Monday, November 14, 2005

Rewriting history

Bush said this the other day:

"While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decisions or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began," the president said in a Veterans Day speech in Pennsylvania.

It is nice that he is coming around on the whole right-to-protest idea. It was not too long ago that he was all about "you're either with us or against us" and "criticizing the war hurts the troops."

I guess this makes him a flip-flopper.


21 Comments:

At 12:57 PM, Blogger Erik posited...

Shocking. A politician who flip-flops. Now if Kerry were in office that would NEVER happen. He never once changed his stance on issues. My stance on the election of '04 was much like the billing for "Alien Vs. Predator." Whoever wins, we lose.

 
At 1:08 PM, Blogger Tom posited...

yeah, but, lose what, really? what are we gonna lose? at least we don't live in a third world country. no matter who is president, this is still the best country to live in. sorry if im coming off as a jingoist when i say that... but its totally true...

 
At 1:09 PM, Blogger CoachDub posited...

Did it cross your mind that there was some sort of point-based reason for my choice of the words "flip-flopping"?

 
At 1:10 PM, Blogger CoachDub posited...

Good point, Tom. Though certain people fare better under certain presidents.

 
At 2:39 PM, Blogger Tom posited...

that's true, but at the expense of others.

 
At 2:40 PM, Blogger CoachDub posited...

Exactly.

 
At 3:47 PM, Blogger Tom posited...

ok, lets get into it.

poor people suffer from from their own ineptitude. there, i said it. and you can't refute it, you can only say that they are unable to get out of their current situation without some help. i disagree. i agree that everyone can't bring themselves out of the gutters, but only because not everyone is willing to try (and very often welfare simply enables them to continue their lifestyles without dying, instead of helping them to get out of poverty). You, im sure, believe that rich people can afford to pay lot's in taxes, so they should, to help the poverty stricken. Yes, they can afford it, and many would anyways without being forced to by the government, except, in the form of donations to OXFAM (and others), of their own volition. It is wrong to FORCE people to give thier money to something that they don't benefit from. The logic of "they can afford to pay so they should pay" is very wrong.

Oh, and by the way, Of course the rich get richer!!! Im so sick of hearing that. "Oh, republican president, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer." The rich get richer when there is a democratic president too, because they have access to resources to make their wealth grow. duh. argh. and the poor get poorer because in the society they live in, if something isn't handed over to them, they feel deprived and hated and shit on and that they can never help themselves. thats sad, because people should not depend on the government for their livelyhood.

What it really boils down to is natural selection. Throw out the very few exceptions- dumb people who inherit lots of money, etc.- and you can see that the strong survive and the weak succomb to thier own weaknesses and as "sad" as this is, it is very beneficial to society. im cold, im an asshole, whatever, im a realist and a cynic and i see clearly how things work. believe it or not, ive lived in poverty for a short time. For a year my mom and my sister and I lived in a tiny shitty apartment in St. Cloud while my mom worked full time at a low paying job, eating whatever was left on my and my sisters plates when we were done eating until she saved enough money for us to move back to Brainerd and get a better apartment and a better job. My mom is a strong woman and never depended on anyone else for anything, and that's why Im able to be sitting at college typing on this computer, not because the government helped us. With the government to depend on, people don't need to work hard and benefit society to live, they just pick up a check, and it's having a negative effect on this country. by the same basic principle, it is really dumb to penalize people for becoming wealthy... why work harder to make more money and get bumped up into a higher tax bracket and bring home less money? it would benefit society for people to work harder, but there is no reason to anymore, because of the democrats' "compassion".

 
At 4:12 PM, Blogger CoachDub posited...

All passionate arguments, but I am not going to respond, for two reasons:
1) Two brick walls arguing is pointless.
But more importantly,
2) My post and my comment were about the war and this president, not about taxes, welfare, and stereotypes of Republicans and Democrats.
So I more than happy to let you "get into it" and everyone else is free to respond to your comments. But on this particular post, I am not interested.

 
At 4:25 PM, Blogger Tom posited...

3. you know im totally right!!! haha just kidding.
sorry for changing the subject, but dont pretend like you didnt provoke me. also, i dont think that two brick walls arguing is pointless. niether may budge, but its still important to understand other people's opinions. you just got mine for free, and i get nothing (tear).

 
At 4:43 PM, Blogger CoachDub posited...

Like you don't already know how I would respond!

And I did not provoke you on this topic. Maybe on another topic . . .

 
At 4:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous posited...

hold on there boy(sahib.you really need to go out and experience the world. GO visit a third world country other than mexico. Talk with the people, experience life throught their eyes. Many people don´t have the opportunity to learn and to rise themself above the poverty line. Only the selected few can rise themself above the poverty line. It´s not a matter of the strong and the weak. Yes there are always going to be those who leech of the system. However many people truely need help. I´m don´t agree with just handing out money and what not, however I believe that people need to be taught how to make themselves better.

