Usa Thread

[Steve]

There was an economist that called America's energy future as a 'Saudi America'. I still want us to move away from fossil fuels where we can and slowly remove ourselves from it for a variety of reasons.

 

Also, there has always been lots of oil and gas that we know of but are in areas that are deemed environmentally sensitive.

 

Another topic that I want to hear comments about is the Susan Rice thing. What's up John McCain's and Lindsay Graham's asses? They have a hard on for this girl. They are also hypocritical as hell, Condi Rice straight out lied. No question. Susan Rice was parotting talking points from a situation she was not party to. Condi was in the thick of the WMD mess.

 

The fiscal cliff thingy favors the Democrats. The Republicans are at a disadvantage. Obama may be on a revenge tip and he's gonna serve it cold. I don't want him to do the revenge thing. I want him to govern for everybody.

[kamui]

Another topic that I want to hear comments about is the Susan Rice thing. What's up John McCain's and Lindsay Graham's asses? They have a hard on for this girl. They are also hypocritical as hell, Condi Rice straight out lied. No question. Susan Rice was parotting talking points from a situation she was not party to. Condi was in the thick of the WMD mess.

 

 

 

The Rice matter was a pre-election thing. The right tried to make it into a huge scandal for to damage Obama's standing in regard to foreign policy. I remember a statistics that Fox committed more airtime on Rice and the attack on the consulate in Libay than on Sandy. Unfortunately for FOX/the GOP Sandy and Obama's response to it caught the attention of the public.

 

For many years foreign policy was a weak spot of the Dems and a selling point for the GOP - but this time Obama had Osama bin Ladin and other Al Qaida leaders eliminated and the Arab spring happened without any US solidiers killed: the GOP had lost foreign policy line of attack almost completely (even though they constantly tried to paint Obama as weakling and unpatriotic).

 

Now the Lybia/Rice matter is fizzling out and McCain has to retreat. I guess finally McCain realized that he was making a fool out of himself and did damaged himself severely.

[kamui]

doublepost

[unit731]

Now the Lybia/Rice matter is fizzling out and McCain has to retreat. I guess finally McCain realized that he was making a fool out of himself and did damaged himself severely.

 

 

The tide is slowly shifting on this one. As with the trends toward compromise on the fiscal cliff.

 

Benghazi was the story de jour with Fox News. As that story blends into just an ordinary tragedy. Not the hyped out grand conspiracy story to "get" Obama at any cost. And to keep Fox News viewers drooling for hype.

[Steve]

The public saw Graham and McCain as bitter men, playing party politics. Obama's overall foreign policy record has been very good, better than anyone expected. It was supposed to be his weakest point so said the pundits back in '08. Understandably so, he had no experience.

Conversely, Romney came off as a shoot first, ask questions later hawk and foreign governments, even allies, were turned off. You negoatiated and talked with allies and enemies under Obama. Romney came off as if he would talk AT allies and enemies and more apt to use force.

 

Good to hear Republicans talking about going back on the pledge not to raise taxes. The pledge was idiotic. You can not account for every scenario. Generally speaking, I firmly agree that raising taxes should be a last resort but you can't say never. Its simply not realistic and its too strong of an approach in a government where you must compromise to make anything work.

 

What I think a possible solution would be a national sales tax on certain goods and services. Its a consumption tax of sorts and would raise lots of money. Its how the government made money until the income tax. Taxes on goods and tarriffs.

 

I also think a national lottery would be a boon. The powerball amounts would see now would be the norm. Cut the states in on the action and provide a portion for the states. The winning state gets the lions share but all states get something. Like how the revenue sharing works in sports leagues. Any foreign national that wins it while living in the U.S. is offered immediate citizenship if they have no violent or major criminal acts. Make the money from a national lottery, program specific so it can't be wasted on boondogle. Maybe education, health care, social security, something inviolate that it can't be siphoned off no matter what. It would raise untold billions. It only taxes the willing.

 

Legalize pot and prostitution on the state level so they can raise money that way. Kitty ranch type of places, where there is a health code, etc.

 

The only area I would not touch and must admit its for personal bias reasons is the internet. Leave that open and free.

[Flashermac]

I cannot see the States going for a national sales tax. If anything would have people screaming for secession, it would be that. As to pot, some States are more than willing. It is the Feds who aren't. Prostitution ... rots o' ruck! Lotteries would have the evangelicals up in arms. They have repeatedly stopped Alabama from having a state lottery, which means the lottery money all goes into other states (e.g. Florida).

 

You have to realise you are dealing with a rather diverse country. Just look at the map of red states versus blue states and you can see that. It's a wonder the US hasn't come unglued before now.

[Steve]

Yeah, you're right. On the federal level at least tell the states you won't oppose the legalization of pot and prostitution so they can make their own choices. Trust me, even the bible belt would consider it once they saw the money it.

Look at gambling. That has spread once they saw the jobs and money it provided.

[Flashermac]

A friend was 1/4 Cherokee (for real, not Elizabeth Warren BS). He also owned a river boat. I urged him to turn it into a floating casino, but he wasn't interested. He was raised Southern Baptist.

 

I wonder why the Feds are so anti-pot. What is the harm in medicinal marijuana? But they are dead set against it.

[unit731]

US Supreme Court Case

 

 

"A graduate student’s money-making idea has led to a commercial showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court, with ramifications for publishers, retailers, entertainment companies, manufacturers and consumers.

 

The court will hear arguments on Oct. 29 in the case of Supap Kirtsaeng, who was ordered to pay John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW/A) $600,000 for importing the publisher’s copyrighted textbooks from his native Thailand and selling them in the U.S. for a profit. At stake is the future of the so-called gray market, the annual trade in tens of billions of dollars in goods outside their official distribution channels.

 

Kirtsaeng, who studied mathematics at the University of Southern California, generated about $900,000 in revenue by selling textbooks published by Wiley and other companies. His family members bought the books from stores in Thailand and shipped them to the U.S., where Kirtsaeng sold them on EBay."

 

 

LINK

[unit731]

I wonder why the Feds are so anti-pot. What is the harm in medicinal marijuana? But they are dead set against it.

 

At the turn of the century (1900) the whole country was stoned on legal opium and cocaine ( a slight exageration but not far off). Coca Cola was one such legal product (with the cocaine).

So all were banned by legislation.

Then came prohibition. All liquor was banned.

Liquor did come back.

None of the others did.

 

No one wants an inebriated person behind the wheel of a car.

No one wants the kids to end up with drugs.

 

It will be an uphill battle. Some of the states are stepping up.

 

Some big forces are against all. Including the spirits business.

 

Tax it is one answer.

 

The cost of incarceration is high everywhere. Too many are in jail for small amounts.

 

I just don't see it on the national level. Too many Bible folks view such with disdain.