American Politics during the Obama Presidency

Doppelganger,

"Self Interest" for America was expressed this way once, THE BUSINESS OF AMERICA IS BUSINESS. Nothing wrong there, I think we can agree. But where foreign policy has failed big time, is the Clint Eastwood / John Wayne approach where the American brand of democracy is preached and lectured to countries that are neither culturally or educated / sophisticated suited for American style of democracy. "Mutual Respect" is often used in diplomatic language, but rarely implemented with any kind of success by the Department of State (BIG TIME FAILURE) As manifested, the pent-up macho frustrations of these latin leaders when they attacked the USA on the world stage, it is a popular message to the downtrodden masses of the world. Our relationship with Iran is a good example of what went wrong with our foreign policy. It started with our staging of a coup that put the Shah of Iran in power for our oil interests and the support of that regime that had serious human rights and democratic issues. Iran is now the Evil Empire, but can we called ourselves, the good old boys (the neo-cons) Personally, I nominate Doyle Brunson as Secretary of State.

Black Shirt, I will whole heartedly agree with you concerning the Business of America is Business, and from that point our self interest as a nation is directed. I disagree with "nation building" regardless of the administration, it just does not work in cultures which for centuries have lived under "strong man" / authoritarian style regimes. Let's face it our representative style democracy just cannot be applied elsewhere, we are unique. It is foolish for Americans to attempt to force our views on other countries, just as we chafe under some of the pronouncements from the United Nations. Since it is human nature to pick on someone to be the whipping boy, we are the big kid on the block so they naturally come after the US, same with us and the USSR 20 years ago and Iran / N Korea now. The aforementioned notwithstanding, I still believe we have the obligation to defend our interests (whatever they may be at the time) with force if necessary.

What is perceived as "correct" today will not be in a few years, count on it. Look at John Kennedy, today he would be branded a far right wing radical neo-com.

The world in general is not "civilized" and Americans tend to see it both myopically and through rose colored glasses. It is still dog eat dog and they will cut your throat (literally) for any number of reasons, countries just do it on a grander scale. Perhaps American's have become to "civilized" to recognize the threat until it rips out their throat. To quote Mao, political power flows from the barrel of a gun, no one respects you for your ideology, they respect you because you have the power to enforce your ideology.

Doppelganger,

As I stated and you reiterated, we should not force our style of democracy on anyone, especially, now that the cold war is over. That was my point. Singapore and Malaysia, American allies and great countries for American business still get Department of State lectures publicly for lack of democratic transparancy. You get the picture of the Ugly American Tourist who is loud and throws his money around, and that is the same picture of Uncle Sam in the Third World. So you say that is never going to change, but I say, try eating something else instead of hamburgers all the time.

Black Shirt.

You lost me on the hamburger thing, perhaps I missed something.

If so many of us fit the Ugly American sterotype - why are we always in demand? Never had a chica from Moscow to BA turn down money even if it was not the amount they asked for.

[QUOTE=Daddy Rulz]If you're going to quote him it has to be accurate.

It's "cok suker" "muther fuker" or "cok suking muther fuker"[/QUOTE]My mistake Daddy Ruiz, I was trying to use. But something didn't work. BTW I'm thinking on starting my own school instead of quoting, how about "Castro that old damn, no good lying mudda fukkin fagget".

Little long but may work.

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]Black Shirt.

You lost me on the hamburger thing, perhaps I missed something.

If so many of us fit the Ugly American sterotype - why are we always in demand? Never had a chica from Moscow to BA turn down money even if it was not the amount they asked for.[/QUOTE]There is a sterotype for every nationality. Sorry, but I hope we all can laugh at each other without bruising our egos. Look, money is always in demand and Americans are the biggest spenders. In that regard, you will be loved as a sugar daddy. My reference to hamburgers is the typical American mindset is uninterested to a wide variety of foreign food. They will always order the same Americanized 3 dishes at a Chinese or Thai restaurent. In that reference, American foreign policy will always be that same flavor, bland and in most cases, unhealthy.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]In that reference, American foreign policy will always be that same flavor, bland and in most cases, unhealthy.[/QUOTE]You are so full of shit.

