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Fair ~ High: 35°F ~ Low: 17°F Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 |
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When Every Fairy Tale Comes RealPosted Friday, August 29, 2008, at 11:56 PM
"Oooh, I love to dance a
little sidestep....
Millions and millions of dollars were spent over the past year to determine the candidates for the upcoming Presidential election. Two candidates were selected and the race has begun, so why throw these needless parties? National Conventions are a waste of time and money. I can't for the life of me see why people don't recognize this and bring them to a halt. These two candidates, who both profess to be candidates for change, evidently support this process since they are a major part of it. Does this make you feel good about your favorite candidate of choice? While the Nation is reeling from this huge deficit, our two Presidential candidates and their respective political parties are holding multimillion dollar useless conventions. Sure doesn't make me feel very good about either one of them. The process has failed; it is antiquated and of no use, so why should we continue to support it? And while I'm on the subject, how about having your chief primary rival, who said you were incapable of handling the job of President, provide a glorious speech at this big party and now tell everyone that you are the man for the job. Was she lying before or is she lying now? Maybe she just had this huge epiphany or miraculous revelation and just now saw the light. Or maybe she is just a true politician and says whatever is necessary at the time, be it the truth or not. As for that other group, what is the big deal about their VP running mate? We are in the process of evacuating New Orleans again in the face of another Category 3 hurricane and the media is concerned about a first term Governor of Alaska, who was a Mayor of Wasilla just two years ago, who will become their VP candidate for this election. I'd rather listen to rumors of an ankle sprain on one of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars, which I think may be the most ridiculous show on TV. I hate politics and all of the money grubbing antics associated with it. If someone wants to change this country for the better, let's see them change the way we continually waste money, by the multimillions, on getting politicians elected. The Treasury Department is providing millions of dollars for security for these two big hog roasts. Check it out, it is about $50 MILLION dollars. Is that where you want your tax dollars going right now while our young troops are dying overseas? Major companies are donating millions of dollars to sponsor these tremendously expensive and useless parties. Couldn't they spend that money a little more wisely, like helping out on Defense Contracts or sponsoring research for some cures for cancer, Alzheimer's or (you name your favorite disease or illness here)? We continue to allow this entire process of electing politicians to be a multimillion dollar fiasco and we sit idly by, just watching our TVs and maintaining our apathetic attitudes. Wake up America, this is just plain wasteful and stupid. I eagerly look forward to the first comment that tries to explain why all of this ridiculous spending is necessary. Please think about this somewhat seriously before you respond. Why don't we just have McCain and Obama get a dance partner and vote the best dancer in to be the next President. The way things have been going, someone will have to smartly side step through this entire mess that we have before us. Maybe only Charles Durning could do enough to save us. "Oooh, I love to dance a little sidestep, now they see me now they don't, I've come and gone. And ooooh I love to sweep around the wide step, cut a little swath and lead the people on." We've led the people on far too long, let's quit this wasteful partying and get serious about providing a government for the people. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Constructive and Imaginary Ambiguity  - Archives - Blog RSS feed ![[Feed icon]](http://www.gcdailyworld.com/images/icons/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon} - Comments RSS feed - Login Hot topics Veeps, Vacancies and the 25th Amendment(3 ~ 12:35 PM, Dec 20)
Mr. Inside, Mr. Outside and Mr. Unemployed
The Beatles, Beach Bums and Walt Disney
The Return of Ol' Simmons
"If You See Me Getting Smaller, I'm Leaving"
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Thank you, Sir.
Don't stop now. I'd like to see the whole election process reformed. How about a law that doesn't allow campaigns to begin before Jan. 2nd of the election year? That's still probably too long. Heck, I'd be happy if they'd just wait until after the next President gets sworn in.....
While I agree that the conventions are not my cup of tea either, I think you've got to look at them for what they are, a big party for the Party faithfuls and more campaigning for the Office of President. The projected budget deficit for this year alone is approximately $410 Billion. Let's assume for argument sake that both Parties took the money you are saying they will spend (and let's round it up to $250 Million)and use it to directly pay down the deficit. What effect would it have? It would drop it all the way to $409.75 Billion! At that rate we could have the debt for 2008 paid off in only 1640 years. Then we could start paying off the remaining $9.6 TRILLION in debt, which would take another 38,400 years, give or take a century.
Man, is that depressing, or what?
Ol' Simmons, you need to put on your thinking cap and come up with some quick work-arounds.
Here's some ideas, some out-of-the-box thinking, just to get you started.
Can the government just declare bankruptcy and clean the slate and start over?
Maybe we need to start collecting some of those old debts from WWI and WWII. With interest compounded since 1918 and 1945, we could be talking a nice piece of change.
Maybe these invasions for oil need to be re-thought. Maybe we need to try for diamonds, gold, silver, platinum... How tough could it be to knock over say, South Africa (hypothetically speaking, of course)?
Ooops, I just re-read your blog, and saw the part where it said to think about this somewhat seriously, so I guess you better disregard most of this.
