I think that was actually government spending. Then again, it’s spending by governments put in place by the people.

I believe Bush was put in by the US supreme Court in 2000.
Personally I don’t think Gore would have been all that much better.
As for the other countries, they are democratic, but I don’t know that they have any kind of plebiscite on Charitable giving, just vague notions that they want to help
Speaking of Welfare for the Third world, you should check out what African Economic Activist James Shikwati thinks of it.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,363663,00.html

The United States does do better in many statistics when private contributions are added in, but those numbers (like any numbers) tend to get murky.

There you go Taxpayer – you stand vindicated.
Nick – does that mean your numbers from the OECD are murky as well?
How about the numbers concerning the temperature rise stemming from a doubling of CO2 by 2075? Are they “Settled”?

if the Mexican kid who mows my lawn sends half his money back to his family in Tijuana, is it really a “private U.S. contribution?”

Yes it is.
My Ancestors once moved here from Hungary and would help out by sending money back. After the War, they all moved here.
By the, I would like to get some Mexicans to mow my lawn too – can you send some up to Canada?
Now what about private citizens giving within their own countries? how does the US measure up compared to other countries when it comes to that stat. I would be interested to see if there is a relationship between the amount of tax ones pays, and the level of government sevices, and the amount that people give to Charities – maybe poverty becomes the “governments” problem in highly socialised countries. Giving people an “out”. I certainly see that in my own city, especially when it comes to Environmental issues.

My point with all this is not that people in the U.S. are stingy dickwads. It’s that other people in the world also donate a lot of money, and often more.

Big deal – since when do we have to measure our national worth against charitable giving. As far as I am concerned we should stop global welfare – help these countries to stand on their own two feet.

Ain’t no such thing as a free gun.

Neither is there a free lunch. Or free welfare, or free healthcare.
As for a free gun – talk to this man – he’ll give you one if you sign up for his shooting training course. I might take him up on the offer.
https://www.frontsight.com/free-gun.asp

Say what? I didn’t even write anything in that thread.

Wasn’t talking about you.
Was referring to
http://rayharvey.org/index.php/2010/02/the-great-overpopulation-myth/#comment-658 
And the way I used numbers, like you did, to crush his argument.
My numbers weren’t as murky as your were however.
Best regards
E.A. Blair
 

TAX: “Serving my country, like my Dad in WWII and Korea, is of no value”
Of course it’s of value.

TAX: “and the worldwide humanitarian efforts of our military counts for naught.”
Value is all relative. Ask a 65-year-old man in Hanoi what our humanitarian efforts count for.

TAX: “I don’t trust your sources, BTW.”
There’s a shocker.

TAX: “Yep, your comment confirms the typical liberal denigration of Americans.”
Calling you a moron is something both parties can most likely get behind. It could be the one issue that brings this great country back together!

TAX: “What I need is a good dose of that Stupidisasliberaldoes drug you enjoy.”
No seeds or stems here!

TAX: “Then I could be a vitriolic asshole like you…”
Never in your wildest dreams could you attain that level.

TAX: “who adores all things liberal and lives in denial of the assault on our freedom.”
Says who?

TAX: “And, of course, you go for the personal attack.”
I play to the level of my competition.

TAX: “So, get Obama’s dick out of your mouth…”
Once you go black…

TAX: “…and name one thing about liberal policy you disagree with.”
I’m in favor of abortion-as long as it’s retroactive.

E.A. Blair: “I wonder Nick – is that private charitable giving? Or is that giving by their Socialist governments?
I think that was actually government spending. Then again, it’s spending by governments put in place by the people. The United States does does do better in many statistics when private contributions are added in, but those numbers (like any numbers) tend to get murky. One big section of contributions are remittances, which is money sent from people in the U.S. back to those people’s home countries. It gets murky because of the obvious: if the Mexican kid who mows my lawn sends half his money back to his family in Tijuana, is it really a “private U.S. contribution?”

Here’s a look at some figures where private contributions are factored in. Hopefully the link will work.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/us-and-foreign-aid-assistance#AdjustingAidNumberstoFactorPrivateContributionsandmore

My point with all this is not that people in the U.S. are stingy dickwads. It’s that other people in the world also donate a lot of money, and often more.

