Next 4 Year Predictions

[quote]T-Stag wrote:
Hmm, let’s see…after a discussion with an American friend of mine we concluded the following:

a) Separation of church and state will be further undermined;
b) Iran will not be handled right and will become another war;
c) Now that Arafat’s nearly dying and the Arab world is about to be without a unifying factor, extremist factions will be freer to be extreme (bad for America and the world), and America going to war with Iran will certainly fuel some really bad relations with other extreme Arab entities…not that much more is needed. A level head may have and may yet be able to avert that; not Dub;
d) The checks and measures of America can protect it from a lot, but the appointment of Supreme Court Justices tend to have an affect that is felt for decades;
e) Gas could top 3.5 bucks a gallon.
f) The European Community is unifying more and more as Dub shows them his
cold shoulder more and more…any final severing of the great western
alliance is highly unlikely, but not impossible with a lunatic like this in
the White House…and if it were to occur, it would be a serious imbalancing of the globe.
g) This undermining of civil rights by the patriot act…it won’t be reversed;
h) America will lose any remaining credibility with the international
community through the act of re-electing a madman;
i) The gulf between the financial classes in this country will become so
wide, social unrest will take once again to the streets;
j) The lack of health and education to the poor will have a debilitating
effect that will last for generations to come (oops; already happened), and
k) Oil interests will be 4 more years more entrenched, making alternative
fuels more unobtainable.

Did someone mention commercial space flights here? Sign me up for the first colony leaving to planet Mars. At least I’ll have front row tickets to see this planet explode.[/quote]

And coming in early 2005 - we’ll start eating our young.

I’m sorry that the mere act of voters exercising their constitutional right have made things so tough for you in Finland, and your Euro-centrist american pal. But tough shit - we proved Tuesday we are not a nation to give a shit what Europe thinks.

[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:

Why do you think the FDA is going to come after protein powder anyway?[/quote]

I didn’t write that the FDA would come after protein powder. I wrote that it is more likely that many more of our supplements will be banned under the actions of “the religious right”. You can disagree with that if you want to, but I know for a fact that I am not the only one who thinks this will happen.

You, and several others, seem to be trying real hard suddenly to act as if all is well simply because a republican is back in office. My personal point of view is that I voted. Therefore, I also have the right to voice my opinion of what I don’t like about the current presidency. My question to you is, do you honestly think that we are NOT at risk of losing more freedoms under republican majority? Do we really have to get into abortions just to make a point?

[quote]Professor X wrote:
rainjack wrote:

Ignorance knows no religion, or party line, ProfX. I think you are making a huge leap pinning the ban of supplements on the religous right.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am under the impression that the average person in America borders on idiocy as a baseline. I am not saying that ONLY the “religious right” will make this charge, but that it is more likely they will fight for it harder. I don’t see how you can claim this can’t possibly be the case when we are witnessing such vile contempt over whether some guy who no one even knows can marry some other guy who we don’t know or care about.[/quote]

Rainjack, you are absolutely correct in your assumption that the average person in America borders on idiocy. This election is a perfect example of this. Just as in 2000, take a look at the states won by Dems, and you’ll see they’re the states where all the intelligent people in America reside (NY, MI, CA, etc.) Meanwhile you have all these yahoos in Wyoming, Kansas, Georgia, etc., living in trailers, getting it on with their cousins, and voting for Bush for the simple fact that their parents taught them that Dems are bad, Republicans good. Very few of these people could form an intelligent argument about why they voted for Bush, they can only revert to what they’ve been force-fed by the media.

The next elections will go as follows:

2008 Hilary Clinton will run an 8 year presidency

2016 George P Bush will be President for 8 years

2024 Chelsea Clinton will be President for 8 years

  1. and, regardless of what is stated, a possible draft if any foreign action does take place that requires military force.

Draft is not going to happen!! It cracks me up to see civilians saying there is going to be a draft. No one in the military wants a draft and even the most hawkish politicans realize that after the Vietnam era the draft concept simply does not work.

  1. and, regardless of what is stated, a possible draft if any foreign action does take place that requires military force.

Draft is not going to happen!! It cracks me up to see civilians saying there is going to be a draft. No one in the military wants a draft and even the most hawkish politicans realize that after the Vietnam era the draft concept simply does not work.

The only reason the EU can pursue welfare state policies is because Europe rises and sleeps under America’s military protection. Europe can’t afford to fund their social iniatives and provide for their own security. I guess the perspective I get from my relatives in Eastern Europe is that they think Bush is great. But that’s just in little insignificant Lietuva. :slight_smile:

As a member of the US military I am very amused by the talk of war in North Korea or Iran. North Korea is still suffering from famine and can’t fight a war without Chinese support. Iran is too delicate a situation for even Bush to jump into a war. Besides the Brits and the French have been working that angle for the West.