Bballfan, I love math problems, especially ones where the "math is not difficult." Let's assume that the legacy rate for the first year at West Point was 0. Which I guess it would have to be, since by definition it being the first, had no legacy to draw on. Let's also assume that a generation is 20 years, so no legacy entries could enter until the 20th year after that first class. Then, if legacy entries increased by 2% per year (not sure how you came up with that figure, but I guess it's as good as any) and also assuming simple interest (no compounding), the 21st year would have 2%, the 22nd year would have 4%, the 23rd year would have 6%, and so forth so that about the 70th year would have 100%. And there it would maintain 100%, as 102% would have no meaning, unless you somehow gave extra weight to those who were third or fourth generation West Pointers. But, the 100% figure cannot be, because I know that Ol' Simmons, who entered into West Point during not the 70th year, but close to 170 years after that initial class, did not get in on legacy. Lunacy, maybe, but not legacy.
Ron Paul 2012.
Dude can tango.
I really think your preaching to the choir; but then again they are the only ones listening.
If someone wanted to rid us of these massive "parties" you have to first JOIN in on the "PART" and then it becomes just BUSINESS... and soon your on the ANIMAL FARM.
Since you asked for it; in May of 2008, 972 cadets graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point's 210th graduating class and 63 members of the class were sons or daughters of USMA graduates. I'll leave the math up to whoever wants to do it. Whatever that has to do with holding asinine parties to celebrate whatever it is they are celebrating, I don't know.
I never proposed paying off the national debt with the money earmarked for the two parties. Not at all, you missed the point.
This attitude kind of reminds me of an idiotic married couple who max out their credit cards and are going under financially and fret about what they are going to do, so they just say, heck, let's get another credit card and throw a party.
Far away from here, out of sight and mostly out of mind, evidently, young men and women are getting killed. Think about that for a few minutes. Think about what you believe are the reasons that these young people are losing their lives. Try to place yourself in the position of being a parent of one of these young men or women who has to bury their child because of this war. Seriously, what do we have to celebrate about right now.
Our country has a multitude of serious issues in many areas which need to be addressed, not the least of which is our national debt, but what the heck, let's just get another credit card and throw a party. No, let's throw two parties and show our troops how much fun we are having while they endure the hardships of war.
Yes, life has to go on at home while the war is being fought, but we don't need to throw lavish parties that last for a week and throw them up on the screen for our troops to see how morally and fiscally irresponsible we truly are.
Au Contraire! I agree that one of your points was that we shouldn't be partying while soldiers are fighting in overseas locations. Having been there, done that, I would say that most of the soldiers over there understand what they are doing is to preserve the freedoms we have here and that most of them will party pretty hardy themselves when they get home. And I hope they do both, get home and party hardy. I can't imagine them saying, "I still need to be serious, look grim and determined, because some of my comrades are still fighting." Maybe some will think that way, but again that's part of that freedom they've fought to preserve, so more power to them. I think the thing to do is to act as if the terrorists have had no effect on us, to live proud and brave and free and let them know they can't control how we choose to live, no matter what they try to do.
As to paying down the debt, you brought up the debt in your first sentence, and mentioned what a waste of money the conventions are several times. I merely tried to point out that the money spent is a drop in the bucket, and it's a huge bucket.
C&J's dad. I know this isn't his point, but are you saying that if we can't do better than 250 million than that isn't a problem to be addressed. Whats your magic number? half a billion? I say again, I know this wasn't the point of this blog, but that "nothing we can do because the buckets too big" mentality needs to end.
If it wasn't his main point, it was at least point number 2. He mentioned the millions they're spending and the wastefulness of it all about 8 or 9 times. I'm not saying that we don't do anything because the bucket's too big, I'm saying we need to address items that will make a difference. In a $410 Billion deficit, $250 Million is peanuts. Was it J. Paul Getty that said something like, "a million here, a million there, pretty soon you're talking real money"? Well, nowadays it has to be several billion before we're talking real money.
Hey, politics and economics aren't my strong suits. If you re-read my first comments, they were meant to be humorous, for the most part. Sometimes humor isn't my strong suit, either.
I respectfully bow out of this blog topic and will listen (read) and learn.
I believe it was the late Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen who made that statement.
I dont thing Privatizing everything is right.. heck I see more graft in that than in the public system..
I see contractors that get rich and go on safari while workers dont have health care and make just minumum wage... I KNOW Been there.
They can't be all things to all people. And they are only one individual. I can feel like I've been lied to now by Bush, but I hold the House and Senate responsible as well. We threw a lot of them out two years ago, but we didn't get them all.
Is it the deficit, the wars, the oil, or the massive foreign aid? I'm not smart enough to know which problem is the worst problem.
The only conclusion I've been able to make is that I need to prepare the children to do whatever they have to do.
The blog was well worth the read. Loved the picture that was with it. Thanks for sharing your words.
I got a little excited when I read the title to your new blog, Keith, thinking it was going to be about Joni Mitchell songs.
What a disappointment.
