Here's an idea!.......discussion welcome!

A friend emailed me this:

Dear Mr. President:

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America's economy.
Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:


1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.


3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.


It can't get any easier than that!


If more money is needed, have all members of Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...

Now that made me think about it!! - KT

Trade protectionism

BEIJING, Feb 15 (Reuters) - China's official Xinhua news agency slammed the "Buy American" requirement of the U.S. economic stimulus package, saying in a commentary that trade protectionism is a "poison" that will harm poor countries.

The remarks are the first indication of the reaction in Beijing to the U.S. measure, which has been criticised by U.S. business groups that fear it could invite other countries to keep American goods out of their own stimulus programmes.

"History and economic theory show that in facing a financial crisis, trade protectionism is not a way out, but rather could become just the poison that worsens global economic hardships," Xinhua said in the overnight commentary, issued in response to the passing of the U.S. plan.

The U.S. Congress approved the $787 billion plan to jump-start the world's biggest economy on Friday, stipulating that public works and building projects funded by the stimulus use only U.S.-made goods, including iron and steel.

The plan does require that procurement be carried out in a manner consistent with U.S. obligations under multilateral and bilateral trade pacts -- potentially giving Canada, the European Union, Japan and some other countries the chance to benefit from the additional spending.

But countries such as China, India, Brazil and Russia, which are not members of an international government procurement agreement, would be shut out.

Xinhua cited the example of the Great Depression of the 1930s as showing that moves to protect domestic markets, and ensuing trade wars, could have only negative effects on the global economy.

"Trade protectionism will also cause catastrophic effects to some poor countries, making the current financial crisis one of a humanitarian crisis as well," it said.

This is all so true, and very sad to see the "land of the free" going this way - KT

David Drake: Did George Bush Misrepresent What Led Us Into Iraq?

A brilliant post from David Drakes Blog.

Looking back, maybe Bush did mislead us into going to war in Iraq.

Did he? What do you think? Based on what he knew from intelligence reports at the time, did he misrepresent and embellish "facts" in order to justify war with Iraq regarding WMDs, chemical and biological weapons and al-Qaida?

Let's look at the spoken word from President Bush, from his 2002 State of The Union Address:

"Intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members.

"Eleven years have passed since the UN called on Saddam Hussein to rid himself of weapons of mass destruction as a condition of returning to the world community. Time and time again he has frustrated and denied these conditions."

"I want to insure that Saddam Hussein makes no mistake about our national unity and for our support for the President's efforts to wage America's war against terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. I want the men and women in our Armed Forces to know that if they should be called upon to act against Iraq, our country will stand resolutely behind them."

And from the 2003 State of The Union Address, Bush said:

"[The] mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors. Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons."

"Saddam Hussein announced that he would no longer cooperate with the United Nations weapons inspectors."Saddam Hussein [has used] chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people."Iraq repeatedly blocked UNSCOM from inspecting suspect sites."

Prior to the inspection of another site, Iraq actually emptied out the building, removing not just documents but even the furniture and the equipment."Iraq has failed to turn over virtually all the documents requested by the inspectors."Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors."

Now heres the clincher, the first quote WASN'T from 'W' but in fact from Hilary Clinton in 2002.

And as for the second quote, none other than the darling of the left wing political community President Bill Clinton in 1998.

Funny, isn't it, how the Left today falsely claim that if "Bush had only let the U.N. Inspectors finish their job", when their beloved Bill Clinton admitted - in 1998 - that Hussein was NOT allowing the inspectors to do their job.Hillary and Bubba get a Free Pass on their words. Why the different standard applied to both Bubba and Hillary than is applied to Bush?

Bush isn't a Democrat.

Hat tip Clint Heine