545

[RoadToad]

If 545 people are responsible for all our country's woes, it's because the other 300 million of us want it that way.

[LarryG]

Rember this old adage, its still true" you can tell when a pol is going to lie, his lips move". Many times I have suggested that we throw all these bums out, elect new ones, with the understanding that they will in all likely hood be one term holders of office. The argument will come up that, that will cause folks who dont understand problems, to be appointed to commitees they are unfamiliar with, so how has this "gained knowledge" help us into this predicament. Sure its a great country, but there are a lot of important people who dont like the way it is, and want change, but not for our better ment.Also make it easier to recall elected officials who dont do what they promised to do.

[stratosjoe]

And yet the majority of posters on this board make fun and ridicule the man that says CHANGE... cause he has no experience. no balls, uninformed etc etc.etc. I don't know if he can do anything or not but man he can't do worse if he stays out of the good ol boy network. my 02cents worth

[LarryG]

Its called the " old white guy syndrome". Guess a lot of us guys still need a good father figure. As for me, I really cant say that I was that figure in my kids early years.While I was working shift work and extra jobs, to finance my extravagant fishing mania, my wife was the most instramental figure in raising my two kids. When the light finally came on, I discarded the fishing club tournys, and started taking the kids. Some of these just like dad guys have been a disaster to this country.My biggest fear with mccain, is his choice of veep, this old guy is not going to fill his term, sorry, but its my feeling. His standing by GWB, and his policy has also told me the guy is not in touch with todays America.

[Devils Horse]

Politicians have been yelling change for years. BO's mantra is not a new one, he's just more adept at making people believe it. With Larry's union background I can understand his point of view, BO's ads supporting his 'fellow' blue collar workers are pretty convincing.

Everyone wants to blame the government for social and other problems in our country. Fact is no politician is going to be able to fix things and there's some good reasons for that. First, despite all the whining things ain't that broke. Most people only see the negatives in our country while ignoring the overwhelming positives. Second, our government has checks and balances built in. No pol regardless of what they tell you can singlehandedly address all the issues. Finally, even if they could, it's not in any politician or government's interest to render themselves irrelevant by fixing all the problems.

My support in the Republican party is mostly due to their smaller government stance. The liberals (BO and Hillary are a couple of the most extreme examples in our political system) want the government to take care of us all, and that just isn't possible. Pretty simple in my opinion, a system designed to take from the productive and give to the unproductive is self defeating and destined to fail. Human nature being what it is, socialism has never worked and never will.

[LarryG]

Your coment about my union feelingfs is noted, and its a right that was fought for and won by working people. you probably are one of those guiys who still believe reagan was the main cause of the soviet down fall. WAKE UP!It was a union leader who defied the communist government, and a bishop who stood by him.While reagan was lying through his teeth about HIS support of the polish workers unions, he jailed the airline controllers.If repulicans are for smaller government, what happened? It has more red tape now than ever before.Socialism cant work here,or anyplace else that doe not beleve in one simple statement made a log time ago, by an un named guy, who maybe you are familiar with. DO UNTO OTHEERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. the republican vwersion is do unto them first, and split.

[Devils Horse]

One could debate that unions are at least partially responsible for jobs moving where labor is cheaper. If I'm to believe what I've read and heard, union companies have to pay very high wages for unskilled/semi skilled labor and they cannot get rid of unproductive workers. If you ran a company and could get the same job done for 1/20 the cost by moving labor operations offshore, what would you do? I don't know, I've never been in a union, nor am I an expert on running a company.

Dude, you are absolutely intoxicated on Democrat kool aid. Reagan didn't jail any airline controllers, they broke their contract, went on strike, and they got replaced by other workers. I am sorry to hear Reagan's the only pol to ever lie through his teeth though.

You're telling me the unions brought the USSR down? Right.

Socialism's failure isn't about any evil doings, it's just a flawed concept. Punishing the haves and rewarding the have-nots is a self defeating system. It sounds good in the fairy tale books and during Democrat speeches, but ultimately it doesn't work. It's not my fault, it's just reality. Up to you whether you can take it or not.

[apb]

Kind of ironic that they named an airport after Reagan isn't it?

DH, I agree with much of what you said, up to this point:

"My support in the Republican party is mostly due to their smaller government stance. "

I think the current administration shows that this is not the case.

Andrew

[LarryG]

Union guys dont like loafers on jobs,and most good leaders want the companys to do what is right and get rid of them, legaly!I was going to say you would probably like to go back to the "company store" and other things , but I'm above that.I'm not even that old to remember those days.I'm not saying that all unions are and were perfect, just like anything else where us humans are involved, good intentions get ruined by a few, but those few are held up as an example to all. Yes jobs went over seas, and a lot of folks suffered and still suffer for that, but high wages are not the only culprit. There was a movie where the statement "greed is good" was made.A company that uses union workers cant compete with a compant that buys fro places where convict labor and children chained to machines is selling a product.I'm too old to get my blood pressure up about this stuff, and I've been retired for along time now, and am still lucky enough to have a small pension, and some help with my medical insurance, but those are not benefits that the company out of the goodness of its corporate heart granted, they were a negotiated thing, where both sides gave and took to work together.By the way another example held up to all is those high paid union leaders, I never got a pay check from the union, most smaller locals like ours was, would never even think about that. I went from being a chairmen to president of a small local, less than 500 folks, and at the end it was 5 of us, we didn't quit the union, Me and the guys just sais quit taking out dues, as far as I know there still might be a charter there, to a defuncked organization.

[DJD]

''Socialism's failure isn't about any evil doings, it's just a flawed concept. Punishing the haves and rewarding the have-nots is a self defeating system. It sounds good in the fairy tale books and during Democrat speeches, but ultimately it doesn't work. It's not my fault, it's just reality. Up to you whether you can take it or not.""

Well said DH I couldn't have said it better.

[stratosjoe]

I wonder if I will live long enough to see the have nots, that HAVE worked their entire life decide to take from the HAVES. Morlocks and the Eloys oh what battle that would be.

[Devils Horse]

Larry, I respect your efforts and those of labor unions. It's not my intent to belittle, as mentioned I'm largely ignorant on the subject. Obviously to most American consumers, pricing is more important than making sure products are made in the USA. Guilty as charged, but in my defense I've spent more for American products in some cases, and I refuse to buy a Japanese truck.

I didn't see the movie, but I think the "greed is good" line was meant as serious parody of the mind set of stock market players and financiers. Greed, at least to some degree is a flaw the overwhelming majority of us share.

I concede your point apb. Reps are by default for a smaller government than the Dems though, and I guess I'll have to to take what I can get. Thought it over and don't get the irony of an airport named after Reagan...?

Don, you're a right wing old white guy.