Originally posted by Skinnywater:<br /> The current two party system is responsible for most if closely not all of the problems. Instead of trusting in supreme ideas and sound logic both the right and left start engaging in abstract.<br />Surely both the left and right are to blame and both are in total and complete denial. You have "ditto heads" on the left who worship Howard Dean and Michael Moore who spit at the "ditto heads" on the so called right marching locked lipped with with Rush and his parrot brigade.<br /><br />There is a lot of debate about politics here. The full range of baloney. So called Conservatives that endear the term "neocon" with pride. Where meddleing in others affairs is as honerable as the hypocracy is ignored.<br />So called Liberals who cry for honest debate and end up being party line parrots. It's expected from the left to subvert a moral republic to a carefree irresponsible utopian commune.<br /> So called Libertarians, who embrace their beloved Social Security ponzi scheme. <br /><br />Trouble is the blame game gets pushed to big business and welfare deadbeats while the people prefer ignorance, complacentcy and pre-packaged salad.<br />It's real easy to feel comfortable owning a couple of businesses in a red state and feel like the sun doesn't set on your man in Washington. It's equally easy when your dot com bubble pays huge dividends while your cool dude hero in Washington lies under oath and erodes moral responsibility. <br />Surely it must be easy, because you still think the Republicans or the Democrats have the answer. Both sides wish and wait for dialog, as if you think anything close to a dialog for solution would be something other then smoke, mirrors, a scheme or shell game.<br /><br />Again, both sides are so adept at blaming the other side instead of the reality that both are equally to blame. Forget about the denial of blue and red politics. In as much that black and white is truth and gray is a manipulation of truth, the Democrats and Repulicans are colored the same shade of gray. <br /><br />Lets talk oil. <br />Both partys in power support our dependence on buying it from repressive regimes. Some of those we are dependent on qualify as our enemy. This is a basic breach in our national security. National Security is firmly their basic responsibility. All during the '70's and '80's we were told of capped wells here that weren't economically feasible to market. So if $50 plus a barrel doesn't make it happen, embrace your denial.<br />Solution; Maybe arming ourselves with knowledge and quit being "ditto heads" would be a good start. We aren't even called citizens anymore, we're consumers.<br /> <br />"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliances with none." - Thomas Jefferson, 1801 inaugural address.<br />"The price of Liberty is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson<br /><br /><br />Lets talk war.<br />Both partys made it policy to be involved in the affairs of other soverign nations. Usually playing one against the other while stabbing each in the back. We'd support and prop up vicious suppresive dictatorships solely for our own needs. We'd boast about helping the poor in need while making the murderers of those same poor, very rich.<br />If this doesn't breed terrorism, embrace your denial some more.<br />Solution; Our foriegn policy should be to mind our own business. Especially when it comes to embracing freedom. As evidenced in Iraq, freedom is only deserved when the oppressed are truely willing to fight for it oin their own. Freedom is cheap to the oppressed when someone else has to win it for them.<br />Our founders had plenty to say about war and minding our own business.<br /> <br />"People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity." "Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America's heart, her benedictions and prayers, but she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator of her own." John Adams<br /><br />"America... well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extraction, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force... She might become dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit." - John Quincy Adams; Address, 4 July 1821<br /><br />"Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all... The Nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest ... Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances, with any portion of the foreign world." - George Washington, Farewell Address, 17 Sept. 1796.<br /><br />Lets talk taxes.<br />Both partys represent their corporate freinds very well. In fact they're shameless pro$titutes.<br />Oil and pipeline producers in the Fortune 500, favorite constituents of the Republicans in the 3 years 2001-2003 collectively paid only 13.3% of their record profits in taxes. That's the lowest tax rate for a citizen struggleing below average wages. The President recently signed additional tax cuts and incentives for them.<br />News, entertainment and film industry (Disney, Time/Warner), favorites of the Democrats have special rules and write-offs that total $590 million over the next 10 years without sunset. Repulican "ditto heads" sure play up paltry tax cuts given by GW. But in reality it's more like tossing a crumb to the rabble. And the Democrats aren't shy about letting us know they want it back and more. Fact is, if the Republicans were serious about what they preach that tax cuts are good for the economy, then eliminating payroll taxes would give us the best economy in history.<br />For certain, every April 15th we all embrace our denial.<br /><br />Lets talk economy.<br />Both partys proactively practice authorize and spend now, let future generations carry the debt burden.<br />America has become much more a socialistic economy, and less a free-market one. Right now 68% of the federal budget is consumed by social spending and interest on the debt resulting from it. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEBT of $7.4 TRILLION = $25,107 per PERSON, and rising. This means each man, woman and child owes $6,434 in federal debt to foreign interests. Peacetime debt moved from about 10% of the economy's GDP to the current historic peace-time record six times higher - - or, 6 times faster than the economy expanded. This government and it's citizens just carry larger credit card balances, that's all.<br />If this makes you feel more wealthy, again, embrace your denial<br />Solution; Force the government to balance it's budget. <br />Again plenty was said about this subject.<br /><br />"I place economy among the first and most important of republic virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared." -Thomas Jefferson to William Plumer, 1816<br /><br />"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them, will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." Thomas Jefferson<br /><br />Lets talk Social Security.<br />Both partys are well exercised in corruption, lies and theft. HOW CAN THEY SAY THEY WANT TO SAVE SOCIAL SECURITY WHEN THEY ARE RAIDING IT? As of the end of fiscal year 2004, $1,453 billion ($1.5 Trillion) of in-coming surpluses from workers had been siphoned-off to-date from the Social Security trust fund - a 340% increase of $1.2 trillion since year-end 1991 - every penny spent on non-pension stuff. ($139 billion of that was extracted last year).<br />Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and just another tax. <br />Trusting proven thieves and criminals is certainly denial.<br />Solution; It's important to enforce the Constitution and immediately remove the power that was UnConstitutionally given to it...in all matters.<br /><br />"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation and foreign commerce. ... The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives and liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement and prosperity of the State." - James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 25<br /> <br />"With respect to the words 'general welfare,' I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators." - James Madison - 'father of the Constitution.<br /><br />Now let talk further about a solution.<br />I think it's to late. I'll prove it by stateing most here after reading this most "ditto heads" would paint me a whacko.<br />Today both sides are looking in wrong place for solutions. Can't see the forest for the trees.<br />I hear everyday as people beat their chests spewing; "This country is a Constitutional Republic!" Wrong, it's not anymore.<br />"We are a free trade economy!" Wrong, we aren't anymore.<br />"We are a government of the people and by the people!" Wrong again, you work for the govenment as tax payers and serfs.<br /><br />At the close of the Constitutional Conventional in 1787, Benjamin Franklin said that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention gave the people a Republic, if you can keep it. We should apologize to Mr. Franklin. It is obvious that the Republic is gone, for we are wallowing in a pure democracy against which the Founders had strongly warned. Thank the Republicans and the Democrats you guys are proudly argueing for.<br /><br />Truth is, we're all a bread line away from begging Big Brother take care of us and we're all looking forward to each and every crumb that is tossed our way.<br />And your precious Second Ammendment won't mean squat when you're looking down the rocket tubes of a Cobra gunship.
