My bigger brother visited this morning...

[Karl]

...and said it is his opinion that whoever loses this upcoming Presidential Election will be a lucky man as there shall be hell to pay in the coming few years and whoever is in charge shall be blamed for not being able to reverse things...quickly!

[Assasin]

So how comes you want employee a retiree fi do that kinda job?

You bwoy Bush put we ina mess.

[Exile]

If Karl can support the Bush-Bush regime and look forward to another GOP candidate, I have to seriously question his judgement. He must really be joking. Isn't Karl a man of history, scholarship and reasoning. Or is that politically, he's just outlandish?

[Farmah]

All I can say is: "Eight is enough!!!"

[Assasin]

how many other president have the credit of two recessions under his watch?

What about the people who were saying government nuh fi give nuh form a welfare and how they earned what they had? Now even the big man a bawl fi government help. The republican philosophy of the late 90s, early 2000 is asleep.

[Gamma]

i think when it comes to politics it "mad, sick, head nuh good".....

[Islandman]

Socialism, 21st Century Style - NY Times
by Floyd Norris
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The government Tuesday nationalized the American International Group, the financial giant that could not find anyone else willing to lend it the billions of dollars it needed to stay afloat.

That is not the official version. Fed staffers, who briefed reporters at 9:15 Tuesday night, don’t even want us to say the government will control A.I.G. The government will name new management, and will have veto power over all important decisions. And it will have a warrant allowing it to take 79.9 percent of the stock whenever it wants. But they contend there is no control until the warrant is exercised.

President Truman once tried to nationalize the steel industry, arguing that a strike that halted production in wartime created a national emergency. The Supreme Court ruled that was illegal. This time, however, the company agreed to the nationalization. It was the only way to get the cash it desperately needs.

The Federal Reserve and the Bush administration believe the threat of defaults by A.I.G. on a lot of unregulated derivative contracts creates a national emergency. It’s too bad they didn’t think of that when they were opposing any efforts to regulate those markets. That would have been interfering with free enterprise. This move, somehow, is not.

The official line is also that taxpayer money is not being put at risk, since the $85 billion loan is well collateralized. No group of banks was willing to make such a loan, so you have to wonder if the collateral is really that good. And the government will not say if it will loan more should that be needed to keep A.I.G. from collapsing.

It was said that only a conservative anti-communist such as Richard Nixon could overcome domestic opposition to talking to what was then called Red China. Perhaps something similar is at work here. Can you imagine what conservatives would say if a liberal Democrat had moved to nationalize major financial companies?

[Willi]

Bush cabal has ALWAYS been socialist.

They accused Dems of tax and spend and they cut tax and Spend more.

The corporate welfare state, where they subsidize and bail out their friends.

True socialists, where they are all equal, just some more equal than others.

Bush dont want either Obama or McCain to win, because when either comes in to shovel the sh*t, they will start digging and surely look to blame Bush with the certain discoveries. Where will Bush hide then?

What? You think either will shoulder the blame for all this catastrophe? No wonder Rove bashing BOTH candidates!

[Karl]

If Karl can support the Bush-Bush regime and look forward to another GOP candidate, I have to seriously question his judgement. He must really be joking. Isn't Karl a man of history, scholarship and reasoning. Or is that politically, he's just outlandish?

I'll tell you this -

In 1968 I joined the JFRA (Jamaica Football Referees Association). It was good old boys club. There were unfair pratices and referees such as "Bulla" John Richards, who had a very strong personality were kept in-line. (Code word for unfairly 'stamped down').

It terms of comparing John McCain's stay in the US Congress and my stay in the JFRA until I attempted to attain high office we could be considered 'dead eqeeks.' After being in the JFRA (it was called JRA then) from 1968 it was not until 1983 I ran for the office of secretary. It could have been said by some in the JFRA that I was a part of the problems...and had voted with the establishment and then President 90% of the time. Similar claims were made about just bringing in more of the same. As with John McCain those claims were questionable.

Well...I became Secretary and I went about with the help of persons like Errol Moodie and Horace Lewis to shake things up. We put in place a referees recuitment drive that covered the island. Started a process that sent lecturers all across the island ....then got Horace Sailsman to assist by having (I think it was...?) the SDC to funds ref lecturers stay in hotels and still using my own funds and contacts to offset some of the costs...eventually the referees' association started to put meaningful funds into the process.

...finally before I left the JFRA got the JFF with an understanding David "Billy" Marston & Russell Bell to agree that the drive to recruit more refs and 'democratize' refereeing...buying into the understanding that refereeing must be on par with that which obtained on the international scene to aid in drive to improve local playing standards ( = impoved performances of our players and teams) ...to set aside and earmark funds specifically for referee development.

We introduced formal method of assessing refs, started to criss-cross the island to observe and assess the rural referees on a regular basis. Started to make recommendations to the JFF for upwards mobility of rural referees...and got rural refs outside of the previous old boys cadre (that had seen Johnny Searchwell of Portland as the only person the 'good old boys' acceptetd from the rural areas and inserted on 'their' FIFA lists...until Whilston Taylor (former skipper of Cornwall's - 1956, I think DaCosta Cup and Olivier Shield championship teams and who was then General Manager of our railway company...and a golf enthusiast - Taylor's appointment was to me one out of the blue...I do not think I had seen him referee before he was appointed a FIFA ref...and I had been travelling the island to watch our referees in action.)

