Obama: Socialist or anti-colonialist

[Steve]

Rather than start another thread, I'll place this here. Its about attack ads in the upcoming elections.

 

Its said that the majority of ads out now are attack ads

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/27/majority-of-campaign-commercials-are-attack-ads/

 

The worst of the lot or probably the one that got the most attention is the Kentucky race involving Ron Paul's son.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/rand-paul-religion-ad_n_766705.html

 

His democratic opponent put out what I can only describe as bizarre ads about Rand Paul's alleged sexual deviances in college which involves some sort of anti religious and masochistic themes.

 

This is my take on attack ads. If that is the main theme of a candidate I disregard that person for the most part.

 

I like positive people in my personal life and prefer them in office. If I meet someone and all they do is criticize everyone, I usually stay clear of such people.

 

The one thing that was good about Obama's campaign early on was that it was very positive. It was about his vision and about getting the country back on track. He was told by so called experts it was the wrong way to run a campaign. The underdog has to attack he was told.

 

Anyway, both parties do it and sickens me. Even if its 'my guy' doing it.

 

There really isn't any hope for us, at least in the short term and it looks that way for the long term.

 

The cold hard truth is attack ads work. The numpties in our country listen to it and vote accordingly. Is it any wonder the founders only wanted educaated, landed gentry to vote? They knew human nature. The poor or uninformed are the masses and they can be easily manipulated.

 

I remember the flap about Clinton smoking pot in college. So, in other words he was your typical college student?

 

The guy I worry the most about is the 'boy scout'. The guy who supposedly never did anything wrong, never made a mistake, was never 'human'. Those types don't understand the masses.

[Flashermac]

 

It used to be said that if you'd never had an Article 15 (non-judicial punishment) or at least a reprimand in the Army, you weren't much of a soldier. Don't know about now, but in the 1990s just one was a career ender.

 

p.s. I never got one. But I suppose getting investigated by CID for blackmarketing counts for something.

 

 

 

 

[unit731]

 

p.s. I never got one. But I suppose getting investigated by CID for blackmarketing counts for something.

 

 

A footnote.

 

I don't recall all as memory fades.

 

But when I went on R&R - somehow we were put on a transport plane for a short trip. Bench seats I think along the sides. Anyway, there was the Army guy in his 40's who had no stripes. Buck private. I asked. He told me this story about how much money (green backs) he was sending home every week. His did mention $10,000 - I can't remember if that was weekly, monthly, or the total amount. I don't remember what he did but he was manipulating currency or selling something - forget now. But he was still on active duty and still getting an R&R. I do remember though - that he had a big shit eating grin on his face - and he seemed to have a very good attitude about life.

 

I have no idea if he was telling the truth. But it did make for a good story.

[Flashermac]

 

We were told the only E-1's in RVN were at LBJ (Long Binh Jail for you squirts). We had a couple of guys busted down to E-2, but never any lower. I'd be suspicious. Might be possible for someone with connections, but I remember there was a limit on how much money you could send home each month - based in some way on your pay grade. My 1SG was a great poker player. He always found somebody stupid enough to play with him and sent home over $1,000 each month. He only got away with that because he was an E-8 and people knew how he was making it.

 

Also, remember when they would suddenly recall all of the MPCs and issue completely new ones? Anyone stuck with the old money had to take a total loss. We had funny looking MPCs when almost Gibson girls on them when I arrived. After a few months, they switched to MPCs with B-52s, submarines, tanks etc on them. Lots of Viet merchants got caught up short when they switch came. They weren't really supposed to have them anyway.

 

 

[unit731]

He may have had one stripe. Not more than one. That is why I asked him. Such low rank and high age (about 40).

 

I think somehow he was manipulating currency. I know when I walked off base for R&R with $700.00 US cash in my pocket some kid came up to me and offered to double my money back to MPC. I declined as I wanted out of country R&R. But if it was that easy - I'm sure others were doing it. The issue would be how to convert the MPC back to greenbacks. He did have an explanation - but I forgot it over all these years.

 

My main mission in those days - was just staying alive!

 

 

[Flashermac]

The first Sergeant Major of the Army - Wooldridge - was investigated for money laundry in the military clubs. Supposedly, he was converting MPCs to US$ at the black market rate, then converting the US$ back to MPCs at the official rate. He had a lot of fiddles going on - one being buying all that crap Black Label beer for the GIs. He was let off the hook, though I think it was clear he was guilty. I knew a retired E-8 who'd been in CID. He told me the Army didn't want to nail Wooldridge because he was the first SMG of the Army. They just let him retire quietly. Suupposed to have been a lot of others in on it with him.

 

 

[Nervous God]

Just finished the book bangkok warriors, nice read

[Flashermac]

Just like a Thai movie ... everybody is unhappy at the end.

 

 

[Steve]

So, the tail has been wagging the dog? The USA has been following the UK according to this article:

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111062/we-may-no-longer-be-entitled-to-entitlements?mod=bb-budgeting

 

 

 

[Steve]

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111060/the-rise-and-fall-of-america

 

The Rise and Fall of America

 

Alexander Tytler (1747-1813) was a Scottish-born English lawyer and historian. Reportedly, Tytler was critical of democracies, pointing to the history of democracies such as Athens and its flaws, cycles, and ultimate failures. Although the authenticity of his following quote is often disputed, the words have eerie relevance today:

 

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.

 

A democracy will continue to exist up until the time voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by dictatorship.

 

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

 

• From bondage to spiritual faith;

 

• From spiritual faith to great courage;

 

• From courage to liberty;

 

• From liberty to abundance;

 

• From abundance to complacency;

 

• From complacency to apathy;

 

• From apathy to dependence;

 

• From dependence back to bondage.

...