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This will be my last post here for a while – seems I am terribly busy and it appears by Scotts post that the hoards are clamoring for me to desist – I guess I have done my job.
“Today I can tell you that I pledge to seeking the truth, I pledge to demanding justice, I pledge to the Founding Father’s idea of inalienable rights (“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness…”), I pledge to giving the US founding principles back to its citizenry, I pledge that I will not endorse government backed terrorism anywhere in the world nor silently accept that “it’s being done for my own good” and I most CERTAINLY pledge to the BRAVE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN that have been sent to be IN HARMS WAY BASED ON A LIE and if they’re lucky they’ll get to come home and find that their VETERAN BENEFITS have been CUT (this is backed by the President and is actually before Congress right now!!) in order to afford the continuation of this unethical and horrible war that has caused so much death and destruction for Iraqi people and for our own troops for no good reason at all!!! and I pledge to myself that I will NEVER blindly pledge to a government or a political philosophy that has stolen America from Americans BUT THIS WILL NEVER mean that I hate America because I pledged long ago that I would NEVER allow myself to hate another human being and I LOVE THE PRINCIPLES that made this a great nation, I just HATE what SOME people, individually and collectively, have done to this country and the ideals that it represented…. “
By what is written above I have to ask: What office are you running for aragon?
Have you ever considered politics? You weasel out of the gist of the question with the best of them. No one ever came to the conclusion that you hate America (except you of course – see: above).You can’t have it both ways. Although you have been given a pass for being a woman (I guess? according to Lotus) – you don’t get a pass from me.
You pledge yu pledge you pledge – and you wiggle around my question (see:below)
“that I will NEVER blindly pledge to a government” – you speak about the future. I was asking about your past. Did you pledge allegiance to the United States of America?
A simple yes or no will do?
If the answer is “yes” – it does not imply you are a robot or a force of evil.
Many are walking a fine line between being anti-bush and anti-American. Funny how those who are anti-American always rush to give a speal about how they love Americans – when in their hearts they despise us for being richer and stronger than any other country and the police force of the world. It’s “thumb your nose at the police syndrome.”
How many other countries really stand with us? England and Australia? That about it. Australia was never under any threat, but if we did not come to Europe’s rescue they would all be speaking German by now. And how would the little quasi-paradise of Costa Rica be doing if it had to spend almost its entire budget on protection? Not quite the “paradise” it is today – now would it be. I could go on and on about the protection issue and I could even site some websites for you …
Our currency has weakened – hardly collapsed – and it has weakened because we have funded a war that appeared to be and may still be about defending the world – that is right I said “the world” – against Islamic extremism. And if the dollar does collapse who will it hurt – the American people that are working until May to pay their taxes, much of which is used to stabilize the world.
Oh but who cares about them – it’s the death of the dollar! (Which really means – for those that chant it with glee, “we hate the United States”). A collapse of the American currency is a very hurtful thing. And those rooting for it are clearly anti-American. The collapse of the dollar transcends economics and can hardly be played off as merely investment strategies when you are talking about bankrupting the world police force.
To all American haters – remember you are biting the hand that protects you – you take your protection for granted. That means unappreciative and that means ungrateful – therefore the word “ingrate” comes to mind. Do not forget it is the American people that pay to protect the majority of the world from the bad guys!!! We pay. I do not see any other countries policing the world or helping to pay for the world’s general stability.
Do I like the US policing the world – hell no.
First most of the rest of the world does not appreciate our efforts. Second it cost me too much and it costs my child too much and it cost our citizens too much. Do you know what we could of accomplished back home with the money spent on Iraq? How about replacing every school in the country with a new state of the art one? Every school – that is no exaggeration. So who is paying the price for that one? Our children obviously.
It reminds me of all the people binding the giant Tom Thumb. They are gleefully throwing ropes about trying to keep him down. Then we wakes up and casually breaks the bonds and steps on them (that’s not the way the story goes but it sure would make those around the world change their attitude if the one remaining superpower flexed it muscles some – can American haters say “the giant awoke – run and hide now!).
Because I disagree with the course of our leaders that does not mean that I am against our country and wish to see it fail in Iraq. We have chosen to engage extremist in Iraq, we upset the internal order, now we have to restore it- and it looks like it may be happening – bad news for those of you who are rooting for us to fail. But that was are course and as long as we have invested in it and there appears to be a reasonable chance that it will restore order – I will stick with it.
Aragon do you want to see the US fail in Iraq? A simple yes or no will do…
(if you know how to answer yes or no is debatable).
