Charlie the angry American

[timbo]

Charlie sound sreal mad today but he brings up some good arguments about whats going on right now. I do not have the gift of words like he does but my wife and I know plenty of folk that feel the same way – real angry. We are going in a very wrong direction and from what we can see there are not many powers out there in our country trying to get us back on teh right track

Note from Scott – ‘timbo’ is referring to Charlie’s latest article posted at [ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/1692.cfm ]

[Alfred]

Charlie hit the nail on the head again. With more and more power and wealth being consolidated into fewer and fewer hands, we can see where we are headed. The facts Charlie pointed to in his article are seeming to mount up to a point where they cannot be ignored. We are traveling down a path of destruction.

None of the politicians running for president seem to offer a real choice. They are bought and paid for, hyped by media moguls, and are being selected in this primary by an electorate that has no clue as to where most of them stand. Right now it is a populist contest, where most candidates are reluctant to state firm positions. Meaning, we will be on the chopping block again after the candidates are chosen, and our choice will be the lesser of two evils.

Patriots like Charlie speak out at a time just when some of think there is hope for a meaningful change and a solution to our problems are just around the corner. Now that I read the article, I see what I thought could be a turning point was just another false hope dream. It will take more than a new president, a new congress or a growing economy to solve what’s wrong here. it will take a change of minds, hearts, and a citizenry that takes into consideration every other person living here. We have to wake up to the fact that, greed is not such a good thing, and dying with all the toys, still means you’re dead.

Keep up the good work Charlie

[sprite]

I think our collective goose is cooked. Like climate change, some things reach a point of no return. The only remaining question for me is the schedule as to when each catastrophic event will come to pass. I also have to question the judgment of anyone who still believes capitalism is the best system on the planet after so much harm has been done and is being done by that system of greed and exploitation. Even Bill Gates is starting to talk about the dangers of unbridled capitalism.
In the end, people get the government and economy they deserve. There are enough stupid and greedy americans to continue this disaster along its way. After all, Bush was elected not once, but twice.

Edited on Jan 27, 2008 16:14

[Alfred]

Sprite, I too think it will not be very soon, but it might be a slow torturous decline. The collective goose that is being cooked, is because we are becoming apathetic, and have lost our collective b*lls. The rebellious and innovative spirit that was once our strength, has given way to fat, dumb and happy. Although, we’re not so happy anymore.

Capitalism, as with all other forms of government, begins to falter when corruption and greed are the driving forces. When everyone is doing well, all is OK. As soon as the few take from the many so much it affects the majority, then all hell breaks loose. Not one system has been able to hold together for more than 300 years. We are witnessing the twilight of another empire. There will be reformation after it craps out, and one can only wish for a better version. Somehow I’m not too confident we will ever learn from our mistakes.

I for one, would not like to see us go socialist or full blown communist, but there are things in those forms of government which seem to have leveled the disparity between their citizens. The problems that do arise, the poverty, lack of food and services almost always dog those forms of government. The ones that are successful are reaching a point where they are beginning to be overtaxed and will also have to readjust.

There are no simple answers, and governmental change will not solve all our problems. We constantly have to be on guard, try to effect change where we live now, and realize that no matter where we relocate to, there will be new challenges to deal with. Utopia does not exist. And it most likely will never be created.

[sprite]

Yeah, I’m not holding my breath for any utopias either. I would just like to get out of the way of this big derailing train. Costa Rica looks like a relatively quiet place for shelter. Some of the crap is bound to spill over everywhere and I am lately wondering how things will have changed in Costa Rica in 5 years time.
I hope this empire has a soft crash landing…you know, no wars over oil or rioting in the streets after several years of a debilitating depression. I keep warding off all these predictions of doom and gloom such as one of Mr. Oliver’s recent posts because I still think the main events are many years off….but sometimes, I think maybe he is right. We are certainly living in interesting times and this is from someone who directly experienced the turmoils of the 60’s. I was gassed by police from helicopters and chased around by bayonet wielding national guard during the Ohio State and Kent State riots.
One thing which makes me pessimistic is a recent and more profound understanding of human nature…especially American human nature. The American voting public is manipulated by a government which is in turn manipulated by corporations and everybody dances to the tune being played on Wall Street.The stock market is manipulated not by corporations or analysts but by professional traders who have huge funds behind them. And they are able to do this because fear is a bottomless pit whereas enthusiasm and hope have limits. I am half way up the slope looking up and down and I suspect we may slide some more before our masters are done taking there profits.

