Should we be scared?

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

Of the shutdown and the possible default? Is the the beginning of that timeline on here called "Death of a Nation"?

[opebo]

Yes, the Republicans will default, and most of them want default. 

[Person Man]

Of the shutdown and the possible default? Is the the beginning of that timeline on here called "Death of a Nation"?

I sure as hell don't want a passport to drive on 287 or 25 or to Steamboat.

[dead0man]

Short answer, no.  Long answer, no, of course not.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate. Hate leads to... The Dark Side."

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

Scared? No. If you want to be a pessimist, then yes. We should be more embarrassed than anything.

[Person Man]

Scared? No. If you want to be a pessimist, then yes. We should be more embarrassed than anything.

Hopefully this.

[barfbag]

Of the shutdown and the possible default? Is the the beginning of that timeline on here called "Death of a Nation"?

No it's our values, success, and good hard working Americans that make our nation the greatest in history, not the power of our government. We've got along without big government before and we can do it now. Stop being dependent on the U.S. government.

[opebo]

Of the shutdown and the possible default? Is the the beginning of that timeline on here called "Death of a Nation"?

No it's our values, success, and good hard working Americans that make our nation the greatest in history, not the power of our government. We've got along without big government before and we can do it now. Stop being dependent on the U.S. government.

Your 'private property' is entirely a privilege granted to you by the State, barebag.

[t_host1]

Yes, the Republicans will default, and most of them want default.  

You must be logged in to read this quote.

No, seek comfort. The dreams of Obamas’ father are being awakened by the spirit of those people. Prepare and enjoy the ride as his coil of liberty is about to be unwound. Peace.

[Marnetmar]

No it's our values, success, and good hard working Americans that make our nation the greatest in history, not the power of our government.

No s--t.

We've got along without big government before and we can do it now. Stop being dependent on the U.S. government.

And herein lies the problem with your statement. You're not merely advocating for reducing the role of Government in the economy and people's lives. You're not merely for preserving the status quo. You're not merely for advocating a little stronger military.

Radical wingnuts like you think the government is literally out to get you and that everybody is being dependent on it. Hell, you think everybody is out o get you. Your arguments are based on nothing but rhetoric and polls and articles from Sean f---ing Hannity. You are no longer the party of Lincoln or even the party of Reagan and the fact that you nutcases even dare to call yourselves Republicans is disgraceful and disrespectful. You're a bunch of dixiecrats who are in a state of denial for fear of being seen as who you really are.

For the sake of our Nation, read an encyclopedia or a history book. Conservapedia doesn't count. Use the services available to you to get a college education. Unaccredited colleges and Beck University don't count. At the very least, watch an hour of C-SPAN, assuming that an unbiased look at our government isn't too boring for you.

[pbrower2a]

Of the shutdown and the possible default? Is the the beginning of that timeline on here called "Death of a Nation"?

No it's our values, success, and good hard working Americans that make our nation the greatest in history, not the power of our government. We've got along without big government before and we can do it now. Stop being dependent on the U.S. government.

Values? One of those is faith in capitalism -- and if capitalism becomes nothing more than the ratification of class privilege with anyone not born into the elite having no chance -- then that faith dies. Give a choice between reckless faith in a Red revolution complete with hammer-and-sickle devices that offers some promise of a better life (the usual Commie promise is that because productive effort won't be wasted upon sybaritic indulgence of people who can do you no good, we will do better for you) and futile faith in a system that works one to exhaustion on starvation rations, it is easy to see which vision wins.

Capitalism works to the extent that it does good for people who cannot be capitalists. If capitalism serves only executives, plutocrats, and brutal enforcers, then it is no moral improvement over feudalism.

Success? As it is our current order makes personal success largely contingent upon being born into the right family or having inordinately good luck.

Hard work with inadequate reward has been the norm of much of human history. Slave systems and exploitative prisons can impose such. But such also implies a lack of personal freedom.

...Government built most of the roads and bridges. It enforces laws that make property rights meaningful. It determines what property claims are valid. It offers a safety net so that people don't have to sell themselves into slavery just to get a little food in hard times. It protects against invasions, piracy, and raids. Ideally it puts kids in school so that they can become competent adults (OK, we need some huge reform of the educational system, not the least of which is to inculcate values other than "every man for himself".     

[Redalgo]

Even if the worst comes to pass, remember the state is a basically a tool. If it breaks we can build another.

[opebo]

Even if the worst comes to pass, remember the state is a basically a tool. If it breaks we can build another.

There's nothing wrong with the State apparatus, just these few at the top.   One of the great joys of my life is I was here in 2006.  A real piece of history and a true inspiration.