Originally Posted by Christien (Post 4171712)

Very true. And watching your government send your classmates, friends, brothers and cousins off to die in a war paid for with that hard-earned money is a great way to forge liberals.

Both are legitimate reactions to gov't actions, just from vastly different perspectives.

Originally Posted by john_cramer (Post 4171612)

Scott,

Ordinarily I wouldn't interrupt a fun discussion on the OT board (and I commend you for restraining from ad hominem like so many here) but I would point out that Medicare Part D will in my opinion prove to be the single greatest contribution of the Bush Administration. Without going into the whole pharmacoeconomic analysis, if we give Medicare beneficiaries access to prescription drugs, they are MUCH less likely to require expensive hospitalizations down the line. This is a well-recognized impact of drugs like Statins, which reduce serum cholesterol and corresponding risk of cardiovascular problems. Even if the cost of therapy for a 65+ person's remaining actuarial life is $100K, that's still many times cheaper than the cost of a hospitalization. To say nothing of the social cost.

Also, I don't think there is any comparability between Clinton's tax rates (hemmed in by a Republican Congress) during the single largest bull market in American History. The dramatic increase in workplace productivity wrought by the internet and the corresponding dot-com boom were the driver of rising personal income along with low interest rates and the benefits of free trade-- NOT the tax increase. The data are all sitting there.

Anyway, you may want to bring that point to the attention of your colleague. And remind him, "Nobody gets through the door of the powerhouse unless he can repeat, and mean, the words, "I swear by my life and by my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man nor permit another to live for mine."

You may now return to your regularly scheduled OT discussion. . . :)