I don't see the parallels between people living under a monarchy, unable to represent their concerns to an indifferent overseas empire and, in reprisal, dumping a commodity which they felt was unfairly being taxed to people that received mostly received a tax cut this year from a democratically elected congress that represents them in the country in which they live.

The protesters in Boston had no representation. The protesters today DO have representation and it is commiserate with the sentimentality of how the American people who voted in record numbers last November. In short, it's a bunch of wackos crying over losing an election and power and abusing historical context to make it seem like we need a revolution (we had one. It was November 4th. You lost. We'll have another. Same date.)

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I assume you're joking, but I'll entertain the question never the less. Growing up, you should have learned about the Boston Tea Party that took place in the Boston Harbor. This was a famous protest amongst citizens against the heavy taxation of tea (and other commodities as it stood). So in protest, they dressed up like Indians, snuck aboard a merchant ship from England and pushed over barrels of tea, etc... Today, we are protesting a few things, but they're all related to fiscal responsibility. We are protesting: 1 - The bailouts (which we fear, and know, will lead to increased taxation) 2 - Obama's budget plan (which is expected to grow the national debt by several trillions more which will lead to increased taxes) 3 - The massive expansion of government (which will lead to increased taxes). That is what these tea party protests are about. I REALLY, REALLY hope you knew about the Boston Tea Party? Please tell me (lie if you have to) that you knew about the Boston Tea Party. It's like one of the first things they teach you in school, public, private, liberal or conservative. You would quite literally have to be exceptionally stupid not to have learned that...?

Government's not goona care unless you hit 'em in their wallets...


The tea parties aren't going to change squat, but they MIGHT help people network, though. it's a start...

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: And they call themselves teabaggers to boot! I can honestly say that I have never seen so much stupid - and I went to an ultra liberal college where stupid was thicker in the air than post smoke.

Yeah, gee, protesting is SO stupid!

quote Originally posted by FieroRumor: Government's not goona care unless you hit 'em in their wallets... The tea parties aren't going to change squat, but they MIGHT help people network, though. it's a start...

And that right there is why I am for the Tea parties. Getting people together, especially people that are usually more into "individual" freedoms is a big thing. The left is far easier to assemble as they are more used to working in groups.

Brad

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: In short, it's a bunch of wackos crying over losing an election and power and abusing historical context to make it seem like we need a revolution (we had one. It was November 4th. You lost. We'll have another. Same date.)

No, Jeremiah, that's NOT what it's about. It's about protesting runaway government spending. It's about the liberals getting the keys to the treasury, and raiding it like kids in a candy store. But since they're YOUR politicians, I guess that makes it OK?

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: I don't see the parallels between people living under a monarchy, unable to represent their concerns to an indifferent overseas empire and, in reprisal, dumping a commodity which they felt was unfairly being taxed to people that received mostly received a tax cut this year from a democratically elected congress that represents them in the country in which they live. The protesters in Boston had no representation. The protesters today DO have representation and it is commiserate with the sentimentality of how the American people who voted in record numbers last November. In short, it's a bunch of wackos crying over losing an election and power and abusing historical context to make it seem like we need a revolution (we had one. It was November 4th. You lost. We'll have another. Same date.)

Worth repeating, if only the crybabies would read it.

[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 04-15-2009).]

quote Originally posted by NEPTUNE: Worth repeating, if only the crybabies would read it.

So when Bush was president YOU guys were the cry babies?

[This message has been edited by partfiero (edited 04-15-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: still dont get it...how is this a protest? the closest thing you can do to the Tea Party would be to destroy tobacco which the King receives much $$$ from OR throw the containers from China off a container ship (and hope there are not Chinese slaves in the container...) and, of course, be dressed as Taliban this Tea Bag stuff is mighty mighty lame - and sounds more like something from the great mind of Flo, The Progressive Insurance Lady

I think you're taking the term Tea Party too literally. They are naming it a "Tea Party" to add the stigma of the protest towards "taxation". The Boston Tea Party wasn't STRICTLY about "Tea". The Tea was merely the symbol of what they were fighting against, and that was the excessive taxation.