'Kicked' the JFF to start speaking out on our referees receiving more international appointments. ...asked for and got international referee lecturers to visit and provide instructions at our seminars. Started to use ref lecturers with teaching background to attend ref lecturers courses and become our local referee lecturers. Started to tap into a formal way the knowledge gained by our international refs on their travels (formerly these guys would travel for matches and keep any knowledge gained to themselves or shared among their 'elite friends' who were either on the FIFA list with them or whom they were grooming for inclusion on the FIFA list).

Moved that we get a voice at in JFF - got appointment as non-voting delegates. We had vigorously campaigned for full voting rights. Then we were denied...but we got a foot in the door and it became much easier to push for improvements. Currently the JFRA has full voting rights...

...but the point is, being a part of 'the establishment' and chairing committees and or being on committees does not mean you are accepting of the status quo...

...and certainly John McCain has shown that he has pushed for reform and bucked the establishment. It is not inconceivable that he, if he wins the presidency, will shake things up. In fact, looking at it purely as John McCain the politician having observed the 'political hit' Bush has taken...in John McCain's own self-interest he must shake things up. The nonsense about John McCain being "Bush 4" is crap. The only question should be who to select...Obama or McCain. Neither guy is Bush 4...McCain is as far from Bush as Obama! If the voter believes Obama is the better guy...or has some other personal reason, e.g. time for a black guy...or throw the bums out mentality...or even if the voter thinks that McCain's conservative thinking runs parallel to the thinking of those who got us in this mess then vote for Obama...but that McCain is Bush 4 or because McCain is in the Republican party he cannot shake things up...BULLS!

In my mind -Obama talks sweet! ...and most often sweet crap!

[HL]

I have noticed (maybe for the first time) that you have conservative tendencies. That's nice. I like that!

This general election Karl is like no other 'specially for folk like "us".

Many black republicans will vote for Obama "just because"....

I full understand and respect you views Karl.

My view as a fellow conservative is that an opportunity for real change lies before us in the United States --and the world that is unprecedented!!!

John McCain is status quo.

America (like Jamaica) need fresh new blood in leadership. America (like Jamaica) need a new direction.

Remember: current trend in financial mismanagement-- due to this government lack of regulation was fully supported by McCain...

Karl some folks find CHANGE difficult. Seems you are having the same problem. I have a feeling that you will make your decision in the polling booth.

[Karl]

I have noticed (maybe for the first time) that you have conservative tendencies. That's nice. I like that!

This general election Karl is like no other 'specially for folk like "us".

Many black republicans will vote for Obama "just because"....

I full understand and respect you views Karl.

My view as a fellow conservative is that an opportunity for real change lies before us in the United States --and the world that is unprecedented!!!

John McCain is status quo.

America (like Jamaica) need fresh new blood in leadership. America (like Jamaica) need a new direction.

Remember: current trend in financial mismanagement-- due to this government lack of regulation was fully supported by McCain...

Karl some folks find CHANGE difficult. Seems you are having the same problem. I have a feeling that you will make your decision in the polling booth.

Aaaaaaaaaah HL: I am a democrat!
...and I shall be voting for Obama. Perhaps my being a blackman and a democrat is too hard to resist voting for Obama although I am well aware of the tremendous crap he spouts.

...then...there is this reality that most of us disavow - We are complex beings and each of us have liberal and conservative tendencies.

btw - ...just a bit of thought provoking reading from the bias Republicans -

http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/20.../ccoffey_0917/

[Gamma]

many women voted for hilary..."just because", many will vote for john mccain "just because" and many will NOT vote for barack obama just because.

yet, the focus is on voting for barack obama "just because" that is another deflection trick.....he is black but there is much more to him than that and it is very telling to hear those accustaions based solely that one incidental and disparate fact, that he's black.

he is black AND he is qualified......certainly smarter than bush AND mccain and has shown better judgment (the war [many dems bought it including hilary] and palin [i am convinced that she will hurt mccain as time goes by, it's started already]).

mcain graduated at the bottom of his class at westpoint and became a politician when he realised that unlike his father and grandfather he would not make the grade as rear admiral......obama was president of harvard law review and turned down lucrative offer to do community work.

that is my starting point .....

[MdmeX]

Karl - mek dem know yuh memory still good

BTW where is Horace Sailsman these days? He worked in Portie for a number of years, driving his VW

[MdmeX]

I wish the election was yesterday Mi anxious to see the REAL CHANGES!

[Karl]

many women voted for hilary..."just because", many will vote for john mccain "just because" and many will NOT vote for barack obama just because.

yet, the focus is on voting for barack obama "just because" that is another deflection trick.....he is black but there is much more to him than that and it is very telling to hear those accustaions based solely that one incidental and disparate fact, that he's black.

he is black AND he is qualified......certainly smarter than bush AND mccain and has shown better judgment (the war [many dems bought it including hilary] and palin [i am convinced that she will hurt mccain as time goes by, it's started already]).

mcain graduated at the bottom of his class at westpoint and became a politician when he realised that unlike his father and grandfather he would not make the grade as rear admiral......obama was president of harvard law review and turned down lucrative offer to do community work.

that is my starting point .....

I will not even get into any discussion on "his being black" be cause he or hsi surrogates play that card every day and twice on Sundays!