American foreign policy under both parties during the last century ended the scourges of Nazism and Communism and freed over a billion people to live their lives their own ways (which includes in some cases biting the hand that freed them). Its focus on encouraging international trade and free enterprise worked to raise another billion in East Asia out of the lowest level of grinding poverty.

It is not perfect, but the US has done more good for more people the world over than any 10 other countries put together.

[QUOTE=Hunt99]American foreign policy under both parties during the last century ended the scourges of Nazism and Communism and freed over a billion people to live their lives their own ways (which includes in some cases biting the hand that freed them) Its focus on encouraging international trade and free enterprise worked to raise another billion in East Asia out of the lowest level of grinding poverty.

It is not perfect, but the US has done more good for more people the world over than any 10 other countries put together.[/QUOTE]Well said.

[QUOTE=Hunt99]You are so full of shit.

American foreign policy under both parties during the last century ended the scourges of Nazism and Communism and freed over a billion people to live their lives their own ways (which includes in some cases biting the hand that freed them) Its focus on encouraging international trade and free enterprise worked to raise another billion in East Asia out of the lowest level of grinding poverty.

It is not perfect, but the US has done more good for more people the world over than any 10 other countries put together.[/QUOTE]Hunt, Perfectly said. The last sentence is the best.

[QUOTE=Daddy Rulz]The next time we are in BsAs at the same time your first beer is on me. Few people on this forum are able to argue ideas without making them personal and respecting the right of the person you disagree with to believe as they do. In addition I respect how you discuss differing political views while keeping them in perspective and remember there are many things in life MUCH more important.

Viva la Prostitucion![/QUOTE]Thanks Daddy, the second one for you will be on me.

I'm tentatively scheduled to be in Bs Aires May 27 to May 31. Waiting on a meeting confirmation before I am sure.

The wheels of commerce must turn. Twenty minutes of business; four days of economic development concentrating on "trickle in" economics and lifting the poor out of their unfortunate circumstances.

I hope all is well.

[QUOTE=Hunt99]You are so full of shit.

American foreign policy under both parties during the last century ended the scourges of Nazism and Communism and freed over a billion people to live their lives their own ways (which includes in some cases biting the hand that freed them) Its focus on encouraging international trade and free enterprise worked to raise another billion in East Asia out of the lowest level of grinding poverty.

It is not perfect, but the US has done more good for more people the world over than any 10 other countries put together.[/QUOTE]As usual, your eloquent expressions are so original, but I guess you don't have to go to the toilet everyday like I do. Nobody is disputing the contributions and role of the US as a world leader in history. All I am pointing out is that the political problems the US is facing TODAY have resulted from bad foreign policy. You guys get a hugh laugh of thrashing the rest of the world, but a couple of comments, and you get ballistic. Mutual Respect is alien to you.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]There is a sterotype for every nationality.[/QUOTE]You sound like the stereotype of a Frenchman; an elitist who can quote Nietszche, but can't remember the name of the Supreme Allied commander of the Allied Forces that liberated their country from true tyranny.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]Look, money is always in demand and Americans are the biggest spenders. In that regard, you will be loved as a sugar daddy.[/QUOTE]This is a board where we discuss paying women to shower us with affection and physical pleasure. Is that "Sugar Daddy" thing meant as disrespectful to the board members of AP? If you think American's are the big spenders, you don't get out much.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]My reference to hamburgers is the typical American mindset is uninterested to a wide variety of foreign food. They will always order the same Americanized 3 dishes at a Chinese or Thai restaurent.[/QUOTE]You must live near a place where Cruise Ship guests disembark. I actually like four Chinese and Thai dishes, not three. After Dog, Cat and Goat the Hamster Stir Fry is very good. (You are living up to the sterotype of French people of the elite superiority in food, wine and culture but have never been outside of Nice)

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]In that reference, American foreign policy will always be that same flavor, bland and in most cases, unhealthy.[/QUOTE]Nice broad strokes you paint things and people with. Nice Opinions; bring some facts sometime.

