The candidates and the economy

[Hedgehog]

The election's only a few days away.

But still neither candidate is talking about balancing the US budget.

Both are even suggesting they will introduce tax cuts.

WTF?

Where is that money gonna come from?

Gonna loan some more money from... China?

The past eight years has put the economy in a fcuked up situation.

And prior to that, Reagan, Bush and Clinton fcuked up the housing market with de-regulations of loans.

But instead of fixing the situation by cutting the biggest costs, ie slimming down the military and ending foreign wars...

There will be tax cuts?

Incredible.

Both Obama and McCain seems fiscally irresponsible.

[Dan-O]

We don't need tax hikes to balance the budget...  we need to eliminate a good 90% of government agencies and social programs whose main purpose is to attempt to appear relevant to justify their own continued existence.  The federal government shouldn't try to be all things to all people.  What it should do is defend our borders and our interests abroad and regulate our national economy, and let the states handle their business in the way that suits them best...  and as for the rest, I'll handle that myself...  I don't want or expect Uncle Sam to be a nursemaid and wipe my ass for me.

Of course neither our Democratic or Republican candidates will do that...  they're both just pandering to voters in their own ways, basically trying to buy peoples' votes.  So I suppose it won't make a whole heck of a lot of difference who gets elected...  the nice thing about our system of government is, there are so many checks and balances built in, it would be hard for even the most idiotic president to screw things up too badly in four short years.

P.S.  there are, and always will be, kooks out there who hate the US and want to destroy it.  That's just a fact of life.  And we need to always be at the ready to defend our country and way of life.  So I don't think slimming down the military is the answer--there's sooo much more waste going on in government that is truly non-essential.

[Bindare_Dundat]

Both Obama and McCain seems fiscally irresponsible.

 You're just figuring this out now? You should've paid more attention to all those Paul videos that were posted.

[Cap]

So I don't think slimming down the military is the answer--there's sooo much more waste going on in government that is truly non-essential.

Bingo.  I often wonder how anyone thinks the domestic spending budget is acceptable.

What all these 20 year old military wives and gfs and mothers don't realize is that their sons/hubbies/bfs will be kicking it in Darfur and other shit hole nations doing "peacekeeping" missions, still spending tax dollars.  Remember Kosovo?

[Hedgehog]

we need to eliminate a good 90% of government agencies and social programs whose main purpose is to attempt to appear relevant to justify their own continued existence.  The federal government shouldn't try to be all things to all people. 

A few questions to you Dan-0.

1. Do you believe that USA has the best school system in the world today?

2. Do you think it would serve USA best if everyone got through high school and some sort of higher education?

3. Do you believe an elite educational system is vital for a nation to be competitive?

4. Do you love your country?  (j/k )

As far as military spending goes.


Most European countries spend less than 10% of the budget on military. Japan spend much less.

So what do they invest in?

A lot of unneccessary bullshit of course.

But some good shit as well.

Eg, in Spain, Japan, France and the UK there are high speed railways built, pushing the speed to 200 MPH.

Germany has a superior highway system, the Autobahn.

Also some has probably been invested in research.

I would imagine a few of the Japs innovative car solutions comes from government funded research.

Regardless, slimming the gargantuan military budget that costs up to 40% of the budget down to around 20-25% would create a tremendous economic opportunity for changes.

Be it tax cuts, infrastructural projects to get the economy rolling again, or whatever.

But that is where most of the money is wasted.

[MB_722]

You're just figuring this out now? You should've paid more attention to all those Paul videos that were posted.

LOL

[Hedgehog]

You're just figuring this out now? You should've paid more attention to all those Paul videos that were posted.

Regarding Ron Paul...

That guy sure seems to be thinking out of his ass.

The other day I saw his opposition to the bailout on CNN.

He reasoned that it was better to let it all basically blow over, and that in ONE year...

ONE year and it would all be good again.

Perhaps he should go around to all the people with houses and bad loans and tell them that.

I'm sure he won't notice anything, living all good on Capitol Hill.

But real people will suffer. They will have to leave their homes.

What a fcuking jackass.

Even a guy like Henry Paulson, who isn't a politician, like many likes to claim, but actually a banking man, former exec of Goldman Sachs.

Even Henry Paulson realizes that allowing the banks to fall would mean catastrophy for real people and would incite a depression on the economy.

Even Henry Paulson acknowledges that the government had to take control.

But not Ron Paul.

