It's Time To Remember Sept. 11, 2001 Attacks

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by Rough Rider

rhertz,
glad to see you are asking yourself some of the 'right' questions.

Well, I must admit that I find it difficult to argue any of the points you made here. You do have me thinking, which is a good reason not to go back to stay in lurk mode too long.

I think your best points are how we are spending $300B plus in Iraq but what about devistated Louisiana and Mississippi? And you are right, freedom and democracy must be yearned for and earned the hard way, not given to you by someone else. If they wanted democracy over there, they would have had their own Boston tea party, paid the cost in their own blood, and earned the reward and pride that results, for generations to talk about. Instead of pride, it is a mix of finger pointing over there, largely at the US.

On one hand I feel like we should mind our own business, however, for good or for bad, once a "global economy" is in place and functioning, then worldwide events do become our business so to speak. We own land in other countries, and foreigners own land here, stocks, investments, and corporations as well. I'm not at all for "protectionism" but I'm also sick and tired of "offshoring" as you mention with computer jobs, but also radiology and call centers, and the list grows.

I don't have many answers, but at my core, I am for privatization, smaller government, lower taxes, tighter borders, capitalism, free markets, strong defence, so maybe I do watch Fox news too much! LOL Take care Rough Rider...

[Rough Rider]

Originally Posted by rhertz

On one hand I feel like we should mind our own business, however, for good or for bad, once a "global economy" is in place and functioning, then worldwide events do become our business so to speak. We own land in other countries, and foreigners own land here, stocks, investments, and corporations as well. I'm not at all for "protectionism" but I'm also sick and tired of "offshoring" as you mention with computer jobs, but also radiology and call centers, and the list grows.

I don't have many answers, but at my core, I am for privatization, smaller government, lower taxes, tighter borders, capitalism, free markets, strong defence, so maybe I do watch Fox news too much! LOL Take care Rough Rider...

Yes I do agree.. once you reach a global economy, we're pretty much stuck with it. You mention free markets.. seems to me we get burned at every turn on this.. And this outsourcing of jobs just drives me crazy. Back when we sent all these jobs elsewhere like I don't what you'd call it.. making of clothes, shoes stuff like that, and lots of folks lost their jobs here when we did that.. We said "we'll train you to do better jobs, computer jobs" so these folks learn something else to do, get jobs at call centers, or computer programming and the like, and then BOOM off those jobs go. When I read that someone like IBM is laying off some 30,000 folks in the U.S. and then hiring some 20,000+ in India.. I'm like WTF ??

Privatization, yes, I agree.. not sure how much I agree when it's big business gaining profits from war though.. that bothers me.

Smaller Governments.. YES agreed.. Currently this is one of the biggest dang governments we've EVER HAD, one that is trying to take control, and make up it's own rules as it goes along. And is spending money faster than anything we've ever seen.

Lower Taxes.. YES agreed. But does it make good fiscal sense to do so in the middle of a "war on terror". I this administration has lowered taxes, where the most of us maybe got back $600 or the like (which got burned up with the price of oil right quick) to make us all "feel good" but the truth is the richest of the rich benefited the most. We even gave tax breaks to the freakin' OIL companies recently.. HELLO ? and Don't get me wrong I don't want the richest of the rich to pay more than their fare share, the Fire Department doesn't get to their house any faster than mine, and their water isn't any cleaner than mine.. I'm just sayin' lets be sensible.

Tighter more secure borders.. ABOSOLUTELY.

Strong Defense. You betcha!

Rough Rider

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by Rough Rider

You mention free markets.. seems to me we get burned at every turn on this.. And this outsourcing of jobs just drives me crazy.

Funny thing is how the US taxpayer funded the invention of the Internet for decades through DARPA and other agencies, and now we are being beaten by our own stick in the case of offshoring and outsourcing jobs over the Internet. We gave one of our best inventions to the world. Same thing with Clinton supplying China with rocket technology that cost taxpayers lots of dough to develop over years. Sometimes I feel that the US taxpayer does more for some foreign nations than for Louisiana. Heck, give us some rocket technology! I would hope the people of Louisiana are more entitled than Iraq, India, Israel, China, and so on. And why aren’t our other 49 states more concerned for the last place looser in almost every category of life (including life itself) Oh we are 49th, not 50th in terms of lifespan, the 50th position belongs to Mississippi this year in the latest report.

Originally Posted by Rough Rider

like IBM is laying off some 30,000 folks in the U.S. and then hiring some 20,000+ in India.. I'm like WTF ??

I called Chase bank (mortgage dept) the other day because they stopped paying my homeowners insurance for some reason, and I could barely understand the Indian call center agent on the other side of the world. All I could understand was “We haven’t paid in 16 months. Your insurance company never sent us a bill”…. In the words of Dr. Evil… Riiiiiiiggghhht…