I am a federal bureaucrat

[darin]

Fwiw, I think you make America great! I just don't feel comfortable saying government workers make America great. Anymore than I'd say americans make America great.... Because Certainly not all do.

Thanks man. Certainly all do not; hey, at LEAST we're sucking off the Gov't Teet by working 40hrs a week; as opposed to welfare, etc. Course, in Iraq, I was sucking off that teet to the tune of $800/day, 7 days a week... If I were a Contractor, however, the first $90k I made (in a 1 year assignment) would be COMPLETELY free of Fed Tax. As a Gov't employee, my 90-day stay (came home due to injury) got me in the 'butt-raped' tax bracket.

(sigh).

:beers:

[fj1200]

^^ I can lead a horse to water...its all I can do.

Considering that you're wandering in an intellectual desert...

Okay - other than the use of that phrase, what do you think about 'stop picking on Fed workers' in terms of pay, or in terms of 'ridicule' - when there are elements of the budget, etc, 10000x larger, etc?

I don't think anyone disputed it. Certain programs are certainly worthy of ridicule but that's not necessarily the workers fault.

[darin]

When you realize you're wrong it's fine to say "ya know, point proven." and move-on, instead of sticking to logical fallacy for the sake of sticking to your fallacy.

[fj1200]

When you realize you're wrong it's fine to say "ya know, point proven." and move-on, instead of sticking to logical fallacy for the sake of sticking to your fallacy.

When it happens I'll consider your advice. Until then you might actually want to address the points raised as well as realize that I already pointed out your error in fallacy.

[Intense]

Great 'rant' about our elected officials using us as pawns in their game.

Circles, within circles, within circles. It must be nice to be so insulated.

[darin]

When it happens I'll consider your advice. Until then you might actually want to address the points raised as well as realize that I already pointed out your error in fallacy.

basically, you've resorted to "no...YOU are!"

[fj1200]

basically, you've resorted to "no...YOU are!"

Nope, shall I point out everything you've ignored in this thread to hold onto your opinion?

[darin]

Nope, shall I point out everything you've ignored in this thread to hold onto your opinion?

Absolutely - point out any relevant point you've made; include my counter-points to be fair. Understand you made some points I didn't adress for probably one or two reasons: First, it may have been off-topic. Secondly, I might have agreed with the point.

[Wind Song]

Nothing more bureaucratic than the military, or should I say, Halliburton?

[fj1200]

Absolutely - point out any relevant point you've made; include my counter-points to be fair. Understand you made some points I didn't adress for probably one or two reasons: First, it may have been off-topic. Secondly, I might have agreed with the point.

Just reread the thread. Save us all some time.

[darin]

Right. Your valid points were addressed and countered successfully.

[fj1200]

[fj1200]

Absolutely - point out any relevant point you've made; include my counter-points to be fair. Understand you made some points I didn't adress for probably one or two reasons: First, it may have been off-topic. Secondly, I might have agreed with the point.

Allrighty.

^Not because of some blanket statement made by a bureaucrat who claimed he is the primary reason for our greatness. It's like Buffett's secretary claiming that Berkshire Hathaway is great because of the work of secretaries. She and he may have necessary functions but they are not the reason the country is great.

Like I said, they have a function but they are not the reason.

He is wrong, the country is great because it was intended to have a limited Federal government. The author is example of the false reverse fallacy that the country is great, the Fed's run the country, I/employees work for the Fed's, employees are the reason.

Nope, a "servant" is not the reason for a great country and maintenance, by definition, is not creating a great country in the first place. I just might argue that the military has zero bearing on whether our country is great or not, they merely protect what is great when threatened. I challenge you to name a great Medicare administrator and then explain how their greatness overrides the massive fraud inherent in it as well as its lack of future sustainability.

Great employees are simply employees, a great employee sweeping the floors doesn't impact the country, he's just doing his job. You didn't address my two scenarios.

I can see why you want you and yours to be seen as THE virtue but it's just not true. You are in service to that which is great, you are not that which makes it great. Is the US THE greatest country in your opinion? If so, then you need to separate what sets our country apart from others. As DS points out, every country has exactly what you are claiming makes us great. They must be just as great because they have the same thing.

People in this country make the actions every day that make this country great and they have zero to do with being in Federal employment. They carry on their lives making positive improvements to the country and you have just told them that they are relegated behind a bureaucrat. I think they may rebel against that. A case in point; leading up to the late 70's this country was on an arc of ever encroaching government regulation and we were buried in malaise. Along comes a wave of deregulation that gave power back to the people, and away from government employees, and the country's well being took off. I'm not sure how you square that with Federal employees being THE virtue of the country.

Make up a hundred more different ways to say the same thing doesn't change that I disagree with your/his basic premise. Citizens that honor and uphold the virtues that this country was founded on make our country great; the primary basis being our virtues. Which makes your first "fact" not one at all.

He should have just made his point. You'll have to point out the "shit" that I made up.

You still haven't addressed my scenarios.

When it happens I'll consider your advice. Until then you might actually want to address the points raised as well as realize that I already pointed out your error in fallacy.