The US is like a lottery winner who blew it all on beanie babies

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

We once had a lot of collective wealth. We could have had the greatest mass transport in the world, we could have had the best government health system in the world, we could have had the best education in the world, we could have invested in alternative energies, we could have had sound fiscal policies that would have protected the dollar and avoided deficits.

And we have none of the above. Why not? Greed! The greed of our representatives who saw nothing wrong with selling off our country bit by bit to the highest seller as long as they themselves and their cronies and their families and their companies became rich at everyone else's expense. How is it that almost everyone who enters politics manages to amass personal fortunes after just a few years? How come so many become lobbyists for industries that they once oversaw? Why is such a blind eye turned to fraud and malfeasance? How come NO ONE wants to file or investigate ethics complaints? We are just as corrupt as any third world despotic regime - we just have a finer veneer. And it's wearing thin. We spend billions and billions and billions of dollars - where the hell is it?

[Notoverit]

1. Or like the Godfather's outfit as run by Fredo

It's stupidity as well.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. I still think mendacity is greater than stupidity. nt

[Initech]

3. Reagonomics - Corporate interests first, people intrests second.

[Orsino]

4. Welfare for the wealthy is a luxury we can no longer afford.

When the people realize what they could be buying instead, there will be a heavy reckoning. I hope that the necessary change can be effected peacefully.

[justice1]

5. great title

[Jeanette in FL]

7. Yep, sums it up perfectly

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Greed sums it up! Yep, greed at the expense of those who create the

wealth through back breaking labor and at expense of their mental health. And the greedy/self serving/'self righteous got us here.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. "self"-serving - you're right

No concept of "public" service anymore.

[Bluebear]

9. Magnificent thread title. Brava. nt

[Raster]

10. Never before in history has there been such a transfer of wealth from the

hands of the many to the clutches of the few. We are being bled dry by the petroleum/military parasite. The oil wars have begun. The wealthiest and most powerful corporate entity on the planet is an oil company. None of this is coincidence. The criminal and INSANE action in Iraq will cost the United States ***TRILLIONS*** The same efforts, monetary expenditure and outright tenacity spent assaulting Iraq could have put the United States well on its way to dealing with its energy problems. And what of our elected representatives and their abysmal failures to represent and protect the public interest? They're gorging at the same corporate trough. No one wants to jeopardize their free lunch.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

11. Yes. It is apparent to any who care to see.

I agree with every sentence you wrote.

[glitch]

12. Bush - the beanie baby president. K & R for the subject line alone. nt

[Viva_La_Revolution]

13. did you read the thead about the woman who has filled her house with ebay

crap?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x996874

Amerikans all seem to have this disorder. :(

[nashville_brook]

14. retarded trust fund kid -- BIBLEVANIA! PIZZA!

[jmowreader]

15. No we're not...it's far worse

Beanie Babies are actually worth something. If you were to drop $10 million on Beanies, you could hold them for a couple years, put them up on eBay, and probably come out of it with $12M-$15M if you're not trying real hard.

The US is like a lottery winner who blew it all on booze, cigars and hookers.

[Nostradammit]

16. The U.S. is like the lottery winner

who lent it all to his booze-addled cousin George who then blew it all on guns, drugs and male hookers.

[file83]

17. Speaking of 'beanie babies', here's Wolfowitz with some....

http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/images/beanie%20babies,%20wolfowitz%20041203-D-2987S-044_screen.jpg

And he's in charge of the WORLD BANK now!!

:scared:
We. Are. Screwed.

[CrispyQ]

18. Send this to your local editorial page! --nt