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Cherto,
Ronald Reagan was president and had freaking Alzheimers! What can you expect? Nancy was running the show with her astrologers, which, for all I know, was an improvement upon Ronnie's running the show. But we'll never know will we?
The United States is a deeply conservative country, no bout adout it For instance it stands in questionable company with countries that allow the death penalty: (and many other stances too of course, ie the UN declaration of rights of the child)
Sigh, what to do?
Connect? Dots? Of what you speak? This is beyond imagination
Where do you weigh whales?
At the whale way station!
Where do you weigh a pie?
Somewhere, over a rainbow, weigh a pie
Glad you liked the joke Jeff. . .
It seems that any information that doesn't agree with your way of seeing things comes from a "front" group for the radical left. I think you get your information from a front group for the radical right.
Here we go:
The Clear Channel affiliate that airs Rush Limbaugh's show in Palm Beach, Fla., is refusing to run VoteVets.org ads dealing with Limbaugh's "phony soldiers" remark on the ground that the ads "would only conflict with the listeners who have chosen to listen to Rush Limbaugh." Sort of pathetic, no?
Hey Bela,
It's true that we all get our information from various sources, which is why it's important to discuss them and bring some balance. When Kari reads that 37 million American's are living in poverty her first reaction is naturally one of shock. However, if she were to analyze that 37 million figure and find out that 43% of this group own their home, or that the average "poor American" has more living space than the "average individual" living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, etc., or that 75% of this figure own at least one car, it puts things in perspective. All this info is based on statistics provided by the US Census Bureau. The Center for American Progress was founded by former Bill Clinton politicians including John Podesta (Clinton's former Chief of staff), and Hillary Clinton herself. They manipulate the reader into thinking that 37 million Americans are living in destitution by cherry picking numbers to advance their cause and omitting material facts. They are essencially campagining for Hillary and have an interest in propogating this false perception. I lived in Central America for 10 years, a place where the word "poverty" means lack of food and shelter. The US government has a much different definition for "poverty" which is why it's very important to discuss these differences to make sure we are on the same page.
Below is a clip from the article I posted which bases its information on the Census Bureau (not sure if you had a chance to read this):
Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family is not hungry and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family's essential needs. While this individual's life is not opulent, it is equally far from the popular images of dire poverty conveyed by the press, liberal activists, and politicians.
I'm curious to know if Kari had a chance to read any of my posts on this subject. I think she would agree that we should be focusing our efforts on providing relief to people who are truly in need like those 700,000 chronic homeless Americans who suffer from mental illness, substance abuse, or other conditions which tend to plague our inner cities. Single parent homes where the father is absent is another big factor that contributes to poverty in the US. Statistics also show that work and marriage lift people out of poverty, but unfortunately government welfare programs like food stamps, public housing and Medicaid reward idleness while penalizing marriage. More government entitlements and programs are not the answer, they are in fact a big part of the problem.
Jeff
Well Mr. Webmaster Jeff, it is not possible to reply to your post directed to me, so I'll come on here.
The numbers can be tweaked anyway anybody wants, ie:
There has been significant disagreement about poverty in the United States; particularly over how poverty ought to be defined. Using radically different definitions, two major groups of advocates dispute whether or not more resources are needed to help lessen poverty. Liberals consitently claim that more resources are needed to alleviate poverty. Conservatives often argue that the condition of the poor does not presently require more resources but rather an allocation that encourages a temporary dependence upon the American social safety net.
Much of the debate about poverty focuses on statistical measures of poverty and the clash between advocates and opponents of welfare programs and government regulation of the free market. Since measures can be either absolute or relative, it is possible that advocates for the different sides of this debate are basing their arguments on different ways of measuring poverty. It is often claimed that poverty is understated, yet there are some who also believe it is overstated; thus the accuracy of the current poverty threshold guidelines is subject to debate and considerable concern.
A recent study published in the Washington Times showed how many of the appliances modern middle class and working class households take for granted are lacking in poverty stricken households. Among the households constituting the bottom ten percent, 36% were lacking microwave ovens, 53% were lacking clothes dryers and 79% were lacking a computer. Furthermore only 19% were in possession of a garbage disposal and only 23% owned a dishwasher. Color televisions, VCRs, and stereos were among the more commonly found mundane appliances with 91% of households in the bottom ten percent owning a color television, 55% owning a VCR, and 42% owning a stereo.[20]
And:
"While in any given year 12 to 15 percent of the population is poor, over a ten-year period 40 percent experience poverty in at least one year because most poor people cycle in and out of poverty; they don't stay poor for long periods. Poverty is something that happens to the working class, not some marginal 'other' on the fringes of society."
Those under the age of 18 were the most likely to be impoverished. In 2001 the poverty rate for minors in the United States was the highest in the industrialized world, with 14.8% of all minors and 30% of African American minors living below the poverty threshold. Additionally, the standard of living for those in the bottom 10% was lower in the U.S. than in any other developed nation except the United Kingdom, which had the lowest standard of living for impoverished children.[7] In 2006, poverty rate for minors in the United States was 21.9% - highest child poverty rate in the developed world.
