One look at the stats on Darfur...and the lack of American response...sm
Posted By: Democrat on 2006-09-27
In Reply to: So did we..... - JDH
takes any credibility from our being in Iraq for human rights reasons.
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Also going on Darfur
but no one gives a dam@ because they don't have any natural resources we want.
Sure it could, but you can't look at stats from 7 years ago...sm
and say that is a permanent result from the banning of guns. That was only for 2 years after the ban. It is now 9 years and I was wondering if maybe or maybe not the stats were still similar.
You are aware the the police in GB do not carry firearms, yes? Why should people be able to carry firearms there when the police cannot?
Stats that Bill left out.sm
The poverty rate fell from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 12.7 percent in 1998. That's the lowest poverty rate since 1979 and the largest five-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years (1965-1970).
The African-American poverty rate dropped from 33.1 percent in 1993 to 26.1 percent in 1998 -- the lowest level ever recorded and the largest five-year drop in African-American poverty in more than a quarter century (1967-1972).
The poverty rate for Hispanics fell to the lowest level since 1979, and dropped to 25.6 percent in 1998.
African-American unemployment fell from 14.2 percent in 1992 to 7.3 percent in March 2000 -- the lowest rate on record.
The unemployment rate for Hispanics fell from 11.6 percent in 1992 to 6.3 percent in March 2000 -- and in the last year has been at the lowest rate on record.
For women the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in March 2000, nearly the lowest since 1953 [when few women sought employment outside the home].
In 1999, the homeownership rate was 66.8 percent -- the highest ever recorded. Minority homeownership rates were also the highest ever recorded.
Under President Clinton and Vice President Gore, child poverty declined from 22.7 percent in 1993 to 18.9 percent in 1998 -- the biggest five-year drop in nearly 30 years.
The poverty rate for African-American children fell from 46.1 percent in 1993 to 36.7 percent in 1998 -- the lowest level in 20 years and the biggest five-year drop on record.
The rate also fell for Hispanic children, from 36.8 percent to 34.4 percent - and is now 6.5 percentage points lower than it was in 1993.
Insurance industry stats
I just came across these stats in an article I was reading. How can there possibly any doubt that lobbying has single handedly taken over Washington? Especially in light of the fact that the healthcare plans on the table are pushing for more insured rather than single payer system? If we don't shove out the insurance companies, how are the prices for our healthcare ever expected to go down, or even stay at the current level for any length of time? 87% in 10 years? Absolutely ridiculous. We are not reaping any benefit from it whatsoever.
"As premiums have ballooned by 87 percent in the past decade, insurance-industry profits have climbed from $20.8 billion in 2002 to $57.5 billion in 2006. During that same period, health-care interests spent $2.2 billion on federal lobbying, more than did any other sector, and as of last month, had flooded the presidential candidates with over $11 million in campaign contributions to keep the present system intact."
And you know this how? Cite sources. Give stats.
Status even as old as 10 days ago would not reflect the shift in POTUS since the Palin debaucle. Your Obama bash has nothing to do with POTUS. Supposed you explain what you are talking about now. What do you feel so compelled to blame his for this morning?
Newspaper Marks 1000 Days of Iraq War with Key Stats
Newspaper Marks 1000 Days of Iraq War with Key Stats
By E&P Staff
Published: December 13, 2005 10:30 AM ET
NEW YORK To mark what it called the 1000 Days of the Iraq war, the London daily The Independent offered extensive coverage today, featuring a by-the-numbers approach.
Here are some of their calculations:
$204.4 billion: The cost to the U.S of the war so far.
2,339: Allied troops killed
15,955: US troops wounded in action
98: U.K troops killed
30,000 : Estimated Iraqi civilian deaths
0: Number of WMDs found
66: Journalists killed in Iraq.
