RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts?

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 7:43:46 PM

Marini

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Selectivelight wrote,

]It can happen, it is happening, and I am of the opinion that the cause can be traced to a lack of congressional/house term limits. Two words have destroyed our government; "Career Politician".

People ... Either can't, or don't want to see what's happening. As a society, we're used to focusing on everything but what matters. Keep the attention on abortion, or immigration, and empty the pockets. Divide the population over petty squabbles and fleece them all. Fairly simple thing, happens to work.

Outsourcing crippled us as a society, I think. The cost of goods hasn't decreased, the quality of goods hasn't increased, and without a stronger export profile, our GDP hasn't exactly been strong, relative to what we are damn well capable of doing. The only groups who benefit are major corporations, large business. Which means it's that much harder for small and medium businesses to compete, which makes our overall economy that much less robust.

Had we provided benefits to small and medium businesses in an effort to make the marketplace legitimately more competitive, I am of the opinion we could have avoided most of our economic woes, by virtue of having plenty of options for the consumers and stock holders that weren't risky prospects. We could have let a few banks fall, and others would have been ready, willing, and able to step in and claim some assets.

They don't want to fix the deficit. Nothing in the current proposal is going to be anything more than a drop in the bucket, and once they free up some "wasted" money that they once gave to the lower class, they can give their buddies and major corporate sponsors a few more handouts. Nothing new there.

American dream my ass. You want to know what the American dream is?

"Support democracy, bend over and lube up."

..tried to trim all the quotes...

YES, YES, YES!
A thousand times yes!
I have started many threads regarding outsourcing, and I think I will start a new one soon!

Unbridled outsourcing has indeed crippled this economy!
Of course, many small and medium sized businesses can NOT compete with the large ever growing corporations.
So not only has the American worker been kicked in the ass, so have many small businesses!

I may need to "borrow" your quote, "Support Democracy, bend over and lube up!"

I fucking love it!

< Message edited by Marini -- 4/5/2011 8:42:26 PM >

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 8:02:20 PM

Marini

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Fellow

Alex Jones explains the situation clearly:
The problem is that the whole financial system is a Bonzi fraud. You have the government buying toxic assets from financial institutions (debt owned mostly by the rich) for trillions, passing bad debt (that shouldn't even exist) on general public, and then attempting to pay it. The attempt is useless anyway, as paying this debt is mathematically impossible.
Jones's solution: bring the whole system (take bankers and rich with you) down and start over. Propping up asset prices will not work in long run anyway. In essence, big part of the debt is fraudulent, it should be written down, and the whole system reformed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zMv4Offm_8&feature=player_embedded

Another wonderful post from Fellow!!
I agree the whole system has to go be brought down, and we do indeed need to start over.
I just hope the entire process doesn't take a long time.
This current system just doesn't look like it is viable for much longer.

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"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. "
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NOT a Republican/Moderate and free agent

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 8:27:22 PM

Marini

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda
.

I'm no fan of Alex Jones, but he's got this one exactly right.
I totally agree with both of you here.

As far as the OP is concerned, no - America is not ready for massive budget cuts, because nobody wants to give anything up. Everybody wants everybody else to give things up.
Of course nobody wants to give anything up, which is why I am surprised so many are not up in arms about many of the proposed cuts.

Everyone understands and agrees that the budget needs to be cut, but that's as far as the agreement goes. From that point on, it's like a troop of howler monkeys fighting over who gets to eat the last rice krispie bar, because nobody can agree on what to cut. Liberals want to cut defense and tax the wealthy, conservatives want to cut social programs and make the rich exempt from taxes, and they hate each other too much to compromise. This problem will never be solved; it will, instead, solve itself - eventually, in the most painful possible way and long after the point where it could have been dealt with rationally. I just thank god that I don't have kids and that I'll probably be dead before the country completely collapses.

Sorry PandaMan, unless you plan on leaving us in the next 5-10 years, you certainly will be around to see the crash and burn/and almost unavoidable DEPRESSION.

And as has already been pointed out, across the board cuts represent one of the worst possible ways to address this problem. For example, if you cut the Department of The Interior's budget by 25%, the grass doesn't get mowed at Yosemite this summer. Cut Medicare by 25%, and tens of thousands of people die. It's simplistic, and sounds great when you bellow it out in a bar, but like a lot of conservative ideas, it you look at it closely for more than 15 seconds it completely falls apart.

Great post from the PandaMan.
I like the panda on the rocking horse, cute.

< Message edited by Marini -- 4/5/2011 8:35:33 PM >

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 8:43:11 PM

Selectivelight

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quote:

I may need to "borrow" your quote, "Support Democracy, bend over and lube up!"

I wouldn't argue with it, but I'd love the credit.

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 8:50:29 PM

Marini

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Selectivelight

quote:

I may need to "borrow" your quote, "Support Democracy, bend over and lube up!"

I wouldn't argue with it, but I'd love the credit.

I will certainly do that, if I "borrow" it.
I was chatting with my father about the Middle East, he said, "How can we spread Democracy over there, when we don't have a Democracy here?"

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As always, To EACH their Own.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. "
Nelson Mandela
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NOT a Republican/Moderate and free agent

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 8:57:49 PM

Selectivelight

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Marini

quote:

ORIGINAL: Selectivelight

quote:

I may need to "borrow" your quote, "Support Democracy, bend over and lube up!"

I wouldn't argue with it, but I'd love the credit.

I will certainly do that, if I "borrow" it.
I was chatting with my father about the Middle East, he said, "How can we spread Democracy over there, when we don't have a Democracy here?"

