Obama: I'm the President of the United States; I Don't Need to Borrow a Computer

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dgingeri

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[citation][nom]icemunk[/nom]He seems like a pretty fun guy, too bad he's shackled by the Republican (Regressive Party) held House of Representatives.[/citation]

yeah, we should all just spend our way into more debt than our annual income and become like Greece, unable to pay our bills.

my biggest gripe against Obama is his belief in Keynesian economics, which were proven to be detrimental in the 60's and 70's in both Europe and the US. Yet he still believes its the best way to go. A firm government hand on economic systems just bankrupts them. trying to impose behavior on any economic system will just cause it to grind to a halt.

The proper economic theory for world economics (although not perfect, but far better then Keynes' theories) is a guided free market with laws requiring honesty in accounting, and severe penalties for violating those laws. a free market can only succeed if the players are playing honestly.
 

Sabiancym

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[citation][nom]tsnorquist[/nom]This guy has no sense of reality. 2012 couldn't come soon enough.[/citation]

Based on what exactly? Besides your own self delusion and bias.
 

righteous fury

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[citation][nom]invlem[/nom]If we have to bring up the Libya thing, there is one major difference between Obama - libya and Bush - IraqThe use of force in Libya was approved by the United Nations. Iraq not so much.[/citation]

This comment is so ridiculous as to be a 100% head-shaker... what is wrong with you? UN? Really? Who cares what the UN says, they do not decide our nations course of action, Congress does. Please stop commenting here, your ignorance is showing ;)
 

Yoder54

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[citation][nom]fausto[/nom]When you take politics out of it and focus on policy content in a poll, the majority goes with the liberal policies every time. it's when you throw in social issues and taxes that things change.so if you ask: do you believe that people should have a safety net retirement program like social security in old age? most say yes.but if you ask: would you be willing to pay higher taxes to ensure that the elderly don't end their life in poor health and poverty? they it gets negative and a lot of people say no. still the same issue, just how you phrase it. and politicians and political organizations spend millions trying to get their messaging out right. it isn't about what is best for everyone. it's about what is best for their own interests.[/citation]

America is an oligarchy composed of multi-millionaires, and big corporations. The general public bemoans being taxed anymore, because it is the middle-class that is supporting the weight of America. The problem is that there are too many tax loop holes that allow millionaires and corporations to pay little in taxes. A recent poll showed that many of the rich feel that they should pay taxes and not get any tax breaks, but the Republican's keep pushing for tax breaks for the rich. Caterpillar is threatening to leave IL, because they have to start paying a 2% tax on profits. They had profits to 2.5 billion last year, and paid zero taxes. Yet, they used the roads, emergency services, etc.

To fix the financial crisis in this country Obama needs to do what Clinton did...raise taxes, especially on the top 2% and larger corporations. Want to fix Social Security? Raise the break-off point from $120,000 to $500,000. If we want to go for more, then pull all of our troops out of: Korea, Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq, Japan, etc. The War on Terror is supposed to be an international endeavor, yet it is the US who is footing the bill.

The Republican's kept saying "where are the jobs?" Well where are they? They are trying to push anti-abortion legislation, bring down PBS, cut unemployment, abolish "Obama Care," and yet they have not put into place one piece of legislation that will create jobs. The Republican governor's tipped their hand when they went after labor, the privatization of public education, and numerous other policies that a diabolical. It is apparent who the Republican's are representing--BIG business and the rich.
 

Lan

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He's the Commander in Chief of all the Armed forces. He doesn't need Congress's permission to give them an order.

Yes, only congress can declare war, but then again, the US hasn't officially declared war since World War 2.
 

pacioli

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[citation][nom]soulfringe[/nom]I think you need to stop and do some research on what happened and why we are over there and who else is over there. It boils down to this, Tyrant is purging rebels AND civilians with tanks. and The UN said "we need to do something about this"[/citation]
The same thing happened in Iraq. Saddam was killing his own civilians after they rose up against him following the first Gulf War. Saddam sent his forces on the attack and 250,000 Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq 'disappeared'.
The United Nations installed a no fly-zone over most of Southern Iraq and the Kurd controlled areas of Northern Iraq. This prevented the extermination of an entire culture.
The no fly zone was in effect until the beginning of the Second Gulf War. Up until that point Saddam would take 'pot-shots' at the UN planes enforcing the no-fly-zones in Northern and southern Iraq. Saddam was actually shooting United Nations planes out of the sky up until a few weeks before the September 11 attacks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1511540.stm
 

