On 9/24/14 11:06 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 06:23:29 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 9/23/14 9:58 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 23 Sep 2014 17:10:23 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:



I've stated any number of times that I don't believe *all* corporations
are evil in the ways I've described. Corporate interests have far too
much power over the lives or ordinary people, especially those in the
lower and middle income groups.

What's the alternative, an all powerful government that controls the
means of production?
We watched that for 74 years in Russia until it totally imploded in on
itself. During that time, the only way they could keep people in line
was with repression and death.



Is everything in life an "either/or" with you?

I am only reflecting your total rejection of the principles of
capitalism and failure to understand the effect of taxes on those
institutions.
I assume it is because you have never successfully run a business and
your failures have made you bitter..



Where did I say I totally reject the principles of capitalism?
Where? Nowhere.

Capitalism has its good and its bad sides. Unfortunately, since the
1980s, we've unleashed aspects of capitalism that for the most part only
benefit the very wealthy. Please don't attempt to dispute that statement
by telling me how low your phone bill is.

Everything in life *does* seems to be "either/or" with you. Probably was
a good idea you hid out in the Coast Guard for a number of years, and
then went to work for a big corporation while it was still in its
Kafka-esque years.

wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:25:57 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 9/24/14 11:06 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 06:23:29 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 9/23/14 9:58 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 23 Sep 2014 17:10:23 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:



I've stated any number of times that I don't believe *all* corporations
are evil in the ways I've described. Corporate interests have far too
much power over the lives or ordinary people, especially those in the
lower and middle income groups.

What's the alternative, an all powerful government that controls the
means of production?
We watched that for 74 years in Russia until it totally imploded in on
itself. During that time, the only way they could keep people in line
was with repression and death.



Is everything in life an "either/or" with you?

I am only reflecting your total rejection of the principles of
capitalism and failure to understand the effect of taxes on those
institutions.
I assume it is because you have never successfully run a business and
your failures have made you bitter..



Where did I say I totally reject the principles of capitalism?
Where? Nowhere.

Capitalism has its good and its bad sides. Unfortunately, since the
1980s, we've unleashed aspects of capitalism that for the most part only
benefit the very wealthy. Please don't attempt to dispute that statement
by telling me how low your phone bill is.

Everything in life *does* seems to be "either/or" with you. Probably was
a good idea you hid out in the Coast Guard for a number of years, and
then went to work for a big corporation while it was still in its
Kafka-esque years.


How is the middle class being murdered?
I know you have a lot of Bernie Sanders bumper sticker lines but in
any real terms, the middle class seems to be doing fairly well. There
does not seem to be a shortage of people in homes 3 times the size of
the one I grew up in. I see new cars clogging the roads and everyone
has a phone in their pocket. Things that used to be considered luxury
items or even science fiction are now considered necessary to live a
normal life. The biggest nutrition problem in this country is people
eat too much meat. That is not a poor person problem.
If there is a danger to the middle class since the 70s, it is the fact
that so much of this is on borrowed money but that is a government
policy, not a corporate one. Nobody is holding a gun to the heads of
consumers forcing them to borrow money. This is a self inflicted
wound. The only significant thing for me about the late 70s is that I
have not borrowed a dime from anyone since then. That is how I was
able to retire at 49. My only bills are utilities and taxes, the
latter being the biggest by far.

Like the housing problem. First time home buyers, special loans. Buy a
used house? Nope, I want a McMansion to start with. Making $50K/yr and I
will buy a $759k home. Cheap interest, for 5 years. One of the drawbacks
of the housing bubble and no one buying used houses, is neighborhoods
declined lots. The new young families move in fix up the house and yard.
And build an equity and then move on to a bigger house later. Leaving a
nicer abode in their wake. Now the homes just decline, making for a
section 8 neighborhood. Maybe the middle class is not being murdered, they
are committing suicide via debt. Leaving above their means. On credit.
Bankruptcy?

On 9/24/14 11:55 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:25:57 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Probably was
a good idea you hid out in the Coast Guard for a number of years,

Only the most twisted logic would define serving your country as
"hiding out".
I guarantee that if you ever actually took your boat out of sight of
land and something went wrong, you would suddenly get religion and be
praying that there were some Coast Guard guys "hiding out" near you.