E.A. BLAIR: “And does giving away free guns count?”
Ain’t no such thing as a free gun.

E.A. BLAIR: “Absolutely Skewers him.”
Say what? I didn’t even write anything in that thread.

TAX: “You’re right about Nick, of course.”
Ha.

Now, “social wedge issues…to divide and conquer.” Wow, no shit!

So what are you going to do about it?

I agree, but I ask you why is that? I assert it is in large part due to the anti-American rhetoric of political climbers on the left amplified by the anti-American echo chamber of the statist media. What you describe is a perception, not a reality, at least on the part of the people.

I am talking about the way the world sees America.
The atrocities being comitted in the name of the American Taxpayer are being seen by the entire world, but hidden from the American People.
http://www.collateralmurder.com/
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/12/marine.puppy/index.html
America is an Empire – PAX AMERICANA

“America…is…a shell of its former self – its productive capacity has been gutted.” Ouch. We know this, are powerless to do anything about it, and lament it. Somehow, we the people must put a stop to this. Would that be part of the outcome of a successful Tea Party movement?

Hopefully – if you reach out to all members of the American Public.
Watch out for “Agent Provocateurs”
-

Do your homework on the debt. True, China holds a large portion, some $800B+, but that is not the lion’s share of $12T. In reality, it is “the despicable institution known as the federal reserve” that holds the lion’s share. In other words, the insidious bastards are monetizing the debt!

Agreed – I do need to do my homework on the US debt. But correct me if I am wrong – the debt that is held by the Fed is held by the US Government and the Private Banks that run the Fed.
How much Debt is held worldwide?
If the Chinese Dumped all of the $800B+ what percentage would that be of the entire foreign held debt? Would that sink the US dollar?
-

We do need to collaborate to achieve greater things, and give up some ownership of our labor to that end. I think, however, what you really mean is that when government seizes our labor for “the greater good” based on “the commerce clause”, that’s when we are enslaved. I can still quit my job, but my doctor is now a slave of the state. Don’t you think the discriminator here has to do with voluntary versus involuntary?

So you give up 30%+ of your income voluntarily? What would happen if you didn’t pay your property taxes or your income taxes? You would be put in Jail.
How about what your tax money is being used for? Slaughtering Iraqis? Is that the American People collaborating to achieve greater things?
Here are some quotes from Dr. Paul Craig Roberts – Father of Reaganomics

Generally speaking, the higher your income, the less you own of yourself. A person with $300,000 in taxable income will discover that government in the year 2002 has a claim to about one-third of his labor – the maximum tax that could be levied on a medieval Serf….

Income taxes are not the only taxes. There are property taxes, wealth taxes, excise taxes, and sales taxes. If you add together all the taxes you paid, you might find that you own no more of your own income than a 19th century slave. (A slave owed his master about half his work product, the rest being necessary for his own maintenance.)

Read the whole article here
http://www.vdare.com/roberts/democracy_serfs.htm
-

I see a glimmer, in some Republicans, of non-statist philosophy. I have a dream (delusion?) that the American spirit (Tea Party) can – through the Republican Party – turn us back from the brink that the Democrats are hell-bent on taking us over.

And what exactly was the Republican party doing from 2000 until 2008?

Well maybe you should run for office on a Republican-Libertarian Ticket.

Give Ron Paul a Call – I am sure he would be glad to get the support.

http://www.ronpaul.com/2010-04-18/ron-paul-end-the-mandate/

Phone Number: (202) 225-2831

Beck and Palin are dangerous? In what way, and to who? Funny, you don’t want me to admit Obama and Pelosi aren’t ticking time bombs, they are explosions in action, doing real, not perceived, harm right now.

I want you to admit that all of them are dangerous. So is Newt Gingrich – have you seen his ad with Pelosi where they are calling for carbon taxes?
By the way, did you hear about how Beck and O’reilly are calling for more taxes? Specifically a VAT Tax? I guess Conservatives are for higher taxes now. You only need to watch the first minute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYRZgIL-hUk
Are you for higher taxes?
As For Palin, she is a talking head, a ventriloquists dummy, who is she speaking for?

