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View Full Version : Obama and Romney: A battle of ideologies

Gerald
10-20-12, 06:13 AM
http://imageshack.us/a/img268/9408/63586591obamamittcompo.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/268/63586591obamamittcompo.jpg/)

It's not just the occupant of the White House that is at stake in the impending US election. Many believe the country is at a fork in the road, with two very different paths ahead of it.When Americans cast their votes next month, it's probably not exaggerating to say they'll do so in the midst of a profound ideological divide.

"Clash of ideas."

"Two entirely different visions."

You hear it all the time. Not least from the candidates and their supporters. But where does this clash come from?

Try starting at the sprawling headquarters of the Social Security Administration, just outside Baltimore.

The organisation was established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935 as part of his response to the Great Depression.

It also ushered in an era of big government. The SSA now employs more than 60,000 people and in 2010 accounted for almost 40% of all government spending. It administers programmes - for the sick, the elderly and the poor - that are plunging the US deeper and deeper into debt.

Eighty years on, it's the size and role of government that represents the faultline between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, who has vowed to bring http://www.mittromney.com/issues/spending 2016, down from its current level of 24%.

http://imageshack.us/a/img89/78/63600369govspending4642.gif (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/89/63600369govspending4642.gif/)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19976747

Note: 20 October 2012 Last updated at 00:34 GMT
AVGWarhawk
10-20-12, 07:08 AM
There is no battle of ideologies. It's anything but.
mookiemookie
10-20-12, 08:21 AM
There is no battle of ideologies. It's anything but.

Agreed. They're more alike than the party bosses would have you believe.
em2nought
10-20-12, 10:12 AM
I wanna give money to "this" versus I wanna give money to "that". I truly don't know which one would be worse. Ron Paul would be a nice "change", real change. :/\\!!
Armistead
10-20-12, 02:00 PM
If you watch the last several debates going back to Carter, the problematic issues remain the same, debt. Doesn't matter which nut is in office, the problems will remain because we refuse to find newer economic models that will work in a global economy.
Platapus
10-20-12, 02:15 PM
Both parties will increase the size of the government, just in different areas.
Both parties will cut spending.... in different areas
Both parties will increase spending.. in different areas.

Both parties will claim that their agenda will help the nation and claim that the other party's agenda will hurt the country. And they are both right.

Unfortunately, the only difference between the candidates is the area that will be affected. The end result will be the same -- bigger government, increased spending. :nope:
Tribesman
10-20-12, 02:29 PM
Obama and Romney: A battle of idiocies
Oberon
10-20-12, 02:35 PM
/thread.
yubba
10-20-12, 07:25 PM
Obama said in the second debate, gas was at 1.67 when he was elected in 08 was because the economy was doing so poorly,, he thinks gas being at 4 bucks means the economy is doing great ,:yeah::doh: idiot alright.
Oberon
10-20-12, 08:35 PM
Some facts and figures:

Price of Brent crude: $110

Price of UK 1 litre unleaded: £1.39
If the same pricing was used in the US it would be one gallon of gas: $8.04

http://www.wtrg.com/oil_graphs/oilprice1947.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Crude_oil_prices_since_1861_%28log%29.png/800px-Crude_oil_prices_since_1861_%28log%29.png

Get used to paying more for gas, even if you drilled every single oil well in the United States, you would still have to pay more, and you'd run dry quicker. The era of cheap oil and cheap gas is over, it has been since September 11th 2001. The sooner people accept that, the better.
yubba
10-20-12, 08:51 PM
Yes we have been round and round on this, yes we have oil here in the states more than they care to admit to it's not a matter of gasoline,, oil is used in every thing you touch and put in your mouth, and yet we don't have a energy policy,..
CCIP
10-20-12, 08:54 PM
oil is used in every thing you touch and put in your mouth.

Actually that explains a lot of things :dead:
Tribesman
10-21-12, 02:14 AM
Obama said in the second debate, gas was at 1.67 when he was elected in 08 was because the economy was doing so poorly,, he thinks gas being at 4 bucks means the economy is doing great ,:yeah::doh: idiot alright.
Damn that bad economy leading to a global fall in demand which means a global fall in global prices, why can't he rule the world to rig the global market,:doh: idiot alright.
mookiemookie
10-21-12, 08:51 AM
Actually that explains a lot of things :dead:

:har:
Sailor Steve
10-21-12, 11:08 AM
Get used to paying more for gas, even if you drilled every single oil well in the United States, you would still have to pay more, and you'd run dry quicker. The era of cheap oil and cheap gas is over, it has been since September 11th 2001. The sooner people accept that, the better.
Look again at your chart. That sudden climb in the early '70s came about because OPEC said so. It had nothing to do with the cost of getting the stuff out of the ground or refining it. It was a political move and nothing else. The price of oil is artificial and has been for almost four decades.
Jimbuna
10-21-12, 11:12 AM
oil is used in every thing you touch and put in your mouth,

So that's why my curry wasn't very good last night :hmm2:
Hottentot
10-21-12, 11:24 AM
So that's why my curry wasn't very good last night :hmm2:

Try adding the yellowish and transparent one next time instead of the black stuff. :03:
Jimbuna
10-21-12, 11:52 AM
Try adding the yellowish and transparent one next time instead of the black stuff. :03:

Wilko :)