Hillary's Downfall

[column5 62]

I think its time to get out of the military and leave the country

lol

 

On that same note, I went out to put gas in the truck and stopped at Kroger...noticed a new sticker on the pump saying that it was 10% ethanol. Got back in the truck and rode to BP...same deal. Couldn't find anyplace selling real gas. I was extremely pissed off. I don't want corn-piss in my tank. Now I have to figure out if there is anyplace selling regular gas in my area.

 

Then of course came the irony of reading an AP story this morning about the huge increase in world food prices due to the increase in the price of corn (not only is it a human staple, but is the primary feed for livestock...so when its diverted for fuel the price of everything goes up).

 

If there was some other country to go to that would be better...I'd say now is the time to jump ship...but to where?

[+Jarhead1 27]

No idea, Iraq??? I have gotten to know that place pretty good, lol, maybe I will build a Palace in Babylon like Saddam, lol. I have been 3 times over there so I am gonna claim dual citizenship, lol

[column5 62]

No idea, Iraq??? I have gotten to know that place pretty good, lol, maybe I will build a Palace in Babylon like Saddam, lol. I have been 3 times over there so I am gonna claim dual citizenship, lol

 

The man who would be king.

[+Jarhead1 27]

Dont think they would like a Marine running things over there, lol.

[column5 62]

Dont think they would like a Marine running things over there, lol.

 

As long as you converted to Islam you might be OK.

[+Typhoid 231]

So that would make Obama what? A communist? Read Juhlmhelm's comment how our farthest left politicians are farther right than Europes right wing extremists. By that standard, all of western democracy besides the US is actually communism.

 

And how many people truly understand what communism is compared to other forms of governance and economics before calling someone a communist or fascist?

 

now, my friend, don't get your dander up.....

 

As I recall, all I called anyone was McCain a Democrat. Hardly, I would think, fighting words.

 

speaking of calling one side a fascist - which side is it now who calls which other side that on a regular basis?

 

what was it that Rep Robert Kennedy Jr. called me? oh yea - a traitor who is comitting treason and should be shot for environmental crimes against humanity. (what was that ammendment in our Constitution about Freedom of Speech again...?)

 

lesson one - don't take any of this, or any politician, too seriously.

lesson two - keep a very healthy and active sense of humor on all of this.

lesson three - don't take yourself very seriously

[+Julhelm 266]

If there was some other country to go to that would be better...I'd say now is the time to jump ship...but to where?

This place is nice this time of year, free education, socialized healthcare and all...

 

Ok the gas is hella more expensive but then again we have an actual functioning public transit system so it doesn't matter that much.

[+NeverEnough 78]

"By that standard, all of western democracy besides the US is actually communism."

 

Actually, socialist would be the correct political definition.

[column5 62]

This place is nice this time of year, free education, socialized healthcare and all...

 

Ok the gas is hella more expensive but then again we have an actual functioning public transit system so it doesn't matter that much.

 

You guys still have that bikini team too? Maybe the trade off would be worth it...

[+Julhelm 266]

Of course we have the bikini team. And the coming depression probably won't hit us nearly as hard as it will you :)

[column5 62]

Of course we have the bikini team. And the coming depression probably won't hit us nearly as hard as it will you :)

 

Hey I am depressed enough already!

 

But seriously, yeah, we could get thumped hard pretty soon if we don't take some steps. And unfortunately it will have a ripple effect on the rest of the world. None of the candidates in our election are likely to head off the crash.

[+Typhoid 231]

Of course we have the bikini team. And the coming depression probably won't hit us nearly as hard as it will you :)

 

wanna bet?

 

the old saying that when the American economy has a cold, the European economy gets pneumonia is still true.

 

energy is the key. cut it off and we all go down, including the suppliers.

[herman01 0]

This guy is for Obama.

[+Julhelm 266]

wanna bet?

 

the old saying that when the American economy has a cold, the European economy gets pneumonia is still true.

 

energy is the key. cut it off and we all go down, including the suppliers.

That was before the genesis of the EU and the Euro.

[column5 62]

That was before the genesis of the EU and the Euro.

 

I wouldn't bet on that saving you...

[+Typhoid 231]

That was before the genesis of the EU and the Euro.

 

which gives you all the market power of perhaps - Texas.......

 

The Euro is just the currency, by itself it has no market power.

 

but if believing that gives you some comfort......

 

Our economic recovery from a very brief and minor hiccup is already started. We didn't even have a downturn, just a reduced rate of growth (unless you were in one of the sectors that clearly crashed)

 

the future, however, is not real bright based on the lack of economic understanding by EITHER political party and slate of candidates presently on the table.

