Is our **insert plural of topic of choice here** safe?

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Since 2001, the Administration:

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Liberated nearly 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan;
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Trained over 215,000 Iraqi and over 82,000 Afghan security forces, in partnership with Coalition forces;
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Raised servicemembers’ pay by about 25 percent and enhanced special pays and bonuses to improve recruiting and retention;
*
Increased the Basic Allowance for Housing, to cover the average actual cost of housing for servicemembers and their families who live off base;
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Improved the quality of housing for military personnel and their families by continuing programs that have privatized 111,289 homes;
*
Increased the monthly education benefit by 40 percent for Reservists and members of the National Guard continuously mobilized between 90 days and one year;
*
Launched transformational initiatives such as the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Plan that improved military readiness;
*
Deployed the first-ever land- and sea-based systems to defend against long-range ballistic missiles; and
*
Began a major reorganization of the Army ground forces, known as Modularity, to increase the number of combat brigades and improve their mobility, flexibility, and capability to operate autonomously.

The President’s Budget:

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Provides $439.3 billion for the Department of Defense’s base budget—a 7-percent increase over 2006 and a 48-percent increase over 2001—to maintain a high level of military readiness, develop and procure new weapon systems to ensure U.S. battlefield superiority, and support our servicemembers and their families;
*
Requests $50 billion in 2007 bridge funding to support the military’s Global War on Terror efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq into 2007;
*
Expands the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle force from 12 to 21 orbits, each supporting 3-4 aircraft, to increase sustained 24-hour surveillance capabilities;
*
Increases substantially the size and capabilities of the Special Operations Command;
*
Adds $173.3 million to continue developing and refining a New Triad of smaller nuclear forces, enhanced missile defenses, and improved command and control; and
*
Provides an additional 2.2-percent increase in basic pay.

Source: White House / Office of Management and Budget

Is they? You'll be better served pointing your finger at state and local government regarding bridge maintenance. While federal funding often SUPPLEMENTS bridge projects, it's your state's political machine that's diverting your tax dollars to or away from your local rotting infrastructure.

Moreover, this collapse is a complete mystery. It's had several recent inspections by different groups without finding anything suggesting a collapse. The things that were found were repaired. That may be the worrisome problem - the bridge doesn't appear to have been neglected or in bad shape, and nobody yet knows what to look for in other bridges to prevent this.

Another odd thing is that it didn't buckle somewhere and fall: the two ends failed simultaneously. How does that happen?

It's going to take a while to get anywhere near the cause of this. The river isn't that deep there but it's still going to be a big job to pull all of the debris up and go through every joint and support member. Until then you might as well ask Taylor Rain for her analysis.

I watched the Twin Towers fall from blocks away. I'm no conspiracy theorist. But damn, that bridge collapse looks like a controlled demolition! It went down like an old Vegas casino. In the meantime, I too await Taylor's impressions.

I was driving on that motherfucking bridge when it went down. Takes more than a bridge failure to keep King Leo out of the game. Obviously, I survived because I was wearing my lucky black Dale Earnhardt #3 t-shirt circa '96. As you can tell by the expression on my face I was ready to dine in Hell.

funniest fucking thing i've seen all morning

I would not want to be any of the engineers who had a part in the building of that bridge. This has had happened before, and some of the engineers were so affected that they committed suicide.

I used to be a Discovery Channel nerd. 10 biggest this, 10 fastest that, 10 tallest this... I think I once saw 10 worst bridges or something like it... with footage of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse. In that case it was an engineering flaw.

This will likely turn out to be the fault of maintenance rather than design. It could be a lie but I heard a construction crew was stockpiling gravel on the bridge to the tune of 300 tons.

Quote:

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It could be a lie but I heard a construction crew was stockpiling gravel on the bridge to the tune of 300 tons.

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seems a little far fetched...i would think if that was true it would be major news. The sad fact is much of our nation's infrastructure is old and in need of serious work.

wrote a youtube about it...it goes like this

Is our pistol whipping safe?

Fergie says Big Girls Don't Cry. I'm not convinced.

This is great.

A "NO-TAX-EVER" think tank posted this hours before the bridge collapse:

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21658

"The transportation bill veto is the only one the DFL tried to override. The attempt came with less than 20 minutes remaining in the session and was defeated by House Republicans, led by Minority Leader Marty Seifert (R-Marshall)."

Good job Republicans!

:bananainfrastructurecollapse"

Democrats, securing bridges nationwide!

Made in China vs Made in USA - 1:1

Quote:

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Tuesday Aug. 14, 2007. The 320-meter (1,049-foot) bridge, which was being built as a tourist attraction over the Jiantuo River, collapsed as workers were removing scaffolding Monday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 22. (AP Photo)

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Operative phrase: "being built"

This is why I can't get a decent mu shu pork in this damned town.