America Goes Dark

[Dale_M]

I can’t agree with the last statement at all. This isn’t just a refit but a new system. There’s a military spacecraft called the X-37B. Officially, no one knows what it does. I believe the vehicle the military is referring to is the X-51.

Hmmm… the mission of this space plane is unclear, but I am not aware of any reason to think that the US is incapable of striking any part of the world with a missile in the time frame of one hour or less. I don’t think the X-37B plane is necessary to support the claim of a global strike capability.

All those secret programs cost money and defense contractors are famous for cost overruns. The British shot down a UAV using a ground based laser a few weeks back. The higher tech you go, the more it costs, at least at first.

Yes, military technology is often on the “bleeding edge.” Incremental advances are often very expensive.

 

[edwest2]

Hmmm… the mission of this space plane is unclear, but I am not aware of any reason to think that the US is incapable of striking any part of the world with a missile in the time frame of one hour or less. I don’t think the X-37B plane is necessary to support the claim of a global strike capability.

Yes, military technology is often on the “bleeding edge.” Incremental advances are often very expensive.

Nuclear missile silos out West were decommissioned. Strategic Air Command in Cheyenne Mountain was shut down. These are new systems. But I’ll leave it at that. These aren’t incremental advances.

God bless,
Ed

 

[DawnInTexas]

PLEASE, anyone who feels that he or she is not paying enough taxes, and that lack of revenue is the problem in America, write a check and mail it to your friendly IRS office NOW. In case you haven’t noticed, the cost of necessities has skyrocketed during the post-Reagan era. That’s the way our pols have managed to confiscate the MOST money at the lowest political cost.
In the 80’s and early 90’s, I was able to sacrifice, and comfortably raise my family of four girls, 90% on my own modest wages of about $20,000 per year. And then with some OT, I was able to pay off my mortgage in 7 1/2 years! TODAY, virtually all my money would go to water, sewer, electric, gas, phone, state and fed taxes, tolls, etc. These necessities are so riddled with taxes and fees that the best one can do is whittle your “fair share” around the edges. Now, which party has been most responsible for making ordinary American life unaffordable? Wow, that’s a toughie!
Now, we see that through the Dems’ infinite “compassion”, they have destroyed our economic system by granting millions of sub-prime loans to millions of people who had zero chance of ever repaying them!!! Yes, Bush, McCain and others TRIED to reign in Fannie and Fredddie’s ruinous policies 17 times, but they were accused of racism at every turn, and they backed down. Oh, have any of you leftists here noticed that NO ONE from either government entity has gone to prison; in fact, most are back in government! And, that this new financial “reform” act totally IGNORES Fannie and Freddie? We are in for terrible times folks, and the left will continue to march to the polls every November and vote for the party that cares for the “little people”, excluding unborn humans, of course. Rob

I think all those in Hollywood who backed Obama are doing that-sending extra money in for his projects already.

The professional Basketball players he shoots hoops (and pictures) with-also, I bet. The football teams (Super Bowl winners-although the Steelers’ Quarterback was MIA when they visited the WH). The Boys of Summer-those rich Baseball players…

Are they the Icky rich people he keeps talking about?

God Bless.
+Immaculate Heart of Mary, I place all my Trust in You!
Love, Dawn

 

[bbarrick8383]

hmm… its an interesting take, but do you have any evidence to support that interpretation? Why would state and city legislators choose to cut street lights and the jobs of teachers in favor of “social programs” (whatever they might be.) Do you have some examples?

I’ll give you a local example, and a national example.

The high school I graduated from, in 1997. Was known to be the richest school per capita in the state of Oklahoma at the time. The coffers were overflowing with money. We only had baseball and basketball as sports, no music classes, no secondary language classes. But, our english, math and science teachers and one of the principals, were amongst some of the best educators in the state.(I know that now, didn’t pay much attention then though.) The school administrators were all locals, their children were students, some of my own family taught there.

In the last 10 years, they started hiring a few outsiders, who came in and started spending the money like it was monopoly money. A few nice things to show for it, but they forced the good teachers out, and kept hiring more people nobody knew. The state opened up a welfare office, wasn’t long before the parking lot there was full of cars. State lottery in 2005, worlds 3rd largest casino in our county now. More government regulation and funding and the school is in worse shape than it has ever been. It’s not just this school, it’s all of them. The oil fields, and old oil money has kept us from feeling too much of the sting of the recession, unemployments less than 5 percent for my county.

It’s not as bad as up north, yet. But it’s not as conservative as I’d like it to be either.

And that is the second example, a simple comparison of democrat vs. republican cities is more proof that democrats will spend until the cows come home. New Jersey may be waking up with the election of Christie, we’ll see. But I think many of my fellow Okies have realised this as well. There is definitely more talk of politics than there use to be. Where it was once taboo to talk about for fear of offending someone, Obama is talked about on a daily basis.

The old folks who drive the same paid off car for 10 years, and live in the same paid off house their whole life are getting up there. Fortunately for us, we learned a thing or two from them.

We don’t bite the hands that feed us here either, no unions, we work hard for the companies and take every dollar we can get. Keeps cost of living down.

Someones sig is “America works best, when we say union yes”. Our saying should be “Yankees work less when they say union yes”.

 

[Rence]

I agree the government needs to cut back on it’s use of eletricity among other things. I live out in the country and the only lights we have out here are security lights which are next to the houses. It’s nice being able to step outside and actually be able to see the stars. You can’t do that in the city.

That’s what I was thinking. I don’t mean to sound rude, but some of the comments here make Americans sound kinda…spoiled? Oh my, they’re going to turn off some lights? We don’t have street lights where I live either. Only one light outside/next to the house. One thing I don’t miss from living in the city is all the lights. But I sure love a full moon in the sky. Until I moved to the country, I had no idea how bright it was.

