Marx, I gave you one example, but I'd be happy to supply you with others.

If you want me to generalize by race, I can do that too. There are poor white people too, so don't try to play that race shit with me. Minorities have TONS of opportunities available to them. But I digress...

Thrax brings up a great point. The wealth that Alex (my dear friend/colleague Veta) is able to envision for himself is only because of this great country that we live in. And it is the Republicans, or I guess I should say conservatives, that are responsible for this. Their "hands-off" approach is what allows our capitalist system to flourish. I mean I understand why peoples' ideologies are to the left with social issues, because mine are too. I actually don't get the whole paradox of conservative ideology, in which the gov't shouldn't regulate the economy, yet they should be able to intrude into our personal lives and dictate whether or not we can smoke marijuana, have an abortion, etc.

Anyways, what I really wanted to bring up was the health care law. I think they are bullshit. I'm not opposed to people having health care whatsoever, it is the government mandate that I have a problem with. I truly feat this new act, as I believe it is moving us in a scary direction. The liberals on the Supreme Court have already expanded the Commerce Clause through various, illegitimate interpretation of the Necessary and Proper Clause (see NLRB v. Jones and Laughlin, U.S. v. Darby, Wickard v. Filburn). Do we really want to align ourselves with a party/ideology that is attempting to oppose its will onto every aspect of our individual lives? Not to mention, the rights of states are eroding with every new piece of legislation/court decision. Federalism is the basis on which our nation was created, and it sincerely dissapoints me to watch our country slowly abolish this founding principles.

oh and its not a Biden quote, President Obama said that when he was a first-term Senator

And yes, I am just trying to pick a beef with him. But how do you justify voting for someone that ran on one platform, and then support him when in practice he has shown himself to be completely contradictory to what he preached throughout his campaign?

It is silly to think that any American political party, but especially the current Republican party is actually responsible or actively trying to foster a more competitive economic environment. Harry that was a willfully ignorant statement, well most of what Marxism has posted is rather silly pointing out how the corporate interests are doing their best to stamp out competition is one point he is spot on and you are just as delusional as Yodel if you think otherwise.

I love me some capitalism, and I think the governments role in the economy should be one that fosters competition while at the same time protecting common goods like the environment through efficient application of pigovian taxes. Corporate America has been criminally short sighted, every single crisis our country has faced on the economic front has been caused by people desperately seeking immediate gains with no thoughts to the future problems that can be caused. Irresponsible deregulation in some industries as while as simple abject greed have been two of the larger factors in these calamities.

Thraxle, I respect you and the hard work you and your family before you have put in to get where you are, at the same time the rate of growth for the middle class like you and me is far slower than the rate of growth for the much richer. This trend is only accelerating and in the current economic climate this gap is growing at a geometric rate. Trickle down economics have failed, corporate profits are high but they are keeping their money, they aren't reinvesting it to create more growth. With tax rates at historically low levels it is hard to saw it is because of a hostile government attitude towards business, the real joke is that the corporations are significant minority owners in the government. While it is a rather apocalyptic statement, at the current rate we could be heading to a modern day feudal system with a ruling landed gentry class and the rest of us are just tenant farmers, taxed just enough to keep the lords and ladies in the latest finery and left with just enough to feed ourselves with no hope of ever changing our stars again. The American dream is dying, I am not going to say the Democrats are doing any better than the Republicans in saving it or that either political establishment really has the desire to change the direction since it is going so well for those in power.

veta, the fact that you want to leave america makes me lose some respect for you.

I wasn't saying that the Republican party promotes/fosters a more competitive economic environment in practice, but in theory that is what they strive for. Democrats are all about hand-outs, which has less to do with their economic theory and more to do with them trying to get votes.

That is just more regurgitated talking points, promoting a willful ignorance about the current direction both parties are going. You state the ideal Republican Platform, which is pretty much the same as the ideal Democratic Platform but compare it to a ignorant characterization of the Democratic Party.

Shut up Sam.

If I get rich it'll be at the expense of others not the glorious opportunities the united states provides. The only freedom amercia still has left is the freedom to rip people off. And I guess the freedom of stupidity.

If that, and your other post, are how you truly feel, then your prescence will not be missed here.

Truth be told, if these other wonderful countries are the utopia you proclaim, you can probably move there now. Welfare will take care of you there. School is cheap. You'll have health coverage. I hope you enjoy being another brick in the wall.