The Tea Parties.. And the Tea Baggers

Well the teaparties have come and gone what does everyone think about them? This is what Shooter has to say

"
What a waste of time. The IRS tax codes have more regulations in them that are specifically designed to allow one to manipulate the system to avoid paying any taxes at all. All you have to do is learn the system and then you don't have to pay any taxes. All quite legal but does require a bit of planning and work. That's something morons don't have the time for. They'd rather pretend they are some sort of protester.

People who attended these idiotic charades they called tea parties are noting but a bunch of morons who have no clue what taxes are all about, what the original Boston tea party was all about and if they did, they dis respected those who actually did do something of substance to protest the British tyrannical taxation practice. If any of you time wasters really wanted to relive the actions of the Boston Tea Party, why didn't you go down to your local ports and try to sink the cargo of a merchant ship, or better yet a US war ship. Man, get a life for crissakes! "
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Well what did you feel about them? Did you visit one? Did you counter protest? Let us know.

http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/67465-so-who-going-teaparty.html

Here are some photos taken by one of our members. General_Disarry



Here is a video from the same member General_Disarry

The Muslims Intergrating into the Western World

There is an interesting debate going on about a town in NY that is "Muslim Only" And how they do or do not intergrate into the western world.

http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/61489-muslim-only-town-usa.html

The debate seems to be that Muslims are not doing like others have (Jews, Italians, Germans etc) and intergrated into the US. They seem to isolate themselves in their own little communes and this seems to be a cause of some distaste that they have for the US and we have for them.

By isolating themselves and blocking out outside influance they can continue to breed hatred and isdain for those on the "outside" and those of us who are outsiders we see them as "scarey" a typical human emotion about the unkown.

The Turth about God? (or lack their of)

We have many discussion's about god, and how the concept of god plays a big role in US politics. One of the most recent debates has been rather or not their even was a god and why people believe one way or another.

s8ists repsonds with:

This is the problem with 'belief' apologetics. Some people can't seem to understand a faulty quantitative argument when they see one. More people believed the world was flat at one point in time, did that mean they were correct? Even if I was able to trot out specific figures and time periods, that would not make my argument any more convincing for one reason: it's a faulty premise. A majority does not determine truth, just the truth that this is what the majority thinks.

The main problem with you asking Jonstad to disprove "God" is that it is impossible. You may think that this is a plus for your side, but actually it's a negative. It's a non-falsifiable premise. Prove to me that there isn't a teapot orbiting the sun. You can't. If you can't see it, it might be on the other side, or just too small to pick up with our instruments, right? All you can do is express doubt about my belief and rightly wonder what basis I have to believe in such a thing. That's where the burden of proof comes in.

Similar to the teapot, but even moreso immeasurable, is the concept of "God." Just like the teapot, there might be some omniscient being that eludes our detection. But if we entertain "God" we must be willing to entertain all premises that cannot be readily proven or disproven: faeries, celestial teapots, flying spaghetti monsters, space pirates, invisible unicorns... I disbelieve the lot of them for the same reason I disbelieve God: insufficient evidence.

The worst part of the "God" hypothesis is that the definition in its loosest conception is as vague to be pointless in determining existence. In its commonly accepted definitions through mainstream religion, it is contradictory enough to be challenged unless by cultural default we presume it should be accepted. Then any number of "celestial teapot" excuses can be used. God works in mysterious ways, just like that orbiting teapot you couldn't see. I can't "know the mind of God" just like those instruments we have may not be capable of picking up the teapot.

As a skeptic, the argument isn't about what we can prove about the non-existence of supernatural beings. It is about the lack of evidence, or the presentation of flimsy evidence that causes our skepticism. Otherwise if I were to be an honest believer, I could no more follow just the teachings of one religion as they all claimed truth. I could not doubt the existence of extraterrestrials and other "phenomena." Such things the average 'believer' excludes from his consideration is based on his own double-standard. His unfalsifiable beliefs are valid, and all others are beyond the pale.

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To read the rest of the discussion and enter the debate yourself visit:
http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/57746-allah-knows-best.html

Sin Taxes, Liberal vs Conservative. A man without a party.

First on the agenda the cigarette taxes. They are going up over 90cents on April 1st, with many stores already raising them in anticipation. I think this is a tricky situation. On the one hand I am a non-smoker and it will not effect me. On the other its more taxes! I think what the money is intended for though is a just cause. An increase in the SCHIP funding, as well as other health care programs. Let the people who are more likly to be a burden on the system pay a bit more into it. Makes sense to me. The same can be said for beer drinkers as well.

