Nutjobs Ranting About Politics.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub I cannot fathom why the hell we have had a scitzo approach to the problem areas.

Military commanders in Fallujah credit the White House for this. Welcome to the desert of the real.
(spree: sound)

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Exactly. The "trust me" approach is laughable.

Kerry's message?

(spree: more sound)

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
I live in a place that sounds not all that unlike what you describe. I don't know Philly very well, but I don't think an older suburb like the one you describe is what I'm talking about. I'll bet the density is somewhat higher, and that elderly/college kids/Section 8 are not as far away as you think.

I have a half an acre and that's about common for the area. I guess that could be considered dense. The closest apt building I know of is about two miles away. Between it and me are two miles of homes of all shapes and sizes.

You are talking about McMansion burbs. I know exactly what you mean. If you drive about five miles past me, there are these great big new homes on acre plots with cookie cutter cul de sacs. But I don't see too much traffic out there, and they have most of the amenities I have, except the restaurants and bars. I don't think they're bad places to live because they're cookie cutter, but because there's no town nearby, and there's no barrier to continued development. The more land, the more new construction, the less valuable the home. I think the cookie cutter developments are going to stagnate as far as value goes over time.

On the flip side, those people don't have half the home upkeep I have.

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by bilmore
In a three-way election, I would pick Putin over Kerry.

(Heck, in some respects, I'd pick Putin over Bush.)

Seduced by the lure of the strong man, Bilmore?

Don't be. After the initial glow faded, you'd probably be irked by the lack of any independent media and the elimination of any meaningful political dissent.

Combine that with the apparent complete inability to resolve the most difficult problem facing his administration (his "two week war" from 1999) and a stubborn refusal to consider and implement significant policy changes . . . wait, I see the similarities now.

I'd take Ariel Sharon over Putin, and you know how much I like Sharon.

S_A_M

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
that everything didn't get squeaky clean right away is not surprising given the Iraqui "melt away" strategy. That we need to stay there and try and give the Iraqui people a chance is clear. Running out now would be to say to the world we lack the ability to exist anymore.

If your "secret" Kerry strategy is to run out come Feb. we had all better hope his sorry ass loses. If what has happened so far kills our resolve, we are in huge trouble.

2. But hat's not his strategy.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
Seduced by the lure of the strong man, Bilmore?

Don't be. After the initial glow faded, you'd probably be irked by the lack of any independent media and the elimination of any meaningful political dissent.

Combine that with the apparent complete inability to resolve the most difficult problem facing his administration (his "two week war" from 1999) and a stubborn refusal to consider and implement significant policy changes . . . wait, I see the similarities now.

I'd take Ariel Sharon over Putin, and you know how much I like Sharon.

S_A_M

Don't forget the economy.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Don't forget the economy.

And the tax rates, which in some cases, top 75%. Yeah, that's right. Vladdy will show you some income distribution, Bitch.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by taxwonk
And the tax rates, which in some cases, top 75%. Yeah, that's right. Vladdy will show you some income distribution, Bitch.

It was my understanding that Russia had a 13% flat tax. Incorrect?

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by sgtclub
It was my understanding that Russia had a 13% flat tax. Incorrect?

Dunno, but I'll withdraw the remark about the economy. Russia's had five straight years of economic growth. This Putin fellow is not sounding so bad after all.

[Cliff Yablonski]

This internet stuff is serious business. Make sure you don't lose your argument.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by sgtclub
It was my understanding that Russia had a 13% flat tax. Incorrect?

Not on oil companies and other industries where foreign investors are involved.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
Don't be. After the initial glow faded, you'd probably be irked by the lack of any independent media and the elimination of any meaningful political dissent.

No, no - that's the draw.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by bilmore
No, no - that's the draw.

Explaining the popularity of

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Explaining the popularity of

I don't know if I've ever watched that.

[The Larry Davis Experience]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I don't know why people see Iraq as a failure. It's a challenge, but in large part it's a challenge because in the past we've not stood up to challenges.
...
Fallujah? Obviously a pit of problems, but we can certainly clean it out if we gain the resolve to do so.

Your criticisms of Kerry would ring much less hollow if you didn't say stuff like this. After all, you do support the folks that are currently running the show over there. They have had an opportunity to stand up to this challenge, but I haven't seen much standing up, except when they overrule the judgment of the military folks on the ground (and Hello, let us not forget) who wanted to finish the job they started in cleaning the place up.

What exactly is Bush's plan? "Step 1: Gain resolve"? "Step 2: More airstrikes against suspected terrorist targets based on limited intel"? In other contexts you have made light of such tactics.

Sadr? Ultimately a punk who hijacked his supposed religion's most holy shrine. He will fade in popularity

Nice touch.

If what has happened so far kills our resolve, we are in huge trouble.

I agree. There is only one way out of Iraq, and that is making it work as best we can despite all that has gone before. Winning the peace, in short. But that is no reason to give the keys to our country back to the folks that set us on this $250 billion boondoggle in the first place.