COL Gene

Reply to How, exactly, is the Bush tax plan working? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Daiwa You asked what do we want? Very basic - JOBS for the 5 Million new workers and a balanced budget. Sounds good to me!

Reply to Social Security: The Big Lie in Politics JoeUser Forums

The problem we have is how to keep the promise to those who have or about ready to retire. Without adding to the trust fund it will not be possible to pay out 100% of the benefits over the next 70 years until the baby boomers have passed.

Reply to Social Security: The Big Lie in Politics JoeUser Forums

Zoomba I am 64 and did the same thing as you are doing all my working life. Social Security is a floor upon which you build. That is why we need to fund the system as it is and encourage all people do just what you are doing. Good Work!

Reply to Geopolitical power and the war in Iraq in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

drmiler Going to war without the support (and I do not mean by a few %) of the American people was the error we made in Vietnam. This was an elective war aginst a country that was no real danger to the United States which misused our military and financial resources. Yes, Saddan was a bad person as are many other Dictators in this world. Removing Saddam was a good idea just not by our hand! Bush 41 understood that and is why he di

Reply to So the Axis of Evil has nukes... in Politics JoeUser Forums

drmiler Better read some of the articles I have read from the Army War College and Imperial Hubris. No one can know what someone will do but to a dictator, their power and ability to control is uppermost in their mind. If a dictator attacks a major power, they would lose that which is most important to them. On the other hand, the moslem terrorists believe it is the will of God to give their lives for what they believe in. We saw some of that

Reply to Geopolitical power and the war in Iraq in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

We also have 10,000 combat injuries and another 15,000 non combat injuries in Iraq. The fact is that at the time Bush attacked Iraq, about half of the Americans did not support the war. Today more than half believe we made a mistake.

Reply to So the Axis of Evil has nukes... in Politics JoeUser Forums

drmiler The danger of any rogue state attacking the US is almost non existant. The second they launched a weapon the dictator would have lost. The danger is from a terrorist cell bringing them into our country and using them aginst our population. Who would we strike out aginst? Which of the many locations was responsible. In fact, rogue states would be reluctant to provide nuclear weapons to terrorist groups if there were any chance to trace the source back to the dictator. That is

Reply to How, exactly, is the Bush tax plan working? in Politics JoeUser Forums

JCG You contention that if the debt were repaid Social Security would have no interest income is incorrect. If there were no Federal Government bonds, the trust Fund could purchase high grade corporate bonds and equities the same as state pension plans. The truth is that when the social security system needs to begin using the money in the Trust Fund (Govt. Bonds) the Fed will have to turn arround and borrow money to repay the bonds held by Social Security and Medicare. If we d

Lets cut Medicade in Politics JoeUser Forums

This week the governors came out against the proposal by President Bush to cut $40 billion from the budget for Medicaid. That program pays for health care for the poor and disabled and is funded jointly by the Federal and state governments. Therefore, when the Federal Government cuts funding to the states those cuts must be made up by the stat

Reply to Social Security: The Big Lie in Politics JoeUser Forums

Please read my blogs on Social Security. "Lets Fix Social Security" and "Bush stepped into quicksand" I have done a lot of research on this subject. The truth is that past generations have received many times the amount they paid into Social Security. Even the baby boomers, who are about to retire will receive several times what they paid in taxes. The younger workers will not fair as well. We must choose the reason for Social Security. Is

Reply to How, exactly, is the Bush tax plan working? in Politics JoeUser Forums

What welfare? There is no welfare of any amount in the federal budget except for medicade(health care for the POOR)? Interest is the ONLY item that does not provide ANY SERVICE to Americans. Defense protects us, nondefense provides services to millions, Social Security etc helps millions live Medicare pays for health care for seniors. Interest pays for 20 plus years when we spent more than we taxed and provides no services or help to anyone? You have a strange sense of values? Also watch how mu

Reply to How, exactly, is the Bush tax plan working? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Daiwa The issue of the interest we will be required to pay on the massive debt is not an obssession it is a fact that you want to ignore. We have added $7 Trillion to the debt since 1980 and 2.5 Trillion under Gerore W? The taxpayers will be required to pay the interest and the money will come off the top before any other obligations. It will continue to drain the budget until it is repaid. What we are doing is just like the ads for debt co