Even if we did have an honest democracy here, which we don't, we couldn't spread democracy in the Middle East. Our cultures are radically different, and it isn't our place to impose our will on a sovereign nation.

On an unrelated note, with technology being what it is, I often wonder why we have an electoral college. Why is it that the vote of someone in California is more important than the vote of someone in Michigan? Couldn't we just tally all the votes, and base the election on -every- vote, instead of which states leaned more one way than another?

Back to the topic at hand, I think we might make it five years before the economy collapses, but I would be genuinely surprised if we made it ten. I'm hoping to no longer be in this country when that happens.

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 9:10:08 PM

Marini

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It is a joy exchanging idea's with you.

For someone so young, you seem to have a great head on your shoulders.

Plenty of old fools around, that don't even have a fucking clue.
I agree what is left of this economy, will probably be in a shambles in a few years.
I don't blame you for considering to leave this country, I guess I will be here in my bunker watching the crash and burn.

< Message edited by Marini -- 4/5/2011 9:19:17 PM >

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As always, To EACH their Own.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. "
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NOT a Republican/Moderate and free agent

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 9:15:11 PM

Hippiekinkster

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Here ya go, Mari:
"Everybody knows the rich are getting richer, but why they're getting richer remains something of a mystery. Is the system biased?

The shift of income to the top has occurred in the most prosperous English-speaking nations, such as Australia, Britain, and Canada. But it has been most pronounced in the United States. Thirty years ago, the richest 1 percent of Americans got 9 percent of total national income. By 2007, they had 23 percent. Last year, new census data show, the rich-poor income gap was the widest on record.

Wealth is more unevenly distributed. The top 20 percent of wealth-holders own 84 percent of America's wealth. What's causing it?

One factor is federal policy, says a study by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. It finds that most federal subsidies aimed at building wealth, such as certain tax deductions (officially called "expenditures"), credits, and preferential rates, go to the richest taxpayers.

Of course, many government programs aim to alleviate poverty. Those with low incomes get Medicaid, food stamps, welfare, etc., adding up to about $365 billion. But Uncle Sam's subsidies for building wealth – of little use to the poor – were even larger: $384 billion last year.

This money helps the more prosperous buy homes, save money, start businesses, pay for college, and retire comfortably. More than half of that sum went to the wealthiest 5 percent of tax-payers. The top 1 percent got an average $95,000 in federal help. Upper-middle-income families making $100,000 got $1,600. The poor got less than $5.

That $384 billion is "under-recognized" by the public, though it comes close to basic expenditures of the Pentagon, says Robert Friedman, board chair of CFED, a community development nonprofit in Washington.

This is more than just a question of inequity. Lower-income families need an opportunity to build their savings so they can better "navigate difficult times," notes Andrea Levere, CFED president. "If we are serious about cutting the deficit, Congress could start by trimming these upside-down subsidies and creating a more equitable approach.""
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/David-R.-Francis/2010/1018/Is-the-US-system-rigged-for-the-rich

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 9:37:38 PM

Marini

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Hippie, as far as the rich getting richer?
Outsourcing certainly has helped those at the top, as the gap continues to grow between the have's and the have nots.
What has happened to the Middle Class?

Most of us realize that the REAL unemployment numbers are probably much closer to at least 15%.

If you count the underemployed, those only able to gain part-time work, and those that have just given up, the numbers are probably at least 20%.

Cutting government programs like social security, medicare, and medicaid, ESPECIALLY at this time, can only push many more over the proverbial top.

The question is: What is going to happen NEXT?
But don't worry, McDonald's is hiring 50,000 people.

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As always, To EACH their Own.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. "
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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/5/2011 9:51:20 PM

subfever

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quote:

ah there is plenty of money to pay the bills!

WISCONSIN CAFR

The government has it all tied up in its zillions of agency's trust funds.

I think last count was close to 110 trillion nationwide investments.

I posted a thread on it but it must escape everyone.

I WANT MY FUCKING REBATE!

start there! :)

they fucked the economy up they can pay for it!

Your post is back up on page one.

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/12/2011 10:26:14 PM

Marini

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What the hell is going to happen tomorrow?

President Obama is stuck between a rock and a hard plate.

I DO plan to listen carefully to the speech.

What are the Democrats going to do?

Will Americans sit back, and let the rug be pulled out from under the lower/middle class?

I still say most Americans, are not ready for massive social cuts, and are not going to take it!

As anxious as I am to see what cuts are proposed and what cuts are passed, I am even more curious to see how American citizens are going to "accept/take" the cuts.

< Message edited by Marini -- 4/12/2011 10:34:39 PM >

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As always, To EACH their Own.
"And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. "
Nelson Mandela
Life-long Democrat, not happy at all with Democratic Party.
NOT a Republican/Moderate and free agent

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RE: Are Americans REALLY ready for massive budget cuts? - 4/12/2011 10:29:28 PM

Real0ne

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COME ON ALREADY!

approaching 100 trillion buckeroos in government held agency trust funds and we are worried about money?

Is this group out here asleep at the wheel or what? LOL

quote:

ORIGINAL: Real0ne
ah there is plenty of money to pay the bills!

WISCONSIN CAFR

The government has it all tied up in its zillions of agency's trust funds.

I think last count was close to 110 trillion nationwide investments.

I posted a thread on it but it must escape everyone.

I WANT MY FUCKING REBATE!

start there! :)

they fucked the economy up they can pay for it!

< Message edited by Real0ne -- 4/12/2011 10:30:49 PM >

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