63: Journalists killed during Vietnam war
8: per cent of Iraqi children suffering acute malnutrition
53,470: Iraqi insurgents killed
67: per cent Iraqis who feel less secure because of occupation
$343: Average monthly salary for an Iraqi soldier. Average monthly salary for an American soldier in Iraq: $4,160.75
5: foreign civilians kidnapped per month
47: per cent Iraqis who never have enough electricity
20: casualties per month from unexploded mines
25-40: per cent Estimated unemployment rate, Nov 2005
251: Foreigners kidnapped
70: per cent of Iraqi's whose sewage system rarely works
183,000: British and American troops are still in action in Iraq.
13,000: from other nations
90: Daily attacks by insurgents in Nov '05. In Jun '03: 8
60-80: per cent Iraqis who are strongly opposed to presence of coalition troops
*
In an accompanying piece from Baghdad, the newspaper's Patrick Cockburn adds one more stat: A BBC poll yesterday showed that half of the Iraqis questioned say that Iraq needs a strong leader--while only 28 per cent cited democracy as a priority.
Iraqis are cynical about their political leaders, Cockburn writes. The election results are likely to show that the great majority of Iraqis will vote along ethnic or religious lines as Shia, Sunni or Kurds. The country is turning from a unitary state into a confederation.
There is no sign yet of the thousand-day war ending. Every month up to a thousand fresh corpses arrive at the mortuary in Baghdad. A new Iraq is emerging but it is already drenched in blood.
I was brought up Buy American made products, keep American jobs.
Always bought American made cars and bought products from companies where my family was employed. Now look at America? We are definitely connected all around the world.
My feeling? Obama states he wants to start from the poor upward. Not the other way around like it has been for quite awhile. That to me does not necessarily mean just in America, but around the world by taking the poorest countries and working upward so America's pay wages and everything else will be so low and comparable to the poorest countries. After all, we are now connected together.
Cannot wait to see what will happen with the Swine flu this fall with the second wave and what it will do to the economy of all the countries combined at once.
Another classy response. I won't say liberal response,
because I don't think you and these pile-on posters are indicative of liberals as a whole. Don't know why they let you speak for them...but that is up to them. Obviously you don't think compassion is a personality trait...obviously you feel that it can be turned on and off to suit your agenda. So be it.
Any child born to American parents is an American -
I am sorry, but I respectfully disagree with you - any child born to American parents is an American even if they are born overseas. The birth has to be registered with the United States, but they are still an American even if they are born in the foreign hospital.
I have 2 cousins who were born in Japan and they have no problems at all being "American".
which clearly you lack.
h
I don't think character (or lack of it)...
...is restricted to one political party.
Whether this crook is a Democrat or a Republican, he should be tossed in jail and the keys thrown away. Period.
What I see as sad is people who lack
the common sense required to set their fears aside and look at all sides of an issue objectively and intelligently instead of allowing others to interpret information for them, often intentionally misleading the reader/listener. Parroting alarmist misinformation is representative of the sad state our country is in.
lack of integrity
I am a died-in-the-wool Democrat and also from Pennsylvania. I have a legitimate interest in this. I have always admired Arlen Specter (he certainly never gives up) and have mostly agreed with his policies. However I think it shows a total lack of integrity to switch parties in the middle of a term. He was elected as a Repbulican and should serve as a Republican........after all he can still vote according to his conscience. If he wants to run next year as a Democrat, then so be it, but he should remain a Repbulican until the end of his term. It is unfair to
This Democrat who previously voted for Specter will not have my vote again!
No, your lack of compassion upsets me. sm
You need to think about THAT.
Well, then.... that explains your lack thereof.
Lack of common sense
An 83-year-old woman is too old, most likely, to be of much assistance in Iraq. Not ruling it out totally, but most likely this is the case. I have gleaned from the posts I have read that the rah-rah-war conservatives doing most of the posting are fairly able-bodied, some in their 30s, some in their 50s and some older. I am 52 and if I truly truly believed in this war I feel I would be over there doing what I could to support that effort (especially since many over there do NOT want to be there and have serious qualms about our involvement). But go ahead, call me names and make even more ENDLESS excuses why you won't go. Maybe even mention a 95-year-old or a 5-year-old that supports the war as examples of folks who aren't over there.
