This is the USA?

[G-Man]

This is the country where we don't have to worry about the authorities knocking on our door unexpectedly and taking us over?  Guess not!!!

From my understanding, the congress wrote a bill......it was reviewed and voted on by the Senate, then signed into law by the President.  Sounds OK so far.

But, the bill was written in secrecy, behind closed doors, then ramroded through the Senate because if immediate action wasn't taken, as per the President, we would fall into a state of peril that we wouldn't be able to climb out of.  So, nobody actually read the snuggling thing (which was the whole intention) and it passed through the Senate (shame on them) and the President signed it making it law.

So, the opposing party scoures through it, after it was made law, and now finds more bullshit in there than anyone can stomach, and exposes what they find.  What??? Bonuses going to employees of a failing company...how could this be?  So now, the assholes that voted on this and signed it into law are agast, upset?  Why not fired?  Why not humiliated?  They get up on their soapboxes and demand the names of these US citizens who they agreed to pay.  Bus trips are organized to go to these private citizen's homes.  We'll tax the whole thing if they don't give it back, the assholes who made it a law cry.

This is the USA?  Where the government has the right to make a law, then pretend to be upset and go after private citizens like a lynch mob because they received contractual pay?  This is a very scarey road we are heading down.

Yes, yes, yes,....nobody at a failing company who recieved bailout should receive bonuses.  BUT THEY SIGNED IT INTO LAW!  "I WANT THESE PEOPLE NAMES!"  "WE'LL TAX ALL OF IT".  Doesn't sound very American to me.

Flame away....and you won't sound very American either!

[Brad]

Let's not make the same mistake twice and vote them out the first chance we get, they do not read ANY of the bills they vote on.  That is the reason that it is now illegal to sell bikes and atv's to kids under 12.  When you write or call them your treated like your stupid.

[PAVALKER]

They are all Criminals to some degree and should be removed from office for dereliction of duty or a civilian equilivant.

[Jack]

This is not the USA of our fathers.  I wonder how it will be when my grandchildren are grown.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Let's not make the same mistake twice and vote them out the first chance we get, they do not read ANY of the bills they vote on.  That is the reason that it is now illegal to sell bikes and atv's to kids under 12.  When you write or call them your treated like your stupid.

Not only the bikes but the local charities in my town dumped all used clothing for kids under 12 in trash the day the law went into effect. They couldn't prove the lead content in the used clothing was below set levels so they trashed it all. I have no idea if you can get used kids clothes right now. Just what the poor and jobless need right now, no cheap clothes for the kids.

Raymond

[rmrc51]

This is not the USA of our fathers.  I wonder how it will be when my grandchildren are grown.

No,, this "ISN'T" the USA of our fathers any more, and for those of us who refuse to be lead like gullible sheep and believe in all the crap that our so called leaders tell us, our country is in it's decline and unfortunately picking up speed. Every empire falls and unfortunately it seems to be our turn. I believe the USA is being slowly dissected from without and within. The signs are all around us. As for the second part of your question,,,,, it will either be in worse shape, ruined or,,, maybe, just maybe, the American people will have had enough by then, wake up as a nation and force change. Who was the founding father who said; "The Tree Of Liberty Must Be Refreshed From Time To Time"? He knew what he was talking about. Believe me, it give me no pleasure to say these things. And I hope and pray that I'm wrong! 

[flatsixrider]

I do not want to see what happens to our economy if these institutions fail outright.  Nor do I want my grandchildren to inherit mountains of debt.  Neither path looks good to me. 

What I can say.... If I was lucky enough to have those sorts of bonus clauses in my employment offer/contract, you better believe I would be expecting to be paid.  I am quite surprised most of the execs have given back their bonus, I guess it is much easier when you are wealthy. 

[Brad]

Let's not make the same mistake twice and vote them out the first chance we get, they do not read ANY of the bills they vote on.  That is the reason that it is now illegal to sell bikes and atv's to kids under 12.  When you write or call them your treated like your stupid.

Not only the bikes but the local charities in my town dumped all used clothing for kids under 12 in trash the day the law went into effect. They couldn't prove the lead content in the used clothing was below set levels so they trashed it all. I have no idea if you can get used kids clothes right now. Just what the poor and jobless need right now, no cheap clothes for the kids.

