Completely flawed argument. The baby boomers (and the tail end of its previous generation) have been the dominant force of power in politics for the better part of the last 20 years and have done nothing but generally increase their own benefits without regard to future generations. You are clearly too 'inside' your generation to have this argument from an unflawed perspective. You make yourself appear like a cliche baby boomer republican (should I throw in SUV/Suburban driving to top it off?) who applies to simple reductionistic tendencies to denounce democrats based on their love to create programs lacking thrift and appeal to republicans as the opposite. Interestingly enough, Bush's drug program (a republican creation) is this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9328-2005Feb8.html $120B/yr in unreserved obligations (that is, obligations that my generation has to pay for to keep your generation going). That is republican waste. The party references you stick to are no longer reality. Both sides are wasteful, just slight variations on the other, and the only solution occurs at least starting with discipline: no budget passes unless its balanced. SS was a good program at the time. The problem is that GAAP accounting was never used, so those at interest of collecting (in power, especially this current crop of politicians) have no benefit of changing this to become a GAAP system, thus equate current collections with future benefits (not today's benefits). If we made it GAAP, no one would tolerate forgoing all of their working day's earned wealth being transferred directly to the same generation that won't pass education funding for their children at the polls. Furthermore, their constituency (due to population size) is quickly becoming dominated by baby boomers, so they are naturally representing themselves, not our future generations. Countless people will suck SS and medicare dry who already have the means to privately fund their retirements. How about limiting this generation's withdrawals from SS to match the total of their contribution (at least if means tested) ? Prop 13 in California is the perfect example of voters deciding to short change their state in tax collection for the benefit of personal greed at the expense of public schools. After prop 13 hit, the funding and quality of public schools in California (which used to be amongst the best) fell down attrociously. Its been this way for almost the past 30 years. And I have friends who are baby boomers who give me first hand experience to concur my point. Don't tell me we spend enough nor have education enough as a national priority when statistics like this come out. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20080331-2101-highschoolgradrates.html You are just in denial of your generation's selfish misdoings if you argue otherwise. Likewise, even in Ohio where I grew up, I experienced countless ballot initiatives year after year fail to pass which would give appropriate funding to my public school systems because greedy seniors were more concerned about minimizing their expenses than caring for the future of our children. No such thing as sacrifice. Even to the preceding generations (depression era/ WW II), your sacrifice as citizens shouldn't have ended merely by your participation in the war (Korean, WW II). As a parent to be, I've decided I'll never vote or act in such selfish ways with regards to the generations that follow me. If you want to talk about 'patriotic', I acknowledge the best way I can be that is by never short changing the young generation coming ahead (who have no say in the matter) of the opportunities I had in education. That is the definition of freedom ... giving an opportunity to become enriched and succeed, and is the only thing that possibly elevates an American. Let me add something reductionary maybe worth testing out. The boomers are the spoiled children of the depression era parents (who wanted to give more to their children at any expense?) This condition of American spoiltness never faded, and end up with generation after generation apathetic and only self-concerned. As result, we've lost a sense of community, mutual intergenerational respect, etc. Its a sad state to be in, and was fuel to motivate me to make the original post of this thread.
Seeing as how we are bringing up the dirt on the Democrats (Clinton, etc.) I think a little perspective is needed. The witch hunt surrounding Clinton was a disgrace, IMO. The Republicans showed just how immoral they are going after a man for marital transgressions. Instead of lying, Clinton should have said "Stick it in your ass you bastards, it's none of your business". What exactly did Clinton do wrong besides cover up an infidelity? Bush on the other hand started a war because he didn't like Saddam. Testimony from ex-White House staffers has proven Bush intended to attack Iraq from the start, and saw the opportunity when 9/11 occurred. If not for 9/11, he would have found some other excuse. The man is a traitor, the whole Iraq affair has been one huge money grab; missing billions, no bid contracts, etc. McCain was one of the "Keating 5", who almost went to prison for corruption. The whole thing was swept under the rug by our politically corrupt judicial system. But in my mind, McCain should have been put in prison.
No the fuel to post your original post, and indeed, the title of this thread, was prejudice, pure and simple. Meanwhile, the rest of your post is ill-founded, illogical, and just plain wrong. But it's way more complicated than I choose to go into. I'll just say this....have a go at it. When your generation fails, we'll hold YOU responsible. What you're going to find out is that whatever you may think, you have little influence on these politicians, of either party. By the way, my first vote years ago was for Barry Goldwater, who was against social security. (As I recall I could vote at the time before I was 21 because I was a resident of the state of Alaska.) Obviously he was crushed in the election by a guy promising the Great Society (Lyndon Johnson). There were some of us who foresaw this day in terms of social security. hell, there were some who foresaw it in 1935. LOL. But good luck with your idealism.... OldTrader
McCain didn't almost go to prison. Sheesh. Go do some reading about it. It was determined he had minimal involvement. By the way, the others in the Keating 5 were all Democrats. LOL! OldTrader
His involvement was a hell of a lot worse than Clinton lying about his sex life. You know damn well they ambushed Clinton under oath, he was not prepared or informed he would face such questioning. It has also been alleged by his comrades in Vietnam, that McCain used the fact that his Father was an Admiral to gain favor with his captors, and win early release. He's no big war hero in my book.
McCain gave a good interview on This Week with George Stephanopolos. He admitted it was a mistake to accept the endorsement of John Hagee, nice to hear a politician admit when they're wrong. The question is will McCain keep his vow to veto spending bills and cut government spending. Most people agree President Bush is a failure and voting for a republican for president would be a hard thing for me to do. Will McCain be a liar like Bush? The republicans do not deserve another shot but as usual our options are slim on the democratic side. McCain is saying what I've believed is that our budget problem is a spending problem not a tax problem and the solution is to cut spending which is what I want from our government. McCain's answer about health care shouldn't be decided by the government but by the individual family was a dumb statement. Most families don't make their health insurance decisions, their employers do. A large percentage of Americans work at some level of government, the government is already making the health care decisions for these people. Include Medicare in these numbers also. And he didn't explain why it was a cheap shot when someone said that he has had government paid insurance all his life but he thinks others shouldn't. If the election were today I would consider voting for McCain. signed "A moderate"
Says you. Clinton got impeached. And frankly, had he not been President he might have gone to jail like Martha Stewart. McCain has told his whole story...which it sounds like you are not familiar with in the least. LOL. Come to think of it, you aren't familiar with much are you? You ever been to war son? How about a prisoner of war? We both know the answer to those questions don't we? It would be a shame to see McCain maligned here with false information, by some lousy little shit that has never done a thing in his life. That would be your status son. Now, why don't you go read the real story of McCain's captivity and war experience, then come back here and apologize for having spread misinformation about him. OldTrader
Here is the story on Clinton. Yes the republicans were their usual self righteous pompous asses wasting tax payer money and their time on a personal vendetta against Clinton. But it doesn't have anything to do with Clinton lying under a federal oath, he should of went to jail. Nixon should of went to jail. Our current president might of been a more honest man if he knew there were consequences to his illegal actions and lies. But alas if you are president you are above the law. And you can bet there will be another president in our future who will commit crimes knowing he will get away with it. That's my take on the issue.
You're exactly right. But tell me something....are they not above the law? LOL. I thought they were. I didn't think you could jail a president. I thought that's what the impeachment process was. OldTrader
I stand by what I said. Clinton was impeached for nonsense, by little minded men like you. McCain's war records are still sealed, and there are former military colleagues who allege improprities. You are the sniping little piece of shit on this thread buddy, no one else. You don't know me, or what I have done, so stuff it. I suppose you think Clinton getting a BJ from an intern is much worse than Bush starting his own personal war, and ruining the country in so short a time. You are a right wing fool.