[dave_ca]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'T')he Federal Government can just print up a bunch more money. It's the state governments that are in real trouble. They don't have the power to print more worthless coupons and have to live within their budgets. We are in real trouble here in Maine, and I guess we aren't alone. They are going to cut 95 million out of the state budget and I'm afraid that they always start at the bottom. The bureaucrats won't be cut until last. Children, elderly and anyone else who is easy to take from get cut first

[billbrasky]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PopeGideon', 'Y')ou know, I severely dislike Bush.
I also severely dislike idiot democrat/liberals whose elected officials currently own two houses of Congress.
Why?
Because when the idiot Congress passes an idiot deficit spending package and it signed by the idiot president, the idiot democrat/liberals come screaming hysterically down the street, "look what Bush is doing."
Who will you f**king blame it on when you own Congress and the White House? Right wing, minority party obstructionists?
You are a total idiot. Your boys in Congress draft this bill and pass it, and you blame it on Bush. This explains a lot about you and our interaction in another thread. Always somebody else to blame, never your fault.
Double plus bad.

[Pops]

I'm thinking the economy over the next months will trump who can get out quicker or stick longer with our war.

Any thoughts?

[mgibbons19]

My wife works for one of the national retail chains everyone is familiar with, and I've been able to see the slowdown in retail sales for several months from her perspective now. Not only that, but said company is aggressively downsizing, without actually handing out pink slips. The changes they are implementing seem designed to encourage ppl to quit.

This company is publicly traded but has no debt, and this is what they are doing to try and remain profitable. what about the others who are leveraged? Only time will tell.

[seldom_seen]

I often wonder if events could unfold in such a way that US troops could actually be abandoned in the middle east at some point in the future. This happened to some Russian soldiers in Afghanistan. They had to walk home.
As the US economy continues its death spiral. Events and concern will turn towards more pressing concerns like, can I pay the bills? Can I feed myself or family? Will I be able to fill up the tank today? Concerns about the security of the middle east will be replaced by concerns about the security outside the front door. The resource wars in faraway lands will become the forgotten wars.
I don't think this will have any affect on politics though. As Peter Tosh said "Politricks! Politician been promising the most good but doing the most dangerous evil. And all the people get is promises. A generation come, and a generation go, and nothing is accomplished."

[Armageddon]

Russia and China do not need to fight the US over oil. All they have to do is wait them out. The US is rotting from the inside out. Superpowers can only remain a superpower for a little while. This 200+ years has been impressive, but it's just about over. The Federal Reserve ( or money changers ) and PO are the culprit.

[efarmer]

It is a hard reality, but it was made a little easier when they showed President Bush doing the Stagflation Soft Shoe while he waited for McCain to show for lunch. Being able to pass and slide instead of cut and run gave our War Daddy happy feets.

[killJOY]

The utter complacency of the public--the cluelessness of the herds; the studied oblivion of the political tweedle-dum set; the crap-pandering indifference of the media hordes; the crapulent lies of the high-and-mighty financial sects; all this convinces me, a merely heiny-miner,
that the next twelve months is going to be a FUCKING MEAT GRINDER.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('killJOY', ' ')a merely heiny-miner

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Y')et the unemployment rate dropped because 200k people gave up.

[efarmer]

John McCain is long on national security and short on economic matters by his own admission. He will undoubtedly choose a VP who is an economy wizard. I hope he does not call the VP of his choice "my friend".
I find it amusing to watch Mr. McCain use the phrase "my friend" during the primary to date. Teeth gritted, eyes glaring, stiff and ready to pounce body language, and then the phrase, "my friend".

I saw the wife brought a rotisserie chicken home from the market yesterday. Suddenly, something came over me and I channeled McCain. I got a fork and plate and pulled the chicken out of it's carton. And then the words came eerily from my lips from some other place entirely:
"Well, my friend, we find ourselves where we can help each other tonight, my friend. You might not agree with everything I do, my friend, like me tearing this leg off of you as I speak, my friend, but in the long run my friend,
<talking with mouth full> yoo and I ur gowing to bacum ewen cwoser, mah fwend <swallow>
In closing, my friend, I would like to thank you for coming out tonight to support me and I know that I can count on you for more support in the near future."
I think "my friend" may be the same guy the cops call "pal".

[seahorse]

Pops, I'm with you on this, and in fact, I think most the hard core "war" Republicans may soon think the economy is more important than the war also. I think the wealthy members of the Carlyle imploding hedge fund are already with you too.