Random Political comments...

They weren't the anti-American bad guys back then that they are today. The US actually helped the them in the 80s against Russia. It wasn't until much later that they turned on us (I can't remember the reason why they turned on us).

 

They were always against the US. It's the natural outgrowth of the clash of fundamentalist political Islam with Western imperialist capitalism. Two contradictory world views/systems that are intent on expanding are bound to clash.

 

What say the isolationists now??

We've got Crimea re-patrioted by the Russians, and now we have 'Ukrainian' Russian nationalists taking over regional government buildings demanding that Putin invade to protect them from Ukrainian military reprisals.

If Russia is allowed by NATO to go through Eastern Europe unopposed reconstructing the Soviet bloc, what the hell do you think China is going to do with Hong Kong??

That 'leaders of the free world' stuff isn't some bullshit they teach you in middle school social studies.

Most of the world is pussified and still beat down from the horrors of WW2.

If the U.S. isn't able to keep the more aggressive world powers in line the end game is global war again.
I think it's a bad idea to allow Assad to murder hundreds of thousands of his own people to preserve a dictatorship and let Putin think we won't bloody his nose if he thinks he's Stalin incarnate.

Despite the propaganda the only thing formidable about the Russian military is their nuclear arsenal. In a conventional war they can't hang with Uncle Sam. Not yet. Mobilizing their economy for a regional war with the U.S. would send them into a recession.

I HATE war and applaud Obama's attempts to exhaust all options on the table before he relies on military action. But sometimes despite all your efforts to avoid a fight, you still find yourself in one.

Where's all the Putin lovers now who thought he was a great decisive leader who governs through action and not deliberation??

The great and honorable Putin invaded a peaceful, sovereign nation, took over a port city and now has KGB thugs all throughout Ukraine pretending to be armed Ukrainian Russian nationalists, armed mind you, taking over government buildings and daring the Ukrainian army to retaliate or risk a military response from Putin.

BTW if and when Hilary Clinton wins the presidential election in 2016, whenever her term(s) are up, I feel like the next Republican POTUS who has a majority in Congress will end our democracy as we know it.

You can't keep cutting social welfare programs to give tax breaks to the rich.

 

Interesting take. I mostly agree with you.
My reluctant exception, since it has been pointed out to me previously, is that it's easy to support that the President go to 'war'... when it's not us on the front-line...so I have since tempered my position.

And my other exception, the Hillary part... as a Republic Nation we can not allow two families who appear more suspiciously aligned than not (the Clinton and Bushes) to rule us for a combined twenty years in office since the 80's, for an additional four years! Only Obama has successfully interjected their monarch-like monopoly. Even Jeb may run in 2016, so there would be no other options if he and Hillary win their nominations. HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?
Now, don't you Dem's have anyone else??

 

Don't Republicans have anyone else? In fairness we as country fared much better under a Clinton than we ever did under a Bush. Both Bushes got us into expensive wars one of which was totally backed by lies

 

While I can not stand Rumsfeld (then Cheney, then Bush, in that order) I reluctantly can relate to his annual letter to the IRS...



Maybe he should have stuck it to George's head when he was in with him..

 

Christie? (ugh). If he survives the Federal investigation. Or Ted Cruz? IDK, I actually would love a moderate, centrist party..it just baffles me how it has never come to fruition, especially with the internet. The left and right are simply too polarizing.

I actually don't care for the 'well we fared better than" lesser-than-two-evils mentality, this country has no business being ruled yet again by the SAME FAMILY! Either family. My opinion, of course.

 

Well this is where we agree but the problem is we don't have a moderate or centrist on either side who will actually fucking lead. Truthfully I am not interested in another rich Harvard/Yale law school grad with a shit ton of pac and personal money making decisions that affect the lives of the poor and working class. They simply don't nor ever lived the same reality. But I guess we can't fault them because like you said we have the internet now, we can all do our research and make informed decisions but unfortunately people rather vote for whose face they see the most in advertisements and falsely upholds their ideology because lets keep it real neither Obama nor Bush truly represented the people that voted for them, same goes for the majority of people in the house and senate. Outside of Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz I don't see people actually doing what they promise or at the very least explaining why they can't do what they promised.

