Capitalism

[VictorCharlie]

This argument is getting so old. The thing is I know your are better than this b/c I've seen you post on this topic before. Saying that the level of Federal spending is ok b/c the last guy did it too is the kind of debate I'd have with my four year old. Also by your statement we can say that any political protest has no meaning or relevance its just b/c "their" guy lost?

I'n not saying the level of spending is OK, I'm wondering why people have only got so exercised about it in the last couple of months.

I think most rationale people can agree that President Bush did a pretty crappy job and it is unfortunate that while he was president many of the GOP refused come out against him. That being said many of the tea party (who picked this stupid name anyway?) attendees might be hypocrites but it doesn't necessarily make them wrong.

[Kirkland Laing]

This argument is getting so old. The thing is I know your are better than this b/c I've seen you post on this topic before. Saying that the level of Federal spending is ok b/c the last guy did it too is the kind of debate I'd have with my four year old. Also by your statement we can say that any political protest has no meaning or relevance its just b/c "their" guy lost?

I'n not saying the level of spending is OK, I'm wondering why people have only got so exercised about it in the last couple of months.

I think most rationale people can agree that President Bush did a pretty crappy job and it is unfortunate that while he was president many of the GOP refused come out against him. That being said many of the tea party (who picked this stupid name anyway?) attendees might be hypocrites but it doesn't necessarily make them wrong.

Most of them are there protesting about tax increases when they just got a tax cut. The money Obama increased spending by is only to counteract the cratering of the economy caused by the policies of the last eight years. He's reacting to the biggest financial disaster for nearly a century and things would be a great deal worse if he hadn't reacted. If McCain had won the election he would have done pretty much the same thing, except we wouldn't have seen any of those teabaggers out protesting.

[VictorCharlie]

Kirk there is no way to know what Sen. McCain would have done and there were other options besides the tremendous amount of spending we have seen. Most of the people I have spoken to that attended the events didn't really take issue with the taxes as much as the budget and bailouts. These are philisophical differences between you and them and although you claim omnipotence it doesn't make them wrong or their opinions any less valid than yours.

[VictorCharlie]

And don't try to tell me that if McCain had done the same thing and it was democrats protesting that you wouldn't be on here screaming their praises either.

[Kirkland Laing]

Kirk there is no way to know what Sen. McCain would have done and there were other options besides the tremendous amount of spending we have seen. Most of the people I have spoken to that attended the events didn't really take issue with the taxes as much as the budget and bailouts. These are philisophical differences between you and them and although you claim omnipotence it doesn't make them wrong or their opinions any less valid than yours.

McCain wouldn't have done anything different to Obama. The stimulus would have been tilted more to tax cuts than government spending on things like infrastructure, which means that the stimulus would have been less effective than the Obama version will be. There really weren't any other options available except not to spend any money at all and you just have to look at how well that worked out for Hoover in the same situation to see not spending money wasn't an option. I'm not omnipotent and their opinions are worth far less than mine. They don't have coherent opinions or even understand what they're arguing about. Things they belive as articles of faith, eg. tax cuts pay for themselves and increase revenues, are total nonsense. They really are a bunch of clueless dummies, and you don't need to be omnipotent or even Infallible to know that, you just need to look at the facts and the evidence. Once you do that you can't disagree with me because the facts and the evidence are all on my side.

The bailouts happened under Bush, who guaranteed over ten trillion worth of debt before he left office. Bush also signed the first stimulus bill. So Obama is only continuing Bush's policies.

[VictorCharlie]

Well for starters they could have nationalized the banks instead of bailing them out and I have even seen you post that this should have been done but we digress. It is really hard to take you seriously sometimes. You make sweeping generalizations about anyone who doesn't support Obama and who voted for McCain. You take the opinion that anyone that doesn't agree with you point for point is either misinformed or an idiot. I go to bed at night thanking god that you do not live in this country. It is that exact type of elitist self righteous attitude that we do not need in this country. It boggles my mind the amount of time and energy you spend posting on American politics and policy.

