Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

I still come back to the time of Clinton, when he was setting up free trade agreements. Didn't he know what was going to happen to American manufacturing ? It would be interesting to know what his thinking was back then.

Gitzo Loc: Indiana

What conversation is that, Blurry ? Did Richard say something that "offended" me ? No, Richard isn't capable of offending me; but I must admit, listening to some of his liberal nonsense does tend to make me slightly nauseous at times. And "why is such language"..........what "language" ? I didn't say any bad words !

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Interesting, Blurryeyed. I have been the object of all kinds of innuendos, some of them very blunt, and until this moment not a single person among the participants of this forum has had the balls to object. You are the first. I think that shows a lot about the caliber of most of the people in this forum. My thanks and congratulations.

Gitzo Loc: Indiana

Richard94611 said; Quote;

Sorry you don't like the avatar. Just because you don't like it, I won't change it. Among my 250,000 photos, it is one of the best PhotoShop pictures I have been commissioned to make. I like it and the client liked it, and that's all that matters !

Gitzo said;
I've already covered the faggy avatar........what I wanted to say before I forgot.........if that homo-esque fruitcake with his legs spread apart is "one of your best", out of your 250,000, I'm sure hoping you don't have any plans to subject us to ANY of the other 249,999 !

Shutter Bugger

Yeah not very much... and Benito Mussolini was not a fascist.

"Hate to tell you, but the client isn't gay. He is a professional body builder in the IFBB."

Your words Bud. ^

jcjr8

But also consider this, those scientists studying global warming are being funded by the Obama administration who is indebted to the environmentalists for supporting his reelection and who need "global warming" to exist. It's been proven time and again that science will follow the money just like anything else. So do a little research on that while you're at it. The most credible research will be coming out of programs not funded by government.

gorgehiker Loc: Lexington, Ky

So you believe the Heritage Foundation researchers who are funded by oil billionaire Koch brothers...

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

If those 500 scientists all agreed that there is NO climate change or so called global warming - there would be 500 scientists without a job. If I could get a grant from the government to prove that the sky is falling, I would do anything and everything in my power to prove that the sky is indeed falling. I will also take donations.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

The money on both sides of this equation effectively cancel each other out then...Both the Government & Business fund research & as such, the scientists doing their respective research are going to be biased in their outcomes...

jcjr8

Exactly. Science can be bought at the same market where politics are sold

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Back at the time it was not so hard to support Clinton in those free trade agreements, I am in this instance a little bit guilty of what I often criticize democrats of which is not projecting out the far reaching impact of their economic policies to better access their unintended impact. Did we really believe that there could be peace in the world with massive societies such as India and China having the overwhelming majority of their populations living in abject poverty, living in conditions that are considered as intolerable and cause for human rights concerns here in this country? We also over estimated the American work ethic and educational system, and underestimated the economic conditions that would see so many US corps offshore their productive capacities. You can hardly blame them because as our modern international economy developed, those who did not make the move would be short lived... there is noway that they could compete and survive in the markets that developed without exploiting the same advantages that their competitors were exploiting.

You can complain all you want about corporate greed and its causation of the downfall of our economy, but you can't get past the fact that had these huge corporations not made the moves that they made they would not be in business today, you can also look to the consumer, as we have shown that when it comes to spending our money we are going to balance quality and price range of a commodity or product, then we are going to in most cases find the best value at the lowest price. That is simply a basic economic rule, remember economics is more a study of human behavior and interaction than it is a study of dollars and cents.

At anyrate, we far under estimated the impact that free trade would have on our country, we had for so long been the king of the hill and felt that we could compete with anybody and that our skills and processes would be competitive with cheaper labor. We also recognized that given time and a proper adjustment period that the development of third world economies would open new markets for American products and services, little did we know that we would no longer be producing those goods as we shipped a great percentage of our production overseas.

Yes, there should have been smarter people that could have correctly argued the future impact of such decisions, but they also would have had their detractors who would have argued the opposite, some on a principled basis and others on a paid basis as it is clear that many large corporations were in favor of the agreements for reasons other than those stated for public consumption....

We are losing Richard, and not much is going to change until our government, both democrats and republicans unshackle themselves from the special interest chains that bind them..

When you speak education, it is very clear that the dems do not really care about education when placed on balance with the teachers and public employee unions..

When you speak of economic reform and regulation, it is clear that the republicans have no intention of reigning in Wall Street and the raping of the American public that happens there almost daily. What is worse both parties depend on these crooks to fund the government...

These discussions are so disheartening as the political class really does not give a crap about this country's future and that includes our president, it has all become about their parties and political power... little else is important to them.

big d Loc: Rossendale Lancashire

Every green house treaty in existence has been compromised and broken by the American government. Ironic that the most atrocious of all weathers in recent times has hit the American shores!( in latter years .)Do not shat or pollute nature!

Gitzo Loc: Indiana

A VERY good point ! Thank's for bringing that up.......

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Do you possibly also mean that scientists funded by the Koch Brothers who deny climate change also fit this pattern and cannot be believed ? If so, who can be believed. The source of funding for ANY climate research is then suspect.

Believe no one ?

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

Just thought I might point out also that other places are having problems with changing climate. Remember last summer in Paris when the heat hit record levels and dozens and dozens of people died because of this ? Also, as the weather is getting warmer, the sea levels are rising. If you doubt it, look at the atolls in the South Pacific (where I spent years). The Tokelau Islands are rapidly disappearing under the water, and people are necessarily moving to New Zealand. In the Tuamotu Archipelago, location of some of the most extraordinarily beautiful atolls in the world, many of the atolls will soon be submerged. Not a day goes by that I don't see some research report about the climate getting warmer and the increased warmth causing changes, usually problems.