© WithComment.com
Will the democrat win in November, and now a clear movement emotionally by those being polled to get out of Dodge (Iraq), lead to a recession both in the U.S. and by default globally?
World connectivity drives economic growth both in the "Core" (Europe, North America including Canada, & Mexico, Asia and Australia) and the "Gap" (All those not in the Core). If the U.S. now has a mentality of withdrawal from the world conflicts will this mean a slow down in buying from the world?
Just last week the U.S. concluded meeting with China about the under valuation of the Yuan. The U.S. doesn't like it because it creates a large trade deficit and dollars flow out of the country undermining its value. However, China snapped back that the reason we have enjoyed low inflation in the U.S. is because of the cheap goods and if they change their valuation we will experience inflation. That would lead to the Federal Reserve raising rates, which would tighten money and slow the economy. A sneeze in the U.S. economy will cause a cold in the world economy.
The democrats also are looking to raise taxes in certain areas or just don't extend some of the 2001 tax cuts that have helped the economy. These variables signal a possible change in the last two years of the Bush administration. The media has never properly covered the expansion in this economy, and a lot of America never knew we have a good economy with historically low unemployment, low inflation, wages increased and savings was up.
So far the new leadership in Washington is not making claims one way or another on how they will govern, but their party will demand they act in a way that will lead to a recession.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Monday, December 18, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“Hope without guarantees”
Our connection to the world.
The history of man is one of struggle. No matter if you believe man was created by god or evolved from the primordial soup, the more recent history of man has been one of struggle.
Man vs. other species, Man vs. the elements, Man vs. Man. No matter who we are at odds with we have, as a species, had to overcome the need for food, shelter and security. Those same situations still continue today, whether it is in Africa, Asia or South America, parts of the world still have man battling his surroundings to make a better home for himself and his family.
Those countries that have risen above some of this struggle form a “Core” as Thomas PM Barnett puts it in his book, “The Pentagon’s New Map” of connected countries. This connectivity is based on our common desire to trade goods and ideas across international boarders. Conspirators would contend that this is the “New World Order” that Pres. Bush (41) talked about during his presidency. Although Mr. Barnett is not against an open boarder policy, I am. I believe in the old saying that “good fences make good neighbors”
These countries outside the “Core” are called the “Gap” and are not as well connected. They have a much lower standard of living and are the regions were the U.S. and its partners have had to be involved militarily since the end of the cold war. Bosnia, Iraq, Africa are all places we have had to deal with because their populations and leaders do not want to participate in a friendly manner with the rest of the world.
They use excuses like,”it’s the devil in Washington” or, “it’s the Jews” fault, instead of understanding that their people will never get better, that their economies will never grow without the rest of the world.
Take Iran, they have all the oil they will ever need, they export enough to make them wealthy (930 million barrels per year), they consume less electricity then they produce yet they want nuclear energy. However, with their resistance to the west we have no choice but to doubt their intentions. If this were Mexico wanting to have nuclear energy, we might have to have a talk with them, but we would probably help them because we know they are very connected with our economy and not a military threat. Iran on the other hand is an unknown variable.
The United States is still the best hope for the world to live in peace. Despite what you might read, we are the only ones who can get people together but they must want to connect with the world. Our allies must also want the “Gap” countries to connect with the rest of the world, but until those countries understand that they will not be successful unless they can export goods other then oil, and that we will buy it, there will be no chance for peace.
All we have is hope for the future without guarantees.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Iran to lead Holocaust study? LOL
© WithComment.com
Image in the middle of the largest war ever fought on Earth by man, that a group of men planned and executed a second war that is almost beyond belief. Beginning in Poland, the Nazi’s began sterilizing the mentally ill, they then expanded it to just euthanize those same mentally ill. Once they had perfected their technique they used it on their true target. Jews, Gypsies and any other “undesirables”. It is estimated that 8-9 million died of which 6 million were Jewish, however, the other 2-3 million where Christians.
Now, some 60 years later Iran is leading a conference to determine if it happened. This is like the insane have a conference on whose reality is real the sane or theirs. There is only one reason why they do this and that is if they can put some doubt into what happened in Europe to the Jewish population, then they can reject the idea that Israel needed to be established and somehow justify that the Jews in Israel should be sent back to Europe.
This assumes that if the U.N. created Israel, they can now dissolve them. This is the mind of a mad man. Ahmadinejad is on a mission to bring about a great war with Israel and the west is doing nothing to stop him. They get bogged down in committee and it will be to all of our doom.
This website will continue to be a voice for what is the true intent of Iran, all you have to do is read their words:
“Thanks to the blood of the martyrs, a new Islamic revolution has arisen and the Islamic revolution of 1384 will, if God wills, cut off the roots of injustice in the world.”
and
“The wave of the Islamic revolution will soon reach the entire world.”
