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President Barack Obama/Vice-President Joe Biden Re-elected to 2nd Term Thread

@DCGoldPants

By @DCGoldPants
in The Tailgate

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Larry

Larry

Posted
Posted
Welfare is still a big problem Larry..
The welfare system is not really dysfunctional or upside down like it used to be. As a SYSTEM, its not that big a problem.

Agreed with both of you.

IMO, the biggest problem with welfare is that we have too many people who need it.

(Which is why I have a problem with the GOP's agenda of intentionally trying, at every opportunity, to drive down wages of practically everybody in the country except CEOs.)

Yeah, I suspect (but I'll admit that I'm not sure) that I'd like to see some tweaks made.

But what I see from the GOP is more of an attempt to get rid of it, entirely.

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ncr2h

ncr2h

Posted
Posted
But what I see from the GOP is more of an attempt to get rid of it, entirely.

Dude, how many people really need it?

I'm living in Brazil right now, and here are some basic commodities I lack on an upper middle-class salary (senior auditor at a Big 4 accounting firm...I'm probably right on the cusp of being a 1%er down here):

- car

- air conditioning

- monthly cell phone plan (I have a prepaid nokia basic cell phone)

- drinkable water coming out of any of my faucets

- hot water, except in the shower (the showerhead heats water briefly as it leaves the faucet, so if I have more than a little bit of water coming out at a time it won't be hot)

- dryer (we use clothes lines)

- dishwasher

- real vacuum cleaner (we have a dustbuster type)

- public safety (11 murders per day in my city)

- a toilet that I can flush TP down (we have to put it in trash cans)

- more than the most basic TV package (i.e. I only get their equivalent of network news stations)

I am probably missing a ton of other basic stuff that I would only notice if I moved back to the US. But seriously take a look at that list. Most of that stuff is so basic that, in the US, we just assume that everyone should have it. But should they really?

What I learned after moving down here is that we live ridiculously, ridiculously, unbelievably extravagant lifestyles in the US. It is literally unbelievable, as in when I tell my co-workers about how stuff works in the US they don't actually believe that the majority of what I tell them. Same with you guys in the US - you guys probably don't really believe that I put my toilet paper in a freaking trash can every day, but literally that is what is done.

So to sum everything up...moving abroad really opened my eyes to what BS our welfare programs in the US are. People down here would give anything to come to the US and make minimum wage for a few years. In my opinion, there should be charity for those who are homeless or just underwent a major life-altering event and are in need, but there aren't nearly as many of them as the government would have you believe. Politicians love their pet programs and pulling at your heart strings. They love accusing the other guy of turning the cold shoulder to those in need. But we absolutely must re-evaluate what "those in need" actually means.

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greenspandan

greenspandan

Posted
Posted
So to sum everything up...moving abroad really opened my eyes to what BS our welfare programs in the US are..

this is blowing my mind. you move abroad and notice what absurdly wasteful and lavish lives americans lead ... and your conclusion is that the POOR should have their standard of living lowered? i think most reasonable people given that dose of perspective would draw the opposite conclusion.

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Larry

Larry

Posted
Posted
Dude, how many people really need it?

I'm living in Brazil right now, and here are some basic commodities I lack on an upper middle-class salary (senior auditor at a Big 4 accounting firm...I'm probably right on the cusp of being a 1%er down here):

- car

- air conditioning

- monthly cell phone plan (I have a prepaid nokia basic cell phone)

- drinkable water coming out of any of my faucets

- hot water, except in the shower (the showerhead heats water briefly as it leaves the faucet, so if I have more than a little bit of water coming out at a time it won't be hot)

- dryer (we use clothes lines)

- dishwasher

- real vacuum cleaner (we have a dustbuster type)

- public safety (11 murders per day in my city)

- a toilet that I can flush TP down (we have to put it in trash cans)

- more than the most basic TV package (i.e. I only get their equivalent of network news stations)

I am probably missing a ton of other basic stuff that I would only notice if I moved back to the US. But seriously take a look at that list. Most of that stuff is so basic that, in the US, we just assume that everyone should have it. But should they really?

Yeah, you're right.

It's shameful, how good poor people have it in the US.

People on welfare don't need indoor plumbing.

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Larry

Larry

Posted
Posted
this is blowing my mind. you move abroad and notice what absurdly wasteful and lavish lives americans lead ... and your conclusion is that the POOR should have their standard of living lowered? i think most reasonable people given that dose of perspective would draw the opposite conclusion.

Or maybe we should conclude that USA > Brazil.

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Ellis

Ellis

Posted
Posted

Minimum wage wouldn't be so bad if the conditions of our society and economy didn't make it feel like voluntary servitude. The way things are set up, you make just enough to be broke!

