The logic doesnt add up....

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Fast_Eddie

Maybe the tea party folks should move somewhere that has lower taxes.

I'll pitch in for some one-way tickets if you will. OTOH, there would have to be a country willing to grant them visas. That would probably be somewhere near total anarchy - Somalia or Yemen, perhaps. Their taxes might be low enough for that crowd. However, the average IQ of such nations would drop precipitously if too many tea-partyers were to take up residence there.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Boreas

But see, these folks are patriots. They want to return America to the country the Foundering Fathers created. We, on the other hand, want to turn the "World's Greatest Democracy" into a gulag.

I know this is true because Glenn Beck told me so.

John

Well, then there you have it.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by finnbow

That would probably be somewhere near total anarchy.

You don't need to say it in such a partisan manner- you mean somewhere where government stays out of their lives.

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I know this is true because Glenn Beck told me so.

It's a good thing we have people like Beck to keep us divided. Otherwise we might all work together and get things done. Sounds a lot like Socialism to me.

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Of course, this is complete nonsense. Ours is the highest in "The Civilized World". Does your smiley mean you know that?

It is still extremely low.

Originally Posted by Boreas

Fixed it for you.

Do you believe that?

Originally Posted by Boreas

And the rest of the world trembles.

They should. And if we ever crawl back into our shell, they'll know why.

Originally Posted by Boreas

Statistics? What we shell out to operate our European military bases doesn't count, by the way.

If we don't need the bases, and the money goes into their local economy...

Originally Posted by Boreas

No, I wasn't saying you were but I suspect the blogger was.

John

'tis a sticky wicket. Very difficult to talk about crime in a race charged atmosphere.

Pete

[merrylander]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cr...ers-per-capita

Try that link foir size.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Do you believe that? (that our homicide rate is the highest among developed democratic nations)

It's not a matter of belief but of fact, something the Right has a certain amount of difficulty with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._homicide_rate

The only developed country (but not a democratic one) with a higher homicide rate than ours is Russia. You know, that place all us Lefties want to move to.

If we don't need the bases, and the money goes into their local economy...

You mean what our personnel spend? That's not aid money. Plus, if you were to ask in some place like Okinawa (or even US territory like Guam) whether that "boost to the local economy" was worth the social and financial costs of having our bases in their countries, you would definitely like the answer.

'tis a sticky wicket. Very difficult to talk about crime in a race charged atmosphere.

Pete

Especially when one party to the discussion (not you, Pete) skews the data to further charge the atmosphere.

John

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Do you believe that?

Sorry. In an earlier post I answered the wrong question in response to the above. I take it you were asking whether I believed that changing "Pax Americana" to "Pox Americana" was justified. The answer is yes, on balance I do. I think that America as "Global Hegemon" is decidedly a net negative for the rest of the world and ultimately for us. All you need do is look at what's going on in the world and the role played by the US in global strife and the conspicuous absence of US influence in anything of a positive nature to see the validity of my position.

John

[piece-itpete]

Believing that, was in response to Pox Americana.

I see our murder rate is 1.1 persons - per 100,000 - more than Europes. Thank goodness they can show us savages the way!

No wonder I carry my AK-47 every time I leave the house.

If we don't need bases in Europe lets close them - now. Billions.

And if Japan isn't afraid of China, let'em hang.

Someone will always be on the top of the hill. We will be missed....

Pete

[merrylander]

The base on Okinawa is very much wanted by the Marine Corp, for training and other noisy pastimes. It is practically like having an airstrip on the Washington mall relative the the city there.