Stimulus Money

Re: The Economy (stupid)

I love it. Keep it up.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

I want our trillion dollars back that the Republicans dumped into the bottomless pit called Iraq for no obvious benefit to anyone but Halliburton.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

I'd like to see us close every single overseas military base. Spend that money at home instead.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

Ron Newman said:
I'd like to see us close every single overseas military base. Spend that money at home instead.
Click to expand...

I expect that it wouldn't be long before you'd be spending that defense money close to home!

P.S. For an interesting critique of the Iraq campaign, try "The Strongest Tribe", Bing West, Random House (2008). Any fool can use a hammer to destroy; not as easy to use it to build. Bremer and Rummy should have studied up on MacArthur.
 
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Re: The Economy (stupid)

Perhaps, but isn't that based on the belief that we are fighting a conventional enemy? Osama Bin Laden claimed that it was the American military stationed in Saudi Arabia, home of the holy cities of Islam that led to the non-conventional September 11, 2001 attacks.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

OBL and company are the loudest but not the greatest of our worries. East, east...
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

This has been a fun thread - the only thing you need to know about me is that I'll debate something for the fun of debating it - not necessarily because it's something I believe strongly in.

So please, every single post I have ever written and will ever write... sprinkle it with salt.

I'm by no means a right-wing nut, I just like to explore and defend the things that are considered uncool by the "cool kids". And the only thing in Massachusetts that more uncool than defending Republicans is disparaging the Great Barrack Obama.

I'm the middle child in a large, loud, ethnic family. You have to shout and be "provocative" to even get heard. So please, I hope nothing offends!!!


Another exercise in human branding - identify these people:

- Sara Parker
- Marty King
- Mike Fox
- Paul Hewson

You'll probably recognize their brand names:

- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Martin Luther King
- Michael J. Fox
- Bono

So...
Barry Obama - name
Barrack Obama - brand name

Names and brand names are hugely different when your job is to sell yourself.

Celebrtities have done this since... forever.

I think everyone needs to realize that to be a successful politician is to be a successful celebrity.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

The discussion is fine, but could you please spell Barack correctly?

(And while it's a catchy 'brand name', it also happens to be his given name as well as that of his father.)
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

I think everyone needs to realize that to be a successful politician is to be a successful celebrity.
Click to expand...

They do say that Washington is Hollywood for ugly people.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

I hate branding, it is usually a scam to make more money changing something which is perfectly good for no reason. However, it does tie in with advertising and that is required for public figures to get elected.

They do say that Washington is Hollywood for ugly people.

There's a helluva lot more money and screwing in Washington...

I'd like to see us close every single overseas military base. Spend that money at home instead.

Not every single one, but there are many bases which are strategically and logistically worthless. Power projection is important for security and stability reasons, and many of our current bases don't really serve those needs. With tight budgets and limited manpower it is really stupid for us to be paying through the nose to operate bases for no real reason in many parts of the world. The Strongest Tribe was an excellent book, and I would also highly recommend everyone here read Michael Totten and Michael Yon's books. Totten has some of the best insight on many of the world's most 'interesting' places of late from his many travels. Yon is probably our generations Ernie Pyle.

Osama Bin Laden claimed that it was the American military stationed in Saudi Arabia, home of the holy cities of Islam that led to the non-conventional September 11, 2001 attacks.

Empty excuse, crazy medival cranks like him hate and want people dead and will justify it any way they can think of.

Bremer and Rummy should have studied up on MacArthur.

Aparently neither of them learned from Creighton Abrams and we are damn lucky Gates and David Petraeus knew how to properly conduct a counter-insurgency. Having dealt with similar matters in Africa for the USSR, it was quite disheartening to see the same level of stupidity exhibited by my former superiors after the initial shock and awe stage of the conflict. Petraeus in the end will probably have the same stature as MacArthur in military history. That's saying a lot

And the only thing in Massachusetts that more uncool than defending Republicans is disparaging the Great Barrack Obama.

Made fun of a Kennedy lately?

I want our trillion dollars back that the Republicans dumped into the bottomless pit called Iraq for no obvious benefit to anyone but Halliburton.

Many Democrats voted for the war and have continued to fund it, so share the blame if you must. Haliburton actually is losing money on Iraq and opted to not rebid on many projects. Expect a trillion dollars with of trade back within a few years, much like every other place the US has ever directly invaded.

