In that protester's defense, that was an awesome cop car...

FOR HIM TO POOP ON!

>> ^quantumushroom:

OWS is, for all intents and purposes, a mishmash of left-wingers running the gamut from left-center to communist/anarchist. Their ignorance is expected but also redundant, as it's the same "message" the libmedia expounds day and night: 'capitalism evil, bigger government good' with the added bonus of pooping on cop cars.
It was government that caused this mess. Greed is counterbalanced by risk and the fear of loss. When government steps in and removes the risk (with OUR MONEY) then certain people are free to be greedy and careless. In this case "certain people" was everyone.
If you'll scroll to the bottom of this page there's a nice (partial) list of culprits.

>> ^quantumushroom:

OWS is, for all intents and purposes, a mishmash of left-wingers running the gamut from left-center to communist/anarchist. Their ignorance is expected but also redundant, as it's the same "message" the libmedia expounds day and night: 'capitalism evil, bigger government good' with the added bonus of pooping on cop cars.
It was government that caused this mess. Greed is counterbalanced by risk and the fear of loss. When government steps in and removes the risk (with OUR MONEY) then certain people are free to be greedy and careless. In this case "certain people" was everyone.
If you'll scroll to the bottom of this page there's a nice (partial) list of culprits.


the government was the cause of this...

by eliminating departments and oversight of corporations/financial institutions,

by eliminating regulations/laws which tied the hands of these same entities from committing the attrocious blunders motivated only by greed that have happened... like commercial banks being involved in investment banking, and wall street creating derivative markets which they themselves police

by attacking people's right to organize, collective bargain, and work with employers to create equal opportunity, reward, and incentive to succeed and innovate... so that 1 person can't be insanely rewarded by running companies into the ground, hurting their employees, the community, and the financial security of MILLIONS

all that risk you talk about being removed... was because they got rid of oversight and regulation

its a myth that government is incapable of being fiscally responsible at the same level or better than private corporations... take the "representatives" who set the budget and throw the money around to their lobbied interests and corporate friends... but look at the actual institutions and departments... these have not only the mandate to be fiscally responsible (fall within budgets, etc) that private interests do... they have the added oversight of people subjecting their cause to scrutiny... private causes are to advance profit, no matter the route

these institutions protect people from interests who aren't responsible to employees, to the communities they reside in, to the country they pay taxes to (or find loopholes to not pay taxes to)

free markets is a lie and a scam, because supply/demand/innovation mean nothing when you are competing with entities that can literally buy the game board out from under you... money is power, and if you have none, you have no power...

that's what government is there for... to give people the power
smaller government is a big business lie meant to distract you from who is really hurting you... the corporations and your bought and sold representatives

OWS is, for all intents and purposes, a mishmash of left-wingers running the gamut from left-center to communist/anarchist. Their ignorance is expected but also redundant, as it's the same "message" the libmedia expounds day and night: 'capitalism evil, bigger government good' with the added bonus of pooping on cop cars.

It was government that caused this mess. Greed is counterbalanced by risk and the fear of loss. When government steps in and removes the risk (with OUR MONEY) then certain people are free to be greedy and careless. In this case "certain people" was everyone.

If you'll scroll to the bottom of this page there's a nice (partial) list of culprits.

>> ^GenjiKilpatrick:

" Sure Hitler was awful. But to be fair, that was already growing antisemitism for several decades before he came to power"
Had Bernanke and Geithner been decent people, the crisis/meltdown would have been much less than it is right now. No two ways about it.

The right Hitler analogy to describe what you're talking about would be:

"Sure Hitler was awful. But to be fair, Neville Chamberlain could've done more to stop him, so isn't the Holocaust really all his fault?"

>> ^GenjiKilpatrick:
Bernanke and Geithner did nothing but make the problems larger than they had to be [for the average american] so that their banker friends could shovel more money into their private accounts before more shit hit the fan.
Why give either of them any slack at all?


Because Bernanke has actually done a lot to try to make the situation better. He could've done more, but not a tremendous amount more. Geithner fits your description a lot more closely, but again, I dispute that Geithner made the problems worse, and I definitely dispute that he intentionally made things worse for his own gain.

I sorta don't get what your point is in arguing all this. Do you really think single individuals in any position anywhere deserve all the blame for the economic crisis? Do you really think the people most culpable are all government employees?

