The Very First Political Post

[Crustyrailgun]

And go figure... its me doing it....

White House Correspondent Criticized For Being Bias (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ep/20050203/en_bpiep/whitehousecorrespondentscriticizeallegedsoftballthrowerandjeffgannonfiresback)

You know things aren't going well for a president when he has to have reporters like that at his press confernces.

[The Toecutter]

There are already three mediapersons that have gotten caught being payed by the Bush administration to be 'pro-Bush' on TV, newspaper, and radio.

There are likely many more.

[Ryner]

This belongs in the debate forum!

[Reki]

There's a debate forum right now?

[highwind]

Coke Vs. Pepsi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


EDIT: Debate forum isn't coming back unless it's deemed absolutely necessary.

[TheBranMuffin]

Why not have a vote?

[IRC]

This is old news. Unfortunatly it was overlooked by the rest of the media. See no evil, hear no evil, write no evil. Well two out of three won't **** up our country.

[highwind]

Why not have a vote?

We don't need one.

If there are numerous "debate" topics constantly cluttering the free forum...we'll create a debate forum.

If not?

We won't.

[IRC]

Well that's an invitation to disaster if I ever heard one.

[highwind]

Real rocket science, eh?

[Reki]

Bush said something about America's economy heading towards bankruptcy recently*. After saying a bunch of crap about how he plans to fix everything (imagine the costs in that), yet at the same time cut the deficit in half.

* - ... I guess he forgot he's been in control of it for four years.

[IRC]

He's talking about Social Security, not the economy. The economy will never be bankrupt because it's not a real thing. So he could fix Social Security(by privatizing it which would cost billions, why not just put billions into Social Security and leave it alone?) and cut the deficit, theoritically that is. I don't see him doing others.

[The Toecutter]

A lot of that deficit is financed with Social Security money. That's what Reagan did, and Reagan is the reason Social Security is going to go bankrupt. He blew it all on corporate welfare schemes for defense contractors and bailing out the savings and loans industries from their numerous scandals that would have led them to bankruptcy.

[IRC]

I don't think it's necessarily fair to say Reagan's the reason, more like what he did didn't help anything.

[The Toecutter]

He's not the sole reason, but he is the main reason. Take a look at his budgets during his time in office. Then take a look at the social security funds. You will see that his terms account for the bulk of the social security debt.

[IRC]

I thought it was still in the black?

[The Toecutter]

It kind of is, depending on how you look at the figures.

Only under Clinton did it ever have an actual annual surplus after Reagan got in. That surplus is needed to pay people later on down the road, namely, the babyboom generation. Since that money got spent, there isn't any money to pay them. Their oversized government spent it on bombs and corporate giveaways.

[IRC]

Well I don't really mind that because the Baby Boomers are bums but I don't want to have to support them.

[The Toecutter]

Neither do I.


But they put their money into it. They should get it back.

In a perfect world, all those that profited from this sceme, the defense, petrochemical, and banking industries, and their bought politicians, would be made to pay it back. After all, they spent the money. Only problem is getting it back after it's done spent. Liquidate their assets? Kind of difficult to do since there are very, very many targets that are specific, and to do so would also punish many not involved. Not only that, but there is no where in the constitution the government is allowed to do such a thing(Same with Reagan's corporate welfare schemes as well).

Social Security, is in my opinion, screwed. Privatization will be its death and will allow a few rich people to make off with what remains, before it is gone.

Not a good situation, given Morgan Stanley's execs are predicting an economic collapse that will make the great depression look like the 1960s booms in contrast. That's what happens when the oil starts running out...

[IRC]

Oh, I'm already prepared for that. With any luck it will happen before I graduate from college and I won't have to actually get a job and I can just become the leader of my own band of road warriors.

Which by the way Terr, you will have a spot on.