Fox News propaganda? Perhaps. So where would you have us get our news? I’ve seen them hold both parties to task, and the virtual refusal of those in power to take questions from that source says something, as opposed to the obvious use of the other outlets to make unchallenged and unverified assertions.

You mean where would you have us get our Propaganda?
You could always go directly to the source just read the White House press releases – do they ever ask anything but softballs?
You could watch Russia Today
Listen to Alex Jones
http://www.democracynow.org/
http://wikileaks.org/
http://cryptome.org/

The American spirit is evident in the Tea Party movement, whose overwhelming call is for a return to our Constitution, followed by limiting the government, reducing the debt, fiscal responsibility, less government intrusion, lower taxes.

Agreed – too bad the mainstream, corporatist republican party is trying to take it over – hopefully they won’t succeed.

I’m not so sure Reagan was a statist. I realize he permitted expansions, but remember he was dealing with a Congress loaded with liberals.

Of course, there was Iran-Contra, CIA smuggling cocaine into the USA, the S&L Bailout – which set the stage for the other great Republican bailout of the banks in 2008

I don’t want to argue again about the wars, especially Iraq, but dispute the myth the Iraq war “was started based on a lie.”… I suggest you read Rove’s version of this, where he clearly documents who the liars really are.

Iraq was absolutely based on a lie. That cannot be denied.
Did you ever see the clip where Bush jokes about the non-existent WMD?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VD1gOhpRSU
Explain that one.
How many Americans and Iraqis died for that joke, that lie.
There is another particulary good set of clips showing the before and after quotes from Cheney et al.
What was that other one? Yellow Cake?
How about this one – Atta in Prague, meeting with Iraqi Intelligence Agents

MR. RUSSERT: And now we have the Select Committee on Intelligence coming out with a report on Friday, it says here, “A declassified report released [Friday] by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence revealed that U.S. intelligence analysts were strongly disputing the alleged links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda while senior Bush administration officials were publicly asserting those links to justify invading Iraq.” You said here that it was pretty well confirmed that Atta may have had a meeting in Prague, that that was credible. All the while, according to the Senate Intelligence Committee in January and in June and in September, the CIA was saying that wasn’t the case.

Please post some excerpts from Roves version of events – can that man speak without lying?.

You say

So why is Nick so worked up over my comment, and so nonplussed over what the Democrats are doing to our country? Stupidisasliberaldoes, maybe?

Why are you so nonplussed over what the Republicans have done to your country?

Just wondering

Regards.

E.A. Blair

You Say

Just how much political discussion – argument – can actually be objective?

As much as you like – first off – focus on objective issues, those that actually matter to peoples live in a real way – their Rights, Property, and Wealth.

From Rays book, “Leave us Alone” – P.4

If you desire to know precisely what someone’s political viewpoint is, all you
need do is find out his or her stance on property; for it is through the stance on
property that the entire political philosophy is disclosed. You needn’t listen to anything
anyone says about “freedom” or “liberty” or any of these other easy platitudes: no
one in her right mind will go against those things. Instead, simply check the stance
on property. If someone doesn’t believe in full private property rights, that person
is, to the exact extent he or she denies private property rights, a statist.

-
Speak to the people you now see as enemies – see where they stand.
-
Argue this point – it all flows from there.
-
From Tibor Machan – “The Ethics of Tax Resistance”
-

Governments hate it when you succeed at escaping their tyrannical reach and so we have been witnessing extensive efforts by the feds to curtail tax dodging and avoidance. This has led to some considerable pressure exerted on banks in Switzerland, Lichtenstein and other places with serious bank secrecy laws, to release the names of those who bank there hoping to escape the IRS. (The U. S. government wields not only military might!) Extorting money from the citizenry is the bread and butter of governments. No serious effort has ever been made even in America to find and implement ways of funding the legal system without using extortionist methods. Yet, how could one have an unalienable right to one’s life and liberty and such while government puts a gun to one’s head saying, “Your money or you go to jail”?

-
The problem is not governments of the right or the left, it is all government – intruding into our lives – telling us how to live.
-
Those who do not own their own labour are not taxpayers they are serfs, slaves.
-
Maybe you should change your moniker.
-
LAISSEZ-NOUS FAIRE

You say

How do you measure the sacrifices America (and some important allies like Canada and Great Britain) have made in the interest of freedom, against tyranny?