That is exactly what these protests are for. The protest is about preventing the government from spending more money, both in Obama's proposed budget, or additional bailouts. The reason is because all of this increased spending will lead towards increased taxation. A protest is merely a gathering of people who are in disagreement with a stance on something... in this case, the stance of the current administration towards spending. We don't want them to spend more because we know it will lead to increased taxation.

From a technical sense... a protest could be something as simple as you standing outside of a hair salon with a sign discouraging patrons because you got a bad hair cut.

I think either your just trying to upset an argument which you perceive to be "Republican" or you're genuinely un-knowledgeable about what this is about... I don't see HOW there could be any misunderstanding after this post???

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: I don't see the parallels between people living under a monarchy, unable to represent their concerns to an indifferent overseas empire and, in reprisal, dumping a commodity which they felt was unfairly being taxed to people that received mostly received a tax cut this year from a democratically elected congress that represents them in the country in which they live. The protesters in Boston had no representation. The protesters today DO have representation and it is commiserate with the sentimentality of how the American people who voted in record numbers last November. In short, it's a bunch of wackos crying over losing an election and power and abusing historical context to make it seem like we need a revolution (we had one. It was November 4th. You lost. We'll have another. Same date.)

You're taking it too literally. The Boston Tea Party was not relaly about "tea". It was a protest against unfair taxation. The "TEA" was merely the symbol of the event. I mean, if England said they would lower the taxes on Tea, it's not like everyone would just suddenly be happy and go home. As far as the tax breaks go... I defintely will benefit (in the short term) from Obama's tax cuts. But I see the world not in how it will take care of me, but how it will take care of all of us. Maybe that's the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives (notice I don't say Democrats and Republicans). Although "I" personally will benefit from his tax breaks (at least in my adult youth), I realize that it will have a negative effect on business, which in turn employes all of us. Aside from that though... (and I'll touch on this more), the amount of debt that we're accruing, will cause a tax increase, even to the rest of us, regardless. Any tax "benefit" that we expect to see in the next year or so will probably be recinded quickly by the need to raise more capital to pay off the increased debt. (note, any tax breaks you get this tax day are from Bush).

As far as this being about losing an election... I can't speak for everyone else, but "I" am under the impression that this is about runaway government spending. I PERSONALLY am going to the tea party protest because I am COMPLETELY against these bail-outs (including the first one that Bush passed). I am completely against Obama's massive budget which spends an exorbant amount of money trying to create "green jobs". I am a total environmentalist. I mulch, I've got all low mercury CFLs in my home (only two incandescant bulbs in my entire house). All my bathrooms and closets have timer light switches so when my wife forgets to turn them off, they turn off after 30 minutes automatically. I have an attic vent with increased insulation. I have a 4 and a half ton A/C unit for my home which only requires a 3.5 so it uses less power, less often, It's an 18 SEER rated. I have a computer controlled water heater which shuts itself off during inop times during the day. I have a digitally controlled A/C thermostat, I've sealed every nook and cranny in my home to reduce power consumption. I have low-flow faucet aerators in all my faucets, I have two very low-water consuming toilets, a 1.28gpf in the guest bathroom, and a 1.6 gpf in the master bathroom. I save my kitchen scraps and put them in biodegradeable bags which I then dump in my compost bin which I have out back. I grow my own fruits and vegetables in my backyard (bananas, avacados, papayas, pineapples, mangos, peaches, cherries, etc). I don't use fertilizers... only natural compost tea. I recycle everything I can and know the recycling chart by heart, I even own a friggin Volkswagen Bus. So anything you want to know about "going green" and I can tell you with fair authority, and I can tell you that this increased EPA spending is a massive waste of money.

If you think I'm a hard core Republican (I can't imagine you'd think that after everything I just told you), I will happily say that I support Obama's passage of the Protected Lands Bill which just protected 23 million acres of land across the US. I also have voted Democrat on a few occasions when it came to senators (Voted for Senator Bill Nelson twice for Senate because he's a moderate, fiscal conservative compared with the rest of his ilk, and also is against off-shore drilling). For what it's worth, I support drilling in Anwar, but not right off-shore on the east and south coast of Florida.

