The US Republican party are funny

themrhubarbs wrote: »

Seriously. Think about it. They have to be pretty smart to run a country, so there is every chance this was never accidental.

Depends upon how you define "smart," given that Bush-Cheney took office when the country was at peace, was beginning to reverse the federal deficit, and the equity markets had been growing for several years.

When Bush-Cheney left office in January 2009, the federal deficit had almost doubled, the country was in the worst recession since the Great Depression, the equity markets had lost half their value, housing foreclosures were reaching record proportions, the biggest bank failure in US history had occurred (Washington Mutual), and they had started two wars that had been ongoing without resolution for several years. If that defines "smart," I would hate to see what defines incompetent.

themrhubarbs wrote: »

I really do not think the financial situation can be blamed on the US government

The Republicans controlled both houses of Congress from the 1996 elections until the Democrats won control of the House, but not the Senate in 2006. Republicans also controlled the Executive with GW Bush as president from January 2001 until January 2009. Deregulation is, and has been, a typical Republican platform followed by such actions that contributed greatly to the greatest recession since the Great Depression:

• SEC investment bank deregulation in 2004: GW Bush pushed for deregulation of investment banking, and Cox his appointee to Chairman of the SEC deregulated, allowing for the risky investment practices that resulted in the failure of Goldman Sachs, and other investment houses in 2008.
• SEC reduction in SEC regulator employees in 2004: Chairman Cox, following GW Bush's lead, significantly reduced the number of investment bank regulators to where there were so few, that for all practical purposes, investment banks became self-regulating. That's like asking the foxes to supervise the chickens in the coup; and sure enough, this contributed to several investment banks making risky investments and their failure in 2008.
• Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000: The "Contract with America" Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and passed this Act (driven by GW Bush and Republican Senator Gramm) that deregulated the energy industry. "Special purpose entities" that were high risk emerged from this deregulated environment that had little or no accountability. Creative accounting practices by corporations such as Enron made them appear as if they had huge profits, which did not in reality exist. Enron’s fraud-based failure and collapse wiped out billions in investor wealth and helped contribute to the dotcom recession.

In addition to how Republican deregulation contributed to the great recession, they started 2 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, one of which is the longest war in US history, both of which have been contributing to the doubling of the federal deficit at almost a billion dollars a month.

These wars, plus other wasteful government spending contributed to the doubling of the federal deficit under GW Bush since the end of the Clinton Era, which in turn contributed to the huge financial meltdown recognized in 2008 that the United States now experiences.

themrhubarbs wrote: »

And them going to war over 9/11 was a sound idea.

Did the country of Afghanistan attack the United States on 11 September 2001, or did a small independent group of terrorists led by Osama bin Laden, that were allowed to train themselves in Afghanistan (and Florida), attack the Twin Towers and Pentagon?

If it was justified to attack the country of Afghanistan because they allowed the hijackers to be trained there, using the same logic, should the State of Florida also been attacked, and the Governorship of Jeb Bush be overthrown, where several of the hijackers were allowed flight training? (Please excuse the craic )

None of the 19 plane hijackers were citizens of Afghanistan; rather one was from Egypt, two from UAE, one from Lebanon, and the greatest number (15) were citizens of Saudi Arabia, which is also where Osama bin Laden was born. Afghanistan was only a staging point for the attack on New York and DC, and if that justifies an attack on the nation of Afghanistan, then the same logic would apply to our Republic of Ireland for the enemies of the United States, as Shannon is a staging point for the US Military in their wars against Afghanistan and Iraq.

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That was never stated in my posts to this thread. I only mentioned that CIC GW Bush started two wars with problematic justifications that were contributing to record federal deficits.

But if you are to include the Kennedy Cuban missile crisis, then you must also include Reagan's arms race with the USSR, and his proxy war supporting the Nicaraguan contras in Central America.

Come to think of it, if we include proxy wars, I think both are war parties, Republicans and Democrats. The US has loved war since its war for independence, and let's not mention the ridiculous Spanish American War, which Prescott Bush was involved in up to his ear lobes, and which had no more justification than the 2nd Iraq War under GW Bush.

"Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Very peaceful song indeed (what a craic!).