Talking to a loud mouth know it all who has never solved a problem in his entire life is a waste of my time. You're not adding anything to the conversation. Instead, you are standing back and throwing rocks that are backed by nothing but your opinion.

 

Calling names gets us no where..read a book learn something then discuss the facts/logic of what you believe. If you don't understand what's going on names and :rolleyes: are just foolish.

 

Add something intelligent or shut the fuck up. I don't care if you don't agree, but show why you don't agree and back it up with something.

Again, MrNick, can you please take your debate elsewhere? I'm sure people would love to argue with you on a different thread, but you're just kind of ruining the excitement on this one! :\

 

ZOE!!! I WANNA SEE YOUR PICTURES!!

 

MARISA!!! I WANT TO SHOW THEM TO YOU!!!!! :P I'm still working on getting them off of my camera, though... I'll post them sometime tonight :)

 

 

EDIT: GUYS I FORGOT TO SHARE: I was just watching Countdown on MSNBC, and they had a video montage of the inauguration today, and it was set to Viva la Vida! I freaked out :lol:

Well, being that I have 5 years of public service, and am finishing up my Master's degree in Public Policy, I think I know a thing or two. Please state your credentials...you fucking moron.

Well, being that I have 5 years of public service, and am finishing up my Master's degree in Public Policy, I think I know a thing or two. Please state your credentials...you fucking moron.

 

So all you learned in college is:rolleyes:. You just wasted a lot of money. :shocked2:

 

Don't worry, I'm sure college will be cheaper the next time around.

Singapore and New Zealand are on my radar. I'm a recent college grad and I don't intend to pay taxes in America, or allow myself to be a candidate for the draft. You can only steal from future generations for so long before they decide to leave.

Those are better choices for an ex-pat. Just make sure these two countries are minimally affected by the current economic meltdown. Sure, you can argue is an American problem, but you know how the saying goes "When the US catches a cold, the rest of the world gets pneumonia."

 

actually nobody really likes bush down here, funny me and my friends were

talking earlier today about bush and we all agreed he's an embarrassment to texas:P

small town?:thinking:

i live in houston, the fourth most populated city in the USA, how's that for a small town?:dozey:

the only person i know who's like that is my texas history teacher, mr pettigrew.

poor thing is always getting made fun of:lol:

Oh, right, my bad. I forgot you live in Houston. I know it's a big city since my dad is living there because he got a job. But it bet that what I said applies to most Texans outside the big cities :\

So all you learned in college is:rolleyes:. You just wasted a lot of money. :shocked2:

 

Don't worry, I'm sure college will be cheaper the next time around.

 

That's exactly what I said. My only experience in college is :rolleyes: What have you ever done, hot shot!

Okay, you were making good points and seemed credible up to here. In this paragraph you are being purely discriminate against Americans as a race, which is amazing considering you are one of the Americans that ISN'T like this generalization. Not all Americans are fat, listen to iPods, and drive BMW's.

 

american is neither a race nor an enthnicity, and he never said that every last american is like that, nor that he is the only one. he's right: lots of stereotypes come from somewhere, including this one, but stereotypes don't HAVE to include every single member of the community they generalize.

 

it's unhealthy and elitist to be unable to insult your own nation for reasons that are demonstratable. it's blind pride in one's nation and unwillingness to see the bad parts of the society you live in that can lead to the most ridiculous of outcomes. i firmly believe that people need to stop thinking their nation is so great just because they live there and are from there and look at it from a more objective point of view. jumping down the throat of every person that has something negative to say about america won't get anywhere, and it's borderline ignorant if it goes much farther. i'm talking in general, not to just you.

That's exactly what I said. My only experience in college is :rolleyes: What have you ever done, hot shot!

 

13 years of public services, many political campaigns and studying these issue's since I was young. When was the last time you sat down and had lunch with state Senators and talked about the issue's and campaigns?

We'll see. No action by government will over all help the economy in the long run.

