Does the Revelation of Bush's Approval of Spying on Americans Change Your Vote?

[quote name='steveinneed']Honestly, I know we would lose all international support and our troops would be really stretched out. I think we should invade any other country supporting terrorism.

First we would start with Iran, then Saudi Arabia.

We all know the real reason why we went into Iraq and it wasn't Iraqi democracy.[/QUOTE]

To be fair, there were many reasons articulated as to why to go in, and democracy in Iraq (and eventually having that spread to other Middle Eastern nations) was one of those reasons. However, it wasn't exactly anywhere near as emphasized as WMD.

And we don't invade those countries not just because it would be a catastrophe in terms of any support we have internationally, but because it would require a military draft here and economic sacrifices. Look at how many troops we'd need, how much money (Iraq has cost nearly $500 billion! -- oh, don't forget, some Republicans before the war claimed it wouldn't cost us anything; we'd just have Iraqi oil money pay for it all...) -- I don't think the average American is willing to make that sacrifice without a stronger reason, like Iran attacking us first, especially considering how the Iraq war is percieved to have been launched.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']To be fair, there were many reasons articulated as to why to go in, and democracy in Iraq (and eventually having that spread to other Middle Eastern nations) was one of those reasons. However, it wasn't exactly anywhere near as emphasized as WMD.

And we don't invade those countries not just because it would be a catastrophe in terms of any support we have internationally, but because it would require a military draft here and economic sacrifices. Look at how many troops we'd need, how much money (Iraq has cost nearly $500 billion! -- oh, don't forget, some Republicans before the war claimed it wouldn't cost us anything; we'd just have Iraqi oil money pay for it all...) -- I don't think the average American is willing to make that sacrifice without a stronger reason, like Iran attacking us first, especially considering how the Iraq war is percieved to have been launched.[/QUOTE]

We would definately have to wait until Iraq is independent. Someday we will once again be capable and willing to attack other countries that support terrorism. Sooner or later some of these people will need to be dealt with.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']
But I disagree that if things take a turn for the worse we should immediately think about significant withdrawals. At this point, like it or not, we're fighting the really really bad guys there, al Qaeda. Sure most of the insurgency is local, but there is a significant al Qaeda element whose goal is to create chaos and eventually another Afghanistan. That just cannot be allowed to happen for national security.[/QUOTE]

But if we are making it worse, then we are making it worse. There's always a possibly that it gets to the point where we will do nothing more than pour gasoline on the fire, that was my point.
 
[quote name='Shrooms420']We don't need income tax. Sales tax can pay for everything. And here is how i can be done.

http://www.fairtax.org/[/QUOTE]

Neal Boortz? Bitch, *please*.

It unfairly taxes people based on traditional forms of consumption, and derides other forms of goods and services as "unfairly taxed." For instance, the website you listed has "research" (if only I could write a two page paper with one graph and call it research!) that accuses the current taxation system of having an unfair "tax bias against investment". URL here.

Why is it that goods and services are fair game for taxation, but others aren't? It's simply classism. All of that Neal Boortz bullshit is based on this premise: it is unfair to tax people more and more based upon their continued financial success relative to others. That point is *highly* contestable, and when you start a philosophy of taxation using a value judgment (read: OPINION) as the foundation, the rest of the argument is futile.

If my furnace breaks, I should pay a tax on the person who comes to examine or repair it; if I took that same money and dumped it into the stock market (the process of which is rife with services as well), I shouldn't be taxed? My earnings from investment shouldn't be taxed? Why the hell shouldn't they?

I think they should tax the fuck out of the "shrooms" and weed you have clearly taken far too much of if you believe this shit. You could have paid for my retirement by now.
 
[quote name='steveinneed']It would be even better if they got rid of sales tax all together and just had income tax.[/QUOTE]
Why?
 
[quote name='steveinneed']It would be even better if they got rid of sales tax all together and just had income tax.[/QUOTE]

That only works when everyone else has tax. New hampshire is a shopping magnet (mall at the border with maine and multiple malls at the border of MA) because everyone around it has 5 or 6% tax. Its provides no benefit when no one taxes.
 
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