Best thing I've read all day. Hope it happens.macsomjrr wrote:Lol. This thread is dying a slow and very painful death.
2009 Election/Politics thread Part 1
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sportdan30
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 9020
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- Location: St. Louis
Well one last political post.
Friends...
Venezuela's Chavez warms to Obama after insults
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNew ... =worldNews
"He is a man with good intentions; he has immediately eliminated Guantanamo prison, and that should be applauded," Chavez said, speaking to supporters in a televised speech.
"I am very happy and the world is happy that this young president has arrived ... (we) welcome the new government and we are filled with hope," he said.
His about-face from earlier comments appeared to have been influenced by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Chavez's political mentor, who earlier this week wrote that Obama had honestly expressed his ideas and maintained "noble intentions."
Be careful what you wish for.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... C_pXaHeW4Q
Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video
You will be missed, political thread.
Friends...
Venezuela's Chavez warms to Obama after insults
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNew ... =worldNews
"He is a man with good intentions; he has immediately eliminated Guantanamo prison, and that should be applauded," Chavez said, speaking to supporters in a televised speech.
"I am very happy and the world is happy that this young president has arrived ... (we) welcome the new government and we are filled with hope," he said.
His about-face from earlier comments appeared to have been influenced by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Chavez's political mentor, who earlier this week wrote that Obama had honestly expressed his ideas and maintained "noble intentions."
Be careful what you wish for.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... C_pXaHeW4Q
Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video
You will be missed, political thread.
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FatPitcher
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 1068
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2002 3:00 am
Lame duck thread!
With the stimulus bill, it appears that Congress is doing what it always does: trying to funnel taxpayer money to constituents/contributors. This is the danger of putting a great deal of money and power in the hands of government.
Instead of money/resources being allocated primarily to the members of society who are the most productive and who take the necessary risks, they are allocated to those who are well-connected to people in power. People who make campaign contributions and who are represented by a member of Congress with seniority or a choice chairmanship benefit at the expense of other people's tax dollars. Productivity is what drives improvements in quality of life. When a society fails to properly incentivize productivity and risk-taking, then quality of life for that society will fall.
PJ O'Rourke said that when the government decides what is bought and sold, the first thing to be bought and sold is government.
That is why people vote for obviously corrupt members of Congress like Ted Stevens and William Jefferson - they value the money they can bring home to the district more than ethical behavior.
The problem is exacerbated by an electoral system that is designed to preserve the jobs of members of Congress rather than to hold them accountable. Gerrymandering allows political parties to agree between them to keep certain seats safe and solid, effectively taking the choice out of voters' hands and allowing party insiders to decide who goes to Congress.
The upshot is that incumbents are rarely defeated, which strengthens a system where lobbying the government is often a more effective investment than putting that money into the production of goods and services.
With the stimulus bill, it appears that Congress is doing what it always does: trying to funnel taxpayer money to constituents/contributors. This is the danger of putting a great deal of money and power in the hands of government.
Instead of money/resources being allocated primarily to the members of society who are the most productive and who take the necessary risks, they are allocated to those who are well-connected to people in power. People who make campaign contributions and who are represented by a member of Congress with seniority or a choice chairmanship benefit at the expense of other people's tax dollars. Productivity is what drives improvements in quality of life. When a society fails to properly incentivize productivity and risk-taking, then quality of life for that society will fall.
PJ O'Rourke said that when the government decides what is bought and sold, the first thing to be bought and sold is government.
That is why people vote for obviously corrupt members of Congress like Ted Stevens and William Jefferson - they value the money they can bring home to the district more than ethical behavior.
The problem is exacerbated by an electoral system that is designed to preserve the jobs of members of Congress rather than to hold them accountable. Gerrymandering allows political parties to agree between them to keep certain seats safe and solid, effectively taking the choice out of voters' hands and allowing party insiders to decide who goes to Congress.
The upshot is that incumbents are rarely defeated, which strengthens a system where lobbying the government is often a more effective investment than putting that money into the production of goods and services.
