SD Jarhead

Actually, it's not far from what John Kerry said last election- that a rise in the price of oil is a good thing (I'm para-phrasing). In all honesty, I really don't disagree. We have been spoiled for years with extremely low fuel and oil prices. I have lived abroad and know how much energy costs in places like Japan where they understand conservation and make it a way of life. There's a lot to be learned from other cultures. I don't think it is a preordained right to have cheap fuel here. As someone who has lost close friends in Iraq, I know the true cost of oil from the Middle East. So don't give me the talking points BS. My problem lies with both parties. The Republicans for not having a coherent energy policy during the last eight years and the Democrats for blocking any steps taken toward weaning us off of foreign sources. Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth. Quite frankly he's full of schit. And he doesn't get called on it. That's just my perspective. If you want to buy into the whole 'man of the people' BS, that's your choice, but I'm not buying it...

You sir are incorrect. A majority (57%) of Americans in a recent poll want us to start developing ANWR and offshore domestic sources. As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, the Democrats BLOCKED oil development in ANWR back during the Clinton Administration. The point is, the sooner we can reduce our dependence on foreign sources through conservation, alternative fuels and domestic production, the better off we'll be. Domestic production isn't a complete solution, but while YOUR political party obstructs progress we are another day away from independence. You do understand why the Sierra Club pushed so hard to get the Polar Bear on the endangered species list don't you? Lastly, I'll ask the question that no Liberal on this board will touch. How can Obama say with a clear conscience that he is for helping the working class families of this nation while he says he is comfortable with current oil prices? Is it just me or do his positions not align?

As I opined in another thread on a police killing, there are people in this world who are animals and barely qualify as humans because of their DNA. This is an example of one of those animals-Take note AJ Zepp. I would personally love to administer the punishment to this animal. Unfortunately there are some who feel that criminals of this nature shouldn't be punished, but instead 'rehabilitated'. I don't mean to turn this into a political discussion, but stories live this astound me how liberals can be opposed to the death penalty for an adult who freely make decisions like this and yet are in favor of killing the innocent through abortion. It's a funny world we live in...

To clarify what I mean by 'winning' - are the seeds of stability taking root over there? This is a crucial question that will be debated continually over the next few months. Do not mistake my question as "Should we have gone to war"; we've beat that dead horse a million times over. From my perspective, the surge seems to be working. It looks like the turning point was Maliki sending troops into Basra against Al Sadr, a fellow Shiite. That seems to have given him credibility with the Sunni's and Kurds demonstrating that he is a national leader and not just a 'shiite' leader. Or was Harry Reid right?

Why should he when The Messiah will take care of him? But seriously, that is a great comparison. Too many Americans fail to plan for their future. It starts at top w/ Motherment. The entitlement mentality is what will be the death of this nation. Our government lives in the here and now or lives to survive the next election cycle and that attitude trickles down to the people. Four dollars a gallon is not the end of the world. It is putting a crimp on our lifestyle and clearly is having a greater impact on the poor, but ultimately, with some behavior modifications, we'll survive through it. The larger issue at Tom alluded to is when it climbs even higher. We need a strategic vision, because as stated, it takes time to build the infrastructure to get the oil to market. But here's a question none of the Lefties have answered- If the candidate Obama is looking out for the "working class", then why does he feel $4.50-$5.00 gas is a good thing? Surely he realizes that spiraling fuel costs have a greater affect on the poor than it does the wealthy. Here's another point-how can UAW workers support him when he's on favor of higher fuel costs that will cause more of them to lose their jobs?

Pete, If you think ANWR is a forest, then you need a geography lesson. Drilling off the gulf coast (Florida) is already happening-the Chinese are doing it. I agree that we need to develop alternative energy sources and that necessity is the mother of invention. While there are some alternatives presently, they are a drop in the bucket and incredibly expensive. I am not saying that domestic development will solve this crisis, but it will serve to help while we develop the technologies you refer to. Regarding Iceland- are you referring to thermal energy? If so isn't that exploiting their natural resurces? Can you see us tapping into Yellowstone? How do you feel about high prices? Don't you see the hypocrisy of Obama supposedly looking out for the little people yet refusing to support steps that can assist them? Or his desire to outright leave Iraq, yet will do nothing to lessen our dependence on M.E. Oil?

Ugh, that was witty... The real question is when is the Messiah going to go to Iraq to survey the ground and meet the troops? On second thought, why get informed?

