Smoothseas

Reply to Let The Temple Tumble in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]Don't you think there is a price advantage to the US built foreign cars over domestic cars?[/quote] It depends on how well the trust portion of the retirement plan is managed. Some unions have plans that are currently self sustaining and dont even require further funding. The US auto makers say that the % of retirees shouldnt matter because the trust is fully funded for it. Ill take their word for it but I hope that is isnt full of bad mortgage derivatives. The bi

Reply to You Cannot Fight the World in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]or multiple regional conflicts flare up[/quote] Kinda looks like that stage of the game is already starting.

Reply to Political Suicide? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]"cling to their guns" eh. You obviously have a subscription to Democrat Talking Points Weekly. [/quote] No Im actually an independent who votes mostly republican in my state elections, who loves to cling to his gun, but hates the crap that both parties serve up at the federal level.

Reply to What's Wrong With Palin? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]Also Wasilla is outside Anchorage, which is just like any other medium size city in the US[/quote] Close to half the states population lives in Anchorage and most of the trade for Alaska flows through its port. However Wasilla really is small potatoes.I live in a town of about 2000 even smaller potatoes. In any case wait until you see what the fallout from her NG pipeline deal is going to create. Some people think the legal problems with the Wasilla Recreati

Reply to What's Wrong With Palin? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]She's popular in Alaska for a reason,[/quote] Because its a very rural state which bodes well for the GOP but also because she gave the residents an extra K from the oil revenues this year. I worked on tankers going from Valdez and Nikiski to west coast ports for the better part of twenty years. The local papers told and still tell a very good story about her politics. Im sure much of what happened when she was Mayor and while she has been Gov is archived online. Whethe

Reply to Political Suicide? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]He has to be a dramatic part of this 'solution' and this 'solution' has to be acceptable to the average American[/quote] Which he won't be. The McCain campaign is proposing to have the debate moved to Thursday replacing the VP debate. Understandable when Palins best answer to many questions is "perhaps", however telling the American public that they are not stupid and expecting to pull off a stunt which assumes the opposite is suicide. McCain is in trouble. I drove thru a lot o

Reply to What's Wrong With Palin? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Its difficult to see whats right or wrong with Palin. A little media access might be nice to see if she actually knows anything about what she might have to deal with as VP or Pres. I'm certainly not going to base my opinions on canned speeches and commercials. It is obvious in that respect that she is misrepresenting many things. I guess thats why the media refers to parties as brands these days.

Reply to It all started with the Shah of Iran. in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]I think you mean the RDJTF Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, the forerunner to USSOCOM?[/quote] I do in fact mean RDF, the forerunner to CENTCOM. [quote]They have all said the same thing how is this a new doctrine?[/quote] It isn't that different except in the fact that much of it refers to what was going on in Iran and Afghanistan at the time and out of it emerged RDF which is now CENTCOM.

Reply to What's Wrong With Palin? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]99.9% of the women there were all dressed like men...blue jeans, sweatsuits,even men's baseball hats! [/quote] Its Alaska. Have you ever been there? They all wear blue jeans and baseball caps.

Reply to Political Suicide? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]Yet THIS election WAS going to be cakewalk to the democrats[/quote] Maybe in your opinion or the opinion of some spin doctors. There are a lot of voters, in particular independents, who don't want either party controlling everything so many believe it goes much further than shooting oneself in the foot. Seems to me there are shots fired on both sides on a daily basis.

Reply to It all started with the Shah of Iran. in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]Wait you are quoting an opinion piece as your source of factual information?[/quote] Because its the facts in it that are important. The fact that the pentagon was pushing back at the bush admin because the administration was pushing for war in Iran. [quote]You think that Rumsfeld came up with this idea of prepositioning supplies. So the whole time that President Reagan was building up the military and setting up the maritime prepositioning ships [/quote] It rea

Reply to Political Suicide? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]This election was supposed to be a cakewalk for Democrats[/quote] I don't know that any election will be a cakewalk anymore. The parties have extremely good demographics info so they can target voters locally with specific propaganda campaigns.