And BTW the wiggle in your response is a perfect example of the blah blah blah quotient – which is – if you do not have a quality response that answers the uncomfortable question – then just dump a quantity of rhetoric on it and see if they will tire and go away.
Its the same thing Castro did in Cuba with his 2-3 hour televised speeches that he so cleverly aired before the Brazilian tela-novellas (soap operas) so popular with the Cubanas – you should have seen the women curse him when his speeches would run past 9 o’clock (into the time slot the novellas were scheduled to start) – hilarious and very clever as he knew he had his highest viewer-ship and would always summarize his speech by re-delivering the gist at the end.
Politicians do the blah blah blah all the time unless someone holds their feet to the fire – and the person who does that usually gets chastised by those who agree with the politician.
To sum it up – there is an old saying – “No good deed goes unpunished” – However like a sometimes misguided good-Samaritan the US keeps doing good deeds anyways – and I hope that this post is doing a good deed by exposing that Bush bashing and being anti American are quite different – but I will probably be punished for it – however I will continue to do good deeds anyways.
So aragon this will be it on this subject but it will be interesting to see if you can give a one word answer to two very simple questions – (I doubt if you will do it though) as the answers obviously will be telling.
Fisherman if you have read anything I have wrote you know I came out of the womb questioning authority. I am hardly a blind little follower – give me a break.
AS witnessed below by an aragon post – there is a big difference between Bush Bashing and bashing Americans —-
“If I didn’t know better, I would think that the administration has contaminated “US CITIZENS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.” Maybe the naturally occurring kind can’t be passed on, but either something has been put in the water, air or TV airwaves to create quite a group of let’s say, alternative reality individuals….
Roark, take this from someone that has been studying mental health for a long time, have a friend take you to the nearest mental health clinic/hospital and tell them that the current events and the propaganda on commercial TV news has pushed you over the edge and that you are now a threat to others…Please do not bring your mental health issues to CR unless you are looking to spend some time at Chapui–I happen to know some administrative staff there that could make accommodations for you, but it’s no Club Med there…People do not normally perceive great joy in the fears of others unless “YOU’RE A CERTIFIABLE SADIST”…That alone should be making you very, very afraid for your own mental health…
And BTW I guess what is written above is not insulting Americans in general. And of course being called an ingrate is on no par with calling someone a sadist. So if that is not insults and name calling – I do not know what is.
As I figured, I never got an answer to this one – aragon did you pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America?
I am a passionate patriot and do not apologize for the gist of what I wrote as there was nothing in that post any worse than what was written above – other than being pro American / not pro bush and certainly not pro government. It has been American people that have sacraficed so much to help so many – so frequently – Not American goverments. So, considering the above post, why was I singled out to be admonished in such a way?
I don’t think Scott need mamita to run to his defense and just when I thought you were starting to make sense you write this brown-nose post that .. makes no sense .. typical.
Some peoples opinion and sense of rightness means more to them then reality – thank God its not that way across the board.
12 million illegals in the US (conservatively) and they are not leaving. (I wish they would) tells you which way they are running.
Who opens their border to Cubans? Who opens their borders to the poor of the world – the ones that don’t “count” because they have no money. Would that have been your family once upon a time aragon? I call that compassion.
It’s obviously the greatest country in the world. Or maybe England or Cuba is better? aragon – how come you have not returned to Cuba? The American people have made it so — even if the politicians get in the way. It has its cultural faults but it is responsible for the stability that has provided overall peace that has allowed other countries to prosper.
Its one thing to be a Bush basher -. It is another to be a US basher. And you aragon – the US has helped you get your education and supported you by creating opportunity. The word “ingrate” comes to mind. You spout your self-aggrandizing pseudo intellectual flatulence and then you back-stab a country that made your family what it is (whatever that is – as it obviously does not include being appreciative and grateful and loyal).
Why don’t you take note of attitudes like CR home builders. Obviously a patriot, like me, who is hedging a bet and exploring other opportunities – not bashing his country. When the planes hit the towers, I was running to the airport (not away from it) to return home to defend my country. Regardless of where I have homes and what countries I do business in, I am an American first. I appreciate what my country has done for me and the world. And I am not about to bash it over its imperfections.
People come to the US for opportunity. If there was no opportunity they would not come. Therefore the US is a great country that people are still flocking to and a large amount of people with money that come here stay here. And I am not talking just about Cubans (like you aragon) who have done so well they own a large part of southern Florida.
