Yeah no real heat behind that statement....as I said years ago nothing would change.

We need to change the rules, the way we allow those that rise to power to function .....

Till then stop your wishing and kvetching....

(yes this means get rid of special interests/riders etc)...but yes the little fat suckers on here hoping to do the same will bitch!!!


How ya'll doing? been awhile, hope everyone is safe and doing well.

Its sad that nothing* has changed.

*except for Lobbying reform, a White House blog to improve transparency, huge improvements in environmental and transportation policy, health care reform, improvements in loans for higher education, the biggest financial system overhaul in 50 years, the US troops leaving Iraq, undoubtedly a much faster recovery from the recession, health care and compensation for 9/11 respondees, two appointments to the supreme court and probably a lot of other things I can't think of off the top of my head

Um... I've seen a fair bit of change that I like. I also am not embarrassed by who is in the white house. It's amazing that we actually have a president that thinks before he acts. Oh you republicans call that dithering!

I love how the rednecks act like there was any real choice between Barack "I got Goldman's Back!" ... and that fucking lunatic "I never said I was a maverick even when I titlted my autobiography that" McCain and his rabid retard, who has managed to go off every single reservation since abandoning Alaska to escape prosecution -- because they would have TOTALLY stuck it to the special interests just like Newt "I'm going to hell for every kind of adultery" Gingrich is sticking it to radical islamic atheists.

Right. You have no argument. You have no cause. You have no clue.

Luvs ya though, Fanny, hope that job situation worked out for you. Back in Utah or Indiana now?

To be perfectly clear I'm no Obama fanboi. Extending the tax cuts for the wealthy was just the most recent of things he did that were totally contrary to what we thought he believed. That being said there has been plenty of progress on a number of issues that are too big to miss unless you consciously choose to ignore them.

The key is not enough has changed and nothing can in this system. Our government is corrupt and no, longer serves the general public good. There's NO point in being a Republican or Democrat when the system is so utterly fucked up. They just want us poor peasants to focus on the petty squabbles of the two aprties while the corporations and mega rich to continue to fuck us in the ass. First step, no more than 2, 4 year terms for ALL Senators and Reps, no exception.

...I'd go into more steps...but I just get too pissed off.:mad:

The key is not enough has changed and nothing can in this system. Our government is corrupt and no, longer serves the general public good. There's NO point in being a Republican or Democrat when the system is so utterly fucked up. They just want us poor peasants to focus on the petty squabbles of the two aprties while the corporations and mega rich to continue to fuck us in the ass. First step, no more than 2, 4 year terms for ALL Senators and Reps, no exception.

...I'd go into more steps...but I just get too pissed off.:mad:

Step 2 ... Revolution?

Yeah let's get rid of special interest groups.

It's not like we have a right to petition the government or anything.

Interest groups are essential to the health of our democracy. They provide information to lawmakers and they give people a voice in government. I cannot even begin to imagine how our system would operate without interest groups. How the hell would we make our needs known to the government?

I'll also point out that tossing up the evil interest groups as a boogeyman is stupid and is usually done by people who have little to no understand of how our government works. Special interest groups aren't just these nefarious, non-transparent organizations which purchase elections and spend money to buy access and peddle influence. People rail against organized interests, but most are members of at least one such organization.

"OMG TEH EVIL INTERESTS!!!"

"...You're a member of the AARP... right? Disabled American Veterans? Campaign for tobacco free kids?"

Sooooo evil... /nod

Yay Fanny, hello mate! :)

http://www.twincities.com/business/ci_17737890?nclick_check=1

Good timing for this. 8% drop in health care costs for retirees due, in part,to the health care overhaul.

Meanwhile they're discussing adding increased fees, and possibly new fees and dropping some service from Tricare to help meet the costs of having children on their parents insurance longer under the new law. Yay for retirees having to spend less...

Retirees spend more money than any other group on health care for obvious reasons. From age ~5 to ~35 most people generally can skate by without any major costs at all. Any level of new fees and stuff like that isn't going to amount to anything compared to an 8% drop.

Actually I was more pointing to the fact that Tricare (military health insurance) cannot currently comply with the healthcare reform as it is too expensive for the current budget. So, now instead of just paying for it in blood sweat and tears, now Uncle Sam is likely to start taking money out of our paychecks too. Beyond what I already pay for dental, and the out of pocket I pay for vision (glasses/contacts etc)

Some people might bitch that we already have it pretty sweet, even better than those state workers up in WI.

Not many of them have IEDs as a standard job hazard tho...

That was going to happen anyway, Tricare has been sitting on the edge of insolvency since before the Iraq war because no political bloc was willing to address rising costs. IEDs aside, you're getting exactly the same shaft everyone else got in the 90s, and while I doubt anyone will have the presence of mind to associate that, blaming the healthcare bill is just a political canard thrown out to distract from the real problem.

My friend's father is the head of the disabled veterans administration in Texas, they've been screaming about what they knew was a looming problem for as long as I can remember.

Step 2 ... Revolution?

Honestly Jedd, we keep going the direction we are headed.....I don't think it's that far away....maybe 20 years off or so.

I don't think it's that far away....maybe 20 years off or so.

The American Idle don't have a long enough attention span to follow through on that. Also, it would, like, totally interfere with keeping track of the latest Jersey Shore season.

Honestly Jedd, we keep going the direction we are headed.....I don't think it's that far away....maybe 20 years off or so.

I am going to start stocking up on ammo then!

Don't forget to buy some guns to put the ammo into.

As far as change goes, that is up to history to decide. That means there has to be time to allow the changes to have an impact, which IMHO there has not been. There really has not been all that much passage of time really, but then again we all want instant gratification. Otherwise, globally, how much more change do you REALLY need? Been a bumper crop of it so far.

