In Bush Win, House Narrowly Approves CAFTA

Associated Press ^ | July 27, 2005 | JIM ABRAMS

[My GOP]

Why don't I give you the email address of one of my college professors, say the one I had for my Senior Seminar where I made an A- on my thesis paper.

Sorry, this last comment was directed more at the others and not you.

[1rudeboy]

How many times do I have to tell you that I do not, nor have I, recieved a Pell Grant? God, you are thick.

[1rudeboy]

I've already been told by another member all about them.

I'm touched that you all look out for each other. Have they learned you received a Pell Grant?

[1rudeboy]

They probably grew up in well to do middle class families. They live in Chicago, probably with a nice cushy white collar job and no worries about job security or finances
and they probably don't associate with working class people.

[My GOP]

What's wrong with Pell Grants? My parents couldn't have afforded to send me to college. They are self-employed car upholsters who make it day to day. My dad is a diabetic, can't afford health insurance and its difficult for him to pay for his medicines every month. He broke his leg two years ago and he's still paying monthly payments on it. Higher education isn't a privledge of those that can afford. If it was, children from working class families would never be able to advance any further than their parents. Compassionate conservatism.

[My GOP]

I've already been told by another member all about them.
I'm touched that you all look out for each other.


Its too bad you don't want to look out for working class manufacturors.

[Nowhere Man]

Going to take a look at your link provided. I also posted my take on all of this in another thread but on the same topic: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453306/posts?page=46#46

And here is what I wrote in blue quotes below:

You posted one of my arguments as well. Not everyone can be a computer programmer (that's being outsourced anyhoo), a nanotech engineer, or some other professional type. Not everyone is cut out for a college or tech school education, many times, it is better to learn from the bottom up while working on the job. Plus manufacturing is a value added enterprise, you take raw materials from the earth worth only a few dollars in many cases and you turn them into things worth tens, hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. When you have service economy, it is like pushing money around the table in a Monopoly game, no real wealth is created, the only wealth that is truly created is manufacturing.

I think one day this will backfire on the free traders, they detest strong socialism or communism yet by their actions, they very will will get what they don't like when people are out of work or underemployed will clamour for it out of frustration and necessity. All it takes is some "Anakin Skywalker" to come along and things will start to roll.

I just get upset at these Bill Gates wannabees where they look down on manufacturing and the working class in general as either slackers or "the great unwashed." I've seen it and experienced it. This also creates resentment and anger, yes, it affects my take on all of this too. I'll be honest, I do feel some resentment to them myself. I know I should not, but their actions do push people away, people that could be valuable allies. We need less condescending attitudes and put-downs and more compassion, otherwise, we are doomed as a nation and people. In short, I'm politically homeless, certainly not Democrat, but not really Republican either. I'll be honest again, where I am socially, militarily and morally conservative but economically moderate/centrist. I say I'm an "independent conservative" or a "Michael Savage conservative." All I can say is I'm getting closer to God as time goes on, in the end only He is the truth and I look up to Him for guidance.



America 2007 - Coming soon to a movie theatre near you.

[My GOP]

Excellent post!! I'm glad to know there are some out there that can relate. You're hitting something on military/foreign policy, social/moral issues, and economic policy. The South is trending Republican because of the military/foreign policies and social/moral issues. And you can add general Republican skepicism of big government, even if all Republican policies don't seem as if they are skepitics of big government. However, the South is not entirely in lock step with the Republicans concerning economic issues. Luckily for the GOP, military/foreign policy and social/moral issues have more or less became the dominate issues in the past several elections and have been used as excellent motivators in the GOTV efforts. And luckily, military/foreign policy and especially social issues were more important to Ohio voters than economic issues; otherwise I believe we would have a President Kerry right now.

[patriciaruth]

Hardly anybody gets a joke or has any fun around here anymore.

I really loved FreeRepublic when it was smaller and people had a great time kidding around and enjoying life.

[1rudeboy]

I don't see anything wrong with Pell Grants, either. Perhaps you can get with hedgetrimmer, and correct her misconceptions about them? You are better suited for that task than I.

As for your "too bad" comment, quit being trite. In a generous moment, I might allow you to suggest that I care only for manufacturers (and "working class" farmers) that export, but it's late and I'm tired.

[Nowhere Man]

Exactly. I know there are two main things that saved the Republican's bacon were the Swift Boat Vets and the homosexual marriage issue, not the economic policies although Senator Kerry was a bit of a "metrosexual" too. I'll be truthful, my reasons for voting for President Bush were on the military, pro-gun and social issues, the homosexual marriage thing and its related issues really fired me up, if it wasn't for that, I'd be more "ho-hum." I'll be truthful, the income tax, and federal spending, I really don't care much about, as long as I and my neighbors are working, have a roof over our heads, food in our tummies and something to show for it (and me tinkering with old electronics stuff), it doesn't matter much to me. I'm a realist here, politicians take our money for whatever reasons they have, always have, always will although I'd like to see better efficiency in the use of that money as well as eliminate programs that are duplicates of each other, that would be a good start and I'd be happy with just that if need be. I do care about some taxes although mainly on the local, county and state level. Where I do care about the economy is our ablity to make things and live self sufficently as possible because there will be a time that we will have to as well as keepimg our national sovereignty. National sovereignty is a key with me and again, economics takes a back seat to that in my mind. I did like what H. Ross Perot's running mate, Admiral Stockdale, said basically where both sides of the issue that we have seen are wrong, neither "trickle down" nor "tax and spend" work yet the proponets of both sides fail to see that. The Republicans do need to get their act together on issues like "borders, language and culture" as well as quit wizzing our jobs, money, technology and sovereignty away, otherwise not even homosexual marriage will save them. Otherwise our only exports to the world will by hip-hop records and porn films. B-P I guess that makes me an "average grunt," or as I like to put it, an average, working class, "Pittsburgh Hunky" in the grand scheme of things, not some high falutin' Wall Street economist or some liberal social elite.

[Nowhere Man]

One last thought, when Walter Williams was in for Rush, the economic and CAFTA discussion are so boring, I say, time to shove in some "Quiet Riot." B-) I'd like to make a few Art Bell/Ian Punnett/George Noory tapes for that purpose too. B-) I think I'll get the econo-bots jumping ugly on me now. B-D I do get into the paranormal, I take after my paternal grandmother (her parents came from Russia, Russians tend to be very mystical) on these things. B-)

[AnimalLover]

You jolted my memory with your 1982 Zenith.

We received an RCA in 1970 as a wedding present. Still have it today and it works - all the tubes work!

It does prove the point of our "throw away" society.

[Nowhere Man]

You jolted my memory with your 1982 Zenith.

We received an RCA in 1970 as a wedding present. Still have it today and it works - all the tubes work!

It does prove the point of our "throw away" society.

Hmmm, 1970 RCA, it could be a CTC-138, not sure. IIRC, that was the set Archie Bunker had on "All in the Family" at least most of us old electronics buffs seem to think so. I still have our first color set we got in 1971, I'd like to get that back into action, I really do think it will not take much. BTW, about animals, I do have 8 cats myself. B-)

[ohioWfan]

Well..............you could always have fun laughing at all the people who don't get the jokes. ;)

[Iron Matron]

I just wish that free trade didn't come with quasi governmental organizations that suddenly get power over the American people

Don't worry. Their power will last only as long as Citizens of the USA ALLOW it.

If it gets out of line..there will be a fix.