BTW – I strongly disapprove of calls for violence or murder or even talk of “death panels” when discussing medical reform, but also using words like “traitor” unless someone is planning to sell some government secrets or blow up something. I think it hurts any chance of intelligent discussion of the issues. Some parts of discussions are indeed getting out of hand. Like the whole idiotic “death panels” discussion with respect to IMHO long-overdue and very reasonable change in mammography guidelines by USPSTF. If you are interested in the subject, read this http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/11/obamas_fixin_death_panels_uspstf_mammography.php – this is not political, it’s written by a doctor (cancer surgeon) with fairly conservative political views but who talks about idiocy of “conspiracy theorists”.

I understand Kitty your reluctance to use the word, but any person, or groups that actively promote acts of violence against our president and our people (i.e. civil war) are not exercising their free speech. As an example calling Obama the Messiah as he is apt to do, stokes the religious zealotry into a frenzy. They *actually* believe that he is the Anti-Christ, and are encouraging people to kill him. Sounds absurd doesn’t it?

I read this just prior to coming here…. this is getting out of hand. This is a left leaning site, but the article is not.

peace.
rick beagle

In terms of gold, I have really mixed feeling. I have friends who strongly believe in it, but I really am reluctant. I think if we believe in inflation, wouldn’t more useful commodities like silver, platinum, oil or stuff people eat work better? Also, future inflation is not a given: if we get double dip, for example, we may get deflation instead. Or Japan’s 10 years of going nowhere. Now, the coins do look shiny and pretty…

In terms of multi-million homes, one case you didn’t mention is simply that people bought it a long time ago. We have quite a few of rich homes in Northern Westchester. Mostly, you don’t see the houses themselves, just the fence or a wooded area. In our case, I think it is just really rich people. Donald Trump has an estate in Bedford which is about 15 minutes from where I live. A friend of mine used to work as a live-in nanny for one family who was not super-rich, but reasonably well off and had a home that cost a few million. In their case it was a combination of their high salaries (a lawyer working for major TV networks and a producer of once popular TV show) as well as the fact that they bought the place a very very long time ago. My friend also interviewed for a housekeeper’s position in an even richer house – a seriously rich one, a real mansion. This mansion was really something: a 2-year old house built in a style of a 19th century palace; 3 entrances, lots and lots of rooms including “library”, “sun room”, a full size indoor pool with pool chairs with silk upholstery; you needed to go through the gates and drive for a few hundred yards to get to the house. We got there earlier – I gave a ride to my friend who didn’t have a car then, and then the lady of the house came in in a car I’d not seen before with doors opening upwards. They had full stuff too – a separate nanny, another housekeeper, etc. They gave an offer, but my friend didn’t take it – they needed somebody to work on weekends but were willing to hire her for 5 days as long as it included weekends, and she didn’t want that. The lady of the house seemed pretty nice. BTW – my friend no longer works as a nanny. This was before she got her green card; after she got it, she finished some courses and is now a DBA; she also made money on this real estate bubble instead of losing it…

I’d imagine in case of a one million house, it may be the case of “house rich money poor”. But once you get to seriously expensive places, it has to be some real money.

yes, i remember the stimulus plan. i remember the republican boycott, and the cries of many people like you. i remember that it was reduced because of these efforts and many stated it would be insufficient to create the necessary corrections. you of course now point to it and yell how it was a big fat failure completely oblivious to you and your ilks’ outrageous, and detrimental efforts to subvert any positive efforts and for that matter our country.

you offer no leadership, and no new ideas, but you are bound and determined to prevent our president and this congress from doing anything constructive. not because the ideas are bad, but because they are democrats.

at what point do you realize that you are a traitor to our country, and a pox on our legacy?

as to your comments about the recession, you should do less cherry picking with your information. honestly, you spent the time putting that pile of words together and didnt even bother to “fact check” or put what is occurring in historical and economic perspective.

lastly, what exactly have your people done to fix this issue? i mean, who on the Right has actually provided any leadership whatsoever?

honestly, what the heck are members of your party doing to help middle class america other than trying to start a race and religious civil war?

so stuff a sock in it masterpo.

peace.
rick beagle

I thought the recession as over?!

Just a few scant weeks ago it was being reported up and down CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NPR et al that economists “universall agreed” the indicators were strongly looking up and we had turned the corner on this recession?

Let me remind you – From AP News on 10/29/09 quote:

“After a record four straight losing quarters, the economy finally grew again. It was hardly a boom, and it was almost all because of government spending. But it was enough to change the question from when the recession will end to whether the recovery will hold.”

(link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091029/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/us_economy)

So why suddenly is the Messiah himself saying we’re in for a double-dip?

Why does he need stimulus-2 or a “jobs summit” if it’s over?!

Could it be he’s talking out is ass on matters of economics? (among other things)

Nah. The Messiah wouldn’t do that.

“That’s why I feel such a sense of urgency about the recovery plan before Congress. With it, we will create or save more than 3 million jobs over the next two years, provide immediate tax relief to 95 percent of American workers, ignite spending by businesses and consumers alike, and take steps to strengthen our country for years to come.”

He also said quote:

“And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach DOUBLE DIGITS.” (my upper case)

Here’s the link to the full article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403174.html

That was in February when unemp was 7.8%
Today, after passing this all important/no-time-to-read-or-debate-it stimulus unemp is 10.2% (and I agree with you it’s MUCH higher in many locals), MILLIONS of jobs have been lost, and *now* he’s going to hold a “jobs summit” in December!

How’s all that hope and change working for you?

You’re right.

What’s there not to like about all this?

Please sight the historical example of these kinds of tax and spending policies that has brought a country – any country – out of a recession into economic prosperity.

I’m eagerly awaiting.