Let’s try another open thread. Please think about your words and if they are hurtful to others.
104 Thoughts to “Open Thread…………………………………….Monday, October 17”
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Blogroll
- 9500Liberty
- Bacons' Rebellion Blogspot
- Bearing Drift
- Blue Virginia
- Citizen Tom
- Counts of Monte Cristo. The
- Derecho, The
- Dixie Pig, The
- My Side of the Fence
- My Star Journey
- NARAL Pro-Choice VA Blog
- New Dominion Project
- Nova Common Sense
- NovaTownHall Blog
- One Libertarians's Point of View by Al Alborn
- Pete Candland's Blog
- Potomac Local
- Prince William Muckraker
- PW Conservation Alliance
- PWC Moms
- PWCPolitics.com
- PWCPolitics.com
- Red NoVA
- Shad Plank, The
- She the People
- State of NoVA, the
- The Jeffersoniad
- Townhall
- VEA Daily Reports
- VivianPaige
- WDGolden.com
- You, Me and the Lamp Post
Now I am suicidal. See what you all have done. I have now been accused and lambasted for being a teapartier. I have entered Seinfeld’s bizzaro world.
see comment left on blog by Michael Andrew:
@Tea Partier
Mr/Ms Teapartier – XXXXXXX (name detacted) is a liar about simple things, lord knows what he would lie about if he had a real job
Note to Mr. Andrew-I am definitely not a teapartier and the picture did not come from the person whose name was redacted. I don’t even know that person.
This may sound like a mundane, uninteresting article, but it isn’t. This has grave implications. It was this kind of crap that left taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars in bailouts.
BofA Said to Split Regulators Over Moving Merrill Derivatives to Bank Unit
By Bob Ivry, Hugh Son and Christine Harper – Oct 18, 2011 7:56 PM GMT+0200
Bank of America Corp. (BAC), hit by a credit downgrade last month, has moved derivatives from its Merrill Lynch unit to a subsidiary flush with insured deposits, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation.
The Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. disagree over the transfers, which are being requested by counterparties, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The Fed has signaled that it favors moving the derivatives to give relief to the bank holding company, while the FDIC, which would have to pay off depositors in the event of a bank failure, is objecting, said the people. The bank doesn’t believe regulatory approval is needed, said people with knowledge of its position.
Three years after taxpayers rescued some of the biggest U.S. lenders, regulators are grappling with how to protect FDIC- insured bank accounts from risks generated by investment-banking operations. Bank of America, which got a $45 billion bailout during the financial crisis, had $1.04 trillion in deposits as of midyear, ranking it second among U.S. firms.
“The concern is that there is always an enormous temptation to dump the losers on the insured institution,” said William Black, professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a former bank regulator. “We should have fairly tight restrictions on that.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-18/bofa-said-to-split-regulators-over-moving-merrill-derivatives-to-bank-unit.html
Why is the American taxpayer responsible for poor business decisions? Can somebody explain this to me?
This is precisely what the OWS movement is all about, and why it’s necessary.
The financials are always the place fast ones will be pulled. The average person just doesn’t understand that sector well enough to just up and scream foul play. Plus they usually end up owning some of us.
Thanks, Starry.
“Why is the American taxpayer responsible for poor business decisions? Can somebody explain this to me?”
I ask myself that question every day, Starry. The American taxpayer should not have been on the hook for ensuring the success of General Motors or GE, either. There are other competitors who had better business models to begin with. No president has any business using taxpayer money to decide which of his friends gets to succeed or fail in business.
I believe that there was huge effort made to prevent the country from going in to a depression. Would a depression have been better?
I am furious that these companies are still able to do this. That is very troubling to me.
http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/winners-class-warfare
Behind New Jersey?
Don’t worry, the current Gov. and GA are leading the fight for
Virginia to become #1!!!
There was just a story on Fox Business about security companies who are truly “protecting the affluent”. Apparently their business is booming since the “Occupy” movement began. So I suppose we have to credit the movement with saving or creating jobs.
Is that like personal body guard kind of protection? @pokie
I watched “Frontline” from Tuesday night. It was a sob story piece about the “high numbers” of deportations occurring. Seems that the Obama Administration wants 400,000 a year out, that’s just the right amount. Just enough to claim that they are deporting more people than Bush, and to supposedly lay groundwork for that great “comprehensive reform” that they believe we need.
As I watched clips of Obama and his mouthpieces repeatedly stating and intimating that we are frozen in stalemate until Congress deigns to give us “comprehensive reform”, and inherently refusing to honestly attempt to enforce US law, I got really angry. That should come as no surprise – I remain angry about this kind of thing all the time and rant about it ad infinitum.
