AWL71

He is being proved right, especially concerning banks. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

And what do you mean to imply by that? Is this the "If you don't agree with the person and have no substantive argument, then you are ignorant" technique? Or is it something else? /Marg What I mean by that is War is ugly. There are no clear cut answers and there are so many variables. There is nothing substantive I can write that will change your mind. It is OK to disagree. I see the point you are trying to make but I do not think it is realistic. It is idealistic and far from ignorant. I enjoy reading your posts. They always make me think and that is a good thing. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Had this murder taken place with a pistol it would have gotten much more press. This story has gotten next to no coverage. The issue is not the knife, but the nutjob using it. But had he used a gun the incident would have been used to further how evil guns are. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

First, do you really think I would invoke a characterization like that without having a pretty good source? Really? Senator John McCain made that characterization. Does that change your opinion that it’s a “nonsense” idea? Use of torture and Orwellian-“enhanced interrogation” has been the “greatest recruiting tool” for al Qa’eda, al Qa’eda in Iraq, and other insurgents targeting US soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines, deployed civilians, and US nationals abroad. Sen McCain also said: “So you can't underestimate the damage that our treatment of prisoners, both at Abu Ghraib and other [facilities, has] ... harmed our national security interests. What I am interested in and committed to is making sure we don't do it again. We're in this long twilight struggle here, and so America's prestige and image, as we all know, was damaged by these stories of mistreatment. And we've got to make sure the world knows that that's not the United States of America that they knew and appreciated for centuries.” Supporting the troops means opposing all use of torture. All. By all. Against all. /Marg McCain is entitled to his opinion but I disagree. My position is merely that we need to do whats needs to be done. If that can be accomplished without "torture" then I am all for it. If more agressive techniques save lives then I am for that. War is not a "lifetime" movie. People die and bad things happen. You can't make War pretty. They are called enimies for a reason. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Citing torture as thier "most effective recruiting tool" is nonsense. So your saying that the Islamic extremists are driven to hate us and fight against us due to our use of torture? So if all types of torture stop is the problem solved? It is easy to find manuals and academics that support any position. I merely feel that every situation in the "field" will require a different set of parameters. I am sure there are many situations where "torture" has yielded good information. But I can't exactly google this information in support of my position. You on the other hand can quote articles against torture for days because that information is readily available. I am merely in favor of doing whatever it takes to get the job done. War is about winning period. I really don't care if my enemy loses "respect" for me. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

+1, These cells should be used as opposed to incinerated. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

This is good news. I have to deprogram all the crap my kids are fed at school concerning GW. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Good stuff there Wendy W. I didn't read any of those. Sorry to disappoint. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Great job Obama!! Way to use your leadership to help kill babies here in the US and now in other countries to. Thats CHANGE we NEED!!!! The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

+1 +2 All of the militant Islamic nut jobs are cheering all around the world because they know we have a "diplomacy first" pussy in the white house. Shutting down gitmo, halting trails, and saying no "torture" will really get the attention of the extremists. It will make them back down because they are being treated with respect. The STUPIDITY of people is amazing these days. Lets all hold hands and Have a Coke and a Smile! What alternate reality do some of you live in? The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

I love the question about "associating" with questionable people. Its OK if Barack "hangs" with Ayers, Rezko, Wright, et al. but you had better not. The classic Do as I say, not as I do! The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

When you're out on the street sometime, approach a total stranger and ask him: "Hey, buddy, got a spare twenty five hundred bucks? We need to bail out wall street." That gives me an idea. The UAW should be the ones to bailout GM! The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Something needs to be done to encourage companies to keep jobs in the country as opposed to going overseas. Rework the tax code so American companies can remain competitive while keeping our jobs at home. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

I agree that GM management is not blameless in the situation. But we all know what would happen if GM management went to the UAW leadership with pay and benefit cuts. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Lifestyle drugs -- chiefly Viagra -- are costing General Motors $17 million dollars a year and the cost is passed along to car, truck and SUV consumers. The blue pill is covered under GM's labor agreement with United Auto Workers, as well as benefit plans for salaried employees. GM executives estimate health care adds $1,500 to the price of each vehicle but they do not break out how much of the premium is caused by erectile dysfunction expenses. GM provides health care for 1.1 million employees, retirees and dependents and is the world's largest private purchaser of Viagra. GM recently raised the co-pay for erectile dysfunction drugs to $18 under a new agreement with the UAW and the company has also pared benefits for salaried workers. The automaker spends almost $5.6 billion each year on health care. While lifestyle drugs are a small fraction of the total medical bill, every health care expense is added into the price of every new vehicle and is a drag on the struggling goliath's earnings. It all adds up. source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/04/gm_viagra.html The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Design definately played a role in the past. But Ford and GM are producing much better cars today. They are not there yet but they are light yreas ahead of where they were in the 80's and 90's. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Compared to what? Compared to someone that does not have shit for brains. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