So you live in the best country in the world. Always will I reckon.
Yea, I thought I was banned from the site because I was unable to post anything all day. I emailed one of the site administrators and they had no problem posting my response for me... They fixed the problem hence the double-post.
Very good points about the differences between the free market advocates and welfare proponents. Welfare fraud was quite rampant until Bill Clinton passed welfare reform in the 90's which made it much harder for people to cheat the system. This means less free loaders on the system, higher income, less "poverty". I can give credit where credit is due and this was definitely a positive thing for our country.
Comparisons between countries are very difficult because of the ways in which each individual country defines and measures poverty. When it comes to nutrition, children categorized as "poor" in the USA are well nourished and in many cases over nourished. I'm just curious... are you really from the US, or elsewhere? I'm just asking because of your choice of words when describing "my" country as oppose to "our" country. I've noticed this quite a bit throughout your posts. It just seems like you have nothing good to say about the "USAans" (as you like to say).
I've got a couple fish joke for you to lighten things a bit...
Q: What sea animal can be used to play music? A: The tune-a-fish.
Q: Why are fish easy to weigh? A: Because they have their own scales.
Corney.. I know.Jeff
Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush - Don't Give Up
Testing....
u know the feeling that a song is speaking almost directly to YOU.......well, as crazy as this may sound, i feel this song speaks DIRECTLY to me.....infact it's ABOUT me!!! oh well, i guess somethings are better left unspoken...........so lets just leave it at that, & just acknowledge the fact that for once i KNOW what im talking about in this case.....LOL........(as opposed to everything else that i've uttered in here up to now)......just read the song lyrics whenever u get the chance, & u'll just might be able to get an idea what im talking about!
a party pooper u say......moi?? Anyways dont take this sad tune too litterally......i was just trying to test if posting a Youtube clip would actually work in here or not!??As of right now, im still not even sure it's going to worlk, UNTIL i press the "Post" button.... so here i go........if it doesnt work, then plz excuse the failed attempt?!
***Crossing my fingers***
Jihad, i'm getting mad, and there's no fuel left for the pilgrims.......
The Danish Rock band DAD(Disneyland After Dark) had a song called "Jihad" back in '89....
Btw the above was/is not a song that condones terrorism or islamic extremism.....on the contrary...!
Cool YouTube songs/videos S.ph.s... I've always liked Peter Gabriel's music... specifically the song "in your eyes".
Check out the following article about Iran hot off the press (pretty scary):
Tens of thousands of Iranians marched through Tehran on Friday proclaiming solidarity with Palestinians and chanting "Death to Israel" in the Islamic republic's annual protest against the Jewish state. Iranians of all ages began the march through the centre of the capital to Tehran University to mark Quds Day, calling for Jerusalem and Israel to be handed to the Palestinians.
Coloured bibs were handed out to protestors with the legend "Death to Israel, Death to United States" while "Palestine will only be free with fighting and faith" was the slogan on one banner.
Despite the heavily politicised nature of the demonstration, there was a festive mood with the numerous children present having their faces painted as cats and rabbits in entertainment laid on by the municipality.
"I come every year because the Palestinians are helpless and they cannot defend themselves. I come here to here to attract the world's attention to their plight," said Somayeh Salim, 27.
She was carrying an Israeli flag in her rucksack: "I am going to burn it."
The protest was due to be echoed in similar demonstrations up and down the country. The Tehran demonstration was due to culminate in a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the university.
Ahmadinejad provoked an international outcry shortly after his election in 2005 when he called for Israel to be "wiped from the map" and also described the Holocaust as a "myth".
Although he subsequently toned down his rhetoric slightly, Ahmadinejad has still repeatedly predicted that Israel is doomed to disappear and questioned the scale of the mass slaughter of Jews in World War II.
The Islamic republic however insists that its nuclear programme is solely aimed at generating electricity for a growing population whose giant oil and gas reserves will eventually run out.
Thanks for providing the article Jeff. I guess u could say that the progressive forces inside Iran at the moment, are either "vegetating" or hiding, and ofcoarse MY version of it all is, that this lunatic Hezbollahi front has been gaining more & more momentum these last few yrs because of what's going on in Iraq....& i wouldnt be surprised if there were also the "moderate islamists", or just basically ppl who fear an American invasion on the iranian soil soon.....in that sense, the war in Iraq has not been successful in finding supporters or even allies inside Iran....on the contrary, it has unified the Fundamentalists with other more Moderate forces of the country....perhaps even ppl who are normally against the regime!
The best tactic would be imho, that the Americans stayed somehow quiet in the region, despite being down there....the less the Iranians hear about Iraq, the better it would be for the Americans tactics(on the long run).
Hey Jeff-Happy Saturday!!!
