Earnie Shavers
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Why the fuck should Iran give it back?
Yes, a president is judged on foreign policy. Take a look at where the presumptive Republican nominee stands on foreign policy and then ask yourself if that would really be an improvement. And if we're going to compare losing a drone to Abu Ghraib, well, I'd rather lose 10 drones then have another Abu Ghraib incident.
Wait, what? They lose a helicopter (which they destroyed before leaving) while executing an extremely high-risk stealth operation that ended in the successful capture and killing of Public Enemy #1, and you're busting Obama's balls for the chopper?
If even some of this is true Obama is so much more dangerous than we thought
By Coach Collins, on April 23rd, 2012
By George Spelvin, staff writer
Years of living dangerously off of the U.S. taxpayers’ dime have certainly served the Obama-Dunham family well according to investigative journalist Wayne Madsen. Nevertheless, the downside for America is the Islamazation of Africa and Asia in a remarkable example of unintended consequences of foreign entanglements gone bad- very bad, indeed.
A Wayne Madsen 32 page pdf file is opening up a Pandora’s Box of American foreign aid money dispensed wildly and broadly overseas. The reporter cites American dollars intended to buy starving villagers rice actually going to finance foreign military weapons purchases for various wars, conflicts, and insurgencies. Our tax dollars earned through the hard work and sweat equity have not been used to our benefit but rather to further the Islamazation of these continents which is now almost complete.
The very aims and actions of politicians, faceless bureaucrats, foreign service operatives both covertly and not covertly have come back to bite America at a time when our own citizens are suffering through economic trouble. The investigative reporter’s dogged pursuit of the Obama-Dunham family odyssey in places from Jakarta to Jalalabad, and from the Ford Foundation to the Oval Office makes for fascinating reading: But how to verify it?
Rumors abound that Madsen has grown so fearful for his life that he has broken up with a long time companion and left the country. A noted author and syndicated columnist; Madsen’s reports have been widely circulated. He is the author of “Genocide and Covert Operations in Africa” and “Jaded Tasks: Big Oil, Black Ops & Brass Plates.”
A picture of Stanley Ann Dunham “visiting a Balinese duck farm officially as part of her work to secure bank loans for small businesses” is included in the five part report of international intrigue and American dollars. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s father Peter Geithner acted as the Ford Foundation’s grant selector for projects in Indonesia, and President Obama’s mother worked for or with him as Madsen reports.
The report’s dizzying array of abbreviations, acronyms, NGO’s and many other groups obfuscate duties, dollars and destinies.
What a labyrinth to wade through! Lost sight of in all of this overseas stewpot are the unsuspecting U.S. citizens who pay for everything. But where is Madsen now? Is all of what he says true? He filed communiqués from the Obama Korean summit recently, that much we know, but is he safe?
What really is apropos here is the admonishment of George Washington who warned America in his Farewell Address delivered to our new nation on 17 September 1796. Washington said, “Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence the jealousy of free people ought to be constantly awake since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of a republican government.”
Could any of our politicians look into the eyes of America’s founder and say they have followed his advice when it comes to foreign aid? Mightily served by our founding fathers, America has been miserably served by her politicians!
To contact your Congressional Representative use this link: Contacting the Congress: A Citizen's Congressional Directory
To read more about this story use these links:
http://exopolitics.blogs.com/files/wayne-madsen-obama-all-in-the-company.pdf
"George Washington's Farewell Address">
Why the fuck should Iran give it back?
Diemen, i used Abu Ghraib as an example, because we all know very well the public reaction to that one. Bush (who is not currently the GOP nominee) was certainly held accountable for that one,
Given how spectacularly their last missile launch failed, I'd go with the sabre rattling.
Total civilians killed/wounded: 2.5 million (est.)[2]
South Korea: 990,968
373,599 killed[2]
229,625 wounded[2]
387,744 abducted/missing[2]
North Korea: 1,550,000 (est.)[2]
North Korea is the most militarized country in the world today,[6] having the fourth largest army in the world, at about 1,106,000 armed personnel, with about 20% of men ages 17–54 in the regular armed forces.[7] Military service of up to 10 years is mandatory for most males. It also has a reserve force comprising 7,700,000 personnel.[8] It operates an enormous network of military facilities scattered around the country, a large weapons production basis, a dense air defense system,[9] the third largest chemical weapons stockpile in the world,[10] and includes the world's largest Special Forces contingent (numbering 180,000 men).[11] While the aging equipment,[12] deriving from the economic plight of the country, is seen as major defect of the North Korean military capability, it is nevertheless regarded as a significant threat due to its size and proximity to major civilian areas.