- Ahmadinejad
by Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Image in the middle of the largest war ever fought on Earth by man, that a group of men planned and executed a second war that is almost beyond belief. Beginning in Poland, the Nazi’s began sterilizing the mentally ill, they then expanded it to just euthanize those same mentally ill. Once they had perfected their technique they used it on their true target. Jews, Gypsies and any other “undesirables”. It is estimated that 8-9 million died of which 6 million were Jewish, however, the other 2-3 million where Christians.
Now, some 60 years later Iran is leading a conference to determine if it happened. This is like the insane have a conference on whose reality is real the sane or theirs. There is only one reason why they do this and that is if they can put some doubt into what happened in Europe to the Jewish population, then they can reject the idea that Israel needed to be established and somehow justify that the Jews in Israel should be sent back to Europe.
This assumes that if the U.N. created Israel, they can now dissolve them. This is the mind of a mad man. Ahmadinejad is on a mission to bring about a great war with Israel and the west is doing nothing to stop him. They get bogged down in committee and it will be to all of our doom.
This website will continue to be a voice for what is the true intent of Iran, all you have to do is read their words:
“Thanks to the blood of the martyrs, a new Islamic revolution has arisen and the Islamic revolution of 1384 will, if God wills, cut off the roots of injustice in the world.”
and
“The wave of the Islamic revolution will soon reach the entire world.”
- Ahmadinejad
by Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
"Iraqi (Surrender) Study Group" review
© WithComment.com
The group lead by James “Velvet Hammer” Baker (called this for his political skills) is more velvet then hammers in the 21st Century. They say the key to flipping Syria to help us and away from Iran is to solve the Arab/Israeli conflict. No kidding? According the Hamas to have peace is their control of the Gaza strip and the West Bank. According to this study it would also mean addressing, “borders, settlements, Jerusalem, the right of return, and the end of the conflict.” Wow! I guess this same group wants us to give the southern U.S. to Mexico and the Mid-West back to France, Alaska to Russia and the East coast to England.
What this fails to take into account is that the Muslims in the Middle-East want to finish what Hitler started and kill all the Jews. Then they will continue with all the Christians after that. What are they thinking?
The failure of this administration is not in the objective, but in the execution of the war. For all my problems with F.D.R. and his social programs that we are still paying for today, he knew how to let his generals fight a war. Pres. Truman would have been almost incapable to drop “the bomb” on Japan with today’s pantywaists for advisors. The President Bush of today is only an echo of the man who stood on top of the ruins of the World Trade Center and declared, “I can you hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” They’ve heard us and are unimpressed.
Getting medieval on these people is what they will understand and respect. “Unleash hell” as a quote from the movie “Gladiator” suggests is the way to defeat the enemy. Take all the fight out of them and make sure anyone else in the region knows exactly what they will get too. But at last Pres. Bush failed, Rumsfeld failed and the Iraqi Study Group failed.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
The group lead by James “Velvet Hammer” Baker (called this for his political skills) is more velvet then hammers in the 21st Century. They say the key to flipping Syria to help us and away from Iran is to solve the Arab/Israeli conflict. No kidding? According the Hamas to have peace is their control of the Gaza strip and the West Bank. According to this study it would also mean addressing, “borders, settlements, Jerusalem, the right of return, and the end of the conflict.” Wow! I guess this same group wants us to give the southern U.S. to Mexico and the Mid-West back to France, Alaska to Russia and the East coast to England.
What this fails to take into account is that the Muslims in the Middle-East want to finish what Hitler started and kill all the Jews. Then they will continue with all the Christians after that. What are they thinking?
The failure of this administration is not in the objective, but in the execution of the war. For all my problems with F.D.R. and his social programs that we are still paying for today, he knew how to let his generals fight a war. Pres. Truman would have been almost incapable to drop “the bomb” on Japan with today’s pantywaists for advisors. The President Bush of today is only an echo of the man who stood on top of the ruins of the World Trade Center and declared, “I can you hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” They’ve heard us and are unimpressed.
Getting medieval on these people is what they will understand and respect. “Unleash hell” as a quote from the movie “Gladiator” suggests is the way to defeat the enemy. Take all the fight out of them and make sure anyone else in the region knows exactly what they will get too. But at last Pres. Bush failed, Rumsfeld failed and the Iraqi Study Group failed.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Iraq Study Group & Iran
© WithCommet.com
As we hear from the “Iraq study group” which with all the hype was to be Pres. Bush’s saving plan, but now looks like a retread of “duh” ideas. The very idea that we need to have changes in regional politics is both stupid and obvious. This is why we are there! We are there to change the political landscape of the Persian Gulf and introduce democracy to the region. It is going slower then anyone would like, but look at Russia, it took 45 years to defeat the Soviet Empire but even that form of democracy has failed.
The problem in Iraq is that we did not plan for the “after war” war and get everyone important on board. This lack of vision gave the insurgence hope and with Iran’s funding with weapons and man power have kept us off balance. Iran has, not masterfully but adequately, organized and executed a plan that has the west wondering why we are messing with these people. The simple answer is we need their oil.
