I am writing in response to a letter by Virginia (Tilla) Durr of Sweden (Dec. 13).
There certainly is hypocrisy afoot, Virginia. Unfortunately much of it is coming from the Democratic camp and the too-vast federal government. Obama's class warfare has left people resentful over the "entitled rich."
Since when have we held in such contempt the wealthy in this country? I would certainly be among the middle-class myself, but find no real reason to call the consideration of their tax rates a capitulation. After all, the top 20 percent of the wealthy pay 80 percent of the taxes, even now.
How many of the poor, however well-intentioned, have hired employees, paid for their benefits and contributed in a meaningful way to our Social Security or GNP?
Do you suppose that the government (using taxpayers’ money) is better suited to decide where our earnings should be spent than we are? These same unemployed folks that you and I are concerned about, we long for them to find work "homes" again, don't we? Then certainly, we would like to encourage the folks among us who have the resources to invest in businesses to do so. Go forth and hire, right?
What really saddens me about this whole continuance of tax cut debate is that President Obama and the Democratic Party end up pitting Americans against Americans. As a candidate, Obama vowed to pull together all Americans — the reality has been breathtakingly opposite.
Vicki O’Brien, Greene
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Honest Democrat?
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But did you really want those presents???
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*Snicker*
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And know the "Cornerstone" upon which it is based.
For no less an Official than the Vice-President of the Confederate States of America, Alexander H. Stephens, in his speech of March 21, 1861, told us exactly the 'Foundations" upon which the new Government was based - in no uncertain terms.
"Cornerstone Speech" by Vice President Alexander Stephens, CSA
He stated, in excerpts:
"But not to be tedious in enumerating the numerous changes for the better, allow me to allude to one other though last, not least. The new constitution has put at rest, forever, all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institution African slavery as it exists amongst us the proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution. Jefferson in his forecast, had anticipated this, as the "rock upon which the old Union would split." He was right. What was conjecture with him, is now a realized fact. But whether he fully comprehended the great truth upon which that rock stood and stands, may be doubted. The prevailing ideas entertained by him and most of the leading statesmen at the time of the formation of the old constitution, were that the enslavement of the African was in violation of the laws of nature; that it was wrong in principle, socially, morally, and politically. It was an evil they knew not well how to deal with, but the general opinion of the men of that day was that, somehow or other in the order of Providence, the institution would be evanescent and pass away. This idea, though not incorporated in the constitution, was the prevailing idea at that time. The constitution, it is true, secured every essential guarantee to the institution while it should last, and hence no argument can be justly urged against the constitutional guarantees thus secured, because of the common sentiment of the day. Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the "storm came and the wind blew."
Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North, who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. All fanaticism springs from an aberration of the mind from a defect in reasoning. It is a species of insanity. One of the most striking characteristics of insanity, in many instances, is forming correct conclusions from fancied or erroneous premises; so with the anti-slavery fanatics. Their conclusions are right if their premises were. They assume that the negro is equal, and hence conclude that he is entitled to equal privileges and rights with the white man. If their premises were correct, their conclusions would be logical and just but their premise being wrong, their whole argument fails."
"Many governments have been founded upon the principle of the subordination and serfdom of certain classes of the same race; such were and are in violation of the laws of nature. Our system commits no such violation of nature's laws. With us, all of the white race, however high or low, rich or poor, are equal in the eye of the law. Not so with the negro. Subordination is his place. He, by nature, or by the curse against Canaan, is fitted for that condition which he occupies in our system. The architect, in the construction of buildings, lays the foundation with the proper material-the granite; then comes the brick or the marble. The substratum of our society is made of the material fitted by nature for it, and by experience we know that it is best, not only for the superior, but for the inferior race, that it should be so. It is, indeed, in conformity with the ordinance of the Creator. It is not for us to inquire into the wisdom of His ordinances, or to question them. For His own purposes, He has made one race to differ from another, as He has made "one star to differ from another star in glory." The great objects of humanity are best attained when there is conformity to His laws and decrees, in the formation of governments as well as in all things else. Our confederacy is founded upon principles in strict conformity with these laws. This stone which was rejected by the first builders "is become the chief of the corner" the real "corner-stone" in our new edifice. I have been asked, what of the future? It has been apprehended by some that we would have arrayed against us the civilized world. I care not who or how many they may be against us, when we stand upon the eternal principles of truth, if we are true to ourselves and the principles for which we contend, we are obliged to, and must triumph."
