defenseless against missiles

[Hauptman]

Germany, Italy, and Japan underwent "corrective surgery." They were devastated after the war, and were rebuilt to be civil societies by us and our allies. After the fall of the USSR, we were not able to significantly reshape Russia. In addition to being our economic competitor (just like they were back in the Cold War), their government is failing and so its going to look for a common enemy to unite it's people against: America. They have sold and are selling dangerous weapons to America's enemies, just like in the Cold War (ever hear of Hugo Chavez?). Really, name ONE thing that has changed that makes you think that they are now magically going to be our allies?

Even though it is full of cowardly, militaristically inept, whiney, corrupt, liberal, snobs, I would still consider France to be our ally.

Lol. FDR. That crippled moron was a terrible president. Its funny how people thought he saved us from the depression despite the fact that he CREATED it from a small economic downturn. One would hope Harvard would require people to learn American history, but apparently Obama got by without learning that lesson.

Yes, they do control the economy, it just has a delayed effect. LBJ/Kennedy's big spending caused us to go into the recessive 1970s. Ronald Reagan laid the foundation for the prosperity of the 1990s. Clinton's spending and encouraging unqualified homeownership caused the two recessions in the 2000s. Obama's unprecidented spending not only jeopardizes our future, but it had the very rare effect of making things immeadiately worse.

Chase, where exactly did you learn to be so rude and disrespectful? What exactly have you done or accomplished that gives you the right to look down on others, or judge them?

You know nothing about FDR, Kennedy, or Obama. You have done nothing to compare to their accomplishments. It's very easy to sit in your bedroom, typing arrogant ignorant rants on the internet. Go accomplish something, and learn some humility, and perhaps someday someone might care what you think.

[jessicasimpson]

1. When did the Great Depression start?
--Philistine

Well, it must have been started by Woodrow Wilson before March of 1921. He was the last democratic president before FDR, so it must have been all his fault. There is no way it could have happened under the 12 years of Republican leadership in between Wilson and Roosevelt.

[Inquartata]

He either takes responsibility for the successes AND the failures, or takes credit for neither; you can't have it both ways

Boy, you really don't understand how politics works, do you?*

Taking credit for all good things that happen on your watch, whether you had anything to do with it or not, and blaming all bad things on someone else ( of the other party ) is SOP for all Presidents, Democrat or Republican. All politicians, for that matter.

It shouldn't be so, but it's how tht game is played, and most people seem to be either credulous enough or partisan enough to accept it...

* Yes, I know that in fact you DO know this is how it works. The phrase was just rhetorically irresistible.

As tax revenue, and since you can count on the gov't to spend every dime, that money is guaranteed to have a stimulative effect.

Sorry, you lost me.

A tax cut is stimulative because the government spends it?

However, if you cut taxes there is no guarantee that the money will be spent and have a stimulative effect.

It's either spent or saved. If it's saved it's invested. Either way it's stimulative.

Yes, there are "leakages". Some will be stuck under a mattress. Some will leave the country. Savings will be reduced by the bank reserve requirements. Etc. But on balance tax cuts are still always stimulative.

Germany,

Really?

Even East Germany?

their government is failing

Hmm. I'm in Moscow now, and I see no sign of that.

so its going to look for a common enemy

Is your name chase, or Nostradamus?

If you can in fact see the future, you'd be better off in Las Vegas or the commodities pits than wasting your time here.

Really, name ONE thing that has changed that makes you think that they are now magically going to be our allies?

Who said anything about "allies"? I said Russia is not our enemy. All is not black and white, you know. I don't know you; you are neither my enemy nor my friend. In-betweens exist. Neutrals exist. Grays exist...

But Bush is the only leader in history that has ever cut taxes durring a war, and it did not work. Where does this theory get any historical backing? It seems to have a 100% fail rate.

It's simple accounting. If your income goes down by X, and your spending on one thing goes up by, say, X, but you reduce spending on everything else by, say, 2X or 3X, you'll still come out ahead.

