Why our country is screwed

[Tim]

Originally Posted by SoCal LS-L

Where do I sign up????? For that much... ill swim there.

I'd go too!

[SoCal LS-L]

Next meet is at SilverSpears place, expect us to stay a while What do they make Americans do over there for 12k a month??? I dont do any weird stuff so dont ask well maybe a little weird....its 12k hehe

[newsvx]

Yep, there is A LOT wrong with this country, but I don't know of any other I would rather call home! It's not perfect by any means, but the good ole US of A is so much better than any other country, IMO. And during 20 years in the Army, I have been in quite a few different countries.

About the abuse of some of the "support" programs like unemployment insurance. One, the "employer" pays in to support most of that, and it is not all bad. Will there be abuses? Yep, just like everything else. I have a fellow down the street from me that is on disability, and he does pretty much what ever he wants to do. Wrong? you bet. But the ones that really need it far outweigh the ones that abuse it.

And not to start a political discussion, but Obama has a great deal to clean up from the past eight years. If he does not fix thing in the first four years, vote him out! That's what we did in the last election. When you have CEO's making the very large salaries (and golden parachute retirement packages) they make and the Republicians not wanting to raise the minimum wage, there is something wrong with that picture. Compare what the average Japanese auto maker CEO takes home to that of GM: Big, Big difference - no wonder our auto manufacturers are in such bad shape. And BTW, the unions are not much better, and it is coming back to bite all of them .....

Okay, I'll get off my soap box .....

[BoxerFanatic]

Originally Posted by newsvx

Yep, there is A LOT wrong with this country, but I don't know of any other I would rather call home! It's not perfect by any means, but the good ole US of A is so much better than any other country, IMO. And during 20 years in the Army, I have been in quite a few different countries.

Thank you very much for your service. I agree with you, there is nowhere else call home.

About the abuse of some of the "support" programs like unemployment insurance. One, the "employer" pays in to support most of that, and it is not all bad. Will there be abuses? Yep, just like everything else. I have a fellow down the street from me that is on disability, and he does pretty much what ever he wants to do. Wrong? you bet. But the ones that really need it far outweigh the ones that abuse it.

The question is, is the government bureaucracy the one to do that... They barely do anything right, and they should be concentrating on doing what the constitution mandates them to do, like providing for the common defense.

The government is not a charity. They need to leave charitable work, a very necessary and beneficial thing, to charities. A local charity can be much more effective at limiting waste and abuse, and making the most out of philanthropic dollars.

Taxes are not charitable dollars, and people cannot choose to give or where to give. When taxes get high, giving gets cut back. Nobody feels charitable on April 14th.

And not to start a political discussion, but Obama has a great deal to clean up from the past eight years. If he does not fix thing in the first four years, vote him out! That's what we did in the last election. When you have CEO's making the very large salaries (and golden parachute retirement packages) they make and the Republicians not wanting to raise the minimum wage, there is something wrong with that picture.

The things that the previous administration made a mess of, like TARP, and larger government, are DWARFED by what the new administration has done in 6 months.

Secondly, CEOs are not government employees. They make whatever the companies that employ them decide what to pay them during and afterward. Perhaps it is inappropriate, but the government is NOT the organization to decide that. It is intended to be a FREE market. Capping CEO pay, and ousting the CEOs of AIG, and GM, even if they SUCK ON ICE, is not the government's job, or purview. What if they come in and fire YOU?

Minimum wage is not intended to be a living wage, and people are not intended to make that wage for very long, if at all. Certainly not as a full time worker, as a head-of-household should be. Minimum wage is only championed as a base multiplier for union wages, as they make (x) times the minimum wage, as negotiated by contract, not even by their merit as workers.

What it ends up doing, is costing small businesses who pay teenagers, or other part time employees at minimum, or just above minimum wages, because costs are tight. Raising that wage artificially by law just puts those thin-margin businesses at more of a disadvantage, and it probably FIRES more low-wage workers than it truly helps, as business owners have budgets to meet.

Compare what the average Japanese auto maker CEO takes home to that of GM: Big, Big difference - no wonder our auto manufacturers are in such bad shape. And BTW, the unions are not much better, and it is coming back to bite all of them .....

Okay, I'll get off my soap box .....

Japanese automakers are japanese, and purview of those companies. GM is supposed to be the purview of GM, and G is not supposed to stand for Government. If they go bankrupt paying unions and CEOs more than they are worth... then someone else is supposed to either change that before the crash, or pick up the pieces afterward, and do better. Government control is not the answer, and more often than not, it completely exacerbates the problem.

I don't care if they have an R or a D after their name... If they think they should manage the economy, and the people, then they are wrong, and they need to keep their hands off.

Public infrastructure, national defense, and an interstate judicial system, maybe uniform weights and measures... are the roles of an appropriately minimal federal government.

