What is the problem?
 

The California public employee unions do all that? Wowza.

Fuck Bush and the Republicans
 

Hastert and Frist make a big show of calling for an investigation into a leak allegedly affecting national security -- the locations of the CIA's secret "black site" torture prisons overseas. Lott just said, Tuesday afternoon, that he thinks it was a GOP Senator who leaked the info to the Washington Post last week. He says the details had been discussed at a GOP Senators-only meeting last week, and that many of those details made it into the WaPo story.

Money quote from Lott; "We can not remain silent. We have met the enemy, and it is us."

CNN now. Ed Henry:

Trent Lott stunned reporters by declaring that this subject was actualy discussed at a Senate Republican luncheon, Republican senators only, last Tuesday the day before the story ran in the Washington Post. Lott noted that Vice President Cheney was also in the room for that discussion and Lott said point blank "a lot of it came out of that room last tuesday, pointing to the room where the lunch was held in the capitol." He added of senators "we can't keep our mouths shut." He added about the vice president, "He was up here last wek and talked up here in that room right there in a roomful of nothing but senators and every word that was said in there went right to the newspaper." He said he believes when all is said and done it may wind up as an ethics investigation of a Republican senator, maybe a Republican staffer as well. Senator Frist's office not commenting on this development. The Washington Post is not commenting either.

Thanks to Penske for the subject line!

Deal toys. It's all about the deal toys.
 

Believe it or not I have a friend that is a lawyer in Jakarta. I believe he makes about 80K a year, which means he lives like a king (the same lawfirm turned me down because my Japanese was not good enough). He told me he makes like five times as much as his indonesian counterparts.

I realize that does not really help, and it is hearsay. But I thought I would throw it out there.

What is the problem?
 

Just think of what could be done if they used their powers for the forces of good!

What is the problem?
 

No - that would be the national unions. You said that I would be better of if I had said I just don't like California Public Employee Unions, but I was trying to point out why I don't like most all unions in this country. So I stand by my earlier statement that most all unions in this country promote bad public policy.

What is the problem?
 

Pssst!

SAM - I have a position. Sometimes its just a theory. I throw it out. I'm interested to hear someone refute it or maybe agree with it on a basis other than the one I offer. I actually take away some insight from the process.

Don't tell anyone. I wouldn't want them to think I'm swayable or consider other's views.

Yours,
Sebby

Deal toys. It's all about the deal toys.
 

Yes, it helps. Thanks.

So, if he makes $80K a year, then his Indonesian colleagues make, what, around $16K a year?

There you go, Penske. No word on whether they get filet mignon at the printers.

What is the problem?
 

Idiot liberal socialist types hate America and the notion of the American DReam so much they pretend it never existed and that there was never a nation of workers who pulled themselves up by the bootstrap without the nanny state shoving its full fat milky teat down their throat.

Deal toys. It's all about the deal toys.
 

I am not sure but that indicates a lot of good opportunity in Indonesia. I would take their free market over the socialism of the demo party.

What is the problem?
 

I agree that the unions need to exist, but there's something so repulisve to me about a mindset which would embrace limiting yourself to a guaranteed c-grade existence. I mean, I don't like fighting as I do to make money, but I couldn't just give up and settle either. There's gotta be something to shoot for or there's just no point. The unions I see picketing in Philly aren't trying to better themselves economically or intellectually through any creative means. They just want to preserve their Archie Bunker status and have this attitude that they deserve everything they get.

Well, their sense of entitlement has driven business out of this city, and now they're crying because they realize they've killed their only source of revenue. But they weren't smart enough to think ahead, and I guess we couldn't expect that of them, could we?

What is the problem?
 

Why? Is it like if there was no oxygen, we would all die? Without unions, commerce, indsutry, life would cease to exist?

Deal toys. It's all about the deal toys.
 

Even once you realize that the market there wll bear only a billing rate of $25/hour?

What is the problem?
 

I would say that your lack of relatives who were part of unions has limited your world view.

I remember someone I knew as a teenager who was a firefighter. He was a friends Dad. He was also shop steward for his union, and one of the most intellectual guys I'd met - while my middle class, college educated parents watched Archie Bunker, he was reading history books. But he never went to college, didn't have the background to become a white collar worker, liked very much what he did and took pride in helping people, and enjoyed the prospect of his son going to the best schools. He wanted to make enough to read some books, send his kid to an Ivy league school (on scholarship) and retire in security, but whether he would have enough was always in question.

Archie Bunker mentality?

I think what is most revealing here is that most of the anti-union sentiment, like Mr. Spanky's, seems based on the fact that he disagrees with their politics and so wants to cut off funding. I understand that, it just will not convince me as it is not a particularly principled reason. Your hostility seems based on stereotyping, which is also unlikely to convince me. Hank believes unions have made bad economic decisions for the bulk of their membership and for the country, which strikes me as the best reason anyone has given for disliking unions.

But I still think the brunt of the question is: in a free market economy, should the government step in to regulate such a problem, or is it one to leave to the market. I would leave it to the market.

What is the problem?
 

Who are you trying to kid, here Sebby? You've made a point for years about how you've given up and you're just phoning it in, work-wise. The only thing that sets you apart is the price of your booze, your television set, and your house.

You even have the same sense of entitlement.

Deal toys. It's all about the deal toys.
 

So you are saying Spank's pal bills 3200 hours a year (assuming he eating what he kills with no overhead. If not, way more). You are either high or full of shit or on the must oppose penske to fulfill the demon of hate of my liberalism.Spank?