I wish the US would close it schools to the rest of the world and I wish we would stop defending the rest of the world – would you like that aragon? I say stop supporting the ingrates and those who wish to fleece and run. I say close the door to your types – the one who will not assimilate and the ones who have no alligence.
Where would of your ancestors ran to if the door was closed? Who took the felons and convicts from Muriel? Should we have sent them back? Do you know what Cuban jails are like??? I do.
Your attitude illustrates the biggest problem with US immigration. People come there to suck off the government teat and do not assimilate – they develop no allegiance to the US. They use our schools and hide behind our constitution and they do not appreciate that we are breaking our economy to hunt down the bad guys and impede Muslim extremist, and creating stability through out most of the world.
I personally wish that the US would thumb its nose at the rest of the world and let the Castro, Chaves and other waiting-in-the-wing empire builders have there way with all the poor that allegedly don’t count.
The US is a great nation because of the poor that came here, made homes and family and business and integrated and assimilated and pledged allegiance.
aragon did you pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. If you did it sure does not sound like it. So, did you? I am curious. I am sure I will not get an answer. If I do, it will only expose your hypocrisy.
Now, there are a lot of people that just want to suck it dry. You flaunt you little want a be jet setting freedom and “I am educated all over the world” and “my friends here and my friends there” blah blah blah and all your self perceived righteousness has been granted because of the opportunity and freedom the US has provided you – aragon.
Do you know how much physical oppression has been alleviated by the US people and their army? It far out weighs the bad that we have done. Far out weighs it.
US bashers need to get a grip – Its one thing to bash Bush. It another to let the freedoms and opportunities the US provides go unrecognized.
Bush bashing is one thing – being anti-American is another. We the people make it a great country that defends the world. If Ortega invades Costa Rica – who are the Tico going to call – ghost busters???
So this is an opportunity for those on this forum to announce their allegiance to the US. Who will stand up, as our troops stand up around the world for the freedom our great nation provides and represents? I am curious.
Could this be the return of the “bad” Diego…
I didn’t realize that we were only talking about rich people – So what is rich? Does that also mean all the foreign students and Asians that are in the US are also poor (hardly) – and what is your definition of poor? Some of the richest people I know have little money. And according to your post, Jesus and Gandhi and Mother Teresa etc etc etc are poor people without a door. I guess they hardly count either.
I do not define my self by my financial wealth – and I believe most Ticos do not either. So does that mean that the Ticos who constantly complain to me that they would like to get a visa to the US but can’t – do not count.
I suppose not – according to your post. “money-o-centric?” I would expect better from you Scotto – And BTW England has been the grand daddy of empire building and us North Americans learned it from the Brits – so before you are so quick to point the finger – think about the ancestry. The apple seems not to fall far from the tree…
I have read a bunch of this and I say ask your self this question:
Take a country any country and ask yourself this – If the front door to it was left open – would people run into it – or would they run out???
Obviously many more people are running into the US then running out – and I say that as one of the people who is running out.
Wagoneer –
Time and again I have heard all this stuff about great attorneys. Let me tell you something about attorneys in general. You have to swing the bat. The bat does not swing itself. – That is = attorneys are tools and how well the tool is applied determines the result you get.
What do you want as your results???
To be declared the winner in your law suit? I have no doubt many and aggressive attorney in CR can do this. But will that help you execute your judgment (get your money back) once and if you receive a judgment against the defendant?????
Most CR attorney will “forget” to mention this as it will put them out of a job.
My point is the best investment you can make legal wise is to have an experienced consultant manage your case. They know how to use the tool (attorney) and can tell you when the tool is using you. They also know the best tool to select – kind of like picking a golf club for a particular shot. You don’t pick a putter when you want to drive the ball and you don’t pick a driver when you need to put.
An experienced consultant can save you a ton of money and time and stress by giving you a realistic view of what you can hope to accomplish. (They did for me and I do not think I would have won a case that saved me seven figures if not for my consultant).
They will not try a sell you vindication only – as most attorneys will. They will be realistic with you about what money you can expect to recover and how long it will take and then let you decide if it is worth it.
Attorneys will tell you what you want to hear and word it in a way that well get you the results they promised – which most of the time is not congruent with your best interests (yes you got the judgment, but they didn’t say that they are near impossible to collect). So they give you a false victory. You won in court but you do not recover your funds (isn’t recovering your money what you really want or are you satisfied with being vindicated from a legal victory – Me? I want the cash back).
Also experienced consultants can advise you about strategies that according to the law would be illegal for CR attorneys to talk about. CR is a world unto itself and the way to get things done here is many times accomplished outside the law book. Consultant and attorneys know this, but attorneys will not tell you about such practical ways of achieving your goals (getting your money back). One – it would be violating their code of ethiocs – Two – it would put them out of a job.