Sure you can live with this 'Cornerstone of Truth' as laid down for the Confederacy there, F&H?
- Read the whole speech... This is used to help defend their economic situation.
"
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That war's been over for a long time. The Confederate flag no longer represents that line of thinking. Flying it is no less valid than flying Mexican flags at certain schools in California.
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In fact Pirate, the flag was honored with respect for decades after the war. Then some racist groups including the KKK adopted it as their own, which it is NOT. It was never intended to represent racism when it was created and flew over Southern troops in battle.
It was a NOT the official flag of the Confederacy, it was just a battle flag, nothing more and nothing less. When southerners fly the flag it is to honor the fallen soldiers, and is NOT a statement against blacks. (Except for the idiot racists that stole it)
When people condemn the flag and curse it, they are dishonoring my family members that fought and died under it.
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Alexander Stephens was a Democrat, so what do you expect? And while he did speak for a minority of extremists his hate rhetoric was not the sentiment of the majority.
My ggggranndfather was a Field slave named Joshua and I am able to just blow off the opinions of racists like Stephens even today. Klan marches were common in West Memphis when I was a kid so I learned early what a bigot was. I just ignore them.
Finally, the "Stars and Bars" does not represent the Confederacy as most people believe. It was NEVER the flag of the CSA government. It was simply a battle flag. It represents members of my family, both black and white, that served and died to preserve the South.
The flag is a symbol of courage and bravery and represents those that fought and died for the South.
I could easily use the same argument you are using and say that the US flag represents cowardice and murder, since Sherman marched through the South attacking not military targets, but instead attacking unguarded homes, burning them to the ground and killing and raping the women and children.
Or I could say that the US flag represents the worst atrocity in human history by the mass murders of 100's of thousands of civilians when we dropped the two bombs on Japan during WWII. We didn't attack a military base, we attacked civilian cities and murdered many times the number of American civilians that were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
If any other country had done to us what we did to the South and to Japan we would be outraged and be demanding justice. We teach our kids in history books how great these two attacks were, and what a great thing our country did, when in fact we should be ashamed of ourselves.
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And you completely ignored that what the Confederacy was founded on.
Nice sticking your head in the sand.
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Is that the Confederacy was founded on the idea of preserving the sovereignty of the individual states.
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You're suggesting that a speech by the vice-president of the Confederacy stating that slavery is the cornerstone of that nation was not the sentiment of the majority?
The opening of Mississippi's Declaration of Secession:
"In the momentous step, which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.
Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery - the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product, which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun."
The opening of the Georgia Declaration of Secession:
"The people of Georgia having dissolved their political connection with the Government of the United States of America, present to their confederates and the world the causes which have led to the separation. For the last ten years we have had numerous and serious causes of complaint against our non-slaveholding confederate States with reference to the subject of African slavery."
Texas and South Carolina were a bit wordier in the preamble, but still got down to business:
"In all the non-slave-holding States, in violation of that good faith and comity which should exist between entirely distinct nations, the people have formed themselves into a great sectional party, now strong enough in numbers to control the affairs of each of those States, based upon an unnatural feeling of hostility to these Southern States and their beneficent and patriarchal system of African slavery, proclaiming the debasing doctrine of equality of all men, irrespective of race or color - a doctrine at war with nature, in opposition to the experience of mankind, and in violation of the plainest revelations of Divine Law."
"We affirm that these ends for which this Government was instituted have been defeated, and the Government itself has been made destructive of them by the action of the non-slaveholding States. Those States have assume the right of deciding upon the propriety of our domestic institutions; and have denied the rights of property established in fifteen of the States and recognized by the Constitution; they have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery; they have permitted open establishment among them of societies, whose avowed object is to disturb the peace and to eloign the property of the citizens of other States. They have encouraged and assisted thousands of our slaves to leave their homes; and those who remain, have been incited by emissaries, books and pictures to servile insurrection."
That defending slavery was the cornerstone of the Confederacy was not a minority view—it comprises the bulk of the founding documents of the Confederacy.
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The southern aristocrats controlled the money and the government. They were a minority but they had tremendous power, and yes, they wanted to preserve not just sovereignty, but also slavery. They did not represent the voice of the majority of southerners.
