I'm seventeen years old. I spend the entire bus ride home arguing with a schoolmate of mine who is very conservative. He argued that Joe Biden's "World will test Obama" statement is reason to elect John McCain. I begged to differ. He thinks that if Obama is elected the world will fall apart. Take a look at my argument.
It's a remarkably neo-con response to assume that crisis implies violence. There is indeed an international crisis going on right now. Google "icesave." The American economy has messed up the whole world economy.
And Bay of Pigs was violence incited by Americans due to anti-communist beliefs. We attacked them. We failed.
Secondly, consider the rhetoric used in the debates. "When I am president" It is always a "when," not an "if." Therefore, by saying that the world will test Obama, Biden is stating that the world will test the next American president. George W. Bush is largely hated around the world. Polls in Europe yield a 80-20% Obama-McCain support level. An Obama presidency means the return of faded alliances. France, Germany, Spain...Obama is respected internationally in a way that McCain never has been. If there is a crisis, Obama is the man we want. We need our allies.
Thirdly, McCain has a temper. This facet of his character is undeniable. He is a hothead. He has responded erratically to the economic crisis, for the most recent example. Obama has presented his economic plan and has explained why it will help alleviate economic strife. McCain has presented a ludicrous plan (available on his website) that plans to cut all discretionary spending except defense and veterans affairs. This is absolutely absurd. Do you remember that bridge that collapsed in Missouri? Our infrastructure needs work too.
And finally, the most important flaw of McCain's economic plan:
To cut taxes, you need to reduce government spending. Ask a libertarian. Ask the ghost of Barry Goldwater. You need to cut everything reasonably; not balloon defense spending and let everything else languish. McCain wants to cut gvt income and keep expendiatures at the same rate. This is what George Bush did. It failed. A policy like that results in the devaluation of the currency and expedites inflation. The dollar becomes worth less.
Josh, you didn't really make much of an argument. It's a hard time to support John McCain. There's really not much to support the guy with. You're using fuzziness that requires broad stretches of the imagination. You aren't using hard things. I did. The first argument was a stupid gaffe. It can be interpreted as I do, or as you do. But either way, it's not substance.
To close, since I'm sure you'll bring it up, I'd like to mention that Obama supports the crazy, leftist, socialist policy of adjusting the 35% and 28% tax brackets to 37% and 26% accordingly. Is there a line at 36-27 where capitalism becomes socialism? Would it be so bad if, god forbid, we had a similar tax structure to the one we had under Reagan and Clinton. You know, becuase the Bush Economic Doctrine has been so successful. That "Spend and cut taxes until the dollar becomes worthless" stuff. Remember, in 2001 gas was $1.60 and the dollar could buy 1.11 euros.
Bill Clinton brought us a budget surplus. Paying off the national debt uses up 30% of the government's tax income. 30%! Elimination of the national debt would bring us an instant 30% tax cut without eliminating a single program. Bill Clinton is campaigning for Obama for good reason. Both candidates want to spend lots of money. Let's spend the money in America, not in Iraq. We founded this country on isolationism. Let's keep it that way.
Word.