The states add national guard, state police, intra-state judicial system, and policies, and on down to the municipal level. Power should be as close to the people as possible. That is the way the FEDERAL system was constituted.

The more Czars that are appointed, the more industries that are influenced, the more National, rather than Federal the country becomes. We are not designed to be that strictly nationalized, with concentrated power far above the ground level.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by BoxerFanatic

Thank you very much for your service. I agree with you, there is nowhere else call home.



The question is, is the government bureaucracy the one to do that... They barely do anything right, and they should be concentrating on doing what the constitution mandates them to do, like providing for the common defense.

The government is not a charity. They need to leave charitable work, a very necessary and beneficial thing, to charities. A local charity can be much more effective at limiting waste and abuse, and making the most out of philanthropic dollars.

Taxes are not charitable dollars, and people cannot choose to give or where to give. When taxes get high, giving gets cut back. Nobody feels charitable on April 14th.



The things that the previous administration made a mess of, like TARP, and larger government, are DWARFED by what the new administration has done in 6 months.

Secondly, CEOs are not government employees. They make whatever the companies that employ them decide what to pay them during and afterward. Perhaps it is inappropriate, but the government is NOT the organization to decide that. It is intended to be a FREE market. Capping CEO pay, and ousting the CEOs of AIG, and GM, even if they SUCK ON ICE, is not the government's job, or purview. What if they come in and fire YOU?

Minimum wage is not intended to be a living wage, and people are not intended to make that wage for very long, if at all. Certainly not as a full time worker, as a head-of-household should be. Minimum wage is only championed as a base multiplier for union wages, as they make (x) times the minimum wage, as negotiated by contract, not even by their merit as workers.

What it ends up doing, is costing small businesses who pay teenagers, or other part time employees at minimum, or just above minimum wages, because costs are tight. Raising that wage artificially by law just puts those thin-margin businesses at more of a disadvantage, and it probably FIRES more low-wage workers than it truly helps, as business owners have budgets to meet.



Japanese automakers are japanese, and purview of those companies. GM is supposed to be the purview of GM, and G is not supposed to stand for Government. If they go bankrupt paying unions and CEOs more than they are worth... then someone else is supposed to either change that before the crash, or pick up the pieces afterward, and do better. Government control is not the answer, and more often than not, it completely exacerbates the problem.

I don't care if they have an R or a D after their name... If they think they should manage the economy, and the people, then they are wrong, and they need to keep their hands off.

Public infrastructure, national defense, and an interstate judicial system, maybe uniform weights and measures... are the roles of an appropriately minimal federal government.

The states add national guard, state police, intra-state judicial system, and policies, and on down to the municipal level. Power should be as close to the people as possible. That is the way the FEDERAL system was constituted.

The more Czars that are appointed, the more industries that are influenced, the more National, rather than Federal the country becomes. We are not designed to be that strictly nationalized, with concentrated power far above the ground level.

:slow clap: good post!

[JaySVX]

I'll agree, the support services are there for a reason, for people who need it. However, for every person that really needs it, I see 10 abusing it. There's entire towns and cities built on that alone. And when I needed it in my time of difficulty, I couldn't get it. I paid into it, and did everything right, but nope, no luck. Then as I'm turned away at the unemployment line, I see people who had made their livelihood off those services, and typically it's pretty easy to spot who is and who isn't abusing the system.

Sure, these guys built empires of companies, make fortunes, and have a back door in case things get bad. That's called good business. It was obvious they were making fortunes, it's public knowledge and public record, you can look up the salary and benefits of any executive of any company in the US that is publically traded. Yet you still buy their products. Next time, check into the companies you are purchasing from, and if you don't care for their business practices, you can simply not buy their products.

Once you live a multi-million doller lifestyle, it's easy to get used to. Once there, doesn't it make sense to build yourself an out incase **** hits the fan? I sure as hell would.

[y2daniel1981]

Originally Posted by JaySVX

If you look, i was answering someone's specific question as to why not quit their jobs and live off it.

The point is, the government should not be rewarding people to sit on their ass and collect checks, some even living better than those who go out and work their fingers to the bone. It's absurd, and as the topic suggests, why our country is screwed.

Oh I know you weren't attacking me, I was just putting in my 2 cents that I'm not like those people.

[y2daniel1981]

Originally Posted by newsvx

And not to start a political discussion, but Obama has a great deal to clean up from the past eight years. If he does not fix thing in the first four years, vote him out! That's what we did in the last election.

No we didn't. Bush served his 8 years, he couldn't run again if he wanted to or if we wanted him too. Now if you mean vote out the party, then yes, we did that.

[SilverSpear]

Originally Posted by y2daniel1981

Now that is tempting...I like hot weather...

Originally Posted by SoCal LS-L

Where do I sign up????? For that much... ill swim there.

Originally Posted by Tim

I'd go too!