Edited on Jan 28, 2008 05:16

Edited on Jan 28, 2008 05:18

[Andrew]

There are a few more people in agreement with you Charlie… In today’s Wall Street Journal there is an article about the CEO of Countrywide Financial…

[ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120149066735721479.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news ]

“Angelo Mozilo, chairman and chief executive officer of Countrywide Financial Corp., is giving up $37.5 million of severance pay, fees and benefits in the face of pressure from politicians who have berated him for continuing to collect large sums from the mortgage lender even as millions of Americans face the threat of foreclosure.”

From the looks of things, he won’t be suffering too much…

“From 2004 through 2007, Mr. Mozilo sold about $414 million of Countrywide shares obtained through the exercise of stock options, according to securities filings.”

Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com

[rebaragon]

How can we not be angry? The current and not so current state of affairs in the US is not optimum and what has been going on is certainly infuriating. We all have our calling(s) and Charlie’s may well be to rant about the injustices he observes and he’s done a great job in pointing things out and further documenting them for us; however, this type of action is futile if it does not spark any other action than for us to also rant. We can all bitch and moan until we’re blue in the face, but if we don’t change our behaviors, the behaviors that overtly and covertly support these actions, then what have we accomplished?

Some people state that since the current US president was voted in twice, the people are getting what they deserve. Something to the effect of you reap what you sow, but things aren’t that simple. We have arrogantly believed that politics in the US were beyond the type of corruption we observed in what people like to call ‘third world’ countries. Well, the last two US elections have shown us that it can happen anywhere and frankly, I only know of one world inhabited by humans within our galaxy not three. Even though there is plenty of documentation that the last two elections have not been exactly the will of the people and that beyond that, those that did offer their political support were doing so believing the lies being fed to them, we have been victims of our own arrogance in thinking that corps (political/economic machinery) haven’t been pulling most of the strings for a loooong time and just making us believe that we had some major sort of control with that decision making process.

Our support has been tacitly given to this process by our every day actions. We accept what they feed us in the press (even if we say we don’t believe, we still hope it to be true), we fall prey to the advertising by allowing them to create a feeling of need for stuff that we can all live without and buy into political campaigns of those that promise change. We act and buy as they manipulate us to and then they give us a little room to rant — something that is quickly changing and already dwindling into not much space at all… Who hasn’t found themselves in these positions at some point in time? Hoping is a wonderful thing, but it needs to be followed by our action and in spite of the limited choices we may think we currently have, I think we have a myriad of choices to make each and every day. These choices determine whether we are part of the problem or actively seeking to be part of the solution. In the end, the solution for us may be to bail ship and start our lives elsewhere, but wherever you go, hey, there you are again so if you don’t manage to change the value system that supported this out of control, survival of the fittest type of capitalism in the US, then you will continue to foster this no matter where you happen to land if the political climate there allows for it (and that’s most places these days…).

My first part-time job in CR for Christian Children’s Fund (when most people in the US had no idea where the heck this place was) paid me 5,000 colones per month which was more than the executive secretary made full time in that school and I lived and traveled quite well on that back in 1982. Well, 5,000 colones is not going to take anyone very far these days in CR. My personal homes all sold for 100% more within 3 years of their original purchase and I couldn’t dream of finding anything even remotely similar for the same amount of money or even double those amounts today—only 6 years ago. I can’t say that I complained when I benefited and who of us would? That said, I also think that living doesn’t have to be about the bottom line and we can all make adjustments and choices that actually simplify our lives and also help someone else’s life because how we’ve gotten here has been adhering to the axiom of ‘first me, next me, and if there happens to be anything left over, well, that’s for me too.’ As generous as the American people tend to be during a time of crisis for others, we have still made the need of many (even within the US) invisible. Greed hasn’t been only a corporate or a political sin in the US and it’s been just as devastating for us as individuals as it’s proven to be for the collective soul of a whole country! We have to all think about how we can better choose, not just regarding our personal economies and political choices, but also remembering that within our limited choices, we still have ample room to think about someone other than ourselves and take action in that direction, whether living in the US or anywhere else in the world. Once the center of our universe becomes more about the collectiveness of our actions, then we are choosing an alternate route – otherwise, we can all rant as much as we like yet our ‘American’ way of life will continue to implode, but make no mistake, I have no visions of the multinational corporations imploding, they will be the ‘cockroaches’ of the this nuclear economic debacle and hey, they still have countries like Costa Rica to prey on and manipulate into believing that they just have to think about themselves and everything will be JUST fine…