Hunt's first sentence of his previous response speaks for me.

Quakhunter,

Don't need to get so personal, your skin is like rice paper. Go get a tan. The only gold nugget out of the whole profiling is that Americans are no longer the big spenders. That's why I call my mongering junkets to BA, Pretending to be living in Europe at Bangkok prices.

I think I'll quit while I am ahead. If ever we are in line for the same girl, please go ahead of me.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]Quakhunter,

Don't need to get so personal, your skin is like rice paper. Go get a tan. The only gold nugget out of the whole profiling is that Americans are no longer the big spenders. That's why I call my mongering junkets to BA, Pretending to be living in Europe at Bangkok prices.

I think I'll quit while I am ahead. If ever we are in line for the same girl, please go ahead of me.[/QUOTE]Wow. I don't know how I will sleep tonight knowing you think less of me. And if we are ever in line for the same girl, you will surely win because of your superior wit and snappy comebacks.

You will know me by the Rice Paper shirt I am wearing and my new tan. Will you be the one wearing the Black Shirt?

I have a call in to Dr. Kervorkian because of the self loathing I feel for you taking my observations as a personal attack. Life is not worth living knowing that a man wearing a Black Shirt espousing his obviously superior knowledge of US foreign policy globally and observations of American spending and dining habits might feel alienated by my poor choice of trying to demonstrate the irony in your statements.

You are intellectually superior and more well travelled and I can not live in a world knowing you will not accept me. Please forgive me for my engaging you; and please do not attack my widow and my children in retribution for my misjudgement of your superiority in my corner of the world after my imminent death.

You will know me, I will die sometime in Buenos Aires the week of May 26th from Suicide by Puta. That is only if there are any ones left after you visit and show them the way to being an intellectually superior being and breaking the prison chains of prostitution.

But before I die, can you please tell me what the F*** this statement means: "That's why I call my mongering junkets to BA, Pretending to be living in Europe at Bangkok prices".

You obviously are strong and I am weak. You are Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Dr. Phil and Oprah all rolled into one with your gifts of persuasion and intelligence. To steal a line from Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles, "Mr. Lamar (Black Shirt) you use your tongue like a twenty-dollar W****". You are one silver tongued devil.

I love you Black Shirt; Hold me.

One more thing Black Shirt, I have a "Nugget" for you. But it ain't Golden.

P. S. - Can I go to Bangkok too?

[QUOTE=Daddy Rulz]The next time we are in BsAs at the same time your first beer is on me. Few people on this forum are able to argue ideas without making them personal and respecting the right of the person you disagree with to believe as they do. In addition I respect how you discuss differing political views while keeping them in perspective and remember there are many things in life MUCH more important.

Viva la Prostitucion![/QUOTE]Daddy, I can not take your beer. Black Shirt took my post personally and I cannot in good faith take your offer if it is based on my NOT making things personal. That is why your first beer is on me and you can buy my second.

Let's both wear Black Shirts. They are very slimming.

Sure, and I'll be glad to show you around, my mongering brother.

[QUOTE=Black Shirt]Sure, and I'll be glad to show you around, my mongering brother.[/QUOTE]That might be fun. Carry on!

Mongers,

Well, things are about to get alot worse for the dwindling number of neo-cons remaining on this board and in the USA. Senator Arlen Spector, a 29 year veteran of the Senate, has announced he is switching parties and joining the Democratic ranks. This means that when Al Franken is seated (he has been judged the winner by the Minnesota Supreme Court) the Democrats will have a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which means they can essentially do whatever they want and the Republicans can't do anything about it. This means Obama will now have so-called "supermajorities" in both Houses of Congress, and judging by this and his high personal approval ratings, will be able to push his agenda through unopposed.

