Other - Politics & Government - October 2007

We constantly hear that "the gap between rich and poor is widening", but does that really mean ANYONE is worse off?

For example, Say there are two people. One makes $100,000 a year. The other makes $10,000 per year. The difference in their incomes is $90,000.

Over the next year they both experience a 10% increase in income. Now the first person is making $110,000 a year and the second is making $11,000 a year. Both are better off. Both have more money to spend.

However, the difference in their incomes has increased from $90,000 to $99,000. Even though no one is worse off than before and indeed both are better off, the gap between rich and poor has just widened by $9,000!

Doesn't this example show the income gap to be a meaningless argument? In fact, if incomes continue to rise, doesn't that mean that the income gap HAS to increase?

2007-10-10 14:05:22 · 7 answers · asked by David M 6

First it was the retroactive law to cover acts of torture that were considered war crimes according to U.S. law and now this. Can't he just say, " I'm the decisionmaker." again? Doesn't the need for a retroactive law obviously imply his guilt and theirs just as it did with the torture bill?.

http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=280

2007-10-10 14:01:43 · 8 answers · asked by Guardian 3

It really is difficult to remain unbiased when it comes to discussing Americans. They arrogate to themselves the right to act as this planet's policeman, to condemn other countries for real or perceived breaches of human rights and to rail against forms of government which in American eyes are less democratic than theirs. As Americans are such good Christians, surely they know the passage in the Bible that says: "O thou hypocrite, before thou wouldst remove the splinter from thy brother's eye, attend to the beam in thine own eye!" Never has a passage from the Bible been more apt. So naturally do Americans become defensive when their own shortcomings are pointed out to them, because to face the truth would be unbearable.
Which other self-proclaimed peace-loving country has waged so many wars against smaller defenceless countries, has allowed the members of their military to commit atrocity after atrocity going back to WW2, the Korean War, Vietnam, and now Iraq?
In what other country do you need to be a millionaire or at least be able to raise millions in order to be elected to parliament or chief executive?
Where else on this globe has the education system broken down and/or deteriorated to such an extent that children no are no longer able to read and write or do simple arithmetic and need to take remedial classes upon entering college?
In which other country with the exception of certain Middle Eastern nations does a small fundamentalist religious minority have the power to manipulate both government and the media to enforce a Victorian concept of morality upon an unwilling population?
I could go on and on, but let this suffice.
No wonder Americans are sensitive when it comes to discussing their shortcomings

2007-10-10 13:50:03 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous

i've not been following the news and recently gotten interested in knowing about the crisis. and now, i'm lost trying to understand what's happening.
Thanks.

2007-10-10 13:42:47 · 2 answers · asked by anna 1

our constitution wasn't written for the world and it peoples it was written for U.S. citizens and those who immigrate here to become citizens...

2007-10-10 13:28:29 · 11 answers · asked by turntable 6

2007-10-10 13:25:49 · 13 answers · asked by jrod 2

between the two groups in practice? Doesn't appear to be. Both groups feel they will go to a better place if they die in battle, so they feel free to kill without conscience. Christians have murdered as much or more than Muslims over the course of history, so are hardly in a position to be self-righteous.

2007-10-10 12:50:05 · 8 answers · asked by JiveMan 2

why did president bush's proposal to privatize 4% of social security a couple years back come under such intense criticism, especially given the fact that social security is widely recognized as inevitably heading for bankruptcy by just about everybody?

2007-10-10 12:35:25 · 9 answers · asked by White 5

2007-10-10 12:22:48 · 8 answers · asked by abdul aziz 1

How can a person "break out?"

2007-10-10 11:48:57 · 8 answers · asked by America scarica 3

I'm sorry, but I firmly believe (so don't tell me magic stories of hope and happiness at last through medication) that these drugs are overprescribed and in 90 percent of cases, not necessary. Hey, guess what, if you are grieving because of a catastrophy-be it personal or national-THAT'S NORMAL! You're suppose to feel those things, it builds character. Something we seemed to almost instantly lack as a society. how many dirty stinkin politicinas would benefit from a spineless society? how many would promote it? all sneaky like with money changing hands, etc.

2007-10-10 11:45:58 · 6 answers · asked by America scarica 3

Someone with knowledge in these affairs would be appreciated. But feel free to comment anyhow

2007-10-10 11:45:44 · 13 answers · asked by Edward J 6

2007-10-10 11:45:22 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous

Pretend you are Patty Solis-Doyle. How would you have run the Hillary '08 campaign? SO far and from now on?