But the vast majority of the south was dirt poor and despised the ruling class. And they opposed slavery.
My white grandfather owned 16 slaves in the 1850's, including my black grandfather, and he gave them their freedom long before the war started. Even though he opposed slavery, and he released his own slaves after this change of heart, he still fought with the 11th Alabama Infantry to protect Alabama's right to govern herself.
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considering how many of them were slaves. The 1860 census shows that 39% of the population in the South were slaves, which leaves you only needing about one out of six non-slaves to be opposed to slavery to reach an overall majority.
For Mississippi and South Carolina, more than half of the population was 'property', and in some rural counties as high as 5 out of 6 residents were slaves. When 83% of a population is enslaved, it is not hard to reach a vast majority who would have every reason to oppose slavery.
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Water-Carriers for the Slave-Owners
Just as you and other working-class conservatives are Water-Carriers for the Wealthy.
They use you as tools and couldn't give a damn about you.
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Yawn.
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Imagine if you had to read the entire speech.
Heavens!!!
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Imagine that V doesn't take political advice from plaster doggies.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Have you ever seen so many "Water Carriers for the Wealthy?"
Brought to you by Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, et al......
Where's an honest Republican when you need him???
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Limbagh makes over $33,000,000/yr
Beck makes over $32,000,000/yr
Oreilly makes over $10,000,000/yr
And these are esitmates.
Seems to me that they are "The Rich", so who's carrying their water?
I wish I could make that just for telling the truth about liberals.
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How's it feel????
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You been reading Mad Magazine again, V?...
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There actually were some Honest Republicans!
- I know it was a long time ago ;)
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But there are no honest Democrats at all. Honest Democrat? There's an oxymoron.
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I knew Veritas sold antique books, but I didn't think they were comic books.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond."Since when have we held in
"Since when have we held in such contempt the wealthy in this country?"
Since at least the beginning of the industrial revolution if not before.
"After all, the top 20 percent of the wealthy pay 80 percent of the taxes, even now."
I would consider that more than fair since the top 20 percent also hold the top 80 percent of the wealth in this country, so please don't hand me the nonsense that they are paying a disproportionate share. The crux is, that the vast majority of them made their money on the backs of the working class. That means, hypothetically, if I worked for somebody, what they make off of my production-even after accounting for the cost of materials, etc., is many times more than what I am paid for my work. In otherwords, taking the cost of materials, the physical plant and its infrastructure (tools, machinery, etc) out of the equation, my production earns many times more per hour than what I am paid. To be met with the resentment of most employers at paying a realistic wage and providing benefits, etc., is what is driving the overall resentment of the wealthy. And to take it further, we keep hearing how tax cuts for the wealthy creates jobs. Reagan claims to have cut taxes, as did Bush I, and we know Bush II did, but where are all those jobs that the tax cuts promised? Once again Vicki, you have joined the ranks of those who choose to blame the victim.
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The past two weeks have clearly shown that the Republicans in Washington are much more concerned with the welfare of 375,000 millionaires than they are with 15+ million unemployed.
The gap between the rich and poor has never been so wide and continues to widen.
Americans against Americans? You have that right.
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”
I suspect the politicians and the rich are doomed...
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Tell me T? Has a poor person ever given you a job?
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Hey, I like the new logo, F&H...cool.
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Thanks Pirate
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I like your flag too
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Both would look pretty good on the mast of a seagoing vessel.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Are you aware of the "Cornerstone of the Confederacy?"
What your 'Flag" is built upon???
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Both the flag and his philosophy have one thing in common.
They are both relics of the past.
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"Right and wrong" never change. The truth never changes. What was right and true 1000 years ago is still right and true today.
But you are right in a sense. Today's society has developed the "philosophy" that right and wrong are not certainties, and truth is optional. Morality is almost nonexistent. So when it comes to modern philosophy, I am a relic.
And proud of it.
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:0
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Sure hope you're right, on that one...the South will have to save this country, because the north sure as hell isn't gonna do it.
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With the help of the Mexicans ;0
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Clinton's tax rates and 23 million jobs created, Dubya's tax cuts and a whopping million jobs created in 8 years. Well, there goes that point.
