Fun Facts

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by bouncer

Well, going to war is deemed fiscally possible by the government. I'm sure that if the US didn't stick their nose into so many other countries' business then there would be more money for stuff 'back home' like a national transit system.

Wow, someone actually turned a thread about car accidents into a tirade against the war. High points for creativity, but none for validity.

Building and maintaining a nationwide public transportation system throughout the US would make the money spent in Iraq seem like just enough for a cup of coffee, and the time spent doing it would make the past year of conflict seem like 10 minutes.

[Typhoid]

In a sense, not fully, i agree with bouncer. Because America does spend ridiculously high amounts of money on war related items. and dont change the subject and say so does China, because we are talking about America.

Just think if they cut "a few" bucks from the war items, and put them into other things, for lack of better, transportation, there would be alot less deaths.

But bouncer, dont go off about war on a transportation thread...

[Seth]

Just pointing out that there's a couple hundred billion dollars being spent right now that could go to something like starting a national transportation system or other projects that would help the infrastructure and mostly the lower income population.

[Ginkasa]

Originally Posted by bouncer

Just pointing out that there's a couple hundred billion dollars being spent right now that could go to something like starting a national transportation system or other projects that would help the infrastructure and mostly the lower income population.

And next time you're up for President I'll make sure to have everyone I know vote for you because you know exactly how and why to do everything!

You know, as opposed to the people who have done this stuff for their whole lives.

I'm not saying Bush is a perfect President or anything, I'm just saying that it probably wouldn't have been so easy as not having a war and spending the money on transit.

Besides, what do you care about America's trasnportation system? You're Canadian.


*shrugs and walks away*

[Typhoid]

Im pretty sure its a general interest thing, like why did Americans post on the "Green party" thread? its a thread that only relates to Canadians, its all general interest.

[Seth]

Originally Posted by Ginkasa

And next time you're up for President I'll make sure to have everyone I know vote for you because you know exactly how and why to do everything!

Don't start making that your auto response to every political opinion on this board.

I'm not saying Bush is a perfect President or anything, I'm just saying that it probably wouldn't have been so easy as not having a war and spending the money on transit.

The army has a great effect on the economy. The scaling back of it would have bad results. But, at the same time that money is also being pumped back into the country and building up a stronger society as a whole. Let's take an example from Hitler. He started the building of the Autoban road system. That boosted economy and pretty much revolutionized transportation in Germany at the time.

Besides, what do you care about America's trasnportation system? You're Canadian.

I know this is hard to grasph for many americans but politics don't end at your country's border. I can't help but be interested in what's happening in the most powerful country on earth.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

Im pretty sure its a general interest thing, like why did Americans post on the "Green party" thread? its a thread that only relates to Canadians, its all general interest.

We have the Green Party here in America too, and also considering the amount of weed that is illegally brought to America from Canada, the Green Party being elected has definite reprocussions to us.

[BreakABone]

On the original subject of the thread, my professor pointed something similar out to that. Like she asked us, what we think occurred more often, plane crashes or auto accidents. And of course the correct response is auto accident but you would hear about an airplane crash a lot more than a car accident.

The simple fact is, car accidents are far too common, trying to make a car accident seem new is like saying it's gonna rain, it really doesn't seem to affect too many people. Now a plane going down that's a big deal. They have to see what went wrong to hopefully prevent it in the future.

It's similar to the 9/11, car accident comparision, in the fact that 9/11 was a huge deal because it was uncalled for, it wasn't an accident and was a planned assault.

On the issue of public transportation, take it from me, it wouldn't work no matter how much money your pour into it. I mean as far as I can remember the toll for it here has increased like 75 cents in the last 6 years or so. Which may not seem like a lot, but you factor in most people have round trips, and like 5 days a week, it really starts to add up fast.

Then you got to deal with delays, breakdowns, attacks and all this other stuff. The upkeep expense is just too much. Even in my city, I can only imagine the nightmare of a country wide one.

[Bond]

Just to provide the real statistics so no one is misinformed:

...In real numbers, 1997 had 150 more highway traffic deaths than 1995 (41,967 and 41,817 respectively). When correctly adjusted for increased traffic, the numbers drop. Both 1995 and 1996 had 1.8 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, 1997 had only 1.7. This decrease is seen across the board, states that raised their speed limits showed just as much improvement as states that did not...

Source

...The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that 42,815 people died in auto accidents in 2002...

Source

[GiMpY-wAnNaBe]

Originally Posted by Ginkasa

And next time you're up for President I'll make sure to have everyone I know vote for you because you know exactly how and why to do everything!

You know, as opposed to the people who have done this stuff for their whole lives.

I'm not saying Bush is a perfect President or anything, I'm just saying that it probably wouldn't have been so easy as not having a war and spending the money on transit.

Besides, what do you care about America's trasnportation system? You're Canadian.


*shrugs and walks away*

if ghe world took military funding of 3 days and put it aside, it would be enough the put everyone alive in a home with food for the rest of their lives..... just a fun fact

[Crash]

Originally Posted by Bond

Just to provide the real statistics so no one is misinformed:

bingo... she probably watched a michael moore video and came up with the numbers....

so that's about 100 a day, not 5000....

either that or 4900 people a day are killed by cars as pedestrians.

[Ginkasa]

Originally Posted by GiMpY-wAnNaBe

if ghe world took military funding of 3 days and put it aside, it would be enough the put everyone alive in a home with food for the rest of their lives..... just a fun fact

Umm... Good for it?

*doesn't see how it's relevant*


*shrugs and walks away*

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by Crash

bingo... she probably watched a michael moore video and came up with the numbers....

so that's about 100 a day, not 5000....

either that or 4900 people a day are killed by cars as pedestrians.

Whos this "she" you keep referring to?

[Bond]

Probably your teacher who supplied the "fun fabrications."

[Professor S]

This is a perfect example of a lot of the misinformation that is not only going around the media, but our damn school systems as well. How the hell are our kids going to grow up being free thinkers when teachers, and I'm not just talking about your teacher Typhoid, feel the need to taint lessons with politics slanted to their particular brand of propoganda.

I'm going to school to become a teacher, and one of the first things I id was promise myself to present every side of an argument, and let the student decide for themselves. If a student is positive that one idea is true, I will present him with the argument forthe counter to that idea. It's called creating Cognitive Disequilibrium and is a Contructivist way to let students decide for themselves what their views are, and not simply to shove your ideas down their impressionable throats.