dgingeri

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[citation][nom]pacioli[/nom]The same thing happened in Iraq. Saddam was killing his own civilians after they rose up against him following the first Gulf War. Saddam sent his forces on the attack and 250,000 Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq 'disappeared'. The United Nations installed a no fly-zone over most of Southern Iraq and the Kurd controlled areas of Northern Iraq. This prevented the extermination of an entire culture. The no fly zone was in effect until the beginning of the Second Gulf War. Up until that point Saddam would take 'pot-shots' at the UN planes enforcing the no-fly-zones in Northern and southern Iraq. Saddam was actually shooting United Nations planes out of the sky up until a few weeks before the September 11 attacks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1511540.stm[/citation]

I'd like to add my note into the Bush/Iraq thing. Before the first Gulf war, Saddam used Sarin nerve gas on a town, killing over five thousand people, including over twelve hundred children.

Death by Sarin nerve gas is incredibly painful, with the victims going into spasms so hard they tear their own muscles from the bones before they die of suffocation. Saddam deserved to be removed long before Bush pushed a war there, just for that incident. I just wish he'd be tortured for a long time before his hanging.
 

ohseus

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@yoder54 very good I see you have been watching MSNBC faithfully and are able to repeat the talking points very well. It really is too bad they are so far separated from reality.
 

xerroz

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[citation][nom]maydaynomore[/nom]Too bad this country has been ruined beyond repair by the guy before him. it will take decades to get us where we were before "Bush" times.[/citation]
And the current guy is just making it worse. not even attempting to repair but actually worsening the situation

you tell me whos the worst. I say the one screwing it up even more
 
[citation][nom]guruofchem[/nom]TY cknobman!Doesn't matter which party a politician belongs to these days - they are all beholden to those whose money got them elected, and their "sponsors'" interests are the ones they look out for. We live in a plutokleptocracy - government by wealth and theft...[/citation]

This makes more sense than anything on this page. Do you vote for this rich asshole or that rich asshole? What kind of choice is that for an average person? They aren't going to have our best interests at heart, because they aren't anything like you and I. This country is sadly in need of political reform. Nothing is going to change until we get rid of the outrageous war chests and outdated processes like the electoral college.
 

clist

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[citation][nom]Yoder54[/nom]The general public bemoans being taxed anymore, because it is the middle-class that is supporting the weight of America.[/citation]

..actually, that's not really true (depending on how you define "middle class", of course), as those with incomes in the top 5% pay for 60% of the total personal income tax collected (in 2008):
http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html

However, I agree with a lot of what you said, and also take issue with the greed of many in the top income brackets and their ability to twist the public sentiment of weak-minded voters...

IMO, part of why the middle class don't want taxes raised on corporations and the wealthy is;
a. this dreamy idea that if "they ever make it big" that it will affect them

b. the bullshit line pitched by guys like "Joe the Plumber" that corporate taxes have anything to do with ones ability to grow a small business. Corporate taxes have nothing to do with most businesses of less than 25 people who file as S-Corps, and nothing to do with even larger business who have no investors - because Corp taxes are paid on PROFIT not REVENUE. If you want to grow your small business you sell more, increase revenue, then use up that revenue by hiring more people, paying those people salaries and paying yourself - the owner - a higher salary. You still will pay no corporate tax because you have no profit - all of your revenue goes to salaries and as you business grows your salary grows you get richer. The only people who lose out on corporate taxes are investors expecting dividends, but you've got guys like Joe the Plumber talking some voodoo economics about how he can't grow his business because of higher taxes - it's nonsense. He should be bitching about the 2 - 5% fees the credit card companies are taking out of his business for each transaction, or sales taxes taken by his state, but not corporate tax rates, or increases on personal income tax for the top 1 - 5% of households.

Cheers,
CList
 

dgingeri

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[citation][nom]maydaynomore[/nom]Too bad this country has been ruined beyond repair by the guy before him. it will take decades to get us where we were before "Bush" times.[/citation]

I keep hearing this, from the press and postings by forum trolls, but I never hear "how" he supoosedly screwed up the country. As far as I can tell, it's is just spouted out as a repeat of what the media keeps saying, without any individual thought or knowledge on the matter. Just the faithful sheep of the liberal media machine.

