Right On The Right

Uncle G...

I’m addressing you because the replies aren't nested on this site like they used to be; too bad. Thanks for your stream-of-consciousness contribution to the thread, but you misread much of my post. I’ll be brief.

I disagree that most non-voters stay home because they don’t like either candidate. Polls indicate that most non-voters stay home because they aren’t paying attention, but I can live with that. I’d rather not have the ignorami of society influencing our elections any more than they already do.

“We have had plenty of viable alternative energy souces for decades that we choose not to use.” Viable? Please name one that comes close (in availability and price) to supplanting the petrol in our cars on a widespread basis, even today. Our efficiency standards have not dropped, they have increased–ever so slightly recently, but steadily. The result is more smaller, lighter, and less safe cars. That’s what you get when you let bureaucrats tell engineers how to build their product.

You apparently don’t understand the oil commodities market, so I won’t waste my time arguing its mechanics, which are functioning as designed and have kept our price of gasoline much lower than most of Europe’s for over 40 years.

Corporations are not formed for the “good of the people.” They are formed to provide a product that “the people” will buy and thus turn a profit, at which time customers and employees alike will benefit. The market will sort out the good from the bad if given the chance to work. I agree that corporate welfare is a problem, but to clarify your point please be more specific about which companies you mean, and contrast between “welfare” and “tax breaks.” If you think that corporations shouldn’t have any access to political power, then wouldn’t you agree they should not be taxed? Taxation without representation is a phrase I’m sure you remember from whatever education you’ve had.

Lesthanzero,

Heh.

No, man, I can think for myself without resorting to the go-to sound bites that "conservatives" use to justify foolish policies.

By "conservative", I mean those folks who say their conservative and then vote for canidates who give huge welfare checks to profitable corporations. I'm not sure how they coopted that term for themselves. Hmm, I wonder what people who actually are for small government and wise spending call themselves now?

But I digress...

I'm not a Democrat, hoss. They're just as corrupt as the GOP.

Most people dont vote because they don't like either of the canidates. They're both bought and sold to do the special interest bidding of the elite few.

Congress isn't acting according to the will of the American people. Just look at all of the amnesty bills they keep trying to sneak into law despite an overwhelming number of Americans opposing them.

The economy grew during Bush's term but the average American seen their wages decrease during this time.

The home lenders should bite the bullet for this mess but once again our corporate controlled government is spending OUR tax money to bail out big buisnesses and say it's for our benfit!

We have had plenty of viable alternative energy souces for decades that we choose not to use. Our fuel efficiency standards were dropped and now we use way more oil because of it.

Oil helps to fund terrorism all over the world.

Oil is the lube of terrorism. Ooh, that'd make a great bumper sticker!

Sure we could destroy every inch of undeveloped land we have left in this country to feed our addiction, but the oil companies would just make up a reason why the prices haven't gone down. Y'know, like they always do.

BOTH of our political parties are corrupt beyond repair and we need a viable third party.

Big corpoartions get hundreds of millions of our money to give out to their overpaid CEO's who then desert the emplyees that were the backbone of their company for slave labor in communist countries.

But I guess trade policies that empower brutal dictatorships is a good thing, huh?

No, corporations should not have any political power. None. We don't elect corporations to serve the good of the people. We, the people, should have the political power.

And considering all of the government bailouts we keep giving to these companies, I would argue that they aren't being run too efficiently themselves.

Uncle, your delusions are entertaining; most likely they are a product of mass media brainwashing or Democrat talking points (quite often the same thing). You make it sound as if untold masses of dying and sickly are queing up in soup lines everywhere, the Congress expressly disregards the public will (even though barely half of them vote), all while we are plundering the world worse than the Soviets did. I remember taking drugs in the 70s that distorted my view of reality nearly that much.

The truth is that the economy is still growing, though the rate of growth has slowed dramatically. This is a natural and cyclical occurance. It is not government's job to ensure that everyone wins all the time. The chickens that have come home to roost are lax lending practices, risky home loans mandated by Congress in the name of ending "discrimination," and a prosperous population who would rather spend than save--but then, they are only following the example of their elected officials.

Oil is the engine of economic freedom, and though we have plenty of it here, one party has made it impossible for Americans to extract petroleum from our hemisphere while the Cubans and Chinese pump oil from wells 50 miles off our shores, all because of an unproven mythical belief that, unlike previous millenia, humans are causing global warming this time around.

To be fair, you mentioned a few facts: the dollar is falling and our education system is failing. Neither of these conditions are a result of the "idea" of America, but the corruption of it by one political party who thrives on making as many citizens as possible helpless and dependent on those in power rather than instilling self-reliance. You know who I'm talking about.

If big corporations provide mass employment and tax revenue, why should they not have equal or proportional access to political power? They are much better at running a business than government is, and it is none of government's business what their executives are paid.

-I only hit 'post comment' once.

founded by religious zealots and corporations (land companies were big bizness!), with a constitution that immediately discounted more than half the population! Then it moved ahead with economies based on free and cheap labor!

But hey, at least the US talks a good game. Imagine if this country actually lived up to the talk....World could be a great place.

We rule!

And why aren't you crowing over the fall of Marc Dann, Justin? Good lord if he thought it was Good Friday for him when the Vindy went after him last year the past few days were just the nails S-L-O-W-L-Y being driven in!

founded by religious zealots and corporations (land companies were big bizness!), with a constitution that immediately discounted more than half the population! Then it moved ahead with economies based on free and cheap labor!

But hey, at least the US talks a good game. Imagine if this country actually lived up to the talk....World could be a great place.

We rule!

And why aren't you crowing over the fall of Marc Dann, Justin? Good lord if he thought it was Good Friday for him when the Vindy went after him last year the past few days were just the nails S-L-O-W-L-Y being driven in!

A corporate controlled government?
Failing education system?
Skyrocketing poverty?
Broken health care system?
Hypocritical foreign policy?
Corporate welfare?
The falling dollar?

This is what makes America great!

I love people that aasume we're the best country in the world yet have never been to another country.

If your brother becomes addicted to drugs and you love him, do you let him keep doing what he's doing or hold an intervention? Our country needs an intervention right now, not mindless cheerleading of it's glory years which have long since passed us by.

Newsflash: the world has caught up with us and the corrupt elite in our government from both parties let it happen.

And, no, pointing out my country's problems doesn't mean I hate it. Quite the opposite, in fact. If I hated America, I would sit back and let our country "stay the course."

Am I the only one to comment on this?

Come on my favorite Neo-Cons, I wanna hear what you think. Geesh. Sorry Justin, just thought this post would be hoppin.

What makes this country great? Well for starters it's the "idea" of America. It's not like other countries have the "idea". Take Italy for instance, I've been there a number of times to see family, and as much pride they have for Italy, there isn't the "idea" of Italy.

It's the "idea" that we have a Constitution that has lasted for so long. Granted it's been torn to shreds over the past 180 years, but it's the "idea" we have Constitutional rights. It's the "idea" we have a "free market" (it really isn't), it's the "idea" that I can walk down the street without being harassed by a Government Thug.(ala Communist Russia).

It's all about the "idea".Not the Government, not the Borders, not this "National Greatness" stuff, but the Idea of America.