Reply to Let The Temple Tumble in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]Sure do! But the foriegn auto makers aren't paying granpapy Jone's retirement from when he was building model A's now are they?[/quote] That type of pension plan is actually more prevalent in non union companies or public sector unions. Union negotiated private sector pension plans generally follow other models which may include trusts, or defined contribution plans such as 401k's and ESOP's, or a combo. In any case the foreign auto makers with plants in the US that are

Reply to You Cannot Fight the World in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]Chavez was unfriendly to the US long before he nationalized the oil industry there[/quote] Saying that Chavez was unfriendly is very different from saying Venezuela was unfriendly. Venezuela was "friendly" before Chavez was president. The move away from privatization of the oil industry began as soon as Chavez was elected. [quote]I don't recall mentioning a specific political party.[/quote] It doesnt matter that you didnt mentiona a specific

Reply to Extreme Medical Bills in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]WHoa! Nice jump there[/quote] Not a jump. You try to characterize those going through financial disaster because of medical catastrophe as "A self indulgent lazy ignoramus that wants to be coddled cradle to grave". Simply not true. If the average income American is having trouble paying for full medical coverage than the problem involves a lot more than you suggest. [quote]So far, Mass has locked up a lot of law abiding citizens[/quote] Untrue. S

Reply to It all started with the Shah of Iran. in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]But you still fail to explain why that makes the conflict about oil.[/quote] That is because I didn't say that it is ALL about oil. I would bet though that if the persian gulf didnt have an abundance of oil that the US wouldnt be there and the situation in the region would be much different from what it is today. [quote] Sunnis and Shiites have been fighting each other for a thousand years. I think it is folly to assume that American foreign

Reply to It all started with the Shah of Iran. in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]Says who?[/quote] [quote]But American foreign policy has a lot to do with protecting people from Al-Qaeda, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, and even Saudi-Arabia.[/quote] US foreign policy would not be such if the middle east was not as rich in oil as it is. American foreign policy certainly has a lot to do with more than just commercial interests but it is definately something that affects the scale of involvement. Israel is a whole different ball game but there is

Reply to To be or not to be, or in this case to approve or not to approve in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]...I'm not one for all that financial crap. I just worry about paying for colleg[/quote] Its going to happen because the businesses involved will soon not be able to meet their payrolls. Personally I think we should be giving them a loan and not sucking up junk securities. If you look at what is happening you'll see what a scam this really is. For example Berkshire Hathaway is fixing to invest big in Goldman Sachs because Buffett knows as soon as they pass off the bad securiti

Reply to So how does this all work? in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]I feel I need a better understanding of the political system to fully appriciate the drama and intruige[/quote] Its all about which one is better at twisting the truth to herd in the largest flock.

Reply to It all started with the Shah of Iran. in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]Very sure, are you, if so why are you sure?[/quote] You simply have to trace things back to the Carter Era and see what happened back then. You can even go back further to the start of Aramco and APOC but the nationalization of Iranian and Saudi oil resources are truly defining periods when it comes to foreign policy changes made in the region.

Reply to Extreme Medical Bills in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]All do[/quote] Not true. Some don't. Most might and some are decent but not all. [quote]A self indulgent lazy ignoramus that wants to be coddled cradle to grave.[/quote] Do you really think the average American is like this? If full health insurance is tough to afford for those at the average income level then you are talking about a lot of people. [quote]I still think it should be mandatory just like auto insurance[/quote] Mass. d

Reply to It all started with the Shah of Iran. in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]The war on terror was not over oil[/quote] Are you sure? Our foreign policy in the miiddle east is why Al Queda attacks us. And our foreign policy in that area is mainly about protecting the flow of oil to fuel economies.

Reply to Casino Capitalism in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]An argument for a return to regulation.[/quote] Some folks are giving people 700 billion reasons for improved regulation.

Reply to Thank You Mr. President in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

[quote]Sorry but that is not proof of any kind.[/quote] It is proof in regards to your original statement for which it addresses [quote]So you don’t understand the concept of debate[/quote]. I do not look for debate....I simply look to point out where your statements are untrue since you so often try to make a point using information that is incorrect or simply doesnt back up anything you try to infer. IMHO you are someone who is clueless o

Reply to You Cannot Fight the World in Politics JoeUser Forums

[quote]The US trades with many places that have no US base, even some unfriendly to the US like Venezuela[/quote] Did you miss the fact that the US Bush Administration only found Venezuela "unfriendly" when the oil industry there was nationalized? To say that we trade with many where there are no bases is irrelevant. Some trade partners do not face political unrest, or share borders with others that may have opposing interests, or wi