And then we have these allegations, which i don't personally believe but will leave up to the reader to decide what to make of it:
If even some of this is true Obama is so much more dangerous than we thought � � Coach is RightCoach is Right
Diemen, i used Abu Ghraib as an example, because we all know very well the public reaction to that one. Bush (who is not currently the GOP nominee) was certainly held accountable for that one, so im curious why losing a secret drone doesn't make the current Potus accountable? Actually, you don't have to answer that one...
Or the Secret Service Scandal with the Colombian Prostitutes
Or the GSA scandal
Or SSG Bales killing spree this year in Afghanistan
Or Maj Hassan's killing spree at Ft Hood in 2009
Or troops urinating on dead Afghans
Or the Fast & Furious Scandal
Or Solyndra Scandal
And btw, they didn't completely destroy the helicopter as you can see from this picture:
Yes, recession only describes when an economy is shrinking. The economy stopped shrinking in 09 but the depth of the recession was such that it will take years to return to pre-recession employment levels, if ever.
Social Security trustees see earlier fund depletion date
The trustees of the Social Security system said Monday the fund that helps sustain retiree and survivors’ benefits will become exhausted in 2033, three years sooner than they projected last year.
In their annual report, the trustees also estimated that Social Security’s Disability Insurance fund will be exhausted in 2016, two years sooner than last year’s estimate. Congress will need to take action to avert that outcome, with the most likely remedy being a reallocation of the payroll tax between the part of the tax that supports Social Security’s retirement and survivors’ benefits and the part of the tax that pays for disability benefits.
The Social Security system does have assets in the form of $2.7 trillion in Treasury bonds -- but those assets must be redeemed – cashed in – in order to pay benefits.
“The redemption of those bonds can only occur out of current income,” explained Senate Budget Committee chairman Kent Conrad last year. “The general fund has been borrowing from Social Security and we've borrowed well over $2 trillion,” he said. “That money has got to be paid back. How's it going to be paid back? It's going to be paid back by the other general expenditures of the federal government having to be reduced to make way for the payments that we're going to have to make on those bonds.”Separately, the trustees, who are also the trustees of the Medicare program, reported that the Medicare fund that pays hospital costs for older and disabled Americans will be exhausted by 2024, the same forecast as they made last year.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said, “Despite the repeated efforts of Republicans to privatize Social Security and end the Medicare guarantee, these vital initiatives remain strong. Today’s Trustees’ report affirms that Social Security and Medicare will continue to provide critical benefits to seniors and other Americans.”
Who out there is actually trying to reform these programs? I just see people cutting without tackling the real issues. Guess what that does long term...INDY500 said:Nancy says these programs "remain strong" and the president's plan to reform entitlements is to demonize anyone that attempts it.
Leadership
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pick options to fill the 1.4% of GDP that the Social Security deficit will be by 2040.
It should be pretty clear that relatively minor changes will preserve the program. Taxing all income above the $100,000 existing cap, while still capping benefits to that level removes an enormous amount of the shortfall (.9!). Raise the payroll tax rate by 1% and we're suddenly home free.
INDY500 said:Maybe the road back to robust economic growth isn't Cash For Clunkers, a 2,000 page healthcare law, expanded food stamps rolls, petrophobia, and raising the capital gains tax on millionaires to pay for "targeted investments" while completely ignoring entitlement reform.
INDY500 said:I'd increase the retirement age. It's ridiculous that it hasn't been indexed to increased longevity.
So Bush owns 2000 - 2008 yet somehow Obama is not accountable for 2009 - present?
Raise the payroll tax rate by 1% -- Tell that to the 50% of college grads that can't find full-time work in their major.
I'd increase the retirement age. It's ridiculous that it hasn't been indexed to increased longevity. You're right, Soc Sec isn't what is going to send us over the cliff (rep Ryan barely addresses it in his "radical" reforms). It's Medicare.
Whether through major reform or painful default, Medicare as we know it will end.
Totally agree.
exactly. i guess it goes to show how things have changed, because there was definitely opposition from both parties in fdr's day with some of his ideas, but the republicans weren't outright throwing up roadblocks to prevent any progress. the politicians sure have whined about his policies from day one, yet when it comes down to suggesting any viable alternatives (printing magic money that won't affect inflation doesn't count), they grow quiet.Plus, keep in mind, too, any plans Obama DOES try to implement get shot down by people who think it's a sign of a massive government takeover. He's either not doing his job or he's going to turn this country into an evil socialist empire when he does try to fix things. What do people want Obama to do, exactly, help or butt out? They have to quit bitching and make up their minds on that issue already.
