219-212... Health Care Bill Passes..

[Minister of Truth]

Former CIA agent Bob Baer was on Colbert on the 19th and he says the last 9 years have so drained the CIA that it functions horribly, and no, not just in the last year, but for several years now. He has a article in GQ. I am getting it tomorrow and shall report in a few days.

The problem is that the military has hero status, and so the DoD can get money from Congress, but State does not have such hero status, so it doesn't get the funding it wants. Just compare the HQ for the DoS to the Pentagon. I'm also told that HQ is a mess and disorganized, because it has to hold so much information in a too-small space...

So, yeah, State Dept. would probably love me.

One of the best books written on the state of American Intelligence is called America's Secret War, by George Friedman. Friedman is an intelligence junkie who co-founded a private intelligence gathering organization with his wife, called Stratfor. His biggest beef with American Intelligence is that agents aren't really allowed to operate on hunches, theories, and their imaginations. Everything they present must have solid evidence that they can show to the powers that be. Anyway, it also does a great job of explaining the history leading up to 9/11 and how al-Queda pulled off its mission.

 

[christiefan915]

Now there's a thought. I always have been uncomfortable with a large standing army for the reasons that Washington and Eisenhower stated. Maybe our military is to large and has over reached it's limit of power. Maybe it is time to down size it.

Agree. Not to mention all the military bases around the world, in 63 countries if I'm not mistaken.

 

[christiefan915]

Yeah, lets disband all of the military. Our military is the reason you are able to type on this board. Sheesh

Puh-leez. Even your hero rumsfeld wanted to downsize the military.

The Pentagon (news - web sites) plans to shut down or scale back some of the 425 facilities, the first such effort to save money in 10 years. The downsizing is part of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's long-term transformation of the Cold War-era military.

The Pentagon chief argues that closing or consolidating stateside facilities could save $7 billion annually and that the money would be better spent improving fighting capabilities amid threats from terrorists.

"The department continues to maintain more military bases and facilities than are needed, consuming and diverting valuable personnel and resources," Rumsfeld recently told lawmakers.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347606/posts

 

[apple0154]

Come on, you tell all these people apple. It works everywhere. Every other country has plenty of money and better economies than the U.S. Why can't these people understand what you do?

States Sue Over Overhaul That Will Bust State Budgets

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ajwSWE6H1kHM

They understand perfectly. The problem is they want to spend money elsewhere.

For anyone to even suggest the US can not look after it's ill citizens is nonsense. Plain nonsense. It's absurd in the extreme.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

Puh-leez. Even your hero rumsfeld wanted to downsize the military.

The Pentagon (news - web sites) plans to shut down or scale back some of the 425 facilities, the first such effort to save money in 10 years. The downsizing is part of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's long-term transformation of the Cold War-era military.

The Pentagon chief argues that closing or consolidating stateside facilities could save $7 billion annually and that the money would be better spent improving fighting capabilities amid threats from terrorists.

"The department continues to maintain more military bases and facilities than are needed, consuming and diverting valuable personnel and resources," Rumsfeld recently told lawmakers.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347606/posts

Keep in mind that in all the Republics of history large standing armies played a critical role in their downfall.

 

[leaningright]

You know after suffering through 8 years of the Bush buffoonery I really don't want to hear this kind of complete non sense about a guy who's served only one year and inherited one of the biggest messes any President has ever inherited.

In his first year their have been some gliches and mistakes but some positive accomplishments. Is Obama the second coming of Lincoln? Not hardly but he's certainly hasn't dropped to the level of ineptitude and inadequacy of George W. Bush.

He's also just accomplished in the last year what all our Presidents, except two, have tried to accomplish for the last 60 years but failed. This has been a significant accomplishment and it bodes well for the nation.

