Liberals at it again...

[DKW 86 7,450]

Or, "We Hate Bush!" In Cartoon form.

[otterinbham 0]

That's a nice encapsulation of liberal political arguments for you. Incoherent rage at George Bush who, aside from the war in Iraq, is one of the greatest liberal presidents in history.

It also underscores the key problem with the Democratic party: Their domestic and economic policies were exposed as utterly unworkable, the product of nothing more than ad hoc political coalition and pork barrel funding cobbled together by political hacks during the Johnson Administration. If you talk to a Democrat long enough, you'll find them looking back fondly to the halcyon days of the 1970s when the welfare state was in full swing, but they forget about 10% unemployment, 12% inflation, 20% interest, and a GDP growth that was non-existent.

Sadly, Bush is betraying the Republican party with pork barrel spending on an astounding level. And before you Bushbots rush to his defense and blame the Republican party, just remember that Bush dictates the legislative agenda of a Republican congress and vetoes legislation that he doesn't think is good for the country. So he has merrily signed bill after bill into law that codifies freewheeling spending that will eventually cripple this country.

Third party, anyone?

[DKW 86 7,450]

That's a nice encapsulation of liberal political arguments for you. Incoherent rage at George Bush who, aside from the war in Iraq, is one of the greatest liberal presidents in history.

It also underscores the key problem with the Democratic party: Their domestic and economic policies were exposed as utterly unworkable, the product of nothing more than ad hoc political coalition and pork barrel funding cobbled together by political hacks during the Johnson Administration. If you talk to a Democrat long enough, you'll find them looking back fondly to the halcyon days of the 1970s when the welfare state was in full swing, but they forget about 10% unemployment, 12% inflation, 20% interest, and a GDP growth that was non-existent.

Sadly, Bush is betraying the Republican party with pork barrel spending on an astounding level. And before you Bushbots rush to his defense and blame the Republican party, just remember that Bush dictates the legislative agenda of a Republican congress and vetoes legislation that he doesn't think is good for the country. So he has merrily signed bill after bill into law that codifies freewheeling spending that will eventually cripple this country.

Third party, anyone?

You need to form one because I know who your first supporter would be.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

I'd vote third party in a heartbeat. Powell/Obama 2008. Watch powell throw away the keys to the Bush/Cheney jail cell. Yea, make GW and Dick live in the same cell with no activities outside of the cell. That's a nasty thought, LMAO! Cheney dies and rots in the cell with monkeyboy. OTFLMAO!

[otterinbham 0]

Why thank you, DKW. Coming from you, that means a lot.

So here's the OtterParty platform:

1) Strong military, with a very decided emphasis on assymmetrical warfare. Even today, the mindset of the Pentagon is still on large-scale conventional warfare, rather than the kind of war really being fought on the squad and platoon level.

2) Privatization of Social Security. The greatest fiscal time-bomb we have.

3) Elimination of the Prescription Drug Act. A stupid, wholly-unnecessary boondoggle from the word "Go"

4) Implementation of a Guest Worker program in this country, while simultaneously beefing up border security with Mexico. Kind of a carrot/stick approach. With the country sitting at full employment, it's obvious that we need all these workers from Central America. Just ask anybody in the construction business. But by implementing guest worker programs, employers get workers, workers get jobs, payroll taxes get collected, and relations with Latin America improve markedly.

5) Decriminalization of drugs in this country. Boy, watch everybody howl over this one. But current drug policy in this country has eroded civil rights and cost the taxpayers untold billions while not making an appreciable dent in actual drug usage in this country. Sell it at the pharmacy instead. I guarantee you'll have a lot more control over who's using drugs than our current situation where Jamal, the corner dealer, is getting 12-year-olds hooked on crack.

6) Wholesale simplification of taxes. Instead of our yearly ordeal of fillng out 1040s, simply put a sales tax on everything except food and medicine. A basic federal tax, with states and local municipalities adding their own taxes to the mix. No exceptions, no immunity. Aside from CPAs facing imminent obsolescence, I can't imagine anybody in the country complaining.

