Election Day 2012

[Tora]

Do we even know if we have nukes?

Considering that we dropped two atom bombs. We have to have nukes.

[TheRoguePrince]

How do we not know if Israel has nukes? They're our only allies on that side of the world, and we seriously don't know what sort of arsenal they have? Do we even know if we have nukes?

Or I just don't know my world history all that well.

Officially Israel denies having nukes. Officially the US doesn't know anything about it.

The US also doesn't officially have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but unofficially it's one of our closest allies. The US and Taipei have buildings in each other capitals that are not officially embassies but function as such.

That's just how politics and diplomacy works.

[Azdgari]

Actually, TRP, Israel does not deny having nuclear weapons, nor do they confirm it. In fact, if you read the source you posted, nowhere did Israel deny the existence of a nuclear program. They simply stated that they don't want to be the country that incites nuclear warfare in the middle east, ergo, they don't want to fire the first shot.

Generally, it is considered fact that Israel posesses between 75 and 400 operational nuclear warheads. That source is American Federation of Scientists but I'd be happy to supply other scientific sources.

Comparing Israel and Iraq's nuclear capabilities is inappropriate. There is widespread agreed-upon evidence, if not proof, of Israel's nuclear program.

[TheGunner18]

It's funny...I was watching the behind the scenes video of that ERB and they said that they had part of Romney's rap talking about the fact that unemployment hadn't dropped below 8%...

...Then it dropped below 8% just a couple of weeks before they released the video, so they had to change that part completely XD

[TheLionPrince]

Despite being directly pressured on multiple occasions very specifically, Romney could not answer the basic question, "How do you pay for 20% across the board taxes, unasked 2 trillion dollar increase and continued Bush era tax cuts?" LionPrince, you're on your game. Does Romney have any specific plan for this, and why won't he put it out there if he does?

Sorry, Azdgari, I did not see this question!

Well, the most recent source concerning Romney's tax plan comes from Forbes:

He vows to pay for these cuts with offsetting reductions in tax preferences but has not said how. Romney would use only spending cuts and economic growth to achieve long-term deficit reduction. He would not raise taxes by any amount to slow the flow of red ink."

Also, from my research, Romney has stated he will pay (or recoup the losses his tax cuts will make if implemented) by closing tax loopholes, and placing a cap on total income tax deductions. Another article from Forbes agrees that doing so, it "would preferentially raise income taxes on the rich, potentially offsetting other changes." Both Business Week and The Tax Policy also state Romney will pay (or recoup the losses) by reducing or eliminating unspecified tax breaks (i.e. loopholes) for the upper-income Americans.

Oddily enough, Romney's own site on how he plans to deal with tax reforms only discusses President Obama's approach to tax reform in the past four years, and lists the marginal tax rates he hopes to reduce and stabilize if elected president. No mention is given as to how he plans to pay for them. However, Business Week reports that Tax Policy Center find Romney's extreme tax cuts while promising to not raise the federal deficit is fiscally impossible.

So, I hope I answered your question.

[Azdgari]

Well, it seems you answered largely by confirming what I said, that he hasn't got much in the way of specifics. And isn't capping income tax deduction on very wealthy Americans extremely similar to, well, raising taxes on them? Seems a bit ironic.

Do you find his plan sound?

[Regulus]

Obama basically doubled Pell grant funding, and that alone is enough reason to keep him in office. I dunno about you guys, but I kinda like getting paid to go to college.

And before anyone claims it doesn't benefit the economy, consider this. After I graduate, I'll be able to make a lot more money, and I'll have to pay more taxes, which will hopefully go towards educating other people who aren't born with hundreds of thousands of dollars to their name. In the end, it all works out for the economy.

This isn't even including the other hundred issues where I disagree with Romney.

[TheGunner18]

Just found this study...Pretty interesting stuff about people being predisposed as conservative or liberal...Here's a quote from the report:

...conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.

So there you go! Now you know. Here's the link: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/28/conservatives-fear-center-brain/

[TheLionPrince]

Just found this study...Pretty interesting stuff about people being predisposed as conservative or liberal...Here's a quote from the report:

...conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.

So there you go! Now you know.

Could you post a link to the report? I would love to read it!

[TheGunner18]

Just found this study...Pretty interesting stuff about people being predisposed as conservative or liberal...Here's a quote from the report:

...conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.

So there you go! Now you know.

Could you post a link to the report? I would love to read it!

Oops, don't know how I forgot to link it. O_o Well, here it is anyway! http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/28/conservatives-fear-center-brain/. I'll also edit it into the other post.