The American Idle don't have a long enough attention span to follow through on that. Also, it would, like, totally interfere with keeping track of the latest Jersey Shore season.

Good point, I may be under estimating the level of utter stupidity and apathy that is rife in this country.

Don't let the door hit ya..

It's definitely getting there Trikki.

I want to retire in Brazil.

You are free to visit, bring booze. :)
:devil

Retire in socialism?! Oh the humanity.

You can visit too Malse. Bring a beach umbrella.

:devil

Odds are I'll beat you there. :) Enjoyed the area ever since working with the ITAIPU folks. That dam is something to see.

http://www.fincabellavista.net/

Met with these guys a few years back and I'd love to retire down here at one point.

But that being said, we can't look at what is happening in Northern Africa and logically say that we're next. As international food prices are going up these families are literally starving to death. Their revolutions are of a last resort - the rebels in Libya are dying en masse not because they can't feed their families right now and feel they literally have no other choices.

At age 28 I make an income greater than my mother and father combined. The level of mobility and opportunities we have in this country are impossible in many other corners of the world. Can things be better? Absolutely. Are things getting worse? Likely. Are we at the point where nothing but violence and bloodshed can better ourselves? I don't think so.

MUST KILL!!

First sight of someone coming in and mowing down your family with a machine gun...you would rethink ...its really really bad at the moment. Seriously, same as Kel..make a ton of money, healthy, plenty of food to eat. Biggest decision is what color musky bait should I buy next or what stereo I should set up in my new diesel duramax to pull my boat around the country in. My mom just had a serious surgery done to put a stint in her artery of her neck, had a stroke on the table, they got it right and she is alive and will recover. What 10 years ago she would be spitting crackers and wetting the bed with out that type of advance in medical.

Life IS NOT THAT BAD GUYS.

/shrug.

That's all I can say.

/shrug.

Retirement. LOL, I am too busy paying for my parents retirement to think about my own!

Retirement. LOL, I am too busy paying for my parents retirement to think about my own!

No kidding. I'm lucky. The majority of people my age will not retire. The current generation of 50-55 year olds are probably the last cohort that will entertain that illusion too much longer. And people are going to be pissed when that sinks in.

Actually, the last few posts are exactly why this country won't revolt - we can't afford it. The poor can always start a revolution, as they have nothing to lose. The rich can afford to move on if the revolution goes poorly. The working class/middle class with actual property, but not necessarily excessive wealth, stands to lose the most.

How old are you Lummusl? When I started working in manufacturing (not some glamorous tech job) I was making $6.00 (in the late 80's of course). I was 18, and my manager walked up to me, put down a 401K sheet in front of my face and said, sign over 6% of money to retirement now. I followed his advice and over 22 years increased that amount to 20%. There is a substantial amount of money built up from simply not blowing it from the get go. You young guys better be putting some money away, I know quite a few of you on here make good money. The amount needed to retire is over whelming, however when I run the calcs, I am not that far off, but its been 20+ years in the making.

I am 36 but I was not one of those smart ones who started their 401K when they got their first paper route and I am definitely not a member of the club on this board to be in their 20's and making 6 figures. There have been plenty of mistakes and missteps. I do have some money saved. I have an IRA and my TSP which was contributed to at max amount for 8 years, but unfortunately I am stuck with gaps in employment where I can't do any meaningful contributions so all it will do is earn interest. Its great that I am going back to school to finish up my bachelors, but as it turns out I am going to have to do a full 4 years so that is 4 years where I am stuck having to dip into normal savings from time to time while not contributing to retirement. I do expect to pick up a part time something along the way, but that is more to hedge off unforeseen expenses. Right now I am trying to just maintain my egg and avoid any debt from student loans that will drag me down later.

The only big advantage I have is I don't owe anything to anyone. I rent my house and everything else is paid for. Even my cell phone stays in the black since it is a pre-paid SIM in an HTC Desire I bought outright. Being single in this instance helps a bit too but we will see how long that lasts. It could be far worse. Still, whatever retirement I have will be very modest unless I marry Paris Hilton before she blows all her fortune on coke. Having never made what could be considered "good money" most of my life means you learn to make do with a whole lot less. There won't be lots of time on the golf course or fancy vacations or the little beachfront condo in Florida during my so called Golden years when I am older but still lucid. I will be working but hopefully for enjoyment and not so much because I have to. In retrospect a good argument might be that I am taking my retirement as an annuity through out the course of my whole life as opposed to one lump all at the end. Plus, even if retirement stays at 65, which it won't, I still have 30 years left. Guessing by the time I am close, the accepted minimum retirement age as mandated by society will be 70. Hopefully then I will have a business or some assets I can sell and that will be my retirement fund.

As for what you say is an "overwhelming amount", how extravagant a retirement do you want to have? Eating out every night? Traveling the world? Driving a shiny new car/truck/boat etc? For me its being able to wake up and if I don't want to go into work ever again than I don't have to as long as the lights stay on, food gets bought and all the utility/insurance/medical/transportation bills get paid with a bit left over to have fun with.

You're working on it though and going to school is a huge help and a pain all wrapped up in one. Not having debt will be easier to jump into retirement savings. When you reach 50 they allow you to play catch up on your 401K, and can dump a huge amount of money into it during those years. I read something recently that said its actually to be a renter now than an owner but I never researched it much further, our house is almost paid for (4 years left on a 15 year).

"overwhelming amount", need enough to enjoy life (couple months a year in a warm climate) and pay for those unforseen health care costs that are undoubtly going to hit. There will never be enough saved, I am sure of that but I won't loose sleep over it while still pouring in a huge amount of my yearly salary into it. I'd like to be done at 55, again that depends on many things out of my control.