Oh yeah the thread was about the economy....
So who here has stocked up on canned goods and shotgun shells? Anyone have tips on hiding gold bullion?
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

So a few weeks ago I'm driving through a town in northern Maine and I see this combination gun shop/coin store festooned with British, American, USSR and Nazi flags outside. I figure I've got to see what this is all about.

Inside, after looking over the Lugers and beat up Mosin-Nagants, I strike up a conversation with the proprietor. Apparently, the local folk wisdom has it that all paper money will soon be worthless, specie is the way to go, and it will soon take a Morgan Silver Dollar at the local store to get a single bag of groceries. Peasant superstition?

Anyway, he took my plastic, but I didn't have the heart to point out that, since his village is at the wrong end of the supply line, a Morgan will buy a big bag of nothing.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

BARACK OBAMA -- one r!! The only reason I say calling Obama 'Barry' is disrespectful is because Barry is what he went by as a kid growing up, trying to figure out his racial identity. There was an interview with him during the campaign in Newsweek in which he said changing his name was his way of affirming his african heritage. Therefore, Barry (to me anyway) has a mocking tone, and even hints slightly at racism...
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

I've read all about his naming strategy, including the recent tactic of adding Hussein back.

As for the economy, if you liked Bush economic policies, then Obama is your man. Just read up on his economic personnel choices and their positions... it's most definitely a case of 'meet the new boss, same as the old boss.'

The only economic policy change will be in regards to the unions. One of the first things Bush did was drop the rule that federal construction projects had to use union labor.

Massachusetts refused to go along with it and it was decreed (I believe by Tom Finneran) that all federal construction jobs in Mass would remain 100% union.

Back then, the unions staged an event at the construction site of the Big Dig talking about how only esteemed union labor can build safely.

They held no such union event when their tunnel killed a woman.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, the "O'Neill Tunnel" should be named the "Reagan Tunnel" since Ronnie vetoed it and called it the biggest waste of money he could ever imagine to trust Massachusetts with that much money. Tip O'Neil and Uncle Ted Kennedy pushed it through anyway.

Why name this colossal failure after the man who caused it? Why not memorialize the brilliance and foresight of Reagan for vetoing it right off the bat?
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

Erm because...
1.Eastern Massachusetts and Regan don't really mix. It's more of a case of an Unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object.
2.Why can't we just call it the Liberty Tunnel or Fitzgerald Tunnel to keep it named generically for the taxpayers or after the original highway which was only relocated?
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

I just find it ironic that Tip O'Neill - the person most responsible for the coming $7 tunnel tolls, $3.50 T rides, $.020/gallon spike in the gas tax - the person most responsible for bankrupting our highway and MBTA system - should some how be "honored" with having his name memorialized on the tunnel that has destroyed our entire state's infrastructure finances.

Without Tip O'Neill's backroom wheeling and dealing, Reagan's Big Dig veto never would have been overcome.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

Speaking of the shitty economy, does any one know if the Garage @ P.O. Sq has made some cutbacks recently? I've seen things in the past month or so that I haven't seen there in the previous 10 years.
A homeless man sleeping on a bench @ 7am and he had clearly been there most of the night.
A completely disinterested clerk at the counter (they have always had really good staff)
And today, almost the entire walkway was flooded and covered in six inches of standing water and there was no maintenance staff out trying to correct the issue (obviously a clogged drain). This never would have happened two or three years ago.

Mind you, I'm not really complaining as these are pretty minor things, but it's just surprising because they were always so good about taking care of stuff like that rather quickly. I'm just wondering if it might be a sign of the times.
 
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Re: The Economy (stupid)

Given that the park and garage is maintained by the financial companies abutting the square, I'd say their massive nosedive in profits has curtailed spending on 'aesthetic' items.
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

Many Democrats voted for the war and have continued to fund it, so share the blame if you must. Haliburton actually is losing money on Iraq and opted to not rebid on many projects. Expect a trillion dollars with of trade back within a few years, much like every other place the US has ever directly invaded.
Click to expand...

Now who has drunk the Kool-aid?
 
Re: The Economy (stupid)

Sorry Scott, my wording made it seem I believe a trillion dollars in trade was mere years away. My point was that countries which have had a US presence, see Western Europe, Japan, Korea, have respectively contributed a far greater amount of income in trade over time, than it took to fight the particular wars therein.
 
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