A Forum for Grinches and Ho-Ho-Hoes

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Gattigap

Club, you up for this? 'Cause otherwise, it's back to the coconut monument.

Gattigap

That's kind of the direction I was going yesterday with Ty (i.e., that the only proper end for government spending is to help US tax payors).

I did, however, give a private donation.

[bilmore]

From the sounds on the ground, what they all really need is:

- kerosene
- heavy equipment
- water
- meds

and, most importantly,

- NO MORE USED CLOTHING.

(From a good blog by a guy wandering around the desolation)

http://indiauncut.blogspot.com/

Our best response is probably to get the military in there ASAP, with offshore delivery of labor and equipment to start body disposal, followed by sanitation experts, and sufficient resources to implement what those experts want.

And, all you rich lawyers, go to Amazon now, at

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/...704607-4258367

Anybody bitching about our government's stinginess who hasn't been particularly generous personally at this point is simply unmasked as someone for whom it is very important to give away Other People's Money only, and I can't see a lot of moral weight in that.

[baltassoc]

Those 125,000+ dead from the tsunami?

Just collateral damage from God's chosen method of wiping out 2,000 Swedish homosexuals. (Spree: worksafe article)

According to our friends at Westboro Baptist Church.

[Diane_Keaton]

Originally posted by baltassoc
Those 125,000+ dead from the tsunami?

Just collateral damage from God's chosen method of wiping out 2,000 Swedish homosexuals. (Spree: worksafe article)

According to our friends at Westboro Baptist Church.

From the same friends, celebration of the decimation of the "fag towers" and the resulting decrease in diseased fag feces and semen. Yep.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Like others have already posted, I think this is a bit of wishful thiinking. Aside from that, the specific problem I have with it is that it doesn't solve the main cause of the threat IMHO, i.e., the lack of democracy and modern capitalism in those regions. Until that is established, the middle east will continue to be the cradle of terrorism for a variety of reasons, including because the tyrants will continue with impunity to be able to blame their countries' failures on the US/West and the lack of a discernable future for 80% of the 18-35 year olds.

We could offer a $100 billion prize to the first country in the region to establish a real democracy. $50 billion to the runner-up.

Democracy by peace was never going to be established in the ME.

[bilmore]You think it's possible in Ukraine but not in the Middle East because the people are swarthy and primitive?[/bilmore]

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Hell Ty, lets give it a few more months. At least let them vote. What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid it's not working and not going to work, and that we are wasting too much money and too many lives as we watch the country make tighter and tighter spirals in the toilet bowl.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
That's kind of the direction I was going yesterday with Ty (i.e., that the only proper end for government spending is to help US tax payors).

I did, however, give a private donation.

How come you are so ready to trot out the libertarian objection to helping people, but don't think that way when we discuss blowing them up?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by bilmore
Anybody bitching about our government's stinginess who hasn't been particularly generous personally at this point is simply unmasked as someone for whom it is very important to give away Other People's Money only, and I can't see a lot of moral weight in that.

I think the point was that no one has been bitching about our government's stinginess.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
I'm afraid it's not working and not going to work, and that we are wasting too much money and too many lives as we watch the country make tighter and tighter spirals in the toilet bowl.

When we had our first election 95% of the land was under the control of people seen as savages.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
When we had our first election 95% of the land was under the control of people seen as savages.

We're more PC now. We just call them Red States.

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by bilmore
And, all you rich lawyers, go to Amazon now, at

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/...704607-4258367

Anybody bitching about our government's stinginess who hasn't been particularly generous personally at this point is simply unmasked as someone for whom it is very important to give away Other People's Money only, and I can't see a lot of moral weight in that.

And, for those who may not know -- CNN.com has a page up for tsunami relief aid which contains links to the web pages of several dozen international charities/relief organizations. Easy way to check them out, make a choice, and make an electronic donation.

S_A_M

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by sgtclub
That's kind of the direction I was going yesterday with Ty (i.e., that the only proper end for government spending is to help US tax payors).

I did, however, give a private donation.

Okay, please square this with the billions spent in Iraq. Extra credit if you can show the benefit to the US taxpayers who have died in the conflict.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
We could offer a $100 billion prize to the first country in the region to establish a real democracy. $50 billion to the runner-up.

That is a great, but purely academic idea. Perhaps it would work if we made the number much, much, larger and therefore gave those that have to give up power a real incentive. However, that I think defeats your purpose (i.e., to save costs).

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
How come you are so ready to trot out the libertarian objection to helping people, but don't think that way when we discuss blowing them up?

I am not a pure libertarian. I also think, in the long run, we are helping them.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Okay, please square this with the billions spent in Iraq. Extra credit if you can show the benefit to the US taxpayers who have died in the conflict.

Let me guess. You were one of those people that didn't see the benefit to US tax payors in putting pershing missles in Germany, right?