We had a major recession just after he started from the damage of 9/11 that lasted about a year. Fixed by Bush's policies. Then a major banking fall happens due to the push from Congress to get more minorities into home ownership which they really couldn't afford. Guess what: the banking fall was specifically because of liberal political pushing on the banking industry. they lowered the requirements to get mortgages to get more minorities into houses without regards to the consequences. it certainly wasn't Bush's fault the banks fell; it was the liberal Congress's fault. This has been hanging over us since the Clinton era. If anyone is to blame for the banking collapse, it's Clinton.

In addition to that, our auto manufacturing companies started going under because the unions had been draining them dry for decades with union workers retiring with full pay at 58. (I could only with I could make as much money as those guys, and I probably won't even have any sort of retirement funding beyond social security.) The unions' unreasonable demands on the auto producers made it so US auto makers couldn't even compete. (If these same cars were made in Mexico by Mexican non-union workers, they'd cost less than half what they do and probably have better quality.) Again, liberal political plots screwing things up.

Just because it happened while Bush was in office doesn't mean it was his fault. These things take years, and sometimes decades, to come into effect. Bush didn't have time in 8 years to have any significant impact on the auto industry thing. He tried to get laws through to help the banking problem, but the liberal Congress wouldn't let them get through.

So keep your little media/political sheep speech out of my face until you have any viable reasons behind your brainless spouts.
 

mikem_90

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Keep in mind this is the same guy who appointed many RIAA lawyers to be judges and other spots in the DOJ. they are now actively manipulating filesharing and other digital rights cases. Things any sane judge would have to recuse themselves of for BIGTIME conflict of interests.

USA, bought and paid for.
 

dgingeri

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[citation][nom]clist[/nom]..actually, that's not really true (depending on how you define "middle class", of course), as those with incomes in the top 5% pay for 60% of the total personal income tax collected (in 2008):http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.htmlHowever, I agree with a lot of what you said, and also take issue with the greed of many in the top income brackets and their ability to twist the public sentiment of weak-minded voters...IMO, part of why the middle class don't want taxes raised on corporations and the wealthy is; a. this dreamy idea that if "they ever make it big" that it will affect themb. the bullshit line pitched by guys like "Joe the Plumber" that corporate taxes have anything to do with ones ability to grow a small business. Corporate taxes have nothing to do with most businesses of less than 25 people who file as S-Corps, and nothing to do with even larger business who have no investors - because Corp taxes are paid on PROFIT not REVENUE. If you want to grow your small business you sell more, increase revenue, then use up that revenue by hiring more people, paying those people salaries and paying yourself - the owner - a higher salary. You still will pay no corporate tax because you have no profit - all of your revenue goes to salaries and as you business grows your salary grows you get richer. The only people who lose out on corporate taxes are investors expecting dividends, but you've got guys like Joe the Plumber talking some voodoo economics about how he can't grow his business because of higher taxes - it's nonsense. He should be bitching about the 2 - 5% fees the credit card companies are taking out of his business for each transaction, or sales taxes taken by his state, but not corporate tax rates, or increases on personal income tax for the top 1 - 5% of households.Cheers, CList[/citation]

Tell that to my dad, who made less than $2000 profit over the last 2 years with his car insurance business, yet had to pay over $8000 in income taxes on the business revenue because he had to handle it all through his personal taxes, which was ineligible for many of the corporate deductions. He had one worker he hired to help him process quotes and policies, which he had mistakenly thought he could deduct as business expense. Because of the way the tax laws are structured, he couldn't deduct it after all, and had to pay income tax on what he paid his part time worker. The only reason he was able to keep his house was because of his own 401k and social security.

many people don't realize that many things they think about the tax code, particularly dealing with business deductions, are completely false. I have known many businesses (spending 4 years doing computer support for small businesses) that had gone under due to massive tax bills during years they operated in the red. Two restaurants I dealt with (and subsequently weren't paid by) operated between $15k and $25k in the red for the year, and were hit with >$50k tax bills, completely driving the businesses under. This was back in the late 90's, when the supposedly small business friendly President Clinton was in office.
 