With all that I've said, I can say that I probably know quite a bit more about his spending practices with regard to "green programs" and they're all a huge waste of money. And that is what "I" am protesting today. It's not about him being a Democrat, because to be quite honest, I don't really care... I'm going today with two friends, who both consider themselves "democrat" (although one of them did NOT vote for Obama).

I do NOT know this to be a protest against Obama himself and in "retaliation" for wining the presidency. This is the first I've heard of this, and I can only assume you've picked up this idea on liberal news media outlets.
Is there anything FURTHER you want to argue about with respect to the validity of these protests???

------------------
Todd,
2006 Pontiac Solstice
2004 Volkswagen Beetle Convt. (Wife's)
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1981 EZ-GO Xi875-A "Miami Dolphins" Medical Cart
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter
1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 350

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I do NOT know this to be a protest against Obama himself and in "retaliation" for wining the presidency.

It has NOTHING to do with who is the president, but it has EVERYTHING to do with how the government is taxing us and spending the taxpayer's money.

Obama's administration proposes a 2.3 Trillion Dollar budget. That's more debt then we've EVER had as a nation!



2.3 Trillion Dollars! To put this into perspective, let's see what that looks like so we can see how much debt Obama is flushing this country into.

What does one trillion dollars look like?

"All this talk about "stimulus packages" and "bailouts"...

A billion dollars...

A hundred billion dollars...

Eight hundred billion dollars...

One TRILLION dollars...

What does that look like? I mean, these various numbers are tossed around like so many doggie treats, so I thought I'd take Google Sketchup out for a test drive and try to get a sense of what exactly a trillion dollars looks like.

We'll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomination in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slighty fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go.



A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.



Believe it or not, this next little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.



While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet...



And $1 BILLION dollars... now we're really getting somewhere...



Next we'll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we've been hearing so much about. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it's a million million. It's a thousand billion. It's a one followed by 12 zeros.

You ready for this?

It's pretty surprising.

Ladies and gentlemen... I give you $1 trillion dollars...



...notice that the pallats are double stacked."

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.



So basically, Obama is spending one of these...



...plus another once of these...



...and another 333 of these.



How, exactly, is putting this country into that much debt supposed to stimulate our economy? Does anyone really believe that the government has this money to spend?

That WILL be paid back in the form of higher taxes, inflation or more than likely both.
The problem with the inflation it will cause, that will never go away.
Every generation from here on out will pay for this reckless spending.
It is a ***** when both parties partake in bigger government, no choice but become slaves or kick their a$$es out.

It isn't about who won or lost. Its about taking the current "crisis" and using it to fund your entire agenda in one sweep. One needs only to look at Rom Emmanuel, Obama's chief of staff, for the evidence:

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before. This is an opportunity. What used to be long-term problems -- be they in the health care area, energy area, education area, fiscal area, tax area, regulatory reform area -- things that we had postponed for too long that were long-term are now immediate and must be dealt with. And this crisis provides the opportunity for us, as I would say, the opportunity to do things that you could not do before."

The VAST MAJORITY of Americans opposed the Bailout Bill and yet they (Republicans AND Democrats, BTW) passed it anyway. They are IGNORING their constituents and the protests today are an opportunity to tell them that we don't like it. They had better start listening to us again or they will regret it come election day.

When I look at what I get for the taxes I pay, I cannot believe what a great deal it is!
For just a few hundred dollars each year, I get to belong to the greatest club in the world: the USA.
I get a standing army, navy, and marine corps to deal with the bad guys.
I get parks, schools, courts, and roads.
I get so many benefits for what amounts to chump change that I just cannot understand the whiners who complain about paying their dues.
America, Love it or Leave it?
I'll GLADLY stay right here and happily pay my membership dues every year, even if the cost goes up.
And I did it during the dark years of the Bush II administration, just as I did today.
Don't like it? Work for change, or go wherever you think the grass is greener.
But kwitcherbitchen, cause these are deaf, AMERICAN ears.