Suerte,

Rock Harders

I agree with you Rock Harders but I don't want that CockSucker Spector in my party, he's probably just a spy anyway. He's a piece of shit when I'm talking nice about him.

Exon

Specter has already been voting in favor of the socialist agenda, how exactly is changing the letter at the end of his name from "R" to "D" going to change things?

The only reason this occurred was because this politician faced losing his seat in the GOP primary in the spring. He was already 10% behind a virtually unknown challenger.

This has as much practical effect as changing the name of your chica from "Roberta" to "Daniela." She's still a hooker, and he's going to continue voting the same way.

The Democrats and their allies pushing through borrow and spend are in serious trouble. The clock is ticking on them, with the probability of massive Democrat losses in the upcoming midterms, they will likely be trying to use the panic over swine flu to give them more excuses to spend more money. Until the voters turn off the spigot.

The Democrats have about as many members of Congress now as they did in 1993. Students of history remember what happened in 1994.

[QUOTE=Rock Harders]Mongers,

Well, things are about to get alot worse for the dwindling number of neo-cons remaining on this board and in the USA. Senator Arlen Spector, a 29 year veteran of the Senate, has announced he is switching parties and joining the Democratic ranks. This means that when Al Franken is seated (he has been judged the winner by the Minnesota Supreme Court) the Democrats will have a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which means they can essentially do whatever they want and the Republicans can't do anything about it. This means Obama will now have so-called "supermajorities" in both Houses of Congress, and judging by this and his high personal approval ratings, will be able to push his agenda through unopposed.

Suerte,

Rock Harders[/QUOTE]Specter was Republican in name only. No big loss to the GOP and the PA Repubs knew this.

And those dwindling numbers of "Neo-Cons" will be repopulated in "supermajority" numbers. Kind of like after the Carter years. Remember those years under Reagan? The most prosperous in decades before and since when supply-side was practiced and Keynesian economics sidelined.

His 100 day approval rating is "almost exactly the average for an elected president at 100 days in polls back to Dwight Eisenhower. But it belies a more modern partisan gap: Ninety-three percent of Democrats approve. Only 36 percent of Republicans agree" according to the latest ABC News / Washington Post poll. GWB had more Dems than O has Republicans at the same point. I guess this means we are all dumbshits, but the Dems are obviously a little more partisan. I guess Government Cheese might do that to you.

BTW, for the fourth time: What is a "Neo-Con"? And please, something more than Neo-Conservative in your explanation.

[QUOTE=Hunt99]Specter has already been voting in favor of the socialist agenda, how exactly is changing the letter at the end of his name from "R" to "D" going to change things?

The only reason this occurred was because this politician faced losing his seat in the GOP primary in the spring. He was already 10% behind a virtually unknown challenger.

This has as much practical effect as changing the name of your chica from "Roberta" to "Daniela." She's still a hooker, and he's going to continue voting the same way.

The Democrats and their allies pushing through borrow and spend are in serious trouble. The clock is ticking on them, with the probability of massive Democrat losses in the upcoming midterms, they will likely be trying to use the panic over swine flu to give them more excuses to spend more money. Until the voters turn off the spigot.

The Democrats have about as many members of Congress now as they did in 1993. Students of history remember what happened in 1994.[/QUOTE]I remember what happened in 1994. I got a blow job from my neighbors ex-wife. Fucker never returned my Lawn Mower. Now we be Even Steven!

Arlen Spector is a piece of shit, was an investigating attorney on the "Warren Commission" if any of you "Turd's" can remember back that far he was a Crook Prosecutor in Pa, I was told by one of my jail mates one time. But that MotherFucker hangs out with Oren Hatch on the Senate Juduiary Commitee and you can always judge a man by the company he keep's, enought said.

The CockSucker.

Exon

[QUOTE=Exon123]Arlen Spector is a piece of shit, was an investigating attorney on the "Warren Commission" if any of you "Turd's" can remember back that far he was a Crook Prosecutor in Pa, I was told by one of my jail mates one time. But that MotherFucker hangs out with Oren Hatch on the Senate Juduiary Commitee and you can always judge a man by the company he keep's, enought said.

