First Draft of History Looks a Bit Rough on Bush

[bust]

Question without notice.

 

In Australian we have a Superannuation Scheme....compulsory % of income paid by your employer (excluded from salary) to an investment fund of your choice.

 

Should you wish to "salary sacrifice" from your income the Government will also kick in $1.50 for every $1.00 you contribute over and above the 9%. There is however a capped figure on this per year I think $50K

 

Does the US have a similar system?

[Bangkoktraveler]

Another scam.

 

Person borrows $100.00 at 0% interest. The person goes to pay it online but finds the payment will be posted in 3 days. Due day is today. The guy is screwed. Next bill says he owes $45.00 late fee. He also owes $35.00 for going over his limit. His $10.00 payment was accepted and noted on the bill. Instead of having a balance of $90.00, he finds he now owes $175.00. 35% interest!

[Tiger Moth]

It's good to be rid of him. Yes, I know it's a mess there, no need to remind me. But at the time of the invasion (which I happened to be against btw, believing it to be too risky) not many people

could or would like to foresee this mess, not even among those opposed to the war.

Two months before the invasion of Iraq, over 100 US Historians and Political Scientists published a full page add in the New York Times newspaper and said what would happen.

 

And, at one time Dick Cheney understood that this mess would occur. Take a look at this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csKkdKlLUTc

 

 

 

 

[Old Hippie]

I agree SSI is a scam' date=' a pyramid game, but, wouldn't you agree, they either need to deliver as promised, or else they should stop taking the money? Having that money in the economy being invested is a lot better than letting the government have and waste it.[/quote']

 

I agree exactly with what you say here. Social Security should be gradually replaced by an actual retirement savings plan where people own that which is withheld from their paychecks (and that matched by their employer) and earn a reasonable return on their savings. Those at or near retirement age should see the Social Security promise to them fulfilled while younger workers and those yet to start working are offered a different option. This is what Pres. Bush proposed but the leftists blocked his legislation and demagogued the entire issue into the ditch. Social Security is precisely a pyramid scheme originally created to address the needs of existing, indigent old and nearly-old Americans. It has morphed into a massive wealth-transfer scheme intended to simultaneously 1) disguise the level of the present budget deficit, 2) encourage support of and dependency on collectivism, 3) create a means for Congress to subsidize certain constituencies in return for votes. We should end Social Security ASAP.

 

 

 

I would add, that having that money in the economy, would be beneficial in stimulating the economy as well. It would also (hopefully) cause people to take an interest/educate themselves as to what is going on, and how it effects them, thus having a bigger interest in government as a whole, and hopefully keeping the bastards in line.

 

 

[playtheblues]

Thanks, I wasn't aware of these particular manifestations.

 

Talked yesterday with a good friend who was posted in Washington D.C. during the whole build up to the invasion and the invasion itself (checked with him my account here of the resolution 1441 debacle which he found accurate). Even he, with strong credentials in multilateral diplomacy and and a staunch believer in international law (to the extent there is any) admitted to being somewhat pulled into the war frenzy at the time, but never to the extent of accepting a unilateral action by the Bush-Blair party.

 

And so was the case with the majority of Americans.

[jitagawn]

The ongoing mess in Iraq was so incredibly obvious before we ever went in. Right, they will greet us with open arms and flowers (not).

In reality for the miltiant Muslim fighting the US and allies for a few decades is NOTHING-look to Afganhistan and the Russians. Christians fighting Muslims on their turf when we dont have a clue about their culture and what really makes them tick-( I am obviously still annoyed- not to mention I lost a nephew to this ugliness)

 

I am NOT at all proud that i called and predicted the entire disaster...and boy was I labelled unpatriotic.

[jitagawn]

Thanks for lsitening :smirk:

[Tiger Moth]

Sorry about your nephew.

 

I was living in Boulder, CO during the year prior to the US invasion (I never liked the term "Coalition" because the US initially provided something like 85% of the forces, with Tony Blair providing 10% - so, the entire remainder of the world provided about 5%: hardly a coalition of the willing. More like a US invasion with somewhat token support from some countries with whom the US had influence).

 

Anyway, I had a neighbor in Boulder and he put up a sign describing some literature he was making available and a table with the literature for the taking. I read the literature which was a few pages in length and described the history of the Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis and made the case that it would be next to impossible to have these 3 groups who had been at each others throats for over 900 years, into a nation (of course, Saddam had done this through a ruthless dictatorship).

As a result of what I had read, I expected this disaster and could not understand how the Bush Administration could possibly be so ignorant.

 

Irrespective of how this situation ever gets resolved, it can never be considered a success. Already 20% of the population has been dislocated with 10% leaving Iraq. And, much of the country has been destroyed.

 

And, no end in sight. The Kurds, Sunnnis and Shiites are as far from being united as ever.

[playtheblues]

I was living in Boulder, CO during the year prior to the US invasion (I never liked the term "Coalition" because the US initially provided something like 85% of the forces, with Tony Blair providing 10% - so, the entire remainder of the world provided about 5%: hardly a coalition of the willing. More like a US invasion with somewhat token support from some countries with whom the US had influence).

 

 

You tell me! Glad I am not longer alone on this point since I have argued it ad nauseam...

[Old Hippie]

Actually, Bush Sr. was advised by many "experts" not to go into Iraq on the ground and try to take over. He took flack for it from many who did not fully understand the situation (I was among these people). Jr. was also advised to stay out, and not do what he did...he did not listen. The rumor is/was, this is why Colin Powell resigned.

 

Regardless of the various opinions on Sadaam, I tend to think the average Iraqi is no better off today than they were before Sadaam got the boot. What really scares the shit out of me is, this asshole seems hell bent on going into Iran at any cost.