An attorney with a golden tongue and strong stage appeal is important – but who wields and how the attorney is wielded is as important. Most people for obvious reasons have no idea how to deal with their hired professional and furthermore many attorney will tell you that they practice all kinds of different types of law. When in reality they are not specialists in the field you need. A consultant can steer you to a specialist and then mange him and your case to be sure that you get you money – and not just a hollow victory. The problem is experienced consultants are few and far between.
BTW – Rebe – you are starting to grow on me – you have given some good advice lately.
Good luck – the good (/boring) Diego
Fascinating posts –
Lotus / Sprite
Since you guys put up with me I will offer some advice from my years of experience here – cuz I like you guys and Scott – I know its Xmas time and all but don’t get mushy on me.
Re: CR builder:
I love his input here. Lotta good stuff well written and sensible.
Here is my take on care takers: If you have a lot of things to be stolen then you need one – who may end up stealing them from you or masterminding the theft.
So what is the key – don’t have a lot of things to be stolen.
Every situation is site specific. If the casita is in an area with neighbors and you have a contact person or have made friends with the neighbors, then a caretaker that you pay $300 a month to guard a $200 television and a $100 boom box is hardly worth it.
Care taker cost: Lets say $4000 a year with all the trimmings. You can buy a lot of boom boxes and TVs for 4K a year. I came to these conclusions years ago when my car stereos would “disappear” once every couple of years. My Tico neighbor said – “you need a night time care taker!” Well the cost for replacing the window and stereo is about $125 and over 6 years I have suffered about $1,000 in losses due to thievery.
Math: 6 X $4K = $24K – for what – to guard $1,000 worth of electronic equipment and car stereos.
No way – let them have it.
I could replace all my stuff 24 TIMES for the price of a caretaker for 6 years!
Then there is all the employee baggage that you have to endure…
My point is people get emotionally affected from a sense of being violated (a feeling that they choose for themselves (Byron Katie / Loving What Is – highly recommended). So instead of the need to stop the criminals – Let them have their pilfering and chalk it up to living expenses. It’s better than trying to beat them at their own game (beating them at their own game is being caught in a superiority trap).
The thing is to not have a lot of “stuff” to steal. Also you can build-in your furniture into the wall or build platforms for bedding out of block and cement and then all you need is a foam mattress.
I have had a cabina in Manuel Antonio for years and it has been vandalized once and I lost paint and tools valued at $150.
So I am not saying that CR builders advice is not sound – it is and the cost of the additions that he suggest will only go higher in the future so they are sound investments. But they are also fixed investments in the sense that hardscape such as driveways etc are useful for your building plan and maybe not for a potential buyers plan.
So I would stick to amenities that can be used for anybody’s home building vision – like bringing water and electric to the lot, fencing, landscape etc.
To sum it up – you need to consider the intrinsic value of the investment – you cannot sleep in your hardscape or nearby electric and landscaping – but you can sleep in your cabina. The money you save on hotel rooms can pay for the cabina. It has for me in Manuel Antonio.
Build it sensibly with an eye on anchoring “stealables” and solid masonry furniture and I doubt you will have too much problems with thievery. If you are that worried about it, I don’t let it upset me anymore. I factor it in as a living in CR expense. Charity.
Keep your electronics investment reasonable and build in a small safe room/area with a vent and light bulb if you must keep valuables there.
I think having a cabina that you can use and that friends can use is valuable and when it comes to building – if you are the owner/builder you better dam well be on site or be prepared to pay higher building costs. So your cabina serves you well here too.
I think people get to wrapped up in “guarding.” My cabina has served me well and if I had to do it again I would build it – do it the same way.
Cheers – The good (/boring) Diego
Nice synopsis dkt2u –
What’s your backround – real estate broker? if so where – Jaco. Can I contact you?
“Unfortunately it is a necessary evil.”
“We do have a responsibility to make sure our money is being spent wisely and that no more of our personal income is siphoned from us than should be necessary for government to provide essential services.”
That sums it up. And the smaller the government the less waste.
“I do not except your pessimistic view that “It’s not as easy as you think”. No, it really is as easy as just doing it. I will admit the complicated part is in the details of implementing cuts, but that isn’t rocket science either. it just takes getting started and making the effort.” – well said
They want to maintain the Status Quo because they are some of the least patriotic of all. They cannot be patriotic because patriotism requires them to eliminate as much Gov as possible. Its an inherent conflict.