What a scumbag. Helps create the economic crisis then claims he's dissatisfied with it.

Why do people like this get to breathe our air? God's will is that America has an economic crisis? Please someone point this cross dragging idiot to some real data on exactly how greed and corporate exploitation of the lower financial classes caused this crisis.

Quite true. The NT Jeebs is quite the socialist, except when it comes to the spiritual realm, then he's plain ol' tyrannical.

>> ^pmkierst:

Biblical Principles. Assuming he believes that the new testament over-rides the old...
- Non violence. Turn the other cheek. Die if you have to for your cause; Jesus did. Violence is unacceptable under all conditions, including self-defence.
- Care for the poor. New testament is chock full of 'welfare state' kind of stuff.
- Throw out the interest chargers and money changers and the lenders, etc. (banks, etc.)
- Love your neighbour, period. Doesn't matter what religion they are.
I could go on. I look forward to him abiding to these principles.

>> ^criticalthud:

let's give him nuclear weapons!


I think he'd prefer nucular weapons instead.

Your video, Rick Perry: Economic Crisis is OK, Because It Is God's Will, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

I downvote disingenuous comments.>> ^chilaxe:

Lol, @KnivesOut inaccurately reports Perry's statements (you're right, that'd be so terrible if we had fiscal accountability!), then downvotes discussion.

Dude, Denmark isn't the US. Your government provides many goods and services to your people that we must pay for out of our own pocket, most notably health care. Wealth in Denmark is also far more evenly distributed in the US because your economy is far more mixed/socialist than the US's is.

In the US, you have thousands of people who were upper-middle class, bought an upper class priced home, then lost their jobs, or had to take massive pay cuts just to stay employed. Many of these people already lost their houses.

Our economy would collapse if we put a min 37-40% flat tax on everyone. No prayer that it would work.

>> ^gwiz665:

I'm in the lowest bracket of tax in Denmark and I pay 37 %. It would be fine. The loop holes for the super rich should of course be removed completely too, then all in all more tax would be collected. 40 % was, I'll admit, a little high when you look at the current tax rates, but say 25-30 % for all then.
>> ^heropsycho:
You'd cause a new economic collapse as the middle class and poor, the majority of the market for goods and services, would have all dispensable income and more for the poorer vaporized overnight, causing a massive drop in demand, which would destroy the US economy.
>> ^gwiz665:
Flat tax. 40 % income tax for everyone. End just one of the wars you're all fighting, and you'll be out of the economic crisis in 5 years.

40% income tax on my wife and I right now would financially cripple us. We would not be able to afford housing or food. Right now, we have only about $100 a day to spend on consumables, and we are fiscally responsible adults. And we have 2 PhDs. I just got a fellowship for a postdoc at the best university in the country and it will barely cover the rent. And she is still looking for work there.

Indeed, it is likely that 10 years from now our combined income will place us in the highest tax bracket. It is also probably that I will recognize that there are people like me, who are just starting out, have a fantastic education, are looking for work, and struggling to make ends meet.

The arrogance of a flat tax speaks volumes about the ignorance and naivety of those of who propose such a ridiculously preposterous idea.

>> ^gwiz665:

Flat tax. 40 % income tax for everyone. End just one of the wars you're all fighting, and you'll be out of the economic crisis in 5 years.

I'm in the lowest bracket of tax in Denmark and I pay 37 %. It would be fine. The loop holes for the super rich should of course be removed completely too, then all in all more tax would be collected. 40 % was, I'll admit, a little high when you look at the current tax rates, but say 25-30 % for all then.
>> ^heropsycho:

You'd cause a new economic collapse as the middle class and poor, the majority of the market for goods and services, would have all dispensable income and more for the poorer vaporized overnight, causing a massive drop in demand, which would destroy the US economy.
>> ^gwiz665:
Flat tax. 40 % income tax for everyone. End just one of the wars you're all fighting, and you'll be out of the economic crisis in 5 years.

You'd cause a new economic collapse as the middle class and poor, the majority of the market for goods and services, would have all dispensable income and more for the poorer vaporized overnight, causing a massive drop in demand, which would destroy the US economy.

>> ^gwiz665:

Flat tax. 40 % income tax for everyone. End just one of the wars you're all fighting, and you'll be out of the economic crisis in 5 years.