Disqus - Latest Comments for Common__Sense

Re: Obama’s Youth is Worse Than Hitler Youth

riseuprochester — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:56:24 -0000

Oh so you're a "he's covering up for the Jews" guy. Get off my site you scum.

Re: Cheers as McCain Supporter Arrested

DAISY_YANG — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:44:19 -0000

NO! You are ABSOLUTELY WRONG! So wrong it hurts my grandmother! So WHAT if the man was carrying a samurai sword, plastic or not? It wasn't out, and he wasn't threatening anyone with it. It was stored in his shirt, which is the proper way to store samurai swords (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/499107/hattori_ha...). He may have been on his way home from his job at a Sushi restaurant, and this happened to be the part of town he lives in. EXCUSE HIM FOR NOT VOTING THE SAME WAY AS EVERYONE ELSE AROUND HIM, AND BEING PROUD OF IT! THAT'S WHAT FREE SPEECH IS, LOOK IT UP (http://www.freespeech.org/fscm2/genx.php?name=home).

If I'm walking down the street in my McCain shirt on Conkey Ave with a pocket knife (not a switchblade, but a regular SwissArmy knife), does that make me dangerous? This man is the picture of mental stability (http://www.flickr.com/photos/okinawa360/2785674...). The facist Gestapo-esque police officers probably got a message from Führer Obama himself to tie this man up. In fact, IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE HE IS STILL ALIVE?

Re: Obama’s Youth is Worse Than Hitler Youth

DAISY_YANG — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:31:15 -0000

I don't understand the words you are saying as you have said them. Are you sure you are familiar enough with the English language to form sentences? Have you went to 5th grade? Were you eating paste while the others were learning their adjectives? Were you, sir? Were you?

Also, before you call someone a "liar," think about how that might make them FEEL. If Alex Jones happens to be reading this blog (which is entirely possible - the internet is a small place), how would he FEEL if he read that you feel that he is a liar? There's no need for name calling here, Common Sense. Again, did you attend 5th grade?

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Ethan — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:36:39 -0000

I am using US Dollars because my employer pays me with them, the places I shop require payment in them and because the government is taxing me for them. I have no choice due to the quote:

"Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

"This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy."
source: U.S. Treasury

I suggest you read the other statements the Treasury has written on that page and ask yourself why the United States would switch from US notes backed by gold to Fed notes backed by U.S. debt. Since I know you won't answer the question even if you asked yourself, I will again answer it for you. So that they can print as many of them as they desire.

I have no choice but to accept and use Federal Reserve Notes, this is my point. Someday businesses will stop accepting US dollars and perhaps then I will have a choice. But even if I found a business that would accept payment in gold I would still have to pay capital gains tax on the exchange and the acceptor of the payment would have to pay sales tax. Those taxes prevent gold from being used as money. Why would the government do that? Because the don't want people switching to gold and/or silver coins instead of dollars. They have total control over dollars but not gold and silver.

If you would like a more eloquent explanation of the situation please read Ron Paul's introduction of the Honest Money Act to Congress and Ron Paul's words on Legal Tender Laws

Let me ask you this again, If the Federal Reserve is so good at protecting the value of the dollar, why do we have steady inflation? Why does nearly everyone try to purchase or invest fed notes in something real or interest bearing as soon as they get them? Again, I will answer for you since you have consistently chosen not to answer any of my questions throughout this discussion. The reason people pass off their dollars as soon as possible is because they do not hold their value and the Fed is a failure at its stated mission. Every citizen in the country knows this to be true, even you, though they may not have contemplated it.

Re: Obama’s Youth is Worse Than Hitler Youth

Common__Sense — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:42:40 -0000

1) THIS IS RETARDED. Honestly, you want to compare Hitler youth's to Obama youth's!?

2) The point is that a military force is no good at domestic peacekeeping. It's drawing a parallel, and begging the question, why don't we fund our police as well as our military?

3) The joy of fear-mongering is that it is highly profitable. Alex Jones' is certainly making a ton "questioning" the establishment, while relishing the rewards of the system.

FINALLY: http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Alex-Jones-sum...
You claim rationality. Read that site, view all the underlying support. Explain to everyone how you can possibly believe this guy.

Re: Obama Will Face “Imminent” Foreign Policy Problems

Common__Sense — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:22:35 -0000

NO WAY!

At a moment in history, where a clear majority voted for an African-American president to improve our PR with the rest of the world, you would think there MIGHT be some issues?!