You don’t.

That country no longer exists. Some of the ones who fought in say WW2 are still alive, but they don’t run the country.

If we are going to win this fight – you need to have more allies than enemies.
Start by admitting that no president for the last 30 years has been anything but a statist inerventionist.
Admit that both the Republican and Democatic patries are two sides of the same corporatist coin.
Admit that both parties thoroughly enjoy shredding the constitution.
Admit that the war in Iraqs and Afghanistan are unjust, and in the certainly in the case of Iraq, was started based on a lie, and that the only just course of action is to withdraw the troops as soon as possible.
Admit that people such as Glen Beck and Sarah Palin are dangerous.
Admit that Fox News, CNN, etc. etc. are nothing but distributors of state propaganda.
Admit that social wedge issues such as race and abortion are exploited in order to divide and conquer the American People.
Admit that America is now seen in much of the world as an Heartless Imperial Power. Concerned only with subjugating the world to its own interest.
Admit that because of the greed, and the despicable institution known as the federal reserve, America is bankrupt, and a shell of its former self – it’s productive capacity has been gutted.
Admit that you are owned by those who you owe that debt to – such as China.
-
After you can admit all of those things, start speaking to those you now see as enemies.
See if they will admit the same things.
-
Then both of you can admit you have common ground, and you can work together to make America Great again.
-
Regards
-
E.A. Blair

In my opinion, it’s really quite simple. Conservatism seeks to protect individual freedoms, and “liberalism” seeks to deprive us of freedom by imposing its ideology through the government.

Agreed, the bailouts were pure insanity, and I never opined otherwise. “I see no warrant in the Constitution” seems applicable here. All I was getting at is a reiteration of Ray’s assertion, essentially, government isn’t the solution, government is the problem. Obviously, more government will prove to be a bigger problem!

You’re right about Nick, of course. On the other hand, an occasional rant is good the the soul, eh?

Best to you too.

If there is no Objective measure for Charity, then maybe you should not have brought it up as a point.
Argue when the facts and numbers are on your side.

Don’t even attempt to fight in the area of relativism – circular reasoning, no logic.

Check my comments here

http://rayharvey.org/index.php/2010/02/the-great-overpopulation-myth/#comment-683

Absolutely Skewers him.

Good Night.

There is no objective measure for charity, and so what if some blogger says Americans are charitable. Did I hurt someone by saying that? No. Does the Obama agenda of deliberately bankrupting America hurt everyone? Yes. So why is Nick so worked up over my comment, and so nonplussed over what the Democrats are doing to our country? Stupidisasliberaldoes, maybe? Or perhaps good ol’ Marxist ideology?

To provide an alternative perspective, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also lists countries by the amount of money they give as a percentage of their gross national income. This list is as follows:[1]

I wonder Nick – is that private charitable giving?

Or is that giving by their Socialist governments?

And does giving away free guns count?

What I need is a good dose of that Stupidisasliberaldoes drug you enjoy. Then I could be a vitriolic asshole like you who adores all things liberal and lives in denial of the assault on our freedom.

As usual, you attack any who question the goodness of liberalism, and never challenge the lies of the left. And, of course, you go for the personal attack. Typical.

So, get Obama’s dick out of your mouth, and name one thing about liberal policy you disagree with.

“Large countries scored relatively high on the preceding list, because they have more citizens and thus more money. To provide an alternative perspective, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also lists countries by the amount of money they give as a percentage of their gross national income. This list is as follows:[1]

1. Sweden – 1.02%
2. Norway – 0.89%
3. Luxembourg – 0.84%
4. Netherlands – 0.81%
5. Denmark – 0.8%
6. Ireland – 0.54%
7. United Kingdom – 0.51%
8. Belgium – 0.5%
9. Austria – 0.47%
10. France – 0.47%
11. Finland- 0.4%
12. Switzerland – 0.39%
13. Germany – 0.36%
14. Spain – 0.32%
15. Australia – 0.3%
16. Canada – 0.29%
17. Iceland – 0.27%
18. New Zealand – 0.27%
19. Japan – 0.25%
20. Portugal – 0.21%
21. Italy – 0.2%
22. Turkey – 0.18%
23. United States – 0.18%
24. Greece – 0.17%”

Suck it, you Greek misers!