 

depending on what gets passed and who all (at all levels) gets elected we will hit a significant recesion in the next couple of years. How soon and how bad will depend on the electoral results this November. Sadly, there are only a handful of congressional and state level candidates across the country that appear to have any understanding of basic economics, and the resulting policies and laws will result in some very bad times ahead.

 

meltdown ahead.....

 

[eraser_tr 29]

now, my friend, don't get your dander up.....

 

As I recall, all I called anyone was McCain a Democrat. Hardly, I would think, fighting words.

 

speaking of calling one side a fascist - which side is it now who calls which other side that on a regular basis?

 

what was it that Rep Robert Kennedy Jr. called me? oh yea - a traitor who is comitting treason and should be shot for environmental crimes against humanity. (what was that ammendment in our Constitution about Freedom of Speech again...?)

 

lesson one - don't take any of this, or any politician, too seriously.

lesson two - keep a very healthy and active sense of humor on all of this.

lesson three - don't take yourself very seriously

 

Following those lessons pretty well. I'm treating this like my race to the white house class last fall, as opposed to yelling on facebook groups

 

Thats what I'm saying, both sides routinely call the other fascist/communist. Sadly most people only have a vague idea of what any of it means.

 

That sounds pretty dumb, knowing his usual intelligence, I'd guess states was a slip up counting going to places like Puerto Rico and other islands, or counting revisiting states. Otherwise, thats about par for a politician.

 

Herman? who's this guy?

 

Energy is everything. The really sad thing is with only a little effort and less corruption, we'd really have no trouble at all. The other year I was taking this economics class on globalization and was predicting a huge depression. Needless to say a psychology/political science major wasn't listened to in a room full of finance and accounting students.

 

Anyone else heard of the Tata? An Indian car that runs entirely on compressed air. Goes up to 70mph and 120 miles before refilling, which only costs about $3 at stations and takes a few minutes, or can be refilled over a longer period of time with an air pump similar to some power tools. It's a box with wheels, but so is the smartcar.

 

They're looking to sell it in China and India so their booming economies and populations won't add so much to pollution (Global warming or not, emissions is a problem when you have towns in China where you can't see the sun!) They also hope to find investors in europe and the americas. And this is the first of its kind, given a few years, we can keep having our giant 400hp urban assault vehicles to pick up groceries without using gas!

 

I'll put up with the taxes for a UK/Canada/France/Scandanavian healthcare system. Taxes are such a pittance compared to the cost of healthcare, gas and food. And I'm in one of the most heavily taxed areas of the country.

 

Technically, I graduated two weeks ago, but I'm still going to school because I need to be a full time student to keep coverage under my parents insurance. Without it, I'd either be in more debt than a carefree gambler in vegas, or dead because of chronic conditions, nobody would insure me. They've already tried to kick me out of the hospital when I was seriously ill, if it wasn't for my...shall we say "charm" I wouldn't have survived more than a week or two.

[column5 62]

which gives you all the market power of perhaps - Texas.......

 

Yeah the GDP of all of the EU countries added together just barely exceeds the GDP of the US alone.

[ironroad 218]

he..he..

 

 

look what I just found

 

[+Typhoid 231]

"Following those lessons pretty well. I'm treating this like my race to the white house class last fall, as opposed to yelling on facebook groups

 

 

Thats what I'm saying, both sides routinely call the other fascist/communist. Sadly most people only have a vague idea of what any of it means."

 

 

I don't like using such terms anymore, particularly liberal/progressive or conservative, for the simple reason that the terms no longer mean what they used to. That leads to different sides of the debate viewing and interpretting the terminology in very different ways.

 

I like to instead focus on the policies being discussed and their political, economic and social impacts. Then use labels only after defining them carefully. I, of course, make an exception for the environmentalist whacko nut case warming hysterics and the econ-fascist carbon profiteers.....

 

"The other year I was taking this economics class on globalization "

 

I'll bet that was unbiased........ (try defining THAT term!)

 

 

"and was predicting a huge depression." (based on what? why?)

 

absolutely have heard of the Tata and other various projects. All have potential to use less energy and energy in different ways. These various alternatives have to be economically and technically feasible in order to work and provide the utility the consumer is looking for. Otherwise, they will fail no matter what the lead government commissar wants to believe and mandate within whatever governmental system there is. That is hard reality and proven repeatedly over time.

 

"I'll put up with the taxes for a UK/Canada/France/Scandanavian healthcare system. " I'll be cancelling you out at the polls.....