We can not leave them alone because they control something we need to continue our life styles. We can not leave them alone because they are inhuman to their own, much less their attitude toward the “non believers”. We can not leave them alone because if left unchecked they would develop nuclear weapons and use them against the west, even if we had left them alone. The want us destroyed. When Ahmadinejad wants us to follow the teachings of God, it is not the Judeo/Christian God he is talking about. It is Allah!
Even the liberals should understand that this can not end well. They may not like the Christian right in this country and see them as something that is bad, but they have not began to contemplate what a country under Shi’a law would look like for them.
This website will continue to be the canary in the coal mine when it comes to Iran; they are the biggest threat to global stability and peace.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
As we hear from the “Iraq study group” which with all the hype was to be Pres. Bush’s saving plan, but now looks like a retread of “duh” ideas. The very idea that we need to have changes in regional politics is both stupid and obvious. This is why we are there! We are there to change the political landscape of the Persian Gulf and introduce democracy to the region. It is going slower then anyone would like, but look at Russia, it took 45 years to defeat the Soviet Empire but even that form of democracy has failed.
The problem in Iraq is that we did not plan for the “after war” war and get everyone important on board. This lack of vision gave the insurgence hope and with Iran’s funding with weapons and man power have kept us off balance. Iran has, not masterfully but adequately, organized and executed a plan that has the west wondering why we are messing with these people. The simple answer is we need their oil.
We can not leave them alone because they control something we need to continue our life styles. We can not leave them alone because they are inhuman to their own, much less their attitude toward the “non believers”. We can not leave them alone because if left unchecked they would develop nuclear weapons and use them against the west, even if we had left them alone. The want us destroyed. When Ahmadinejad wants us to follow the teachings of God, it is not the Judeo/Christian God he is talking about. It is Allah!
Even the liberals should understand that this can not end well. They may not like the Christian right in this country and see them as something that is bad, but they have not began to contemplate what a country under Shi’a law would look like for them.
This website will continue to be the canary in the coal mine when it comes to Iran; they are the biggest threat to global stability and peace.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Monday, December 4, 2006
Democrats want to take away your Soc. Security!
© WithComment.com
How the Democrats will privatize your retirement plan! "Democratic leaders in the House say they would like to gradually replace much of the tax credit with a program that would give annual matches for the first $1,000 used to create a retirement-savings plan."(free subscription to boston globe needed)
When Pres. Bush talked about “privatizing” part of your retirement the Dems yelled “Hell NO! You will hurt older poor Americans” Even though no one currently under 55 would change their retirement and you could always opt out and stay in the system as it is. Anyway, now that the Dems have the power back it sounds like a good idea because the current system will go belly up in a few decades.
This last year a Pension Act was passed so that if your company has a 401(k) you are already signed up unless you sign a waiver. Also in 2001 a non-refundable credit was passed to help with lower income (families make less then 50K per year) and are contributing to a retirement plan. However, because most of these people have no taxes, it is under used!
So now the Dems want to actually give the $1,000 in potential credit to your retirement plan. The details are going to fun for us tax preparers as well need to have routing number for those accounts. They can’t send you the check and hope you don’t cash it.
The irony is that the Dems know the system is busted but just used the same old play book on saying Republicans are mean people who want to steal poor peoples money. Hell they don’t have any to steal.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
How the Democrats will privatize your retirement plan! "Democratic leaders in the House say they would like to gradually replace much of the tax credit with a program that would give annual matches for the first $1,000 used to create a retirement-savings plan."(free subscription to boston globe needed)
When Pres. Bush talked about “privatizing” part of your retirement the Dems yelled “Hell NO! You will hurt older poor Americans” Even though no one currently under 55 would change their retirement and you could always opt out and stay in the system as it is. Anyway, now that the Dems have the power back it sounds like a good idea because the current system will go belly up in a few decades.
This last year a Pension Act was passed so that if your company has a 401(k) you are already signed up unless you sign a waiver. Also in 2001 a non-refundable credit was passed to help with lower income (families make less then 50K per year) and are contributing to a retirement plan. However, because most of these people have no taxes, it is under used!
So now the Dems want to actually give the $1,000 in potential credit to your retirement plan. The details are going to fun for us tax preparers as well need to have routing number for those accounts. They can’t send you the check and hope you don’t cash it.
The irony is that the Dems know the system is busted but just used the same old play book on saying Republicans are mean people who want to steal poor peoples money. Hell they don’t have any to steal.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Trash heap of dictators
© WithComment.com
Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans: “Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking, while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any objective portrayal of current realities;” (Complete letter)
Noble President Ahmadinejad,
While it is true that our media enjoys covering your events and press releases that attempt to go over the head of President Bush and go directly to the American people. What is most interesting is not your letter but the coverage of the letter by our most important media outlets. On T.V., CNN & Fox News gave a talking point of your letter that you would be most pleased with. On the web CNN had the full text of your letter which could not be good, but others like MSNBC had only their outline of what you had said.