I have to say that when I hear of people looking to start different types of communities in CR and building alternative type of housing on this site and elsewhere, it does give me hope that there are people that have had enough with the excesses that some (certainly not all people) have become accustomed to in the US…Kudos to those people looking not to transport what doesn’t work from the US to CR. That type of distorted view of progress has been eroding many of CR’s values already and if there is a major invasion of US corps to CR along with their survival of the fittest capitalistic practices, that may be the end of the CR that we all love…but even then, it will be about the choices each person within CR will make..Even if we can only control what we do, living consciously is the biggest control mechanism anyone of us has and every one of us collectively is a lot of conscious choosing…

[rebaragon]

I just realized that this part of my posting was accidentally left out:

So I want to thank Charlie for his article and how it spurred me to scrutinize just how my personal, consumer and political actions may have in any way supported such out of control behavior of some of these corporations and politicians. Also to recognize what I’m grateful to have been able to do up until now and to soul search in order to find additional ways I can make better choices which promote more of a collective gain each and every day…Thanks again Charlie…

[Alfred]

Consumer driven economy! That is what has been drummed into our heads since we were able to internalize our first TV commercial. We have been brought up on the notion that spending is good for the country, and good for our well being. Happiness is only one purchase away.

Now they want to give us back some of our own money so we can go on a mini shopping spree, put a down payment on a new car, or have a couple of nice dinners. And how many of us will stop at the $600 or so bucks they will plant back in our hands? They want more consumer spending, more consumer debt, and don’t even encourage us to save the tax rebate.

The Mantra of spending our way to economic growth and happiness has been bandied about since the 50’s when the middle class started to rise in the US. The story remains the same because it has worked in the past, when we had more or less a closed economy. Now we have a global economy, and the old ways just won’t work anymore. Our national debt, combined with international trade deficits is killing us. Not to mention the loss of manufacturing and technology jobs that have been lost overseas. They told us we are in a service economy now… Some service! Most all of the tech support for electronics have been outsourced. And we continue to let it all filter out of our borders in the name of profit and shareholder price support.

The system is broken. We have to demand our politicians, government regulators, the media and corporate CEOs stop running the show as they have been. We have to hold them accountable and demand change before they spend us, and sell us, into oblivion.
One way to put an end to career politicians, is to demand term limits on every federal, state, and local office.
Stop media giants from owning too many newspapers, radio and TV stations.
Limit the amount of holdings and factories a US company can have abroad. Then limit the amount of importation of foreign goods, or apply tariffs, like we did in the past. Companies like Toyota and Honda came here to build cars to sell to us, and to avoid tariffs. We go to foreign countries to set up factories to manufacture goods to sell back to ourselves. Something is wrong with this picture.
The little guy became the big guy in business because of deregulation in many areas. Small business which was once the backbone of this country hasn’t got a chance against these large corporations anymore.

We have lost our way for 30 pieces.

One thing about this election that has bothered me, is the phony talk radio hosts that continue to give us the crap about who we should vote for. A couple of weeks earlier, Giuliani was the darling of the talk show hosts, even with his stance on abortion. Romney wasn’t even considered a conservative. Now, with Giuliani slipping in the polls, and most likely done after tomorrow, Romney is the great champion of the right, and our only hope. It seems as if they never heard of Rudy Giuliani, and have supported Romney from the start. And they keep reminding us the economy is OK, the fundamentals still look good.
It’s just unbelievable.

If anyone, liberal or conservative, cannot see there is a problem here long term, I guess it’s time to pass out the Kool aid.

[sprite]

Alfred, you are insightful and I agree with just about every point you make. The place our paths diverge is at the point where your enthusiasm and hope spurs you to advise action in order to save a failing empire. I believe it is a lost cause to do so. It is akin to trying to save an old, old tree whose time has come to fall onto the forest floor and begin the decay process. Other life will suck the remaining nutrients from the decaying trunk and so things continue. This analogy where things continue after the fall is about as hopeful as my 58 years of life will permit. The U.S. as a dominating culture is over. The party may well be over for everybody if something is not done to ward off the ecological damage consumerism is causing.