He wants banks to file for bankruptcy and people to have to leave their homes.

Since he thinks it probably will only be a year of turbulence.

Fcuking idiot.

Hopefully someone runs against him in his district so we won't see this jackass ever again.

[Cap]

A few questions to you Dan-0.

1. Do you believe that USA has the best school system in the world today?

2. Do you think it would serve USA best if everyone got through high school and some sort of higher education?

3. Do you believe an elite educational system is vital for a nation to be competitive?

4. Do you love your country?  (j/k )

As far as military spending goes.


Most European countries spend less than 10% of the budget on military. Japan spend much less.

So what do they invest in?

A lot of unneccessary bullshit of course.

But some good shit as well.

Eg, in Spain, Japan, France and the UK there are high speed railways built, pushing the speed to 200 MPH.

Germany has a superior highway system, the Autobahn.

Also some has probably been invested in research.

I would imagine a few of the Japs innovative car solutions comes from government funded research.

Regardless, slimming the gargantuan military budget that costs up to 40% of the budget down to around 20-25% would create a tremendous economic opportunity for changes.

Be it tax cuts, infrastructural projects to get the economy rolling again, or whatever.

But that is where most of the money is wasted.

Hedge, you are right about education.  We overspend on social welfare programs and don't ensure our youths are getting quality education.  I think considering our place in the world, we need a healthy military budget but I think people not working is a bigger problem than the military.  Hell, right now the military is taking felons...where else are they gonna get a job and be of use to the US?   

[Bindare_Dundat]

Regarding Ron Paul...

That guy sure seems to be thinking out of his ass.

The other day I saw his opposition to the bailout on CNN.

He reasoned that it was better to let it all basically blow over, and that in ONE year...

ONE year and it would all be good again.

Perhaps he should go around to all the people with houses and bad loans and tell them that.

I'm sure he won't notice anything, living all good on Capitol Hill.

But real people will suffer. They will have to leave their homes.

What a fcuking jackass.

Even a guy like Henry Paulson, who isn't a politician, like many likes to claim, but actually a banking man, former exec of Goldman Sachs.

Even Henry Paulson realizes that allowing the banks to fall would mean catastrophy for real people and would incite a depression on the economy.

Even Henry Paulson acknowledges that the government had to take control.

But not Ron Paul.

He wants banks to file for bankruptcy and people to have to leave their homes.

Since he thinks it probably will only be a year of turbulence.

Fcuking idiot.

Hopefully someone runs against him in his district so we won't see this jackass ever again.

Good lord....(sigh)

[Hedgehog]

Good lord....(sigh)

Yeah.

That was my reaction too.


 

Edit: I hope Ron Paul won't pull any voters from the McCain/Palin ticket. They need every vote they can get to make it tight.

[Hereford]

The problem with this countrys debt is directely correlated to the amazing amount of unnecessary spending on ill-conceived, outdated, ineffective and perpetual government programs.

As Dan-o said...

"We don't need tax hikes to balance the budget...  we need to eliminate a good 90% of government agencies and social programs whose main purpose is to attempt to appear relevant to justify their own continued existence.  The federal government shouldn't try to be all things to all people.  What it should do is defend our borders and our interests abroad and regulate our national economy, and let the states handle their business in the way that suits them best...  and as for the rest, I'll handle that myself...  I don't want or expect Uncle Sam to be a nursemaid and wipe my ass for me."

Take a look at how inefficient the federal government is. Consider that the most powerful government in the world can't even come up with a fraud-proof government ID, or get you out of the DMV in less than 4 hours.

There is no-one in charge for real in this country. There is nobody who will say 'NO' to anything, nobody who will say "NO" to whatever the next round of asanine handouts will be, whether they be 700 billion bailouts to big business or Trillions in welfare checks for booze and cigs and more spawn for the lowlifes.

[Hedgehog]

Take a look at how inefficient the federal government is. Consider that the most powerful government in the world can't even come up with a fraud-proof government ID, or get you out of the DMV in less than 4 hours.

There is no-one in charge for real in this country. There is nobody who will say 'NO' to anything, nobody who will say "NO" to whatever the next round of asanine handouts will be, whether they be 700 billion bailouts to big business or Trillions in welfare checks for booze and cigs and more spawn for the lowlifes.

I definitely agree.

The organisation needs to be slimmed. Or actually, it has to be reformed.

Fundamentally reformed.