Mars? Why not Varkus?

[quote]regrahc wrote:
Professor X wrote:
rainjack wrote:

Ignorance knows no religion, or party line, ProfX. I think you are making a huge leap pinning the ban of supplements on the religous right.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am under the impression that the average person in America borders on idiocy as a baseline. I am not saying that ONLY the “religious right” will make this charge, but that it is more likely they will fight for it harder. I don’t see how you can claim this can’t possibly be the case when we are witnessing such vile contempt over whether some guy who no one even knows can marry some other guy who we don’t know or care about.

Rainjack, you are absolutely correct in your assumption that the average person in America borders on idiocy. This election is a perfect example of this. Just as in 2000, take a look at the states won by Dems, and you’ll see they’re the states where all the intelligent people in America reside (NY, MI, CA, etc.) Meanwhile you have all these yahoos in Wyoming, Kansas, Georgia, etc., living in trailers, getting it on with their cousins, and voting for Bush for the simple fact that their parents taught them that Dems are bad, Republicans good. Very few of these people could form an intelligent argument about why they voted for Bush, they can only revert to what they’ve been force-fed by the media.[/quote]

I keep thinking I’ve read the most retarded post of the political forums today but this one definitely tops them all.

Lets see,
ALL the intelligent people are democrats and they ALL of them live in the big cities and ALL the stupid people are republicans and ALL of them live in the midwest; do I have this right?

Actually with your post I would have to say that your inadvertently shot your theory full holes stipulating that ALL democrats are intelligent.

[quote]

T-Stag wrote:

Hmm, let’s see…after a discussion with an American friend of mine we concluded the following:

f) The European Community is unifying more and more as Dub shows them his
cold shoulder more and more…any final severing of the great western
alliance is highly unlikely, but not impossible with a lunatic like this in
the White House…and if it were to occur, it would be a serious imbalancing of the globe.

rainjack wrote:


I’m sorry that the mere act of voters exercising their constitutional right have made things so tough for you in Finland, and your Euro-centrist american pal. But tough shit - we proved Tuesday we are not a nation to give a shit what Europe thinks.[/quote]

I think resorting to hyperbole misses the point. Bush and his advisors are not ‘lunatics;’ they are nationalists.

As Americans who take a keen interest in the health of our nation, I think that we should recognize Bush’s foreign policy for what it really is: Not some fluke that we can ascribe to an ostensible defect in one’s intelligence, but the consequence and image of a trend of radical nationalism that has been swelling in power ever since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Rainjack expresses the vulgar version of this nationalism very accurately: “…we are not a nation to give a shit what Europe thinks.” I think Bush and his advisors really do share Rainjack’s belief that America can ‘go it alone’ on the world stage, act unilaterally, create a world where America does whatever it pleases on other nations’ soil and irrespective of the interest of other nations and the world at large.

I suspect that the next four years will see an increased bias of U.S. foreign policy towards unilateral action, especially military action. Will this bite us in the ass over the course of the next four years? Probably not, eat least not on a large scale. But whoever comes after Bush will have to contend with a world that hates us for our unilateral action. Even if we can prevent our enemies (and one-time friends?) from doing us injury, we will be forced to ever more and more injurious retaliation. Nationalism begets war, and war begets war.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
BostonBarrister wrote:

Why do you think the FDA is going to come after protein powder anyway?

I didn’t write that the FDA would come after protein powder. [/quote] [EDIT: Just wanted to point out this quote from above: “The “democrats” didn’t sign a 2004 steroid act (as if that was needed). I think that is just a precursor to things to come. Having the FDA regulate your protein powder means I hope you enjoy paying 3 times as much for amino acids. Now that there is little in the way of differing opinions in our capitol, you had better stock up now.” ][quote]I wrote that it is more likely that many more of our supplements will be banned under the actions of “the religious right”. You can disagree with that if you want to, but I know for a fact that I am not the only one who thinks this will happen.

You, and several others, seem to be trying real hard suddenly to act as if all is well simply because a republican is back in office. My personal point of view is that I voted. Therefore, I also have the right to voice my opinion of what I don’t like about the current presidency. My question to you is, do you honestly think that we are NOT at risk of losing more freedoms under republican majority? Do we really have to get into abortions just to make a point?[/quote]

No moreso than under a Democratic one – it just depends on how you define freedom and which freedoms you’re worried about.

BTW, since you brought up abortion, given how the issue has been set up, the Supreme Court, not the Congress or the President, is the arbiter.

If you really want to get in to the merits of Roe v. Wade with me, be my guest.

But, for the sake of argument, imagine the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – what then? Would abortions magically become illegal? No. The issue would be dealt with on a state-by-state basis, as the federalist system of government contemplates dealing with such issues. And I imagine that if you took all the money spent lobbying on the abortion issue, you could start a foundation and start a transportation service to take poor women to and from states where it was illegal to states where it was legal, if that suited the whims of those who control the money currently used on political activity.

[quote]The Mage wrote:
The next elections will go as follows:

2008 Hilary Clinton will run an 8 year presidency

2016 George P Bush will be President for 8 years

2024 Chelsea Clinton will be President for 8 years[/quote]

Mage:

Interesting note: Since 1976 either a “Bush” or a “Dole” has been on the republican Presidential ticket! Quite a run I would say and it might keep going. 2008 Liz Dole!

[quote]randman wrote:
regrahc wrote:
Professor X wrote:
rainjack wrote:

Ignorance knows no religion, or party line, ProfX. I think you are making a huge leap pinning the ban of supplements on the religous right.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am under the impression that the average person in America borders on idiocy as a baseline. I am not saying that ONLY the “religious right” will make this charge, but that it is more likely they will fight for it harder. I don’t see how you can claim this can’t possibly be the case when we are witnessing such vile contempt over whether some guy who no one even knows can marry some other guy who we don’t know or care about.

Rainjack, you are absolutely correct in your assumption that the average person in America borders on idiocy. This election is a perfect example of this. Just as in 2000, take a look at the states won by Dems, and you’ll see they’re the states where all the intelligent people in America reside (NY, MI, CA, etc.) Meanwhile you have all these yahoos in Wyoming, Kansas, Georgia, etc., living in trailers, getting it on with their cousins, and voting for Bush for the simple fact that their parents taught them that Dems are bad, Republicans good. Very few of these people could form an intelligent argument about why they voted for Bush, they can only revert to what they’ve been force-fed by the media.

I keep thinking I’ve read the most retarded post of the political forums today but this one definitely tops them all.

Lets see,
ALL the intelligent people are democrats and they ALL of them live in the big cities and ALL the stupid people are republicans and ALL of them live in the midwest; do I have this right?

Actually with your post I would have to say that your inadvertently shot your theory full holes stipulating that ALL democrats are intelligent.[/quote]

I apologize for my hyperbole; please do not take it literally. Some of the most intelligent people I know are Republicans, and I can respect their right to an informed opinion, BUT, my point was that there are a lot of idiots out there, and many of them are concentrated in the South and the BumFuckEgypt states. Having lived in more than 20 states (including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, New York, Michigan, California, etc.), I feel fairly qualified to say that there is a greater concentration of intelligence/education in the areas in which Kerry won. However, my point is this: I guarantee you that in the BFE states, the majority of people who voted for Bush do not vote on the basis of the issues and who is better-equipped to deal with them. They simply vote Republican because they’ve been taught from an early age that Republicans are good, Dems are bad. The bottom line is that Bush has made a complete mess of this country, and due to the blindness of people like this, he is not being held accountable for his actions. I hope all of you out there enjoy the next four years; it should be interesting, to say the least.

Yep, the US has certainly proven it doesn’t give a shit what anybody thinks, ever. It’s going to be an entire decade of poor global relations with Bush the great divider and escalator using his skills at brinksmanship to cause another war or two after God speaks to him in his sleep.

Heh, anyway, more reasonably, I was looking forward to criticizing someone other than Bush. It is so easy to criticize this adminstration there is almost no sport in it.

However, though I would have preferred to see Bush retire to his ranch, how much more damage can he do in four years? The democrats should just give the republicans lots of rope and learn from their playbook.

[quote]rainjack wrote:
And coming in early 2005 - we’ll start eating our young.

I’m sorry that the mere act of voters exercising their constitutional right have made things so tough for you in Finland, and your Euro-centrist american pal. But tough shit - we proved Tuesday we are not a nation to give a shit what Europe thinks.[/quote]

See, this I believe is one of the major problems in the US today. Im not agreeing completely with the guy from FInland, but do you think its the best idea for the people of America to make all our decisions on a complete lack of introspection? And really, we should at least look at what the rest of the world is saying and at least take that into consideration when we make our decisions. Im not saying we should start an appeasement policy. But see, just because we consider other people’s opinions doesnt mean we totally change our actions to suit them, in fact, if we take some time to think about it, taking other countries into consideration could be beneficial for our people and our country. Considering other people’s opinions certainly helps us make better choices. Hell, thats what these forums are all about.