The nearest cities (in both directions) turn off many traffic lights in the evening hours. All of the main ones stay on though.

I don’t even get garbage pickup where I live. I have to bring the garbage to the dump. But I’d rather haul my own garbage than pay higher taxes.

And the 3 mile road that leads from my house to the highway? All gravel. Hand me a tissue. My poor Windstar (and before that, my Taurus) should get a medal of bravery for having driven over it. But I’d rather have gravel than pay higher taxes or worse, have big huge Chicagoan-sized pot holes in the pavement.

The only thing I agree with is the demand for better education. I think that area doesn’t need any cut-backs. Teachers don’t get paid enough as it is…

 

[Dale_M]

I’ll give you a local example, and a national example.

BBarrick, thank you for taking the time to respond, and the politeness of your response. However, I hope you will not consider me rude, because I am about to quibble. I do appreciate your information about your high school, which may be dear to you. However, I guess I still find it a bit vague. And the national example is even more vague.

In the last 10 years, they started hiring a few outsiders, who came in and started spending the money like it was monopoly money. A few nice things to show for it, but they forced the good teachers out, and kept hiring more people nobody knew. The state opened up a welfare office, wasn’t long before the parking lot there was full of cars. State lottery in 2005, worlds 3rd largest casino in our county now. More government regulation and funding and the school is in worse shape than it has ever been. It’s not just this school, it’s all of them. The oil fields, and old oil money has kept us from feeling too much of the sting of the recession, unemployments less than 5 percent for my county.

I guess I am wondering what is your measure for evaluating how the school, and its students, are doing now, compared to 10 years ago. I don’t mean to put you on the spot - I just don’t know how to interpret what you said other than that you are not happy with the current situation.

And that is the second example, a simple comparison of democrat vs. republican cities is more proof that democrats will spend until the cows come home. New Jersey may be waking up with the election of Christie, we’ll see. But I think many of my fellow Okies have realised this as well. There is definitely more talk of politics than there use to be. Where it was once taboo to talk about for fear of offending someone, Obama is talked about on a daily basis.

Oh gosh, I may come across as a pest, but I missed your national example of why a state or local government would cut street lights or the jobs of teachers in favor of “social programs.” And…um, if you will forgive me… actually, I think I missed your local example, too.

I am sorry if I come across as annoying… I just don’t understand the point(s) you are making.

 

[Cup_o_Joe]

If they’re going to do that, why not just have intersection lights? Honestly having lights every 100 feet while driving fast makes me nauseous. The most calm night I can remember was August 14th 2003, when there was the blackout. Ontario and many states stopped the commotion, for the first time in 26 years, people invited neighbors to supper and sat outside with within the city and looked at the firmament.

http://www.skynews.ca/pow/before.JPG http://www.skynews.ca/pow/after.JPG

 

[bbarrick8383]

BBarrick, thank you for taking the time to respond, and the politeness of your response. However, I hope you will not consider me rude, because I am about to quibble. I do appreciate your information about your high school, which may be dear to you. However, I guess I still find it a bit vague. And the national example is even more vague.

I guess I am wondering what is your measure for evaluating how the school, and its students, are doing now, compared to 10 years ago. I don’t mean to put you on the spot - I just don’t know how to interpret what you said other than that you are not happy with the current situation.

Oh gosh, I may come across as a pest, but I missed your national example of why a state or local government would cut street lights or the jobs of teachers in favor of “social programs.” And…um, if you will forgive me… actually, I think I missed your local example, too.

I am sorry if I come across as annoying… I just don’t understand the point(s) you are making.

It’s ok, I tend to ramble a bit.

I’m not trying to say that they would cut the street lights or teachers jobs in favor of social programs per se. But they are indirectly connected to the point that if they don’t start cutting back on power usage, or if they don’t start cutting classes that do not necessarily need to be taught in Elementary/Middle or High School, or even if they do not start hammering down on who gets what welfare, how much and for how often we are going to run into situations where even more drastic measures must be taken.

If government continues it’s liberal path, and continues to treat the taxpayers dollar as if it is an endless supply to do with what they please then things will just get worse.

Read the entire article, it’s obvious this guy is trying to blame conservatism for all of our issues in life. When it’s conservative states that are doing a much better job at resisting the recession than liberal states. People have jobs here, we got a huge influx of people from Katrina of all races and they were welcome because we had work for them to do. And we still do.

Yet the people in Michigan, California, New York, New Jersey and on and on are waiting in lines for handouts. At the same time blaiming republicans? Are they blind? I guarantee you in most of those states, if you offered up a vote on the so called rich to pay for more welfare…it would pass. Regardless of what that state defined rich as, the zero liability voter doesn’t care.

We just saw in California, the town officials paying themselves lavish salaries. Did you know, even if they are fired that one will get 650k for the rest of his life? Another will get 400k, and another over 200k?

I don’t like to call America, or Americans stupid and I hate it when I see others try to paint them so…but things like this make even me wonder what the heck is going on in this country.

As far as my school, the school vehicles were in bad shape. Haven’t checked on that in awhile though. The education on core classes are less than optimal, they still do not after all that spending have extracurricular classes for those kids.

I hope that clarifies things a bit.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Oh, Absolutely. The left has long advocated that we let social services and the commons erode.



I have to wonder, watching the current round of analysis by the right if this is merely a matter of delusion or if there is an orchestrated campaign of deceit going on.

Delusion? The ‘right?’

Check your Catechism. Holy Mother Church has always stood AGAINST re-distribution of wealth, while the liberals clamor for it. They do not make any secret of their goals.

Funny how they always want to do it with other people’s money, not theirs.