Will it take a depression?

[bubba99]

You missed the point of the quote. It was not to endorse god, but to put limits on what to expect from government. Remember JFK also said “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. There are many of us who believe and live that altruism. There is not a man nor woman who I work with at DHS who would not willing give up everything to protect America and the people we love.

[PD]

It is laughable that anybody would actually be convinced that Rush is gay by that article. It is so obviously short on evidence and long on accusations. They quote no one who has witnessed Rush’s supposed homosexuality. Have any of his three wives come out publicly and stated he is gay? Have any partners come forward? Are there any pictures or other proof?
Could he be gay? It is possible but seems improbable. Has it been proved? Absolutely not.
That article was clearly a piece of anti-Rush propaganda full of a bunch of unfounded accusations that may well prove to be slanderous.

[blahblahblah]

Sorry for posting some unfounded rumors and personal attacks about a man that has based his entire career on broadcasting unfounded rumours and personal attacks:

Limbaugh implies that Hillary Clinton is gay

Limbaugh implies that the Clintons had Vince Foster murdered

And of course there are Rush’s attacks on the Clintons’ daughter, who he repeatedly called “the family dog”, as well as that horrible slander against Michael J. Fox. I just didn’t appreciate having JFK compared to Rush Limbaugh. Like him or not, he was President of the US and he paid the ultimate price in service of our country.

[sdcellar]

So you’re running with Rush spreads unsubstantiated rumors, so it’s cool for you to do the same? Wouldn’t be my approach.

Also, “Like him or not…”? Different rules apply for JFK than for GWB? Pretty funny given what’s gone back and forth on Pigggington’s lately.

[blahblahblah]

No, the same rules apply. I wouldn’t like to hear President Bush compared with Limbaugh either. I believe President Bush is doing his best in service to the country, just like JFK did. I also believe that both of them overreached (JFK in vietnam, Bush in Iraq) in their efforts to spread democracy to other countries.

[sdcellar]

Very fair. Sorry too if it seemed like I was lumping you in with some of the (extreme) Bush bashing that’s gone on lately. I only remember a particularly virulent few and I didn’t have you in my head as one of those.

[LookoutBelow]

Meanwhile….getting back to thread and releasing the hold on Rush's ass…… 

I believe we are doomed. There is no America or American values anymore. Its a memory for some of us, for others its a dream. I think this is perhaps the way all previous civilizations go. In 5 years or less, its going to be completely different looking than it is now.

I have lost respect for my govt (dem and repubs)  and our country. From here its a steady, slightly steep decline to the 3rd world or worse. I almost feel apologetic to my grown children.

"Give me your poor huddled masses".…Yeah right…keep em 

 

Life is full of uncertainties, eat dessert FIRST

[lostkitty]

Here are two completly different ways of discussing the fact that our county is a mess right now:

"I believe President Bush is doing his best in service to the country, just like JFK did. I also believe that both of them overreached (JFK in vietnam, Bush in Iraq) in their efforts to spread democracy to other countries."

and

"I believe we are doomed. There is no America or American values anymore. Its a memory for some of us, for others its a dream. I think this is perhaps the way all previous civilizations go. In 5 years or less, its going to be completely different looking than it is now."

Although both are valid opinions, the first would be less likely to incite an angry response from someone with opposing views.  I think I'll use it in my own conversations in the future… thanks CONCHO!  I do love LookOutbelow's take on things also, but I am lately looking for ways to discuss this more calmly since I do not WANT or country to continue in this divided fashion.  We need to figure out what we agree on, and move forward, like in a marriage….

[La Jolla Renter]

I tend to agree with LookoutBelow…

No family values anymore.

The average American is fat, stupid, and rude… raising 2.3 fat, stupid, and rude kids.

Oh yeah, they have 11k in credit card debt, no retirement, no college funds. For Christmas they will buy a plasma TV, the new Sony PS3, and a pit bull puppy.

Thank God they are not my neighbors.

[poorgradstudent]

“No family values anymore.”

I’m always confused by this sentiment. Maybe because I’m younger (born in 1978), but I haven’t percieved some radical shift in values. A rise in cynicism, sure, but that’s largely because technology has given us access to information that in the past Americans would have been blissfully ignorant about.

Americans are better educated today than they were when I was born, so I’m not sure how the average american is “Stupid”, or if they are, how this is a change from the past.

Fat? Yeah, people are getting fatter. For better or for worse, we have some of the fattest poor people in the world. Thank a plentiful cheap food supply, McDonalds and friends, High Fructose Corn syrup, and a lack of physical activity, especially at work.

I guess when people talk about “family values” they usually aren’t speaking against a culture of overconsumption. In fact, overconsumption is arguably a tradional American family value.

[Anonymous]

What exactly was Rush doing in the Dominican Republic, where he had his non-prescribed Viagra? I don’t think his wif was with him…

[ibjames]

I know this topic strayed from the original point of the topic, and this post refers to that so I apologize..

One thing I’m having a problem understanding is: CA markets and some other coastel markets are severely bloated, and yes, everyone is hoping for a downturn, but why would a 50% downturn cause a recession.

Other parts of the US are not in the same boat as us, while things are business as usual I can imagine the sh1t hitting the fan over here and other inflated markets, maybe causing a recession but since it’s only those troubled markets and not the whole nation. How could the prices declining here 50% cause so much strife?

[Anonymous]

If you look at the balance sheet for American households, you see interesting things:

http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/z1r-5.pdf

Total value of houses:  $20.3T

Total value of stock and mutual funds held:  $9.9T

Pension fund reserves (which is more stock):  $11.1T

Total of major 'at risk' assets:  $41.3T

Mortgages plus consumer credit:  $11.6T

If your house goes down in value 50%, you'll be spending less on consumption items, because you're no longer as 'rich' as you were before.  That reduces revenue and profits at Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and, ultimately, restaurants, sporting events, Disneyland, etc.  That causes a drop in stock prices.  Separately, not only are you not as rich from the fall in the value of your home and your stock, you're paying more for your mortgage and consumer credit, as interest rates return to their historically normal (higher) levels.  So, not only are you not as rich and have bigger payments to make, oh by the way, your job is at risk because lots of folks are in the same boat, and they're cutting back on spending for new cars, boats, homes, drug discovery, computers and software, etc.

Other parts of the U.S. (and world) are in the same boat as us here in California; check out http://thehousingbubbleblog.com/

That's how I see it, and I think it's going to be very, very painful, unfortunately.

 

[Author]

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