<DIV>Chas,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Maybe you should make your position more clear. Do you prefer the US government controlling abandoned US oil rigs, or sending troops to die in Iraq to get our source of oil?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Secondly, are you saying that we should let Americans suffer because our standard of living is much higher than in places like Malaysia, and India?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think saying that people are rich because they have a TV and car is misleading. They need cars to get to work, they often don't own the car, and the TV is hardly a sign you can afford decent meals and meet your basic medical needs. Many of those people with two cars and a TV are $100,000 in debt and don't have proper health insurance. The TV would not cover those costs. Many Americans are only one or two pay checks from being out on the streets. Your standard of measurement are not comparable. Our standard of living in the US is
higher, but we are not rich as individuals. We have no savings, no health care, no security of a job tomorrow, a mountain of debt, and are unable to pay for many things we need but must spend them on things like cars and health care. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You must be unaware that the US, and the lives of people in it are dependent upon oil. To not wish for energy costs to be affordable is to wish harm to people in the US, don't you see that? Taking a position that Americans should suffer because others do, is not a pro-people position. When the US suffers, so does other nations around the world that depend on the US to buy their products and services we cannot afford anymore. $30 billion taken out of Malaysia's economy will NOT improve their lives either. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best Regards,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Chasuk <chasuk@gmail.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 12:31 PM, Donovan Arnold<BR><DONOVANJARNOLD2005@YAHOO.COM>wrote:<BR><BR>> You are just full of self contradictions aren't you? You say you are<BR>> pro-people, but support the continued taking of their homes, and denial of<BR>> medical care.<BR><BR>You extrapolate my words wildly without providing any evidence of the<BR>necessary interim steps. Please show me where I have indicated<BR>support for the taking of people's homes, or the denial of medical<BR>care.<BR><BR>> You say you agree that Bush and oil companies are unfairly stealing from<BR>> future citizens 100s of billions of dollars, if not a trillion, yet you<BR>> don't think we should take action to return some of those resources back to<BR>> the most
injured.<BR><BR>Again, what unwarranted inferences. I don't know whether you are<BR>misreading, or whether you just prefer to use your imagination when<BR>you encounter passages that you don't understand. No, I am not<BR>deliberately insulting you. However, your interpretations are so<BR>fanciful that I can't comprehend other causes.<BR><BR>> You say you are for socialism, yet you are against one of the core<BR>> principles of giving control of the resources to the people.<BR><BR>Again, read more carefully, please. It makes dialogue easier.<BR><BR>> Where have you been since the 1970s? Your suggestion that we experiment with<BR>> the lives and welfare of people is irresponsible.<BR><BR>We've been experimenting with people's lives since the 1970's?<BR>Really? Taking people off the grid is similar to these alleged<BR>experiments?<BR><BR>> The United States does have poor citizens. We may have rich citizens, but<BR>> most people are struggling to pay for
their house, get a basic education,<BR>> and afford the medical care.<BR><BR>I'm not entirely sure how any of this is relevant o what has gone<BR>before, but I'll try to respond fairly.<BR><BR>In a relative sense, the United States has poor citizens. Even in a<BR>real sense, if we are talking about the homeless. However, generally<BR>speaking, our poor citizens rank among the most privileged in the<BR>world. Legions of our "poor" still have Playstations, still have two<BR>cars, still have a TV in the living room and in the kitchen, and<BR>maybe one in the bedroom. Their abdomens aren't swollen from<BR>malnutrition.<BR><BR>I am a citizen of the world, first. That the suffering is in Malaysia<BR>or Turkey or (elsewhere) doesn't diminish it. I care just as much for<BR>the dispossessed in Los Angeles as the dispossessed in Mumbai as the<BR>dispossessed in Rome as the dispossessed in Moscow, Idaho. My own<BR>children and loved ones being exceptions, of course.<BR><BR>> I
think you are just messing with me. No rational person would be suggesting<BR>> the belief system you are suggesting that we play with the economy, and<BR>> allow people to lose their homes, and be denied medical care. That is too<BR>> cold of a position for anyone to take.<BR><BR>I think you are messing with me. No rational person could misread so<BR>often without it being willful.<BR><BR>Chas<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> 
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