They would not care that you thought they were stupid to volunteer and
that you wanted to cut their funding. They would rescue you anyway.



Your fantasies about what you imagine I think are getting the best of
you. I don't recall ever saying that funding for the Coast Guard should
be cut or that volunteering to serve in the Coast Guard was stupid.

The "hiding out" was a reference to avoiding the draft and being shipped
to Vietnam as bullet fodder. If you were draftable, enlisting in the
Coast Guard or the Navy (but not as a pilot) for the most part kept you
out of a North Vietnamese rifleman's 10 zone.

I don't respond or even read most of the posts from the right-wingers
here. Doing so would make me feel like the jackass whisperer.

F*O*A*D wrote:


On 9/24/14 11:55 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:25:57 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Probably was
a good idea you hid out in the Coast Guard for a number of years,

Only the most twisted logic would define serving your country as
"hiding out".
I guarantee that if you ever actually took your boat out of sight of
land and something went wrong, you would suddenly get religion and be
praying that there were some Coast Guard guys "hiding out" near you.

They would not care that you thought they were stupid to volunteer and
that you wanted to cut their funding. They would rescue you anyway.



Your fantasies about what you imagine I think are getting the best of you. I don't recall ever saying that funding for the Coast Guard should be cut or that volunteering to serve in the Coast Guard was stupid.

The "hiding out" was a reference to avoiding the draft and being shipped to Vietnam as bullet fodder. If you were draftable, enlisting in the Coast Guard or the Navy (but not as a pilot) for the most part kept you out of a North Vietnamese rifleman's 10 zone.

I don't respond or even read most of the posts from the right-wingers here. Doing so would make me feel like the jackass whisperer.




No.* You are afraid of confrontation and legitimate debate.* You call the police if a guy ****es you off.* You lie.* You cheat on your taxes.* You are a mess.

On Wednesday, September 24, 2014 9:35:04 AM UTC-7, F*O*A*D wrote:




I read most of the posts from the right-wingers

here. Doing so makes me feel like the jackass that I am.


There, I fixed it for you.

On 9/24/14 12:52 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 12:35:04 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 9/24/14 11:55 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:25:57 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Probably was
a good idea you hid out in the Coast Guard for a number of years,

Only the most twisted logic would define serving your country as
"hiding out".
I guarantee that if you ever actually took your boat out of sight of
land and something went wrong, you would suddenly get religion and be
praying that there were some Coast Guard guys "hiding out" near you.

They would not care that you thought they were stupid to volunteer and
that you wanted to cut their funding. They would rescue you anyway.



Your fantasies about what you imagine I think are getting the best of
you. I don't recall ever saying that funding for the Coast Guard should
be cut or that volunteering to serve in the Coast Guard was stupid.

The "hiding out" was a reference to avoiding the draft and being shipped
to Vietnam as bullet fodder. If you were draftable, enlisting in the
Coast Guard or the Navy (but not as a pilot) for the most part kept you
out of a North Vietnamese rifleman's 10 zone.



I don't know what you have trouble understanding. There WAS NO ****ING
VIETNAM WAR when I joined. The president promised us "we are not about
to send American boys 9 or 10 thousand miles away from home to do what
Asian boys should be doing for themselves"

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/johnson%20vietnam%20lie.mp3

I was already out of boot camp when he trumped up the phony Gulf of
Tonkin incident and lied us into that war.
Funny that you always ignore that when you rail on about lies and
wars. He is not the only Democrat to tell that lie, just to be
elected.

FDR told the same lie in 1940..




Nothing you've just posted responded to your incorrect rave that I
called for cutting funding for the Coast Guard or that I thought
volunteering for it was stupid.

I many times have faulted presidents from Eisenhower to Nixon for our
moronic involvement in the war against Vietnam. I really thought for a
while that Nixon would shut it down sooner than he did.

Good thing you were in the Coast Guard, eh, and not being shot at...

I've been shot at three times in my lifetime...once in the 1960s in
Mississippi, once in Central America, and once south of New
Orleans...registering black voters, working for agrarian reform, and
helping oil platform supply ship workers organize. The first and last
time were scary, but the Central American incident transcended that,
since several people in our dinner meeting at the next table were shot
and killed, and two of them were close friends.