In the meantime I read more and more that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda continue to grow and operate at ease and at will in a large area of Afghanistan near Pakistan.
Total lack of compassion
I wanted to like this woman, and I did for approximately the first 48 hours after she was named as Sen. McCain's running mate. Then I heard from a close friend whose sister teaches high school Spanish in the small Alaskan town SP was mayor of. SP's son, the one who is about to be deployed overseas, was her student a few years ago and allegedly not a high-achieving one. My friend's sister said he was disrespectful and acted like he thought he was better than everyone else, and when it came time for the parent-teacher conference SP blamed his failing grades on her.
Okay, so this is one person's biased description and I didn't pay a lot of attention to it, but THEN I discovered her history regarding wildlife, ecology and "hunting," and I have to tell you this is a deal breaker for me.
What is so incredible to me is that she appears extremely caring and passionate regarding issues related to motherhood, family, child welfare and the right to life, yet she is completely void of emotion or sensitivity towards "lesser" forms of life. I don't care that she's a lifetime member of the NRA or even that she's a hunter, but she has a frightening and callous history in terms of wielding her legal power to exploit, maim and destroy wildlife and their natural habitats.
I'm so disgusted and disillusioned by all the political BS and hype coming from every direction that I can honestly say I don't plan to vote in the coming election.
the mind or lack thereof
worried about what someone said to a football player rather than the fact that US economy is on verge of collapse. The McCainites are attempting to distract everyone again .... dum da dum dum
It's getting late and the lack of information
way more time than I have at the moment to address. Obama spent much time in Kenya in an OFFICIAL capacity....sent there while serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I will be expanding on this tomorrow and look forward to the slam dunk that a few tiny facts will exact on this trash you are trying to peddle.
have you ever heard of anyone who dies because of a lack of
health care? We treat everyone here--part of why LA can't keep an emergency room open. Ask Canadians if people die waiting for health care. As for Michael Moore--I would not waste my money.
I would not call that a lack of character...
I would actually call it strong character that she can praise Obama's win even though she feels he has anti-American views. So that is her opinion, as many of us here feel.
i don't really care about his o connection or lack of
dig it. they killed those pigs. - he and his wife are jerks
Lack of interest was the point.
Focks Noise is rarely relevant. I am retired and as grown as I can get. Resorting to name calling when someone doesn't agree with you does not exactly imply a great deal of maturity.
Yep, under Bush's lack of leadership nm
nm
You assume a lack of compassion....
but your snotty self-righteous attitude speaks for itself. Get over it.
The lack of one pretty much speaks for itself...
nm
So where do YOU think such lack for the sanctity of life comes
xx
and I don't believe their lack of support for O equals hate
x
Lack of intelligent conversation on your part
nm
Like lack of a valid birth certificate and that he...sm
would absolutely in no uncertain terms allow pork barrel projects? I could go on and on about the FACTS as the liberals see it, but by my dictionary - and without regard to news media or the channels thereof - these are NOT facts! Just wait - you'll find out for yourself. I'll be right here to tell you "I tried to tell you so!"
Trolls like YOU (and the lack of an ignore button) are the reasons
I can't stand it here any more. You do nothing but troll this board, stalk and attack posters. You add nothing of an intelligent or substantive nature to anything you post. Coming to this board used to be nice, but now it's like standing in a field as flies leave a nearby manure pile and suddenly hover around me and my friends, and I wind up spending too much time swatting them away. You simply can't be nice and civil to people. Nobody wants to subject themselves to that all the time. You've been relentless in your attacks against gt, and all it does is make you look like a horrible person, whether you realize it or not.
