Free Republic

I caught two Chain Pickerel while fishing with my son today and neither of them attacked the boat.

>And the creationist fanatics would rather spend their time getting indignant over the teaching of evolution

It's unbelievable, isn't it? Hey! Why don't we just deny ALL science while we're at it? I mean, that Newton thing where an apple falls from a tree and demonstrates gravity? Says who? Can you SEE gravity?

No use getting excited though. It is as it is and it will not change.

>Sorry to burst the bubble

Don't know about you but I get a letter from the social security administration regularly telling me what I'm "entitled" to. I am well aware of what the Supreme Court "ruled".

Here's what I would like to know (and don't), as an aside. Who voted how in this ruling?

>or opt not to buy it at all.

The problem with opting out of Social Security is that I would be sure I provided for my future and I will assume that you would too. But what would we do with those who opted for a Cadillac Escalade instead? When they got to retirement age and started screaming that they could no longer do the work they once did, who would support them? You and me, that's who.

This whole social security system stinks and it needs to be fixed but we can't fix it by telling those of us who have been trapped in it for 20 or 30 years that they are not going to get what has been taken from them, plus interest.

The democRATS will scream a blue streak about this but they are liars. I might trust a Republican administration to find the tax cuts elsewhere but I would never trust the RATS to fix anything.

Yes, I am aware that the Supreme Court defied the clear intent and common understanding of the deal the government forced us into. You know what I don't know, and perhaps you do? Who stood where in this decision? Where was Scalia in this decision, for example.

>people in their 40's and 50's whining

Friend, this is not "whining". Those of us in our 50s were forced into this social security deal. I certainly could have done better with my life savings than social security did for me but the deal was that they would save my money and I had no choice but to go along with their plan. Okay, so we did. NOW government is going to tell us they have no choice but to welsh on the deal they forced us into? Now that they've collected money from me for 30 years?

Don't think of those who want what is rightfully theirs as being the others. They are us. What you have paid into social security is yours and the lousy interest rate they plan to give you on your money is yours too. Don't you let anybody take that from you regardless of how much money you plan to sock away to supplement your social security payments. And don't you think of people in their 40s and 50s as being others either because you are on your way there (I hope) regardless of how young you are now.

I agree that social security stinks but you don't change it by welshing on the deal long after you forced others into it. When my time comes, I want my money and I want it with whatever interest I am entitled to. I didn't save that money to give it to those who will use it to support immigrants, illegal and otherwise. If we need money moved into this system lets get that money by imposing a penalty on those who are found within our borders illegally. Lets get them out of here so that they don't cost us a fortune in jail space, medical bills, etc.

We are all getting old together friend. If they want to stop collecting social security tax, I'm probably okay with that but we cannot steal what has already been collected from those working Americans who own it.

I don't trust government much either. I loath the democRats and I worry about the Republicans. When Bush says he doesn't want to mess with social security for those "at or near retirement" I figure he means to screw everybody under 60. So, bottom line is that I don't want to lose my guns, I don't want to pay for a welfare state that will never benefit me, and I don't want anyone to confiscate my social security savings. What am I?

I love your reply. You think like I do with one exception. The corporations are just trying to survive in the global market too. If cheap goods are available abroad, those abroad will buy from someone other than us. Either we use the cheap labor market or we're cut out of it.

At or near retirement? What does THAT mean? Does it mean 40? 50? 61.5?

>Why isn't PETA setting up headquarters over in Paris

They are! If you want to drive PETA crazy, enjoy fois gras. If you're anti French, make it American fois gras.

I LOVE Foi Gras with a glass of Alsatian Riesling.

What's Orrin Hatch thinking?

It's the One-Two punch that typifies this administration.

One: We're going to pass an amendment banning homosexual marriage. (Conservative reaction: Good!)

Two: Oh yeah, and while we're at it we're going to pass another one allowing those who weren't born here to become President.

Great reply! Highly intellectual. Insightful too.

>Conservatives voting Third Party self fragment and dilute their power across multiple parties....or is that your intention?

Conservatives voting Republican have to hold their noses to do it and my nose is beginning to hurt from all the holding. I'd rather vote for a conservative/Libertarian myself. I'm done.

>We now have many more than two parties. What makes you think that more, or different, major parties will solve anything?

We don't in practice. Two parties get virtually all of the votes. We need a third party with a chance for a serious run in order to restore Conservatism by sending a message to the Republican Party that its base cannot be taken for granted. Leftists apparently feel that a third party candidate like Ralph Nader is a threat to their dominance too.

I'm telling you, John Stossel sounds like he'd get my vote. Both the dems and the Republicans would be in panic mode if he made a serious run. They'd both need to find their base and appeal to it for a change.

People wonder why I've had it with the two party system? I sure wish John Stossel would run on a Libertarian ticket.

This is exactly how Bush 41 lost his job. People were losing jobs hand over fist and he sat in his office telling everyone the economy was in great shape. Oh yeah. He didn't campaign either.

A good buddy of mine wants his ashes shot out of a canon on the grounds of Fort Ticonderoga during a Rev War reenactment. I think he expects me to fire the canon. He's not in very good shape. I'd better get the details straight.

>Their talk show line-up gets better every day.

Like the stock market, we talk about how much better WABC gets all the time but what we mean is it's gotten better since the crash. In WABCs case, the crash came when John Manelli left. Now we've got this genius program director who fills weekend nights with informercials and who wanted to fill the station with sports until the Yankees rejected them.

the U.S. had identified an underground bunker complex in Libya

Hey Zulu,

Long time no talk. John Loftus has been talking about Libya's complex in the hollowed out mountain for a long time. Of course he's also been saying that Hussein was killed last March for a long time too. But we've got the downing of Pan Am 103 against Quadaffi anyway so for the families of those Americanns killed if for no other reason, I think we should kill that piece of ugly garbage regardless. He's pulling the usual arab snake-speak. First he makes the deal, then he changes the terms. Kill him.