The main reason why most college grads can't find a full-time job within their major is because the majority of those who do not have job graduated with useless degrees such as creative writing, humanities, arts, English and other majors that do not equalize career opportunities and cash in the long term; so it is important to consider that the economic situation and unemployment are not the sole responsible factors in not landing a job right after graduation. People's decisions and characters matter immensely as well.Raise the payroll tax rate by 1% -- Tell that to the 50% of college grads that can't find full-time work in their major.
I'd increase the retirement age. It's ridiculous that it hasn't been indexed to increased longevity. You're right, Soc Sec isn't what is going to send us over the cliff (rep Ryan barely addresses it in his "radical" reforms). It's Medicare.
Whether through major reform or painful default, Medicare as we know it will end.
The main reason why most college grads can't find a full-time job within their major is because the majority of those who do not have job graduated with useless degrees such as creative writing, humanities, arts, English and other majors that do not equalize career opportunities and cash in the long term
Mrs. Garrison said:If you are talking to me, please do not use this type of language towards me.
The main reason why most college grads can't find a full-time job within their major is because the majority of those who do not have job graduated with useless degrees such as creative writing, humanities, arts, English and other majors that do not equalize career opportunities and cash in the long term; so it is important to consider that the economic situation and unemployment are not the sole responsible factors in not landing a job right after graduation. People's decisions and characters matter immensely as well.
I hope that grad stat is more of a temporary condition, compared to the 30 year+ arc of the context of the graph. But perhaps there are better options. Raising the retirement age is certainly not one, it is a truly terrible idea.
First, that CBO chart suggest it would be among the least monetarily effective ways of reducing the SS shortfall.
“The general fund has been borrowing from Social Security and we've borrowed well over $2 trillion,” he said. “That money has got to be paid back. How's it going to be paid back? It's going to be paid back by the other general expenditures of the federal government having to be reduced to make way for the payments that we're going to have to make on those bonds.”
I'd like to see more on those stats. Counting the deaths of the poor from drug abuse or murder, for instance, against live expectancy would render a false picture of health in senior years.Since 1982, life expectancy for men in the lower half of income has risen by 1 year. For men in the upper half, it is 5 years.
I would far prefer to adjust the COLA.
Why? It was never designed to provide for a 20 year retirement. When Soc Security was created in the 30's life expectancy at birth was only 58 for men and 62 for women--the original retirement age was 65. You do the math.
Jon Lovitz Rant on Obama Has Web Buzzing
By Claudine Zap | Yahoo! TV – 2 hours 28 minutes ago.. .
Comedian Jon Lovitz has a serious -- and salty -- message for President Obama.
The former “Saturday Night Live” star delivered some choice words for the president on his podcast, "The ABCs of SNL." The show is co-hosted by Kevin Smith and calls itself “Live from the Jon Lovitz Podcast Theater.”
The actor said he’s a Democrat and voted for Obama, but now he’s mad as hell at the president’s plan to raise taxes on the rich -- and his rant has the Web buzzing.
The comic called Obama a “[bleep]ing a-hole... for saying the rich don't pay their taxes." Lovitz delivered his invective after assuring the audience “I voted for the guy” and even expressed admiration for Obama’s rise from “nothing.” “He had no father -- he is mixed-race, which is a burden… and the guy ends up going to Harvard, and he's the president of the United States.”
Lovitz gave Obama no slack for turning against his fellow millionaires, however. “This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don't pay their taxes is f---ing bulls---,” he said. “First they say to you… ‘The United States of America, you can do anything you want -- go for it! So then you go for it and you make it and everyone's like, ‘[Bleep] you!'”
Lovitz was most likely referring to Obama’s proposed “Buffett rule,” which stipulates that those making $1 million or more pay at least 30% of their income in taxes.
Response on the Web has varied. David Hill, who wrote, “During this entire debate, I've been asking myself 'But what does Jon Lovitz think?' Now I know, and all is right with the world.” Gloria commented, "He makes more than the majority of us and pays less taxes than us, how can he complain.” James added, “Just for that, Mr. Lovitz shall be taxed at 200%.”
Later in the podcast, the “SNL” alum discussed his past work on the sketch comedy show, saying he played characters who were “arrogant idiots” -- people who “think they know everything but they’re a moron." Smith, without missing a beat, asked, “Like people who go on about the government?”
This isn’t the first time Lovitz has delivered an opinion that’s attracted attention. The actor recently tweeted about an act of anti-Semitic bullying, and his online campaign is credited with having the girls involved in the incident expelled from their Los Angeles middle school.
Check out Jon Lovitz in this vintage "SNL" clip from 1989: