penniless

Not my graph, it came from US DHHS, and it showed exactly what I said, the US trails western Europe badly and compares favorably only with third world countries. Interesting that you blame the people and not the system they support (thanks to AMA brainwashing, which is apparently very successful). Interesting that you don't count blacks as Americans. We have an overpriced, underperforming healthcare system that is designed for the good of the medical establishment and not for the good of the people.

hyperbole alert From the US Department of Health and Human Services. See how all those nasty socialized medicine countries fare better than the USA. Even CUBA for goodness sakes. Any claim that the US has the best healthcare in the world is absurd.

Perhaps if we didn't spend more on "defense" than the next 8 nations combined, perhaps if we hadn't pissed away nearly $1 Trillion in Iraq, they wouldn't be insolvent. You serious?....don't you have any faith in our government to piss away that money in some other fashion than to help the American people? I have great faith that the government will spend beyond its means. However, I cannot think of any way it could spend that compares in wastefulness to the fiasco in Iraq.

Americans have been brainwashed by the US medical establishment to denigrate the healthcare systems in Canada, UK, Sweden, etc. Our healthcare system works primarily to enrich MDs and insurance companies. Another measure (besides the ones used in this study) is infant mortality. The US compares favorably only with third world countries in infant mortality, and the US is way behind western Europe.

Perhaps if we didn't spend more on "defense" than the next 8 nations combined, perhaps if we hadn't pissed away nearly $1 Trillion in Iraq, they wouldn't be insolvent.

Chop Suey! English muffins!

It will go fast, but not for long. Top fuel dragster engines are rebuilt after every meet. Do you remember tetra-nitromethane? Incredible power, toxic as hell, melted engines, eventually banned.

Address the graphs and the interest paid on the debt. Also, address the shrinking value of teh dollar - they are correalated. Address my questions. Why do you care, you aren't payng much towards it. Just something else to whine about? I thought so...... The argument here is about the national debt, not me or you or the amount we will contribute to the debt. You didn't post any. Let's see you address the graphs or the national debt; who fault, who's doing, etc.... I could be a millionaire or homeless - doesn't matter. The issue of teh thread is the debt, care to jump in? No thanks. I do find it amusing when I hear Lefties bitch about a debt that will mostly be paid by the same rich people they demonize all the time. About as amusing as whining about increases in the price of gasoline, that will cost about $300 per year more, and then whining that a $300 tax cut is nothing. Really .......if only you knew how amused I am. Please continue. - The debt affects everyone. If you don't understand that, it reflects poorly on you.

Fusion - energy source of the future, and always will be. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/fusion/famous.asp

The 50 jump wonder giving advice on turbulence may be a professional meteorologist. The 50 jump wonder giving advice on the FARs may be an FAA inspector. The 50 jump wonder giving advice on hypoxia may be an aviation medical examiner.

There were major issues with refinery shutdowns due to Katrina as a significant % (I forget exactly what) of refined product comes from the area hit by Katrina, so with a shortage of refined product refinery margins surged and that is what accounted for the gap opening up between gas and crude product. You can have all the crude in the world, but if you can't refine it into anything it's pretty useless btw, I heard recently that there are only 4 refineries worldwide that can refine Avgas and that 3 of them are down at the moment - apparently leading to a global Avgas shortage, does anyone know if this is true?? I find it hard to believe but....?? I know that we have had Avgas shortages here but not sure if it really is a global issue. 100LL contains tetraethyl lead (TEL). There is no longer any US manufacturer of TEL. The entire US supply comes from a single source, and that is in the UK. Scary thought, eh?

Our focus should be on conservation. Until we stop wasting energy we will not solve the problem.

Maybe you should add a few other periodicals to your reading list, instead of judging things based upon one source, which is known to have a bias. Perhaps you will believe the US Treasury www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdpenny.htm. Or is the Treasury biased too?

Fixed that.

The Bureau of the Public Debt (US Treasury) is the definitive source. And yes, the Bush (43) Administration is in 1st place, followed by the Reagan Administration, when it comes to living beyond its means. All other presidents are pikers by comparison.

You won't hear anything from the righties because they have too much hubris to admit they've pissed away nearly a $trillion and killed tens of thousands, all for nothing.

I did the usual tourist things - St. Marks, the campanile, gondola ride, walk along the Grand Canal, fancy restaurant, Doge's palace, topless beach... I'd do the same again.

Not a plan, but you are on to something. The answer is poverty. The poor cannot afford the same level of health care as the middle and upper classes. Z Careful, logic doesn't go over very well with the right. Oh yeah it has nothing to do with genetics and lifestyle Actually the poor qualify for more medical assistance than the working middleclass...ask any ICU nurse how much care is provided to the poor vs. the wealthy or middle class....its the same care only 1 group won't have to pay Which demonstrates that if we had socialized medicine we would all have the same level o care and very available to all.

Fertilizer and fuel? Careful, you'll have the FBI and HSA down on you before you know it.

OK, Bush's approval ratings are at an historic low because the average American is pig-ignorant. Is that better?

Well, maybe that's the trouble. It seems that having the world's best military has turned us into the world's greatest bully. Don't see Luxemberg or Andorra starting many wars or invading many sovereign nations these days.

The rules are what they are, but I would have thought integrity was a more important attribute than any ratings held. Why does one NEED to be an instructor to verify that requirements have been met, except that it's a rule.

Do you ALWAYS drive at or below the speed limit, and come to a full stop at stop signs? So you consider owning a pound of weed equivalent to minor traffic infractions. That's nice. Let's find that line - which of the below is acceptable to you if you can get away with it? Minor traffic violations? no big deal Owning illegal pot? no big deal Stealing little stuff? __________ Owning other drugs? __________ Selling Pot? __________ Selling other drugs? __________ Stealing someone's wallet ___________ Stealing someon's car ____________ Cutting someone up just a little bit __________ Killing someone, but only if you think they are bad ________ Killing someone just for laughs ____________ torturing children __________ Buying and driving an SUV because it looks nice ________ I'd clearly differentiate with an act of driving (maybe incorrectly) that appears to be a minor nuisance or even a non-issue (slight speeding) to supporting an industry (illegal drugs) that ruins and takes the lives of people all over the world. Wow - that did feel all warm and fuzzy. It's binary. Either it's illegal or it's not. It can't be 74.68% illegal. Your examples are all irrelevant. BTW, speeding kills all over the world too.

there was a young lady called kelly whose limericks never would rhyme when asked why this was she replied "just a fad, it just gives me a reason to post-whore"

Big deal. Regular armor works due to a force field. The electroweak force.