Which American Way?: Superman didn't bill for rescues. Republicans do

[JHB]

Get a load of the Beirut Embassy situation update page:
http://beirut.usembassy.gov/lebanon/Lebanon_Situation_Update.html

"The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of your trip directly handled by the U.S. Government we will ask you to sign a promissory note and we will bill you at a later date. In a subsequent message, when we have specific details about the transporation arrangments, we will inform you about the costs you will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure that they have adequate flights to help you depart Cyprus and connect to your final destination"

(emphasis added -- JHB, credit to Fixer for seeing this: http://alterx.blogspot.com/2006/07/you-have-outstanding-balance-sir.html )

Welcome to the Ownership Society: If you own-a-ship, Uncle Sam has a gouge-the-evacuees deal for you!

My jaw hurts from dropping so much: Billing people being evaced out of a war zone?

[rucky]

1. I WANT my tax money to primarily go to helping our most vulnerable

citizens.

[zbdent]

2. but we provide free dental care

for grandkids of senators who are trying to hide out from going to Vietnam ...

[darkmaestro019]

5. Boy, I wish I was spawn of a senator.

I haven't been to a dentist since 1998 except for a wisdom-teeth extraction paid for by a local church clinic. Very nice of them, but since I've had no cleanings or any other care in like eight years, it seems like locking the barn door once your horses are in the next county.

[zbdent]

6. Good ole, "I'm just an average Joe" W

grandson of a Senator (who banked with the losing side of WWII), son of a failed pilot who killed his crew, son of the Director of the CIA, legacy to Yale, recipient of several monetary saves on failed businesses, recipient of a cheap buy-in of a baseball team and the massive profit from sale of said team . . . yup, just an average joe ...

[Crankie Avalon]

3. Due to public outcry, they have since been shamed into foregoing this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1671303

[DinahMoeHum]

4. Lesson learned. If in trouble overseas, go to the Canadian or

British embassies, not the US. For the duration of Bush/any Republican regime.

The dumb pantloads out there in our consulates are too chickenshit to help their fellow Americans - they are trying to save themselves.

:grr:

[TexasProgresive]

7. Just remember that Superman

is an illegal alien with false papers. Ho,Ho,Ho! He does the work no one else wants.

[Xenotime]

8. That's great!

[winter999]

9. I think the cronies have backed down on this one.