[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 04-15-2009).]

No, they're OUR politicians and they were elected democratically.

quote Originally posted by fierobear: No, Jeremiah, that's NOT what it's about. It's about protesting runaway government spending. It's about the liberals getting the keys to the treasury, and raiding it like kids in a candy store. But since they're YOUR politicians, I guess that makes it OK?

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: The Republicans just lost power...

No, the AMERICAN PEOPLE lost power! The US government is supposed to be a government "of the people, by the people, for the people". Our government today is running this country any way that THEY want, and there's not a thing that you, I, or the American public can do about it. The US government is supposed to work for the people. NOT the people working for the US government!

(Doesn't matter to me if the government is Republican or Democrat. A government not doing their job is a poorly run government no matter what "wing" is in office).

[This message has been edited by Deabionni (edited 04-15-2009).]

quote Originally posted by NEPTUNE: When I look at what I get for the taxes I pay, I cannot believe what a great deal it is! For just a few hundred dollars each year, I get to belong to the greatest club in the world: the USA. I get a standing army, navy, and marine corps to deal with the bad guys. I get parks, schools, courts, and roads. I get so many benefits for what amounts to chump change that I just cannot understand the whiners who complain about paying their dues. America, Love it or Leave it? I'll GLADLY stay right here and happily pay my membership dues every year, even if the cost goes up. And I did it during the dark years of the Bush II administration, just as I did today. Don't like it? Work for change, or go wherever you think the grass is greener. But kwitcherbitchen, cause these are deaf, AMERICAN ears.

Yup.. this just had to be posted and saved. Neptune showing what he gets for his few hundred dollars. (he's leaving off all the stuff that he doesn't use. All the projects in WV with Byrd's name all over them.. pork etc) He doesn't care that these services cost far more than what he's putting in.
Tax money comes from a special, magic machine. Not his neighbors or his boss who might have to fire him or a friend of his to pay the increased taxes. Nope he's happy to reap the rewards off the backs of others. I'm even willing to bet he thinks the $13 a week "tax break" is going to offset the increased prices of everything that he buys.
I hear talk about selfish people all the time in here and it's usually Neptune or someone like him talking about the "Rich" yet here he is showing how selfish he is.

well, it appears one of the local locations for "The Tea Party" is right across from my office. a small crowd is out there right now, waving, hooting & hoisting their signs. of course not one gives one bit of crap over the way over the top 200%+ Tobacco taxes - just taxes which affect themselves.

I would argue that under the rules of the Constitution, that we do NOT have _proper_ representation. The Federal Government (actually ALL government) was intended to be very limited. Supposedly, our federal representatives take an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution. A Constitution which gives them limited powers, which they have overstepped. It's simply that 'they' haven't been reigned in as of yet, and are drunk on the power. 'We' have been guilty in allowing our liberties to be eroded away, little by little, with no resistance, and so, we should not be surprised at the result. 'We' have allowed our children to be indoctrinated with socialist ideals for quite a few decades, resulting in generations of persons who feel that they are entitled to all the benefits that come from hard work, but without actually having to DO anything. 'We' have allowed control of our monetary system to a _private_ bank (The Federal Reserve...talk about a monopoly!)

quote Originally posted by NEPTUNE: When I look at what I get for the taxes I pay, I cannot believe what a great deal it is! For just a few hundred dollars each year, I get to belong to the greatest club in the world: the USA. I get a standing army, navy, and marine corps to deal with the bad guys. I get parks, schools, courts, and roads. I get so many benefits for what amounts to chump change that I just cannot understand the whiners who complain about paying their dues. But kwitcherbitchen, cause these are deaf, AMERICAN ears.

Boy, it is hard for me to remember a more selfish, nor a more short-sightedly stupid post.

Yeah, I can't believe what a great deal it is for you, either. But did you stop to think for one blessed minute WHY it is a GREAT DEAL for you?

