<p>I wish to rephrase my comment and say how do you expect America to continue to remain globalized by employing protectionist policies? Hmmm...it is unfortunate about the condition of mexico. However the same people who criticize free trade agreements also wish to buy their goods at cheap prices. Hmmmm how do u do that??? Also, liberals keep on ranting how this economy is already crippled... so I guess the best thing to do would be to change our free trade agreements, raise prices and then continue to further cripple our economy. I mean don't get me wrong...things like this are sad, but what do we do? I don't think state-run companies and nationalizing everything is the way to go...</p>
<p>I still don't understand why I should have to rely on China for my goods. Shouldn't I want to buy American goods and keep my money here in the United States?</p>
<p>Yes, the GDP is a horrible way to measure economic development, but that is the way in which we do things in this world today. You are right that they are raping their resources. The United States cannot actually support itself on our own resources as we consume too much. If we didn't have so many SUV's and we didn't cut down our forests (of which our President has only added 50,000 acres in the past 4 years, where Clinton and Bush Sr. added over 2 million during their terms), we might be able to support ourselves. As it is, the entire world's resources currently can't even support the US for the next 100 years. </p>
<p>China would be partially unsuccessful without free trade, agreed, but it is their isolationist economic policies that have put them into the position they are currently in.</p>
<p>Indiegal, it is not that I want to completely shut the world out of international trade. However, if we are to have it, there need to be tariffs and economic barriers. I would rather pay a higher price for my gasoline if it meant that people in Iraq and Indonesia were getting a fair deal and having a high quality of life. I think the biggest issue here is that I want to think about the world's situation and not just how much money I am going to spend for my next meal at a restaurant. </p>
<p>I am also not advocating entirely state run economies. We need a combination of both. If we do change our free trade agreements, add more tariffs, and lower our interest rates, our economy will be able to get out of its current depression. Free trade helps to gain assets for large corporations in the US. The GDP goes up, but people in the US gain nothing of any value. Corporate CEO's gain money.</p>
<p>"let me get this straight..."bush..evil man..won over a lot of latinos who were totally against homosexuality but they were negatively affected by his economic policies which they dont realize is the most imp thing"</p>
<p>So...these latinos DONT agree with anything Bush did...but they voted for him anyway...you're kidding right?"</p>
<p>uh...are u serious?...its the homosexuality deal..clearly pointed it out..that was what they found so important.</p>
<p>yeah then go talk to the hispanics....</p>
<p>i wen to a hispanic political rally (for Bush) one month before the election and gay marriage wasn't mentioned once. and this wasn't in florida either...this was LA. so these were people who are definitely at teh bottom of the social ladder, and aren't cuban or traditionally conservative-voting either. </p>
<p>and trust me, they're ****ed off at the democrats they've been blindly trusting for years and years. and there is a definite change in dynamic in how they vote. you watch. even when gay marriage won't be the hot topic issue anymore.</p>
<p>i know it's not gay marriage, becuase Arnold Schwarzenegger won here mainly becuase of the Hispanic vote--and he isn't exactly mr. spokesperson for marriage. </p>
<p>go figure.</p>
<p>the reason why minorities are becoming sick to death of democrats is becuase</p>
<p>DEMOCRATS want to CONTINUE to VICTIMIZE THEM. </p>
<p>so forever and forever, for their own purposes, and their own arguments...blacks and hispanics and asians are always victims. and i think people are getting sick of being trapped by that label. in many ways, they've been taken advantage of. </p>
<p>"You're a victim, i care about you, you need my assistance cuz you can't do anything for yourself, so vote for me! I'll make sure to tax all the rich people so that you ahve more money to pay for your needs"</p>
<p>Trust me, they don't care...they want JOBS. And u know what? BUSINESSES PROVIDE THEM! (yes those big businesses taht evey liberal loves to hate and wants to tax) </p>
<p>why do u think Gray Davis was recalled? it was more than jsut the energy crisis---a whole bunch of businesses became fed up and moved out of Californai because it became to expensive. As a result, a whole bunch of people lsot their jobs, and those employees who wanted to keep them, had to move. </p>
<p>Republicans have faith in the hard work ethic many immigrants bring to this country. Now, that image is starting to show, and more and more minority groups realize their views are aligned more with the Republican party on both social and economic levels. </p>
<p>i luv the trend. and i see it in California---yup, it's a blue state, but there's a defintie trend in the Hispanic community, which is the most powerful voting group here. Arnold was a start. The large amount of votes Bush got was a start.</p>
<p>Black Americans haven't shifted significantly in terms of political alliance...just yet. But they too will get sick of the Democrats acting as if it were the era of slavery still, or the 1960s instead of being optimistic about their progress. They will get sick of the liberal buereaucrats corrupting public schools.</p>
<p>So no desi, it isn't just gay marriage. it's the truth about how Democrats have won over the votes of minorities. Republicans are starting to gain major ground, and Democrats are scared to death. The End. =)</p>
<p>No debate needed. Bush will be remembered as one of the best presidents of the last few decades (right up there with Reagan).</p>
<p>i second alukaszewicz if Bush hadn't invaded Iraq!</p>
<p>yes chicagonobel you speak lots of truth...</p>
<p>the whole "our country is split 49,51" is a bunch of BS</p>
<p>Bush would ahve won by a LOOOOOOOOOOOT more had Iraq not happened. People don't fully understand why we're there, why it's taking us so "long" etc...</p>
<p>i put "long" in quotation marks, becuase we are trying to do in so short at ime, what it takes most countries (including our OWN) hundreds of years.</p>
<p>it took us time to get a democracy going, get rid of slavery, give women equal rights etc... </p>
<p>so i mean to expect that after two yeras Iraq is supposed to be happy dandy is not exactly very smart. Then again, the success of Afghanistan has blew all our minds. The elections went off practically without a major hitch.</p>
<p>Pixie...did you read anything about the Afghan elections? There was huge voter fraud. Karzai won about 85% of the vote...with 15 candidates!!! There were montiors at polling places that forced people to vote for Karzai because he was the US backed candidate (for reasons already stated). And Afghanistan still has huge problems. My school is supporting a sister school in Kabul that barely has four walls let along books and school supplies. The only positive I can truly find in the Afghanistan situation is that women have been given more rights.</p>
<p>Junior Member</p>
<p>Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 127</p>
<p>Pixie...did you read anything about the Afghan elections? There was huge voter fraud. Karzai won about 85% of the vote...with 15 candidates!!! There were montiors at polling places that forced people to vote for Karzai because he was the US backed candidate (for reasons already stated). And Afghanistan still has huge problems. My school is supporting a sister school in Kabul that barely has four walls let along books and school supplies. The only positive I can truly find in the Afghanistan situation is that women have been given more rights.</p>
<p>yeah okay i said ALMOST without a MAJOR hitch.... and u kno what crap happens in democracy too</p>
<p>the fact is, Afghanistan isn't PERFECT, but at least nobody died when they voted! It's a START...and that's a HUGE accomplishment for that country: to have both men and women voting...even if it was in a flawed election.</p>
<p>In affirming the traditional definition of marriage
in 11
state referenda, from darkest Mississippi to progressive enlightened
Kerry-supporting Oregon, the American people were not expressing their
"gay-loathin' ", so much as declining to go the Kelly route and have
their
betters tell them what they can think. They're not going to have
marriage
redefined by four Massachusetts judges and a couple of activist mayors.
That doesn't make them Bush theo-zombies marching in lockstep to the
gay
lynching, just freeborn citizens asserting their right to dissent from
today's established church - the stifling coercive theology of
political
correctness enforced by a secular episcopate.</p>