We are in a Depression. Read on.

[TheCoolinator]

Originally Posted by Colonel Flagg

HOW DARE YOU DISAGREE WITH COOLIE!!!!!!

YOU WILL PERISH IN FLAME!!!!!!

Its fine to disagree with others.

It's not fine to troll the forum, snipe at every single post a specific person contributes, grumble, and then post off topic content constantly.

Get over it Flagg. It's just an internet forum. It's OK for people to think differently.

[Colonel Flagg]

Originally Posted by TheCoolinator

Get over it Flagg. It's just an internet forum. It's OK for people to think differently.

There are ALWAYS grey areas in every political or economic debate (applicable statement to many of our current threads, incidentally). The economy by some indications is in recovery, by others it is still in decline, and by still others it is stagnant. Well-respected economists don't all agree on this point, so why should we?

The key point, as I see it, for legislators is how to do the greatest good for the greatest number without pissiing off the remainder so much that you lose your job in 2-4 years. Hence the bailout, which incidentally BOTH presidential candidates in 2008 were FOR (which might be the last time R's and D's agreed on anything).

From my viewpoint (admittedly somewhat biased within my own economic situation) the worldwide economy is slowly recovering. It will not attain "before crash" status before the end of next year (wild guess) but gradually people are going back to work.

And note that not once did I denigrate your position, nor did I call into question your sanity, intellect or manhood. This is what "respecting differing points of view" is all about.

[TheCoolinator]

Originally Posted by Colonel Flagg

. Well-respected economists don't all agree on this point, so why should we?

Didn't I just say people have different opinions and come to different conclusions and they should be respected?

Originally Posted by Colonel Flagg

The key point, as I see it, for legislators is how to do the greatest good for the greatest number without pissiing off the remainder so much that you lose your job in 2-4 years. Hence the bailout, which incidentally BOTH presidential candidates in 2008 were FOR (which might be the last time R's and D's agreed on anything).

From my viewpoint (admittedly somewhat biased within my own economic situation) the worldwide economy is slowly recovering. It will not attain "before crash" status before the end of next year (wild guess) but gradually people are going back to work.

The bailout didn't save jobs. This is wrong. All the bailout did was give a large amount of money to investment banks for causing the global economic depression.

We bailed out their gambling debt while giving chicken feed to production based manufacturing.

If GoldmanSachs needs 20 billion dollars the checks in the mail.....Ford and GM needed a few million and they had to be dragged through the ringer.

And as you said BOTH Presidents Bush / Obama love the bailouts because that's who they work for. Look at the second to last sentence of the article I posted above.

Don't be fooled by this notion that the bailout actually helped the economy.....all it did was inject capital into zombie banks that are completely insolvent due to their speculative toxic paper (derivatives).

And if people do go back to work it won't be for the same pay, they are slashing our standard of living, imposing austerity measures, and creating new taxes paid to private for-profit interests. Please, I implore you, read the full article.

1.5 QUADRILLION dollars of world wide derivative debts.

[Colonel Flagg]

Originally Posted by TheCoolinator

Didn't I just say people have different opinions and come to different conclusions and they should be respected?

That was my point, dude. We actually agree. Except that you (see below) seem to think that you're right and I'm wrong, and will stop at nothing to convince me of this truism.

Originally Posted by TheCoolinator

The bailout didn't save jobs. This is wrong.

With all due respect, this statement is horseshit. There are many examples where tax-credits and business incentives (which were part of the bailout) were used to expand former "cottage industries" into full-fledged 24/7 employers. Look it up.

Originally Posted by TheCoolinator

Please, I implore you, read the full article.

The article is also complete horeshit. All written from the right without any view from the center or left.

You disappoint me. I thought you were an independent thinker.