I was expecting someone to flatly deny that.

Though you may deny his story is real, the practice of allowing developing countries to borrow amounts of money that they cannot possibly repay is quite rampant.

If you need more evidence, just let me know.

Right, but deny those tin-pot dictators the loans they demand and you're a racist country stifling the economic development of these poor developing countries and condemning their people to poverty. With folks like you PMB, we can't win for doing or not doing.

PM - I am with 2x6 - We should quit this evil practice... NO MORE money to the third world.

I DO have an idea, though. Since the Blue States were all for Kerry's $2 trillion tax increase, and it won't happen, you all could come together in the spirit of community and DONATE $2 trillion to all these countries. It would be VOLUNTARY ... which means at your CHOICE ... and a very nice thing to do.

You are Pro-Choice, yes ? ...

You guys don't get it. It's not the fact that we give out the loans that's the problem. It's the harsh conditions that we impose on the countries once they accept the money. For example, any products that the country makes and exports to the United States are subject to stiff tarrifs. But if the US wants to export to that country, no tarrif is imposed in that direction.

This creates a system where it is actually cheaper for these countries to US foreign US made products -- and often even foreign foodstuffs -- that to buy their own locally made/grown products.

Is that not ****ed up?

PM... I love ya man... but you "left leaners" need to make up your minds, so I know which bitch to believe in... are we:

A. Out-sourcing all our jobs to low wage countries, which was the battle cry during the election.

B. Forcing these countries to buy US made stuff because we lent them money ???

This is good stuff...

Yeah, but the theme is consistent, "Capitalism sucks. America sucks. We should all feel very guilty."

I don't think the idea is that Capitalism sucks, nor that America sucks. I think what PM is trying to do is put things in perspective. So many people think that the US's sh*t smells like roses. It's simply not true. We've done and continue to do things both on the domestic front, and certainly internationaly that perhaps we should think about changing. Blind flag waving does not help.

To make an analogy to something we can all likely relate to...

The office "yes-man". Kisses the bosses backside at every occasion, and NEVER tells his boss that they may be doing something wrong, or that perhaps there's a better way of doing things. They just say "Yes sir!" to everything. I personally don't think the "yes man" is doing his/her boss any favors. As an employee you should be doing everything you can to improve things, find more efficient solutions...and if you see something that could be done better, say so!

If the Unites States is Acme Inc. Then our elected politicians are Acme Inc. managment. We as citizens are the employees. Blind flag wavers chaning "USA! USA!" are the "yes men".

That's just how I see it.

Spiff, I own five businesses, and have many employees willing to tell me when I am wrong, as do most successful business owners.

Being conservative does not mean you are a flag waving, yes man. I have written many letters to various politicians, and actually know our local congressman, and have had many a lively debate with him.

By the way, the citizens are NOT employees, they are stockholders. Those who do not vote give proxy to those of us who do. Stockholders, like citizens, are invited to participate.

If you're not blindly flag-waving or being a yes-man, how do you explain your utter lack of interest or willingness to acknowledge the double-standard -- I like to call it the "Give them a leg up, but nail the other foot to the floor" policy -- in our government's foreign aid policy?

And BigWill, your over-use of anti-American accusations is reducing them to background noise. Cry wolf some more, why don'tcha?

Because it is a ridiculous assumption