You really need to go and experience the world before you have the right to make such narrow minded assertions... Yes you may have lived in poverty for awhile, but my family did as well, and I remeber how hard it was for us to get out of it. I also remember how happy my family was when we got some government relief. I don´t know how we would´ve made it through actually....

So please think about how things are for other people. Go and experience something new. Grow as a person, and stop being a typical narrow minded american.

 
At 6:01 PM, Blogger P "N" K posited...

wooooah boy tom. Wow.

Oooookay.

Kayla. I have visited what I would consider at least 2.5th world countries. Excluding Mexico (one day only when I was 7) I've been to both Peru and South Korea.

Sure, it's easily arguable that neither of these are true third world countries, but that's really not the case. Just like in every country, including here, the bottom people on the totem poles are extremely impoverished and I'm pretty dang sure either would make the 3rd world list. Heck, I'm also pretty sure my mother probably fit into this category. I was placed up for adoption for a reason. Either my mother was too young to take care of me, which is entirely possible, or the Korean society standards dictated that she couldn't have a child out of wedlock, which is also probable. I don't know.

Anyway, the point of all of that was...I've seen some pretty desperate people and guess what, at least in principle I still agree with Tom. And as such, I don't really appreciate being called some narrow-minded American just because my heart doesn't donate a liter of blood every day for others.

Look, everyone. Dub, Kayla, Tom, whoever. I'm not against social programs that help people. I'm NOT, and by and large, I don't think any clear-thinking conservative is. What I am AGAINST is two things.

1) I am AGAINST programs that have no clear objective, goal, and demonstrate no results. ONLY in the federal government are you COMMENDED if you manage to piss away all your money. This is the bureaucracy. What business runs like this? NONE. No matter what the program is, this is stupid! People should strive for efficiency and NOT just waste all their funds to ensure their budget isn't slashed by 20% the next year or something equally stupid.

2) I am also AGAINST the people, whatever percentage they are, that just SIT ON THEIR ASSES and don't BOTHER to go out and look for a job. They don't BOTHER to try. They don't BOTHER to even think about improving their own situation. These are the people that suck off the system and all the other hardworking people that support their lazy uninspired and hopeless souls.

I am completely for government aid for people and families that need it as long as they aren't just grabbing for whatever handout they can get as the end all purpose of their life. This IS NOT FAIR to anyone! Themselves, others, the government, their kids, it doesn't matter. That doesn't help anybody. So if a person is making an attempt, however meager it is. Fine. Great. Go for it! I'm totally for the government helping them get on their feet. But when a person just gives up or never even cares in the first place and figure they are ENTITLED to handouts just because they are poor, THAT is what makes me furious. I hate very few people, but that's about as close as I come.

There. That is brick wall #3. Two more and guess what we have?

da-dummmm...

THE PENTAGON SUCKAS! Hell yes.

 
At 6:21 PM, Blogger Tom posited...

Im sure that you were very anxious to flaunt your international perspective at someone's expense, but i was writing in reference to America only. sorry. but i get it. if it makes you feel any better, im sure you are very open minded now and see things with great clarity. congrats.

 
At 7:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous posited...

Parker,

I agree with you about the government and free hand outs. I guess I didn´t explain myself very well. Sorry.

And Sahib, i don´t see the world with compleate clarity, I do see it better now thoe.

 
At 8:03 PM, Blogger J0hn posited...

Personally, I think we need to discuss healthcare.

 
At 8:04 PM, Blogger J0hn posited...

There is a problem when Cuba has a better medical system than us. Those Godless Communist Liars and Spies who live down there having a better healthcare system than us... What nerve.

 
At 10:33 PM, Blogger Tom posited...

why did you capitalize those things?

 
At 11:06 PM, Blogger P "N" K posited...

John, there's a big difference between Health COVERAGE and Health CARE.

You're talking about the fact that everyone has some form of insurance or what have you.

Fact is, in America, there is infinitely better health CARE than in Cuba. That's not even close.

 
At 8:30 AM, Blogger Erik posited...

I already plan to vote for Cal Ripken Jr. Really, he has everything you could want in a candidate. Class, determination, motivation, reliability, and a personality. He could run on a Socialist-Worker's party ticket and he'd still garner my vote. "Vote For Cal, He's My Pal!"

Obviously, I don't really want to debate politics. Just talk about Cal Ripken Jr.

 
At 9:16 AM, Blogger Maya Kuehn posited...

not to be a bitch (and i'm not even getting into this discussion), but it's "truly," not "truely." please please please make it better. it's one of my biggest spelling pet peeves, and it's easy, so change it, and look roughly 50 times smarter. everyone wins!

 
At 10:09 AM, Blogger CoachDub posited...

"By the way, can't we all just get along..."

Oh Trent . . . call me when the shuttle lands.

 

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