I should have joined the Coast Guard. *Lots* safer when no one is
shooting at you.

On 9/24/2014 1:04 PM, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 9/24/14 12:52 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 12:35:04 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

On 9/24/14 11:55 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:25:57 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Probably was
a good idea you hid out in the Coast Guard for a number of years,

Only the most twisted logic would define serving your country as
"hiding out".
I guarantee that if you ever actually took your boat out of sight of
land and something went wrong, you would suddenly get religion and be
praying that there were some Coast Guard guys "hiding out" near you.

They would not care that you thought they were stupid to volunteer and
that you wanted to cut their funding. They would rescue you anyway.



Your fantasies about what you imagine I think are getting the best of
you. I don't recall ever saying that funding for the Coast Guard should
be cut or that volunteering to serve in the Coast Guard was stupid.

The "hiding out" was a reference to avoiding the draft and being shipped
to Vietnam as bullet fodder. If you were draftable, enlisting in the
Coast Guard or the Navy (but not as a pilot) for the most part kept you
out of a North Vietnamese rifleman's 10 zone.



I don't know what you have trouble understanding. There WAS NO ****ING
VIETNAM WAR when I joined. The president promised us "we are not about
to send American boys 9 or 10 thousand miles away from home to do what
Asian boys should be doing for themselves"

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/johnson%20vietnam%20lie.mp3

I was already out of boot camp when he trumped up the phony Gulf of
Tonkin incident and lied us into that war.
Funny that you always ignore that when you rail on about lies and
wars. He is not the only Democrat to tell that lie, just to be
elected.

FDR told the same lie in 1940..




Nothing you've just posted responded to your incorrect rave that I
called for cutting funding for the Coast Guard or that I thought
volunteering for it was stupid.

I many times have faulted presidents from Eisenhower to Nixon for our
moronic involvement in the war against Vietnam. I really thought for a
while that Nixon would shut it down sooner than he did.

Good thing you were in the Coast Guard, eh, and not being shot at...

I've been shot at three times in my lifetime...once in the 1960s in
Mississippi, once in Central America, and once south of New
Orleans...registering black voters, working for agrarian reform, and
helping oil platform supply ship workers organize. The first and last
time were scary, but the Central American incident transcended that,
since several people in our dinner meeting at the next table were shot
and killed, and two of them were close friends.

I should have joined the Coast Guard. *Lots* safer when no one is
shooting at you.



It's best that you didn't serve in the military.

Given the air of self perceived superiority that you exhibit, the
philosophies you promote and the lack of respect for those who did serve
for whatever reason, I doubt you'd even make it through boot camp ...
especially those back in the 60's.

I know for damn well sure you would never make it through the first 4
weeks of OCS. It's kinda fun to imagine you trying to argue or impose
your views on any of the instructors though.

On 9/24/14 1:52 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:


It's best that you didn't serve in the military.

Given the air of self perceived superiority that you exhibit, the
philosophies you promote and the lack of respect for those who did serve
for whatever reason, I doubt you'd even make it through boot camp ...
especially those back in the 60's.

I know for damn well sure you would never make it through the first 4
weeks of OCS. It's kinda fun to imagine you trying to argue or impose
your views on any of the instructors though.



Yes, indeedy...my heart has been broken since, in the words of Arlo
Guthrie, I wouldn't have been the type who would have been good "enough
join the army, burn women, kids, houses and villages" of people who
never intended to harm our country or anyone in it.

I see no reason to "respect" the likes of mustered out old fools like
Herring or your jackass buddy in Florida, whether they served or not.

On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:52:14 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I know for damn well sure you would never make it through the first 4
weeks of OCS.

===

It would definitely be fun to watch him try however.

On 9/24/14 4:24 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:04:46 -0400, F*O*A*D wrote:

Nothing you've just posted responded to your incorrect rave that I
called for cutting funding for the Coast Guard or that I thought
volunteering for it was stupid.

You constantly complain about military budgets and you have implied
many times that anyone who joined the military was stupid.




I do constantly complain about military budgets but, to the best of my
recollection, wasn't the Coast Guard part of the Department of the
Treasury for many years? Does it or did it get authorizations separate
from the other branches of military service?

I've never implied that "anyone" who joined the military was stupid.

You're again caught up in your "black or white" mindedness.