I'm really hoping the US can sit this one out-since Israel seems quite prepared to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities. I had read that they are in training for the distance they need to cover and have missiles that will be able to penetrate deep enough. While I think it's a probability that we will have a dem in office after the next election, we can be pretty well assured that the US will just have to sit and swallow the abuse that is dealt (think the Iranian embassy invasion w/ Carter in office, USS Cole, etc). Let's hope it is only for four years :D
Enjoy your weekend! Woohooo!!!
Love and Light!
C
MILITANT MODERATES STAGE MASSIVE LACK OF PROTESTS Police Not Called in to Put Down Mild and Ruly Crowds Across Middle East
Karachi, Pakistan (SatireWire.com) — Alarmed almost to the point of action, millions of radical moderates across the Middle East and Asia today didn't take to the streets in what wasn't a massive show of force that might have convinced the world that not everyone here is a violent, fanatical nutcase.
Riot police said no demonstrators were killed, and as many as all of them weren't injured.
Warned one Karachi shopkeeper, his eyes blazing with moderation as he didn't join throngs of militant midliners who weren't throwing stones or blocking intersections: "We may not agree with the U.S., but like most people in our region, the majority of Pakistanis do not support these violent extremists who think only of jihad, and we will stay put in our homes and our businesses in overwhelming numbers to make this known. It is time that we stand down to proclaim that we will not be moved one way or the other!
"I am sorry, I did not mean to shout," he added.
In other parts of the region, majorities chose to lash out in similarly unprovocative ways. Moderate zealots in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — brimming with pent-up dispassion and chanting slogans such as "Both sides have a point" and "What's for lunch?" — quietly called for an unofficial nationwide Day of Hoping Everything Kind of Gets Better on Its Own. In Indonesia, where the bulk of the population is said to want peace and harmony, temperate elements expressed their fervent moderation by avoiding the enraged minority.
"The angry, maniacal ones get all the attention. and then influence, and eventually, most probably, control of the government, but kids today. What can you do?" said one postal worker from Jakarta.
According to some moderates in the area, however, much of the blame for disregarding the peaceful majority should fall on the Western news media, which they say is only interested in filming chaotic protests.
"The reporters want to see blood in the streets, they want to see the crazy people," said an Egyptian college student. "Why don't they come into our homes and film us just watching television, not doing or saying anything contentious? Yes, there are a few thousand people out there chanting and burning flags and shooting guns, but there are millions of us not doing anything."
Asked why the moderates are not out there doing anything, the man frowned.
"Perhaps you didn't hear the part where I said they're shooting guns," he answered.
Copyright © 2001, SatireWire
I like corny. As you've probably noticed.
I call them USAians because they're from the USA. Everybody on the two continents here are Americans. So as not to confuse.
This discussion started about the Iraq war and I have nothing good to say about it or the military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us against.
USAians are friendly people. They are overworked and underappreciated. They have a lot of heart. They're brainwashed by the privately-owned media. The whole world loved Kennedy and Clinton. (Except Republicans -- haha). They've got the best phone system in the world. Basta por el momento!
Jeff, this is in reply to your assertion that poor people own their own homes. I hope you enjoy.
RECORD 75 MILLION AMERICANS NOW PRETENDING THEY OWN THEIR OWN HOMES Low Interest Rates Help Many Fulfill The American (Banker's) Dream
Minneapolis, Minn. (SatireWire.com) — Showing no ill effects from a weak economy, housing numbers released by the National Association of Realtors today showed that a record 75 million Americans are now participating in the mass self-delusion that they, and not their banks, actually own their homes.
"Home ownership is the fulfillment of the American (banking industry's) dream, and we are proud to announce that more Americans than ever have been able to (help lending institutions) achieve that dream," said NAR President Richard Schicter.
After putting 20 percent down on a $235,000 house yesterday morning, Minneapolis pediatric nurse Stephanie Doogan officially became the 75 millionth American to take part in the widely accepted fantasy.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted to (deceive myself into believing I could) be a homeowner," said Doogan, 35. "Well, look at me now! Me, little Stephanie Doogan, I actually have a place I can call 100 percent (minus 80 percent) my own!"
Across the country, other (people in denial concerning their status as) property owners expressed similar satisfaction.
"There's nothing like taking a walk around your (bank-owned) house, then going outside and kneeling down in your (bank-owned) lawn and grabbing a handful of (the bank's) dirt to make you realize how precious (their) land is," said 28-year-old Matt Jackson, who('s bank) bought a $210,000 home on New York's Long Island last year. "It makes me feel as though I really have something that no one can take away from me (unless I miss so much as one mortgage payment)."
Added Devon Knight, who recently thinks he purchased a condominium in Baltimore's Inner Harbor: "When I was renting an apartment, if the furnace went out, I had to get the landlord to fix it. But now, if the furnace goes out, I have to fix it!... hold on, I'm losing the illusion here... why is that good again?"
"Equity," said Jay Harrington, Knight's mortgage broker at First Union. "Just remember, you have equity. And next to the right of every single American (major corporation) to have a say in who gets elected, that's the most sacred thing you can (pretend you) have."
Copyright © 2001-2002, SatireWire.
