jgoose71

I am happy that Gilad Shalit is home with his family, however, how many innocent people will now die because people responsible for plotting suicide attacks were released? It would be nice if this gesture of good will lead to peace, but as I have said before, Hamas only wants death and destruction, it's what keeps them in power. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Farmer grows the wheat, sells it to the miller: 40% Miller mills the wheat, sells it to the baker: 40% Baker bakes the bread, sells it to the grocer: 40% Grocer sells it to the sandwich shop: 40% Sandwich shop sells it to you: 40% This is why most advanced economies have opted for a value added tax. Yes it is complex but it is as close as you are going to get to a flat tax. You would think someone in the US would be advocating that. Oh wait Ron Paul is. I hate the Idea of a VAT tax. Here is the problem: It adds to the cost of the item before it hits the shelves of the market. Plain and simple. To the economy going again we need to bring down the cost of our goods that are sold abroad. A sales tax would do that. It would also bring up the cost of items imported from china. Right now china's goods only face a 1.2% tariff. When we are able to start manufacturing textiles and other such goods back in the states again, you will see our economy take off. The other pro of a sales tax is that it is a consumption tax. If you decide to save your money, you don't pay taxes on it. This will give the average American a chance to invest. You pay yourself first and only pay taxes on what you consume. The only down side I have seen so far is that a sales tax would most likely create a black market in the US. Flea Market "cash only" transactions to avoid the sales tax so to speak, just like Greece. While I understand billvon's attempt to suggest a "progressive flat tax", it doesn't address the high cost of our goods being shipped over seas or the low cost of cheap shit imported from china. You figure that out and I would vote for you.... "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

A quick up date to the 9 9 9 plan: Herman Cain claims that with a 20% cut to government and with out touching medicaid or Social Security, the budget will be balanced in a year. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/cain-claims-he-will-balance-budget-one-year_595954.html To actually balance the budget as is he would have to call it the 9.1-9.1-9.1 plan. I guess that just doesn't roll out as easy, so there will have to be government cuts. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Well, the left has Soros and the right has the Koch Bros. The left has the Buisness Administration and the right has the Unions.... or something like that, I've lost track of the funding and agenda's..... In the end, I'm not attacking Obama because of where he got his money, even though that is a good way to see what his agenda is. I attack him because what he said during his campaign he promised one thing, and then did another. He and Nancy Pelosi have yet to clean the swamp. His promise of changing government wasn't a change from bad to good, but from right to left. The secret back room dealings with all the lobbyist are still going on, and if anything, have stepped up a notch. I guess we should have seen it coming with the rate at which he has expanded government. End rant. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

If it was just Eric Holder I would agree with you. He is going to be the main reason Obama loses in 2012. The man is a walking disaster that has brought more discredit to the DOJ and Obama administration than anyone else. However, the FBI is the one who started this, and Eric Holder in a desperate bid to look like he isn't a complete waste of space is doing something new for once, his job. http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=14711933 "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

It doesn't matter how eloquent or factual you lay things out, there is a certain group here that will always blame Bush. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Yes: those are exactly the same people who work on farms picking lettuce for 10 hours a day and in factories. Nice strawman.. You know damn well that is not what I am talking about. How about a specific guy? Would you want Vincente Zambada to be able to move freely between countries without getting checked? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/vicente-zambada-mexico-ca_n_176984.html Not everyone that hops a fence is a violent criminal, but there are those that would use open borders against us. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

But now a days we do have the technology to identify people who would want to detonate 100lbs of C-4 strapped to a container of Cobalt 60 or Cesium 137. So we should identify them. We didn't have mass produced Radioisotopes, 747's, or other WMD's 100 years ago. They had to kill people the old fashioned way, 1 at a time. You still do not seem to be recognizing that times have changed. Tell you what, you agree to get rid of all social programs and I will agree to open borders. Even if we were to give everyone a tax ID number as they crossed the border, this is the only way to keep from further negatively impacting our economy. The money saved on social security will be put towards physical security. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Yes, while I love my German brauts, Irish whiskey, English beer, Swiss cheese, and Mexican tortilla's, none of this will change the fact that I like to know that people coming into this country have a Social Security number to assign there taxes to, and some semblance of a background check to know that they won't try to blow up our new WTC going up in new york. Or are you OK with people identified with the drug and kidnapping rackets Mexico freely going across our borders? Like I said, times have changed. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

100 years ago I would have agreed with you. Times have changed though. If you don't understand the dangers of allowing people to just come across our border at will, I can't help you there. There is a reason there are no developed countries out there with an open border policy. And in Europe, immigration policies in the more successful countries are even more strict still. Try immigrating to Switzerland and see what happens. While I agree that we need to fix our immigration policy, there still needs to be procedures in place. Still doesn't change the fact that our work force needs to be documented..... "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Forced contributions to community resources are not very capitalistic. Why do you hate capitalism so much? It's not that I hate capitalism, It's that after many years of being on this planet I have made peace with death and taxes... "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