[quote]regrahc wrote:
Rainjack, you are absolutely correct in your assumption that the average person in America borders on idiocy. This election is a perfect example of this. Just as in 2000, take a look at the states won by Dems, and you’ll see they’re the states where all the intelligent people in America reside (NY, MI, CA, etc.) Meanwhile you have all these yahoos in Wyoming, Kansas, Georgia, etc., living in trailers, getting it on with their cousins, and voting for Bush for the simple fact that their parents taught them that Dems are bad, Republicans good. Very few of these people could form an intelligent argument about why they voted for Bush, they can only revert to what they’ve been force-fed by the media.[/quote]

I didn’t say that - ever. I was speaking in reference to america’s ignorance with respect to steroids, prohormones, and other supplements that help make you bigger and stronger.

I must take exception to you using anything I’ve said to support your elitist ramblings.

[quote]gocav wrote:
As a member of the US military I am very amused by the talk of war in North Korea or Iran. North Korea is still suffering from famine and can’t fight a war without Chinese support. Iran is too delicate a situation for even Bush to jump into a war. Besides the Brits and the French have been working that angle for the West.

Mars? Why not Varkus? [/quote]

I am so happy that the talk of war amuses you. It is knee slappingly hilarious to me as well. Excuse me while I guffaw. Apparently, nuclear ability does not bother you (you find it funny) and you can see into the future. By the way, I also love how you state you are in the US military as if this somehow allows you the ability to see the future better than anyone else.

[quote]regrahc wrote:

I apologize for my hyperbole; please do not take it literally. Some of the most intelligent people I know are Republicans, and I can respect their right to an informed opinion, BUT, my point was that there are a lot of idiots out there, and many of them are concentrated in the South and the BumFuckEgypt states. Having lived in more than 20 states (including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, New York, Michigan, California, etc.), I feel fairly qualified to say that there is a greater concentration of intelligence/education in the areas in which Kerry won. However, my point is this: I guarantee you that in the BFE states, the majority of people who voted for Bush do not vote on the basis of the issues and who is better-equipped to deal with them. They simply vote Republican because they’ve been taught from an early age that Republicans are good, Dems are bad. The bottom line is that Bush has made a complete mess of this country, and due to the blindness of people like this, he is not being held accountable for his actions. I hope all of you out there enjoy the next four years; it should be interesting, to say the least.[/quote]

You must not be referring to the South – that whole area was reflexively Democratic from Reconstruction up until Reagan – it’s been slowly converting since, but given the participation rates of younger voters, I don’t think the “taught Republicanism” line applies. For some places, such as Louisiana, they just elected their very first Republican Senator.

Get it right, people! Professor X made the comment about average people bordering on idiocy as a baseline. That was not rainjack.

Hmmm… ProX calling people stupid… where have I heard that before? :slight_smile:

[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:

You must not be referring to the South – that whole area was reflexively Democratic from Reconstruction up until Reagan – it’s been slowly converting since, but given the participation rates of younger voters, I don’t think the “taught Republicanism” line applies. For some places, such as Louisiana, they just elected their very first Republican Senator.[/quote]

You can not, in any way whatsoever, compare the voting democrats in the south who have had to deal with greater racism and lack of jobs (not to mention even legal persecution) to the current vote for Republicans by SOME people simply because they heard that Bush goes to church. One is based in social conflict dealt with on a daily basis. The other denotes how much the media (as well as even the current push by many churches to influence the vote) plays a role in what people believe. Hell, I am originally from Texas and I can tell you that blatant racial tension has only begun to relax over the last 10 years or so. THAT is why the southern Democratic vote could be counted on for so long. Don’t de-value what many have had to deal with for generations just to ignore what is happening right now simply because the group in question voted your way.

[quote]regrahc wrote:

Just as in 2000, take a look at the states won by Dems, and you’ll see they’re the states where all the intelligent people in America reside (NY, MI, CA, etc.) Meanwhile you have all these yahoos in Wyoming, Kansas, Georgia, etc., living in trailers, getting it on with their cousins, and voting for Bush for the simple fact that their parents taught them that Dems are bad, Republicans good. Very few of these people could form an intelligent argument about why they voted for Bush, they can only revert to what they’ve been force-fed by the media.[/quote]

Regrahc -

Are you fucking serious?? I don’t know what everyone else on this forum thinks, but that was probably one of the dumbest, most ignorant statements I have ever heard here. Listen here , those people have just as much of a right to vote as you do, and their vote counts just as much as anybody else’s; whether they’re a successful person or a homeless one.

rangertab75