7) Alternative and Domestic Energy Production As A Strategic Priority. Want to solve the problems in the Middle East? That's easy: Bankrupt them. And alternative energy in the long run will mean a cleaner environment.

8) Burn the Current Educational System to the ground and start over. American Elementary students test well compared to students in other countries. But sometime around the sixth grade, American education goes off the tracks. So develop a system where smart kids not only learn at a challenging, accelerating pace, but make advancement through the system dependent on mastery of the curriculum, not just marching in lockstep with kids of similar age. The result? Lots of 14-year olds going to college, and lots of 12-, 13-, and 14-year olds busting it to get out of school much earlier. Also mandate foreign language education beginning in the 2nd grade.

Meanwhile those kids who do not have the desire or ability to go to college don't have to suffer through a college-prep curriculum. Instead, have them learn valuable trades such as electrician or HVAC or restaurant management...trades that will earn them excellent wages and make them instantly productive in society.

9) Prayer in school. Creationism. Ten commandments. Flag burning amendments. These are nothing more than cynical attempts to manipulate the voting base. Anybody who gets hot and bothered about any of these issues needs to have their head examined. In fact, when Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell come to the OtterParty, I would tell them to go *uck themselves for the way they have poisoned my faith by dabbling in the secular world of politics.

10) Colonization of Space. Lest you think I'm part of the loopy Geek Squad and have a cheesecake poster of Lt. Uhuru hanging up over my workbench, I think that we really need to think of our destiny as a species.

11) Outlaw capital punishment. It's nothing more than a revenge killing. I don't care if criminals spend the rest of their days turning big rocks into little rocks. But capital punishment is barbaric and, quite often, it doesn't get the person who committed the crime.

12) Elimination of Nanny State provisions. Seat belt laws is just one example. Your car has to have seatbelts. Your child has to wear a seatbelt or you get fined in a big way. But you as an adult have the right to NOT wear one. But if you get into an accident and then can't pay the resulting medical bills, you have no protection from the state. We won't protect you from your own innate stupidity.

13) Outlaw the following:

-- Christmas advertising prior to November 15th.

-- College football polls prior to October 1st.

-- The designated hitter in professional baseball.

-- Sweaters on dogs. Actually, I'll make an exception to my capital punishment platform for this offense.

-- Beauty pageants for any girl under the age of 12. (I don't have a problem with beauty pageants in general. But to turn prepubescent girls into little potential sex goddesses is just a bit creepy, if you ask me. And don't deny that's the subtext for those things.)

So be a card-carrying member of the OtterParty today. Add your own plank to the platform.

[DKW 86 7,450]

DKW's New Party.

Still not sold on drug decriminalization. I really havent studied it. But from working a rescue mission I have to think making drugs more available would only worsen the situation.

Good luck on the:

2) Privatization of Social Security. The greatest fiscal time-bomb we have.

3) Elimination of the Prescription Drug Act. A stupid, wholly-unnecessary boondoggle from the word "Go"

6) Wholesale simplification of taxes. Instead of our yearly ordeal of fillng out 1040s, simply put a sales tax on everything except food and medicine. A basic federal tax, with states and local municipalities adding their own taxes to the mix. No exceptions, no immunity. Aside from CPAs facing imminent obsolescence, I can't imagine anybody in the country complaining.

7) Alternative and Domestic Energy Production As A Strategic Priority. Want to solve the problems in the Middle East? That's easy: Bankrupt them. And alternative energy in the long run will mean a cleaner environment.

All topics with vested lobbying groups attached.

[Captain Liger 0]

1) Strong military, with a very decided emphasis on assymmetrical warfare. Even today, the mindset of the Pentagon is still on large-scale conventional warfare, rather than the kind of war really being fought on the squad and platoon level.