And I'm OK with that, just cross the border legally instead Illegally in the middle of the night so you can get all the proper documentation and be taxed like a patriotic American. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

That's all fine and dandy, but you do understand the implications of allowing employers to pay under the table, avoid taxes, and utilize a communities resources without contributing, don't you? That's why we need to start using "legal" workers to do these jobs. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

What a communist thing to say. I know, making people work within the law is such a communist thing to do.... When the law clearly restrict the ability of corporation to maximize profit, it clearly is. Just because you like a law doesnt mean it's capitalist, you know.. Your a hell of a pitch man. Have you ever considered a job as a lobbyist? I apologize, that was below the belt, Mods, don't ban me for that..... "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

If you somehow can't understand that these are exactly the same thing then I can't really help you. And if you can't understand that all the people sitting on there ass collecting unemployment are an un-utilized labor force, then I can't help you. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Which is effectively what I am saying, just make sure the workers are legal so we aren't continuing to artificially driving down wages. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

What a communist thing to say. I know, making people work within the law is such a communist thing to do.... "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Yes, I can see how having all the building that were ruined by the tornadoes that ran through Alabama rebuilt can be outsourced to china.... Just smuggle more chinese workers to Alabama.... I guess your solution of having all the buildings rebuilt by union workers is more cost effective? The economy was once in an equilibrium where people doing this kind of work could support their families. How do you suppose we get there again? "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

And all I am pointing out is that we are not limiting the supply of available labor. We are just forcing employers to hire workers from inside the system instead of outside the system, effectively stopping one of the factors driving wages down. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

No exactly capitalism. Immigration laws are a artificial market entry barrier which raises the price of labor by limiting competition. Not saying that is right or wrong but it is definitely not pure capitalism. Limiting competition? Let me ask you this, how is providing a labor force that all have social security numbers and pay taxes limiting the competition? How is providing a labor force that all have the same over head costs and same needs in the community limiting the competition? Are you suggesting that there are not enough out of work people in Alabama to fill the void? Are you upset that they are in the process of removing a lower class slave labor force from the equation? Are you upset that now everyone that works will pay taxes and those that pay taxes are the only ones allowed to have kids in schools? Are you upset that a loop hole is being closed? We have a system in place. Those that work outside the system corrupt it. Those that work inside the system strengthen it. Making everyone work inside the system is just ending a form of corruption. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Personally, I don't see a problem. If employers want the job done, they will now have to pay a real wage to get it done. If these are indeed "skilled" jobs, like carpentry or laying out irrigation systems, maybe they will start paying people what they are worth rather than paying an illegal under the table. This is how capitalism is supposed to work. Supply and demand. When you can't get someone to do the job, offer a higher wage, say above what they get for sitting on their ass. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44793726/ns/us_news-life/#.To2luzugW_V "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Awesome post. When you try to explain to someone how more regulation isn't going to fix the problem, this is why. I've posted before that we need to peel back regulations. These regulations create an unfair advantage for some. When they realize that this screws up the system instead repealing the regulation, they try to add another to try to fix it but screws it up worse! People pay good money to lobbyists to keep their advantages. "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

A single web forum post does not constitute an official platform. It could even be from a conservative operative looking to discredit the movement. No, this is their "official" website. What you see here is the problems of not having an actual agenda or clue. This laundry list of demands is what happens when you have a large committee and a large stash of weed. And for all these items, they missed the bit about corporate greed or reducing their influence over policy making. Though I think it's funny that they are exercising their 1st amendment rights to protest, but having a problem when others do the same. WTF! ...No Cheetos on the list!? No, but twinkies were on the right side of the page.... "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Maybe I am over simplifying this, but this is my take: When Congress signed joint resolution 23 on Sept 14, 2001, they started the global war on terrorism. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S.J.RES.23.ENR:# After that, anyone working with Al Qeda, who was the target of the resolution is now considered an enemy combatant, and get afforded all the same targeting considerations as any other member of Al Qeda. As far as due process, if he came back across a border or entered a country with an extradition treaty, ya, we could get him. But while he was hiding out in Yemen, he was on a "battle field". Typically we don't go in to capture people when on an active battle field, especially when they are surrounded by fellow Al Qeda members actively plotting against us. He is considered an active threat. My $.02 "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything

Your right, he sounds like a complete imbecilic in the video. Filled with hate and just completely out of line..... But wait, the left sounds the same way when they talk about the Tea Party, calling them racist, comparing them to Hitler, calling them the enemy out to destroy America. Do you think he might be trying to get some people to look in the mirror? http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpps/entertainment/hank-williams-jr-controversial-comment-dpgonc-20111004-fc_15320021 "There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything