Bigmac495 Loc: Indiana

Please read the world dictionary I posted for you . It's free you don't have to buy a book ! It defines what a robber is or does and it doesn't match your definition on which you or nobody else has had true facts on anyway!

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

I find this hilarious! The title of the post was a suggestion to look for similarities with each other. That lasted for about 5 pages at most. The next 17 pages are about doing the exact opposite. Hammering at each other about who's right and who's wrong, trying to "out insult" each other, or out confuse each other, more like.

One could argue about which breed of dog was the best, but at the end of the day, they're still dogs. Although it is true that some breeds do better at certain things, they're still, all dogs. Here, it seems that some folk insist on beating dogs - that just won't hunt. It would make more sense - to just get a hunting dog.

Bigmac495 Loc: Indiana

Yes Madoff was a criminal he took peoples money and gave them nothing in return . He just didn't use a gun ! Some people did get some money back to keep up the ruse he was using . Sounds eerily like our government doesn't it ?
My complaint is , if they don't like the way Romney , Gates , Buffet got their money fine , they are entitled to their opinion . But don't slander them calling then "Robbers"
unless they have some proof . I suppose they don't care that Romney pays over 1 million dollars a year in federal taxes plus he has thousands of people making a living off what he has developed and built up and they pay taxes.
I thought in America you are innocent until proven guilty , but not on this site ,you are guilty and you can't be proven innocent !!

skott Loc: Bama

Robber baron: In social criticism and economic literature, Robber barons became a derogatory term applied to wealthy and powerful 19th-century American businessmen that appeared in North American periodical literature as early as the August 1870 issue of The Atlantic Monthly[1] magazine. By the late 1800s, the term was typically applied to businessmen who used what were considered to be exploitative practices to amass their wealth.[2] These practices included exerting control over national resources, accruing high levels of government influence, paying extremely low wages, squashing competition by acquiring competitors in order to create monopolies and eventually raise prices, and schemes to sell stock at inflated prices[2] to unsuspecting investors in a manner which would eventually destroy the company for which the stock was issued and impoverish investors.[2] The term combines the sense of criminal ("robber") and illegitimate aristocracy (a baron is an illegitimate role in a republic).[3]

Glaucon

The stated purpose of this thread was to see if we could find areas of agreement in our exchanges of comments. That sounded like a great idea; after all , we are all Americans and we either learn to communicate or we are all screwed. Kevyn wrote a few guidelines for making the thread work and be more useful .That all makes sense, but then came the trolls.

This thread has become infested with trolls whose only purpose seems to be to disrupt, deflect, and attack so that meaningful exchange and dialogue is no longer possible. It is not a problem with differences of opinions, it is the negative emotions, the misinformation they hold dear, and their hateful, reflexive defensive responses to anything that might suggest they are less than absolutely right all of the time. Let's face it, the trolls have destroyed this thread and they may be able to destroy the other threads on this site.

There are still some participants on the thread who seem very persistent in efforts to bring some sanity and civility to the exchanges, but the trolls have been more persistent.

Let's face it, the trolls have destroyed this thread and they may be able to destroy the other threads on this site.

Is there a solution?

Brian Devon

Actually Auric Goldfinger stole all the gold from Ft. Knox in 1963. He used poison gas to kill all the soldiers there as well as James Bond. You can tell Bond was killed because every 3 or 4 appearances, his face and height would change.

With no gold, the U.S. had to back its currency with something far more substantial. At a Fed meeting it was decided to back our currency with deep-fried twinkies. Protection of Ft. Knox was then given to Hostess in a no-bid contract. If anyone wants to visit Ft. Knox all they have to do is write the public relations division of the Hostess corporation. They feel they have nothing to hide, and unlike with gold, they are happy to provide free samples.

Dave Loc: Upstate New York

If one accepts those definitions, one can then us it to describe Gates - my problem is that then and now it was used to confuse and create enmity more than to shed light on subjects. If one looks at folks like Rockefeller then or Gates now they'd find these guys built enormous fortunes for themselves but concurrently improved the productivity and standard of living for almost all their fellow citizens - Rockefeller caused the cost of kerosene to drop to the level that common folks could afford light at home after dark - and I assume most folks know the benefits society accrued from Gates's Microsoft.

It is possible to do well while doing good in a society that allows both markets and private property.

Btfkr Loc: just outside the Mile High City

I'm done with the robber baron crap. It was appropriate when I posted it but was taken out of context and being used as it was not intended. and it has nothing to do with the book. period. kaput. done

Btfkr Loc: just outside the Mile High City

Thank you skott but good luck. I'm done.

Btfkr Loc: just outside the Mile High City

dave, I find it impossible to do as you wish with you. now go away son you bother me.

Glaucon

Dave,

You power of self deception is amazing. The first thing is not to fool yourself and you are the easiest one to fool.

Glaucon

There are few that would disagree with what you say. What are your suggestions for improvement. A major concern of mine is that this situation may approximate a microcosm of our country and our world. If we can't make the civil exchange of opinions and information, our country and our world are doomed.

However, your dog metaphor escapes me.

vernon

if they won its because obabma gave them every thing

Btfkr Loc: just outside the Mile High City

huh?

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The metaphor reference is this; Political parties have differences between each other, members have different opinions in each party. Here, the arguments are about which party is doing what to whom. At the end of the day, no one knows WHAT the politicians are thinking, or what they'll do next. We, and our opinions, have 0 effect on the Federal Gov., so arguing about which breed is the best, is rather moot. Politicians are just - dogs.