In the last three and a half years, Bush has run up the highest

[Veggie Meathead]

budget deficit in our history.Bob Rubin says that the ballooning deficits will soon spiral out of control.He has alienated friend and foes alike making it impossible for us to exert military influence in trouble spots around the globe.The Iraq fiasco, instead of reinforcing America's status as a superpower, has exposed us as a paper tiger. The Abu Ghraib pictures have removed the last vestige of our moral authority.

Is there anyway for us to climb out of the hole we have dug ourselves? Is America heading toward a deep decline in military, economic and moral terms? Would countries like China,India, Brazil
begin to overtake America in the next two to three decades?

What is our future as a nation? Are we slowly becoming a second rate nation?

[bemildred]

1. Yeah, shit, we may have to go back to minding our own business.

Scary prospect.

[Wickerman]

4. Hey, wasn't there a guy with a humble foreign policy in '00 election?

maybe I'm mistaken. Too bad that guy isn't in office.

[rock]

5. That guy won, so by the new rules

He couldn't serve.

[waywest]

7. Humility...Humiliation...What's the difference?

channeling Nigel Tufnels.

[Wickerman]

10. turn that foreign policy up to 11

cuz, ya know, 11 is louder than 10, right?

[lovedems]

2. The way for us to climb out this hole is to make sure Kerry wins

in November and hold the fire under his feet to what is right. I think he will but we need to be there enforcing it.

I don't lack faith in our country, it is only the current leadership. We will overcome this. The first thing we must do is get the crooks out of office (that includes many in congress as well.)

[Catfight]

3. Will American's oust the Bush regime and take back our country?

Preventing these things from happening? The only way out of this mess is to get the only person never elected to the White House, OUT! Throw the bum on the street, I'm over his stupidity and thievery of my country.

[Veggie Meathead]

6. One thing that has bothered me about the Bush

Maladministration is that they have destroyed America's traditional role as a beacon of hope for the downtrodden masses of the world.It is this ability to attract people with the motivation to better themselves and give a better future for thei children that has set America apart as a nation.Quite apart from the economic opportunities that America has offered,it was the feeling that America is a lnd of justice and equal opportunity for all that has made us different.Although I can forgive Mr.Bush's other transgressions, it is his detruction of hope for most of humanity that I think will prove to be the most damaging for our future.

[Turbineguy]

8. Deficit?

What deficit? He gave federal Employees the day off last Friday. A friend tells me the cost was $500 Million.

[Killarney]

9. We have two choices

1) raise taxes
or
2) kill social security and medicare permanently and watch an entire generation slip into a state of poverty, neglect, sickness, and depression like we have never seen.

We both know which one Kerry will do and which one Bush will do. It's our choice.

Some say that Bush has created the deficits because he is stupid and doesn't know how to handle the economy. Others say Bush has created the deficits ON PURPOSE to "starve the beast" so that the only choice America will have will be to kill the New Deal, kill all entitlements and give the Republicans what they've wanted for years.

[Veggie Meathead]

11. When I look at countries like UK, Germany, France, Sweden

which are democracies on a par with us,they are able to operate businesses economically because the system of public health and education covers all citizens relieving the burden on businesses.
In the U.S. on the other hand businesses are having a hard time keeping up with increasing premiums for health care.In this situation, the question we must ask ourselves is have we killed the golden goose because of our ideological blinders?It seems as though even from the standpoint of promoting businesses, especially small businesses, a system of universal health and education is preferable.