On a side note, I don’t give a rat’s behind which of the republican or democratic candidates is nominated or elected. Not one of them represents the kind of radical change required to stave off a looming disaster coming at us on many fronts, ecological as well as economical. They are all a mild reflection of the American people who have reached a complete state of apathy and self centered myopic focus. There aren’t enough “good” citizens left to make any difference. There is a solid 25% ofd the population which will always be around to support the politics of George Bush and his kind. These people aren’t going away.

Edited on Jan 29, 2008 06:04

[tomkat72]

So how ’bout we all quit pissing and moaning and do something about it? There are people out there that have the same fears and thoughts, but they are going to stand up and fight for the greatest country on this planet. Below is the “Platform of the American People”. If this sparks any interest google American Solutions for Winning the Future and take a hard look. Then ACT!!!

THE PLATFORM OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

AMERICAN VALUES AND AMERICAN SOLUTIONS

There are values which unite a large majority of Americans. (86 to 10)

We want to strengthen and revitalize America’s core values. (80 to 9)

Our goal should be to provide long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes. (92 to 5)

Government clearly has to change the way it operates and bring in ideas and systems currently employed to increase productivity and effectiveness in the private sector. (74 to 16)

The changes we need in government have to occur in all 513,000 elected offices throughout the country and cannot be achieved by focusing only on Washington. (84 to 12)

English and American Civilization
Immigration, the Border and Assimilation
Science and Technology
Prizes
Energy and the Environment
Taxes and Jobs
Social Security and Retirement
Freedom of Religion
Defending America

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

ENGLISH

English should be the official language of government. (87 to 11)
All election ballots and other government documents should be printed in English. (74 to 23)
New immigrants should be required to learn English. (83 to 17)
Government should offer intensive English language instruction to all who need it, including stipends to help immigrants attend the programs. (83 to 15)
Businesses should be able to require employees to speak the English language while on the job. (80 to 17)

AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

The United States should only grant citizenship to those who want to embrace American values and culture. (68 to 29)
It is important to have references to God in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence-that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness-because they make clear that certain rights can’t be taken away by government. (84 to 13)
Statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are just as important today as they were 200 years ago. (86 to 12)
We reject the idea that the times change and the language in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence must change with the times. The language in the Pledge and the Declaration are very important and must be protected. (86 to 12)
Public schools should teach more American history. (56 to 35)
IMMIGRATION, THE BORDER, AND ASSIMILATION

The American people favor legal immigration, control of the border, ending illegal immigration with an emphasis on employer responsibility, immediate deportation of felons who are here illegally, a requirement to return home to become legal temporary workers, assimilation of those who sincerely want to become American, and a sophisticated, technologically advanced temporary worker system.

Specifically:

The American people want to increase the number of visas for highly-educated immigrants or those with special skills, the so-called H1B and H2B visas. (63 to 29)
The American people believe border control is a security issue. Terrorists are trying to enter the United States illegally. (86 to 12)
Illegal immigrants who commit felonies should be deported. (88 to 10)
There should be a worker visa program making it easier for people to work legally in the United States. (83 to 16)
Allowing illegal immigrants to remain in this country undermines respect for the law. Therefore to join a worker visa program workers must apply from their own country. They could not apply from the United States and must return home first. (69 to 27)
When applying for a temporary worker visa each worker should take an oath to obey American law and be deported if they commit a crime while in the United States. (93 to 8)
In a worker visa program each worker will receive a tamper-proof identification card that will allow the government to track him or her. (89 to 11)
Each worker will go to immigration centers in their home country that will help them find jobs in the United States so they apply for a visa with a job in hand. (84 to 14)
A real time verification system should be established to verify immigration status and it should be outsourced to companies like American Express, Visa, or MasterCard so businesses can immediately identify whether or not someone has forged papers. (73 to 20)
No company should market services such as credit cards or bank accounts specifically to people who are in the United States illegally. (78 to 18)
There should be heavy monetary fines against employers and businesses who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. (78 to 20)
The Internal Revenue Service should conduct audits of companies who hire illegal immigrants to determine if those companies have paid the taxes they owe. (83 to 15)
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

There will be incredible possibilities to meet our country’s challenges in a variety of fields because in the next 25 years there will be 4 to 7 times the amount of new science and technology in the world as in the last 25 years. (88 to7)
Therefore we should dramatically increase our investment in math and science education. (91 to 8)
We must rely on innovation and new technology if we are going to compete successfully with India and China. (88 to 8)

PRIZES
Prizes should be given to companies and individuals that invent creative ways to solve problems.

