I'd like to play a game ...

• believer

  

  Footwedge;1187559 wrote:"Socialist utopia"? Wow. Their tax structure is very similar to ours...without the impending national debt bankruptcy that we face. They run a mixed economy.....just like we do. But you are right in they hide behind the international bully for protection...as do another 80 countires or so do, who claim to be our allies. How do they pay for this protection? They send their annual token of troops to far away places like iraq to placate those that run the hegemon across the globe.
  
  Yup, those Canucks...they piss away about 75% less than the US does per capita per GDP, whenever all the defense related agencies are included. This is one of the major reasons that they are happier...and their quality of life is so much better.

  You won't get any argument from me for getting the hell out of places like Korea, Europe, etc. and allowing our "allies" (including our smarter, wiser, and auspicious Nanook of the North cousins) to fend for themselves.
  
  But I wonder how long it would be before emissaries from our "allies" would be making a bee-line for DC begging us to "protect" their asses once again so they don't have to re-route their dwindling socialist resources towards doing it themselves? Probably not long.
  
  Maybe if we made our "allies" pony up on all the freebies they've enjoyed while we've kept their homelands safe for their kumbaya socialist utopias, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
  
  Being the world's only surviving Super Power definitely puts us in a damned if we do, damned if we don't situation.
  
  *sigh* It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
  

  gut;1187575 wrote:Realistically, only speaking English I can't imagine my employment opportunities being better than the US, except perhaps Canada or Australia (both of which are having a big natural resources boom, which is really driving their economic growth.

  If I were forced to live somewhere other than the United States, it would be Australia.
• believer

  

  gut;1187575 wrote:Realistically, only speaking English I can't imagine my employment opportunities being better than the US, except perhaps Canada or Australia (both of which are having a big natural resources boom, which is really driving their economic growth.

  If I were forced to live somewhere other than the United States, it would be Australia.
• Thinthickbigred

  FatHobbit;1184790 wrote:

  Republicrates kill me
• Thinthickbigred

  Its the dog chasing the tail . I grew up a republican and later came to see how they wage class warfare. I am definitly more democratic now,but they too are run by the special interest lobby people. It does not matter what the majority of people want . It only matters what the insurance industry wants . We really need to march on Walstreet and shut all the crooks dfown for a week . Ill never vot republinazi again though .
• Al Bundy

  Thinthickbigred;1187765 wrote:Its the dog chasing the tail . I grew up a republican and later came to see how they wage class warfare. I am definitly more democratic now,but they too are run by the special interest lobby people. It does not matter what the majority of people want . It only matters what the insurance industry wants . We really need to march on Walstreet and shut all the crooks dfown for a week . Ill never vot republinazi again though .

  You would fit in very well with the occupy wall street crowd. You should go there for a week.
• believer

  

  Thinthickbigred;1187765 wrote:Its the dog chasing the tail . I grew up a republican and later came to see how they wage class warfare.

  The Repubs wage class warfare? :rolleyes:
• HitsRus

  

  ^^^^LOL. Yeah, I think Thick has bought into it.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  I agree with a large premise of the thread, in terms of domestic policy. Both are equals, and both can only do so much.
  It is the Congress that screws up everything. They are the ones that jacks up the debt, screws the budgets, and ignores the problems.
  No matter who is elected, the root of the problem, getting Congress to work together, will destroy any domestic agenda for either candidate.
  
  Romney can submit a budget that will cut the budget by 30%, and no way its gets through Congress.
  
  
  Now, foreign policy side, Romney has some neo-cons, Keith Payne, Bolton, and others advising him. It's Bush's pre 2006 foreign policy all over again....
• Thinthickbigred

  Al Bundy;1187872 wrote:You would fit in very well with the occupy wall street crowd. You should go there for a week.

  yep i can dig the hippies
• Thinthickbigred

  believer;1188447 wrote:The Repubs wage class warfare? :rolleyes:

  Yes the republinazis wage class and ethnic warfare
• O-Trap

  

  believer;1187180 wrote:Curious....what countries would be on your list of possibilities? It has to be more than low cost of living, low taxes, and "not third world."