Yea, sure At what point do we develop those resources? Please enlighten me...

Obama said yesterday that he is not disappointed with the current price of oil, he's just disappointed that it happened so fast. I thought he was a 'man of the people'? Who suffers the most when fuel prices rise like they have? It's the poor folks who can least afford fuel, not rich folks. When will the Dem's stop the illusion that they care about 'the working man'? The mere threat of us drilling domestically will help to settle the markets and begin to lower the price of crude. But keep pretending that alternative fuels are the solution. Have you noticed how expensive food has gotten lately? You haven't seen anything yet... PBills- your logic is flawed, because in essence you're saying, why do anything if it's going to take awhile, right? Let me ask you- Why not drill domestically? Why Not? The Dem's are playing with fire here. Once the sheeple realize the game they're playing they're going to get real angry.

Want to get these !@#$ politicians off their asses? Click the link and sign the petition. Only a half a million so far, but who knows how far it might go? http://www.americansolutions.com/actioncen...7b-346a1e096659 Oh, and write your elected officials and get blown off like me...Here's Barbara Boxer's 'solution'. What a fuggin joke. Hmm, stop adding to the Strategic Reserve and Tax the eeeevil oil companies. Yea, that's the ticket In my letter to her I told her my position that we need to open up domestic sources, and that she needs to stop accepting campaign donations from special interests like The Sierra Club. Dear Friend: Thank you for contacting me regarding high gasoline prices. I appreciate the opportunity to hear your views on this important issue, and I share your concerns. Gasoline prices reached an all-time high this year, and costs for other basic necessities, including food, are rising drastically. As millions of Americans struggle under this increasing burden, oil companies continue to report massive, record-breaking profits. This is unacceptable, and I want to assure you that the Senate is working hard to lower prices and protect Americans from price gouging. On May 13, 2008, by a vote of 97 to 1, the Senate approved legislation to temporarily halt oil deposits to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which would put more oil on the market and help ease rising gas prices as we enter this busy driving season. In addition, I am proud to be a co-sponsor of S.2991, the Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008. This important bill would impose a windfall profits tax on oil companies to discourage price gouging and to help consumers offset the high costs of energy products, punish any country or company colluding in setting the price of oil, and limit excessive speculation in oil markets. S.2991 also includes a provision that is similar to legislation I authored that would require the Federal Trade Commission to investigate possible manipulation of gasoline prices any time prices rise rapidly. Americans deserve better than oil companies that gouge consumers in order to make huge profits. Rest assured, I will keep fighting to help Americans enjoy fair and reasonable energy prices. Again, thank you for writing to me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future on this or other issues that concern you. Barbara Boxer United States Senator

Here's the latest shenanigans from the 'harmless' Chinese: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1 But, hey, let's all argue about gay marriage. It is worth noting that these incidents are only the ones made public. I just hope our espionage capabilities are greater than theirs. But with our open society, it's probably not the case...

As much as I hate all things Boston, I hate the Lakers even more...Go Celtics!

I hold Paul Newman in the highest regard. He is someone who has used his celebrity for good without completely politicizing everything he does. I wish him and his family the best through these trying times... http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1 He's a true American Patriot!

I must agree that we are wating untold billions on some (many) of the Defense Contracts. A buddy of mine is a Marine Captain who got out and work for a Defense Contractor in the DC area. He's told me about how they attempt to keep busy without actually performing too much work. He said he was chastised for "working too hard". The fear is that if they complete the project too soon that when it comes time for re-bid they will lose value in the contract. Another story I've observed is a Major buddy of my in my last unit before I retired. He was tasked with leading a MTT's Team over in Iraq and detached to the MEF to compile the team and begin training. When he got there he had his Marines check out all the supply gear they needed from Supply. He was then told to go to this other building where they force fed him all this off the shelf Blackhawk brand tactical gear. He asked them WTF am I supposed to do with all this crap? They told him to just take it. He came back to the unit and showed us all the schit he was issued which was basically exact duplicates of the standard supply gear, but in black canvas. The are countless other stories out there. The problem as I see it is the political schitstorm and overreaction to the "Body Armor" issue the Dim's ran with. Sure there were a few issues, but it was NOTHING like they made it out to be. It's the same thing with the MRAP vehicles. I could go on and on unfortunately. I am in the job market now as my present company is circiling the drain. I am a member of a USMC accociation that help Vets find jobs through networking. It is amazing to me how many Defense Contracting jobs there are in the DC area. It seems to me like the States of Maryland And Virginia are being completely supported by Federal Contracts...it's totally Nuckin Futs!