And thanks for putting all those arguments in my mouth. For instance, when I wrote, “Americans are actually the third most compassionate people on Earth. They’re behind the citizens of Sweden (1) and Freedonia (2)” what I really meant was, “I personally disregard the efforts of every American soldier who hit the beaches at Normandy or Peleliu.” I can’t believe you cracked my liberal code so easily. Hats off.

Let’s see… What else? Oh yes.

TWO-BIT, PARANOID, PSEUDO-CONSERVATIVE HACK WROTE: “you are so quick to dispute “Americans sit around and post shit on the Internet.”

I don’t dispute that at all.

TWO-BIT, PARANOID, PSEUDO-CONSERVATIVE HACK WROTE: “Sorry I conveyed an opinion without spending inordinate time digging around to adopt the position of liberal think tanks and thought police.”

No apologies necessary. I’m just disappointed you couldn’t spend SOME amount of time adopting the position of someone who has his head at least halfway out of his ass. Not to worry, though. Consider my expectations lowered.

TWO-BIT, PARANOID, PSEUDO-CONSERVATIVE HACK WROTE: “my family…”

Bullshit. You could never get laid.

TWO-BIT, PARANOID, PSEUDO-CONSERVATIVE HACK WROTE: …”and pay for all that government-imposed liberalism…”

Dude, spare me. The check I just wrote to the IRS looked like something Ed McMahon used to deliver to unsuspecting people’s front doors.

Lastly, although you hinted at it you completely forgot to add “if it wasn’t for us, everyone would be speaking German right now.” It’s an oldie but goodie. Can’t believe you left it out.

Seriously, your last post was pretty tired. It was the quintessential goofball conservative rant. That’s the best you have? Changing the subject and shitty straw man arguments?

Look, it’s the weekend. Go ahead and wrap your bi-annual erection in an American flag and jack it to the latest paparazzi picture of Sarah Palin. It’s what all true Americans do nowadays, isn’t it?

On the other hand, I wonder how many people Sweden set free with the blood and wealth of their country? Oh, I guess the lives of our soldiers freeing Europe and the rest the world from tyranny in WWII, the Muslims in Yugoslavia, and the Iraqis from S.H. (to name a few) really don’t count for shit in your opinion. I also wonder if the money taken from us by force and donated through our military in places like Haiti and Indonesia factor in, not that you’d give a shit.

Speaking of not giving a shit, you are so quick to dispute “Americans sit around and post shit on the Internet”, but never object to the lies of your adored liberal rulers. I guess that doesn’t count, because it advances the liberal cause, and fuck the truth when that’s at stake.

Sorry I conveyed an opinion without spending inordinate time digging around to adopt the position of liberal think tanks and thought police. I guess I spend too much time trying to support my family and pay for all that government-imposed liberalism you so love, and thinking that America’s role as a beacon and protector of freedom was somehow a part of the equation.

Finally, take a walk around Detroit some night instead, and let me know how safe you feel there.

No doubt. I can’t tell you how many times I had to duck behind a Volkswagen Microbus or an organic fruit stand to avoid being strafed in a drive-by shooting when I was in Berkeley last summer. Total Thunderdome over there.

CAPITALIST WROTE: Let me take that one step further: Americans are far and away the most compassionate and charitable people on Earth.

Let me take that another step further: According to the latest findings in the April edition of “Statistics I Pulled Out of My Ass and Can’t Possibly Back Up but Sound Good When I Post Them on a Blog,” Americans are actually the third most compassionate people on Earth. They’re behind the citizens of Sweden (1) and Freedonia (2).

CAPITALIST WROTE: Said another way, why are all those well-meaning socialist countries such tightwads when some poor country gets hit by an earthquake or tsunami?

They’re busy donating money to those poor countries while Americans sit around and post shit on the Internet.

http://www.cgdev.org/section/initiatives/_active/cdi/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_charitable_countries

Let me take that one step further: Americans are far and away the most compassionate and charitable people on Earth. Our freedom allowed prosperity, and prosperity facilitates generosity. Said another way, why are all those well-meaning socialist countries such tightwads when some poor country gets hit by an earthquake or tsunami?

And thanks for dropping by.