 

 

best of luck and hope your health improves

Edited May 30, 2008 by Typhoid

[+Jarhead1 27]

I am officially votng for Column5 or Typhoid for President. They both have my nomination and full support for elections 08, lol.

Edited May 30, 2008 by Jarhead1

[eraser_tr 29]

My health is fine as long as I have the medicine to keep my body from eating itself.

 

Based on seeing the economic trends, how small forces that appear insignificant on their own add up to become more than the sum of their parts.

 

Like how unemployment is much higher than the statistics. They only include people receiving an unemployment check, which means you have to qualify for it and they only last so long. If you're jobless by the time they run out, you're not going into that statistic anymore, if you even did in the first place.

 

Add that to people working jobs that aren't a constant 9-5 grind, such as general contractors or business consultants who have short term contracts. And don't forget underemployment, all the local retail stores are currently staffed by outsourced professionals now making minimum wage.

 

Alot of it isn't that its not economically feasable, its that nobody has the will to spend a little bit more to ensure long term sustainability. Everyone wants to squeeze out the highest possible profit margins for the next quarter.

 

Now the whole Y2K computer craze turned out to be nothing, but everyone was running around like a chicken with their head cut off to solve it. We're in a similar boat with petroleum, with the exception of there's no specific day any uncertainty about the problem will disappear until we run out of oil. But nobody is in such a rush to make sure its not going to be the end of civilization.

 

Look around you, what isn't made of petroleum products? What do you do when you can't make it all anymore? Or even before its gone, if Saudi Arabia goes islamic fundamentalist and turns off the spigot?

 

I saw a presentation at the TED talks about carbon fiber. Just a little effort being put into its implementation would cut our use of petroleum to almost nil, and grow our economy at the same time, they worked out all the math.

Edited May 30, 2008 by eraser_tr

[column5 62]

I am officially votng for Column5 or Typhoid for President. They both have my nomination and full support for elections 08, lol.

 

LOL, the American Nationalist Party ticket! Typhoid gets to be pres. I want to be the evil veep.

[+Jarhead1 27]

lol, as long as yall do a better job then Ross Perot and John Stockdale, lol, BUTTTTTTTT, u guys gotta make me a General and the new Commandant of the Marine Corps when yall get elected so I can UNF*#@ the Marine Corps.

Edited May 30, 2008 by Jarhead1

[column5 62]

My health is fine as long as I have the medicine to keep my body from eating itself.

 

Glad to hear you are OK. Of course your ability to receive treatment would suffer under socialized medicine. You can't just make an appointment and go see the doc whenever you want to. The medical backlog in many countries with government run healthcare run into weeks and months.

 

Like how unemployment is much higher than the statistics. They only include people receiving an unemployment check, which means you have to qualify for it and they only last so long. If you're jobless by the time they run out, you're not going into that statistic anymore, if you even did in the first place.

 

In the US, we have had full employment, statistically speaking, for many years. If you want a job, there is practically no place in the country where you cannot get a job almost immediately. Unless, like cousin Eddie, you are holding out for a management position when all you qualify for is assistant french fry technician.

 

Add that to people working jobs that aren't a constant 9-5 grind, such as general contractors or business consultants who have short term contracts. And don't forget underemployment, all the local retail stores are currently staffed by outsourced professionals now making minimum wage.

 

That's basically crap. Having recently been part owner of a restauraunt, I can assure you that anyone possessing basic qualifications, a desire to work, and who is relatively clean makes at least $1 to $2 above minimum wage to start.

 

Alot of it isn't that its not economically feasable, its that nobody has the will to spend a little bit more to ensure long term sustainability. Everyone wants to squeeze out the highest possible profit margins for the next quarter.

 

What's wrong with maximizing profit. My 401k loves it when the companies my money is invested in are profitable. Its also great when companies are maximizing their profits because they tend to expand, grow and hire more employees.

 

Now the whole Y2K computer craze turned out to be nothing, but everyone was running around like a chicken with their head cut off to solve it.

 

Being an IT worker, I can assure you that one of the reasons it turned out to be nothing is because we treated it very seriously.

 

Look around you, what isn't make of petroleum products? What do you do when you can't make it all anymore? Or even before its gone, if Saudi Arabia goes islamic fundamentalist and turns off the spigot?

 

Oil is great. Its the most efficient fuel we currently have, and there is a lot of it to be had. We only import about 30% of our oil from the Middle East, by the way--the vast majority of it comes from Cananda, Mexico and South America. We also have large untapped reserves in the US if only we were allowed to recover it.