How we'll be paying for the bailouts

[Wags]

How about a little originality? How about coming up with a tax system for them to follow?

They don't want to follow our tax system because it is regressive, promotes excessive and unsustainable consumption, and rewards corporations who take their profits off shore. If you want to propose a new tax system that addresses these issues I'm for it, but it will look more like their system than our present one.

This country did not become great( I am sure it makes you very uncomfortable) by copying what others did.

The primary reason we became great was because we were spared the destruction of WWII. A little understanding of history would not hurt you. I'm perfectly comfortable with that, but we have squandered our advantage with our fixation for consuming and by borrowing to do it. And, BTW, if you are questioning my patriotism with your uncomfortable remark I will merely say, f#ck you.

Lead, innovate, think. Come up with something to make the world go wow, why didn't we think of that?

OK,that would be great. Too bad we limit the pool of innovators by making higher education inaccessible to such a large part of the population. You're either wealthy and can afford a good school or middle class or poor and must accumulate so big a debt burden that you must devote at least the next ten years after college to getting out from under it. Hard to innovate when your working your ass off to get established. The wealthy don't have much incentive to innovate since their career is usually wired from the start. They prefer the status quo. The world already says wow to our activities, but not in a good way.

[kj]

>>>Too bad we limit the pool of innovators by making higher education inaccessible to such a large part of the population.

Get out of here. Higher ed is available to too many people. To get more people into college, we'd have to invent coloring book classes. kj.

[Wags]

kj wrote:
>>>Too bad we limit the pool of innovators by making higher education inaccessible to such a large part of the population.

Get out of here. Higher ed is available to too many people. To get more people into college, we'd have to invent coloring book classes. kj.

Just in case you forgot to read the rest of my remark I'll copy it again for you:

....must accumulate so big a debt burden that you must devote at least the next ten years after college to getting out from under it. Hard to innovate when your working your ass off to get established.

At least you seem to be acknowledging the failure of our educational system with you coloring book class.

Higher ed is available to too many people.

That may be the most asinine statement I've ever seen you make. Bachelor degrees are the new high school degree equivalent. This is understood nearly everywhere else in the developed world. If you really believe this you are living in the past.

[swampy]

kj wrote:
>>>Too bad we limit the pool of innovators by making higher education inaccessible to such a large part of the population.

Get out of here. Higher ed is available to too many people. To get more people into college, we'd have to invent coloring book classes. kj.

LOL KJ! So true.

[Mac1337]

Wags wrote:
[quote=kj]
>>>Too bad we limit the pool of innovators by making higher education inaccessible to such a large part of the population.

Get out of here. Higher ed is available to too many people. To get more people into college, we'd have to invent coloring book classes. kj.

Just in case you forgot to read the rest of my remark I'll copy it again for you:

....must accumulate so big a debt burden that you must devote at least the next ten years after college to getting out from under it. Hard to innovate when your working your ass off to get established.

At least you seem to be acknowledging the failure of our educational system with you coloring book class.

Higher ed is available to too many people.

That may be the most asinine statement I've ever seen you make. Bachelor degrees are the new high school degree equivalent. This is understood nearly everywhere else in the developed world. If you really believe this you are living in the past.
Our higher ed system and the way it works with the industry is second to none. Name one truly innovative product that has come out of Europe or Japan and I name 10 that originated here. Nokia, Siemens, Samsung or Sony could have come out with the iPhone but they couldn't. Now they can't turn out copies fast enough. You want a system that only admits geniuses apparently but it takes a lot more to run the country. I don't want to comment on your use of profanity. It is a sure reflection of how quickly you can exhaust your intellect. You appear indignant that I call you unpatriotic, which I never did, but I can safely call you bitter, ignorant, unappreciative and out of touch with what is happening in the world. You have no trouble writing a 10 page term paper on how awful America is but struggle to write two good words. If I could afford it I would buy you a ticket to the country you fantasize about to live and work. Then come watch you as you kiss the ground when you come back. It is ironic that it should take a naturalized citizen to convince a native born how great he has it here.

[mattkime]

kj wrote:
>>>Too bad we limit the pool of innovators by making higher education inaccessible to such a large part of the population.

Get out of here. Higher ed is available to too many people. To get more people into college, we'd have to invent coloring book classes. kj.

I see it a little bit differently. There are plenty of people around the world willing to pay good money to be education in our world class colleges. If they're here for four years and get a degree they should be able to become citizens. Sure, it might need some tweaking but lets bring the brains here and keep them.

[Wags]

Our higher ed system and the way it works with the industry is second to none.

This is utter nonsense. What does that even mean, "the way it works with the industry"? If you have facts to back up this sort of confused grandiose statement, lets see them.

Name one truly innovative product that has come out of Europe or Japan and I name 10 that originated here. Nokia, Siemens, Samsung or Sony could have come out with the iPhone but they couldn't.

Are you kidding? Those companies you name absolutely kick our ass with consumer electronics. The only thing you can think of is the iPhone? Where is this product manufactured? Oh, that's right, China. We don't actually produce much of anything these days. Production is what counts towards strengthening an economy. 79% of our economy is in the service industry. Our external debt, as of 2007, was $12.25 trillion (yes, that's trillion dollars) while our exports are less than $2 trillion. It doesn't take a genius to see where this is heading.

You want a system that only admits geniuses apparently but it takes a lot more to run the country.

More nonsense. Show me where I have ever made such a stupid statement. I advocate for a second to none educational system that is accessible based on merit, not money, and I want it from pre-school through graduate level. An educated workforce is absolutely essential to compete. Its going to take a lot more than flag waving to dominate in the emerging global economy.

I can safely call you bitter, ignorant, unappreciative and out of touch with what is happening in the world.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since your English is poor and maybe not your native language. I don't know what country you grew up in but here in the US we cherish our freedoms and the most important one is the right to openly criticize our government. Its actually more than that, it is our duty as citizens to speak truth to power. We're emerging from a few years of bone head flag waving and name calling where any criticism of the Bush junta was deemed unAmerican. Wrapping yourself in the flag and kissing the ground does not make you a patriot. I can see that you just don't get it, but keep trying.

[Mac1337]

Wags wrote:


I can safely call you bitter, ignorant, unappreciative and out of touch with what is happening in the world.

Thanks for repeating these words. With your mean, patronizing, intolerant and angry reply those words are more accurate than ever. I feel sorry for you that the country you live in is so far removed from where you want to be. Bad schools, bad economy, bad industry, bad government, bad...bad...bad. Must be a miserable life.

[Doc]

I think I'm going to apply for a method patent on the flat tax.

[Wags]

Dakota wrote:
[quote=Wags]


I can safely call you bitter, ignorant, unappreciative and out of touch with what is happening in the world.

Thanks for repeating these words. With your mean, patronizing, intolerant and angry reply those words are more accurate than ever. I feel sorry for you that the country you live in is so far removed from where you want to be. Bad schools, bad economy, bad industry, bad government, bad...bad...bad. Must be a miserable life.
Hmm, interesting tactic, quote yourself, make it look like I wrote it even though every word in the quote is yours, then base your attack on your own content while completely ignoring everything I've challenged you on. Anyhow, you've got the order wrong. Put bad government first on your list because all the others are the direct result. And actually, I've got a great life, but thanks for your concern.

Seems as though most if not all of the bitterness and ignorance is flowing from your direction. Thats ok, because the negativity and fear mongering that has dominated for the last eight has been rejected by a new generation. You should try to come to terms with that. It'll have to be on your own, since you don't seem interested in a two way exchange. Bye.