wizbangs

Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that he used to be a Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan and now we're about to have our first black President?

The timing seems fishy to me.

I just got a $15,000 loan yesterday with no strings attached. I know several others who have done so as well.

Wall Street down 350 points when the Senate PASSED the bail out bill.

The Central Bank of Belgium (in the EU) got a $150 billion bailout and it didn't turn around to loan the money out, it sat on the money to improve it's own financial position. (Meaning, no stimulation of credit took place).

Wells Fargo just bought up Wachovia for .20 on the dollar without requiring any government bailout assistance (where Citigroup would need that assistance).

Does any one else here think this whole thing is, indeed, a scam to help those closest to our Senators in their cozy relationships?

On the left we have Obama who most intelligent analysts claim will be a redeux of Jimmy Carter 1976-1980.

(In my opinion, one of the 3 worst Presidents in American history).

On the right, we have John McCain whom most intelligent analysts will be a redeux of George W Bush (2000-2008).

(In my opinion, one of the 5 worst Presidents in American history).

By all accounts we have clones of the 3rd and 5th worst up for election. Is this a REALLY bad year or is it just me?

P.S. Obviously, I'm voting 3rd party this year.

I read one good question on this subject that revolved around ending the war in Iraq. But, here's another:

As a Fiscal Conservative who believes in small government, I don't have a horse in the race; I haven't had one in nearly 2 decades. For some reason, Republicans calling themselves "conservatives" (either social or neo-Cons) have controlled the party. We've gotten fat, in debt and exported our industrial might for cheap trinkets.

It's said an alcoholic or junkie has to "hit bottom" before he considers serious change. We hit bottom 1976-1980 and Jimmy Carter gave us Ronald Reagan. Because Carter's mistakes have been ignored or forgotten, I think it's time we hit bottom again, so a new generation can understand the experience. Since Obama will be our next Jimmy Carter, perhaps he will herald the next Ronal Reagan.

Certainly McCain will only perpetuate the Neo-Con "false conservatism" of the last 20 years. What say you?

This question is directed to environmentalists and Global Warming advocates. (I know what non-advocates are going to say).

Like it or not, most of the world is driven on a free market system. If you want to cut consumption, raise the prices. This has happened regarding gas prices and now we see SUV sales and manufacturing plummeting. This is a great thing for the environment as the free market steers us toward energy conservation.

So, shouldn't you be celebrating high gas prices? This is a means to an end. I was asked how to motivate research into alternative fuels and cut consumption over 10 years ago and my response was "Tax gas to make it $5.00 a gallon and you will get conservation and alternative fuels. Use the tax revenue for light rail and alternative fuel research."

Instead, all I hear is belly aching about gas prices and how it's some kind of conspiracy with Oil Companies and/or George Bush. Comments?

I hear Jimmy Carter is brokering a 10-year peace treaty between Israel and Hamas? Why? What is the purpose of a peace accord with a termination date? Isn't this their way of stating "We hate you and we will attack you, but we're not ready yet. So, we'll sign a deal to give us a 10-year chance to catch up."

It seems rather strange to me that anyone would consider a peace deal with an expiration date.

has any one else noticed a major increase in issues with Yahoo recently? My Geocities account keeps freezing up in the middle of an update (and consequently, I lose the work that I did) and now my email account is having the same problems. I wonder if there is any correlation to the fact it seems to be happening during this whole Microsoft buy out thing. Has anyone else been having technical issues with greater frequency?

There are so many people on YA! who have strong (but wrong) opinions about the facts surrounding any number of circumstances. I always thought is was because they just heard the 30-second media sound bites on TV.

But, Richard Stengel, the managing editor of Time Magazine hit the nail on the head in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on April 17. He stated:

“I think since I’ve been back at the magazine, I have felt that one of the things that’s needed in journalism is that you have to have a point of view about things,” Stengel said. “You can’t always just say ‘on the one hand, on the other’ and you decide. People trust us to make decisions. We’re experts in what we do. So I thought, you know what, if we really feel strongly about something let's just say so.”

So, according to Stengel, media journalists are experts at reporting their opinions, which seem to be more important than the facts. Consumers of this information take these opinions and run with them as facts.

It seems every evening YA! gets bombarded by kids asking for answers to homework problems. Do you think they're actually learning anything from this exercise or is this another example of the "dumbing down of America?"

This question/comment comes as an offshoot from a YA! question the other day. The asker didn't know why we invaded Iraq. But, in addition, many also said they didn't know why we fought the first Gulf War to liberate Kuwait.