As far as debate, I'd love to debate issues, but personal attacks based on one's views is NOT debate, and that's all you do.
Here's an example of a post on Maher's board by an intelligent conservative who I believe I could learn a lot from. Note the EXTREME difference in this person's communication skills, compared to yours and those of your ilk on this board.
This poster generates interest and respect. Your posts generate disgust.
******
The Republicans Here Are Fake
I just came to this board today. I watched Real Time with Bill Maher for the first time last night and really enjoy it. While I do not agree with him on his views, I enjoy listening to politcal arguments and he does make strong cases.
I have been a life long Republican and served on numerous state campaigns as both a volunteer and paid worker. I know the value of a true debate and what it yields.
I searched for Bill Maher this morning and immediatley found this board. I have spent the last couple hours reading through countless posts and views of people from both sides of the political aisle. It is truly a shocking and numbing experience.
I see that most from the left provide a rational view and expressed opinions, but then I see the right has no true representation here. I have come across a few posters that say they are Republicans, but as a Republican I can assure you they do not stand for our parties beliefs.
A couple of the names I have seen include; helloinfidels, ketchupholic, mudwhistle, and theraceman.
While I am only passing by, I wanted to share with you my views on these individuals, as a person with a strong politcal background. I have a few explanations into the actions of these individuals and would like to post them for you.
-These people only argue because they purely like to argue with no goal in mind except to upset other.
-These individuals are truly Democrats, posing as Republicans in an attempt to smear the Republican party
- These people truly do not know what the Republican party stands for
In any of the above cases, we would rather they not try to represent our party, as they are actually mis-representing it.
I have been a member of numerous political forums, and I assure you that we would not allow any of these people to exist on our boards. They give no basis of fact with their arguments and only make them to hear themselves self promote a disturbing agenda.
I hope the majority of the people on here do not lend credit to their foolish assertions and realize they represent no party in this country.
Thank you for hearing from me and I look forward to some civil political debate on here without the rhetoric those few seem to rely upon.
Words can come off sounding like an attack, because these messages lack..sm
facial expressions, demeanor, so it leaves the reader to interpret the mood.
I don't know if you were saying me or Sir Percy was a recovering Democrat, but either way I'm a registered Democrat and have never voted for a republican president because of where I stand on social and civil issues.
Speaking of frustrating democrats, and I never thought I would be going here because I have a lot of respect for her. I was even bidding for her to be the first woman president, but Hillary needs to take a stand and stand firm on it, and let us know what it is. Her centrist stance is frustrating because I think she is the one democratic model out there that could speak and be heard and respected. Yet she has been quiet, and too her lack of opposition to the war has taken my respect down for her a few notches.
I would say that the lack of his demise being plastered all over the news speaks s/m
quite well for his health.
Lack of faith in Obama as leader of this country is
xx
This shows a true and disturbing lack of knowledge regarding the Israeli
Arab conflict. You surely realise that. I hope this was a joke....an unfunny one at that.
no response ....
No response
We are not supposed to cross post, so I am respecting the administrator's request.
My response
There is no sound byte answer about Rev. Wright. I'll give you a hint. It has to do with the fact that men of his generation experienced life in America differently than the whites did. Historically, many black churches have been and are political forums, stemming from the days of slavery, when the churches provided a refuge where freedom of speech was possible. I don't know what Obama did or did not hear, and neither do you. What I do know is that he has written extensively about the confusion he had over the "black" part of his identity and part of his search for meaning, purpose and belonging in his younger days was played out in South Chicago. If you have read anything about the church at all, you will know that they have been engaged in many extensive and successful outeach programs in their community and I suspect his "association" with Trinity was focused and centered around that. Too bad a person cannot be judged but his deeds, rather than wild speculation, innuendo and smear campaigns about the company he keeps.
