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"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." - Kurt Vonnegut

But what Obama fails to see that the greatest greed is in Washington. The very basis of tax policies in the United States has been to tax at a rate that generates the most possible income to Washington. They balance the rates with the revenues to achieve the maximum income in taxes. It has been that way for a long time. It's always, "Can we squeeze another dime out of the taxpayers."

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Soldiers swear to protect and defend the Constitution with their lives.

Politicians swear to protect and defend the Constitution with someone else's life.

Yes they can. This is a very easy question to answer.

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My enduring personal, original quote: Many mistake what should rightly be called "passivism" for pacifism. Pacifism and passivism are COMPLETELY different.
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." --President George W. Bush.
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Everything about the War on Terror(ism) is aggravating.

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"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." - Kurt Vonnegut

i for one have been for "real" campaign finance reform. as i understand it what passes for campaign finance reform today equates to increasing (is that possible!!??&??) the probability that incumbents are reelected.

others, some in this thread, inform me that that is not possible ~ it apparently infringes on free speech so what to do? wait for the economy to implode? why not, that will give folks time to go to their local public library and figure out what is going on.

in the meantime ponder this by paul krugman;

in the end i think the bailout is just another ploy, perhaps its last, by the bunch in the whitehouse to put another screwing to we the people ~ get a grip on your family jewels.

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EDUCATION, n.
That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding. ~ A. Bierce

I guess nlytend didn't want to answer me.

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Be thou faithful unto Death
And I will give thee a crown of Life

"The problem with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, it's just they know so much that isn't so"
- Ronald Reagan

"A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger, is prepared for a Master and deserves one"
- Alexander Hamilton

Oh cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.

Not totally true. The Republicans love to claim the democrats "tax and spend" but historically, looking at the governments own figures, the Republicans have increased spending at a higher percentage than their Democratic counterparts.

It's all part of the Lee At-water spin.

Total Expenditures have risen each year.
Total Receipts have fallen off under Republicans.
Deficits increase faster under Republicans.
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy07/pdf/hist.pdf

Check out 15.1

So they are not saving you your taxes, what they are doing is getting you to pay interest, knowing full well, some time in the future, you will have to pay that dollar they saved you, in taxes, in full. They are just mortgaging your future so it seems like they are taxing you less. They are actually still spending your tax dollars, but they are borrowing the money from someone else, not you.

Unless you die with no heirs, you or your children will pay for every dollar they spent but borrowed. And you will pay the interest in the mean time. 9% of the federal budget goes to interest payments now.

When Reagan took over, he lowered taxes and total receipts went down, but expenditures jumped. He increased the deficit at a faster rate. We still pay those taxes, just later, because it is borrowed money. In the mean time, we pay interest on them.

When George W. took over, he also lowered taxes, reducing tax revenue, but REALLY jumped expenditures.

Now, I admit, BOTH Democrats and Republicans deficit spend, but the Republicans are historically the real credit abusers.

My view is this: Better to pay 1 more dollar under Democrats who raise taxes and show more fiscal responsibility than to pay a nickle a year for the next 10, and then pay a dollar in taxes under the Republicans.

Democrats: 1 dollar now.
Republicans: .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + .05 + 1 dollar = $1.50 in the long run. (1 dollar borrowed at 5%)

Obviously, the real solution is to get them to stop deficit spending.

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"Time to make the world a better place..." Hootie and the Blowfish, Drowning

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"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." - Kurt Vonnegut