You're late. The Assymmetrical Warfare Group was created more than a year ago. The mindset of the Pentagon at the moment is on fighting an insurgency and it shows by the way we train prior to deployment. Gone are the days of force on force battles at the NTC and JRTC. Now we prep by practicing patrols out of a FOB environment. To think that anti-insurgent warfare is the way of the future is complete lunacy. We will, and it's only a matter of time, return one day to uniformed armies meeting on a battlefield to duke it out. It's scary that we don't still practice fighting Soviet tactics. Look past the word "Soviet" because a lot of unfriendly countries with large armies still use said tactics.

5) Decriminalization of drugs in this country. Boy, watch everybody howl over this one. But current drug policy in this country has eroded civil rights and cost the taxpayers untold billions while not making an appreciable dent in actual drug usage in this country. Sell it at the pharmacy instead. I guarantee you'll have a lot more control over who's using drugs than our current situation where Jamal, the corner dealer, is getting 12-year-olds hooked on crack.

Me included. I will never agree to this.

7) Alternative and Domestic Energy Production As A Strategic Priority. Want to solve the problems in the Middle East? That's easy: Bankrupt them. And alternative energy in the long run will mean a cleaner environment.

Alcohol. I can get more horses from alcohol and it's cheaper than gasoline. I'm not trading in my 310hp V8 for some sissified electric car that looks like a pregnant rollerskate.

8) Meanwhile those kids who do not have the desire or ability to go to college don't have to suffer through a college-prep curriculum. Instead, have them learn valuable trades such as electrician or HVAC or restaurant management...trades that will earn them excellent wages and make them instantly productive in society.

Might work....if they're not hooked on legalized crack.

9) Prayer in school. Creationism. Ten commandments. Flag burning amendments. These are nothing more than cynical attempts to manipulate the voting base. Anybody who gets hot and bothered about any of these issues needs to have their head examined. In fact, when Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell come to the OtterParty, I would tell them to go *uck themselves for the way they have poisoned my faith by dabbling in the secular world of politics.

Anyone caught within arms reach of me burning my flag gets a shovel to the face. I didn't damn near die defending it so I can watch you burn it so to all those that get all hot and bothered at my reaction of flag burning should think twice before breaking out the zippo.

10) Colonization of Space. Lest you think I'm part of the loopy Geek Squad and have a cheesecake poster of Lt. Uhuru hanging up over my workbench, I think that we really need to think of our destiny as a species.

Awesome, more room for me to stretch here on Earth.

11) Outlaw capital punishment. It's nothing more than a revenge killing. I don't care if criminals spend the rest of their days turning big rocks into little rocks. But capital punishment is barbaric and, quite often, it doesn't get the person who committed the crime.

So piss on state's rights? I think states are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves what punishment fits a certain crime. The federal government certainly has no business meddling in this.

12) Elimination of Nanny State provisions. Seat belt laws is just one example. Your car has to have seatbelts. Your child has to wear a seatbelt or you get fined in a big way. But you as an adult have the right to NOT wear one. But if you get into an accident and then can't pay the resulting medical bills, you have no protection from the state. We won't protect you from your own innate stupidity.

But you'll protect us from getting what we really deserve when it comes to committing heinous crimes such as premeditated murder? Hmmm...

13) Outlaw the following:

-- Christmas advertising prior to November 15th.

-- College football polls prior to October 1st.

-- The designated hitter in professional baseball.

-- Sweaters on dogs. Actually, I'll make an exception to my capital punishment platform for this offense.

-- Beauty pageants for any girl under the age of 12. (I don't have a problem with beauty pageants in general. But to turn prepubescent girls into little potential sex goddesses is just a bit creepy, if you ask me. And don't deny that's the subtext for those things.)

I'm with ya. Can we also outlaw the University of Alabama???

[AURaptor 1,128]

. Can we also outlaw the University of Alabama???

Tempting, but no. There will always be a need for a place like that. If ever you're not having a good day, week, or month, and everything seems to be going horribly wrong, you can think of UAT and say to yourself..... - Damn, I'm glad I didn't go there !!! You'll be surprised at how much better your life suddenly becomes.