 

A great summation of the reality.

 

:smt043:smt043:smt043:smt043

 

I'm interested to see if any proposals for tax reform are going to get proposed this year. There's usually no appetite for taking apart the whole code and everyone is trying to throw something to their constituencies, hence the piecemeal way deductions and loopholes have been added, making the complicated nature of it go through the roof.

 

Tax Department is an absolute rude Joke...

Million$ of taxpayer's money given to Delinquent IRS employees in bonuses by the agency


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"In the 2011 budget year, more than 70,000 IRS workers got cash bonuses totaling $92 million, the report said. In the 2012 budget year, nearly 68,000 workers got cash bonuses totaling $86 million..."
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It wasn't just tax delinquency, some of the bonus recipients also double-dipped in Unemployment Benefits while working, and others were abusing Govt CC's for personal purchases, family gym memberships, etc...

"More than 2,800 workers got bonuses despite facing a disciplinary action in the previous year, including 1,150 who owed back taxes....Other examples of misconduct by workers getting bonuses included misusing government credit cards for travel, drug use, violent threats and fraudulently claiming unemployment benefits".

----

"However, while not prohibited, providing awards to employees who have been disciplined for failing to pay federal taxes appears to create a conflict with the IRS's charge of ensuring the integrity of the system of tax administration." :smt108 Gee, ya think??

I know somewhere, Wesley Snipes is formally pissed. :???:

 

What's good for the goose, isn't so good for the gander, apparently. What a f-ing joke.

Given this is a government agency, I'm not shocked in the least. It makes sense, as the government just takes and takes and takes from its citizens.

 

Weird.........


Kim Jong-un missing from public view
Sept 24,2014


BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [myoja@joongang.co.kr]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not made a public appearance for weeks, according to South Korean officials and analysts - a situation that has fueled speculation among outside observers over his whereabouts.

The young strongman attended a concert by the Moranbong Band with his wife on Sept. 3, North Korean media reported, though since then, none of his activities have been publicized. North Korea analysts said it is rare for the North to keep silent about his personal affairs for so long. Kim is the third son of late leader Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011, and was often featured in state media after he took office.

Observers said it is also unusual that Kim seems to have disappeared during the Incheon Asian Games, particularly because he invested so much in sending the country’s national team to the event. Last week, he was also a no-show for an assembly hosted by the Kim Il-sung Socialist Youth League, which initially raised questions. The league is the main youth organization of the North and directly supervised by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party.

“Kim even attended lower-level groups’ events, but he only sent a letter to the Kim Il-sung Socialist Youth League this time,” said a South Korean government official. “It means there is something going on with him.”

Analysts believe it’s possible that the young leader may have a health issue. Footage from a North Korean television broadcast last month showed that Kim had been walking with a slight limp in July and August.

“We have intelligence that he was wounded during a sporting activity,” another official said. “We are verifying the information.”

http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2995261

 

Anyone catch President Obama's press conference today? Sounded like the Godfather there...
"You give me what l want, and I'll make it all go away. Capish?!

 

Flat tax and national sales tax.....huh? Thats too much like right.

When put it out there would ask..."what do you do with the IRS?"
Turn them into auditors to make sure the taxes are accurate and audit business to make sure they are as accurate when reporting to the public for investing along private accuntantts do it.

hat

 

The problem is still deciding how do you make sure those in the top tax bracket are paying an appropriate amount in taxes.

Saying it's fair that a man making $20K/year should pay the same income taxes someone earning $5 mil/year does is wrong.

The poor need more of their pretax income just to survive. The rich don't and let's be real about it, their taxes help keep the federal government afloat.

I'd have no problem with the top income tax bracket being 29%. Most people wouldn't.

The problem is eliminating all the loopholes in the taxcode that allow someone like Mitt Romney to pay less than 8% in federal income taxes.

 

Yeah the problem is that the wealthy dont want to pay any

 

http://m.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/...ction-58-million-high-school-football-stadium

http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=11109705&city=dallas&src=desktop

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/986909

Texas has spent about 110 million on football stadiums one of which is inoperable despite just being built...(see first two articles on football spending) but laid off 900 teachers.

Wtf....? They are near the bottom in education but they have good football though.