A Thought to be Pondered

[SeanQuinn]

My dad, a conservative Buchanan - Goldwater conservative, asked me why I dislike Bush so much. I could've given him a thousand reasons. And then he followed up... what'd he do to ME personally?

Let's see here, I'm 11. I don't pay taxes, I'm not GLBT, I don't vote, I'm not in need of an abortion, and I'm not fighting in Iraq.

Yet, after deep thought and my favorite commercial playing, I got the answer. WITH THIS DEFICIT we have, I'm gonna have to pay it off. MY FRIEND is going to have to pay it off. Thank you to MoveOn.org for your compelling "Child's Play" commercial.

Bravo.

Vote DNC this November.
Vote ABB.

[scheming daemons]

1. Are you really 11?

....that's fantastic, kiddo.

I didn't know Doogie Howser was a DUer! ;-)


Just kidding.... You write like someone much older.

[Anwen]

11. If he's 11

I doubt he knows who Doogie Howser is :D

But that's seriously great, SeanQuinn, to have such an interest in politics at such a young age!! That makes me really happy to hear that. :)

[krkaufman]

17. And he's a few steps ahead of many on this board....

Vote ABB.

[angryinoville]

2. Good response...

You're pretty articulate for an 11 year old.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. Good job!

[David Zephyr]

4. What Was His Response?

And as the others have said, you are very articulate and bright for your age. :thumbsup:

[texasmom]

5. Great point, Sean

I'm so impressed that you're interested and thinking about something so relevant to your future at the age of 11. I hope a few million parents in my peer group are pondering the same thing re: their children.

[NEOBuckeye]

6. Excellent answer.

You are much more astute than many others at your age. It's an uncommon trait, but a very positive one. I'll bet your Dad was surprised.

[SeanQuinn]

7. Thank you.

1st off, I didn't respond to my dad yet. I've been busy with homework and quite frankly I don't think he even remembers asking me the question. I think he meant for it to be rhetorical. Anyway, my mother and grandmother don't follow politics and usually vote for the DNC Nominee. I'm trying to get my mom to vote in primaries here in FL and she asks me who to vote for. I like Edwards, especially after the current article in Rolling Stone about him and don't have a problem voting for Kerry. Yet, my dad will only vote for the DNC Candidate if Edwards wins. He said he doesn't want a President with a long face looking like Herman Munster. He flip-flops on issues too much for him. IMHO, he was supporting Lieberman before, so he should know about flip-flopping on issues ;)

Quinn

[Lisa0825]

8. Excellent!

You are a very bright 11 year old!

Now, if your father is really a Buchanan conservative, he'd wouldn't have to ask why you don't like Bush. Buchanan has a lot of negative things to say against Bush as well.

[wadestock]

9. Buddy....If you're 11 and get this....

you're far ahead of the game. I applaud you!!!

Many people don't understand the significance of the TOTAL national deficit...now 7+ Trillion.

After Clinton raised the upper rate to 38%, and with the combination of good economy, a surplus was used to pay down the debt for number of years.....

Here's some numbers I pulled off the back of 1040s in my desk.

1997 - no surplus to pay down the debt.
Net interest you and I paid on every tax dollar - 15 cents

1998 - 4% of outlays used to pay down the debt.
Total surplus 69 billion.
Net interest on the debt 14 cents on every tax dollar.

1999 - 7% of outlays used to pay down the debt.
Total surplus 124 billion.
Net interest on the debt 12 cents on every tax dollar.

2000 - 12% surplus to pay down the debt.
Total surplus 236 billion.
Net interest on the debt 11 cents on every tax dollar.

2001 - 10% surplus to pay down the debt.
Total surplus 100 billion.
Net interest on the debt 10 cents on every tax dollar.

2002 - NO SURPLUS TO PAY DOWN THE DEBT
Net interest on the debt 8 cents on every tax dollar.


You have to understand there is a "time lag" effect from when Clinton got in and got things under control to when Bush got in and caused a tilt situation. Had Gore got in....it is very conceivable we would have continued to pay down the debt and would be in a really great economic situation right now....especially without 100s of billions ultimately going to a fruitless war effort.

