I had promised myself I'd leave Pixies. It's mostly an American site. I wanted people to join this thread to discuss the positive things the Bush admin has put forward.

Sadly, I've got jseal writing the way he normally writes.

Bullshit aside, your VP is profiting from this war. There are links in this thread that prove it.

Jseal, you have kids in university. I'll ask you this -- what are you thoughts on the American economy? How do you feel about the debt incurred from this war?

I lowered myself to almost gloat because my country refused to join this war. I stood by it then, I stand prouder now. I read a lot. I am against this war more now.

I was asking for comments. Of course, jseal, you're you. I ask you straight questions, I get links back.

Tell me your thoughts on this war. Tell me your thoughts on the economy. What are your feelings on the economy your grandchildren will face. If possible, give me some opinions. No links, please.

Steph,


I have a difficult time accepting that as stated when the initial post to this thread was




Yes. I write the way I normally write. Just as it would be inappropriate for me to tell you to adopt some artificial technique when you try to communicate with others, so too I feel that it is inappropriate for others to tell me to write in a way that I find odd, artificial, or bizarre.


It is not immediately obvious what relevance the fact that my children being in college has to the two following questions. If your allusion is to the debt burden of the “Iraq event” future generations (my children) will be obliged to discharge, then you may want to consider it - the debt burden of the “Iraq event” – as a fraction of what the total U.S. Federal Debt was at the time the event ends. This would provide a reasonable representation of “the debt incurred from this war”. Then, deflating the 2003-2008 dollars to 1975, 1953, 1945, 1918, etc., we would be in a position to plausibly compare the “the debt incurred from this war” with the debt incurred from those wars.

You will need to provide more information about your question of my thoughts on the American economy for me to answer that question usefully.


Good. Democracies need knowledgeable citizens.


You received my comments.


You received more than “just” links. I use links to warrant claims I make. Providing supporting information, as the links do, is a customary practice employed when people attempt to persuade others. I recommend it to everyone. The alternative, to people like me, is unpalatable - expecting people with whom you are having a discussion to accept whatever you say because you said it. That seems unreasonable.


War has always existed. It is a result of how we as humans are constituted. You may want to keep in mind that Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said today that the world should prepare for war over Iran's nuclear program. I shall be glad to see this war end, but I am not so foolish as to expect an end to wars.

You will need to be less vague in re your request of my thoughts “on the economy”.

Neither you nor I nor anyone has the least idea of the nature of the economy (Maryland? American? Global?) my grandchildren will face. My grandchildren, when they will need to deal with, face, or interact with “the economy” as independent agents will not do so until 2028 at the earliest. Anyone who claims that they can speak authoritatively on the economy of Maryland, much less that of the U.S. or that of the whole world twenty years (or more, no grandchildren on the horizon yet) in the future either does not know what they are talking about and is a fool, or does, and is a liar.

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Eudaimonia

Steph, I don't know exactly the answer to your questions regarding the cost of the war in Iraq (and Afghanistan) but what I did was go out to "Ask Jeeves" and found the US GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was about 11.75 TRILLION dollars in 2004 ( http://www.ask.com/web?q=What+is+th...src=0&o=0&l=dir ). I then asked about the cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and a chart was shown indicating that as of this point in time, the war has cost (IN TOTAL) about $450 BILLION. If my math is right, that's about 4% of the year 2004's GDP. (USA Today reports that by 2010, it could reach $600 BILLION ( http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/...raq-costs_x.htm) which would be about 5% of the 2004 GDP for the US.

As far as people profiting from the war, I have no doubt many in Washington (and other places) have. People from both parties. In fact, anyone who has investments in any products or services that go to supporting the effort there, but I really don't know how much any of them have directly realized from the war or any knowledge whether any decisions or positions they have on the war are a result of any financial dealings. I honestly don't know where you'd find that information. If anyone does, please let me know ... for Cheney and the top leadership of both parties. Might be interesting.