FCC Does It Again

[kc2ifr]

Phil,
Your response is probably one of the best Ive ever read on this board...........thank you.

[Warren]

My problem is we waste billions of dollars making trouble around the world supporting every rat hole on the planet and cry poverty whenever there is an issue to help the American people. That is B.S.
The American government spends way beyond their means. People who do that go bust.
We have issues in this country that need addressing screw the rest of the world.
Let the French take care of it. 

AMEN to that! If the United States would eliminate all foreign aid and bring our troops home, we could probably repeal the 16th. Amendment and eliminate the income tax!

Overextension killed the British Empire. Are we next?

Phil,

   The U.S. contributes 0.17% of GDP on foreign aid, including aid that has strings attached to get countries to do what we want them to do. If you rank countries by the amount of foreign aid they give, the U.S. comes in 22nd place. There is a perception in the U.S. that we give out a great deal of foreign aid, but in reality we are quite miserly compared to other countries.
   The overseas troops are another issue.

73 Warren K2ORS/WD2XGJ

[WA1GFZ]

Troops is the issue. why do they need to be in Germany as an example.

the commie empire went broke trying to control its little hunk of the world too.
It was always a race with the commie empire to see who would go broke first.
Now they learned their lesson and are rebuilding while they watch the US have class warefare.

[Warren]

Phil,

   The U.S. contributes 0.17% of GDP on foreign aid, including aid that has strings attached to get countries to do what we want them to do. If you rank countries by the amount of foreign aid they give, the U.S. comes in 22nd place. There is a perception in the U.S. that we give out a great deal of foreign aid, but in reality we are quite miserly compared to other countries.
   The overseas troops are another issue.

73 Warren K2ORS/WD2XGJ

 I forgot to add, much of the foreign aid is actually in the form of agricultural subsidies to U.S. farmers. The U.S. buys food from U.S. farmers which helps the support the farm economy at home and then the government donates the food to starving countries. So the dollars actually go to U.S. farmers but it gets counted as foreign aid.
 An unfortunate side effect of this is that when we dump food for free in starving countries the local farmers in the starving country are often forced out of business - it's hard to compete when someone else is giving out your product for free. What is needed is help to the foreign farmers so they can sustainably and profitably operate their farms and feed their own people.

73 Warren K2ORS/WD2XGJ

[John Holotko]

My problem is we waste billions of dollars making trouble around the world supporting every rat hole on the planet and cry poverty whenever there is an issue to help the American people. That is B.S.
The American government spends way beyond their means. People who do that go bust.
We have issues in this country that need addressing screw the rest of the world.
Let the French take care of it. 

Frank it's a 2 way street. The US doesn't simply dole out money and soldiers and get nothing in return. The reality is that we live in a worldwide economy. True we send money out but in return we receive goods, money, services, etc. The idea that we are going to withdraw our money from the rest of the world, seal outselves off and at the same time survive as a nation is highly improbable. It just don;t work that way no more. Maybe it did at one time but I can't think of a period in history when it did. Just consider the foreign countries who load the US money. Consider how many foriegn countries operate business within the United States and provide JOBS for Americans. Sorry,  the US is far too integrated into world affairs and world economics. There is absolutely no turning back at this point.

[WA1GFZ]

looks like a one way street to me. Our money going out and our standard of living changing for the worse.

[Warren]

Hi Frank, Bill, Phil,

    If you eliminated all discretionary spending, i.e., no military, no government agencies, no foreign aid etc, the federal budget would only drop by 50%. The rest is entitlement spending Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL DEBT. Interest payments on the national debt amount to $352 Billion dollars this year - and keep in mind interest rates are very low now.
    This current economic crisis has been largely caused by an administration that subscribes to the now discredited "trickle down theory" and gives tax breaks and and other giveaways to big corporations. Big oil is a good example, they continue to get not only tax breaks but te government is waiving royalty payments for oil and gas taken from Federal lands. Are you getting cheaper gas and heating oil as a result? NO
Did Exxon-Mobil make the biggest profit of any company in history last quarter? YES.

 The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has a good analysis that demonstrates that tax breaks DO NOT pay for themselves as is often asserted.
http://www.cbpp.org/3-8-06tax.htm

73 Warren K2ORS/WD2XGJ

[w3jn]

How about we divert political discussions to the AM Inquirer.

[Warren]

How about we divert political discussions to the AM Inquirer.

John,
   FB with me!
73 Warren K2ORS/WD2XGJ

[John Holotko]

How about we divert political discussions to the AM Inquirer.

What happened to the original topic of the FCC fines CBS ??

[Warren]

How about we divert political discussions to the AM Inquirer.

What happened to the original topic of the FCC fines CBS ??

Good topic, we should get back to it!
73 Warren

[w1guh]

"The Federal Communications Commission said a network program, "Without a Trace," that aired in December 2004 was indecent. It cited the graphic depiction of "teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy."


Quoted from the website linked in the original post.


Hmmmmm....maybe CBS will sell DVD's of that show or re-run it on cable to get the fine money back.  Anyone see it?

[w1guh]

IMHO this is one thread I'd love to see continued over on Brent's site where political discussions are welcomed.  I've got stuff to say, but won't here, I respect Steve's dislike of politics here. But the fairness and high-level of information sharing is wonderful to read through.

Probably when I've had a chance to digest and have formulated a good reply to some of the comments I'll bring it up over on the inquirer.

Paul