Bump- Steely- Calling you out on this one again...still getting crickets on what exactly you were referring to above. Your attempt at linking Christians to Muslim terrorist is weak.

Throwing in a "Sir" or "Maam" won't hurt either. I can't tell you how many tickets I've gotten out of by being polite, making the officer feel that I was not a threat, and admitting when I knew I did something wrong. Also, if caught, pull over as soon as it is safe for the officer and yourself. It shows that you are concsious that you made a mistake and know better. Many officers will give you a break if you show a bit of humility and respect. Traffic cops seem to be less forgiving though as that is their purpose in life, but many officers will cut you some slack. I also suppose it doesn't hurt that I have a USMC sticker on my rig...

Say what you will about The Fed, but they are playing a key role in keeping us out of a depression. The jury is still out on whether they are able to do so or are just making the disease worse. Regardless, take a look at this piece from the Economist. Keep in mind that this is hardly a conservative magazine. More games being played with the future of our country and they couldn't pick a worse time to do so... http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayst...ory_id=11496881

As BF mentioned, your position on the issues above are completely opposed to what Obama stands for. I appologize for the 'talking points' comment, but your opinions in various threads serve to support them. FWIW, I agree with most everything you posted. I will say that I was in favor of the war when we went in, although I questioned the sense of urgency that Bush pressed for. I trusted that they knew something we didn't and that was the reason for invading. I was wrong, and hindsight being 20/20, I think we could've kept him contained. I attended a brief by then recently retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, who was always opposed to the war and listened to him discuss the NeoCon rationale for invading. Long story short, Zinni was right, Bush was wrong and it cost us much in treasure, live etc. However, I do feel that things being where they are today, WE MUST finish this. We are winning, and contrary to what the idiot Harry Reid says, we have not lost, nor is it a civil war over there. BUT- you did not answer my original question- Name me ONE example of where Obama has demonstrated where he has crossed party lines of been any type of bridge builder between the two parties. The FACT is that he is a hard line Leftist where as McCain is a centrist. I firmly believe this. Also, if spending reduction is that important to you, how can you rationally consider Obama? Seriously...

So what's your take on domestic production? Why is it that the Democrats are blocking us from developing a long term solution by opening up ANWR and drilling off of the coast of Florida? If you're so sick of it, what are you doing about it other than b*tching on an internet message board? The political games being played by 'your' side are having a detrimental impact on the future of our nation.

Kelly, Give me ONE example of where The Messiah has 'walked the walk' WRT his mantra of 'Change'. When has he crossed party lines to get something done? He's an empty suit. The only change he has in mind is a swing to the hard left. Now apply that to 'McBush' as your talking points have instructed you to call him. McCain used to be called a maverick because he would cross party lines if he thought it was the right thing to do for the nation. Though he was wrong on many things, (McCain-Feingold as an example), he would often do so.

A more appropriate Thread Title would've been Blzrul=Molten Goldfish.

Compare the property taxes in Buffalo and its suburbs to those in California...you'll be shocked.

Your first mistake is replying to Crayonz. In case you haven't figured it out, he is like Triumph the Wonder Retard (Dog) on this board. Messing w/ Canada is part of his schtick. Don't feed the trolls and you'll be fine... BTW, Nice job compiling his 'Greatest Hits' on Canada! That's some funny sheet!

AJ- What is different in this thread than what I and others have already told you? You got the same answer from the police officers posting than you did here. It is called escalation of force. As I wrote earlier, I'm sure you're a nice guy, but you've been incredibly bull headed in this thread. Even though I was in the military, I have received some law enforcement training. It is exactly the same as I posted. I'm done with this and am not going to insult you, but I think you were way out there on this one. Take care...

AJ- You admit you know little about police training and the escalation of force yet you assume that what they did is impropper or that "they could've done something else". Apparently just about everyone who posted here except you 'gets it'. Sure it's unfortunate that he died for a petty crime, but he earned it by not complying. EVERYONE knows that police officers carry weapons and if you refuse to do what they say (while committing a crime), you run the risk of being seriously injured or dead. Have you ever been pulled over? I assume you're a law abiding person. Then why dose the cop stay behind you and approach with his hand on his weapon in most cases? It's because THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE DEALING WITH. I just think you're acting foolish by assuming that there "must" be another way to subdue him without knowing what that something is...