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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
 Posted - 01/08/2009 : 11:48:01
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W. and the damage done
Jan. 8, 2009 | After a couple of presidential terms, mismanagement in every area of policy -- foreign, domestic, even extraterrestrial -- starts to add up. When George W. Bush entered the White House in January 2001, he inherited peace and prosperity. The military, the Constitution and New Orleans were intact and the country had a budget surplus of $128 billion. Now he's about to dash out the door, leaving a large, unpaid bill for his successors to pay.
To get a sense of what kind of balance is due, Salon spoke to experts in seven different fields. Wherever possible, we have tried to express the damage done in concrete terms -- sometimes in lives lost, but most often just in money spent and dollars owed. What follows is an incomplete inventory of eight years of mis- and malfeasance, but then a fuller accounting would run, um, somewhat longer than three pages... |
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/08/2009 : 12:39:27 [Permalink]
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That's a summery, ugly to historic proportions! Indeed, unprecedented.
I find it remarkable that within a mere eight years, a pack of greedy incompetents could bring a nation such as ours to it's knees. I find it amazing that there haven't been riots in the streets, and yet more amazing that virtually all of the blackguards responsible are still alive and walking free when they should be under indictment, in the can, or decorating a lamp post in the traditional manner.
I gotta go take me some Maalox.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 13:12:47 [Permalink]
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| Ooops. My link started the article on page 2. I have corrected my mistake. Hopefully that won't mean that you will have to go for even even more Maalox, filthy. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 16:41:08 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Ooops. My link started the article on page 2. I have corrected my mistake. Hopefully that won't mean that you will have to go for even even more Maalox, filthy.
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Nah, it worked out ok, and I've switched from gut-balm to cheap whiskey.
I do not think that I have enough years left to see the end of the ruin Bush and the Republicans have wrought.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 17:15:05 [Permalink]
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I do not think that I have enough years left to see the end of the ruin Bush and the Republicans have wrought.
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They did not do it alone. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 03:19:38 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Gorgo
I do not think that I have enough years left to see the end of the ruin Bush and the Republicans have wrought.
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They did not do it alone.
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Of course not. They were eagerly assisted by the pussy Democrats who, intimidated by Cheney/Rove and more concerned with their personal, political welfare than that of he country -- indeed the world -- that they went along with anything. When they met with any Republican resistance, they cowered under their desks and cried for mommy. After all, if they didn't, the swill-bucket, Rush might talk mean about them and hurt their tender, little feelings. 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 03:28:28 [Permalink]
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| And now Obama wants to be "bi-partisan." Which means extreme right wing. That's what got us into this mess. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 04:41:41 [Permalink]
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He strikes me as trying to do too many things at once. Hopefully, he'll settle down.
As for bi-partisan, fuck that. It's been shown not to work. Be loyal and faithful to your friends and retaliate upon your enemies the instant they step out of line.
And above all, restore the law of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
I wonder what's up with Howard Dean being excluded from the ceremony where his successor (I know the name, but can't bring it forth. Gimmie a break, I'm old) takes over the Democratic party.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 06:11:47 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
He strikes me as trying to do too many things at once. Hopefully, he'll settle down.
As for bi-partisan, fuck that. It's been shown not to work. Be loyal and faithful to your friends and retaliate upon your enemies the instant they step out of line.
And above all, restore the law of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
I wonder what's up with Howard Dean being excluded from the ceremony where his successor (I know the name, but can't bring it forth. Gimmie a break, I'm old) takes over the Democratic party.
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Governor Tim Kaine. I didn't know it until you mentioned the whole deal. Odd. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 06:27:11 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Gorgo
Originally posted by filthy
He strikes me as trying to do too many things at once. Hopefully, he'll settle down.
As for bi-partisan, fuck that. It's been shown not to work. Be loyal and faithful to your friends and retaliate upon your enemies the instant they step out of line.
And above all, restore the law of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
I wonder what's up with Howard Dean being excluded from the ceremony where his successor (I know the name, but can't bring it forth. Gimmie a break, I'm old) takes over the Democratic party.
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Governor Tim Kaine. I didn't know it until you mentioned the whole deal. Odd.
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Right, thanks! And odd indeed. I think Dean deserves a hell of a lot of credit for getting Democrats where they are today: up from abject failure. Are they rewarding him with an insult? If so, I don't like it.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 12:07:06 [Permalink]
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I think it should be taken into consideration that the Republicans just did very poorly in the last elections, including congressional races. They know their stocks are very low and would still like to be reelected. Also, it should be pointed out that the Dems had only a tiny majority last congress. Right now Americans are fed up with with partisan bickering. So Obama must "reach across the isle" even if it's a matter of show. Right now, he reaches from a position of strength. That is to say, expect many Republican concessions, because of political expediency on their part. Governing from the middle doesn't mean far right policies. That assumes Democrats caving to the right. But right now we have the opposite situation from what we have had for the last eight years. It's the Republicans on the hot seat now. If they are uncooperative, they will be seen as obstructionist.
If you want to see the Republicans take over congress like they did with Clinton, or a complete failure to get anything done as with Carter, all Obama has to do is act like he doesn't need cooperation from both sides of the isle. This is politics folks. And Obama seems to know instinctively how to play the game.
He will probably not please Gorgo most of the time. That would require a shift to the far left that most Americans will not be happy with, and bring Republican control back to congress. (Actually, a shift to the far left would make me happy too, but I tend to be pragmatic about such things.) He will not please the rest of us all of the time. He is facing monetary constraints that are unprecedented, a possible depression, two wars and a health care crisis. What he can do is bring back a level of sanity to the office that has been completely missing.
At the moment, that should be enough. You can go ahead and bitch about what you would like to see done, but without political expediency, all will be lost again. Obama has to win over those Americans who only voted for him because Bush and company were complete assholes, before he can make a serious left push.
Give the guy a chance, eh?
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 17:10:16 [Permalink]
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That would require a shift to the far left that most Americans will not be happy with,
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Not sure where you get that idea or how you define left and right.
No matter, Obama has not claimed to be anywhere near the left.
Give him a chance? What choice do I have? I'm waiting like everyone else. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Hittman
Skeptic Friend
134 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2009 : 08:43:46 [Permalink]
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| Of course not. They were eagerly assisted by the pussy Democrats. . . |
I would have said "they were eagerly assisted by their fellow politicians." Democrats, Republicans – they're all evil weasels who are only interested in increasing their power and wealth and the power and wealth of their friends (i.e. not you).
| Be loyal and faithful to your friends and retaliate upon your enemies the instant they step out of line. |
That's exactly what they do. Their friends (not you, not us) benefit from their power. The rest of us pay the price.
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When a vampire Jehovah's Witness knocks on your door, don't invite him in. Blood Witness: http://bloodwitness.com
Get Smartenized® with the Quick Hitts blog: http://www.davehitt.com/blog2/index.phpBlog |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2009 : 09:06:25 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Hittman
| Of course not. They were eagerly assisted by the pussy Democrats. . . |
I would have said "they were eagerly assisted by their fellow politicians." Democrats, Republicans – they're all evil weasels who are only interested in increasing their power and wealth and the power and wealth of their friends (i.e. not you).
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Agreed, but how do we change the dynamics of politics to where our elected representative do what's best for the country and not what's best to keep their personal political coffers full and their sorry asses re-elected. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2009 : 09:18:28 [Permalink]
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Agreed, but how do we change the dynamics of politics to where our elected representative do what's best for the country and not what's best to keep their personal political coffers full and their sorry asses re-elected.
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The media also assist. That's the biggest problem. There is no one watching. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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W. and the damage done