I believe a government properly check, balanced, and made smarter by our better actions can and ultimately must act to improve the economy. Intelligent regulation to prevent market behaviors that lead to disaster, as well as promoting healthy economic choices. Government has a role to play in being a referee, an arbiter of fair play; as a stable support for basic infrastructure, and as a promoter of the common welfare in areas where no private sector would hold an interest; in such areas as disaster relief, emergency services, and basic research.

BUT, we'll see if he's for the people or for wall street. So far all he supports is corporate socialism for wall street. They get privatized profits and we get socialized losses.

Pressure must be put to bear on the root of the problem. To disengage insofar as is possible from the effects of the influence of money in the political process would do a great deal to control the disease that ails the nation and the world. Wall Street and the ENRON schemers that gained control could only do so in an environment of de-regulation and political kick-backs, so that when the governing institution's had their hands tied, their heads switched, and their allegiances fipped, it was only a matter of time when the chasm of deregulation filled with the flood waters of bad methods, and soon took out the series of dams holding back such market activities.

 

If he's going to bail out anyone, it should be main street not his good friends and campaign contributers on Wall street.

I agree! However, the institutions going down are so large, we may all get swallowed up in the wake as the ship goes down. Herd effect is a strong yet irrational market pull, so I think the bail-out was necessary, but I do feel there needed to be plenty of stipulations put on the bailout money, and oversight put on how it was managed.

 

PS I don't think he even knows what the constitution is. He voted and is in favor of FISA, and the Partiot Act, and the bail outs which are unconstitutional. I laugh at the notion of him actually knowing the constitution when every vote he's voted in 100% opposite to it.

I beg to differ with you on this one, Nick. Please consider his degree, earned through honest effort, in the area of Constitutional Law. This is not Bush redux. No silver spoon in mouth - Obama had to earn his degree at Harvard, unlike the some odd 40-50% legacy students I'm told exist at these institutions, including Bush.

I believe he did say he was in favor of an Amended version of FISA, and I do recall Feingold mentioning that he had insisted on certain amendments to FISA, to satisfy his Constitutional beliefs. However, I haven't all the details.

The Patriot Act as well had been amended, but to what degree I am not certain. Maybe some of the questionable provisions have been removed - more than I have an awareness of at present.

One side of him that I hope does change is his too willingness to compromise on some substantive issues. The collegiality of the Senate unfortunately did not leave much room for real debate, since the structure allows the older incumbents so much power that to get anywhere, incoming Senators must obey their rules, so to speak. If not, they risk marginalization, and a loss of future ability to be on key committees, and thus to help their constituents. There again, it is the problem of allowing the excess cash campaign donations which permit the levels of corruption to persist, and setting term limits would go a long ways towards reducing cronyism as well. Obama could not upstage this process without risking a loss of funding for his state and reducing his potential for re-election. You want better results, then change the rules, and make the game fair. But he was willing to tolerate the corruption for a time, in order to advance himself to the Presidency. I do believe in his heart, he has these ideals, but we must be diligent in putting pressure on the matter from the grass-roots in order to bring a change at the political level. I hear what you're saying Nick, but look at it from the perspective of what has always brought change - it's always bottom-up, and many who gained office to work on our side had to do so through the corrupt machines of the day. Look at President Truman, for instance. He had to turn to Pendergast to move ahead in politics.

Our part will be to press for real reform; without which even the best President could not argue for real improvement.

13 years of public services, many political campaigns and studying these issue's since I was young. When was the last time you sat down and had lunch with state Senators and talked about the issue's and campaigns?

 

Oh yeah, what's your age?

Oh, right, my bad. I forgot you live in Houston. I know it's a big city since my dad is living there because he got a job. But it bet that what I said applies to most Texans outside the big cities :\

 

its ok i get it;)

What good is a degree in Constitutional law when one actively votes against it? What good is a doctor if he learns medicine just to kill people? Will all due respect Chuck I think you're looking at his degree instead of his actions.

 

I foolishly thought when the Democrats came into power again they'd do better on civil rights and the Constitution but they did just as bad as the Republicans.

 

Look up the Patriot Act and you'll see it's 100% bad and un-Constitutional.

 

Chuck if he repeals the FISA and Patriot Act, I he will be one of my favorite presidents and I will apologize to you, but from what he's said and done and said he will do, that is not going to happen.