So the union shop gets better benefits and wages. Whats wrong with that? The company agreed to the union contract so why dont you spread some of the blame to them also instead of "It's the UAW's fault". And why is it such a bad thing to want higher wages and better benefits? Why are so many of you out there willing to lower the standard of wages and benefits? There is not a thing wrong with it as long as the company can turn a profit. The UAW is biting the hand that feeds them. GM is getting their ass kicked by Honda, Toyota, etc because the UAW is driving up their labor costs. I have a friend that works for Toyota in KY making Camrys. He loves his job and makes good money with good benefits. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

How is the UAW single handedly killing the auto industry? Its pretty simple - it's union contracts that prevent American car companies from hiring American workers as cheaply as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan can. "For 30 years, to make and sell the large vehicles that earn their profits, the Detroit Three have been effectively required to build small cars in high-wage, UAW factories, though it means losing money on every car. (That -- not some perverse desire to make bad cars -- is why they skimped for decades on styling, engineering and materials in their family sedans.) Sure, this bullet would be far from silver and would still cause pain. The UAW might declare war to stop production from being shifted offshore. The Big Three might have to pay billions in job buyouts to use their new freedom. Since 2005, they've had some leeway under Nafta to shift "domestic" production to Mexico and haven't done much about it. But here's the key: Detroit would finally get what every foreign competitor and just about every other business has -- normal leverage over labor costs. Auto jobs wouldn't automatically flee offshore. The Big Three would rather hire high-quality U.S. workers -- but on the same terms that Toyota or Nissan or BMW do." Source: http://www.clusterstock.com/2008/11/ford-f-general-motors-gm-collapse-is-uaw-s-fault- The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

I don't know much about their cars. The American trucks, SUVs, and mini-vans we drive at work are much improved in quality over what they were selling a decade ago, but still lacking somewhat in fit, finish, and reliability. When it's my dollars on the table, I still buy imports. My last 8 purchases have been three Toyotas, two Hondas, two Mazdas (quasi-Fords), and a Nissan...including two Toyota Tundras, the first competing with the Dakota and the current truck going head-to-head with the traditional half-tons. There are a few cars out now that I'd take a closer look at if I were in car-buying mode, but I'm not...a truck just suits my needs better. Blues, Dave The imports still make a better product for sure. But GM is finally on the right track when it comes to producing better cars. The new Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS are two examples. It just pisses me off that the UAW is almost single handedly killing the American auto industry. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Well Said. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

And it is a shame that it likely won't happen. GM and Ford are producing excellent cars today, though they are still too reliant on big trucks and SUVs that no one wants anymore. If they could restructure without the UAW they could complete with the imports and turn a profit. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Below is an excerpt from an article that I think makes a lot of sense. The Big 3 will never be profitable as long as the UAW is milking them dry. "The better solution is a simple one: Allow automakers to declare bankruptcy. Contrary to popular belief, that will not mean the end of a company such as GM, which has indicated it may run out of cash by the end of this year. Under Chapter 11, a bankruptcy judge will weigh the different interests of GM's creditors, labor unions, shareholders, and so on, and the resulting company will emerge leaner and stronger. Many current customers of United Airlines, Texaco, Global Crossing, and Pacific Gas and Electric probably don't even know that those companies once filed for Chapter 11. Chapter 11 also would let a judge alter gold-plated union contracts and benefits that have hamstrung the Big Three and crippled their ability to compete against Japanese and European car makers. Toyota, Honda, and other non-Big Three manufacturers that employ over 100,000 Americans, mostly in right-to-work states, have shown that they can make money building cars in the United States. The best way to keep U.S. auto workers employed in the future -- tens of thousands already have lost their jobs -- is to make it profitable to keep them on the payroll. One explanation for Washington's haste is that while bankruptcy would alter union contracts, a bailout probably won't. The labor movement spent, according to Financial Week, a whopping $385 million to elect Obama and other Democrats last week. Nobody writes such large checks without expecting something: now it's payback time. It's true, as bailout proponents argue, that GM employs about 263,000 people. But corporations including AT&T and IBM employ more, and by that line of argument, WalMart (2.1 million full-time employees) would always be far too big to fail. The Feds have already been profligate in doling out cash; a GM bailout would invite a long line of supplicants, with the most politically-connected companies muscling their way to the front of the queue. If you don't like this use of your tax dollars, now's the time to phone your elected representatives. You can find contact information for your House of Representatives member on their Web site, and the Senate has a similar list. My e-mail address is below -- please let me know what you hear." Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/12/politics/otherpeoplesmoney/main4595068.shtml The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

And Gopher from Love Boat (Iowa), and Sonny Bono. So Ronny was the only one that made good on it. 1 out of 5 isn't that great a track record. Don't forget "Cooter" from Dukes of Hazard. I think he was a congressman from TN for 1 or 2 terms. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

I don't know much about Coleman but I hope he pulls it out. Al Franken in the US Senate is a disturbing image. The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.