Nice...... So, this is what its coming to???? Is this what the Congress and Obama wanted with their "make it hurt" philosophy?
Veterans groups take shutdown protest to White House
WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Veteran and Tea Party groups protested the U.S. government shutdown in Washington on Sunday, taking down barricades around the World War Two memorial on the National Mall before marching to the gates of the White House.
Police officers, some in riot gear, pushed back against the crowd when it got too close to the White House fence, creating a brief flash-point of anger in an otherwise peaceful demonstration.
The White House protest, which involved hundreds of people, quickly dissipated and the demonstrators were replaced by tourists taking photos of themselves with camera phones.
Don Armstrong, a veteran who served in Somalia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan from 1993 to 2006, said he drove to the protest from his home in West Virginia because he worries the government shutdown will soon affect the benefits and disability payments he relies on to feed his family.
"In a war, there's strategies," Armstrong told Reuters. "What they're doing is playing roulette with people's lives."
Sunday's rally started on the National Mall, which is home to U.S. war memorials and has been mainly closed to tourists since Oct. 1 when Congress failed to agree to continue funding the federal government, closing down services deemed "non-essential."
The rally included speeches from Sarah Palin, a hero of the conservative Tea Party movement and former Republican governor of Alaska, and Ted Cruz, a freshman Republican senator who has crusaded against Obama's healthcare law.
Melissa Mather, who heard about the rally from patriot groups she supports, called the memorial closure ``a slap in the face to all Americans'' and said she thinks that President Barack Obama and all lawmakers should resign.
"I just want to take them all and shake them,'' said Mather, from Havre de Grace, Maryland.
While some Republican lawmakers and Tea Party groups have seized on the memorial shutdowns to make political arguments, Armstrong, who said he had debated whether he could afford to burn though a quarter-tank of gas to drive to the rally, said both parties in Congress and the White House were to blame.
"I'm not a Democrat or Republican or anything like that,'' he said. "I blame them all.''
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki told Congress last week that veterans' benefits would end on Nov. 1 if the shutdown does not end soon.
The shutdown has also affected the Defense Department's ability to pay death benefits to the families of military personnel killed in action, but the Pentagon struck a deal with a private charity to make the $100,000 payments during the shutdown.
Obama was at the White House on Sunday as Senate leaders met on Capitol Hill to try to work out a deal that would allow for the reopening of government by increasing the U.S. government borrowing limit by a Thursday deadline and avoid a first ever U.S. debt default.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100494689
We've had flights set-up for WWII vets here in New England for a while now, because they're dying-off at such a fast rate. Both my parents, many uncles and aunts, as well as my wife's father and her uncles were in WWI and many are now gone. The flights are to arrange (for free) visits to the WWII Memorial for those who can make the trip. That the government (both sides) has chosen to take this path is sickening.
Last I heard, approval was down to 11%
Veterans and police face-off in DC
Moderator: Super Moderators
Anyone here collecting social security?
Social Security raise to be among lowest in years
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second straight year, millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees can expect historically small increases in their benefits come January.
Preliminary figures suggest a benefit increase of roughly 1.5 percent, which would be among the smallest since automatic increases were adopted in 1975, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
Next year's raise will be small because consumer prices, as measured by the government, haven't gone up much in the past year.
The exact size of the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, won't be known until the Labor Department releases the inflation report for September. That was supposed to happen Wednesday, but the report was delayed indefinitely because of the partial government shutdown.
http://http://www.cnbc.com/id/100160204 ... ar=xfinity
Knowing that Congress is getting full pay for doing nothing, this will come as as great comfort to millions, I'm sure......
I think that the 11% approval rating is about to go even lower.....
Social Security raise to be among lowest in years
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second straight year, millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees can expect historically small increases in their benefits come January.
Preliminary figures suggest a benefit increase of roughly 1.5 percent, which would be among the smallest since automatic increases were adopted in 1975, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
Next year's raise will be small because consumer prices, as measured by the government, haven't gone up much in the past year.
The exact size of the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, won't be known until the Labor Department releases the inflation report for September. That was supposed to happen Wednesday, but the report was delayed indefinitely because of the partial government shutdown.
http://http://www.cnbc.com/id/100160204 ... ar=xfinity
Knowing that Congress is getting full pay for doing nothing, this will come as as great comfort to millions, I'm sure......
I think that the 11% approval rating is about to go even lower.....
Probably just lucky to get a check, even without a raise. The "magic" numbers people, who have changed the meaning of "inflation" to something that is meaningless. I thought a couple - 3 years ago, there was no raise at all????? Will have to go look.
KARMA RULES
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
By Jeanne Sahadi, senior writerOctober 15, 2010: 11:17 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Social Security beneficiaries will see no increase in their benefit checks next year, the federal government said on Friday.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/15/news/economy
/Social_Security_cost_of_living_adjustment/
Veterans groups take shutdown protest to White House
Well, we are all "Enemy's of the State" now. Seems we got there , because they said so.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Social Security beneficiaries will see no increase in their benefit checks next year, the federal government said on Friday.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/15/news/economy
/Social_Security_cost_of_living_adjustment/
Veterans groups take shutdown protest to White House
Well, we are all "Enemy's of the State" now. Seems we got there , because they said so.
KARMA RULES
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
Speaking of Social Security.... why is it the government thinks they fund it, and can borrow from it, when the citizens pay into it? What makes someone think it's their own little bank to use?
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson
voguy wrote: Speaking of Social Security.... why is it the government thinks they fund it, and can borrow from it, when the citizens pay into it? What makes someone think it's their own little bank to use?
It's called "arrogance". Somehow someone decided to use the word "entitlement" to describe social security - as in, due solely to the government's largesse, you are eligible to receive this government "benefit". It's not a freaking benefit - it's our money hat we've paid into for decades.....