All of them pointed out that you agree that Pres. Bush is not doing well in Iraq, and that his aggressive behaviors have led him to this point ,and that he and others must heed the voice of the American people from this last mid-term election. President Ahmadinejad you have become a pundit for our media.
What all of them failed to do was actually read your letter. Yes you tried to give helpful, if not obvious advice to the Bush administration, but what they failed to talk about was your advice for us to abandon our support for Israel. Your anti-Zionist rhetoric was almost a third of the letter yet got little attention:
“What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?”
What are you saying here? The Jews control the banks and the media? If this were true wouldn’t that have been the lead in the news and not another bashing of this administration?
Your anti-Zionist view point of the world has clouded your reading of this country once again. You have fallen victim of the media bias that with the Democrats controlling congress that Pres. Bush is a toothless lion. You are wrong and if keep following your interpretation of the “Divine Prophets” and believe that only if we repent and follow the Qur’an that we can have dignity and success, you will find your self on the same trash heap of ruined dictators that have come before you, who also had dreams of world domination.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans: “Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking, while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any objective portrayal of current realities;” (Complete letter)
Noble President Ahmadinejad,
While it is true that our media enjoys covering your events and press releases that attempt to go over the head of President Bush and go directly to the American people. What is most interesting is not your letter but the coverage of the letter by our most important media outlets. On T.V., CNN & Fox News gave a talking point of your letter that you would be most pleased with. On the web CNN had the full text of your letter which could not be good, but others like MSNBC had only their outline of what you had said.
All of them pointed out that you agree that Pres. Bush is not doing well in Iraq, and that his aggressive behaviors have led him to this point ,and that he and others must heed the voice of the American people from this last mid-term election. President Ahmadinejad you have become a pundit for our media.
What all of them failed to do was actually read your letter. Yes you tried to give helpful, if not obvious advice to the Bush administration, but what they failed to talk about was your advice for us to abandon our support for Israel. Your anti-Zionist rhetoric was almost a third of the letter yet got little attention:
“What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?”
What are you saying here? The Jews control the banks and the media? If this were true wouldn’t that have been the lead in the news and not another bashing of this administration?
Your anti-Zionist view point of the world has clouded your reading of this country once again. You have fallen victim of the media bias that with the Democrats controlling congress that Pres. Bush is a toothless lion. You are wrong and if keep following your interpretation of the “Divine Prophets” and believe that only if we repent and follow the Qur’an that we can have dignity and success, you will find your self on the same trash heap of ruined dictators that have come before you, who also had dreams of world domination.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Raise the Min. Wage to $20.00 per hour
© WithComment.com
IA Dems want a Min. Wage increase "Iowashould raise the measly $5.15 per hour to $7.25. That step could help Iowa shed its reputation as a low-wage state."
I say why not raise it to $20.00 per hour. It is typical of the Democrats to offer help but not enough to actually help. The article justifies the $7.25/ hr because that then gives, "Someone working full-time for $7.25 per hour would earn an annual salary of $14,500 - just above the poverty level for a family of two.” But what if they are not part of a family of 2 or what if they have 4 kids. Then they are still way under the poverty level.
So why not just make it $20.00 per hour which would be above the median income in the U.S. (until of course it happens then the median income will go up and thus the dollar amount to be below the poverty level will increase and they will still be below poverty) The unfortunate 1.6 million who are making minimum wage are over half (53%) teenager, 26% are married heads or spouses and 11% are single family heads. Nearly two-thirds move off of min. wage with in a year! Source
It is a feel good issue, of the 6 states voting on an increase in the last election 3 sent new Democrat Senators and Ohio tossed in a new governor and house member too. What we need to do is just get the thing up and make it adjusted to inflation and be done with it. It is a silly idea and counter to the market, but if it will make it a non-issue in 2008 then all the better.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
IA Dems want a Min. Wage increase "Iowashould raise the measly $5.15 per hour to $7.25. That step could help Iowa shed its reputation as a low-wage state."
I say why not raise it to $20.00 per hour. It is typical of the Democrats to offer help but not enough to actually help. The article justifies the $7.25/ hr because that then gives, "Someone working full-time for $7.25 per hour would earn an annual salary of $14,500 - just above the poverty level for a family of two.” But what if they are not part of a family of 2 or what if they have 4 kids. Then they are still way under the poverty level.
