WHAT SHOULD THE PRESIDENT BE CONCENTRATING ON

[john_galt]

What should the President be concentrating on???

1. The economy
2. The war in Afghanistan
3. The war on Islamic terrorism
4. Jobs
5. The Gulf of Mexico and oil
6. Energy
7. The almost war on the Korean peninsula
8. How he will get legislation through with the new GOP speaker of the house next year.
9. The special prosecutor that has yet to be appointed
10. If he is lucky and avoids impeachment, what he will do in 2012 after being unseated.

[Philhelm]

I have no hopes that Obama will do anything good, at least if it is an important issue. However, what I would like to see, in no particular order, is the following:

1. Wean Americans off of the welfare state (This goes far beyond the actual welfare program, mind you).
2. End foreign aid at the cost of U.S. taxpayers.
3. Abolish the IRS, or at the very least, see that their combat shotguns (with illegal, 14 inch barrels) are taken away.
4. Withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan. It is clear that our troops have been betrayed, and that our leaders do not wish to achieve victory.
5. Ignore Iran, and let Israel deal with its own problems.
6. Ignore North Korea and withdraw from South Korea, and let it deal with its own problems.
7. Withdraw from U.N. membership, but still use the organization for the purposes of an international forum. No military operations and sanctions on their behalf!
8. Turn away from the "too big to fail" philosophy, and embrace the "too big to succeed" philosophy. Yes, I'm looking at you, government!
9. End the war on drugs, and the decades of murder and imprisonment it has brought.
10. Repeal the USA PATRIOT Act.
11. Abolish the Department of Homeland Security.
12. Abolish the ATF.
13. Abolish the CIA.
14. Put citizens' interests above that of corporate interests.
15. Defend our borders from foreign nationals.
16. Don't allow the term "WMD" be redefined for political convenience.
17. No unlawful search and seizure.
18. No national ID card.
19. Eliminate, or at least diminish, harmful government intervention and regulation on the free market.
20. No Cap and Trade.
21. Eliminate the "sin" taxes.
22. And seriously, Barry my man, does Nancy Pelosi like DATY?

[dirty dog]

"Second to Air Travel is Auto/Truck traffic. The average truck gets 5-6 MPG, compared to nearly 500 MPG for the same load on rail. Yet the US continues to expand the Inter-States, other highways, and roads; while pushing disincentives for rail expansion and development. Again, the obvious conclusion is the promotion of OIL use."

I agree with what you saying Mike, but there is one variable that is not being accounted for, jobs! When you eliminate truckers for trains, your eliminating jobs, when people talk about jobs they act as if its a renewable resource, its not. Each year we are already losing jobs to technology. Everyone wants to complain about jobs going overseas what about whole industrys being wyped out by technology, for example... every time you rent a movie from red box, your eliminating a job at block buster, block buster employees thousands nationwide, when they finanlly die off, which they are very close to doing, that industry will die too. Those thousands of jobs are never coming back. The american people need to start realizing that it might be a $1.00 cheaper to by someone on the net or at an automatic vending machine, but is it the best thing for this country. Most people wont care because the idea of getting something for nothing or at a very low price fuels their own self indulgent needs, no they wont care until technology eliminates their job. Sorry for the rant, but Mike I think that jobs might also play into the equasion here.

[Enchanterlingum]

Ponying up a birth certificate.

[HeyMikie]

Originally Posted by dirty dog

I agree with what you saying Mike, but there is one variable that is not being accounted for, jobs! When you eliminate truckers for trains, your eliminating jobs, when people talk about jobs they act as if its a renewable resource, its not.

The switch to Rail is almost job neutral, with many transportation jobs being better pay or/and better quality of life. "Over the Road" drivers will be replaced with more local inter-modal drivers. Road construction will be replaced by rail construction, probably better job benefits and similar if not better pay. Some drivers will be displaced, but there will be a need for more "drivers" in the expanding rail deployment.

[catnipdipper]

Dirty Dog I thought for a moment that I was hearing you speak like a union man? Fearful the free market are we? A free market will deliver the best products at the lowest costs to the public benefit. That is a Republican position and when left unregulated it will burn up and then ask for help again and again and again.

I don't think RedBox is selling your type of videos?

[dirty dog]

Nope, not fearful at all, but jobs are being eliminated by technology at a greater rate than they are being replaced. Which was the premise of my post.

[Bartman1963]

As to DADT I personally don't give a rat's ass. Or Harvey Fierstein's for that matter. But I don't think Obama is actually spending that much time on it. It was just once controversial and gets a lot of press.

If I had my "drothers" I would like to see him:

Seek a faster end to the war in Iraq.

Unleash our full military might on Afghanistan.

Quit taunting Russia with Patriots in Poland. "Don't bait the Bear".

Since Afghanistan is landlocked, have a great portion of the most powerful Navy on earth blow up every fucking boat in Somalia, just so we won't have to relive "Blackhawk Down" every time a pirate shoots an AK-47 at a freighter.

Tell Iran simply this. "We have five Ohio class boomers within range of every inch of your country. Go nuclear? Fine. Terrorists get a nuke, and one single American dies then your whole country is an inch thick layer of blue glass. You'll get four minutes warning."

Tell the Republicans in Congress they can come along for the ride or get left behind. And then actually do it!

Forcefully ask congress to extend unemployment benefits.

These are not in order.

[Bartman1963]

Oh yeah and replace the M-16 family of weapons. 5.56 x 45 with the longer heavier bullet is not effective against a motivated sometimes drugged up enemy.

[dirty dog]

I agree with you Bartman, the M-16 was fine against the enemy it was designed to fight, Asians, but against the larger bodied and usually stoned Iraq's and Afgani's it does not have enough knock down since the bullet is only 90 grains. The new 6.8 which is the equivelent of a .270 and has the same knock down as the ak47. My personal choice would be the .308 winchester, but I dont see that happening.

[Guest090920]

I'm just about ready to suggest that he reduce our nuclear arsenal one warhead at a time, beginning with targets in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea...I'm sure I'll think of more....

[Guest052813-01]

Originally Posted by scorpio31

I'm just about ready to suggest that he reduce our nuclear arsenal one warhead at a time, beginning with targets in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea...I'm sure I'll think of more....

I agree - the best way to reduce the number of nuclear weapons - use them.

Seriously, though, he should be concentrating on finding out if his old job at ACORN will be available on Jan. 21, 2013. That seems to be the only job he has held at which he has been proven successful.

[dirty dog]

Lets look a little closer at the real thrust of my post, is dont ask dont tell that important that it should be superceding the other more pressing issues going on that many have noted here. If so, why, if not why.

[ANONONE]

Well, since he and his cohorts are basically socialist, they should at least be good socialists and improve our infrastructure. If you are going to spend money thinking it will stimulate the economy, at least spend it on public works and improve the roads, bridges, highways, damns, railways, bike trails and parks.

If we are going to be in tremendous debt, we might as well spruce things up around here.

[wellendowed1911]

If I were Obama I would tell the Tea party activist to kiss my ass and bring charges against Bush, Cheney and Karl Rove for destroying this country.