But you're addressing someone who liked President Bush....at least most of him minus Iraq....we had no business going there. And then there's that NCLB thing....hated that. But really there were things he did that I did like...from appointed justices in the SC to not bothering the 2nd ammendment to lowering some ridiculous EPA regs....there were things for me to like about him and even though he couldn't say "nuclear" to suit some folks I wouldn't classify his entire presidency as "buffoonary" or describe him as "inept" or "inadequate." We're from different sides of the political spectrum in many regards, though we can agree on some things. But it is getting so that folks can't seem to agree on anything unless some nuts fly airplanes into a couple of our buildings......then they can agree that that is bad and stand united for a month or two.

But that's the point I was trying to make with my post and using that quote and why I found it "interesting." When one side gets in control the other side wails and moans like it's the end of the world. We saw it when Clinton was president and saw it when Bush was president and now we are seeing it some more. It won't stop. I want it to but it won't. Do I have "concerns" about a more liberal Federal Government? You bet I do. But I am not going to start talking like whoever made that statement in my OP.....you know, like the "sky is falling."

 

[Topspin]

let's cut the military in half and see who invades us.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

He's also just accomplished in the last year what all our Presidents, except two, have tried to accomplish for the last 60 years but failed. This has been a significant accomplishment and it bodes well for the nation.

sign unconstitutional mandates in to law? nearly every president in the last 60 years has done that, that doesn't make Obama special.

 

[MOe]

so, america, whats it like to live in a SOCIALIST country?

feels good, dont it?

 

[TuTu Monroe]

Am I? How much have we spent on the Iraq war in the last 7 years? The Bush tax cuts for the rich cost the government 1.2 trillion dollars in revenue. You must not be good at math cause the facts are squarely on my side.

We all know you are so much smarter than anyone on here, so tell me Einstein, Obama has only been in office a little over a year, so what portion of the national debt and the budget deficit can we attributed to him alone?

 

[Taichiliberal]

Originally Posted by Taichiliberal
Wack, this country has been running on monopoly money for years! So to suddenly scream bloody murder about the projected spendings of this latest Healthcare reform is essentially a day late and a dollar short.

Remember, you supposedly had an economic surplus when Slick Willy left office...the Shrub blew that on an illegal invasion/occupation of Iraq...and then kept the true cost of that out of the national budget! Between the S&L scandal, Enron, and the Wall St./investor bank bail out, it's all monopoly money. Let's not even take into account how we're up to our butts in debt to China!

What's really the point of contention here is that the insurance companies do NOT like to be told to straighten up and fly right on any level because it affects their PROJECTED profits...and the GOP just got a reverse Waterloo. Those boys don't like to lose...and they hold grudges!

I have complained and will continue to complain. One of my best friends mom worked 8 years in the Bush Administration. I was drinking at his wedding and started talking/yelling his mom's ear off for about 20 minutes before I got pulled away about how bad the Republicans in Congress were and President Bush on spending. She was pissed at me and my friend whose wedding it was didn't talk to me for about three months after because of my behavior. I had to write her an apology letter and fly out to D.C. to visit her. Her name has been mentioned as a possible challenger to Harry Reid in Nevada.

I know you are not calling me out personally but I have been pissed about this shit for years so I don't give a fuck who is doing it. The best thing I heard all year was people calling the Republicans the party of no. It's about fucking time someone in Congress stands up and tells people the government cannot give you everything and have it cost you nothing. It don't work that way. Now I in no way expect the Republicans to continue because they'll give in and try to outpromise and outspend the Democrats as they usually do.

Ahhh, but remember the Party of NO is a label for a party that does NOT want to change the status quo....meaning that we would have continued with lopsided tax cuts for the rich with no clear cut plan to pay for it or revitalize jobs at home (while outsourcing goes unchallenged) while waging eternal wars on two fronts WITHOUT including the cost of those endeavors in the budget. Wall St. and the Banks would continue without any sign of criticism or attempts at reform/halting the corporate socialism that is denied the non-investor class. What's getting Obama and the Dems in a load of trouble is their continuing many of the heinous policies of the previous administration. That this healthcare reform is a historic first, it's a somewhat hollow victory for those who wanted single payer or the public option.