until it became politically beneficial to point it out (the terrorists we wanted were hiding in their country)... If we really cared about human rights violations there we would have done something many years ago.

This isn't really an acurate statement. The deplorable conditions the Afgans lived under was well known by anyone who cared to get deeper into it than the nightly news. There have been many articles in magazines and newspapers over the Last few years talking about everything from the lack of basic human right for women to the destruction of priceless archeological atifacts that didn't fit into the Taleban's narrow world view.

The question is what could we as a country have done? Even after the blatent attacks on US soil on 9/11 there were many loud voices in other countries that were arguing we had no right to topple the "legitamate goverment" in Afganistan.

Imagine the screams of protest had we taken a more active role prior to those events.

Geoschmo

[ 08 April 2002: Message edited by: geoschmo ]