I agree that in the U.S., it seems like a "race to the bottom" with salaries while the rich get richer. I wonder if that's part of a bigger plan... are we driving down salaries to compete with China and India? If so, then why don't the CEO's and 1%-ers have a reduction in salary too?

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greenspandan

greenspandan

Posted
Posted
I agree that in the U.S., it seems like a "race to the bottom" with salaries while the rich get richer. I wonder if that's part of a bigger plan... are we driving down salaries to compete with China and India? If so, then why don't the CEO's and 1%-ers have a reduction in salary too?

here's a question -- do we really WANT those manufacturing jobs back? reality check: if ipads were built in america, they'd cost $1,000 apeice. everyone's so quick to criticize China on currency manipulation and labor practices, but nobody wants to give up what we get out of this deal (Angry Birds and Siri).

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visionary

visionary

Posted
Posted
here's a question -- do we really WANT those manufacturing jobs back? reality check: if ipads were built in america, they'd cost $1,000 apeice. everyone's so quick to criticize China on currency manipulation and labor practices, but nobody wants to give up what we get out of this deal (Angry Birds and Siri).

So when Romney outsources to China he's actually doing it to make life better for us all.

Sweet.

:evilg:

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zoony

zoony

Posted
Posted
here's a question -- do we really WANT those manufacturing jobs back? reality check: if ipads were built in america, they'd cost $1,000 apeice. everyone's so quick to criticize China on currency manipulation and labor practices, but nobody wants to give up what we get out of this deal (Angry Birds and Siri).

People belly ache but the answers lie with the checkbooks. Americans love them some cheap crapola made in China

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DieselPwr44

DieselPwr44

Posted
Posted
Yeah, you're right.

It's shameful, how good poor people have it in the US.

People on welfare don't need indoor plumbing.

Which is why they should keep voting for the guy that wants to raise the price they pay for gas,electricity and home heating oil,meanwhile those policies drive food prices up.

But it looks great on paper because it's green and never mind the unintended consequences of making yourself feel good cause your a green guy.

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Tulane Skins Fan

Tulane Skins Fan

Posted
Posted
Which is why they should keep voting for the guy that wants to raise the price they pay for gas,electricity and home heating oil,meanwhile those policies drive food prices up.

But it looks great on paper because it's green and never mind the unintended consequences of making yourself feel good cause your a green guy.

So, now Obama WANTS to hurt people's bottom line? I see....

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DieselPwr44

DieselPwr44

Posted
Posted
So, now Obama WANTS to hurt people's bottom line? I see....

His Energy secretary has said he wants gas prices to be comparable to those in Europe.

Obama has said he wants coal burning power plants out of business.

Energy prices need to necessarily skyrocket.

Who does that hit the worst?

Poor and working class.

Isn't that who he claims to be fighting for? Funny way of showing it.

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LadySkinsFan

LadySkinsFan

Posted
Posted
here's a question -- do we really WANT those manufacturing jobs back? reality check: if ipads were built in america, they'd cost $1,000 apeice. everyone's so quick to criticize China on currency manipulation and labor practices, but nobody wants to give up what we get out of this deal (Angry Birds and Siri).

If we used import tariffs as they were intended, to keep US citizens working with a living wage, then all those jobs wouldn't be going to China.

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Tulane Skins Fan

Tulane Skins Fan

Posted
Posted
His Energy secretary has said he wants gas prices to be comparable to those in Europe.

Obama has said he wants coal burning power plants out of business.

Energy prices need to necessarily skyrocket.

Who does that hit the worst?

Poor and working class.

Isn't that who he claims to be fighting for? Funny way of showing it.

I have no idea what you're talking about, but think you should cite that.

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Tulane Skins Fan

Tulane Skins Fan

Posted
Posted

Wow. http://www.factcheck.org/2012/03/obama-wanted-higher-gasoline-prices/

Basically wrong.

In case you can't figure it out, he said that his plan would cause electricity to skyrocket. So, when he got it passed in the house, it included provisions and regulations to prevent that from happening. Essentially, he predicted a problem and fixed it before it got put into a bill.

As far as gas prices being like Europe, well that's just totally false.

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Duckus

Duckus

Posted
Posted
Wow. http://www.factcheck.org/2012/03/obama-wanted-higher-gasoline-prices/

Basically wrong.

In case you can't figure it out, he said that his plan would cause electricity to skyrocket. So, when he got it passed in the house, it included provisions and regulations to prevent that from happening. Essentially, he predicted a problem and fixed it before it got put into a bill.

As far as gas prices being like Europe, well that's just totally false.

This is just getting embarrassing now.

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