So why not just make it $20.00 per hour which would be above the median income in the U.S. (until of course it happens then the median income will go up and thus the dollar amount to be below the poverty level will increase and they will still be below poverty) The unfortunate 1.6 million who are making minimum wage are over half (53%) teenager, 26% are married heads or spouses and 11% are single family heads. Nearly two-thirds move off of min. wage with in a year! Source
It is a feel good issue, of the 6 states voting on an increase in the last election 3 sent new Democrat Senators and Ohio tossed in a new governor and house member too. What we need to do is just get the thing up and make it adjusted to inflation and be done with it. It is a silly idea and counter to the market, but if it will make it a non-issue in 2008 then all the better.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
John Edwards and the PS3
© WithComment.com
John Edwards vs.Walmart and PS3 "Yesterday, a staff person for former Sen. Edwards contacted a Wal-Mart electronics manager in Raleigh, North Carolina to obtain a Sony PlayStation3 on behalf of the Senator's family.
Sending an unpaid volunteer to do your shopping is the type of leadership I think we can all come to expect from our Democratic friends for the next 2 years.
John Edwards talked about the "2 Americas" in his bid for the nomination of 2004. Maybe the "2 Americas" were those with PlayStation 3's and those without. I know that most of us would use connections to get something we want if we had it. In this case Edwards had no connections and simply thought his name would be enough, guess not. Washington is full of these people both Democrat and Republican. Corruption comes from contempt, contempt of those who put you in power. This is why term limits are a necessary evil in politics, not limits on contributions.
The problem is the number of years we should limit too. Senators have 6-year terms but house members only have 2-year terms. It would be wrong to have different amount of years but then if you say 3 terms that is 18 years for Senators. That seems too long. I believe 2 terms for Senators and 6 terms for House members, that would give 12 years of service and then they must move on or out. Sorry but that would mean that Sen. Charles Grassley would have had to go in 1992 but that would be the bad with the good.
It might be a compromise to limit it to 2 consecutive terms and allow people to rerun again after one or two terms. It is not a simple answer and that is why it has not happened along with the fact that no one in the house or senate wants it or lobbyist who have an investment in him or her.
This shake up in congress, though something I did not want to happen, will make both parties learn lessons and hopefully help them serve us better.
Chris Mendelsohn
Your comments welcomed. reply@withcomment.com
John Edwards vs.Walmart and PS3 "Yesterday, a staff person for former Sen. Edwards contacted a Wal-Mart electronics manager in Raleigh, North Carolina to obtain a Sony PlayStation3 on behalf of the Senator's family.
Sending an unpaid volunteer to do your shopping is the type of leadership I think we can all come to expect from our Democratic friends for the next 2 years.
John Edwards talked about the "2 Americas" in his bid for the nomination of 2004. Maybe the "2 Americas" were those with PlayStation 3's and those without. I know that most of us would use connections to get something we want if we had it. In this case Edwards had no connections and simply thought his name would be enough, guess not. Washington is full of these people both Democrat and Republican. Corruption comes from contempt, contempt of those who put you in power. This is why term limits are a necessary evil in politics, not limits on contributions.
The problem is the number of years we should limit too. Senators have 6-year terms but house members only have 2-year terms. It would be wrong to have different amount of years but then if you say 3 terms that is 18 years for Senators. That seems too long. I believe 2 terms for Senators and 6 terms for House members, that would give 12 years of service and then they must move on or out. Sorry but that would mean that Sen. Charles Grassley would have had to go in 1992 but that would be the bad with the good.
It might be a compromise to limit it to 2 consecutive terms and allow people to rerun again after one or two terms. It is not a simple answer and that is why it has not happened along with the fact that no one in the house or senate wants it or lobbyist who have an investment in him or her.
This shake up in congress, though something I did not want to happen, will make both parties learn lessons and hopefully help them serve us better.
Chris Mendelsohn
Your comments welcomed. reply@withcomment.com
Unmarried with children
© WithComment.com
Record number born to the unwed "The overall rise reflects the burgeoning number of people who are putting off marriage or living together without getting married."
It is no surprising that with the decline of marriage that the number of children born out of wedlock would increase. The good news is that the number of children born to children (under 18) has declined.
It is no coincidence that the culture changed in the 60's with the "great society" by LBJ allowing women more independency and a growing number in college (now more then men) and the joining the workforce, all of which are good things. However, it came at the cost of undermining the importance of men in the household and in the lives of the children.
Don't get me wrong, many many men don't deserve to reproduce and when they do, should not be involved except in a financial way. But the liberal agenda has made it so easy to dismiss the father that it is actually a penalty financially to be married to one. The tax code rewards single low-income parents with the (EIC) Earned Income Credit. This is not a bad thing but the way it is structured it rewards underachievement in the workforce and makes it difficult to be married.
They are forced to play a game of cat and mouse with the IRS, a case I read about had a woman who was not claiming head of household but did claim the EIC because she made about 18,000 per year and received around 3,500 from the credit. However, it turned out that the father lived in the house too and made around 40,000 per year but didn't claim the children. So this household of 58,000 was also receiving 3,500 from uncle same.
The last 40 years men have been demoted, metronized & made to feel that the world's evil is their fault. I guess it was our fault that we bit from the apple and not theirs for offering it to us.