Doka wrote: By Jeanne Sahadi, senior writerOctober 15, 2010: 11:17 AM ET
Veterans groups take shutdown protest to White House
Well, we are all "Enemy's of the State" now. Seems we got there , because they said so.
I saw a picture of some DC Cop kid in the face of some vet and thought - does this kid even know what this guy did back in the day? I hope that the kid's parents smacked him when he got home.......
kbot wrote: I saw a picture of some DC Cop kid in the face of some vet and thought - does this kid even know what this guy did back in the day? I hope that the kid's parents smacked him when he got home.......
well, it is his job, just like the soldiers job was to kill other innocent people
Why exactly is the Tea party always behind these media photo op "protests". I am getting the feeling they are part of the problem.
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
one that was substantive and uncontrolled? This was a media set up, more press there than protesters. Same with the truckers. Notice how everyone sits back and waits for their problems to be solved by these "protests"?
I did not say all resistance was fake, but when it is all over all the conservative news outlets that a hundred people protested you can be damned sure there is something to gain.
What is happening in your country should have millions marching in every city. This is not happening, can you tell me why? Is it not because at least in part that the MSM is telling people that OTHER people are going to protest?
I did not say all resistance was fake, but when it is all over all the conservative news outlets that a hundred people protested you can be damned sure there is something to gain.
What is happening in your country should have millions marching in every city. This is not happening, can you tell me why? Is it not because at least in part that the MSM is telling people that OTHER people are going to protest?
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
Does anyone even remember what actual protests are anymore? Hint: They don't happen on twitter or facebook or an online petition, nor do they involve driving somewhere.
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
Fan wrote: one that was substantive and uncontrolled? This was a media set up, more press there than protesters. Same with the truckers. Notice how everyone sits back and waits for their problems to be solved by these "protests"?
I did not say all resistance was fake, but when it is all over all the conservative news outlets that a hundred people protested you can be damned sure there is something to gain.
What is happening in your country should have millions marching in every city. This is not happening, can you tell me why? Is it not because at least in part that the MSM is telling people that OTHER people are going to protest?
So an uncontrolled opposition would be uncontrolled? Well, that doesn't say much. Ok, it needs more numbers. The numbers looked pretty good to me. If it's a crowd, it's a protest. When have we ever had millions marching in every city?
The reasons are: fear and apathy, mostly. Why does that translate into an occasion to bash the few people who aren't fearful and apathetic? How many millions were out protesting in every city in the Soviet Union? And why weren't they? The answer is obvious.
Vets -- perhaps especially WWII vets -- should be sacrosanct. THEY were out there. Were these old geezers in their wheelchairs and walkers some sort of hallucination? To see them mocked and denigrated by the likes of CNN was beyond disgusting.
The bikers and teabaggers are mostly knuckleheads with a sense of nobility and honor; they should be admired for this. Their relative lack of sophisticated cosmopolitan brainpower is a non-issue.
HB3 wrote: So an uncontrolled opposition would be uncontrolled? Well, that doesn't say much. Ok, it needs more numbers. The numbers looked pretty good to me. If it's a crowd, it's a protest. When have we ever had millions marching in every city?
The reasons are: fear and apathy, mostly. Why does that translate into an occasion to bash the few people who aren't fearful and apathetic? How many millions were out protesting in every city in the Soviet Union? And why weren't they? The answer is obvious.
Vets -- perhaps especially WWII vets -- should be sacrosanct. THEY were out there. Were these old geezers in their wheelchairs and walkers some sort of hallucination? To see them mocked and denigrated by the likes of CNN was beyond disgusting.
The bikers and teabaggers are mostly knuckleheads with a sense of nobility and honor; they should be admired for this. Their relative lack of sophisticated cosmopolitan brainpower is a non-issue.
Why are old vets going and doing the job of young people? It IS disgusting, and whoever rolled them out is pretty sick. The tea party are not all idiots, they are run on high by very smart people. Anyways, you are telling me you believe that a bunch of old war vets called each other up and said "hey let's go hobble down to the white house". No. The fact it happened at all reveals the control. When you see the press drooling all over something like this it is obvious what is going on.
Show me normal people walking in the streets holding signs and chanting. Not some special interest group playing to the cameras. One is fake, one is not.
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
What press, drooling? It was covered by the mainstream only to denigrate, insult, and minimize them.
Dude, newsflash -- veterans groups do take regularly scheduled trips to the DC memorial...I know Canada's too sophisticated for such endeavors. But there still remains in America that vestigial wildness that the Canadians are, in their heart of hearts, so infuriated by and envious of.
I watched the situation with the barricades or "Barrycades" being carried down to the White House, and it WASNT being covered by the press. For quite some time, no one knew what was going on. The revolution wont be televised, but it will be "tweeted." Criminal and/or revolutionary behavior is frequently, regularly, as a matter of course disseminated through social media.
And of course it's the decrepit oldsters doing the dirty work of the young. Never trust anyone under thirty. Their souls have been drained via electronic devices strapped to their heads and they await further orders from the hive.
Dude, newsflash -- veterans groups do take regularly scheduled trips to the DC memorial...I know Canada's too sophisticated for such endeavors. But there still remains in America that vestigial wildness that the Canadians are, in their heart of hearts, so infuriated by and envious of.
I watched the situation with the barricades or "Barrycades" being carried down to the White House, and it WASNT being covered by the press. For quite some time, no one knew what was going on. The revolution wont be televised, but it will be "tweeted." Criminal and/or revolutionary behavior is frequently, regularly, as a matter of course disseminated through social media.
And of course it's the decrepit oldsters doing the dirty work of the young. Never trust anyone under thirty. Their souls have been drained via electronic devices strapped to their heads and they await further orders from the hive.