The CockSucker.

Exon[/QUOTE]As of today he's "hangs out" with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama (a/k/a Jimmy Carter Jr.). Good riddance to bad trash.

[QUOTE=Rock Harders]Mongers,

Well, things are about to get alot worse for the dwindling number of neo-cons remaining on this board and in the USA. Senator Arlen Spector, a 29 year veteran of the Senate, has announced he is switching parties and joining the Democratic ranks. This means that when Al Franken is seated (he has been judged the winner by the Minnesota Supreme Court) the Democrats will have a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which means they can essentially do whatever they want and the Republicans can't do anything about it. This means Obama will now have so-called "supermajorities" in both Houses of Congress, and judging by this and his high personal approval ratings, will be able to push his agenda through unopposed.

Suerte,

Rock Harders[/QUOTE]Actually, if this happens, things will get a lot worse for everybody, Neo-Libs included. As some of you get older and actually gain some life experience, you'll understand all of this. Unfortunately for the rest of us, we must suffer while the basic lessons of economics and government must be re-learned by every generation.

Next on the list are Collins and Snow.

None of them are conservatives and their important votes almost always go left.

History will show who was right (I. E. Correct) and who was wrong. The problem of being proven right in playing russian roulette is what good is being right (I. E. Correct) if you're dead?

I for one think the stakes are too high to throw out the Constitution on a whim. I don't think that I am alone in that. I suspect that we will see a fairly strong indication, as to whether or not America has thrown in the towel, in the midterm elections.

Watch what Lieberman and Jeffords do.

Any good liberal knows that Reagan had the CIA create HIV in order to kill off the homosexuals and other deviants.

Using that logic, shouldn't we at least consider that Obama had the CIA develop this strain of swineflu as an weapon to kill off the infidels? Pretty ironic (using swine to eliminate infidels)

[QUOTE=QuakHunter]BTW, for the fourth time: What is a "Neo-Con"? And please, something more than Neo-Conservative in your explanation.[/QUOTE]QuakHunter,

As nearly as I can surmise, a "Neo-Con" is anybody who doesn't agree with the Neo-Libs, the ECLs, or the WCLs.

Thanks,

Jackson

The signs are all there: all their candidates for the Virginia governorship that they've held for 8 years are behind the Republican nominee by a substantial margin. The same thing is true in New Jersey, with the incumbent Democrat governor far behind his GOP challenger. The New York Congressional seat by election was barely held by the Democrats in a district that went for Obama by 20 points in November.

And add to this the unpopularity of the Democratic legislative program - we have the makings of a massive Democrat loss in next year's elections.

Better act fast Democrats, before you return to minority status. See if you can seize control of the health care system to go with government control of the banking and auto industries. Just so long as you don't nationalize Domino's Pizza, my food supply will be safe. Otherwise some Washington bureaucrat would be telling me I am only allowed to eat alfalfa sprouts and bean curd salad.

[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8030727.stm[/url]

Any thoughts?

Regards,

BM.

[QUOTE=Hunt99]The signs are all there...blah blah blah[/QUOTE]Yeah, the signs are all there that guys like you are still delusional. At every step of the way during the primary and election season you sprouted the same crap. And what happened? You got slam dunked big time! LOL!

Let me 'splain it to you, Lucy...at some point the Republican Party will certainly come around. But that day is so freaking far off that all we really need to worry about is one of you assholes getting so desperate as to...well, never mind.

Keep dreaming, Hunt.

SL

[QUOTE=BadMan][url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8030727.stm[/url]

Any thoughts?

Regards,

BM.[/QUOTE]It's self serving. He runs insurance companies. His second biggest portfolio holding is Wells Fargo. He has a big stake in Goldman Sachs. When the U. S. Government bails out financial companies, Warren Buffet benefits.

The following evaluation is probably correct.

1) Warren Buffet probably is not the smartest guy inthe world but he is also not the stupidest.