  Not particularly. I'm pretty okay with the ready availability of certain things and being otherwise left alone.
  

  believer;1187180 wrote:What about the country's political situation? Is it stable? Does it show potential for a stable political and economic future?

  My current country's political situation is getting bleaker and bleaker. It seems anything but stable (the one advantage is that the regression is slow). The future of the political and economic state? Eh, it's pretty glum.
  
  Those places I'm looking are no more tumultuous than the US, though they do have neighboring countries who are. I have friends, though, that live there, and I've had a few conversations with them, and though I'm not ready to abandon ship yet, I'm pretty sure I know where I'd go if I did.
  

  believer;1187180 wrote: I can certainly understand why a growing number of Americans are tempted to exit for - um - greener (?) pastures, but in the final analysis, I think you'll find that there is good reason why far more people want to enter the United States (legally or otherwise) than leave it.

  Location is good for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to rub shoulders, as people for decades brought their affluence here. However, they're beginning to leave at a higher rate. Fewer of affluence are entering, and more are leaving. Why don't more leave? It would be difficult, and with enough going on, that's an added stress that will need to be worth leaving ... and it isn't to everyone.
  
  But it's been odd the number of people even I know that have left for financial reasons in the last two years, given that I knew none before that.
• gut

  Article in the WSJ the other day about how Harry Reid has maneuvered in Senate (blocking amendments and calling for cloture votes), killing debate and trying to protect his party from making tough votes. As the leader of the Democratic party, that's a gross failure of leadership on Obama's part (more on Reid, but the buck has to stop somewhere). The Repubs deserve their share of blame, too, but what Harry Reid and the Dems are doing in the Senate is equivalent to taking your ball and going home.
  
  Nevada really dropped the ball not booting Harry Reid.
• queencitybuckeye

  believer;1188447 wrote:The Repubs wage class warfare? :rolleyes:

  Do you really want to claim that one side owns class warfare?
• O-Trap

  

  "The rich are evil and oppressive."
  
  "The poor are lazy and entitled."
  
  
  Both sides do indeed wage class warfare.
• believer

  

  queencitybuckeye;1189410 wrote:Do you really want to claim that one side owns class warfare?

  Not at all. That was my point. However, I do think it's fair to say the the Dems are significantly more audacious about it.
• gut

  And it's far more about entitlement than laziness. If it wasn't, Dems (and Repubs) wouldn't keep getting re-elected by giving more handouts. I wasn't born with Michael Jordan's athletic ability or Brad Pitt's looks - you don't see me crying unfair and demanding the govt do something about it.
• believer

  

  O-Trap;1189341 wrote:But it's been odd the number of people even I know that have left for financial reasons in the last two years, given that I knew none before that.

  I understand but I cannot think of any particular developed country that isn't negatively impacted by the global economy or one that seems like a good long-term prospect for personal financial growth.
  
  I'm certainly not defending what's going on here in the United States. I'm appalled and embarrassed by what we're doing to ourselves and our nation's leaders in government and private industry don't seem to give a damn. It's certainly not the America I once understood.
  
  Well, at any rate good luck and I'll sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for you. Say hello to the Munchkins for me.
• O-Trap

  

  believer;1189535 wrote:I understand but I cannot think of any particular developed country that isn't negatively impacted by the global economy or one that seems like a good long-term prospect for personal financial growth.
  
  I'm certainly not defending what's going on here in the United States. I'm appalled and embarrassed by what we're doing to ourselves and our nation's leaders in government and private industry don't seem to give a damn. It's certainly not the America I once understood.
  
  Well, at any rate good luck and I'll sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for you. Say hello to the Munhckins for me.

  Hey, I'm not going anywhere yet! I just know where I'd go if I did decide to.
  
