lost highway

If this is all you think the government does, you have been badly hurt by the Bush administration. P.S. I would also like to address that none of the conservative, anti-tax folks on here have use a single word to address the realities of socioeconomic class.

Again you present the fallacy that those with more money necessarily work harder. Not always true. In fact a number of my friends have commented as they have moved up a bit in the world that often times the higher paying jobs are much easier. One summer between semesters of teaching I was a line cook. I couldn't figure out how anyone continues to work that hard for eight dollars an hour. Hardest days I've worked since I was a landscaper. Plugging in figures to make a power point presentation for the meeting on Wednesday? Easier than prepping three eight quarts of tomatoes, or creating

I feel confident Mr. Million will continue to live much more comfortably than the people who stand to benefit the most from his patriotic tax dollars.

Uh, sub-prime mortgage bubble, balloon payment in fine print, lower income family declaring bankruptcy, stock market crash, bailout plan.....

This happens/happened. It has made a lot of trouble in our country.

This thread has reached a new level of amazing; thanks to those I agree and disagree with.

Then who will pay for their insulin shots?

Sorry, when I kick into satire mode my quantitative thinking gets pushed aside. I'm not advocating 1% tax rates for the rich, nor golden gooses.

How horrible. You mean if I make a billion the government gets a million? That means I can only buy two islands. But I want a golden goose now daddy.

viatroy- I completely agree. The bad news is responsibility. When you use big government to foster the growth of your nation it becomes the government, and an informed citizenry's responsibility that it is used wisely. The benefit to this model is in a country with a high standard of living you have people who are very well educated. They can make more informed decisions and there are a higher number of talented and educated people that can server/vote/take up office/debate/canvas etc.

Again, the argument is to give everyone the same opportunity. Socio Economic Class. If you graduate from high-school and Daddy (an alum) gives you a fast track to Yale which lands you right in a leather office chair behind a desk w/ a six figure salary..... you have to work. You had to work at school, but no more than anyone else who braved the academic world. Yet you are somehow more entitled to your extreme wealth? I would say you had a different set of cards going into the game. I am an existentialist in every walk of life except in regards to class. This is not choice. People are

You don't redistribute wealth. You use resource (more of which sits at the top) to distribute services and opportunities. I don't take from Mr. Million and give everybody a dime. Mr. Million just has to take a little hit on his paycheck like everyone else, only it's bigger because he makes a little more than everyone else. This money makes sure that as a country we are in good health (which is good for the economy), it makes sure that those who do not see an equal playing field are given programs and opportunities to be educated and work, instead of dirt poor and disenfranchised. This low

(you're borderline genius for that one)

You will not see a negative effect unless you earn more than 1/4 mill a year. I believe everyone who works full time feels that they work hard. Some people make a lot more and they are taxed proportionately less. The government doesn't simply give money to other people. It uses it to do all the important things you are already aware of: run libraries, schools, hospitals, build roads, the post office, all those pretty tanks etc ad infinitum. The governments job is very much so to run programs funded by tax dollars. Our government is partially socialist. Obama is not really a socialist

Sometimes for the sake of argument I find it helpful to exaggerate. Kind of find some parameters..... so far she's not as bad as Mussolini. Maybe more Margaret Thatcher after a head injury.

I don't find much ethical dilemma in responding publicly to a politician. Palin is not a celebrity who needs privacy, she is someone putting herself out into the world, and all of her craptastic opinions on how it is to be run. As a citizen of a democratic country I applaud Philadelphia Flier fans for booing her corrupt, polar bear shooting, fundamentalist, unintelligent ass. If you feel bad for her kids then you should shame her for using them as a verbal shield and failing. She should have known the possibility of getting a cold reception in Philadelphia, and I assume her kids were prepa

That's great. You really should. It is the second language of our country whether whitey admits it or not. I see not knowing Spanish being as big a setback as an Austrian not knowing French, or a German not knowing English. Buen suerte. Tough town, tough town.

Georgia Democrat and Civil Rights Activist just slammed the McCain campaign for stoking the fires of hatred. McCain begged Obama to repudiate the claims, as they were exaggerated and unfair. Obama did half as much saying that comparisons to segregationist governor George Wallace were inaccurate, but that accusing him of 'paling around with terrorists' was reckless and divisive. Check in any decent news site, and you'll get the whole story. Another small nail in the coffin of the McCain campaign.

If you see footage of the rallies, McCain has lost control of his mob. There's this disenfranchised group of conservative, white, working-class fanatics that are picking up torches. I actually felt a little warmth for McCain when he served out his "Obama does this and that" line and before the whole crowd erupts someone yells "Kill him!". McCain makes this face that says "Okaaaay.... that's a bit muuuuch."

Yeah Hell Is Chrome could be a candidate for my 100 best songs ever list. Seriously, ever.

The older I get the more I can feel, in the place of belief, palpably feel that people who are threatened by, or feel the downfall of their community is caused by racial minorities, homosexuals or even illegal immigrants are suffering from an acute psychological disorder. It is no surprise this country has seen so many people act on these opinions in disgusting and violent ways, they are suffering from fully formed, paranoid, neuroses. Whenever I hear that kind of hate speech it makes me see clearly the failures, frustrations, and shortcomings of the person making it, and their blame-shifti

Isn't Monday on Being There? Come on, even if I actually liked AM I could see that it stands out like a soar thumb. The smooth adult radio rock production "I must be high to say goodbye, by by bye". You can like it or hate it, but it's not like most Wilco. Which brings me to a sub-topic: Least favorite production style on a Wilco album (not songs, just sounds). I gotta say A.M. and Summerteeth.

I like "On and On" but I can see how someone finds rhyming 'die' with 'cry' is a bit trite.

1. A.M. the album. 2. Can't Stand It 3. Sleep Now My Darling (or whatever it is called) 4. I'm the Man Who Loves You (live) give it a couple years off and it will be fun again)) 5. Walken

There is a strong chance that in about a month every one of these bozos is going to have to confront the fact that someone they view as 'biologically inferior' or some other asinine nonsense is in charge of their country. I wonder how much that can do to get these yokels to flex their heads. It's gotta be worth something.