But when does it stop? What about fast food? Certainly people being fat is a burden on the healthcare system? I'd bet even more so now then smokers. When does the picking and choosing of what to tax based on "how bad it is" stop? Very dangerous waters and id hate for congress to be telling me what to eat and what not to eat based on their taxes. They are already doing similar programs in New York and California (heavy liberal areas is it any wonder).

This is where my Liberal Side and my Conservative side get into a fight. I cant stand the "Nanny state" and "tree hugging" liberals anymore then I can stand the "religious nutjob" and "socially retarded" conservatives. So where do I go? Libertarian? They do not fit all my social needs. I truly am a man without a party...

How to fix the economy? WEED MAN!

An interesting article from the MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29352523/?gt1=43001


This brougtup an interesting debate.. How do we fix the economy? How do we fix the budet crisis in the national/state/city governments? Well we remove the silly bans on Marijuana.... Think about the billions of dollars being saved? According to statistics the majority of people in jail are in for minor drug offenses. (Possesion/Selling) The numbers I read are somewhere about 50-60% of people in jail are for these type of offenses and nearly as many are repeat offenders.

So Imagine the amount of money this nation will save on court costs, and jails. Thousands (hundreds of thousands?) are in jail or tried in court for drug offesnes relating to weed. Imagine the cost (hundreds of millions/billions) to process all those cases, and all the billions spent on the "war on drugs" to combat weed. Now figure all the money saved from not having to house those Id bet we could close 20-30% of our prisons because of all the free space we'd now have..

Now the fun part. How else does this help the economy? Well for one think about all the agriculture jobs it will create. Marijuana could easily become the nations largest cash crop. It already is in the top 5. Some 13billion dollars in California alone! Thousands of jobs in agriculture will be created, and thousands more in processing plants. Then thousands/hundreds of thousands more in retail business.

Next up taxes.. Tabacco taxes bring in BILLIONS a year in taxes, and its expected Marijuana will do even more (as the taxes will likly be higher). Nationwide Billons and Billions will be brought in. Decriminalizeing marijuana would stimulate the economy more then the 800billion$ stimulus bill recently passed by congress. It will create more jobs, faster and shore of the budgets of states, and federal government faster then any stiumulus bill that has passed.

To discuss this topic visit: http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/53856-california-found-secret-fix-economy.html

When does Life Begin

An interesting topic has been going on. A recent article from those trusted reporters at the AP. posted on FOXNEWs http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/18/north-dakota-house-gives-fertilized-eggs-human-status/

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When does life begin? Is it at conception? Birth? Somewhere in between? This is an issue that tears our nation apart. From the pro-chocie crowd to the pro-life crowd. Probably one of the most polarizing issues our nation faces, but why does it have such an effect on our nation? Certainly their are many more issues to be concerned with that will have more of an impact on our daily lives then abortion.. But alas we are forced to debate it so lets begin.

From where I stand I am against abortion. Id never wish anyone to choose to have it. See so now I got the pro-lifers on my side.. But in the same breathe id also never choose to take away anyones choice to an abortion.. Ooops just lost the lifers, now I got the choicers.... But really what is the issue? Is the issue life? or choice? Well that depends on when you believe life begins.

So join us in discussion When you believe life begins.

http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/52362-when-does-life-begin.html

Another New Deal

Froggiger writes:

Since Obama is intent on acting like FDR, Jr., we should revisit the reasons the Great Depression was so harsh and why it lasted so long. I'll spoil the ending. It was FDR's fault.

In 1929, the stock market was overinflated and crashed. This was not new or unusual news. Throughout history, credit bubbles popped, resources were reallocated to match the reality of the market, the economy recovered, and time marched on. So what was different about the New Deal? Government. Or more precisely, government intervention. Hoover got the ball rolling with jobs programs, spending programs, attempts to bail out banks, and attempts to inflate the money supply. The Depression deepened and FDR raked Hoover over the coals for his big government policies that had not worked. The people bought it and FDR won the Presidency. Then, he began a central planning program that would make any socialist proud.

It was an experiment in big government that utterly failed. That is the reality, but historical revisionism has distorted reality beyond recognition. FDR tried foolish program after foolish program. Higher wages when they needed to fall. Trying to save banks that needed to collapse. Resources were destroyed when they were most needed. Instead of advocating savings, spending was encouraged. The dollar needed to be reinforced but they instead smashed it. Competition was critical and absolutely necessary but the FDR plan cartelized business.