But it really strikes me that on this issue as with others Obama is deliberately failing to lead, or to care. Yes, Congress frustrates your preferred path forward. Does that really make it okay to punt on a serious issue year after year, rather than to try to move forward? I don’t think so. If you can’t think of a way to address a problem other than to point fingers and to say “it ain’t my fault”, you shouldn’t be President.
I’ve made up my mind to definitely not pull the lever for Obama in 2012 under any circumstances. Whether I pull it for a Republican or for another candidate will remain to be seen. I can’t in good conscience vote again for this vacuous slick character who punts on issue after issue, while dreaming of an America as liberal as he is, where all great social issues can be addressed in the preferred genteel way and utopia can be created.
Things are degrading in America. States and the federal Government are suing each other over basic law enforcement issues. The gap between rich and poor is widening, as labor devalues, and the best we can think to do is to paper it over with the tax code, giving most Americans money rather than asking any from them. Debt grows and accrues and no one has any path forward – just waiting for the day that we print more money and devalue everything that we have. And our government’s idea of planning for the future is to throw money into Soylindra and LightSquared and whoever else’s lobbyists can convince the buffoons running our government that they have a way forward.
Also, it should be noted that nearly every issue Obama spoke to during his 2008 campaign was smoke and mirrors. It was as phony a campaign as any other. Voting for him is like validating b***s***.
One less vote in Virginia for this guy – I didn’t expect much, but am still bitterly disappointed. He’s all talk. I wouldn’t buy a used car from him, much less ever pull a lever for him.
Rick, tell us how you really feel.
What is it you would like for him to do with immigration, specifically?
Which of the Republican candidates to you feel would make you happier?
Cain with the electric fence!!!
Brings up a good question, though. When is voting for ANY politician not validating BS???
I’ll write you in for 2012. Slowpoke for President!
Since you ask, Moon, what I’d like Obama to do … what I would do …
1. Stop making statements to the effect that the “system is broken” until Congress enacts “comprehensive reform”. State that we will enforce US law, and people here illegally should brace for inability to be employed and eventual deportation if they don’t leave first.
2. Lobby for a guest worker program. To whatever extent possible, implement one at the federal level. No preferential treatment given to those who have squatted here for years.
3. Ensure that when we count employment and unemploiyment statistics, we are counting them for US citizens.
4. Stop fighting Arizona and other states when they try to defend themselves.
5. Tell ICE to deport everyone they encounter who is here illegally, unless they were found because they volunteered info or testimony against a criminal. Ensure that ICE gets funding to carry out more deportations. Set no “upper bound” on how many deportations we can carry out per year. Pay for costs of detention centers with heavy fines leavied against employers of illegal aliens.
6. Support e-verify and shepherd it into a standard mechanism that employers are expected to use, to defend themselves against penalty for hiring illegal aliens, and prosecute those who don’t attempt to use it, aggressively.
7. Take pride in tens of millions new jobs opening up for American labor. Observe and track the value of honest labor going up in this country.
Oh, and what I’D like to do also :
8. Special commission to investigate just how Obama’s Aunt and Uncle got asylum, who their lawyer was, who paid for it, and what effect Obama’s Presidency had on judges’ actions.
9. Special commission to investigate how much money we spend subsidizing Section 8 housing directly or indirectly used by illegal immigrants, from Obama’s auntie to the many illegal immigrants living in Section 8 Housing with a legal resident. Earmark that money for use on improving citizens’ lives, or stimulating business.
10. Special commission to investigate how much money we spend holding Mexico’s finest in our jails after they commit capital crimes.
11. Begin national dialogue on clarifying the birthright citizenship issue, doing away with this crazy practice going forward.
12. Special commission to investigate how much money we spend on free health care for illegal immigrants, how that money could be spent on citizens instead, and what the implications have been on Health care costs in America and on hospital solvencies.
And me personally, I’d like to do this :
13. At a signing ceremony for one of the above things, rip the chapter out of Obama’s book where he says that we can;’t stop illegal immigration so we’d better lay back and learn to enjoy it, wad it up, pi** on it, and cram it down his throat (in exchange for not prosecuting him for treason). I realize this may be a controversial action, so I may hold off on this one if elected. I would perform a similar action with a photograph of George W. Bush and Vincente Fox from one of their many get-togethers where they planned this whole legacy out. I will also hold off on similar plans to pi** on Ted Kennedy’s grave, and to have John McCain stripped of all committee memberships.