Bush's problem was that instead of reducing spending on everything else by
2X he increased it instead. THAT is why it "didn't work": Because it wasn't even attempted.

That is one of my biggest criticisms of Bush: In some important ways he was a RINO...

[telkanuru]

One would hope Harvard would require people to learn American history, but apparently Obama got by without learning that lesson.

I find this too hilarious for words. There is simply no way you are serious, right? Do you hope that Harvard teaches all about the German bombing of Pearl Harbor?

[chase]

1. You need to read Machiavelli. Its standard procedure for tyrannic communist regimes. Thats why Obama is wanting to "surge" Afghanistan.

2. Nice straw man again. Your referring to my previous statement stating that Pearl Harbor brought the US into WW2 that somehow got twisted by some idiots on this board to mean "Germany bombed Pearl Harbor." It is a simple fact that FDR was too cowardly to fight the Axis powers until Pearl Harbor happened. If it never happened all of Europe would be speaking German. 3. I was talking about how I hope he would have learned the ECONOMIC lessons from FDR's abortive tenure as president.

[jessicasimpson]

It's simple accounting. If your income goes down by X, and your spending on one thing goes up by, say, X, but you reduce spending on everything else by, say, 2X or 3X, you'll still come out ahead.

Bush's problem was that instead of reducing spending on everything else by
2X he increased it instead. THAT is why it "didn't work": Because it wasn't even attempted.

That is one of my biggest criticisms of Bush: In some important ways he was a RINO...

I am not doubting the math, I am doubting the practice.

[telkanuru]

2. Nice straw man again. Your referring to my previous statement stating that Pearl Harbor brought the US into WW2 that somehow got twisted by some idiots on this board to mean "Germany bombed Pearl Harbor." It is a simple fact that FDR was too cowardly to fight the Axis powers until Pearl Harbor happened. If it never happened all of Europe would be speaking German. 3. I was talking about how I hope he would have learned the ECONOMIC lessons from FDR's abortive tenure as president.

1) Stop talking about things you don't understand

2) I'm pretty sure you can't refer to a 4-term president as "abortive"

[erooMynohtnA]

Abortive? I wish that were the mood Chase's parents were in about 15 years ago.

[chase]

1) Stop talking about things you don't understand

2) I'm pretty sure you can't refer to a 4-term president as "abortive"

1) I understand more than you do. I'm starting at the University of Texas at Austin next fall. Where did you go to college?

2) Just because people were dumb/brainwashed enough to elect him doesn't mean that he was a good president or even a decent one. Just look at how popular Obama is. Well...used to be .

[chase]

Abortive? I wish that were the mood Chase's parents were in about 15 years ago.

Killing innocent babies. Yeah, real funny.

[Hauptman]

1. You need to read Machiavelli. Its standard procedure for tyrannic communist regimes. Thats why Obama is wanting to "surge" Afghanistan.

2. Nice straw man again. Your referring to my previous statement stating that Pearl Harbor brought the US into WW2 that somehow got twisted by some idiots on this board to mean "Germany bombed Pearl Harbor." It is a simple fact that FDR was too cowardly to fight the Axis powers until Pearl Harbor happened. If it never happened all of Europe would be speaking German. 3. I was talking about how I hope he would have learned the ECONOMIC lessons from FDR's abortive tenure as president.

Chase, your bias is pathetic; when Bush orders a surge it's good, when Obama orders a surge it's bad. Horribly twisted logic there.

And get your facts straight, FDR wanted to get us into the war YEARS earlier, but there was opposition in congress from the Republicans (does that make them cowardly?). In fact, the conspiracy nuts of the day accused FDR of letting Pearl Harbor happen just so he could get us into the war.

Give it a rest, Chase.

[erooMynohtnA]

1) I understand more than you do. I'm starting at the University of Texas at Austin next fall.

I'm not so sure you are.