Chris Mendelson
reply@withcommen.com
One of the other minor powers: Germany
© WithComment.com
Germany looks for breathing room "WITH more than 80m people and the world's third-biggest economy, Germany squats like a giant in the centre of Europe."
One of the other minor powers: Germany
The fall of the Berlin wall, the fall of the Soviet Union, reunification of Germany. The Post war Germany was split into to two, the west thrived while the east suffered. The laws of West Germany were set up to not allow troops off of their soil even as members of NATO. But things change.
“The Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, was set up to defend the homeland against attacks from the east. It would not have been politically possible, until the 1990s, to deploy soldiers in foreign interventions: most Germans were staunchly pacifist. Only in 1994 did the constitutional court rule that German soldiers could be allowed outside the NATO area, and then only if parliament had given its approval.”
Germany has now elected a chancellor that is less about the German economy and more about its foreign policy. Angela Merkel has spent much of her time outside her country and next year will be the President of the EU and the G-8! What she must help her country decide is if they are going to engage in the world militarily if it is needed, or remain passive as a large percentage of their population wants.
However, Germany has been involved in the middle-east before, during and ever since WWII. The Term “Islamic Fascism” has its bases in Nazi Germany. Wanting an Allie in the middle-east to give Britain trouble, several men from the region were given high rank in the SS. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin el-Husseini developed the Bosnian troops who were still in Berlin when it fell to the Allies.
A follower of the Grand Mufti found their way to Syria and formed the Ba’ath party which was later formed in Iraq. An uncle of Saddam Hussein was among them and recruited Saddam as a strong man.
Today, Germany receives 25% of its natural gas from Russia, and is very involved in the Iranian Nuclear talks. It is hard to see however, how they can force the issue when Russia is the major contractor on the Iranian reactor.
Germany is a powerful country in Europe and is making a play to be more influential in the world. Today they spend 1.4% of their GDP on the Military (3.7% USA) and could be a powerful Allie or potential rival in the future.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Sources:
http://christianactionforisrael.org/medigest/may00/arabnazi.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_nuclear_program
Germany looks for breathing room "WITH more than 80m people and the world's third-biggest economy, Germany squats like a giant in the centre of Europe."
One of the other minor powers: Germany
The fall of the Berlin wall, the fall of the Soviet Union, reunification of Germany. The Post war Germany was split into to two, the west thrived while the east suffered. The laws of West Germany were set up to not allow troops off of their soil even as members of NATO. But things change.
“The Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, was set up to defend the homeland against attacks from the east. It would not have been politically possible, until the 1990s, to deploy soldiers in foreign interventions: most Germans were staunchly pacifist. Only in 1994 did the constitutional court rule that German soldiers could be allowed outside the NATO area, and then only if parliament had given its approval.”
Germany has now elected a chancellor that is less about the German economy and more about its foreign policy. Angela Merkel has spent much of her time outside her country and next year will be the President of the EU and the G-8! What she must help her country decide is if they are going to engage in the world militarily if it is needed, or remain passive as a large percentage of their population wants.
However, Germany has been involved in the middle-east before, during and ever since WWII. The Term “Islamic Fascism” has its bases in Nazi Germany. Wanting an Allie in the middle-east to give Britain trouble, several men from the region were given high rank in the SS. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin el-Husseini developed the Bosnian troops who were still in Berlin when it fell to the Allies.
A follower of the Grand Mufti found their way to Syria and formed the Ba’ath party which was later formed in Iraq. An uncle of Saddam Hussein was among them and recruited Saddam as a strong man.
Today, Germany receives 25% of its natural gas from Russia, and is very involved in the Iranian Nuclear talks. It is hard to see however, how they can force the issue when Russia is the major contractor on the Iranian reactor.
Germany is a powerful country in Europe and is making a play to be more influential in the world. Today they spend 1.4% of their GDP on the Military (3.7% USA) and could be a powerful Allie or potential rival in the future.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Sources:
http://christianactionforisrael.org/medigest/may00/arabnazi.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_nuclear_program
Civil War in L.A.?
© WithComment.com
Civil War? "The network's cable news outlet, MSNBC, drummed the point home repeatedly by using the phrase "Iraq: The Civil War" on the screen."
I am not trying to dispute whether or not the war in Iraq has turned into a “Civil War” or not, but I am interested in the press coverage of the war. In the news account they quote from Webster’s New World College Dictionary, which defines a Civil War as, "war between geographical sections or political factions of the same nation." What I am focusing on is that this definition can be used for L.A. Gangs (geographic sections) in the Los Angeles Almanac (http://www.laalmanac.com/crime/cr03x.htm) in which it shows that between 350 & 450 gang-related homicides occur each year in L.A. County. Is this a “Civil War”?
The media have been wanting to call it this for a long time but now feel the courage to do so, believing this is the last bit of leverage needed to get us out. But as usual they just don’t see the bigger picture.
