How George Bush Is Losing Two Wars [troll zotted]

ny observer ^

[nygop2]

The plain facts are shocking. Nine thousand families are currently homeless in New York City, the highest number on record. Indeed, homelessness is rising across the country as jobs vanish, incomes shrink and families are forced onto the streets. Meanwhile, George W. Bush is spending the astounding sum of $4 billion a month in taxpayers’ money to keep 146,000 U.S. troops in Iraq—troops who are being murdered on a daily basis, with over 70 dead American soldiers since the war ended on May 1 and no foreseeable improvement. This confusion of priorities is an embarrassment to this country and Mr. Bush’s Presidency. If Mr. Bush had true courage instead of bravado, he would direct the $4 billion a month to poverty programs throughout America. And he would be looking at a very different legacy. As it is, he’s losing the battle both overseas and here at home.

Many New Yorkers may be stunned to learn that homelessness has again edged its way into crisis mode. As The New York Times recently reported, there are nearly twice as many homeless families and children in the city as there were just five years ago. Altogether, more than 38,000 New Yorkers—including over 16,500 children—are spending this summer sleeping in shelters. On the bright side, the city has taken legal steps to move homeless families into permanent housing more quickly. The Times reports that in the first three weeks of June, 435 families were placed in housing, a 61 percent increase from last year. But bolder steps—and bigger dollars—are urgently needed. More and more, New Yorkers who are actively employed are nevertheless tumbling into homelessness: 20 percent of homeless families currently have a working head of the household, compared with 10 percent in the 1980’s.

In addition to the suffering endured by single adults and families who find themselves without a home, an epidemic of homelessness can have a profound impact on the city’s public image and hence its economic base. Tourists are less likely to visit, and residents more likely to move to the suburbs, when confronted by the sight of people sleeping in the streets and subways. Some of the homeless may resort to criminal activity in an attempt to better their plight. It’s not just a New York problem—cities across the country are becoming collection points for the homeless, yet there is no federal effort to ameliorate this problem.

The Bush administration is clearly failing in its effort to stabilize Iraq, while succeeding in destabilizing the condition of the poor in the United States. How about this: Just the interest on the moneys spent in Iraq over the next four years would provide housing for a million homeless people.

[4mycountry]

Credit goes to rintense for the pic. It's really neat. On to Valhalla!

[MWS]

You must bring us....

A SHRUBBERY!

[Zavien Doombringer]

I wish to apply for full Viking Kitty membership! What must I do? :) - TheBigB

Fellow Kittens, we have a request, I submit to you TheBigB.

TheBigB wishes to join the ranks, what say ye?

[jriemer]

I say we have a Mandatory VK muster! All Units must check in. I feel that there will be a rise in DU interceptors on our threads. Heads up Kitties!

You woke me from my nap...

[4mycountry]

Oh Zavien, the thought is sweet, but I have a rather upset stomach and I cant eat anything without wanting to puke! Sorry, I'll just put those in the freezer...*does so*

[rudypoot]

Not once did you mention the 9/11 attacks. ALL of the issues you wrote about are connected to the attacks.

The recession would've been less severe without 9/11.
We would've NEVER attacked afghanistan OR Iraq without 9/11.
Quit propagating the lie that 70+ Americans have been MURDERED since the end of major hostilities. About half are due to accidents. No one likes to see our troops die. But don't use their death for your political purposes.
Point out where the US has FAILED in Iraq with facts. You can't erase what 20 years of Saddam did to Iraq in a matter of mere months.

PS Crawl back under your bridge from where you came.

[atomic conspiracy]

Here in Lubbock, earnest young social science students have actually been forced to start rationing the homeless among themselves, since duplication is frowned upon, and there aren't enough to go around for all the term papers, theses and dissertations that seek "hard-core, first hand" evidence of their "plight". The Salvation Army says that there are no more than 30 people living on the streets permanently here, and about half that number who are temporarily homeless and in immediate need at any particular time.

This reminds me of a joke that an old Army buddy of mine, a Navajo who was born and raised on a res, told me:

(Q) "How many people in the average Navajo family?

(A) Four: Mom, dad, baby, and the anthropologist."

[Steve_Seattle]

In Seattle, the homeless are organized, they even have a newspaper. There is also a "tent city" of homeless that moves around from church to church. There are professional homeless people selling the homeless newspaper every day on downtown street corners. I always wonder why if they are organized enough to have a newspaper, why can't they organize themselves into sharing apartments? Maybe because that wouldn't serve someone's political agenda.

[Zavien Doombringer]

- I see that I did, sorry....

[MWS]

I think that he must pass... THE TEST!

Whatever that is...

[TheBigB]

I humbly bow to the greatness of the Viking Kitties and offer yon shrubbery as an sacrifice.

[4mycountry]

5 Steps to being a Viking Kittie:

1. You must hate liberals.
2. You must be willing to kill liberals.
3. You must be OK with lightning pics.
4. You must find out what Valhalla is and learn the importance of Led Zeppelin.
5. You must visit this thread.

There you go, and Welcome to the VKs!

[jriemer]

TheBigB must bow down before the altar in the High Church of The Cult of the Viking Kitties and swear "To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!"

With that, he will be a Viking Kittie.

[Zavien Doombringer]

You must answer these questions three, and the other side he see

[MWS]

Yes, it is a good shrubbery. I like the laurels particularly. But there is one small problem....

We are now *no longer* the Knights Who Say "Ni" Viking Kitties! ;)

[Zavien Doombringer]

Agreed!

Hey BigB, it only hurts for a few days, sorta like coughing a hairball that's stuck...

[MWS]

Not only that, but TheBigB must watch the Sacred Flash Video 50+ times... ye cannot be a Viking Kittie without knowing the Sacred Flash Video inside out!

[ravingnutter]

They apparently got their figures from A History of Modern Homelessness in New York City. Slow loading .pdf file, but interesting. They blame the problem on lack of availability of affordable homes, not the reasons cited by this article. Also noted is that Bloomberg has a court case pending to put people out of shelters and into the streets. And BTW, homelessness started skyrocketing in 1998.

[hchutch]

ZOT on target. CEP: Zero.

Zothawk flight, you are free to RTB.

[ravingnutter]

AMAZING how all these people went homeless AFTER Clinton left office!

See post #78...according to the research where they got their figures, the rate skyrocketed in 1998.