We support giving large financial prizes to companies and individuals who invent an affordable car that gets 100 miles to the gallon. (77 to 15)
We support giving a large financial prize to the first company or individual who invents new ways to successfully cut pollution. (79 to 18)
We support giving a large financial prize to the first company or individual who invents a new, safer way to dispose of nuclear waste products. (79 to 16)

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(click here for complete data – PDF file)

We have an obligation to be good stewards of God’s creation for future generations. (95 to 3)
We can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment. (73 to 18)
We can solve our environmental problems faster and cheaper with innovation and new technology than with more litigation and more government regulation. (79 to 15)
Entrepreneurs are more likely to solve America’s energy and environmental problems than bureaucrats. (72 to 18)
If we use technology and innovation and incentives we do not need to raise taxes to clean up our environment. (68 to 29)
We support giving tax credits to companies that cut carbon emissions as an incentive to cut pollution. (76 to 21)
We want to encourage businesses to voluntarily cut pollution and give them financial incentives to do this but, if necessary, we will require them to do so. (66 to 25)
We should give tax credits to homeowners and builders who incorporate alternative energy systems in their homes, like solar, wind, and geothermal energy. (90 to 8)
We support offering tax credits for people who turn in older, high-polluting cars. (68 to 27)
Climate change and global warming are probably happening. (82 to 13)
We support building more nuclear power plants to cut carbon emissions and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. (65 to 28)
We should hold city governments to the same standards for cleaning waste water as are applied to private industry. (91 to 5)
We are prepared to use public funds to preserve green space and parks to protect natural areas from development but especially with public and private partnerships. (81 to 15)
We favor property tax credits to private landowners who agree not to develop their land and agree not to sell it to developers (65 to 30)
Our current dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security by making us vulnerable to dangerous dictatorships. (78 to 18)
Our current dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic prosperity by making us vulnerable to dangerous dictatorships. (78 to 19)
We should build more oil refineries in America to lower the cost of gas and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. (77 to 19)
With appropriate safeguards to protect the environment, we should drill for oil off America’s coasts to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. (73 to 23).
TAXES AND JOBS
(click here for complete data – PDF file)

The federal income tax system is unfair. (69 to 27)
The death tax should be abolished. (65 to 32)
We favor tax incentives for companies who keep their headquarters in the United States. (70 to 26)
Taxpayers should be given the option of a single income tax rate of 17%. Taxpayers would still have the option of filing their taxes in the current system if they choose to do so. (61 to 32)
The option of a single rate system should give taxpayers the convenience of filing their taxes with just a single sheet of paper. (82 to 15)
We favor the option of a single corporate tax rate of 17% that would lower taxes for some businesses that pay up to 38% while also closing loopholes that some corporations use to pay less in taxes. (74 to 22)
The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world making it difficult for U.S. corporations to compete internationally which gives incentives for companies to move overseas. This plan will make America a more attractive place for businesses that provide good paying jobs. (68 to 14)
SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT

It is important for the President and Congress to address the issue of Social Security in the next few years. (96 to 2)
The current Social Security systems is broken and, if it isn’t reformed, future generations will no longer have it as a safety net for retirement.
(80 to 19)
We favor a Social Security proposal in which Personal Social Security Savings Accounts would be optional, with workers given the choice of continuing to depend on the current system with current benefits. (64 to 31)
We favor a Social Security proposal in which, when a worker retires, he or she would use the money in the account to buy an annuity, which is a type of financial benefit that will give monthly payments for the rest of the worker’s life. The annuity will pay at least the same amount as traditional Social Security would. (67 to 27)
We favor this Social Security proposal because in the current system, workers cannot pass onto their family members the money they paid into Social Security. This would not be the case in this new plan. (59 to 23)
We favor a Social Security proposal in which any money in the account left after the purchase of an annuity would be the property of the worker and the extra money can be left to family members at death. (80 to 17)
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
(click here for complete data – PDF file)