Sunday, as explained on “Meet the Press”, the war in Iraq had been going on for as long as the U.S. involvement in WWII. Of course they got it wrong. The war in Iraq did end with the fall of Saddam’s government and when Bush made his famous “Mission Accomplished” speech. But like WWII V.E. day was not the end of the war and for almost 3 years after the German army surrendered, violence by insurgents continued in Germany.
The reason the insurgency was not as successful in Germany as it has been in Iraq is very apparent. 1) The war against Germany was a complete war, both the military and civilian populations were targeted and destroyed. By the time Berlin fell, there was no more fight in the Germans and no support internally for the insurgents. 2) Both Iraq and Germany had a neighbor very interested in controlling the post war politics. The Soviet Union simply kept part of Germany (East Germany) and controlled it for 45 years. Iraq has Iran, which can not militarily take control of Iraq (Shi’a region) so they have funded groups to keep the violence up with one goal. That goal is to embarrass the U.S. and its allies so much that they leave the region, and not bother Iran and its nuclear program.
It is just a sad state of affairs that we focus on the here and now so much that we can not see the bigger plan set into motion by those who wish us utterly destroyed.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Civil War? "The network's cable news outlet, MSNBC, drummed the point home repeatedly by using the phrase "Iraq: The Civil War" on the screen."
I am not trying to dispute whether or not the war in Iraq has turned into a “Civil War” or not, but I am interested in the press coverage of the war. In the news account they quote from Webster’s New World College Dictionary, which defines a Civil War as, "war between geographical sections or political factions of the same nation." What I am focusing on is that this definition can be used for L.A. Gangs (geographic sections) in the Los Angeles Almanac (http://www.laalmanac.com/crime/cr03x.htm) in which it shows that between 350 & 450 gang-related homicides occur each year in L.A. County. Is this a “Civil War”?
The media have been wanting to call it this for a long time but now feel the courage to do so, believing this is the last bit of leverage needed to get us out. But as usual they just don’t see the bigger picture.
Sunday, as explained on “Meet the Press”, the war in Iraq had been going on for as long as the U.S. involvement in WWII. Of course they got it wrong. The war in Iraq did end with the fall of Saddam’s government and when Bush made his famous “Mission Accomplished” speech. But like WWII V.E. day was not the end of the war and for almost 3 years after the German army surrendered, violence by insurgents continued in Germany.
The reason the insurgency was not as successful in Germany as it has been in Iraq is very apparent. 1) The war against Germany was a complete war, both the military and civilian populations were targeted and destroyed. By the time Berlin fell, there was no more fight in the Germans and no support internally for the insurgents. 2) Both Iraq and Germany had a neighbor very interested in controlling the post war politics. The Soviet Union simply kept part of Germany (East Germany) and controlled it for 45 years. Iraq has Iran, which can not militarily take control of Iraq (Shi’a region) so they have funded groups to keep the violence up with one goal. That goal is to embarrass the U.S. and its allies so much that they leave the region, and not bother Iran and its nuclear program.
It is just a sad state of affairs that we focus on the here and now so much that we can not see the bigger plan set into motion by those who wish us utterly destroyed.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Monday, November 27, 2006
The Minor Powers: Venezuela & Iran
© WithComment.com
Not so nice “the collapse and crumbling of your devilish rule has started."
The devil and Mr. Chavez "We are confronting the devil, and we will hit a home run off the devil next Sunday,"
The minor powers: Venezuela & Iran
Both the leaders of Iran and Venezuela use the same terminology when describing the west or more specific the United States. Their world media campaign continues from their fall campaign in the U.S. this last fall when they were both at the United Nations and gave rallies after their speeches. It was no accident that they made sure they held the “press conferences” at different times to maximize their live coverage on CNN & Fox News.
Now, Chavez is in an election on Sunday and he is not running against a domestic opponent but the “devil” in Washington D.C. Who could vote against him and vote for the devil? No one obviously, and so he will win and continue to be a pebble in our shoe, nothing threatening just irritating if they are just by themselves.
But I am convinced that something is going on here between these two. They are too well organized and talking off the same page. Iran controls oil and terrorism in the middle-east with its control of Hamas and Hezbollah. Venezuela controls oil and strong ties to Cuba who is well known for their trouble making in Central and South America.
This week Hamas said they were willing to talk peace for the next six months, but then threatened renewed violence in an uprising if there was no Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. A timeline and objective that is impossible to meet, therefore not a real effort to make peace.
I believe all this is to stall the west and ready themselves for something bigger. Iran progressing with Nukes, and violence in the middle-east and Venezuela ,one of our biggest suppliers of Oil could lead to serious trouble. I just hope that Pres. Bush is not too distracted with congress and possible hearings that could lead to impeachment charges, to deal with these important but minor powers, as many have said Clinton was too distracted by his impeachment hearings to deal with Bin-Ladin.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Not so nice “the collapse and crumbling of your devilish rule has started."