The results of the first major intervention by government to an economic crisis were stunning. Real GDP per adult was 27% below trend from 1933-1939. Per capita GDP was lower in 1939 than in 1929. Unemployment in 1939 was still over 17%. This despite a 100% increase in monetary expansion and taxes that were 3X higher. It was more expensive to hire workers than ever before thanks to unions and wage guarantees.

Every time recovery actually began, FDR's policies would kick it back to the curb. The free market was replaced with regimentation. Business couldn't compete, livestock and crops were destroyed by government edict, dissidents were rounded up. When all was said and done, the government "fix" was a disaster. What would have been a short downturn if the market had been allowed to correct itself turned into over a decade of calamity. Freedom was the biggest loser.

Then came the war. It served as a cover-up for the calamity. The unemployed finally found jobs that cost many their life. The economy shifted to wartime nationalization and price controls. A new Deal by other means.

It was nothing more than a power grab. The mess today clearly illustrates how this is allowed to happen. Start with a group of elites who wouldn't recognize reality if it slapped their jaw. They play the system for themselves and their friends in the short term and forget, or ignore, long-term consequences. People who see through the smoke and try to bring out the truth are pushed aside. The idea that government could prop up the economy with inflation and spending had become very pervasive. The elites who controlled government, the media, and the higher education system had already written off laissez-faire long before Keynes came up with his glossy, flawed economic theories.

History does repeat. What happened in the 1930's is again before us. Bush followed the Hoover model even though the model didn't work then and it isn't working now. Obama wants to recreate FDR's New Deal despite the fact that it also didn't work then and it won't work now.

“Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” --Edmund Burke

You can debate this topic: http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/51498-another-new-deal.html

The Futility of Hybrid Cars

In response to this FOXNEWS Article: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488546,00.html

CrazyAmerica.org Member: Shooter Responds

Everyone of the fear mongering oppositions in the article failed to address the solution to these alternative energy directions and make the false assumption that the negatives have no solution being known. e.g. the negative to wind power was transmission line cost being $26B. Since when does the US Treasury have a problem adding a paltry 26B to the national debt. They spent over 12 times that much in November and can't even explain what happened to the money. biofuels. The fear here is that the US will replace dependence on foreign oil with dependence on foreign food. Totally ridiculous since the US has huge farming resources that it hasn't even tapped. The only reason we now import foreign food is because we want out of season food and foreign is cheaper than building greenhouse farm grown in the US, a viable and in place technology as an adjunct to present traditional farming. The US has completely converted to E10 for 100% of it's present gasoline consumption for over a year now and I don't recall not being able to buy an ear of corn in the grocery store. The only technology that does not have a solution to the main negative is nuclear. That negative is how to safely and economically deal with the waste. The cost to future generations of every KW of nuclear generated today is so astronomically high it isn't even understood enough to list. But when our government want to solve the power problem they quickly turn to nuclear, ignorant of the long term cost and danger of storing the waste.

The article only addresses the impact of plugin Hybrids will have on the CO2 rise in our atmosphere and doesn't really do a good job of that. But the real question should be asked is, What benefit will reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere have? If you believe AlGore's pseudoscience then you think that reduction of GHG will automatically stabilize the earth's climate and we will never have severe weather again, turning the entire globe into a garden of Eden paradise. Yes, AlGore is an idiot but every generation has one.

Personally, I do not regret owning a Hybrid. I also make an effort to rent Prius every chance I get. Why? I like the idea of spending less for gas. Simple as that. While it is questionable when calculating the upfront Hybrid cost increase of the car at purchase vs. the cost saving of the gas at the pump, I justify it this way: Consider I keep a car for 10+ years or 200,000 miles. Because of that Hybrid even at $1.60 per gallon pays off. If I kept it for less than 4 years it would not. At $4.00 per gallon it obviously is an excellent investment. That's it! No, I don't give a rats rear end about GHG I am not saving because I don't see where doing that has any real benefit EXCEPT for the air I breathe in relation to pollution. But more than Hybrid cars will need to be addressed if air pollution in our cities is going to be controlled.

Plugin Hybrids are a trade off of energy source so if the nation does push and switch to mainly plugin technology, the power grid increase MUST be part of that switch. The math doesn't lie and that is a must.

To discuss this topic and read more opinions visit: http://www.crazyamerica.org/pit/49646-futility-hybrid-cars.html

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