There is probably the need of a complete overhaul of the system. With implementation of personal identification cards, and getting all the current government systems in line with each other.

The replacing system may not be cheaper.

But there will be a helluva more bang for the buck. More education, more health care, more police et al.

But right now...

There are actually parts in the USA where you can't get internet access.
There are parts where you can't even get mobile phone access.

There is room for tremendous infrastructural improvements.

[Dan-O]

A few questions to you Dan-0.

1. Do you believe that USA has the best school system in the world today?

2. Do you think it would serve USA best if everyone got through high school and some sort of higher education?

3. Do you believe an elite educational system is vital for a nation to be competitive?

4. Do you love your country?  (j/k )

Excellent questions...

1)  No, I don't believe we do unfortunately.

2)  Definitely, yes it would

3)  Yes

4)  Yes

It definitely wouldn't hurt our country to put more emphasis on education...  college is prohibitively expensive for too many people...  universities receive SO much money in grants, donations, bequeathals, wherever else they get their money from...  they really could afford to drastically lower their tuition if not eliminate it altogether.  I'm serious.  That would make so many educational opportunities available to so many more people.  But nooo...  I'm as skeptical and distrustful of most academics as I am of politicians (hi LSD ).  But that's just me and my own issues.

If this dude ever ran for President...  I kid you not, I would vote for him in a heartbeat...  I love his views on such topics as social welfare, and he totally rocks besides!!

As far as your points on military spending in other countries...  As Cap indicated...  they're not the US.  We are the US and we occupy a unique place in the world and we need a strong defense if we are to preserve our way of life and that's just how it is.

[Hedgehog]

As far as your points on military spending in other countries...  As Cap indicated...  they're not the US.  We are the US and we occupy a unique place in the world and we need a strong defense if we are to preserve our way of life and that's just how it is.

The sooner everyone get the idea that USA somehow has a unique position in world politics the better.

From Reagan through Clinton all the way to Bush jr, there's been this idea that USA doesn't have to play by the same rules that the rest of the world has.

Which hurts USA in the end, since that policy just keeps bringing bad blood onto USA.

USA has a great strength in that it still is the prime economy of the world, and will be for many years.

But demanding that other nations should follow UN protocol and adhere to the Geneva protocol for human rights is very difficult when there are torture committed on Guantanamo and other prisons.

Not even beginning to discuss how the Bush administration went to war in Iraq on false premises and broke a UN resolution that USA had signed.

So yes. USA would need a big military if it continues down the road that the Bush adminstration has walked.

Doesn't seems like neither of the candidates seems interested in that though.

Fact is, I think a lot of the US military op could be done together with the NATO allies, thus saving lots of tax dollars.

The whole idea that the NATO military base in Turkey is primarily filled with US troops seems bizarre and a spending nightmare.

[Cap]

I think we need to get back to the Stan and eventually leave Iraq...eventually, but we have to do it right.  If Osama gets in he'll either break his promise to pull out or he will and we will go right back again.  He doesn't have a great record on Afghanistan and what will likely happen is he will pull a Clinton and send troops on peacekeeping missions, in places like Darfur, and resources will still not be sent to Afghanistan.  As far as I am concerned, Darfur can do its own thing.  I really don't see Osama handling the military well, or the country for that matter.  He keeps asking people for things, ie money.  Even if he cuts military spending in Iraq (which will get people killed) he will not be able to spend what he wants to with the current state of the economy.

The fact that he thinks he can tax only the people making 250k or more, lower taxes on the people who pay nothing  , and get universal health care and all the other handouts he wants...he is nuts. 

[Dos Equis]

The election's only a few days away.

But still neither candidate is talking about balancing the US budget.

Both are even suggesting they will introduce tax cuts.

WTF?

Where is that money gonna come from?

Gonna loan some more money from... China?

The past eight years has put the economy in a fcuked up situation.

And prior to that, Reagan, Bush and Clinton fcuked up the housing market with de-regulations of loans.

But instead of fixing the situation by cutting the biggest costs, ie slimming down the military and ending foreign wars...

There will be tax cuts?

Incredible.

Both Obama and McCain seems fiscally irresponsible.

McCain did say he can balance the budget during his first term.  He's the only person seriously talking about slashing government spending. 

[Hedgehog]

McCain did say he can balance the budget during his first term.  He's the only person seriously talking about slashing government spending. 

yes.
McCain needs to play that card. Focus on that he will balance the budget asap.