[Kirkland Laing]

Well for starters they could have nationalized the banks instead of bailing them out and I have even seen you post that this should have been done but we digress. It is really hard to take you seriously sometimes. You make sweeping generalizations about anyone who doesn't support Obama and who voted for McCain. You take the opinion that anyone that doesn't agree with you point for point is either misinformed or an idiot. I go to bed at night thanking god that you do not live in this country. It is that exact type of elitist self righteous attitude that we do not need in this country. It boggles my mind the amount of time and energy you spend posting on American politics and policy.

They could have nationalised the banks but both sides are dead against doing so, the GOP even moreso than the Democrats. When Obama does eventually get round to nationalising the banks the GOP will be screaming about socialism, communism etc. I'm not making sweeping generalisations about every Mccain voter, I'm pointing out quite accurately that the teabaggers are a bunch of clueless dummies that have no grasp whatsoever of the economic issues at stake. They are misinformed and they are idiots. I'm not elitist or self righteous, I just know what I'm talking about.

[VictorCharlie]

Well for starters they could have nationalized the banks instead of bailing them out and I have even seen you post that this should have been done but we digress. It is really hard to take you seriously sometimes. You make sweeping generalizations about anyone who doesn't support Obama and who voted for McCain. You take the opinion that anyone that doesn't agree with you point for point is either misinformed or an idiot. I go to bed at night thanking god that you do not live in this country. It is that exact type of elitist self righteous attitude that we do not need in this country. It boggles my mind the amount of time and energy you spend posting on American politics and policy.

They could have nationalised the banks but both sides are dead against doing so, the GOP even moreso than the Democrats. When Obama does eventually get round to nationalising the banks the GOP will be screaming about socialism, communism etc. I'm not making sweeping generalisations about every Mccain voter, I'm pointing out quite accurately that the teabaggers are a bunch of clueless dummies that have no grasp whatsoever of the economic issues at stake. They are misinformed and they are idiots. I'm not elitist or self righteous, I just know what I'm talking about.

Economically speaking you probably know more than just about anyone I personally know...but Kirk you don't know or seem to have a good understanding of Americans. So your ramblings about our policies, politics and "knowing whats best for us" comes off really self righteous and pretentious.

[El Kabong]

Most of them are there protesting about tax increases when they just got a tax cut. The money Obama increased spending by is only to counteract the cratering of the economy caused by the policies of the last eight years. He's reacting to the biggest financial disaster for nearly a century and things would be a great deal worse if he hadn't reacted. If McCain had won the election he would have done pretty much the same thing, except we wouldn't have seen any of those teabaggers out protesting.

Well with the Bush Tax cuts ending soon and Obama wanting to pass things like Cap and Trade, I don't think he's going to make life cheaper for many.....a tax cut for 95% is ridiculous anyway when nowhere close to 95% of Americans pay income taxes.

And man am I flattered, did you just copy me Awww, that's sweet...see you can be humble, honestly it suits you

[Kirkland Laing]

Most of them are there protesting about tax increases when they just got a tax cut. The money Obama increased spending by is only to counteract the cratering of the economy caused by the policies of the last eight years. He's reacting to the biggest financial disaster for nearly a century and things would be a great deal worse if he hadn't reacted. If McCain had won the election he would have done pretty much the same thing, except we wouldn't have seen any of those teabaggers out protesting.

Well with the Bush Tax cuts ending soon and Obama wanting to pass things like Cap and Trade, I don't think he's going to make life cheaper for many.....a tax cut for 95% is ridiculous anyway when nowhere close to 95% of Americans pay income taxes.

And man am I flattered, did you just copy me Awww, that's sweet...see you can be humble, honestly it suits you

The repeal of the Bush tax cuts will only raise taxes on the top 1% of earners. The bottom 95%, the people who were out teabagging last week, will all be better off under Obama. Obama isn't giving 95% of Americans an income tax cut, he's giving them a tax cut.

And I don't understand your last point.