Comments on: Troubled times

By: Stefan

Stefan — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:41:49 +0000

Stacey, I guess you have no issues at all with where we’re spending money right now. Stop living the “free market” dream. They are not free. The days of J.P. Morgan are gone and not coming back for a reason. And don’t talk about socialism so lightly unless you “built it” like I used to do in the old Eastern Europe.

By: Jacob Munoz

Jacob Munoz — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:32:50 +0000

I am proud to say that I voted in the primaries yesterday in Virginia - for Obama. This was the first time I’ve ever participated in party primaries, although I’ve been voting since I was 19 (now 27). I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that Hillary has a better chance against McCain than Obama does. Obama has appeal to many Republicans, and is much less divisive than Hillary. My own mother is over 50, has NEVER voted in her life and is certainly not what I would call a liberal, but said that if Obama is the candidate - she will register and vote.. now THAT’s something I never expected to hear.

If you’re concerned about your taxes, you’re either rich or misguided - close to 20% of the ‘wealthier’ people in the US believe they are in the top 1% richest percentage - THIS is why people are afraid of government taxes. If you make over $500,000 a year - I have no sympathy or concern for your well being, you’ve got all the resources you need to protect yourself. In the earlier part of this century, the wealthy quietly and respectfully paid far more in taxes than they do now - and were fairly respected in return. Today, all I see are whiny rich brats that don’t know what ‘living tough’ really is - they want to be ‘thugs’ and ‘players’ but they’re so spoiled that I gag when I see pricks driving daddy’s Humscalade down the road like they’re the police. I’ve had the good fortune to have two hard working parents raise me in a fairly affluent area (northern virginia), but I’ve been to ‘rock bottom’ too. I was homeless, broke, unemployed, lost my best friend to heroine - I’ve known what ‘tough living’ is, and it made me appreciate the small things I took for granted. Complain to me that your taxes are too high… Are you high? I know we’ve slaughtered our educational system, but geeez…

It appears to me that McCain stands NO chance of winning this election, and all the FUD in the world won’t change that. And would it be so bad? What’s the worst thing that could happen if Obama got elected, another attack?.. oh, please - terrorists might be misguided and delusional but rarely are they outright stupid. Now, should McCain get in - I could see wave after wave of suicide bombers around the world strapping on their vests. THAT worries me.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:59:23 +0000

>Most American political decisions never look past 4-5 years. I guess I can’t expect more from the politicians when the citizens themselves are not willing to spend a few extra dollars to fix health, or education

Actually, I *am* looking far forward (and far backward, to when the Constitution was ratified) when I say it is not the Federal Government’s place or mandate to ‘fix’ all the people’s problems. It should be left to the states and local governments to solve the education problems. If the public education system (and healthcare) was treated more like a free market (WITHOUT unfunded mandates from the federal government and WITHOUT legislation dictated by powerful drug company lobbyists) then supply and demand would ultimately result in greater innovation and ultimately better results and lower costs. We need to move away from the “nanny state” where the federal government is expected to pick us up when we fall and wipe our faces when we get dirty. Freedom, market driven economies, and innovation is what has always made MY country (the USA) great in the past. The more we depart from the Constution and head towards socialism the weaker we become, IMHO.

By: Luis

Luis — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:47:24 +0000

Eugenia posted before a test to see which candidates match your own ideas, but this one is better because it tells you in the results in which topics you disagree with each candidate. It’s late now, since the only thing to decide is whether Clinton or Obama will be the democratic candidate and they mostly share the basic ideas, but anyway, it’s still interesting to take it.

By: Eugenia

Eugenia — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:19:30 +0000

>I’ll vote for anyone who will not raise my taxes

Most American political decisions never look past 4-5 years. I guess I can’t expect more from the politicians when the citizens themselves are not willing to spend a few extra dollars to fix health, or education — the biggest two factors that create ALL the problems inside USA. I am not even a US citizen, but I am willing to pay a bit extra if I knew that my tax dollars were going to fix or amend these two factors instead of going to military operations.

By: Thom Holwerda

Thom Holwerda — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:47:43 +0000

The video itself is laughable, by the way. First, he says people shouldn;t vote for someone based on electability, but only because of a person’s ideas.

Then he goes on about how we shouldn’t vote for Hillary, because she can’t beat McCain…

He’s contradicting himself.

By: Thom Holwerda

Thom Holwerda — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:45:17 +0000

Free markets work and socialism doesn’t.

They are not extremes, Stacy. It’s not black and white. There is no such thing as a free market, and there is no such thing as pure socialism. The most successful countries in the world, where happiness rates are the highest, are there where the two blend optimally - Scandinavian countries, The Netherlands, those types of countries.

I have a number of close friends who are Canadian who will tell you “yeah, healthcare is available to everyone, but it sucks compared to what you have in the States”.

Then those friends are a bunch of idiots. First of all, there is no such thing as free healthcare. In Canada, just like in The Netherlands and any other modern state, everyone pays for healthcare just like Americans do, it’s just cheaper here, and you are legally forced to have healthcare insurance - which is better for everyone.

In the US, people die because they are not insured, and therefore not treated.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:26:25 +0000

I’ll vote for anyone who will not raise my taxes (i.e. take even MORE money from me) just to ’spread the wealth’ by handing it out or providing freebies to others who haven’t worked as hard or tried to educate themselves as much as me. Free markets work and socialism doesn’t. I have a number of close friends who are Canadian who will tell you “yeah, healthcare is available to everyone, but it sucks compared to what you have in the States”.

By: jeff

jeff — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:22:41 +0000

Hillary is running as a hard-core democrat willing to do anything to please the special interest groups, while Obama is more about bridging the gap between the parties. Some people, like Hillary, just enjoy being liked and being around other groups of similar minded people. I, however, don’t like to affiliate or define myself by what minority group that I belong to. I think that that is weak-minded.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:02:12 +0000

Jeff, I am not politically active now, but I was the youngest delegate to a state democratic pres convention and have supported many candidates for election and worked on campaigns,
If you belong to a minority of some kind say Lesbians for example, then you are going to work within a party to try and get your agenda past. It is all about winning an election and so if you can gather many groups under one umbrella, then you are stronger by numbers, but it does not say that everyone enforces every faction within a political party. I am not a gun owner, but I beleive in the right of citizens to bear arms. I feel this way from personal experience and I believe with my whole heart that my purchase of a shot gun 20yrs ago save the life of one of my children and the life of a criminal intent on harming her. I bought the shotgun at the suggestion of the police and made it known that I had it and the bad person went elsewhere. Then when there was no threat I sold it. So I support the responsible ownership of firearms, but not irresponsible ownership, this is at odds with the anti gun people within my party. It is up to you to get active and make your voice and your vote known. The Democratic party is not one monolithic voice, it is the voice of many people and I for one am glad that even people I disagree with can find an ear for their concerns.