With the latest news on US debt, I figured it out. Kuwait holds $1.4 trillion in US debt. That is 35% of our foreign debt. Thus, the more we rely on foreigners to support or economy and social programs, the more obligated we become to defending them from hostile takeover. In the case of Kuwait, they did repay us/forgive sufficient funds to pay for the war effort back then. Not sure if today's issues in Iraq still relate to Kuwait. But, it's something to think about.

Points to the most brilliant comments on this latest discovery:

Headline on Yahoo news this morning. Is anyone else just fed up to "here" with all this race baiting going on? They're saying that LeBron was made to look like an ape and Giselle as the damsel that King Kong captured. Isn't it racist just coming up with that comparison?

At this rate, maybe we need to go back to matching white people with white people and black people with black people just so we don't "offend" anybody. That'd really solve racism, wouldn't it? It hearkens back to segregation, but this time, as a way to not offend sensitive blacks, rather than the original reason (which was not to offend racist whites).

I feel like we're taking two steps back on this issue. What say you?

Everyone is jumping all over Obama and his relationship to this kook pastor in Chicago.

Does anyone remember Jerry Falwell, the Christian adviser to Ronald Reagan back in the 80's? Falwell was a kook who spewed hate in the guise of Christianity, yet Reagan continued to turn to him for "spiritual advice" to my chagrine.

How is this situation any different? I can appreciate the outrageous comments from Obama's pastor, but when you have a historical context to compare it to, it doesn't seem quite so outrageous. Comments? Can you change my mind?

Of particular note:

"...citing alleged torture, state control of basic aspects of daily life, tight controls on religion and harassment of foreign charities."

We don't do any of that in the U.S. do we?

"Forced relocations went up last year, the report said. It noted claims that people were forced from their homes to make way for Olympic projects in Beijing."

Um... would this be like eminent domain?

"The government tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, "

Please. This is the kind of hypocritical crap that really makes us look bad and then we wonder why other countries hate us.

It comes from a sarcastic comment about the "Amero," but it set off a bit of a conspiracy theory prospect:

Are we killing the dollar (making it weak) to put it on par with the other weak currencies so that it will be easy to convert them all into the "Amero" as a universal North American currency? What do you think?

Most of you may not remember how people who "inconvenienced" the Clintons got into legal/ethical trouble or just died. Would it be a death wish for Obama if he made Hillary his VP?

For every $1,000 you pay in taxes, $86 goes to pay for social security benefits and Medicare. That leaves $914 for National Defense, social programs, schools, etc.

In 50 years, for every $1,000 you pay, $760 will pay for Social Security and Medicare; which leaves on $240 for everything else. If you listen to what the politicians talk about, they're talking about spending MORE money on programs, not less.

So, how do you think the government is going to make this work?

Think about it. It's YOUR future.

Mary is a member of a big church. She attends every Sunday till noon, including Bible study and coffee & donut socials after mass. She's a member of the choir and goes to practice twice a week & prays every night. She pays 10% of her income to the church; most of which pays the pastor and covers the overhead. Every morning she leash walks her 2 dogs on the sidewalk.

Anthony doesn't go to church. He volunteers at an animal shelter every Sunday morning for 4 hours; feeding, cleaning cages, walking the dogs and helping with minor medical issues. On holidays he serves food to the needy at a local shelter or as a meals on wheels driver. He pays 10% of his income directly to local charities where the money will reach those who need it. He jogs every morning before work, where he claims he thinks about God, the meaning of life and how to be a better person. He has to step into the street to get around Mary whose 2 leashes always block the sidewalk, oblivious to those around her.

So, it's all over the news with congress interrogating Roger Clemens and his personal trainer about steroid use (again! Didn't we go through this with Conseco a few years ago?)

Now, Arlen Spectre is all over the news about the Patriots spygate tapes.

Um... is it me or are we paying these clowns in Congress millions of dollars to dabble in sports franchises? What's next, the WWE? As Bill Clinton said of the baseball hearings, "None of that is going to feed the poor or give anyone health care."

Some one needs to tell these clowns their job is to run the nation, not the entertainment industry.

We can't get away from Mr. Global Warming in the middle of the summer, but it's funny how he disappears when winter bites down.

Now that the Democratic primary is being projected as a potential draw, this whole concept of "Super Delegates" comes up. What's with that? Who are they and whom do they serve? Is this a classic example of the established elite protecting themselves?