[Falconoffury]

As a Florida resident, I decided to sit through the whole debate, which was finished not long ago. I feel cheated. It was like a Mitt Romney Q&A. All candidates should have roughly equal speaking time. He said some good generalities about cutting taxes and cutting spending, but he went on later about some programs that would increase spending. Romney's specific plans contradict his general messages. He's a living contradiction.

McCain and Guliani were shoveling shit like always. McCain wants to conquer the world, and Guliani sounds the most Bush-like of all the candidates where the economy is concerned. He wants to just keep increasing the deficit and maintain our dependence on China. They are both "status quo" all the way.

Ron Paul was in top form as always, but he got by far the fewest questions. He's the only one who mentioned inflation problems. They asked him if ending social security was a good idea right after stating that 3.5 million Floridians depend on it. What a disgusting attempt to sabotage his answer. Good thing Ron Paul pointed out that social security is a failed system and young people should be allowed to get out of it.

Huckabee I just can't figure out. He has a few things right, but a few things very very wrong. Yes, the poor have it rough these days, but he fails to grasp the reasons why. He almost sounds like a Democrat when it comes to social programs.

There is just no hope. We have one smart guy, and none of the other candidates even come close. It seems like I get more depressed with every passing debate.

[greenworm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ')He said some good generalities about cutting taxes and cutting spending

[jedinvest]

What's to debate? A republican won't get elected in 2008.

Peak Oil doesn't have anything on American politics. We would self-destruct anyway and may still do so before peak-oil even makes itself felt.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'G')ood thing Ron Paul pointed out that social security is a failed system and young people should be allowed to get out of it.

[Falconoffury]

There may be more than one way to solve social security, but it is failing in its current state, and needs change. I agree that people should be allowed to get out of the social security system if they choose. Choices are always preferable.

Mitt Romney said he might have to raise the age that people will be allowed to start recieving social security. That's certainly the wrong direction to solving the system.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'T')here may be more than one way to solve social security, but it is failing in its current state, and needs change. I agree that people should be allowed to get out of the social security system if they choose. Choices are always preferable.

Mitt Romney said he might have to raise the age that people will be allowed to start recieving social security. That's certainly the wrong direction to solving the system.

[jedinvest]

Tyler,
What do you do when the unemployment rate sky-rockets? Do you still want senior citizens looking for jobs??

Peak-Oil and Social Security Retirement don't seem very congruous to me. I do expect the federal government to be bankrupt at some point and social security will be a sideshow.

[RedStateGreen]

Social security has always been a pyramid scheme, based on the hope that our population would continually increase. The only way it's been kept afloat as long as it has is due to immigration.

[Falconoffury]

Tyler, pushing back the day of reckoning is not a solution. It only makes the day of reckoning that much worse. The rise of our debt-based economy has all been about pushing back the day of reckoning. The recent interest rate cuts and 100 billion dollar economic boost package that Bush has endorsed are some of the biggest examples.

I say let it crash now. It will be best for us in the long run. All the faster we can get the crash over with and starting picking up the pieces and building a system that works.

The biggest complaint I hear about Ron Paul is that he is too extreme in the things he wants to cut. Well, extreme measures are needed to save us from the mess we are in.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RedStateGreen', 'S')ocial security has always been a pyramid scheme, based on the hope that our population would continually increase. The only way it's been kept afloat as long as it has is due to immigration.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', '
')In the best case scenario, it makes the system solvent indefinitely.