References to the Creator in the Declaration of Independence are very important. (87 to 9)
Keeping the reference to “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is very important. (88 to 11)
We reject the Ninth Federal Circuit Court declaring the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because the Court believes the Pledge’s reference to “God” violates the separation of Church and State. (82 to 15)
The phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is perfectly in line with the United States Constitution. We reject that this phrase violates the separation of Church and State. (82 to 15)
Separation between Church and State does not mean there can be no references to God in government sanctioned activities or public buildings. (81 to 16)
The best way to ensure religious freedom is to protect ALL religious references and symbols; including those on public buildings, lands, or documents. (83 to 16)
It is important to acknowledge today that the references to God in the Declaration of Independence -that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (93 to 6)
Children should be allowed a moment of silence to pray for themselves in public school if they desire. (94 to 5)
We reject banning all prayer in public schools. (82 to 16)
We support the right of high schools students saying thanks to God in a graduation speech. (79 to 20)
We approve of a Christmas tree or a Menorah being placed on public property during the holiday season. (90 to 7)
We favor a law to protect city, county, and state lands that have crosses or other religious symbols from being removed. (68 to 28)
Many of the problems our country faces are because America is no longer as religious and moral as it once was and are not a result of changes in the economy, war, public education and other issues. (65 to 30)
The Founding Fathers understood that religion and morality were important to creating and building this country and talked about it regularly. This was understood throughout American history and is central to America’s success today. We reject those who say that just because America has a 200 year history of religion in government doesn’t make it right. We reject that this violates the U.S. Constitution and discriminates against those who are of other faiths or are not religious. (79 to 17)
Statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are just as important today as they were 200 years ago. (86 to 12)

DEFENDING AMERICA
(click here for complete data – PDF file)

We must help defend America and her allies. (85 to 10)
We must defeat America’s enemies. (75 to 16)
We have to be prepared to survive an attack by a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon. (83 to 17)
Al Qaeda poses a very serious threat for the United States. (93 to 5)
It will not be possible to negotiate with terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. (79 to 19)
America should take the threat of terror by fanatical religious groups more seriously. (83 to 13)
Iran poses a serious threat to the United States. (85 to 14)
Hezbollah and Hamas pose a serious threat to the United States. (67 to 17)
There should be a death penalty for someone caught and convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack in the United States. (79 to 18)
Congress should make it a crime to advocate acts of terrorism or violent conduct or the killing of innocent people in the United States. (83 to 12)
The Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies should develop programs to teach Americans what they can do as individuals to help in the fight against terror. (82 to 13)
Terrorist websites at home and abroad should be closed down using computer warfare. (77 to 16)

[sprite]

Yeeesh! Another poll. Who is asking the questions and who is answering them? Most of the questions betray a self centered, nationalistic, flag waving, immigrant hating, religious fanatic right wing..and I would add “fringe” to the right wing name except most americans now seem to follow that dead end philosophy and will continue to follow it right into the ground. I once read a poll which stated over 85% of Americans still believe in angels manifesting on earth and performing miracles. Unless and until the population decides to pull its collective head out of its collective rear end, the country is doomed.

[rebaragon]

You know, you may well be right and the country (as we’ve known it) will no longer be–Some of that can actually become incredibly good news if you ask me…Besides, I have to respect people that are willing to stop whining and do something about it rather than sit on the sidelines and enjoy the carnage–even when you don’t agree with their take basic take on things. Sure, we must first identify what’s wrong (done that by a zillion people), but then it’s pretty pitiful if we just bitch and moan instead of actually doing something…A lot easier to criticize than to make a difference by changing, at the very least, any of your own behaviors that have supported this out of control treadmill that’s been the mainstay of the way of life in the US…The unsustainable US lifestyle may have reached it’s inevitable end, but it’s people still deserve, like everywhere else, to live with respect and dignity which is one of the scarcest commodity as of late…

[DavidCMurray]

On CNN yesterday, Mike Huckabee (for whom I profess little admiration) made the point that the pending +/-$150 billion “tax rebate” which Bush and the Congress appear pretty much agreed upon will be funded by still more national debt.

And who, you may ask, is funding the national debt? Why our friends in China, of course.

And what, you may ask, will these doles be spent on? Mostly consumer goods produced by . . . (are you ready??) our friends in China.

And to whom, you may ask, will go the bulk of profits? Guess!

Huckabee makes a powerful argument for just the public works projects that the U.S.’s failing infrastructure cries out for and which Bush has rejected consideration of. A public works program would use American steel, concrete, labor and equipment to repair what’s crumbling all around us, create jobs and private sector profit, keep the money in circulation in North America, and return federal, state and local tax revenues. It makes too much sense to take seriously.

[Roark]

My deepest sympathy goes out to all whose situations are so dire. I for one am doing great and look forward to what the future holds for us Americans.

[Author]

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