Reply to How, exactly, is the Bush tax plan working? in Politics JoeUser Forums

there are two arguments about stimulating economic activity. One is to increase demand and the other this investment or supply. Economists agree the most powerful tool is the increased demand. If you saved your tax cut it has not stimulated demand and unless you have started a business it has not helped the supply side. The harm that the tax cut has done as it has hepled driven us into deficits. Of the $420 billion deficit in 04 Congressional Budget Office estimated that 270 billi

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

drmiler I agree that Kerry did not make it clear how his plans would improve the Budget, Jobs, Trade, Social Security etc. In a like manner, the policies Bush has put into place with the help of the Republicans in Congress has not help resolve any of these issues. In fact, most of them have gotten much worse and it is time to look for other solutions. "Stay the course" is not working!!!!! Look at my Blog about how the Bush suggestio

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

I guess we had two bad choices for President. If Kerry had won at least there would need to be a compermise to get anything approved. Now we have a rubber stamp of sorts with Bush and the Republicans in Congress.

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

If you read the Blog I said you can lie by not telling what you intend to do. That is what Bush Did. Had he told the voters what he had in mind with Social Security and many of his budget cuts he would be working on the ranch today in Texas!

Reply to Why Shouldn't Iran Have Nukes? in International JoeUser Forums

there is a very great difference between a nation having nuclear weapons and the Islamic militants possessing these devices. For the most part, a country especially a dictatorship will not risk using these weapons on a major power for fear of losing what is most important -- their power base. The greatest danger in any of the Moslem countries obtaining nuclear weapons is if they choose to give them to the Islamic terrorist organizations which do not

Reply to Bush to Sign Bill Curbing Lawsuits in Politics JoeUser Forums

Good move by President Bush and Congress!

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

ParaTed2K: I admitted I have no solution to the Iraq mess we have created. My point was not to make the same mistake again! You are right Daiwa, Bush did not lie about most issues he selectively used information to do what he wanted to do-- Remove Saddam. You will see in many of my Blogs, I offer suggestions, to the current policy, to move the glass from half -full to 3/4 or more full. Some of the policies we are fol

Bush stepped into quicksand in Politics JoeUser Forums

When President Bush opened the door to increasing the Social Security wage cap to include all earned income, it was to garnish support for his plan to partially privatize Social Security. The AP reported that including all earned income would add approximately $100 billion per year to Social Security taxes. AP further reported that only 6% of wage earner

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

there is no good solutionin Iraq other than to try and create some stability before we remove our forces. The more important issue is that I have said not to make the same mistake in the future. The preemptive use of military force can only be justified when there's an imminent danger to this country. There was no imminent dangerto the United States from Iraq and the preemptive use of our military was not a wise choice. I do not pretend

Reply to Support Our Troops- Approve $82 Billion for War in Politics JoeUser Forums

I can assure you retired 06 and above are not in the top 5% from their military or retirement pay! Let thoes who can truly afford to help slove our fiscal problems roll up their sleeves! If some retired military fall into that income bracket, they should help too.

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

the value in recognizing when you make a mistake is to not make it again. That is the purpose of recognizing what we did in Iraq isn't working. Problem is President Bush doesn't recognize what he did as a mistake and is therefore likely to repeat the same mistake over and over again. We must not give him the authority from Congress he had for Iraq in the future. So far as policies regarding Social Security ,Medicare, taxes ,trade etc. these

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

Unless Goss and Rummy are wrong, what we have done is just create another security problem. How does that make us safer? if what I have the say it's so obvious, how is it President Bush and his supporters can't see what is happening? It is amazing to me how people can look at things and not see them. Have we not gone from surplus to a deficit? Is our trade situation not gotten worse? Have we not lost 1450 brave Americans, injured another 25000 and

Reply to Iraq becomes terrorism trainuing ground in Politics JoeUser Forums

First, this is not old info it is new as today. It is the assessment of our two top officials. The human rights issue is another smokescreen. Bush insisted China be entered into WTO. Human rights violations you've got in spades in China. I agree that it would have been better for Hussein to have been overturned. The problem is it was not our responsibility. It has not enhance our security and we made a tragic mistake by interjecting American force