Originally Posted by SoCal LS-L

Next meet is at SilverSpears place, expect us to stay a while What do they make Americans do over there for 12k a month??? I dont do any weird stuff so dont ask well maybe a little weird....its 12k hehe

Daniel and Socal, what do you guys do and what degrees you have?

Tim, you do only photography?

[SoCal LS-L]

Originally Posted by SilverSpear

Daniel and Socal, what do you guys do and what degrees you have?

Tim, you do only photography?

Err what degrees do we need? I have almost a free ride through college on native american scholarships and was heading for Environmental Sciences. Until then im an auto mechanic.

[SilverSpear]

Man you need real degrees, like Engineering, MBA, CPA, CFA... with such degrees and a +10 year experience, you can get around 15K. If married you get 20K/mo. All Tax Free.

[y2daniel1981]

Originally Posted by SilverSpear

Daniel and Socal, what do you guys do and what degrees you have?

Tim, you do only photography?

I have:
associates degree in Journalism & Mass Communications with emphasis on Public Relations/Advertising

bachelor's degree in liberal studies with emphasis on business managment

and right now I am working on my master's degree in secondary education

[SilverSpear]

Originally Posted by y2daniel1981

I have:
associates degree in Journalism & Mass Communications with emphasis on Public Relations/Advertising

bachelor's degree in liberal studies with emphasis on business managment

and right now I am working on my master's degree in secondary education

You get a better offer with a Masters degree.

What about work experience?

[James Scott]

1) Started with taking God out of the classrooms! That [Atheist] dork {woman} back in the early '60 s I think.. . that sued the school systems and won..to have no school prayer.. .
2) Continues right up through .. and continuing today.. the disassembling of our Christian heritage.. . and pushing God into the back seat.. . or pushing Him out the door, while the car is still moving!
3) A good example of what has filled that void is the present day efforts by "OUR" (not mine! Ha!) administration to grow government as an approach to solve every problem! The individual's rights, like liberty, spelled out in the Constitution.. . which really originated from Christianity and the bible.. . as anyone looking at our founding father's history could easily deduce.. . is now also criticized and given a (waaay!) back seat! Capitalism and small (even large) businesses are not appreciated (Basically, the route of all evil to liberals and socialists.. . Poor conclusions, drawn by liberal "victims" who hold out the government as a whole.. if not Obama..as the "SaViOuR"!)

4) Probably the best example in our present day.. for what can happen when God is ignored, cast aside ..or disdained.. . is the worship of the environment by so many in our society (in the place of God)! In our area (CA, Central Valley), the CA EnViRoNmEnTaL DoRkS have managed to put a fish... some (UNENDANGERED!) smelt... in the Sacramento Delta area above many many people... farmworkers, farmers, and all related workers in the AG industry (AG is a major industry in the Fresno area) ...which have been abruptly put out of work.. or put out of business (thousands in THIS economy!).. . by diverting AG water into the Delta (ocean!) so more smelt might live! Schwarzenegger won't even turn the water on as an emergency measure! It seems society as a whole has lost it's bearings!

5) I just put my savings in a sock (MM Fund) because I can't think of ONE??? reason why the market should go up! In fact, I don't know why it hasn't crashed further than '29 already?! [I predict CrAsH Oct '09]

6) Just hope you're not approaching.. or beyond.. my age (63).. . Cuz nobody.. . even the liberal media.. . is saying to just ride this economy out .. if you're 60+.. . maybe 50+.. . probably 40 on down .. . BUT, There is no way this economy will dig out .. even in five years .. . Maybe 10! Hope this doesn't happen to you younger guys when you're approaching retirement age!

7) I hope I'm wrong, but can't see a recovery with what OB is doing.. . in the near future.. . AT ALL! [BTW, Nat'l Health Care or increased taxes should finish us off!]

8) The bible says.. "Worry about nothing, pray about everything.. ."

Hope to see Ya at a "Tea Party"! .. . Jim

[TomsSVX]

To all who say Obama is cleaning up the mess from the last 8 years need to remember one thing from his campaign. Besides the ridiculous overuse of the word "Change" he said he had it all covered. he had plans that would wipe out the financial crisis and put us all on a sail-boat to easy street.

While being a realist I knew it was total bull****, but the optimistic day dreamers (Democrats) thought it was all good. Hell maybe Communism could work in the US even if it failed(morally and in most cases financially) in every other country. I have to ask, having seen what has been happening and what we have come to expect from our leader, would you still have voted for him if the election was today?

Now I am not a die hard republican, there are many things wrong with the Republican party that I do not like or support. There are simply that many more things wrong with Democratic party and its ideology that push me away from it. I removed my head from my ass as a sophmore in College when I was able to learn what optimism and good intentions have done to people and countries in the past. I will say it is all in the hands of the individual who actually makes decisions, I just don't see Obama doing anything right. I for one wish Andrew Jackson were still around to run this country.

Tom