You pay " a few hundred dollars" each year. Really? You get the same membership benefits I get and I had to pay over SIXTY THOUSAND dollars.

And yet you gloat about that. AMERICAN ears. You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a blatant MOOCH. You are more than happy to let other americans pay TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars yearly to subsidize your part of the cost so you only have to pay "a few hundred dollars". And then you sit and gloat about what a great deal it is. And when someone that actually DOES have to pay for this great deal, and wants some relief from the spending orgy and the incredible tax burden of paying for your share of your great deal, then your comment is, "kwitcherbitchen, cause these are deaf, AMERICAN ears." And you call them a cry baby.

And you have no shame in that. You have no inner sense of pride of being a contributor, and no shame in being a leech.

Well, deaf ears or no, YOU ARE A SHAMELESS LEECH.


And Jeremiah, with your shameful, blatant, income redistribution attitude. Yeah, you are right. The tea party analogy isn't accurate and doesn't fit. But what do you care? You got your stimulus check. And besides. "I don't see anyone with any better idea." That is because you aren't objectively looking. They are out there. And they don't involve TRILLIONS of dollars of NON-CRISIS spending. And they don't involve essentially NATIONALIZING several major industries. And they don't involve a FUNCTIONAL dictatorship that STEALS people of the value of their money by a dictatorial governmental policy of just printing trillions of dollars of valueless money.

But really, it's ok. Because YOU got your stimulus check. Well, AND you don't have to pay for social security. Could you REALLY be that much of a fool? Because YOUR taxes to pay for all this spending is going to DWARF your stimulus check.

And your November elected buddies are just getting warmed up when it comes to CRISES they are going to find EXPENSIVE (non) "solutions" for. Well, that is your flaw in the first place. You are looking to GOVERNMENT, democrat or republican, to solve the "crises" (that aren't crises in the first place).

President Reagan got it right. Government IS the problem. But Jeremiah, you won't believe that. And Neptune, you don't WANT that. Because you want government to keep taking money from other people so you only have to "pay a few hundred buck."

And somehow you guys can sleep at night. Incredible.

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: I don't like the bail outs myself but I don't see anyone with any better idea.

I don't pretend to have a better idea but, I was against the bailouts in the beginning and I still think I'm right, doesn't matter who is in the White House. Now, the White house is talking about a forced "controlled" bankruptcy for GM and forcing Chrysler to merge with Fiat. Why wasn't this considered/done before we broke the bank? Again, this isn't my idea and I'm not taking any credit but, why hasn't this option been considered for other bailed out entities? We're on a spending spree like there is no tomorrow. Your children's and grandchildren's wealth is being spent right now. I'd think that bother most folks but, apparently it doesn't.

Ron

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: of course not one gives one bit of crap over the way over the top 200%+ Tobacco taxes - just taxes which affect themselves.

That is COMPLETELY untrue. COMPLETELY.

On a personal level, I am as anti-smoking as a person can be. And I am VEHEMENTLY against governmental abuse of smokers by their INCREDIBLE over taxation of cigarettes. I can find NO justification for it.

quote Originally posted by frontal lobe: That is COMPLETELY untrue. COMPLETELY. On a personal level, I am as anti-smoking as a person can be. And I am VEHEMENTLY against governmental abuse of smokers by their INCREDIBLE over taxation of cigarettes. I can find NO justification for it.

thank you! you are the first to say such a thing.

Having just come back from a tea party. It was made up of all kinds of people from all political parties and walks of life. Not that facts like that will matter to Neptune and Jeremiah. This is about being an American that wants to put the government back in its place.

quote Originally posted by Phranc: Having just come back from a tea party. It was made up of all kinds of people from all political parties and walks of life.... ...This is about being an American that wants to put the government back in its place.

I just had a lady come into my office that went to a tea party today. She said pretty much the same thing. Of the 100 or so people there, everyone had once common gripe; and that is, they're tired of the government controlling our country. Little by little the government has been taking power away from the American people, and it's time for the people to start taking that power back.

