"I can't Hate Donald Trump"

[xoxoxoBruce]

Didn't go well the last time.

[El Veto-Voter]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce
Didn't go well the last time.
Actually, up until they shot him, Reagan seemed to be doing a real good job of living up to his promises. But, after that incident, he seemed to be a different person. Even then, his legacy is better than any president since (IMNSHO).

A lot of people benefitted from his economic programs (tax cuts in particular), even though they ridiculed the concepts behind them (trickle-down economics).

And, it does seem from a neo-con worldview (which isn't mine) that eliminating the Soviet Union as a world-wide threat to freedom could be similar to "making America great again..."

But, I am not a fan of any country or other political establishment being "great". "Great" may be okay in sports, or in the educational achievement of students, but when a country or politician calls for "greatness" it is generally a call for war.

In politics how "great" you are is defined by who you can defeat.

GHW Bush (Crazy George II) made sure to prove our "greatness" by attacking and/or invading more coutries than any US President since World War II. His son George W (Crazy George III) followed up by taking over both Afghanistan and Iraq. What a disaster that has been for the American people (and economy) that have had to pay for all of that warfare.

We're all paying for it now in increased taxation with reduced incomes. (Did you ntice the box on your 1040 to check if you choose to not support the war? Neither did I. That sort of tyranny is seldom voluntary.)

But the bottom line is that we, any of us who voted, have given our blessing to everything that has been done in our names, with our mandate, because we have agreed in advance, by casting our votes, that whatever the winners and all of their minions do it okay by us.

That's a contract that I can't sign again. So I have become a Veto-Voter.

El Veto-Voter
www.HaltVote.com

[tw]

Originally Posted by El Veto-Voter

But the bottom line is that we, any of us who voted, have given our blessing to everything that has been done in our names, with our mandate, because we have agreed in advance, by casting our votes, that whatever the winners and all of their minions do it okay by us.

First, when one does not vote, then one tells leaders to only listen to extremists. If a voter goes to polls and checks off no names, even that is a vote against extremists. Politicians make decisions based upon who bothers to go to the polls. Does not matter if he is a greatest moderate in Congress. He will still vote with extremists if fewer people go to the polls.

Second, Tip O'Neill, House Speaker and Congressman even back in Kennedy's time said it best. Best administration he saw was 1st Administration Reagan. Worst administration he saw was 2nd Administration Reagan. What idiot would listen to some ill-respected Colonel as his military adviser. That's when (and because) over 200 American Marines were killed in Lebanon.

The people who did so much for Reagan (ie the Troika) left after four years - exhausted. What followed were power hungry and far less competent people - including and not limited to Oliver North.

George Sr was a superb leader. For example where was a massive recession created by war? Nixon spent money we did not have in 1968 (continued a war he knew we could not win to protect his legacy). As a result, a severe recession was 1975-1980s. George Jr spend almost $3 trillion on Mission Accomplished in 2003. Never forget the resulting recession he created before, on and after 2007.

George Sr was a competent president. Desert Storm (liberation of Kuwait) was paid for by the entire world. Even S American countries contributed. Largest contributor was Japan. As a result, that war did not create a severe downturn.

Of course it took Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft (among others) to undo lies by Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, and other neocons (later known as Project for a New American Century). Therefore that war was justified, met all criteria necessary for war, and did not create a massive recession. A major difference between responsible leadership and failed leadership often traceable to the people that a leader consults and brings with him into office.

Does not matter who you voted for. We all decided to send almost 5000 American soldiers to a useless death in Mission Accomplished. Does not matter who you voted for. We all are responsible for their deaths, a resulting recession, and other resulting problems. Trying to deny that is simply a cop out. We all did it - no matter what any one personally believed or said. And we all pay the price (decaying infrastructure, increasing military budgets, loss of jobs) because of what we all decided to do a decade earlier. It takes many years for such mistakes to have consequences.