2) Warren Buffet is sucking up to Obama just like Halliburton sucked up to Bush. Nothing wrong with that.

However, what Warren Buffet also said in his recent evaluation of the American or world economy is frightening.

Warren Buffet said significant inflation, under present policies, is inevitable. He also said that his good buddy Obama seemed incapable of taking measures to ward off that inflation.

If we end up with significant inflation (nobody knows what significant is) we may look back at Obama's economic cure as being worse than the underlying disease.

Inflation can be wrung out of an economy (inflation was wrung out of the United States economy in the early 1980's) but it requires draconian measures and strong leadership.

We now have negative economic growth and low inflation. My prediction is that we are headed for negative or flat economic growth with worrisome inflation.

P.S. inflation is being fueled, in part, by all the pork in the latest economic stimulus package

The condition you describe is called "Stagflation", a condition of low or no growth and high inflation. For our radical O fans check out Jimmy Carter's term as president. I had to try and earn a living through it and what it took to get us out under Regan. It was not pretty.

[QUOTE=Doppelganger]The condition you describe is called "Stagflation", a condition of low or no growth and high inflation. For our radical O fans check out Jimmy Carter's term as president. I had to try and earn a living through it and what it took to get us out under Regan. It was not pretty.[/QUOTE]It started with Lyndon Johnson's "Gun's & Butter" policy durning Veitnam, Nixon even tried wage & price controls in 1971 to stop it. By the time Ford took office inflation was rampart and fed chairman Volker created a recession to stop it by raising interest rate's. Then the stagflation of Carter. The money was still in the economy but the recession was still there created by Volker.

Reagan however deregulated everything creating Lazyfair capitalism, creating Republican Theives I like to call them. The CockSuckers. It worked for quite a while untill the mortgage crisis started to unwind eveything, which has led to the economic crisis we're all in to day.

Exon Knows.

Exon

[QUOTE=Exon123]Reagan however deregulated everything creating Lazyfair capitalism, creating Republican Theives I like to call them. The CockSuckers. It worked for quite a while untill the mortgage crisis started to unwind eveything, which has led to the economic crisis we're all in to day.

Exon Knows.

Exon[/QUOTE]Lazyfair capitalism? Republicans are thieves and CockSuckers? But Democrat politicians aren't? About the mortgage crisis, there's plenty of blame to go around, and Democrat politicians like Barney Frank and Maxine Waters were up to their necks in it, just as were many Republicans. And as were stupid bankers and stupid homeowners and stupid investors who thought buying a $500,000 house with a $50,000/year salary made sense.

Reagan is a good part of the reason why the U. S. has had a dynamic, growing economy over the last 30 years while places like continental western Europe have stagnated. You're right though, that government was lax in regulating commercial and investment banks and GSE's. It should have never allowed them to become as leveraged as they did.

[QUOTE=Tiny12]Lazyfair capitalism? Republicans are thieves and CockSuckers? But Democrat politicians aren't? About the mortgage crisis, there's plenty of blame to go around, and Democrat politicians like Barney Frank and Maxine Waters were up to their necks in it, just as were many Republicans. And as were stupid bankers and stupid homeowners and stupid investors who thought buying a $500,000 house with a $50,000/ year salary made sense.

Reagan is a good part of the reason why the U. S. Has had a dynamic, growing economy over the last 30 years while places like continental western Europe have stagnated. You're right though, that government was lax in regulating commercial and investment banks and GSE's. It should have never allowed them to become as leveraged as they did.[/QUOTE]Trust me I'm privy to people and information your not. These things don't just happen over night it take years for policy's and economic systems to work threw the economy.

Reagan set it up with deregulation and the "trickel down" economics. By the end of his 8 years everything looked hunkie dorry Carter looked like a Fuck. Reagan was the hero and it worked for 20 years. Now your seeing it unwind and everyone is deleveraging. Putting the entire world in recession.

Reagans people stole everything that wasn't nailed down.

Exon