Obama: Surge Succeeded Beyond ‘Wildest Dreams’

[jokostel]

Travel to exotic lands.... meet new people, then kill them.

[MTAtech]

Why the Surge has Failed

[Pexster]

Careful. The introduction of facts and thoughtful analysis is generally not welcome here.

[Atomic Rooster]

Why the Surge has Failed

Well, that proves it. Despite graduating with "Highest Honors from the Harvard School of Law", Obama still can't get it right.

But then, he also claims to have visited 57 states.

[Gomer]

Your report is wrong, the surge did indeed shift many over to our side in itself. As I said our commitment did indeed convince many towards our side.

I WAS THERE.

EITHER WAY OUR ARMY HAS WON

Go ahead and play down our success, our blood, our sweat as nothing.

Which part of my report was wrong?

Where was it I played down our success in that post?

You're delusional.

[Pexster]

Well, that proves it. Despite graduating with "Highest Honors from the Harvard School of Law", Obama still can't get it right.

But then, he also claims to have visited 57 states.

I'll bet you didn't read the article did you? C'mon, admit it!

[Atomic Rooster]

You are so wrong about so many things Pex it boggles the mind.

[Pexster]

Well, if you read the article, your comment about Obama makes no sense -- at least in relation to the article. Maybe it was just a throwaway non sequitur?

But I tend to think it reinforces my theory that a lot of you guys don't even read linked article or other's posts before reacting.

[sharder8]

That 4 day smell when you only have sand to wash your ass with is downright unique.

Try day 6 and the temp has now warmed to -35 . . . time for a snow bath . . .

I don't think there is anything that smells worse than 12 men living in a 10 man tent after a week of C-rats . . . and knowing that the temp outside the tent is -60F. At that point, you don't need to worry about shaving, ya' just step outside on post for 30 min., some back inside and wipe the beard off. It's amazing how brittle everything becomes at those temps.

Harder

[pickel]

You know, all this talk about the "Surge" working , not working is totally irrelevant, IMO. I'm waiting to see what happens when we stop paying off the Iraqis and pull out. If we pulled out of all the places we have troops now, what do think will happen?? The economy would be shot, welfare would zoom and all the rats in the world would creep in in our vacancies. When China forecloses on us, we're fucked. It's coming.......Nothing lasts forever...

[J.Pope]

You know, all this talk about the "Surge" working , not working is totally irrelevant, IMO. I'm waiting to see what happens when we stop paying off the Iraqis and pull out. If we pulled out of all the places we have troops now, what do think will happen?? The economy would be shot, welfare would zoom and all the rats in the world would creep in in our vacancies. When China forecloses on us, we're fucked. It's coming.......Nothing lasts forever...

Senate Leadership
Majority Leader - $188,100 Minority Leader - $188,100 House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $217,400
Majority Leader - $188,100
Minority Leader - $188,100
Congress: Rank-and-File Members' Salary
The current salary (2008) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $169,300

If we cut the salary of the president, senate, and house members by $100,000 each (why should they make any more than the average American), and cut all the earmarks, that would be roughly $18,053,600,000 each year. We owe china $492,000,000,000. We could have them paid off in 28 years. That is if we don't borrow any more from them.

[MTAtech]

If we cut the salary of the president, senate, and house members by $100,000 each (why should they make any more than the average American), and cut all the earmarks, that would be roughly $18,053,600,000 each year. We owe china $492,000,000,000. We could have them paid off in 28 years. That is if we don't borrow any more from them.

First, we owe China $503.8 billion (as of June 2008) out of a total of $2.6 trillion in Treasury securities that we owe foreigners. The interest on China's debt alone is over $25 billion a year (at 5%), which is more than the the $18 billion mentioned.

Second, as you can see, cutting leadership salaries doesn't save much money while assuring that only wealthy people with independent means can hold public office. Nobody who depends upon a salary to feed a family will run for the House or Senate if the pay is $40-50K a year. It's a ridiculous suggestion.

Third, what's all the focus recently on earmarks? As Gail Collins said recently, "they’re about as critical a problem as the overlong Christmas shopping season." They represent $18B in the budget and most are worthy -- not the waste reported. The budget deficit is over $500B and the increase in defense appropriations alone is ten times what all the earmarks are. Interest on items we demanded the government provide but don't want to pay for through taxes, is another $431B per year. Earmarks are a tiny fraction but a convenient distraction.

Republicans and Democrats, but mostly Republicans, don't want to face the simple reality that the national debt can only be reduced if the government runs budget surpluses every year. The only way to run budget surpluses is to increase taxes or cut spending or a combination of both and politicians have been unwilling to do either. I suggest we return to the the tax-rates that existed under Clinton and cut the defense budget to 2004 levels. Without doing the math, that would either create a surplus or come close.

Some will respond with "higher taxes will undermine the economy." Nonesense. The nation has had prosperity many times when taxes were higher and we now have the lowest taxes in decades and the prosperity Bush promised never materialized.

What critics choose to forget is that not having the government compete with private users of credit in the credit markets has economic benefits too, usually lower interest rates, which stimulate the economy.

ADMITTEDLY, NONE OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SURGE

[pickel]

If we cut the salary of the president, senate, and house members by $100,000 each (why should they make any more than the average American), and cut all the earmarks, that would be roughly $18,053,600,000 each year. We owe china $492,000,000,000. We could have them paid off in 28 years. That is if we don't borrow any more from them.

Hell, just require politicians to pay their own salary. They want to honor and prestige, let them serve is for free. They would only need to use the interest on their own money, anyway and could write it off on their income tax ( they do already). Better yet, have a lottery for public office and let some Good Ole Boys run things for a while. Maybe they'll bring back the vigilantes and straighten out the mess in Washington and Alaska.( did I forget Iraq and Afghanistan, sorry )

[Atomic Rooster]

[The Real Bingo]

Just words, AR...just words.