The inauguration thread

[jAQUAN]

World banking already exists.
A more tangible path towards self sufficiency is beneficial domestic production of anything and everything. Nixon helped us dodge a bullet by instilling capitalist values in then red china. They preferred to sell us goods over adopting communist ideals. But now that we as Americans feel we deserve a $20 pair of jeans, our infrastructure could never compete. See, we actually tax emissions, enforce workers rights and insist freight truckers get a safe amount of sleep. The incurred costs inflate our prices. As much as he's hated, Pat Buchanan was one of the few that suggested we should welcome the extra cost if it means shoring up our economy. If we would just stop the narcissism, resist the decadence and live within reason we've got a good shot of turning this around sooner than later.

[ChaseNYC]

I always hear the giant numbers when it comes to debt but can anyone explain this page for me? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...by_public_debt

Because on that page our debt doesn't look that bad in relation to other countries' debts... Japan seems to be way above us and we seem to be the median of most of the European countries. I'm not trying to prove a point, just curious what exactly it means...

[alty29]

I am debating driving down with some friends at 3 in the morning, but trying to decide if it is worth it. Any advice?

[jAQUAN]

no, not worth it. It's freezing, the freeways are parking lots and you'll never get close enough to see anything but outdoor urination.

[Loyal Rogue]

I always hear the giant numbers when it comes to debt but can anyone explain this page for me? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...by_public_debt

Because on that page our debt doesn't look that bad in relation to other countries' debts... Japan seems to be way above us and we seem to be the median of most of the European countries. I'm not trying to prove a point, just curious what exactly it means...

That page shows each country's debt as a percentage of their annual gross domestic product (total worth of all goods and services produced) based on the 2007 estimates from the CIA World Factbook.

Using the #1 country on that list, Zimbabwe, we can see that their debt is equal to roughly 218% of their GDP ($1,726,000,000) which equals a total of $3,762,680,000 ($3.7 Billion)

Compared to the United States which is #27 on that list, we can see that our debt is equal to roughly 61% of our GDP ($13,840,000,000,000) which equals a total of $8,442,400,000,000 ($8.4 Trillion)

So even though it looks like Zimbabwe has much more debt than us at first glance of that list, in actuality the total amount of our debt is 2,243 times higher.

You also have to bear in mind that our debt has skyrocketed since those 2007 figures.
Our current debt as of Jan 2009 is now at $10.7 Trillion.
We spent $412 Billion just on interest alone last year to the holders of our debt.

[Loyal Rogue]

Today finally marks the end of the most tragic and destructive presidency in the history of the United States!



We now return you to your regularly scheduled 2nd Great Republican Depression already in progress.

[PAlexC]

I'm sorry, but I'm sick of Obama and he hasn't even been sworn in yet. It's not his fault. A week of every media outlet fellating him, 24/7, is just too much to take.

I'm happy America achieved this milestone, I think he'll be great. I know people are doubly excited to get rid of Bush.

But when BBCA pre-empts Top Gear for this, while even HBO is re-running coverage constantly, means we've passed over-saturation to achieve a cascade.

It wouldn't be so bad except NOTHING OF VALUE AT ALL is included in any of this coverage.

Wake me when things get back to normal.

[silverx2]

normal, everythings continuing to fail and america is Dying from the inside out? or normal things are going back to Pre-bush?

[atRax]

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2009/1/h...uguration-live

[silverx2]

Obama stumbled a bit on that oaf..

i was watching with some people at work and one lady shouted out during the musical piece prior to the presidential oath: "isnt that what they played on the titanic?"

[gerbick]

It was actually funny (to me) to see Obama stumble on the oath.

[jAQUAN]

I almost felt like a little person at the end of Wizard Of Oz.

[Loyal Rogue]

It was actually funny (to me) to see Obama stumble on the oath.

Me too... I could just imagine Bush saying, "Heh-heh, where's your great speachifyer now?"

[silverx2]

It was actually funny (to me) to see Obama stumble on the oath.

couldnt handle repating 4 words, then killed a 20 minute speech with no notes.

[gerbick]

couldnt handle repating 4 words, then killed a 20 minute speech with no notes.

Bingo. Boggles the mind.

Me too... I could just imagine Bush saying, "Heh-heh, where's your great speachifyer now?"

Ok. It just got funnier.

[ChaseNYC]

So even though it looks like Zimbabwe has much more debt than us at first glance of that list, in actuality the total amount of our debt is 2,243 times higher.

You also have to bear in mind that our debt has skyrocketed since those 2007 figures.

I understand that, I would think it would only make sense for debt to be weighed by GDP... Shouldn't it be a relational figure instead of abstract numbers we can only comprehend as big? I guess I'll look for more recent data in relation to GDP to see how much it has skyrocketed.

It looks like if you update to current numbers US is now at roughly 70%. If every country is in debt so much who has all the money...

edit: I heard Obama stumbled because Justice Roberts said the wrong thing Stumble in Oath

[gerbick]

heh. the stumble made the man more human, imho.

[ctranter]

couldnt handle repating 4 words, then killed a 20 minute speech with no notes.

transparent teleprompter

[hanratty21]

We now return you to your regularly scheduled 2nd Great Republican Depression already in progress.

</most ignorant post of the week>

[david petley]

the scrolling text at the bottom of my TV news has just said that Ted Kennedy collapsed at the inauguration luncheon.

...anybody have any news on that?

davidp