XZaapryca

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The fact that most of you think there's a real difference between the Dems and GOP, or that those parties matter at all, is the reason why we're lost. It would be funny as hell if the stakes weren't so high. Two heads of the same snake.
 

sepayne21

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@davendork... why is it somehow "unchristian" to dislike our taxes to support planned parenthood, socially liberal (sinful) lifestyles and such? and yes, forgiveness is required, but the trespassing party has to request forgiveness (admit wrongdoing, and try not to commit the same transgression). should you forgive me if I stole $100 from you every paycheck to support programs with which you disagree? I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be so understanding. I'm not extremely wealthy or anything, and I do get more money under obama's tax rates, but I will never vote for someone to steal money from someone else and give it to me.
 

maross600

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the country was "ruined" by democrat entitlement programs that dems wont touch to make cuts. Bush had a dem majority in congress from 2006 on and if you may recall unemployment and the economy were good then, in addition in 2005 republicans actually questioned dems on the housing loan crisis and were reassured by barney frank that all was well with fannie and freddie. bush spent too much in 2003 on the drug benefit, and i believe the wars will turn out a plus for the us if obama doesnt screw it up, imagine if saddam were still there? where would oil prices be then with iran and iraq competing with each other on arms? by 2004 the embargo on iraq would have gone away so he would have had freedom to do what he wanted, and his sons wanted much more than he. as for now if the republican part is regressive than make it so because someone has to have some responsibly in spending and we need to regress that spending. Entitlements need to be slashed, obamacare thrown out, drilling domestically expanded, military increased to defend against china/middle east/ and eventually russia over future conflicts which will inevitably be over oil. if we don't get serious on the issues in the world and go around talking crap and pushing socialist programs we will be working under china soon. I commend the tea party for being responsible, the cuts we need to make are going to have to be drastic and painful because the alternative is far worse. Mark my words, obama is the worst thing to happen to this country since it was founded.
 

jonyah

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[citation][nom]maross600[/nom]the country was "ruined" by democrat entitlement programs that dems wont touch to make cuts. Bush had a dem majority in congress from 2006 on and if you may recall unemployment and the economy were good then, in addition in 2005 republicans actually questioned dems on the housing loan crisis and were reassured by barney frank that all was well with fannie and freddie. bush spent too much in 2003 on the drug benefit, and i believe the wars will turn out a plus for the us if obama doesnt screw it up, imagine if saddam were still there? where would oil prices be then with iran and iraq competing with each other on arms? by 2004 the embargo on iraq would have gone away so he would have had freedom to do what he wanted, and his sons wanted much more than he. as for now if the republican part is regressive than make it so because someone has to have some responsibly in spending and we need to regress that spending. Entitlements need to be slashed, obamacare thrown out, drilling domestically expanded, military increased to defend against china/middle east/ and eventually russia over future conflicts which will inevitably be over oil. if we don't get serious on the issues in the world and go around talking crap and pushing socialist programs we will be working under china soon. I commend the tea party for being responsible, the cuts we need to make are going to have to be drastic and painful because the alternative is far worse. Mark my words, obama is the worst thing to happen to this country since it was founded.[/citation]

If only I could give you two thumbs up.
 

clist

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[citation][nom]dgingeri[/nom]Because of the way the tax laws are structured, he couldn't deduct it after all, and had to pay income tax on what he paid his part time worker.
...
many people don't realize that many things they think about the tax code, particularly dealing with business deductions, are completely false.
...
had gone under due to massive tax bills during years they operated in the red[/citation]

I don't mean to be disrespectful, and I'm really sorry about your dad's misfortune, but the fact is that this has little to do with the tax laws, the tax rates, or corporate taxation keeping people from starting or running a business.... it has everything to do with those businesses being ignorant of the tax laws and/or disillusioned about how important it is to focus on the back-office part of the business as much as the front office. It's really not all that complicated; you either need to be motivated and diligent and spend a whole lot of your own time reading a lot of boring tax law, or pay for an accountant.

Just for the record, I've had my own business for 15 years now, and my wife has started two businesses in the past year - one retail and one wholesale. It is a LOT of work to do it right, and my wife was lucky to have me around to show her the ropes or she would have not filed a lot of the paperwork she had to file, and if she ever got had audited she would have had to pay huge penalties on those mistakes. Still, that's not the fault of the tax law - that's what happens when you don't know the rules of the game.

Cheers,
CList
 

clist

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[citation][nom]maross600[/nom]because someone has to have some responsibly in spending and we need to regress that spending.
Entitlements need to be slashed, obamacare thrown out, drilling domestically expanded, military increased to defend against china/middle east/ and eventually russia [/citation]

Yeah, slash entitlements and spend more on the military for a net zero change on the deficit and more money in the pockets of military contractors. That's EXACTLY what this country needs - a bigger military. Because when russia comes sailing across the Aleutian Straight to invade Alaska, we better be ready! The fact that russia has 1/10th of the military budget of the US means nothing to us, our dick's big and we want it BIGGER!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

Brilliant plan for "spending responsibility" man.

Cheers,
CList
 
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