“I’m not sure why you keep trying to compare government waste with that in the private sector. The two are completely separate issues and have absolutely nothing to do with the other. You seem to think that we aren’t allowed to complain about government waste because there is waste in private business.”
I am sure why he does it – to defend his job. These are attitudes of peopled weaned on the government teat. It is self defeating for them to admit that public government is inefficient and less effective.
My God – just look at their slimy leaders. They get into office and abuse their position. I would venture to say 80% of high level officials abuse their position and the low level officals that are in “power hat” positions flaunt those hats when you deal with them, instead of being human first – they are their position first. This is not normal in CR yet – people are human first – then they are their job title. But as the US culture moves in – and the gov types come here, you see this starting to change.
You will see the “Drone Attitude” worn by those who are their position first – human last, become more prevelant.
David,
Unfortunately I reread your post.
Not having children is a selfish decision that limits ones understanding and experience of life. A day without children is like a day without sunshine. Having children has a lot of selfish rewards too. Like living and feeling to the nines. If you have never had children, than you do not know the heights and the lows of life. You have no idea what it truly means to live for something outside of you.
My condolences –
Lotus – you should be scared.
These types are now in Costa Rica. They never were before and they will be fostering Big Brother and Big Mother here. Its has become biological with them.
How about eliminate street sweeping for one. All they do is move around the dirt and It is a left over perpetuated by tax dollars that used to go to picking up horse dung in the old days – before income tax (God knows just how people got along before the existence of the federal government – I am surprised the world still exist without it and some members politically correct dung espoused above).
Next – there are too many people in the world. All you nuvo-socialist with you San Francisco values will love this one.
CUT OUT SOCIAL SECURITY – eliminate it. Let em all go back to work and laugh at em for buying into it.
Next – increase the military – and CHARGE OTHER NATIONS FOR PROTECTION.
That is what we do best (military) and we give it away (to people that do not appreciate it – like Ticos). You need to charge big for this – Simply say: Here is the bill, either pay it or develop your own protection system.
This would have one of two effects,
Either countries without the means to develop large militaries would pay – or get invaded by their neighbors. Or they would develop their military – in that case they would be purchasing the weapons from us. And we would not have to spend so much money on protecting the world. How much could we save by cutting the defense budget on “Other Peoples Defense” (OPD) in half and not spending trillion of dollars on war? – enough to rebuild the infrastructure of the entire nation and put Millions of people to work.
Also, I had the distinct pleasure of being in San Diego for the fires.
In the stadium during the evacuation helping with the efforts —- that WERE ALL VOULINTARY —. That right folks – no government involvment, and all the help was donated by private citizens that WOULD NOT wait for the government to act. Are you reading David??? We can simply just not function without Big Mother and Big Brother employing all the Davids of the world. Pathetic point of view.
Fostering ones own survival to compromise the Republic is unpatriotic. But the nuvo socialist have no problem to relinquishing freedom and putting foot baths in airports. Our contry was formed and flourished on survival of the fittest and love of a Christian God. It is the compromising of these core values that continues to ruin us.
When you are weaned on the government teat – it compromises your ability to be resourceful. It also increases your sense of entitlement. I think that government workers foster government mentality (ICE / David M as examples) and retard independence.
Can all people make it without government entitlements? – No.
Should they make it – Again, No.It’s like what the US government considers poverty in the US. Most people who are considered to be living in Poverty in the US have Heat, Running Hot Water, Television are fat and well clothed. You do not see skinny half-dressed hungry people as in other places of the world.
So it’s the entitlement buffs that think all should be regulated and their little rears should be wiped by Big Mother and the weaker among us should be equal (and they are not – they are weaker) that keeps this unrealistic view of “fairness” through Gov entitlements existing. There is nothing fair about the world. It simply is as it is.
I say erase the social cushion – cut the military in half for our defense – increase the military needed to defend other countries – put their brand name on it / while retaining control – And then charge the hell out of them for it. If they cannot pay, like Mexico, charge them in land.
Yeah Diegito – dat a boy, Go get em. That would change things.
Too many people anyways. Need to thin out the world population. Maybe a good plague would save the planet.
If we did this above we would have the strongest and most affluent nation hands down. Then we could consider helping peopole on a case by case basis instead of a blanket give away to the many non-productive leaches that refuse to educate themselves or get off dope and alcohol (legal Dope).
To all those who think we need a kinder gentler US – you pay for it – I will live somewhere else and reduce my tax burden as much as possible. I help my community on a local and individual basis.