Why won't you state your age MrNick?

Age is immaterial. Is someone 44 more correct then someone 34? If you base truth upon age, you are foolish.

Can everyone just shut up with the arguing? It's unpleasant and unflattering. If you can't celebrate anything else, celebrate the fact that there was a peaceful transfer of power today. Or go fight via PMs or something, because this is not why this thread was created...

Again, MrNick, can you please take your debate elsewhere? I'm sure people would love to argue with you on a different thread, but you're just kind of ruining the excitement on this one! :\

 

 

 

MARISA!!! I WANT TO SHOW THEM TO YOU!!!!! :P I'm still working on getting them off of my camera, though... I'll post them sometime tonight :)

 

 

EDIT: GUYS I FORGOT TO SHARE: I was just watching Countdown on MSNBC, and they had a video montage of the inauguration today, and it was set to Viva la Vida! I freaked out :lol:

YAYYYY!!!! I can't wait Zoe!!!!!!!!!!:dance::dance::D:D

When I was watching I was like hmm I wonder if I'll see zoe, and then I remember you couldn't bring your bag! :bigcry: But I was like I wonder where she is anyway. I was thinking of you like all day!

And I wrote on my hand today "Help is just around the corner for us: Obama!" Rather appropriate no?

Oh and that's awesome about the use of viva la vida!!!:dance:

Age is immaterial. Is someone 44 more correct then someone 34? If you base truth upon age, you are foolish.

 

No it's not. I want to know what level of experience you are drawing on. I mean, I admit these problems are complex and that there is not always an easy solution. But not you...you know it all. Never mind, obviously you are not going to say.

it's because their republican parents have brainwashed them!:lol:

hmm. or maiby they just have different views?

not everyone supports obama.

No it's not. I want to know what level of experience you are drawing on. I mean, I admit these problems are complex and that there is not always an easy solution. But not you...you know it all. Never mind, obviously you are not going to say.

 

I know what has been proven and can predict what will work based upon proven logic. Actions have reactions and understanding a reaction to something is not knowing everything. Economics comes down to basic proven principals, this has all happened many times in the history of man. I can only look a the facts, logic and trends and try to be fair and make a prediction. But everyone knows if you drop a ball it will fall because of gravity, it's predictable based upon proven science.

 

If someone smokes four pacts of cigarettes a day I can say on good authority they will probably have cancer, not because I know it all but because that is what has been proven with logic and science and understanding what is going on.

Can everyone just shut up with the arguing?[/color] It's unpleasant and unflattering. If you can't celebrate anything else, celebrate the fact that there was a peaceful transfer of power today. Or go fight via PMs or something, because this is not why this thread was created...

 

You're right. Sorry to rain on the parade :embarassed:

Oy. Marisa, I think I might just start a new picture thread that won't devolve into squabbling...

 

EDIT: Thanks, bjaiken :)

Zoe's right - this is a thread about the Inauguration, so Nick, we'd both do better arguing politics on another;).

And since Obama's Inauguration was a success, I can't help but be swept up in the enthusiasm either!! Thanks for the photos, Zoe!!:)

i still believe nadar would have brought too much change too fast for stability and long-lasting success. i don't profess to be any political or historical buff, but to my knowledge, most fast drastic changes haven't worked so well. correct me if i'm wrong.

 

No need to be corrected. As MrNick's favorite example, China is proof that long-term, gradual change (new economic reforms) is more effective that short-run, sudden change (see The Cultural Revolution, The Great Leap Forward, the post-soviet republics with "shock therapy").

 

Nevertheless, China also has its share of problems: overpopulation, pollution (this one is a biggie), far-from-ideal legal and financial systems, a undervalued currency (which is not sustainable in the long run), the one-child policy (which could produce a deficit of women, as well as less children to take care of elderly parents), non-existent social welfare nest (see previous problem), a health care system as convoluted as ours, and the lack of regulations of any kind.

 

Don't get me wrong, I still think China is awesome.

 

What were we talking about? Oh, right, the Inaguration :lol:

hmm. or maiby they just have different views?

not everyone supports obama.

 

actually no.