Heads up, Camping Senior Discount at National Parks in jeopardy

[Gene]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

You might want to consider expending your reading material on economics .
The one you are citing seems to have gotten you rather depressed.

Economics has long been called the "dismal science". Read Pickety's book and after each chapter, watch some Disney cartoons or whatever makes you feel good. I have long avoiding reading economics, gut this book is much history from an economic viewpoint and is purposely written for non-economists to understand. I do read articles about economics in the media, but economics books or scholarly articles require too many cartoons to offset them. Unfortunately the facts are depressing unless you have loads of money to invest.

Societies where money continually flows to the top do not do well and start contacting eventually. I think we are seeing this now—wages are essentially stagnant and have been since the 1980's and growth has changed from 3% to less than 2%. You can certainly find quarters where growth was more than 2 and even 3%, but the overall trend is downwards as fewer and fewer people have disposable income or even sufficient income for essentials. For seniors, medical prices have surged far above inflation and other growth measures. Prescription drugs are unaffordable for more and more people.

Our society seems to have lots of so-calloed solutions for depression. TV, for example, works either way depending on what you choose.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by brokeboater

LOL, you might want to finds some other information sources. Hint: it started in 2003 (16 years ago) and it was sent to Baghdad (Baghdad is in Iraq, not Iran).

This is confusing two different things. When Iraq was invaded we spent crates of cash there to promote whatever we wanted to see in Iraq. I know some people think the invasion was for different reasons than others, but regardless, a lot of money was sent there and much was corruptly misused. Accounting for it was difficult and a lot disappeared.

When the Iran nuclear deal was made, money that was Iran's and which had been been held in the US for years was returned to Iran. It was their money, not ours. We had held it for years, perhaps with less than good legal reasons.

Facts still matter.

Distinguishing between political and historical or policy discussions is not all that easy. So long as people do not go out of their way to insult others, I see no reason this is thread is bad. Politics need not be a bad word; nastiness is not so good and where political discussions can go bad. In a hyperpartisan time, it seems everything becomes political to some people. Let's not let them make the decisions about what is ok and what is not.

[Renascence]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

When it is all said and done we the people get what we vote for. Keep sending the same corrupt swamp dwellers back to Washington will get us the same result.
The National Parks are shamlessly used by them as political footballs all the while none of them give a hoot about the parks.

Very true!

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by brokeboater

LOL, you might want to finds some other information sources. Hint: it started in 2003 (16 years ago) and it was sent to Baghdad (Baghdad is in Iraq, not Iran).

LOL, I think YOU can benefit from new sources of information. Maybe you weren’t aware of the $150 Billion that was sent to IRAN. You know: Ayatollah, Terror?
Part of this was in the form of currency on crates in C130(s).

One can argue it was “theirs”, but to release that kind of money to Terrorists was criminal IMHO. It could have been retained as reparations for the terror they sponsored over the years.

And, yes, it was released 5 or 6 years ago.

$150B could be put to better use than funding worldwide terror.

[brokeboater]

Originally Posted by KK4YZ

Maybe you weren’t aware of the $150 Billion that was sent to IRAN.

Actually I am aware of both incidences but the original post specifically mentions the cash sent to Iraq:

"if some of the crates of cash (our tax dollars) were flown there instead of Iraq."

and it also mentions the money as being tax dollars. The money sent to Iran that you mention was not tax dollars.

I understand what your motives are for confusing the two issues but there were two distinct different incidents of cash being flown to the ME and the OP very specifically mentioned money sent to Iraq.

[billrector]

Since no one here has voluntarily camped in either Iran or Iraq, let’s get back to Airstream discussions.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by brokeboater

I understand what your motives are for confusing the two issues but there were two distinct different incidents of cash being flown to the ME and the OP very specifically mentioned money sent to Iraq.

With all due respect, sir, you understand nothing about me or my motives. I agree with the previous poster.