Comments on: Rumsfeld Steps Down; Gates To Succeed Him

Bush: Defense Secretary To Be Replaced By Ex-CIA Chief

Government policies, such as tax policy and transfers, have the potential to greatly reduce high child poverty rates that would otherwise prevail if left solely to the market incomes families receive from work and other sources. The anti-poverty effectiveness of such policies varies considerably across countries. Compared to other industrialized nations, the United States is woefully lagging: even after government intervention over one-fifth of all U.S. children were living in poverty in 2000.

[marcodele]

To the neocons, poverty is a choice, and liberal democrats love poverty so they can raise tax dollars and give it to those undeserving welfare cheats and drug addicts.

Ironically, the only welfare cheats I know are my white middle class republican cousins who lay on the couch and wait for their government funded pain killers to arrive in the mail. Of course, they also watch Fox news religiously, and fear that *** and abortion rights are ruining their lives and threatening their marriage - their fourth marriage.

Luckily their attitudes and arguments were dismissed yesterday.

[bellal-2009]

Yea, I agree times can be tough sometimes. Been there.

Basically, there are just two distinct purposes of a war. One is to just crush the enemy and immediately withdraw. It%u2019s kind of a raid %u2013 a short and powerful strike with an iron fist. The goal achieved, who cares what may happen there next. The other option is crushing the regime, occupying the country, and providing the necessary stability. The war in Iraq was definitely this type of the enterprise. Therefore, the amount of troops should be much greater and the very composition of the troops should be different because the most difficult stage begins just after the regime is crushed and power vacuum begins. It is necessary to avoid even a short vacuum of power, to provide policing functions, to guaranty reasonable food, electric power, and drinking water supply to keep the population %u201Cminimally happy.%u201D Nothing of the kind was even thought about.

[joehawkinson]

Now we want to see Bush impeached for lying to us about Iraq and 911.

[bellal-2009]

Believe it or not Pakaal, there are govt. programs that are designed to lift people out of poverty. In fact there are probably a dozen or so for every situation.

When Baghdad was taken it was declared as a brilliant victory. Try to compare a superb American military machine and Saddam army %u2013 no comparison. When Saddam%u2019s statue was thrown down by a small group of Americans and Iraqis it was considered full victory.
Declaration that our military in Iraq are defending our freedom is an intentional misrepresentation. No terrorists can endanger our freedom; they can cause losses of human lives, and create problems. But they cannot endanger our freedom.

The cheap stunt when Bush landed on an aircraft-carrier under the slogan %u201CMISSION ACCOMPLISHED%u201D was a demonstration of the fact that the administration is absolutely incompetent. The result of this war is simple %u2013 this war gave nothing to America, all the money, all American lives are wasted. The declaration that it is better to fight terrorism, there then in America, is false and is a smoke screen. Presence of al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq is %u201CAmerican-invited%u201D and is just a small portion of total fighting. The great majority of fighting is sectarian war that has nothing to do with America. The declaration that we are fighting in Iraq, a %u201Cglobal%u201D war on terrorism is false. First, terrorism is not the enemy, it is a method; the actual enemy is ideology that just uses terrorist methods. Second, terrorist cells are distributed over many countries and fighting it militarily in one country is nonsense.

bellaL:

"Not trying to be mean but there has to be a way out of poverty especially if you're not disabled."

You make it sound like some people choose poverty.

You can't suddenly pack your bags one day and move on from poverty to middle class. It is extremely naive to think so.

It really isn't that easy, especially when you're stuck in a low paying job that only pays minimum wage, and it's especially hard if you haven't had a chance at a great education.

There are of course, always exceptions.

Unfortunately, for most, they get trapped in that situation and it's impossible to get out.

Personally, I was lucky. I lived in a great home, but we lived below the poverty line (though we were much better off than some).

Things are different now, but they could so easily have stayed the same.

And it wasn't as easy as packing ones bags and moving suburbs.

[pakaal]

And I have to agree with NativeWoman. If you're making the federal minimum, you're netting $10,500 a year or so. Just try to "bootstrap" your way out of poverty when you can't even feed your kids. I'm fortunate enough to make more than 4x that amount now, but I've been at the minimum wage too - it's too easy to say "well just get a different job" and walk away from the debate, rather than discuss the difficulties facing people at the low end of our country's wage-earners.

[Syndicate]

"Mission accomplished" I remember that day I remember whatching Bush's speach as I looked for my friend stationed on the Lincoln. I got a kick out of watching the president land. Made me feel good. I watched this ship for a while like I said my friend was on it. They were deployed for their standard mission when the war broke out. The ship was heading back into port. I kept sending my buddy emails "Have you turned around yet?" HE would reply no. Then it came "We turned around?" Poor guy was already tired from his deployment and now he had to fight a war. They were gone for ten months. A standard tour is 6. they kept that ship there until it was not needed anymore they kept it until major combat operations stoped. Later on that faitful day I got to watch the fighter planes returning to base they flew directly over my house at a very low altitude. it was one of the neatesat things I ever saw. Imagine about 30 f-18s and f-14s flying low over your house after watching them take off a few hours earlier on Fox News. And then there was the sunami. My buddy says he still has nightmares about all the floating bodies and decapitated children. Its sad All these people ******** about a war that hasn't really killed alot of people. But a sunami that killed hundreds of thousands in a few hours is quickly forgotten. They still have no warning system.

[marcodele]

The neocons' arguments and attitudes have apparently been rejected by a majority of American voters. They can go rebalance their portfolios. We'll take it from here!

[bellal-2009]

You're right NativeWoman. It's hopeless. Squizz, it's hopeless. Forget it.

[pakaal]

Everyone should keep in mind the last sentence of this article: Gates isn't in without confirmation in the Senate. And with the Senate (hopefully) in Democrat hands, they'll vote against this guy. Robert Gates is a long-time insider who was investigated in the Iran-Contra scandal as well as in the Iraq-Iran war, where he was accused (not convicted mind you) of leaking military intelligence to Iraq.

The American people voted for change, not more of the same. I think Gates falls in the latter category.

[nativewoman]

Posted by bellaL at 04:58 PM : Nov 08, 2006

Living in poverty makes it next to impossible to move or get into another field.

Moving trucks and setting up a new residence make for a very expensive undertaking. Which all hinges on finding a decent paying job elsewhere.

[kwlambi]

wow W grabs a headline, on his party's dark day. This is so smooth like, steering so many other news days, the spin continues, and W is just carrying on.. Jebus only 26 more months of this cr@p...

[bellal-2009]

squzz2, I don't know what to tell you. You live in a land of opportunity. Maybe you need to move or find a different field. Not trying to be mean but there has to be a way out of poverty especially if you're not disabled.

[squiz2]

BellaL, I'm not saying that they don't. A lot of wealthy people do great things; it is not them who I have a problem with. It's those that refuse to believe that the people who are struggling, have tried their whole lives to make things work, who have no other options, really do need help. We don't want free handouts, we don't want everything given to us. We just want someone to reach down out of their ivory tower, tell us it will be ok, and give us a hand. I'm not asking for their SUVs, their big houses, or their private schools. I'm just asking for compassion.

[bellal-2009]

Hey, huskerarmy, I welcome a change as long as it doesn't affect the quality of care or my choices in healthcare. Go for it. I'd like to see the Democrats put there money where their mouth is and come up with some solutions. I'm betting whatever solutions they come up with will not benefit me (self employed) and will cost me more money. Just an educated guess

[bellal-2009]

squizz2, rich people give more money to charities than you and I could ever imagine. Look at Bill Gates. His wealth will change the world.