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How many 9/11's did Clinton have to deal with Lilly? Oh? He had no Katrina's either? My oh, my, such a lucky president.
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9/11 caused tax cuts? Oh, okay...
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Clinton took office and I had to change my witholding to accomodate the tax increase. Oh, and I was barely making 25k a year at the time. The jobs hardly count when you see their meager paychecks as a source of revenue.
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Does anybody know of any poor or even middle class people that own companys and provide jobs for more than 10 employees?
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Does anybody know of any poor families that pay income taxes?
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Why would that be???
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Finally, does anybody know of any poor or middle class people that will leave an estate worth 3.5 million dollars, thus owing estate tax?
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Your image speaks more loudly than your tired and disdainful commentary. You and I see the world differently. Perhaps a nice red state south of The Line would suit you.
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Yes, money is power, and it gives the rich the ability to do great things for the economy and society. But look at the economy. The past decade has seen deregulation and a more hands off approach to business. It has also seen more scandals and impropriety, more irresponsible behavior, and generally, things have gotten worse.
Enron, WorldCom, Bernie Madoff, the Subprime Mortgage Crisis.
The parity between the haves and the have nots is widening. Since the 1980's, voodoo economics(also know as trickle down economics) has only made the rich richer, and the poor poorer. According to the United Nation's GINI index, the United States rating has increased by 20% since 1967.
Now, I don't want to punish the rich or stifle business. I just want to hold them accountable, as money comes with responsibility to society. I don't want socialism, and I'm not looking for income redistribution.
I'm just sick of hearing about what the rich have done for America when in fact, it is what America has done for the rich.
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Your image screams louder than you realize. Take a look at Maine. Maine is regulated and taxed to death. There is no fear of the haves and have nots as there are no HAVES; no one can HAVE in this state it is stripped from them by regulation and taxes. Would you have the whole country look like Maine; who would pay the welfare bill for the entire country? Maine is the most heavily subsidized state in the union receiving nearly $2 back for every $1 paid in for federal taxes now (new figures). That means the rest of the states are kicking in a dollar to match every dollar Maine people and businesses come up with to send to the fed only to have it sent with $1 of money from taxpayers in other states to pay for Maine's welfare and to operate the state, maintain the roads and bridges, operate the schools, the whole shabang; that's disgusting. Where would the $1 match come from if the whole country was regulated and taxed with it's economy brought to its knees like Maine?
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My image screams? Ok, whatever.
Avatars aside,
Maine does receive alot of Federal dollars for good reason. Maine, being the oldest state, has more than it's fair share of retirees. These retirees collect Social Security. Social Security is a Federal Program.
Tada.
While I wont say that is the only reason, there are probably many good reason why Maine gets more back than it puts in, and to act like Maine is bilking the rest of the Union is silly.
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Here's what's on the Report - It's aid to State and Local Government Agencies. It's a 56 pages report. Ever wonder why armymom never posts links to her sources nor responds when her claims are countered with documented facts?
Why is that, armymom?? --> http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/fas-09.pdf
"Federal government aid to state and local governments includes the following:
• Direct cash grants to state or local government units.
• Payments for grants-in-kind, such as purchases of commodities distributed to state or local government institutions (e.g., school lunch and breakfast programs).
• Payments to nongovernment entities when such payments result in cash or in-kind services passed on to state or local governments. Payments to regional commissions and organizations that are redistributed to the state or local level.
• Federal government payments to state and local governments for research and development that is an integral part of the provision of public services.
• Federal revenues shared with state and local governments."
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Your right, now that I can see the data, SS is not part of the makeup.It's interesting that Medicaid is the single biggest item on the list
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You never post a link. Why's that?
Let's go to the U.S. Census Bureau's Report "Federal Aid to States for Fiscal Year 2009" --> http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/fas-09.pdf
Figure 5 on page X shows us that the state which received the most Federal Aid, per capita, in FY-2009, was Alaska.
It received about $5,188.17 in Federal aid per person in 2009 - the highest of any state!! That's based on a total of $3.623797 Billion paid out over a population of 698,473.
Now Maine was #9 State - not the highest as you claim. We received $2,578.20 per capita - half of what the average Alaskan Received. Our 1, 318,301 Mainers received a total of $3.398845 Billion.