I don't know about other areas but the discussions weren't only about federal taxes and spending. In Annapolis the state was a target of anger too. We just had our sales tax upped by 1% and many services that weren't taxed now are.

I like the idea of these tea parties but cannot see them changing anything. People are disgruntled and are, and have a right to, express that. This said, times are not nearly tough enough for any serious uprising, protests, etc. European countries pay a lot more in taxes and there has been no uprising there yet. Now take away the people's wii and other luxuries and............................................................LOOK OUT!

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: I don't like the bail outs myself but I don't see anyone with any better idea. The Republicans came out with a budget plan and it was an embarrassment. They have no ideas - no alternatives, and so they protest a fictitious dictatorship that only exists in their heads.

So in other words...a BAD plan is better than NO plan? I disagree.

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: I don't like the bail outs myself but I don't see anyone with any better idea.

Yep, let them sink or swim on their own. This is what OUR goverment has left me to do, why should a large corporation receive any different treatment?

Goverment is supposed to serve the people, not special interests and large corporations. From what I gather this is what the Tea Parties are about, NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. Yes those are elected officials in the Federal and State Goverment, but it seems they forget who elected them the minute they stroll into office.

------------------
Dealing with failure is easy: work hard to improve. Success is also easy to handle: you've solved the wrong problem, work hard to improve.

The tea parties are a warning to our representatives that we are not happy with the way they are representing us. If they don't change the way they are doing things we will vote them out of office on the next election. Maybe then they will get the message.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30227452?GT1=43001

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 04-15-2009).]

quote Originally posted by avengador1: If they don't change the way they are doing things we will vote them out of office on the next election. Maybe then they will get the message.

Um, we DID that in the last two elections; 2006, and 2008.
Where were you?

[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 04-15-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Jeremiah: I disagree that liberals vote on selfish issues - I don't think that's the case at all. Indeed, my parent's voted for Obama even though they make well over what will be taxed. I applaud Obama for lowering the taxes on those of us with the least disposable income. We are the people that go out and buy flat screen TV's and hamburgers by the millions and millions - we need more disposable income! Really, I feel as though I pay my fair share of taxes. I don't feel as though I should have to pay into Social Security for you old people (and I don't since I'm an exempt employee), but my federal taxes are around 5%, which isn't horrible considering they're used to build the interstates that I drive on and the military that keeps the Canadians from invading. I can't complain. Ideally I wouldn't pay any taxes - but I don't want to drive on dirt roads or speak Canadian, eh. But, insofar as I know, the US has some of the lowest taxes in the world, particularaly on business and I am unsure (as in, I can't affirmatively say) that Obama has suggested any new taxes on companies. His proposal would increase the taxes on the top wage earners to levels that are still lower than what they were under Ronald Reagen.

Well Congratulations to you !!!

Personally, the (state and federal) government walks off with $1 for every $3 I actually see on payday. Then when W2 time rolls around, they want a few hundred more. Yes, the government makes 1/3 of what I make... When I'm lucky enough to get away with working a straight 8 hour day, I'm spending 2 hours of it working for the government. And for what ? So they can focus all their energy on digging us taxpayers FARTHER into debt ? For all the effort they put into selling our country to China ? To maintain a decent lifestyle for the able-bodied slackers milking a 'disability' or 'welfare' check (as if laziness is a disability) ? To help bear the burden of those poor unfortunate souls who chose to run themselves a mile into debt buying houses, having kids, or choosing to spend their incomes in other ways that are tax deductible ? Congrats on your friggin tax breaks. Now either stop using the government's services, or start ponying up and paying your own damn share for them.

For me, that $1000 a month membership in the American Taxpayers' club gets me 1) leaders that grovel at the feet of anyone who would walk all over us, 2) pothole-filled roads, 3) just enough law and order to stay in one piece from day to day, and 4) the entertainment value of watching their shenanigans on the news.

