Politicians don't set interest rates. The market does. If your banks are raising rates it's because risk in general is perceived as higher now than 6 months ago. Why? Lenders loaded up on debt of dubious quality, impaired their balance sheets and voila.


I agree but doesn't the Federal Reserve (which is the government) set the bank to bank rate?

I think Dharma means we should not froth over him on ANY issue. But the rightwing has been giving him too much attention.

people were saying the same thing about Churchills obsession with Hitler too.

Right,now,hehe.
If the guy you DIDNT vote for is elected President,do you support him,no matter what,because he is President,not you personally,ya know what I mean.


I think most people do. I mean Bush is President now and some people are calling for his impeachment, but not most people. I mean I rip on Bush all the time, but that's internal family bickering to me. For example, I'm in Dubai right now and if somebody says ANYTHING bad about Bush or the US, believe me I'm there to defend. I don't believe ANYBODY in the world has any right to say (well they have the right I guess, but i will always defend) ANYTHING bad about the US, because the US has helped so many countries and continues to do so on an annual basis through funds, military support, etc.

people were saying the same thing about Churchills obsession with Hitler too.


Yeah but we went after Hitler after he was in France, Poland, etc. Iminneedofajob has done nothing except say a few radical things. We can't go after people who "might" do something. To be like Foolie, I'll make a movie reference. This would be like the Minority Report.

The price of petroleum would have gone up regardless of what was done in Iraq. Ever heard of OPEC?

The mortgage default rate in the US is very high right now. I blame the market and unscrupulous lenders not the President.

true dat

Yeah but we went after Hitler after he was in France, Poland, etc. Iminneedofajob has done nothing except say a few radical things. We can't go after people who "might" do something. To be like Foolie, I'll make a movie reference. This would be like the Minority Report.

key word, AFTER. that AFTER cost the world 100 million casualties and the destruction of Europe.

key word, AFTER. that AFTER cost the world 100 million casualties and the destruction of Europe.


yeah agreed..but its hard to say whether this kook will do anything or just spouting nonsense. I am the Iranian military is nothing like Hitler's military.

probably not, but you dont need a military if you nukes

FT, I agree with you on most things, but not on this issue of Iran and/or Iminneedofajob (is that how you spell it). I don't agree now and I will NEVER agree. I will take our US with all faults, bickering, etc. any day over Iran that has a "thug" for a President.

Ok.

I respect your opinion, but personally I am ten times more afraid of what B*sh and the anti-human Neo-Con faction who control him are capable of perpetrating with regards to the setting off of nuclear missiles, given the massive arsenal that THEY are in control of, versus Ahmadinejad, who is (intelligence experts tell us) years away from having one nuclear weapon.

He said that our politicians' actions arise out of political reasons (paraphrasing). But isn't it possible that his words also are for political tactics?

Absolutely.

But you must be aware of one thing here; Ahmadinejad --even IF he wanted to, which he has emphatically stated that he has no aims toward doing-- does not possess the slightest possibility of causing the destruction of another country, nor does he have the slightest possibility of causing the destruction of the planet. Bush and his cabal, OTOH, do have that capability.

THAT is why I fear Bush and the ConservaFascists running this country far, far more than any leader of a Middle Eastern nation that is many years away from developing nuclear weaponry.


His statements like "Israel should be wiped out" was probably to energize his base in Iran and other Muslims extremists in the middle east?

One slight problem with that conclusion MeskDXB; Ahmadinejad never made any such statement.

Ahmadinejad never used the word "map". Instead his statement was in the context of time and applied to the Zionist regime that currently occupies Jerusalem. Ahmadinejad was expressing his future hope that the Zionist regime in Israel would fall, not in any way that Iran was intent on bringing about such an event through the use of military force.

The closest translation to what the Iranian President actually said is,--- "The regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time"

Make careful note of the word **regime** in that remark. In no version --no matter which experts translated it-- of Ahmadinejad's comments is the word "map" used, nor is there any implied context of mass genocide or hostile military action even hinted at.

To claim Ahmadinejad was issuing a rallying cry to "wipe out" Israel is as misguided and unfounded as claiming that Winston Churchill wanted to "wipe Germany from the face of the map" when he stated his desire to crush the Nazis.

Ahmadinejad's comments were about the demise of a corrupt occupying power, not the deaths of millions of innocent people.

I am no fan of the man, but these absurd falsehoods about -- ""Wull, that Ahmadinejad guy said he aimed to wipe Israel off the map!"-- have to, time and time again, be dragged out into the light of day and exposed for the damnable lies that they are.

Ok.