14. If you are here illegally and need to go to the hospital, you will get care, but you will be deported afterwards. Same thing goes for enrolling your kids in school. You do have the right to medical care in an emergency; you do have the right to enroll kids in school. But that doesn’t transmute out into you having a right to be here.
Why am I so vociferous about all this? Because importing poverty is wrong for America. Because flouting our laws and letting our ruling class decide which ones to follow and which to ignore is wrong for America. Because watching the gap between rich and poor accelerate because the cost of labor diminishes is wrong. Because we have many Americans out of work who can and will do those jobs rather than become permanent members of the welfare system.
Well, I sure unleashed the flood gates, didn’t I?
I am not going to argue with your opinions because those are YOUR opinions. However, what about the guest worker programs and what about those jobs that Americans aren’t doing. Who will do them if we have a Rick America?
@Moon-howler
Well, then the jobs won’t get done. Or….we’ll have to reform job laws concerning pay etc. Or….they’ll have to raise salaries and benefits. Or….some hungry American will take the job.
Australia has a thriving fruit and vegetable industry…but have very few illegal aliens to pick them….maybe we need to check out how they do it.
@Rick Bentley
From what I understand…most of those 400,000 are those caught coming over the border and returned immediately, NOT those that made it “inland.”
900 days without a budget. Senate Democrats last produced a budget plan.
And then they got let off the hook. And people wonder why I hated the debt limit compromise…
According to a Democratic Policy and Communications Center memo obtained by Commentary magazine in August, “One important but overlooked element of the bipartisan debt limit compromise is that it … in effect, ‘deems’ a budget resolution passed for each of the next two fiscal years.”
DEEMS A BUDGET RESOLUTION PASSED FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
They DEEM that they have obeyed the Constitution and their oath to uphold it. Why can’t we impeach them for fraud and malfeasance? Where in the hell is “DEEM” in the Constitution. DEEM?
Here I fixed it. “in effect, ‘PRETENDS’ a budget resolution passed for each of the next two fiscal years.”
This is one of the things that the Senate was stonewalling on. And the idiot Republicans let them have it.
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/588558/201110181856/900-Days-Of-Irresponsibility.htm
Senate Democrats last produced a budget plan April 29, 2009.
Sorry seemed to have deleted the date in the above post.
@Cargosquid
Where would the illegal immigrants come from? They aren’t sharing a continent with other nations. Any illegal immigrant in Australia would have to be someone who overstayed their visa, wouldn’t they?
Rick mentioned a proposed guest worker program in Rick America. I was trying to reconcile bringing in workers when there aren’t enough jobs, according to him.
I am also suggesting that there are jobs that go untaken by Americans that are often filled by immigrants, both legal and illegal.
@Rick Bentley
America has always been filled by groups coming here often with little more than the shirts on their backs.
Many immigrants work like dogs and aren’t expecting hand outs. I am not hung up on the paper work end of it like you are. Often, it is all a matter of just paper work.
However you are looking at this from a totally different point of view than I am. I just don’t feel the rancor.
I feel that if our immigration system were less antiquated, we would have less illegal immigration.
I do think that we need to know who is in the country. I believe I am probably saying we need immigration reform.
@Cargosquid
And you know why I hate taking the country to brinkmanship. It was careless and irresponsible.
@Moon-howler
What I was saying is that the jobs filled by illegal aliens, primarily agricultural, do not NEED the illegal aliens, as proven by the Australians.
But they obviously are needed here in the United States. Our area farmers and fruit producers have gone with unpicked crops when immigrant workers are not around. This hasn’t happened on a wide scale basis but there have been pockets of this happening, especially in the west.
Comparing Australia to the United States is an apples/orange situation. Immigrants are the backbone of our agricultural business. I think this says we spruce up our guest worker program so it works to the advantage of everyone. If Americans wanted these jobs, where are they? Most Americans don’t want to do stoop work.
“It’s very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine; it’s the public-sector jobs where we’ve lost huge numbers, and that’s what this legislation is all about,” Reid said on the Senate floor.
Ummmm….I got nothin’…… That is just ridiculous.
Forgot the link
http://www.qando.net/?p=11852
“Many immigrants work like dogs and aren’t expecting hand outs.”
Which is a laudable work ethic. Unless an American has circumstances that would legitimately prevent him or her from working, these jobs should not go to foreign workers. Handing out welfare checks without requiring a person to take a job, any job, to at least develop some job skills and marketability is a criminal misuse of taxpayer funds. It should never be more financially feasible to just stay home and collect what other Americans have worked hard to earn for your benefit.
I hear what you are saying but I also don’t think we can force people to take certain kinds of work. I mentioned stoop work in another post. How do you tell someone they have to go out and do stoop work. I am going to say it would probably kill some Americans to go out in the fields and spend 10 hours bent over picking strawberries or tomatoes.
