Saw Zakaria and Friedman Speak Tonight

[ralph00]

Quote from circadian:

It was put forth with a little greater sense of urgency. The speakers admitted that this problem isn't a new one for America, but 20-30 years ago it didn't matter that much b/c we were the lone superpower. America could fool around and waste time and resources but as long as we retained the no. 1 spot no one cared. Now, with the emergence of many large countries and economies, we've got to get our act together or we'll be left in a vulnerable state.

To put it simply, we're not the only alpha male anymore, and if we don't step up our game...they'll overtake us in the coming decades.

Well 20 or 30 years ago, the Soviet Union was still in existence and the Friedman and Zakaria types were then telling us to get our act together or we would be overtaken by the Ruskies.

 

[Eight]

It's kind of like Obama telling the school kids that they need to fix America... wait, that's Obama's job isn't it??

Yeah, wow, great speakers, I'd like to know the exit strategy for the war on poverty and the one on drugs... talk about Afghanistan being permanently dysfunctional...

Speaking of which, Afghanistan is where guys come and they deal in weapons and on the return trip they deal in drugs and when they get back home they deal in political power... our troops will slowly, have been already maybe, reduced to guarding the Poppy fields and the trade routes.. it's not like that's not a cool job but why at taxpayer's expense?

 

[lrm21]

Quote from circadian:

I had the pleasure of listening to Fareed Zakaria and Thomas Friedman speak tonight at my school.

umm.. yeah.. you lost me right here.

 

[cstfx]

Quote from circadian:

1. US will get nothing done under it's broken political regime. Partisan non-cooperation will be the slow ruin of America, likened to a cancerous tumor that slowly eats at the patient. There is an incentive for party members to be noncooperative with one another that comes from fund raisers.

This is a simple fix: term limits for everyone, not just the Pres. Too many rely on the Gov't dole and all the perks to go with it to WANT to make any changes. This is one of those times when fresh voices, not the occasional one but real fresh voices, are needed. You can't change the system until you change the players.

C'mon, Strom Thurman, 99 y.o. senator from 1956 to 2003, or Robert Byrd, 91 y.o. Senator from 1959 to present! As just a few examples.