THAT is why I fear Bush and the ConservaFascists running this country far, far more than any leader of a Middle Eastern nation that is many years away from developing nuclear weaponry.

you cant possibly believe this administration or the next would even contemplate using nuclear weapons let along attempt to do so.. We flexed out muscles a long time ago in that area... we made out point and are still living off of that example.

you cant possibly believe this administration or the next would even contemplate using nuclear weapons let along attempt to do so.

Yes, I do believe they would use them in certain situations.........but what is most worrisome is that they --through their incessant warmongering and global bullying-- will cause some other nation to feel that its only means of survival is to use a nuke to defend itself, thereby setting off a nuclear conflagration.

Besides; this nation has already proven that they will use them.

Besides; this nation has already proven that they will use them.

and i believe that was enough for the world to see we are not playin.... No country out there is a threat to us enough for us to use them. I mean come on... Iran as you said is years away from getting ONE.... We would never again do something like that unless our balls are in a vice and there is no chance of escaping... it is no matter how you look at it a permanent solution to a temporary problem

Many liberals call Bush every name under the sun. They however have very little to say about the Hitler of Iran.


He also revealed that Iran has no homosexuals. He obviously chose his words very carefully (well, whoever wrote his speeches did at least) but he exposed his inner dumbass.

But you must be aware of one thing here; Ahmadinejad --even IF he wanted to, which he has emphatically stated that he has no aims toward doing-- does not possess the slightest possibility of causing the destruction of another country, nor does he have the slightest possibility of causing the destruction of the planet. Bush and his cabal, OTOH, do have that capability.

Lebanon seems to have missed your attention


One slight problem with that conclusion MeskDXB; Ahmadinejad never made any such statement.

Ahmadinejad never used the word "map". Instead his statement was in the context of time and applied to the Zionist regime that currently occupies Jerusalem. Ahmadinejad was expressing his future hope that the Zionist regime in Israel would fall, not in any way that Iran was intent on bringing about such an event through the use of military force.

The closest translation to what the Iranian President actually said is,--- "The regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time"

Make careful note of the word **regime** in that remark. In no version --no matter which experts translated it-- of Ahmadinejad's comments is the word "map" used, nor is there any implied context of mass genocide or hostile military action even hinted at.

To claim Ahmadinejad was issuing a rallying cry to "wipe out" Israel is as misguided and unfounded as claiming that Winston Churchill wanted to "wipe Germany from the face of the map" when he stated his desire to crush the Nazis.

Ahmadinejad's comments were about the demise of a corrupt occupying power, not the deaths of millions of innocent people.

I am no fan of the man, but these absurd falsehoods about -- ""Wull, that Ahmadinejad guy said he aimed to wipe Israel off the map!"-- have to, time and time again, be dragged out into the light of day and exposed for the damnable lies that they are.


The idiom seems to have eluded you.

IMO, virtually any people on earth would be 'better company' than the despicable Neo-Con faction (IOW, people like those in the PNAC) here in the U.S.
Well, it's refreshing to note that at least you've picked a side. And IMO, you've always been consistent with it.

Originally Posted by Freethinker
Besides; this nation has already proven that they will use them.

and i believe that was enough for the world to see we are not playin....

And i believe that was enough for the world to see that the US is one of the most militaristic, violent nations on earth.

No country out there is a threat to us enough for us to use them. I mean come on... Iran as you said is years away from getting ONE.... We would never again do something like that unless our balls are in a vice ......

LOL.

Whether or not a credible *threat* from some other nation exists has nothing to do with, and will have nothing to do with, the ConservaFascist's decision to use nukes. (or any other form of military force)

The ConservaFascists who control this government will use them (or any other form of military force) if they see a way for their Corporate cronies to reap huge profits from said use. Period.

Originally Posted by Freethinker

But you must be aware of one thing here; Ahmadinejad --even IF he wanted to, which he has emphatically stated that he has no aims toward doing-- does not possess the slightest possibility of causing the destruction of another country, nor does he have the slightest possibility of causing the destruction of the planet. Bush and his cabal, OTOH, do have that capability.


Lebanon seems to have missed your attention.

Your comment about Lebanon makes no sense to me whatsoever, given the fact that it was Israel, with its Zionist leadership, who perpetrated the destruction of that country and the slaughter of so many innocents there.

The idiom seems to have eluded you.

It probably ""eluded me"" because it was nowhere to be found in Ahmadinejad's remark.

In no version --no matter which experts translated it-- of Ahmadinejad's comments is the word "map" used, nor is any implied context of mass genocide or hostile military action even hinted at.

Columbia refuses to allow military recruiters on campus because of the, "don't ask, don't tell', policy of the military. They deem it so disrespectful of homosexuals that recruiters are barred from the campus.

Get real. The last place any army recruiter should be looking for a few good men/women is on a Columbia campus