An extremely conservative youth--whose extremely poor arguments are matched only by his typing acumen--decides to tighten up his typing and to go to the most liberal campus in Texas days after having changed his avatar to a longhorn?

Extremely poor choice in college results in a mood swing, or a beautifully placed piece of background information to create controversy for a troll's sock puppet? Perhaps we'll never know.

[tchwojko]

That is one of my biggest criticisms of Bush: In some important ways he was a RINO...

That is what is driving me nuts about many in the Republican party right now. Claiming to represent (and uphold) certain values, but not following through either in their public or personal responsibilities.

It'll be interesting to see how many Democrats follow a similar path.

[migopod]

Interesting that Russia is suddenly on the US side of the Iranian nuclear issue... I seem to remember them taking a different stance before.

I wonder if maybe it has something to do with the missile shield thing.

Could this be that strange and for the past eight years presumed mythical beast called Diplomacy at work?

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Extremely poor choice in college results in a mood swing, or a beautifully placed piece of background information to create controversy for a troll's sock puppet? Perhaps we'll never know.

1) I understand more than you do. I'm starting at the University of Texas at Austin next fall. Where did you go to college?

2) Just because people were dumb/brainwashed enough to elect him doesn't mean that he was a good president or even a decent one. Just look at how popular Obama is. Well...used to be .

The deadline for UT Fall 2010 is December 15, 2009. I'm not entirely sure how he would already know that he was accepted. Not impossible, just sounds unlikely.

You dismiss Harvard as an institution that can't manage to teach Obama history (even though they weren't supposed to), yet now a place you claim to be accepted to and have yet to take a class at is a badge of honor?? Are you kidding? Is there anywhere that Telk could claim having any number of advanced degrees that you would accept as a good claim to intelligence??

UT is, in a great many areas, a great school. But playing the "I've been accepted into a good school, I must be smarter than you" game in the fencing community is a game unlikely to get you very much. In addition to getting general scorn, you often won't actually win.


For all the whining about straw men you do, you would think you would try just a little to avoid them. Telk never suggested whether he belives that FDR was a good or bad president, just that "abortive" is a REALLY BAD adjective for a 4 term president.

[jessicasimpson]

The deadline for UT Fall 2010 is December 15, 2009. I'm not entirely sure how he would already know that he was accepted. Not impossible, just sounds unlikely.

Maybe he is a legacy, it would be perfect if he was getting into collage under a form of Affirmative Action. Is UT a private christian school?

[Inquartata]

Interesting that Russia is suddenly on the US side of the Iranian nuclear issue... I seem to remember them taking a different stance before.

I wonder if maybe it has something to do with the missile shield thing.

Could this be that strange and for the past eight years presumed mythical beast called Diplomacy at work?

The analysis I've been reading is that it has more to do with the revelation of a second Iranian nuclear complex, the existence of which the Iranians didn't even share with their Russian "friends". Made Moscow look like a dupe, and no likes to be made to look foolish...

[Purple Fencer]

The analysis I've been reading is that it has more to do with the revelation of a second Iranian nuclear complex, the existence of which the Iranians didn't even share with their Russian "friends". Made Moscow look like a dupe, and no likes to be made to look foolish...

Then why do people like Chase keep posting???

[Capt. Slo-mo]

A paucity of metaphorical mirrors in his house...

[chase]

1. UT is not as liberal as people think it is. Austin is a liberal cesspool but not everyone in Austin goes to UT. Unfortunately, the liberals at UT are not concerned with facts and proclaim that it is a liberal institution. They are just more vocal because they think their in the majority because Austin is a a liberal town filled with homeless musicians who smoke pot all day. Most of my family and friends of my family have gone there and we're not liberals. Jenna Bush went there too. Its a large school so there are going to be a lot of anybody (including liberals, unfortunately), but its also arguably the best school in Texas and possibly the world.

2. Legacy isn't the same thing as affirmative action because the families of legacy students support (and therefore improve) the schools instead of making them weaker.