On top of that I have contacted my congressman and senators and they don't give a rat's a$$ and have no intention of fixing the law.  You are right the thrift stores here have dumped all toys, clothes, furniture and any thing else made for kids.  The one guy I talked to spent over a thousand dollars in dump fees.

[G-Man]

I am quite surprised most of the execs have given back their bonus, I guess it is much easier when you are wealthy. 

They were getting death threats and people coming to their homes and harrassing their families.  All at the doing of their government of the United States of America.

[MP]

Now, they are proposing that the government can take over any business, at any time, whether or not they took any bail out funds.  If they deem that you are not running it right, they can come in.  Treasury Sec. Guitner is testifying on this as we speak.  Pelosi has already said they will pass it.  She will NOT allow any hearings on it.
What a deal!  And they said Bush took away rights?  He was infant compared to these Socialists.
MP

[solo1]

The Senate voted for AIG to give bonuses, Senator Dodd pushed it.  Then the public's anger was whipped up by the likes of that ahole Barney Franks.  THEN the House passed a tax of 90% on the bonuses. a purely unconstitiuonal act.  I'm afraid for this country.  I've sent more emails to my senators and congressmen in the last week than I did in the last three years.  No replys as of yet.

More is to come.  Remember, "I'm the government and I'm here to help"   BULL!!!!!

[Duffy]

I am not saying the AIG execs DESERVED their bonuses, but they had legal contracts and the Gov't assistance didn't change those contracts. The gov't has no right to change that, period. 

A 90% tax is contrary to what we all (most?) believe. We cannot stand for it!

We are on a slippery slope with the increased influences and controls on businesses we are seeing. 

[Jabba]

OK people.  This ain't someone else's fight no more.  It's now personal for all of us.

I have been fighting the fight for years... but now, maybe ya'll will stand up and help me tell them NO MORE.

Do it at the polls in 20 months.  Then again 2 years after that.  Then again and again and again, as long as the electorate keeps doing stuff like this.

The republicans AND the democrats need firing.  It's not either or.  There ARE other options, and it's time we embraced them.

Jabba 

[flatsixrider]

I am not saying the AIG execs DESERVED their bonuses, but they had legal contracts and the Gov't assistance didn't change those contracts. The gov't has no right to change that, period. 

A 90% tax is contrary to what we all (most?) believe. We cannot stand for it!

We are on a slippery slope with the increased influences and controls on businesses we are seeing. 

+1000

exactly Duffy!

[Stanley Steamer]

Obama says.....I saw his news conference the other night where he said we didn't need a world currency.....now little Tim muddies the waters??...be afraid....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/26/global-reserve-currency-world-agenda

[Hoser]

I fully expect  to die fighting in the 2nd American Revolution, to quote a long ago patriot," Give me liberty or give me death!"    Oh well beats dying of old age. hoser

[3fan4life]

I fully expect  to die fighting in the 2nd American Revolution, to quote a long ago patriot," Give me liberty or give me death!"  :'(  Oh well beats dying of old age. hoser

When I was in the Army one of my Commanding Officers was fond of saying that in war, "The object of the game is not to die for your country. It is to make the other SOB die for his country".

I don't know if this country will ever see another "Bloody" Revolution or not.

I sincerely pray that it doesn't.

Surely there are better ways to solve our differences and fix our problems.

But, if it does come to that during my lifetime I will be on the side that represents the liberty that our founding fathers intended for us to have and that many good men have died to protect.

And if it does come to that I very well may die for my country, I've been in the situation before where that was a distinct possibility.

But, if I do I fully intend to take as many of "them" with me as humanly possible.



 

[HayHauler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrA9zj94NuU

Try this one on for size....  seeeesh!

