Congress is so divided it can't even pass a highway bill anymore

[mawilson 2,133]

A top-heavy majority of Americans

Americans with big tits?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Americans with big tits?

Or big bellies. Top heavy seems to describe a majority of Americans.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Exactly. No big deal. Yet Steven was arguing that airports and railroads would not exist without the federal government.

Some airports wouldn't exist. But those probably should not exist to begin with. Murtha Airport comes to mind.

[Ban Hammer 13,342]

Some airports wouldn't exist. But those probably should not exist to begin with. Murtha Airport comes to mind.

or you can just read the vj version

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/360943-murtha-airport-brought-to-you-by-american-taxpayers/

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Americans with big tits?

Big tits can be a good thing, depending upon the size of the supporting structure.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Abraham Lincoln, that Big Gubmint-lovin liberal that he was...

Why Lincoln Built the Railroads

Lincoln's breathtaking economic development program, begun when the country was bankrupt, continued in effect at least long enough after his assassination, for the United States to make itself the world's greatest industrial power. Lincoln's measures remained in force for several decades, controlling inflation through industrial innovation, and raising U.S. living standards to unprecedented heights.

......

While President Lincoln built the world's most powerful armed forces, he put through an extraordinary program of economic measures, including:

• ultra-protectionist tariffs which virtually forced into existence a new American steel industry;
• government organization of railroad systems reaching across the wilderness to the Pacific Ocean;
• the sharp upgrading of U.S. agriculture, by such methods as government-directed agricultural science, free land for farmers, creation of the Agriculture Department, and promotion of new farm machinery and cheap tools;
• recruitment of immigrants, to rapidly increase population;
• free higher education throughout the United States through the Land Grant College system;
• reestablishing national control over banking, with cheap credit for productive purposes.

In this report we will focus on the railroad project and the creation of modern agriculture, which we chose in order to correct popular prejudice: that railroads were built by ``robber barons'' (in truth, they stole them after they were built!), and that government support for farmers is a ``giveaway'' (the government actually created the private, family-farm in America).

When Lincoln's first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, the 1,776 miles of new track took passengers and freight across mountains and desert from Iowa to California. Historians usually ascribe the building of this railroad, which immensely strengthened the United States, to such historical facts as the withdrawal from Congress of its Southern opponents. Abraham Lincoln's unique, lifelong, personal identification with the fight for Western development, is covered over with contemptuous, patronizing remarks, from Lincoln's ostensible supporters, and charges of corruption from his obvious detractors.

http://american_alma...om/chaitlin.htm Edited April 18, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Lincoln was a RINO before RINOS were the in thing to be.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Lincoln was a RINO before RINOS were the in thing to be.

Yep, and Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr. and little bush. The Right Wingers of today are so extreme, they've got no political leaders who they can point to as examples of this new, government-can-do-nothing-right extremist view. And if they try, all you gotta do is show that political leader supporting government works and that leader suddenly becomes a big gubmint-lover. In fact, I'm willing to bet that the ones that b!tch the most about big gubmint will all be collecting Social Security and Medicare when they reach the ripe, old age, just as Ayn Rand did.

Edited April 18, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[mawilson 2,133]

In fact, I'm willing to bet that the ones that b!tch the most about big gubmint will all be collecting Social Security and Medicare when they reach the ripe, old age, just as Ayn Rand did.

Why shouldn't they collect something out of the system they've been paying into their entire working lives?

Would I prefer to fund my own retirement account instead? You bet. But since I'm forced to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, you can bet I will want to collect when the time comes.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Why shouldn't they collect something out of the system they've been paying into their entire working lives?

Would I prefer to fund my own retirement account instead? You bet. But since I'm forced to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, you can bet I will want to collect when the time comes.

In Australia you'd get to collect more. In an international study on social security they were ranked #3.

[mawilson 2,133]

In Australia you'd get to collect more. In an international study on social security they were ranked #3.

In Australia, the retirement system is 100% private. Employers are required to contribute. Individuals can choose to make extra voluntary contributions to their retirement account and receive tax benefits for doing so.