A response from.....sm
To the first 4 paragraphs decrying the decay of black leadership while attempting to lay the blame at the feet of the democratic party, encouraging blacks to bail and proclaiming the dawn of a new day for black conservatism, all that needs to be said is yeah, right. The proof is in the pudding. Black voters are backing Obama 94-1, according to this random poll citation: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1192 …6% stampede, and we have not even made it through the convention. Great big whoop.
The abortion graphics let us know that the minister is pro-life. OK. Fine. Next, we have this twisted accusation that Obama supports partial birth abortion. That is not his position on abortion, and it is laid out in no uncertain terms on his website and countless times in his speeches and townhall meetings. What he said is that he supports the notion that things should stay as they have been and that those issues should be determined on a state-by-state basis at the local level. Same thing with regard to same-sex marriage and the federal government not being in the business of defining the meaning of marriage, which he clearly believes is a union between a man and a woman (not exactly the most popular position in the gay community).
Yet despite this, the pastor insists he is champion of the gay agenda and the abortion "industry." Never mind that the democratic party platform includes many pro-active initiatives that conservatives will continue to obstruct regarding abortion prevention through sex education, birth control, encouraging and enabling single parents to keep their children with parenting education, job skills training and making adoption laws more user friendly. Most democrats perceive the conservative views on abortion as caring about unborn right from conception to the moment of birth. Beyond that, the babies kind of fall off the radar screen.
For this radical stance (i.e., preserving status quo), the pastor evokes the Barack HUSSEIN Obama slur and is all indignant that Obama puts himself out there as a Christian. Champion of the dead horse drumbeat. This guy is not looking real credible at this point. Performer, he calls him, doubting Obama's sincerity. The "God's on our side" mantra rings hollow as well, considering the conservative pathologic disdain for poverty and conflicts over notions such as the measure of a nation's moral character is only as strong as it's care for the least among us.
He then proceeds to twist the words of THE greatest black leader of modern times…MLK. The infanticide he referred to was the practice of killing female infants/gender selection in biblical patriarchal societies.…a practice emphatically condemned by the Islamic Prophet Mohammed in the Quran back in the day. Twist, turn, spin.
Lets see. Obama is evil incarnate because homophobic interpretations of the Bible do not impress him as much as the Sermon on the Mount? That would be the moral teachings of Jesus, to include the Lord's Prayer, the injunctions to "resist not evil" and "turn the other cheek", as well as Jesus' version of the Golden Rule. Other lines often quoted are the references to "salt of the Earth," "light of the world," and "JUDGE NOT, LEST YE BE JUDGED." These are the core beliefs of the Christian doctrine. Drag out the tar and feathers and hang him high for that sacrilege.
Then another call to arms for those 6% black conservatives, a 2nd reference to Barack HUSSEIN Obama. As for the upcoming black conservative youth, it is the youth vote from the remaining 94% blacks and whites alike that just might boost Obama over the top, last I heard.
Then of course, there are a few paragraphs of closing prayers. If this is what it means to be "right," this guy ends up making the Obama nation look better and better.
response
So you are saying all other media outlets except Fox are liberal and therefore cannot be trusted to provide accurate information. Therefore, you can only get true information from their network, because they tell you that is so. I see where you are coming from.
response
All the examples you use about being make to hate, if the individuals mentioned being indoctrinated resisted by using their minds to seek broader or alternative information could simply resist the information being forced on them and resist hating. Poor sentence structure, I admit.
response
McCain did the same thing when he was defeated in N. Caroline because Rove used dirty tactics like push polls calling people and asking if they would vote for McCain if they knew he had a biracial baby. McCain had to suck it up and stand next to Bush and announce that he would support him. I thought he was ethical enough to resist using such tactics when he the chance to campaign. but I was wrong.
response
Of course I believe they can. Luckily you tacked on white supremacists right there at the end or I would have been appalled at the assumption that non-caucasian, non-christian people are incapable of thinking for themselves.
response...