  This country is a place I'm still proud to be, and I'd rather see it change for the better while I'm still here. I think it can.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  gut;1189403 wrote:Article in the WSJ the other day about how Harry Reid has maneuvered in Senate (blocking amendments and calling for cloture votes), killing debate and trying to protect his party from making tough votes. As the leader of the Democratic party, that's a gross failure of leadership on Obama's part (more on Reid, but the buck has to stop somewhere). The Repubs deserve their share of blame, too, but what Harry Reid and the Dems are doing in the Senate is equivalent to taking your ball and going home.
  
  Nevada really dropped the ball not booting Harry Reid.

  Yeah, any thing of actual substance sniffs of coming to a vote, Mcconnell threatens a filibuster. And getting to 60 votes is damn near impossible to vote on anything. The rules of the Senate do not favor addressing the needs of the nation now.
  
  The Senate, under current rules, cannot tackle the debt at all.
  
  Yes, it is Reid's fault, but I highly doubt Mcconnell would be any better.
• Footwedge

  ptown_trojans_1;1188645 wrote: Now, foreign policy side, Romney has some neo-cons, Keith Payne, Bolton, and others advising him. It's Bush's pre 2006 foreign policy all over again....

  This...and it is really, really sad.
  
  A new poll shows that only 44% of our recent vets think Iraq was worth waging war over. And more shocking, only 50% of vets think waging war in Afghanistan was worth it. These are our vets talking here folks. Nobody likes to be lied to...especially when it comes to reasons for invading punchless countries. A full 80% of our troops that went to Iraq thought they were fighting terrorists and the atonement for 9-11. Absolutely disgusting. CBS poll link available upon request.
  
  Yet this board is littered with Bush/Cheney/Rummy/Wolfowitz/Feith/ apologists.
  
  I remember calling bullshit on this nonsense in 03...and was labeled a terrorist hugger. To those that even today toe the company line on the GWOT need to read a book or two on the subject and understand that both wars have ruined our country financially...and morally as well.
  
  The thought of Bolton being a member of Romney's cabinet is enough to turn most Americans away. Romney's selection of these gutless band of chickenhawks shows that he is completely out of touch with what Americans en masse want with our foreign policy and as such, should never be entrusted the reigns of our foreign missions. His choices here grade out as a flaming F for utter failure. When will we ever learn?
• O-Trap

  

  Footwedge;1190201 wrote:To those that even today toe the company line on the GWOT need to read a book or two on the subject and understand that both wars have ruined our country financially...and morally as well.

  The militarism of the recent administrations (one of the WORST being the current guy) has been as big a financial drain as anything on our economy. Investing money into non-revenue generating ventures, AND by forcing a growing number of government employees to spend their paychecks into foreign economies instead of our own.
• Cleveland Buck

  

  It's not like Obama's bunch isn't full of neocon imperialists. Hillary Clinton is as neocon as they get. She would invade and occupy Canada if the American people would allow it. We are still fighting her husband's fruitless war in Kosovo. Another example of how both sides are exactly the same.
• isadore

  gut;1189532 wrote:And it's far more about entitlement than laziness. If it wasn't, Dems (and Repubs) wouldn't keep getting re-elected by giving more handouts. I wasn't born with Michael Jordan's athletic ability or Brad Pitt's looks - you don't see me crying unfair and demanding the govt do something about it.

  the i have got mine, screw you mentality.
• isadore

  O-Trap;1189416 wrote:"The rich are evil and oppressive."
  
  "The poor are lazy and entitled."
  
  
  Both sides do indeed wage class warfare.

  there is class war and the advantages all go to one side from Citizens United decision, to the attempts to deprive poor of the one democratic right they have, suffrage.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  isadore;1190391 wrote:the i have got mine, screw you mentality.

  I bet your mentality would change if you earned what you work for...or worked. Instead you preach "You've got yours screw the poor" all the time. Survival of the fittest, if you don't like capitalism, move to china. I earned and worked for what i have, i shouldn't have to pay more or less than someone who struggles to get by.