American servicemen and women are in my prayers, may they all come home safely.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

So Malikon the soldiers and Pilots of WWII were terrorist? And I have been to several Countries in the World and you no what they all don't think we are morrons. I have been to Afganistan for work years ago. And the other issues you have raised are all because our pollices with have allowed to be put into place by people we have put into office. Everyone wants there own ethinic identity instead of being an American. It used to be people come here and became Americans but now everyone is a ------amercan fill in the blanks as you want. There is nothing wrong with remembering your heritage but when you asked someone in 1950 what they were the answer was I am a American and they were proud of it even when they were born elswhere. The Govermant has caused the problem with there over legislation. And to fix Healthcare all I can say is Tort Reform. Look at the condition of Social Security and its cost. What do people think a Goverment run Healtcare system would be and its cost? And then this stuff about the opt out option if you have employer health care, well you can bet you are going to still pay Govermant the same as if you where on the Govermants even though your not. Those who would be in the Gov. plan would not be able to account for the cost. The idea of many is if they can get in the door this way people would start droping there own policies and going to the Goverments since they are paying for it. You will see the end of Med Ins. companies and the reduction of Doctors who specialize.

Back to the Afgan War Our Soldies should be allowed to fight to Win and do it in the fastest manner possible and the politics and politicians should stay out of it and let the people in the Military do the mission asked of them in the manner they deem necessary .

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I didn't say that though did I? Actually I said that WWI and WWII were pretty important and necessary wars. I think you're trying to put words in my mouth, but perhaps it was just a misunderstanding?

I agree on your other points though, most of them anyway. I think you brought up a REALLY good point and one that I've never seen addressed before, and that's how nowadays noone is just American. They're Italian American, African American, etc. There's no pride in our country anymore. Most of our jobs have been shipped overseas and we've become a service nation/society instead of one that's producing and making money off of our exports.

The health care thing I can't agree on. Health for profit is just wrong. CEO's and big wigs at these insurance companies are living large, VERY large, and on our dollar. And most people I know when they really need to use their health insurance get a huge run around. My Grandmother died because her insurance company didn't want to pay for a test that her Doctor insisted was important. He argued with them for a full day, back and forth on the phone. She died days later and her Dr. said point blank. We really needed to do that test, but they wouldn't allow it.

So my Grandmother paid her insurance for health for her entire life, then when she really needed to use it. The insurance company failed her. So where did all that money go? Where did the thousands and thousands of dollars she paid in 50+ years go to? I know where, it went into somebodies pocket.

Also, as a working and traveling musician, I don't have health insurance. I can't afford it and obviously I don't have a "boss" that's going to offer it to me. So the idea of being able to go to a hospital/doctor and get a check up is a very appealing idea. England and Canada both have socialized medicine and they're doing just fine. Other countries pay $2. for a bottle of medicine that here in the US we have to pay $200. for the same bottle. That's wrong. We're being fleeced.

I don't have an extra $1000. laying around to go see a doctor, get some X-rays and get a checkup. Hell just X-rays alone are hundreds of dollars.

Even the now deceased Kennedy said it, "Health is a right, not a privilege."

I understand to someone who has health insurance it seems like a big deal, but to the millions of us living in "the greatest country in the world." not being able to see a doctor is a large failure in our system.

and I'm tired of dumba**'s on the news screaming about how Socialist medicine is going to turn us into a communist country. The level of idiocy people are reaching these days is staggering and honestly quite frightening.

I'd like to add I'm in no way against any nations army or servicepeople. I just dont like it when my nations army is being hampered by our politians trying to impress their peers in europe.

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No no and no

I hate to say this but we are not there to liberate the Afgan people. We are there to oust the Taliban which is plaguing the world. Not all Muslims are bad, but the extremist that cannot live in peace with the rest of the world are. We (America) should have kept our focus on the ONE person who started this whole war, Osama Bin Ladin. The US should have never entered Iraq without more proof of WMD's. We (America and our Allies) should have went in full force into Afganistan and hunted Osama down, not entered Iraq and remove Sadam. We could have already gotten Osama and his croanies by now if we focused our resources on it at the very beginning. It will be interesting what the future history books will have to say about this war.

Unfortunately we will never win this war because we are not as dedicated to the see it to the end. You just cannot fight someone who is willing to fly a plane into the side of a building, strap a bomb on their chest and blow themselves up, or walk up to their target and kill them without caring if they will die. For the extremist (any extremist) to dies for the cause is just and in their mind wins them a place in their version of Heaven. How do you fight that without getting extreme yourself? If we want this to end we have 2 choices: get extreme ourselves or get out. The Taliban does not fight fair, neither should we.

Sorry to vent this, I usually try not post my opinions of war, politics, or religion. This is just my 2 pennies. (Now I am ducking my head and awaiting the blast.)

And yes my heart goes out to all the people fighting the Taliban with incompetent leadership:!:

RK

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I see nothing wrong with venting your opinion. For a topic such as this that is generally rather heated. Everyone has acted very polite, expressed their opinions and made no personal attacks on other board members. It's been a very enjoyable and civil conversation.

Some people have brought up some interesting points to that I hadn't considered.

Discussions are fun like that.

Malikon, I completely agree with you, but WWI might have been up there with Vietnam and Iraq.

Just a very stupid war, of people wanting to show off their armies and strength.



-The Screamin' J

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CURRENT RIG:
2008 Squier bullet stratocaster modified with Rumpelstiltskin pickups -> Dunlop GCB-95 Original Crybaby -> Fender Vibro Champ XD

"Could you take the stain from this pair of pants, and put in on this pair of pants?"

you're probably right. I'm a bit ignorant of the first world war, much more familiar with the second. I tend to think of WWII as, well,...part 2 of the previous war, lol.

Most wars I think though are pointless. I really wish we still fought with swords. I think we'd wage war much less often if it wasn't so easy to just push a button on start dropping bombs on people half a world away.

There's no honor in killing someone you've never met and only see on a computer screen. (thinking of the unmanned drones.)

I've said it before and will say it again. This is a musical instrument site/forum guys.

Just my 2 cents/pence.

CC

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Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5

isn't the lounge for off-topic discussions? Don't we have the entire rest of the board for discussing music?

edit:

Just read the 2 giant walls of text that are the board rules. This thread is not against any rules. I'm sorry if you don't like the conversation, but that's ok, there are plenty of other ones here you might enjoy. So far this has been a very polite and fun to read topic.

Take care.

It just makes me angry man. Pointless deaths.

CC

_________________
Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5

you're not alone my axe slinging brutha.

I know dude. Cheers.

CC

_________________
Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5

I was just thinking about this. How pointless. You cant conquer dirt.
And yes, the media are worshipful of the current prez, but those who questioned Bush's motives were shouted down by the same media.
"Unpatriotic terrorist lovers!" O'reilly wanted dissenters imprisoned.
As a conservative ,I wonder why a special procecutor hasn't been assigned
to look into Bush/Cheney/KBR/Halliburton, but I guess that is just another
disappointment from obama.

From a swaggering evangelical to quasi-muslim street organizer.......

Wow, man.

I'll never understand why Bush and Cheney.co were allowed to get away with so much evil, while Obama who's been doing nothing but trying to clean up the mess Bush made get's picked apart daily.

I love how the TV pundits scream, "Support your President!" when it's Bush, but then turn around and tear Obama apart.

Hypocrite much?