Both Bush and McCain supported privatizing social security IF a person wanted to...neither have advocated making it mandatory. Perhaps if that had been done in the first place, it would not have been a fund that a Democratic congress could have raided to fund other programs. I personally would like to have control of my own funds (except congress has already spent them) and put in a CD..not the stock market. So that govt grubby paws could not get at it anymore. But that is just me.
I think the operative word is McCain said he did not disagree. He did not say he himself would re-start the draft. In the world the way it is, if enlistment really dropped off, it might be necessary just so we would have the size Armed Forces we would need, should the need arise. That just makes good sense. A peace time draft might be a good thing...two years in the service might change the direction some kids might choose to go. Would also provide some skills training and the ability to go to college after their service...instead of gangs...instead of being on the street...learn a trade, get a job...I don't necessarily think it would be a bad thing. The Armed Forces have been good careers for a lot of men and women...the Armed Forces are not just for war. But again...that is just me.
See my response above. And you are right - sm
I think both sides need to leave the experience thing alone.
The rep response is
lie, lie, lie and CYA. This whole SP story is going to blow up in their faces. At least, that's what I'm expecting, but sure will be amusing to watch over the next couple of weeks. Joe Scarborough, a former republican representative, said he would have never chosen her with just 1 1/2 years of governership and a mayor of a small town as experience. The media is not expected to ask questions or interview Ms. SP at least for two weeks yet. What are they hiding? Why can't the media ask her questions? This is quite as someone said before "a sideshow." Very entertaining.
response (sm)
Let the oil companies bail them out since they directly benefited from some of the bad management decisions.
This would never happen. I doubt the oil companies care if the US auto industry goes down. If it does go down, then we will have imports, for which we will also have to buy gas (which would actually be a better alternative for the oil companies as opposed to us building vehicles that would not be dependent on oil).
Don't bail out the companies. Give the money to the workers for re-education, etc., while the auto companies restructure.
Re-education takes time. If these workers are already or soon to be out of work, they need jobs yesterday. They have families to feed, and that can't wait for a new career.
I think the best approach is to go ahead and bail them out (as much as that stinks), but set criteria they have to meet that would show re-tooling and progression to non-gas vehicles. I like the Pickens plan myself.
You know, that was my first response too.
but would like to see him cut loose a little and put it against a contrasting charcoal gray shirt. I think he's a knockout....nothing sexier than a confident, intelligent man with a heart of gold.
and your response to GP was so much
Your original post to wasn't an attack on the pubs? Hypocrit.
Response
Yes, we do only have one president at a time.
However, both the incoming and outgoing Presidents have a responsibility -- they are handling the nation's business.
As Obama comes into power, it is very transparent of him to keep the nation apprised of what he is doing, thinking, planning.
Good for him! I hope we hear from him every single day!
It doesn't matter whether it is Obama or it would have been McCain -- we need to hear what the incoming President is planning and doing.
response (sm)
Move to Russia----that's the problem. If you guys are confronted with any sort of ideas that are not part of your belief your first instict seems to be to just remove it. That's not tolerance -- that's segregation.
As far as kids go, I would challenge you to show me 1 child 4th grade and up (probably lower than that) that does not know what *gay* means, and homosexuality is not being taught in schools now. As far as the TV, mine came with a remote with little buttons for changing the channel and a handy dandy on/off switch. Toy dispensers in gas station bathrooms: Yes, there are some of those out there. However, they are no where near as common as you would make them out to be.
Marriage -- what is it to you if they call it marriage? You do realize there are christian gays and lesbians? The problem is that on this issue christians seem to think that everyone should live by their rules when everyone else has a different set of rules. What about Muslims who are married? Is thier marriage worth anything in your eyes? They didn't get married with God as a witness as you would discribe Him. I'm married and yet I'm and athiest. Is my marriage worthless?
Christianity is an all or nothing proposition. When it comes to laying down legislation for a nation as diverse as ours, that all or nothing mentality does nothing but divide the nation.
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