Call me a insider on this conspiracy, but off the top of my head I can list:
1) Iraq insurgency
2) bin Laden attacks
a) via nuclear weapon
b) targeting utilities such as power plants and water treatment faciltiies
3) Israel and Palestine (Gaza)
4) Somalia
5) Darfur
6) Kashmir

All major world events that will be faced.

Re: Cheers as McCain Supporter Arrested

Common__Sense — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:16:18 -0000

We're losing the point here. The end point is that freedom of speech is not gone. Absolutely, if I were a cop and saw this situation, especially since the guy is carrying a sword (the video taper SUGGESTS it is a plastic toy sword), I would get worried.

Clearly, the man was trying to incite violence and was also carrying a weapon. Why would I not want to jump in and prevent this? Notice the police didn't ask him to take off his shirt, just to leave the area.

Also, do you just spend all day on YouTube?

Re: Hey Duffy, No More Cameras!

Common__Sense — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:12:25 -0000

"Poverty is the cause of crime, not the opportunity to get away with it."

Frankly, I'd say both were. IE. If you left me 100 gold bars outside of my house and clearly marked it as yours, by night fall, I will transport these bars inside my house and remark them as mine. I'm not poor, but I will certain take advantage of you.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Common__Sense — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:10:40 -0000

I say again, why are you using US dollars. Please stop. By using them, you clearly propagate the very issue you are against.

Re: Cheers as McCain Supporter Arrested

riseuprochester — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:49:15 -0000

In this world it would be impossible to prove that free speech is gone.

If the camera gets busted this claim of a violation of free speech would just be hearsay and discarded. Somehow, if the camera survives, then free speech wasn't violated?

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Ethan — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:31:19 -0000

I'd also like to point out that this not about why debt should exist. Debt is fine and a perfectly good part of capitalism. It requires faith in the borrower and risk for the lender. What shouldn't exist is a paper standard where by a government and people spend all of their wealth, borrow with no way to repay, and to get out of it print more money. This is not real wealth and is exactly why the system is collapsing.

Under a gold standard I could easily loan my gold or my gold certificates with the understanding that risk exists. We currently live in a monetary system that is attempting to remove risk which inturn has created excessive malinvestment. If there were some way to limit the printing of money (hint: commodity money, e.g. gold) then this malinvestment and succesive collapse, a.k.a. the business cycle, would not exist.

If you want to see what is going on right now visit: DollarCollapse.com

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Ethan — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:58:18 -0000

"If people believed the pegging was of the right value, and not higher or lower than true value, then they can just as easily believe a copper or plastic coin is just as good."

This statement represents your misunderstanding of the gold standard. Pegging the dollar to gold simply assigns the value of gold too it. There is no determination to be made for the value of a gold backed dollar. It is what gold is. In a true gold standard there would be physical gold backing each dollar. It then takes something of no value, paper, and assigns it the value of gold. The gold certificate dollar is just as viable as carrying around sacks of gold (your perception of a gold standard) because each peice of paper represents a specific amount of gold.

The value of gold comes from its inherent rarity. It can not be produced on demand. The fiat dollar on the other hand can be printed up in any quantity desired. This is the cause of our extreme national debt and the inflationary/deflationary business cycles.

Your stated purpose for the Federal Reserve existing, creating stability for the dollar, is proven a failure by the existence of the business cycle. The Federal Reserve system has created a situation in the US where we have no real wealth, we have little real production, and we have created a financial tower that is crumbling under it's own weight.

I do believe you have a lot more to learn about what a gold standard means. You have misrepresented it at every opportunity.

Now it is time for you to defend the Federal Reserve. Please tell me how the Federal Reserve has created stability for the dollar. How can the Federal Reserve both stabilize the dollar and maintain full employment? Aren't these goals opposed? Do they not follow exact opposite policies in attempt to maintain both? Have the been succesfull at either?

Re: 9/11 Truthers Are Not Holocaust Deniers

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:35:19 -0000

So you're not a Holocaust denier? You just believe Jews traded 6 million (and you even deny this number) for a shot at their own country?

Awful.

