Freedom vs Equality • Captialism vs Socialism

[bigbadbogie]

Sounds like he just looked through a dictionary and put together a bunch of big words to make himself look smart.   Nah...

[Avatar]

Lol...

If you really really really want to observe American politics I suggest you become VERY familiar with the American financial structure and systems.  To truly understand our politics you have to be able to follow the money.

Before going any further, a disclaimer or two:  I voted for McCain because I'll take an ugly old vet over a young pretty politician any day of the week.  That's it.  No other reasons, and I'm not particularly one Party or another, having voted for the people and issues more than for the Party all of my life.  I even voted Libertarian one year (mostly out of disgust with the other candidates).

I'm also totally color blind.  We're all pink on the inside and I grew up a Star Trek geek so I think green and red are cool skin colors, and that there's not enough difference between black and white for me to even notice.

Now...

Obama spent an obscene amount of money ($427 Million reported so far so probably safe to add 50% on top of that) on his campaign.  His online ad spending alone was more than McCain's total campaign spending.  Google alone got over $2M.  Much of the money came from his constituents but a disturbing amount came from overseas.

I also liked McCain's background better, being as he's pretty much proven his patriotism beyond any shadow of a doubt.   Obama I'd never heard of (disturbing in it's own right) AND has the dubious distinction of coming from a State absolutely legendary in it's being the absolute seat of political corruption.  I hate to generalize but that's how it was 'in the old days'...  (remember, I'm old).

I predict that a few decades from now this whole election will make a riveting Movie of the Week...    but for now everyone's just ignoring any details, since they're all busy waiting for all of the money they'll get from the 'redistribution'.

I seriously believe, after everything I've seen, that Hillary was their candidate of choice until research showed she couldn't beat McCain.  A cold, scientific decision was made to use Obama instead as they felt that we weren't ready for a female President, but were ready for a sortof black one.

Then again I feel that that Gina Davis TV show where we had a woman President was part of the research...  (move over Mel, and I'm gonna need one of those tin foil hats...) 

*sigh*

Personally I think anyone who WANTS a political office should be BANNED from every attaining it.  We should be voting in people that will do the job but absolutely do NOT want it.   Think about that...     

Either that or those in office should be given food, clothing, and shelter but their personal finances frozen for their term + 10 years.  That would make it harder (but not impossible) for them to be swayed by money.  (yeah, I know, they'd just use sex, drugs, rock & roll, or blackmail instead of bribes. Still...)

Anyway, getting back to freedom vs equality, I still maintain that both are an illusion externally, and can only be made real internally by YOU, the way you think, the way you act, and how you live out your life.

This is how people in prison have died free, and the lowliest street sweeper can be the equal of the richest man on earth.

-Av-

[bigbadbogie]

I know lots about American politics after being forced to watch about 5 million episodes of the west wing over the last few years.

Personally I think anyone who WANTS a political office should be BANNED from every attaining it.  We should be voting in people that will do the job but absolutely do NOT want it.   Think about that...    

"Any leader who doesn't resent their leadership is half-way to being a tyrant." - bigbadbogie

[Nielk1]

Sounds like he just looked through a dictionary and put together a bunch of big words to make himself look smart.   Nah...

No, I mean the statement I quoted was extremely biased and blamed republicans for something democrats are at the very least equally guilty of. In fact, by the very basis of the parties it is more likely for the democrats to do it more.

[mrtwosheds]

I am biased, I refuse to support or follow any political party. I am a considerable cynic, and am quite proficient at listening to politicians, understanding what it is they "want me to hear" and also extrapolating from what they say, what they are not saying...
I am not biased either way, I know the democrats are no better than the republicans. Its just that the republican miss-information is usually of a far lower quality than democrat miss-information. 
That is, it is usually much easier to see what it is they are not saying.
Try as I can, I cannot really see what they hope to gain from denying adequate healthcare to their own electorate. Cost does not wash with me as a reason, As an expanded health service simply provides even more avenues for profitable business, economic activity and growth. A real poisonous cynic might think that they actually wanted the poor to die, But I am certain that is not the case in America, as it is without doubt, the case in some other nations.

[Nielk1]

Its just that the republican miss-information is usually of a far lower quality than democrat miss-information.

Ah yes. That happens when one has the media and 50% of the internet in their pocket. I just hope the fairness doctrine doesn't get passed because the in-pocket media is considered unbiased, so thus any station with a slight conservative tone would be FORCED to also air extreme liberalism, horridly damaging profits.

[CivBase]

I am not biased either way, I know the democrats are no better than the republicans. Its just that the republican miss-information is usually of a far lower quality than democrat miss-information. 

Lol, come on down here and listen to any news channel for five minutes other than Fox and you will be swayed the other way.

[OvermindDL1]

Yea, Fox is crap.  If you want any *good* news channel, goto the BBC news, that are about the only decent one out there (and yes, they cover the USA as well), all the USA-bred news stations are utter and complete donkey and mule child excrement.
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[Nielk1]

Its funny that FOX is called fair and balanced when all it is is less extreme liberal. Just don't watch Democracy Now, it makes me foam at the mouth (damn philosophy professor).

[mrtwosheds]

Most of the time it makes me angry too, but just now its got a little bit interesting, trying to figure out what's really going on behind the several layers of complex miss-info being hurled around between folks about the economic downturn.

I'm supposed to believe that due to allot of people stupidly lending money to people who weren't going to pay it back, that the global economy has gone tits up, and that apparently the cure is, allot of people lending even more money to people who will be even less able to pay it back, because the economy has gone tits up... And in order to get this happening, some lying bastards have given away allot of other peoples money to some other lying bastards, so that they have something to lend, and that then the first lot of lying bastards have gone off and borrowed another lots of money off of someone...unknown (?) and intend to use that in order to pay for... not taking quite as much money off of the people who could not pay their debts in the first place.

Clearly this is complete and utter cow poo, any fool knows that borrowing money actually makes you worse off most of the time and so does lending it to people who wont pay it back, so what they are not saying is "we havn't got an -ing clue what were doing or why but at least were doing something to justify the ever increasing huge paychecks we take off of you."

Or maybe they really are very very clever and are actually trying to cause a global great depression in order to regain the competitive advantage over the little green men on the moon...

[CivBase]

Yea, Fox is crap.  If you want any *good* news channel, goto the BBC news, that are about the only decent one out there (and yes, they cover the USA as well), all the USA-bred news stations are utter and complete donkey and mule child excrement.

I kinda like fox, but I don't just watch it, and I do watch it realizing that it will likely be portrayed more conservative.  However, same goes for CNN, keeping in mind that it's more liberal.  I do kinda like Glenn Beck though....