Not much to choose from in '08, so I guess maybe vote for whomever you think will waste less of our tax dollars? That's what I always try to do.
Garth, I'm with ya buddy.
And speaking about wasteful spending, what about the crazy money paid to ballplayers and the like? We have our priorties so screwed up kids want to grow up to play games. Seems to me we should make markmanship and hand grenade throwing our national sports. Kids would then aspire to be great in battle skills. That way the very best athletes would be on the battlefield where they belong, fighting all the evil in the world. Not to mention if we paid our soldiers what they're worth, heck, we would never have to consider the draft. I think it's time to return to the days when heros really were heros.
I was listening to Judy Collins - Both Sides Now - when I wrote this. That's where the title came from this time. Both sides want to throw parties for no apparent reason, just an excuse to spend money. I might as well have been listening to Send in the Clowns.
These comments were all interesting and I enjoyed reading them. Unfortunately, I hate politics and politicians and this National Convention idiocy disturbs me to no end. I wish the American people would just wake up some day and say, this is wrong, this is stupid, this is wasteful and this is totally unnecessary.
"...Send in the Clowns...Don't bother they're here."
Joni Mitchell wrote the song " Both Sides Now". Have you ever listened to her sing the song?
If we wished in one hand and shat in the other...
Do away with the National Party Conventions? Heck, I was hoping the Greene County Parties would fire up Local Conventions.
The Dems could operate out of Park Inn and the Republicans could fill The Sleepy Hollow Motel.
That could be great entertainment for the rest of us to watch....
1st thing - I've got Joni's version, but prefer Judy's.
2nd - I doubt they could fill the Sleepy Hollow.
And 3rd - please don't freak out on me. I've not seen Stop-Loss, does it have anything to do with Rogaine?
Our country has become what it has always been...a reflection of the current society. It is just what we allow it to be and unfortunately, we have set our standards very low. However, in comparison to much of the world, it isn't that bad.
Neil Diamond does a fine job with "Both Sides Now" as well.
The wastefulness of the conventions aside, Sarah Palin knocked the ball out of the park last night.
Come on C&J'S Dad, weigh back in...I was enjoying your tits, as well as your brother's tats.
All that passion...I can imagine ol simmons with a guitar, wailing away about all the injustices and absurdities in the world..he really is a sentimental sap, isn't he?
This doesn't have anything to do with whatever the thread is, but does anyone recall that great line from the movie "Gladiator" where Maximus said: "Death smiles at everyone, all a man can do is smile back."?
I love that line.
Great to hear from Keith. I didn't know a dogface, even one educated at the academy, could write so well. :)
The approximatel fifty million dollars given to Denver & St. Paul for security could be better spent elsewhere.
When both candidates had their nominations locked up, why continue on?
What I find so galling is that we are supposedly at war, some of our best and brightest are making sacrifices every day in Afghanistan & Iraq, and the folks in power,and those that want to be, are calling for tax cuts ad nauseum. And we the people are eating it up.
Why does it say there are 33 comments, when there are only 32 posted? Did someome post something that was unacceptable and then have it deleted by the blog police? Just curious.
Well,with all the gloom and doom happening around our wonderful planet, we humble folks of Bloomfield, as well as any chronometrically challenged visitors, now have something to celebrate;the clock that sits atop the courthouse now keeps accurate time! Yes folks, it's fixed and working. I suggest putting the family in their finest and then head on down to the square to celebrate. Maybe enjoy a cold one while peering out the front window of Aggies, or sit on the glider in front of the Pepperoni Grill and just while away the hours. This is good news folks. This is truly something to celebrate.
Nice job with the Rogaine, Simmons. I think I'll just tough it out and continue to lose mine. I had a dream of letting it get back down to my shoulders, and then I ended up here. By the time I retire I won't have enough left to let it grow.
Minermama, my understanding of what happened was that people in units about to deploy to Vietnam were not Stop Lossed or kept from their departure date from the Services. Units lost very qualified individuals in all ranges of rank and M.O.S. (Military Occupational Specialty) prior to their deployment. The people that would replace them may have been new, not as integrated within their units, and were too busy learning their own positions within their units to be able to learn the position of the rank above them. It may have caused problems for Commanders.
Anyhow, they stopped that after Vietnam and began to hold people beyond their departure dates for the good of the Country, or the units. And there were people adversely affected after the attacks. Those people angry about it made enough noise to get the movie made.
I don't know anyone who was stop lossed. I can see both sides of the argument.
My wife took a trip into a Mayan village earlier this week southwest of Cancun, and she says she was appaled by how the Mexican government does nothing for their people. Ah, that's another can of worms but again speaks to how much better we as Americans have it than the other 90% of the world. I wish we had leadership to forge a solid consensus on what needs to be done.
"I wish we had leadership to forge a solid consensus on what needs to be done."
Now that sure sums it up well. Unfortunately it would take a dictator. Of course if we the people would educate ourselves on the issues and vote accordingly...but that's not gonna happen, is it?
Maybe we better start learning Chinese.