Just awful.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Ethan — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:50:05 -0000

The debt that our money is is government debt. First it was U.S. government debt, then foreign government debt, now it's becoming corporate debt. Every dollar in the US is in existence because someone went into debt. Would you agree that debts need to be paid? If you do then you will understand the current deflationary cycle that is happening is because people can not borrow anymore and are paying down debt. I will ask you again, How stable is that? How good of a job has the Fed done? What will they do now? THey will inflate the currency, the Federal Government will go into more debt and pump currency into the system. This will result in inflation and higher prices. Is this stability? Is the Fed accomplishing its goals? Is your wealth safe in dollars? Would it be safe in gold? Every bit of gold in existence is because someone did work. This is the difference between real wealth and fiat.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Ethan — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:44:28 -0000

It had nothing to do with what people wanted. If you read the first paragraphs of that link you posted, it clearly states that Britain left the gold standard after they used all of their gold, i.e. they ran out of real wealth and then started printing it.

There is nothing backwards about the gold standard. What is backwards is think that we can have a fiat standard and still maintain value. Like I said before, every fiat monetary standard ends its life as worthless paper.

Re: Why are the poll results so different?

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:38:59 -0000

Polling assumes many things, among them , that the polled are eligible voters and will vote. That is the much saner explanation.

And if you're wondering, I've take 3 university-level stats courses. So beat that.

Re: Cheers as McCain Supporter Arrested

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:35:12 -0000

Free speech gone? Really?

How was this video obtained? No officer appeared to prevent or destroy the showing or taping of the entire incident.

While I don't support the rough attitude of the officers, one has to question rather they actually protected or hassled this mccain supporter.

Re: 9/11 Truthers Are Not Holocaust Deniers

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:23:49 -0000

When a real government lead conspiracy starts killing people, the world will know. The Holocaust is an example of world indifference to undeniable fact.

Your conspiracies and belief in an evil government are based on conjecture, interesting video splicing, and frankly, way too much time.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

DAISY_YANG — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:17:09 -0000

Perhaps a helpful Excel Spreadsheet might be in order?

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:15:03 -0000

1) Is there nothing you have as evidence that is not a video? Give me something to read. I don't have 47 minutes to devote to understanding your position knowing that I will debunk any way.

2) If money is value, and value can be lent, and when lent we call it debt (since its just a descriptive term, not a real object), by transitive properties, is not money = debt AND money = value AND value = debt?

Certainly, all accounting systems believes this to be the case.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:10:35 -0000

1) I did not present a straw man argument.

A straw man argument is to say your gold standard suggestion means you are against capitalism and I don't understand why you would be against the free market.

I took your suggestion and progressed it to its implementation.

2) We've been there before. This is all going backwards. If people believed the pegging was of the right value, and not higher or lower than true value, then they can just as easily believe a copper or plastic coin is just as good.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

riseuprochester — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:07:10 -0000

Debt SHOULD exist, but our MONEY shouldn't be DEBT. Money should be Value and debt should be debt. Period. Loans are possible with the gold standard, to a lesser extent of course, which can be good but I agree should be left to another discussion.

Money as debt => http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-905047...

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:04:22 -0000

This devolves into a discussion of why debt should exist. It's pointless. If you don't want a good you can't purchase today, we'll never need debt.

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

riseuprochester — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:03:05 -0000

"Gold Standard" does not equal "Use Gold Bricks"

Duh.

It just means your paper is pegged to something of value instead of nothing at all.

Besides - It would only take 1 gold coin to buy a laptop, 20 or so for a car and a couple of hundred for a house. I don't really imagine any situation where you'd carry tons of gold bricks around. (assuming the Straw Man argument you made)

Re: Take My Credit, Please!

Common__Sense — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:55:38 -0000

3) Because the problem with the gold standard is the same problem as any currency. In times of crisis, both are useless. In times of prosperity, currency is far superior due to ease of exchange.

1) On to my point about lending, the Fed Reserve via fractional banking (yes, I know you guys have problems with this too), allows for lending of money.

Prior to this ability, a middle class was largely impossible, since where would they get the start capital to start a business?

2) I do not plan to go to gold as I do not believe the same as you. What I'm saying is that don't tell me about the evils of currency and continue its propagation.

What it comes down to, as your number of people employed point alludes to, is the creation of large middle class and the rapid advancement of people through various socio-economic ladders.

Quite frankly, much of this discussion rests upon the assumption that basic needs are met and now with our remaining money/good, what should we do about it?

However, the majority of the world does not live on this assumption. Hence, in order to keep poor people employed and able to sustain themselves, we do need low unemployment and the easy transfer of currency.