Then also figure on what each Alaskan got for their "Oil Fund Revenue" Check - $1,305 apiece this year. Not bad!! You don't see the State of Maine getting anything from Nestle - Poland Spring for the Water they tap out of us.
So it's that "Momma Grizzly" state which is really cutting a "Fat Hog" in the azz - and here she's been telling us how independent and strong they are up there. Yep - they line up to welch off Uncle Sugar right at the head of the line. God Bless Socialism and Alaska!!!
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Not much of a question - our
Not much of a question - our entire government is full of hypocrites on both sides of the aisle. Both sides have talked about how important it is to reduce the deficit, but of course now both sides are in favor of adding $1 trillion to it. As long as they get their tax cuts for the rich. As long as they get their money for wind turbines.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Not to mention the hundreds
Not to mention the hundreds of billions of dollars we're spending a year to keep Hamid Karzai and Pakistan happy.. despite the latter's absolute unwillingness to do anything for us in return. Meanwhile our brave men and women are still coming home in boxes and no one really knows why anymore.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Many of us remember
As I have posted numerous times, some of us remember full well why our young men are in Iraq and Afghanistan; does 9/11 ring any bells for you hurumble. Those of us with a memory of that awful day also remember subsequent attempts at terrorist attacts on American soil, in the air, on ships, and so forth that have been stopped. We appreciate that our men and women are fighting to keep the count down and hopefully elliminate the threat while in the process improve life for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan many of whom, particularly woman and female children, have lived in terror in their own countries every minute of every day at the hands of their government and male family members. There are vitamins and herbal supplements you can take for memory problems hurumble as well as reading legitamate history and staying away from liberal television tripe.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.9/11 Train left the Station years ago..... 23 Skidoo!!!
Can't you come up with a better reason that that??? At least Iraq's got oil.
Now when are you ever going to tell us who was successful in Afghanistan besides nobody?? Cat got your tongue??
History IS something one should learn from. So go broke like the British Empire - or do you have another plan? Why not share it with us???
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I'd appreciate you keep the
I'd appreciate you keep the little personal shots out, you know nothing about me and all it does is delegitimize your statement making it less worthy of being taken seriously. Liberal television tripe? Are conservatives keeping us in Afghanistan? Right now I blame the Obama administration for not only keeping us in Afghanistan but increasing the troop count. Thanks for the reminder about 9/11, clearly I had completely forgotten about one of the most memorable moments in my life. Look, I know what the rhetoric is, but staying in Afghanistan isn't saving us from terrorist attacks right now. The real fight is in Pakistan, this is where most of the terrorists we should actually be worried about have migrated. But Pakistan wants to do little to help us in our pursuit, so we're in Afghanistan doing what little we can do there. Hamid Karzai isn't much of a leader and whether we leave now or in 5 or 10 years isn't going to do much for the wellbeing of Afghanistan, but it's doing plenty to sink THIS country into even deeper debt.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Well, Vicki, which party was
Well, Vicki, which party was holding the ENTIRE American public hostage and THREATENED to increase ALL of their taxes, just to FORCED the majority to give the super-rich a tax cut? Here's a hint, it was the republicans.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I'll get spanked by Patti for
I'll get spanked by Patti for this but it's worth it. Tron, you're a dumbass.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Translation from tron-speak:
Which party wants to keep all tax rates at the current levels, at which they have stayed for 7+ years, to avoid letting them automatically revert up to the Clinton levels, to maintain some stability in a volatile economy, and not to single out one group and punish them for being successful in spite of their government? No hint required. It is the Republican
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.How about we have the taxes go back to the Reagan level???
You guys liked him!!!!
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.The very thought of it runs a
The very thought of it runs a shiver up my leg, just like Chris Matthews'.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.You might wish to read up a
You might wish to read up a little more on the subject before you go misrepresenting the facts again.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.What fact did he misrepresent?
Can you have the parrot spell it out for us... :)
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Well, he may not have
Well, he may not have misrepresented any facts. I just remembered; he never uses any.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I have, it's just I have real
I have, it's just I have real facts NOT FOX News censored version.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Bluto's in the room; gather
Bluto's in the room; gather your pets and cover your trash cans.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.First time for everything.
But don't hold your breath.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Memo to all grinches:
Print this letter and stuff it .. in every Christmas stocking you can find. It's a great present.
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