The devil and Mr. Chavez "We are confronting the devil, and we will hit a home run off the devil next Sunday,"
The minor powers: Venezuela & Iran
Both the leaders of Iran and Venezuela use the same terminology when describing the west or more specific the United States. Their world media campaign continues from their fall campaign in the U.S. this last fall when they were both at the United Nations and gave rallies after their speeches. It was no accident that they made sure they held the “press conferences” at different times to maximize their live coverage on CNN & Fox News.
Now, Chavez is in an election on Sunday and he is not running against a domestic opponent but the “devil” in Washington D.C. Who could vote against him and vote for the devil? No one obviously, and so he will win and continue to be a pebble in our shoe, nothing threatening just irritating if they are just by themselves.
But I am convinced that something is going on here between these two. They are too well organized and talking off the same page. Iran controls oil and terrorism in the middle-east with its control of Hamas and Hezbollah. Venezuela controls oil and strong ties to Cuba who is well known for their trouble making in Central and South America.
This week Hamas said they were willing to talk peace for the next six months, but then threatened renewed violence in an uprising if there was no Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. A timeline and objective that is impossible to meet, therefore not a real effort to make peace.
I believe all this is to stall the west and ready themselves for something bigger. Iran progressing with Nukes, and violence in the middle-east and Venezuela ,one of our biggest suppliers of Oil could lead to serious trouble. I just hope that Pres. Bush is not too distracted with congress and possible hearings that could lead to impeachment charges, to deal with these important but minor powers, as many have said Clinton was too distracted by his impeachment hearings to deal with Bin-Ladin.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
Saturday, November 25, 2006
One of the major powers: Russia
© WithComment.com
The resurrection of the Soviet Union is underway. Pres. Putin (former KGB) is consolidating power much like Stalin did with the motto: “No man, no problem” Journalist and Industrialist are dropping left and right and now it appears another former KGB man, Alexander Litvinenko has been assassinated but in a much more public way. The radio active poison is so rare that it is obvious and therefore on purpose.
Litvinenko said of Putin:
“(you have) no respect for life, liberty or any civilized value.” and he added,”you have shone yourself to be unworthy of your office, to be unworthy of the trust of civilized men and women.”
Putin shows this lack of respect by continuing to defy world opinion and not only help but advance the Iranian nuclear projects. The latest will happen in December when their head of the Russian nuclear agency will visit Iran. Of course he will feel protected because Russia is deploying Tor-M1 around those nuclear sites. These are air defense missiles that can track 48 targets and fire on 2 at once.
Russia under Putin’s leadership is leading down a road that is not good for anyone, including Russia. The Soviet Union fell because it was not connected to the world; it fell because he brutalized those under its control. The former soviet satellites will not go for this now. Its connection to the world is still needed and this road will lead to its disconnection and ultimately its demise, again.
Chris Mendelsohn
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
No one goes Hungry in my America!
© WithComment.com
You are no longer hungry, just "Food insecure" "According to a report released this month by the US Department of Agriculture, roughly 35 million Americans had difficulty feeding themselves in 2005 and of those some 10.8 million went hungry."
WithComment – Orwell would be sad to see such talk. To change the name of being hungry to “food insecurity with hunger” may put it under homeland security in the future. It is hard to believe that with the number of overweight children and adults in this country that this is much of an issue. Our cities are full of lunch kitchens that haven’t closed since FDR was in charge. I’ve got to believe that a large percentage is homeless people who have a high percentage or the mentally ill. Either that or supermodels that are doing it to keep their jobs.
I think we need to adopt a skinny person. With the other 270 million of us too fat (I among them) we can teach these people how to stop doing meth and how to do Krispy Kreme. They need to learn to start taking their meds and start going to “Old country buffet” America’s know how to eat and we need to teach those how don’t how to do it too.
To paraphrase Pres. Reagan, “America is a shining buffet upon a hill.”
*No donuts were injured in making this observation.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
For more comments visit www.withcomment.com
You are no longer hungry, just "Food insecure" "According to a report released this month by the US Department of Agriculture, roughly 35 million Americans had difficulty feeding themselves in 2005 and of those some 10.8 million went hungry."
WithComment – Orwell would be sad to see such talk. To change the name of being hungry to “food insecurity with hunger” may put it under homeland security in the future. It is hard to believe that with the number of overweight children and adults in this country that this is much of an issue. Our cities are full of lunch kitchens that haven’t closed since FDR was in charge. I’ve got to believe that a large percentage is homeless people who have a high percentage or the mentally ill. Either that or supermodels that are doing it to keep their jobs.
I think we need to adopt a skinny person. With the other 270 million of us too fat (I among them) we can teach these people how to stop doing meth and how to do Krispy Kreme. They need to learn to start taking their meds and start going to “Old country buffet” America’s know how to eat and we need to teach those how don’t how to do it too.
To paraphrase Pres. Reagan, “America is a shining buffet upon a hill.”
*No donuts were injured in making this observation.
Chris Mendelsohn
reply@withcomment.com
For more comments visit www.withcomment.com
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