Hay   

[F-106]

MY MY MY, how it all has changed in just 60 days. we went from congress being bound to the law to congress ignoring the law and making new ones to their benifit. and notice nobody in the justice department saying "no you can not do that". way, because they and democrats in congress are all in bed together. nobody can stop this. not until the next time we vote. that brings me to wonder. if america knew this is the way it would all go down, would it have voted the way it did back in november? i think not. my sister is a bigtime liberial. she is well educated and has her own store front. she does well. so well she is going to get taxed more under the new president. now she is crying about it. my answer is " sis, you voted for all this, this is what you wanted remember" 

[CISE]

What you are seeing is a real nice case of political correctness.

If you work in an office you probably have come across a similar situation. A person in authority is a "visible minority" and says/does/enacts something less than brilliant.

No "non-visible minority" person will step and say anything negative, because as soon as they do, they are labeled "racist" or "misogynist".

If any previous president ordered congress to sign something without reading it .. I am sure someone would have stood up and yelled.  But no one would this time - I wonder why?

The next 4 years will be quite interesting .... I hope I get my citizenship before the next election.

[rmrc51]

I fully expect  to die fighting in the 2nd American Revolution, to quote a long ago patriot," Give me liberty or give me death!"  :'(  Oh well beats dying of old age. hoser

When I was in the Army one of my Commanding Officers was fond of saying that in war, "The object of the game is not to die for your country. It is to make the other SOB die for his country".

I don't know if this country will ever see another "Bloody" Revolution or not.

I sincerely pray that it doesn't.

Surely there are better ways to solve our differences and fix our problems.

But, if it does come to that during my lifetime I will be on the side that represents the liberty that our founding fathers intended for us to have and that many good men have died to protect.

And if it does come to that I very well may die for my country, I've been in the situation before where that was a distinct possibility.

But, if I do I fully intend to take as many of "them" with me as humanly possible.



 

I'm ready.

If our founding fathers could see our nation now, they'd roll over in their graves!

[Master Blaster]

Study Hitlers rise to power, done all leagally by the way, and you will see a striking parallell.  Hussien is even promoting a Youth Corps.  Also in his speeches he mentions in passing that 4 years may not be enough time to get all his programs in and may take a full 8 years.  He is working hard to build taxpayer funded programs to get enough people on the dole to keep reelecting him.  If he can get reelected after the first term I look for Huge changes in the Constitution, mebby even to allow him to be President for life.  Our only chance is to make sure he doesnt get a second term, and while we are ousting him do the same to the bunch of crooks that are enabling this unpresidented slide into Socalism.  Its gonna take many years to correct whats being done right now even if we can get good people elected.  We desperately need a ground swell of throw the bums out, and institute term limits so they can never again gain so much corruptive power.  I am afraid that we are in the middle of a revolution of the worst kind, and that most of the country doesnt even know it.

[MAD6Gun]

When I saw that the AIG execs got their big bonuses I was appalled. How can a failing companies execs get bonuses when the company fails. But I was even more appalled that out government can just snap there fingers and make a law to take this money back even after they knew about the bonuses. We all should be real scared over this. To think they can do this to a small group of AIG execs what makes you think they cant do something like this, or worse to the rest of us.

[Jabba]

When I saw that thre AIG exects got there big bonuses I was appalled. How can a failing companies exects get bonuses when the company fails. But I was even more appalled that out government can just snap there fingers and make a law to take this money back even after they knew about the bonuses. We all should be real scared over this. To think they can do this to a small group of AIG exects what makes you think they cant do something like this, or worse to the rest of us.

It's even WORSE than that.  The government added an ammendment (By Chris Dodd) that REQUIRED AIG to honor the contractural bonuses.  IMO they shouldn;t have been calling these bonuses.  They were not bonuses.  They we contracted, and essentially baloon payments that were negotiated up front.  Do I think that the execs Earned them?  No.  Should AIG have honored them?  Yes IMO, unless they declared chaper 11 bankruptcy, and reorganized.  THAT was the legal way around paying them.  But they gov't said they were too big to allow to fail... so they were obligated to pay those payouts, reinforced by the very legislators that passed the bill with that language in it, that got their panties in a twist when it became publically known about the payouts. 

Then, they passed another bill to tax them at 90% of their rate, which was UNCONSTITUTIONAL at 3 different levels.

9 of the top 10 "bonuses" were returned to AIG voluntarily.

Jabba