And yet I love my country. My garage wall is adorned with an American flag I found laying in a slushy road a few months after 9/11 (I couldn't just leave it there being run over repeatedly). I still believe this once great nation can pull its head out of its ass and be the leader it once was. Yes, uncle Sammy has degenerated into a junky. He needs an intervention and a 12 step program. He needs to go see Jenny Craig. Yes it will be painful. But he still has potential - more potential than any other nation on the face of the planet.

But everyone needs to start pulling his own weight around here. The 40-some percent (or less ?) of us that still pull our own weight will not go on like this indefinitely. When you tread on us, tread lightly ! When we speak softly, watch out for the big stick !

The red and green line shows that as off 05 the lowest 2/5 of Americans didn't pay taxes and actually they were paid money by the government. This money is taken from those who did pay taxes. It is wealth redistribution. It is socialism. Now with the class warfare propagated by the socialists more people at the top will have to pay more in taxes and those at the bottom will get more "free" money. They can't afford the ridiculous debt they have rung up. Most of it since the dems have taking over the government.

quote Um, we DID that in the last two elections; 2006, and 2008.

We will also do it again in 2010.

quote Originally posted by NEPTUNE: Um, we DID that in the last two elections; 2006, and 2008. Where were you?

Trying to counter the lemming vote.
Senate. voted against Coleman in MN by voting for Barkley. What did that get me.. and endless battle between two idiots Franken and Coleman.
Franken is an idiot, Coleman a moderate dem with an R behind his name.
Pres election.. ya I skipped the presidential box. A. I live in MN so it really doesn't matter B. Again what were my choices? A Dem or a Socialist?

Getting hard to keep up. Half of the R party is populated by Dems or poll chasers. Half the D party is run by moderate R's and frigging idiots.

We've got half the country thinking that getting a hand out is ok, that is comes from the "Magic Tax the Rich Machine" That it will never end. Just print more money and add more fees and taxes on the "rich". The R's lost their way. Started listening to ppl like Dick Morris. "triangulate" they stopped being the old "Dad" figures and started trying to be the New Age lets be friends, fun uncle. R's are supposed to be the guys you call when you're in jail, maxed your credit cards guys. They're going to be hard and firm. You're going to have to cut off your cable, and eliminate your texting option on your cell plan. They won't make it easy but they'll get you out of debt.
Now all we have is dudes/buddies/uncles that show you how to work the system to float a little longer and not to worry about it.. stuff works out..
We really need a new strong 3rd party. One that takes the best of the R's D's and L's a real compassionate conservative party.
Legalize pot. check all the hippies are there
Reduce taxes and gov't spending. check all the real conservatives are there
Maintain welfare for those truly in need. ok only some of the dems are there.

That's enough of a power bloc to challenge any R or D

I went to one last month in Cincinnati

Oh good, I was hoping someone posted about the tea parties...

quote Originally posted by Deabionni: everyone had once common gripe; and that is, they're tired of the government controlling our country.

hahaha

Sorry, that statement was kind of funny. Kind of like saying, "I'm tired of the Boss running the company!"

I'm sorry to say that a government is a necessary evil. It is kind of scary to think of masses of idiots running the show. By "masses of idiots", I mean "the people", not "the current government"...

I'm not sure there's an easy answer... well, maybe a ruling party of Philosopher Kings. People who want to be in politics are the wrong type of people to get into politics. Maybe it should have been designed as a draft type system?

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: Oh good, I was hoping someone posted about the tea parties... hahaha Sorry, that statement was kind of funny. Kind of like saying, "I'm tired of the Boss running the company!" I'm sorry to say that a government is a necessary evil. It is kind of scary to think of masses of idiots running the show. By "masses of idiots", I mean "the people", not "the current government"... I'm not sure there's an easy answer... well, maybe a ruling party of Philosopher Kings. People who want to be in politics are the wrong type of people to get into politics. Maybe it should have been designed as a draft type system?

Government should run the country not control the country.

I made my protest sign and joined the rally here in my little town of 30,000. There were around 200 people, not bad for a Wednesday afternoon at 3pm.

My sign...