Comment from timr
Time: September 30, 2007, 7:58 am

Josh, 105 days and counting. If this
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/10/08/071008fa_fact_hersh
is true, then we are getting closer to a regional war in the mideast. Also, the neocons and “the dick” are pushing very hard for this. Question, are bushco and the neocons believers in “apocalypse evangelical xristianity”?
I would also note that a large minority of Generals in both the AF and the Army are evangelicals and try hard to convert everyone in their commands to their brand of religion. The main idea that seems to be floating around in the evangelical circles these days is that of “the end of days”. I have gone to several different church services over the past half dozen years and this seems to be the one common thread that ties them all together. These people want the final apocalypse to happen on their watch, and it looks to me like some actually have the power to accomplish this goal.
The common thread that runs thru all the neocon rantings is that at all costs we must protect Israel. If that means going to war with Iran(without declaring war, a surprise attack if you will) to keep Iran from talking about destroying Israel, then so be it. I wonder if gwb, the dick, and condi are holding all the way to that part of the neocon philosophy.
A war with Iran would certainly advance gwb’s main goal, to keep our troops in the fight with Iraq, and expanding that fight to Iran. However, to insure that those goals are carried thru would mean a draft, no if, ands, or buts about it.
I have read some articles about the Iran/Iraq war, and I have to say that I think that bushco is going into this just as blindly as they did into Iraq. They have “scenarioed a war with Iran rosily” and have convinced themselves, just as they did before the Iraq war, that if they squeeze their eyes closed tightly enough, and wish hard enough, that all their dreams will come true.
The first rule, when digging into a huge pile of sh*t, is to stop digging. However bushco has convinced themselves that somewhere in that pile is a pony, and they will keep other people digging until they find it.
I am begining to think that I was wildly optimistic when I predicted that the US would become a third world country-or theocracy-within 50 years. If we do not make a massive course change within the next 10 years, then I believe that the US will become a third world country-or theocracy-within 25 years. No one ever went broke underestimating the the intelligence of a mob, and that is what we are becoming, a fear stricken, frightened, uneducated mob. All hail the CPN(couch potato nation)

Comment from Nosebetter
Time: September 30, 2007, 5:24 pm

Yup. Did you see the last Dem debate in New Hampshire. Hillary spent so much time talking about balancing the budget.

Comment from John McCreery
Time: September 30, 2007, 5:26 pm

Come on, Josh. We know that you despise the Wife. But freaking out over 8 billion dollars 21 years from now when we’re being asked to spend nearly twice that a month, right now, this year, to continue to the war in Iraq–where is your sense of proportion.

The biggest problem with that 5,000 bucks per kid is that it won’t be nearly enough to level the playing field with kids like my grandson, for whom I’m putting away nearly twice that much a year. How serious do we want to be about equal opportunity?

Comment from Nosebetter
Time: October 1, 2007, 5:12 am

John:
Yes, but do we take this money away from poor senior citizens or do we borrow the money from China and send these kids to Asia for seven years as indentured servants to pay off the debt? We have a real crisis with kids being able to afford college in the here and now. We should start from that point to improve education.

Actually, we need to know what the $5000 can be used for in order to give it proper discussion.
Is it locked away only for retirement?
Can it be used for college?
Can it be withdrawn at the age of 18 and placed on a craps table?
What other options can it be used for?

The answer to each of these questions is too complex for the comment section.

Comment from timr
Time: October 1, 2007, 5:26 am

nose, one other problem with kids being able to afford college. A story in my local paper today states that the amount owed by new college grads could have long term effects on the nations economy. I am somewhat unsure of exactly why, other than the fact that a good portion of their salery would have to be used to pay off the debt, which I suppose, in a consumer oriented economy, means that they could not buy stuff because of the debt. Question, didn’t the fedgov have a program that forgave the education debt if the college grad worked for a few years at jobs in poor areas? Was that program cancelled?

Comment from Pat
Time: October 1, 2007, 7:21 am

Hillary, and a lot of other democrats voted last week in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman Iran Amendment. Once again buying into bush’s lies. First he falsely claimed that Iraq was a threat to us, now he is claiming the same thing about Iran, and these spineless enablers are letting him get away with it.

This amendment declares the Iran Revolutionary guard a “terrorist organization,” and basically will only encourage bush to find an excuse to attack Iran. This vote of hers will cost our country a lot more than her proposed $5,000 bond for every baby.

The Senate also voted last week to raise the debt ceiling from 8.965 trillion to 9.815 trillion. This is the fifth increase since bush took office, but he is going to veto the S-CHIP bill because he claims it will cost too much. I guess if you’re planning an “end of days” event, you really don’t need health insurance now do you?

Comment from Nosebetter
Time: October 1, 2007, 9:32 am

timr:
The gov has a program that forgives some debt in certain areas for certain occupations. Once those very few slots are taken, there is no more. The Dems have proposed a plan to extend that. It’s tied to their student loan proposal.
The whole student grant and loan program is smoke and mirrors. A person could financially qualify for 100% of available programs, but receive nothing. It’s underfunded and part of the block grant sham.