shuddup you with your facts ;)

this is done.

Should we, looking at projections, not assume the bush tax cuts will expire? Maybe I'm just too hopeful, rather than realistic, but I think they will. Whether or not the republicans win the presidency (which i still doubt), i think the bush tax cuts were dead when he suggested "hey lets not call them that" at his big shindig trying to support extending the cuts.

Damn you - I took your word for it ... just looked. I didn't use "deficit." tw did and it was in a quote of mine, but not me.
Hmm. Dunno. hadn't really thought about which was worse.

no I just don't think that the government should take advice from people like this...


http://www.av1611.org/666/rock_666.html

Great! Cause the government doesn't. I promise you Britney Spears and Rob Halford and Marilyn Manson aren't giving the government advice. Maaaybe they vote. Should they not be allowed to vote, because they used a commonly referenced, usually tongue-in-cheek, three-digit number in a song or on their clothes or whatever?

plus... your source?
I'd... REALLY REALLY rather my government be run by britney spears or big gay rob or marilyn manson than by THOSE people, dude.

JBK, I agree with the sentiment of Ibram's post. I would like to point out though, that our government is run by us, all of us. Some more than others to be sure. Run by us by our votes, but also by our communication with others. We are influenced by those around us, like Big Gay Rob and Dial-The Truth and countless others, so that matters too.

I per-fer to call it 'truth for hire'

Whatever you call it, i find it disturbing and distasteful. to each their own i guess.

well the distasteful part I can fix.. the disturbing part is due to a flux in the force that I have created by resisting socialism.. the spirit is willing but the robot is stuck.. I have to imagine that the 'spirit of mars' is somewhat as you say 'disturbing' all I can do is live my life the way I see God wants me too. The Bible says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. I believe I have worked out my salvation. I may have took the long way but I'm there. So now that I am in a situation that is stable all I can say is that I am here to help people not hurt them.

Hang on...whathas resisting socialism got to do with anything?

Jesus would have been a socialist. A lot of christians are socialists, particularly amongst the methodist kind. Lot of socialist catholics too, particularly amongst the clergy in some countries. Hardly surprising given they're often working the front lines of poverty.

It's just the bookend to this, but with more fairness behind it.

Sure, JB, but I'm a daoist/buddhist-leaning atheist, who thinks that organized, top-down, authoritarian religion is one of the most negative, destructive forces on earth, and my distaste for the organization you linked to has nothing to do with... socialism, or whatever. My problem is with the anti-humanistic, fundamentalist, bigoted, absolutist worldview the website in question espouses. I think worldviews like that cause a LOT of the problems in our country. I think the idea that your or anyone else's views on religion should be the basis for our system of government or social contract is worse than hooey - it's outright dangerous, and people like you, who want our government run on their theocratic ideals, are the BIGGEST threat to freedom in America.

I don't want an American Taliban. You seem to be asking for it, JBK.

your wrong, the country of USA was built on God.. lest God build the house your labor is in vain...

God didn't build my house. He did work on the furnace and he mowed my lawn once, though.