Emma, I don’t know the answer or if we can require people do to physical labor. I know we sure can’t force people to do brain labor.
Australia immigration laws are much more lax than ours, that’s why. It takes less time, cost and buruaucracy to enter Australia than the US. That’s why Austarlia has a sound economy and managable public debt,
@Moon-howler “Emma, I don’t know the answer or if we can require people do to physical labor. I know we sure can’t force people to do brain labor.”
Thanks for my chuckle of the day.
2 Billion a week spent in Afghanistan and Lindsay Graham is suggesting we put money in to Libya? Is he crazy? Why would we nation build there? Libya is wealthy.
We have crumbling schools, roads, bridges and need to increase public safety responders.
Maybe he misspoke. Maybe he needs to restate that proposition. Could be that NATO needs to work together to get Libya on track towards a pro democracy nation. We need to work with the rest of the world.
We’ve been over this before…..yes, Graham IS crazy. He is truly the shame of South Carolina….an otherwise wonderful state.
Can’t imagine why Austrailia doens’t have an illegal immigration problem! Oh, wait, it’s in the middle of an Ocean.
In the Rick America, we will have maybe a couple of million guest workers at most, doing seasonal agricultural work. NOT janitorial work, full time jobs which Americans can do. NOT staffing fast food restaurants.
Remember when high schoolers had a crack at fast food jobs?
@SlowpokeRodriguez
We have been over this before? I just heard him say it this morning. You must have me confused with someone else.
If you ever want to really and truely appreciate what you have, go visit someplace else. I have just spent two days debating a…well I am not sure what, on facebook. I’ve shared some of this with Moon, and take it from me, this guy is way out there. It has really made me appreciate just how rational just about everyone here is, regardless of whether we agree or disagree. I really mean this. The link below really defines what the fringe conspiracy-types believe. The take-away I hope you get is this: when in a heated debate here, please understand that those with whom you disagree have a valid point of view, based on a rational line of thinking. I’ve seen crazy-fringe, and it ain’t anyone here.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/11/11/gordon-duff-in-motion-the-plot-to-destroy-the-united-states/#.TqD58MJ5k3M.facebook
and not a word about Kadafi…
There is one less terrorist, terrorist support/instigator in the world today. He was caught alive, and then something happened to him, and he is no longer among the living. The people of the nation must want change, before change will happen – it took long enough for the Libyan’s to rise up to his power, not that they did not try in the past, and get executed for trying.
Hopefully, the new Libya Government will be a welcome government in the world. The administration’s strategy did work in this instance. Kudo’s to them for preventing more US Soldier losses.
“He was caught alive, and then something happened to him, and he is no longer among the living.”
Is that a new definition for “killing a man while he is already in custody”?
Where is all the yelping for due process? What about the targeting of an American citizen and his death by drone attack in September? War crimes? Not when the Democrats do it, I guess.
Emma – I believe they did follow the Libyan due process that has been in effect for the past 4 decades – you capture your enemy, give them time to beg for their life, and then you take there life – I believe that is the process in Libya.
Anwar al-Awlaki may have been a citizen by birth, but he sure was no American citizen. I am not sure of what secret military court found him guilty of what crimes, but I can assure you, from his own words – Anwar al-Awlaki was a terrorist. If anyone who is serious about this war on terror is in any doubt that he should have been taken out, then they are not serious about the war on terror. We did go to war with Iraq with Less credible evidence than we have against Anwar al-Awlaki.
“Anwar al-Awlaki was a terrorist.”
Who also, very publically renounced his US Citizenship. Due process only applies to those “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” the US.
@Emma
I did an article this week for Jurist on killing al-Awlaki. Here’s the link: http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forum/2011/10/morris-davis-anwar-al-awlaqi.php
@Pat.Herve
No, I didnt say anything. I guess my thinking was, what’s to say. he is dead. That Obama is hell on terrorists.
I could care less if we killed Anwar al-Awlaki. Who is hollering about it? We didn’t kill Kadaffi. The libyans did. If you feel funny about it, go look at those people jumping out of buildings on 911, knowing they would die. Look at some of the Lockerbie wreckage. You will get over it.
You a teapartier? Bwhahahaha! Who on earth would accuse of such a thing.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/oped/2011/oct/21/tdopin02-hinkle-in-nova-playing-games-with-hate-ar-1398006/
Unpossible! Everyone knows that there are no Gay Republicans! 😉
I’m not familiar with NOVA local politics. Thought I’d just point out the article.
Thank you for that bit of sanity.@Morris Davis