2007-10-10 11:00:41 · 4 answers · asked by Mele Kai 6

why would you vote for Hillary? why would she be a good choice for office?

2007-10-10 10:55:06 · 11 answers · asked by dagashikashi! 2

When and why did they use quotas?

2007-10-10 10:52:02 · 6 answers · asked by colt 1

I am NOT talking about disabled or elderly/retired. I’m talking about the rest of them. I don’t consider addiction a disability either.
I have worked long and hard, made some mistakes and pulled myself out of some pretty decent holes to get to where I can make a decent wage and get good benefits. No one gave me a nickel when I was down. Should I have to pay for others that are in the same place I was before or that don’t feel like working?
When I had a crappy job, I didn’t have 401k or medical insurance(I was also smart enough not to have any children during that time). I didn’t make enough to get by on. I worked hard to get ahead. Why isn’t this expected of everyone?

2007-10-10 09:30:54 · 9 answers · asked by rayb1214 7

to stop it. so the question is do you think it is a waste of money??? if you this you get points and best answrer

2007-10-10 06:03:28 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

Why do you have to be super rich to run, why can't we have someone who has lived in our shoes run? Don't you think a middle class person would do a better job?

2007-10-10 05:36:19 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous

what was that court case about?

2007-10-10 04:56:24 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous

disneyland?...perhaps s*it and fall back in it???

2007-10-10 04:51:07 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous

high risk pregant women are being sent to the USA to have their babies since they do not have the abilitiy to provide care, even though they pay the US for their service, is this what we want for our health systems if their's is so great?

2007-10-10 04:39:51 · 9 answers · asked by ? 7

It seems so many people are. Are we becoming more like socialist everyday we allow the police to stop anyone indiscriminately for perceived violations just to check ids?

Have we become so afraid and timid that we will forego the constitution?

If I am walking and stopped by a cop (for no apparent reason, obviously drinking and driving, speeding, walking down the street with a gun is a reason) and asked for ID I don't have to give it. I have committed no crime and the constitution protects my right to anonymity. (Supreme Court already ruled so)

I would advocate that all legal or US citizen hispanics walk down the street. If you get stopped by cops refuse to give ID. If they arrest you, sue them for millions of dollars. Teach the government that it cannot violate your rights.

2007-10-10 03:52:24 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

i was just wondering, when it comes to impeachment, whats the difference between a misdimeanor and a high crime.

2007-10-10 01:19:44 · 11 answers · asked by end 2

given that socialism has failed miserably anytime and everywhere it has been tried, do you think that it will work here? do you think hillary can do socialism better than say, the europeans? how about the canadians? or how about south america?...those countries under socialist rule suck as does much of the rest of the world. why would you want that for us?

2007-10-10 01:11:24 · 15 answers · asked by darwinman 5

2007-10-10 00:28:07 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-10-09 23:03:11 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

a. was born in guatemala
b. is 33 years old
c. lives in utah, but works in idaho
d. has been a citizen for 8 years

2007-10-09 22:26:12 · 1 answers · asked by matt r 1

The Pledge was written by a New England Communist named Francis Bellamy who had been a Christian minister until he was kicked out of the pulpit for preaching the heresy that Jesus was a Socialist. The Pledge of Allegiance is flag worship designed to promote turning America into a Communist country. Besides that, little kids were originally supposed to Nazi salute the flag, but that was discontinued during WWII.

Another thing, the inclusion of "under God" was added during the Eisenhower administration and would not have made grammatical sense in the 1800s.

sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/raskin9.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/gregory/gregory92.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/perry1.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/barnwell/barnwell29.html

2007-10-09 21:00:42 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

I'm just curious to hear what people in the US feel is corruptionin their local government? Corruption may not be an all encompassing term for all the ways people benefit form the government. What kind of corruption do you have in your local area? You could add cronyism and nepotism to this.

Does it seem like some families have more members in the local government or on boards etc? Do some companies get more work? Do those who know the local police avoid paying tickets? Can you pay money under the table to get things done? What's going on in your part of America?

I really would like to get hear from a large amount of people across America on this if possible. Oh, if you can add your state that would be appreciated to get an idea of location.

2007-10-09 20:51:42 · 6 answers · asked by Beertha 2