[otterinbham 0]

"You're late. The Assymmetrical Warfare Group was created more than a year ago. The mindset of the Pentagon at the moment is on fighting an insurgency and it shows by the way we train prior to deployment. Gone are the days of force on force battles at the NTC and JRTC. Now we prep by practicing patrols out of a FOB environment. To think that anti-insurgent warfare is the way of the future is complete lunacy. We will, and it's only a matter of time, return one day to uniformed armies meeting on a battlefield to duke it out. It's scary that we don't still practice fighting Soviet tactics. Look past the word "Soviet" because a lot of unfriendly countries with large armies still use said tactics."

Sorry Captain Liger, but I'm working on AW right now. The Pentagon is STILL needing to be sold on the need for Asymmmetrical Warfare, believe it or not. Even now, Asymmetrical Warfare remains only part of the training rather than the main focus for units. Meanwhile, the bureaucrats are still fussing over which department is responsible for what job and how the 17 million departments all cooperate. In short, the iceberg is dead ahead, and their still worrying about placecards on the dining room table.

Further, given the fact that intelligence gathering and rapid compensating for shifts in enemy tactics are critical to success in an asymmetrical environment, the military is sure doing a terrible job. As it stands, it's taking an 6-8 months for countermeasures to reach the field after an initial encounter. That is far too long, especially when you have the Syrians designing countermeasures on behalf of the Iraqi insurgents within weeks.

The problem is that, despite the magnificent efforts of our troops, the military has yet to be a learning institution that is necessary for successful counterinsurgency, like the British in Malaysia in the 1950s. An excellent text on the subject is "Eating Soup With A Knife" by Colonel John Nagl, that critiques our efforts in Vietnam and the Middle East. His findings are that, because the American military's experience were largely conventional in the 20th Century (Aside from the Philippine Insurrection, whose lessons were quickly discarded), it still tends to fight from a conventional warfare organization. The British, however, guided largely by their colonial experience, tend to be far more successful in insurgencies.

"Alcohol. I can get more horses from alcohol and it's cheaper than gasoline. I'm not trading in my 310hp V8 for some sissified electric car that looks like a pregnant rollerskate."

Alcohol is an alternative energy source, is it not? How is that a rebuttal?

To tackle another problem you have, drug decriminalization actually means less drugs on the street, not more. All you have to do is look at Prohibition and the effect it had on alcohol usage in this country. But, at the same time, law enforcement officers across the country are beginning to have a completely different opinion on drug laws in this country, based on the fact that the War on Drugs has never worked, has eroded civil rights, and costs billions. Here's an interesting web site for you to read: www.LEAP.cc.

"So piss on state's rights? I think states are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves what punishment fits a certain crime. The federal government certainly has no business meddling in this."

Can you say Civil Rights Act? The government intervened when the Southern states persisted in institutional racism. Does anybody argue today that they were not right to do it? On the flip side of the coin, if California or Nevada votes to legalize marijuana, does that mean that the government has no right to intervene in those cases? Interesting conundrum you face here, Captain. Further, I would argue that life in the pokey is a pretty harsh punishment, too.

"I didn't damn near die defending it so I can watch you burn it so to all those that get all hot and bothered at my reaction of flag burning should think twice before breaking out the zippo."

Oh, I would be right there with you, handing you the shovel. But that doesn't mean the government gets to lock them away.

[Captain Liger 0]

Please PM me, otter. I would love to know who you work for and what you do exactly for a living. Not trying to be nosy, just very interested in who you work for. I thought Huntsville had the monopoly on the defense industry and wasn't aware that Bham really played a role.

[Tigermike 3,065]

[otterinbham 0]

Please PM me, otter. I would love to know who you work for and what you do exactly for a living. Not trying to be nosy, just very interested in who you work for. I thought Huntsville had the monopoly on the defense industry and wasn't aware that Bham really played a role.

Hi, Cap'n. Reply sent through IM. However, there's not a lot that I can tell you about my client. My field of work has to do with strategic planning for a host of different clients.