You will now see...as a result of Bush....a steady increase in interest payments on every tax dollar....possibly back up to and exceeding 15 cents on every tax dollar.

There will no surplus to pay down the debt.

What we're faced with in the future is a complete repeat of Reaganomics....only possibly even fueled further by high military, high domestic, and high war expenditures.

[SeanQuinn]

13. That's what ticks me off about B*sh

When we come in with a large surplus and end up with an even larger deficit, there's a problem. 9/11 helped but countless stupid plans such as a War to Iraq and a Trip to Mars is totally unnecessary.

[wadestock]

15. You may actually be clearer on the Mars situaiton....

Many people make a loose and ridiculous analogy to going to the moon.

This is really just Bush grandstanding.

I read a thorough article about going to Mars and it as close to a suicide mission that you could possibly envision. It's actually very much in defiance of basic physics and the safety of man to get to Mars....and all sorts of dreams about propulsion that might speed the flight. 7 months out there....12 months back...exposed to relentless radiation.....all for what....so that Bush can say HE was the man that put mankind into space?

[mandyky]

16. 2 tax cuts, 2 wars, war on terror and a new Govt agency -

Homeland security. All but the first make sense but you don't plan a vacation before you pay the rent. Any working family knows this much.

[Deansspecialinterest]

10. Very interesting post

I will run the risk of creating a "broken record" effect by expressing how impressed I am not only that you are so articulate, but that you are even interested in politics at your age. When I was 9, I went with my mom to protest the Republican convention in Dallas with a group of anti-nuclear demonstrators. This will be my 3rd presidential election, and it was the first one in which I became active during the primaries. I truly hope that by the time you are of voting age, we have a more interesting Democratic party to offer you.

Now, specifically on the subject of your father's question... I have actually been thinking along the same lines lately... I'm of voting age and I do pay taxes, but I'm not out of work and do not directly know anyone who was sent to Iraq. I am already married (to someone of the opposite gender) and I'm unlikely to be targeted by the Patriot Act (at least until I've posted here 100+ times). My objections to Bush are much more ideological than practical. I chose a candidate based on who inspired me the most, who seemed eager to lead with vision, passion, and commitment, rather than just eager to depose a truly horrible president. Bush is extremely vulnerable in this election, I believe, and I think this would have been a wonderful time for our party to express itself ideologically. The rabid "Anyone But Bush" sentiment, while encouraging (believe me, I want him gone as much as anybody), seems to have overshadowed every other issue.

I hate many of the things Bush has done, but perhaps none so much as the way he's ruled by intimidation and fear. I'm encouraged to see the vehemence of those who oppose him, but I'm afraid that this intimidation and fear are still setting the tone for this election. That's why electability has been not just the main issue but the only issue during this primary season. I'd rather be told about how we can change this country than the dire ways in which it will change if I don't vote the party line. There's nothing inspiring about that.

Your points about the deficit are well taken and well put; I loved the MoveOn ad too. But I think that your generation is also inheriting a demoralized and cynical nation, thanks in large part to Bush, and that he should also have to answer for that. Why must progressives be seen as either unstable hotheads or marginal lightweights? Why is it admirable as a candidate to tap into the anger voters feel, but not to show any anger yourself? Why should we settle for putting a Democrat in the White House when we could have taken our country back?

I'm glad you're getting involved early, and I hope we can stop Bush from bequeathing your generation the largest deficit in history, but I also hope that we can offer you more than politics as usual and more than an electoral map that is slightly more blue than red. Thank you for getting involved. I hope we can keep you involved. I hope we can earn your interest and reward it with real change.

[asthmaticeog]

12. 11? Cool!

I was politicized really young, too -- at 10, by the 1980 elections. Glad to know there are more out there - makes me feel less like a total mutant!

And you're very well-spoken for your age, or anyone's age for that matter.

[SeanQuinn]

14. Thank you. N/T

[krkaufman]

18. Now THAT pic is creepy.

From 'The Shining', right? Ick.