National debt Crisis

Tax rates rise and fall. Bush cut taxes, that should have permanent, to reasonable levels.

But we need to rid ourselves of Dept of Education, HUD, Energy, etc and after paying down the debt, cut taxes more.

We need to downsize the federal gov't by about a 3rd.

I realize libs looks to the Fed gov't to fix everything, but they really are the problem, not the solution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by geerussell

Two reasons. First, because there's absolutely no serious political mandate to do otherwise. Once you get past the abstract level where most people agree that deficits are kinda bad and something should be done about them, you discover they are entirely full of shit when asked about specifics and only want cuts to tiny bits of spending they ideologically oppose.

Americans entirely full of shit on spending. (headline changed for accuracy)

Second, for the reasons I mentioned earlier... because we can. What about our habits in the last (pick a time period, 25, 50, 75, 100) years would lead you to believe that anything other than an immovable brick wall of reality would make us stop?

Yes, tax cuts are the conservative version of it. It's spending but it's spending they like.

Bolded 1. I think thats what last years elections were about. And just because there isn't a mandate, to get our fiscal house in order, doesn't mean they shouldn't do something.

And as far as what Americans want cut...of course no one wants their stuff cut. But the peeps didn't create this mess. The politicians fucked up, either fix it or get voted out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tahoe

But we need to rid ourselves of Dept of Education, HUD, Energy, etc and after paying down the debt, cut taxes more.

You may not realize it, but you're not serious. When you say cut gov't by a third then name examples that might add up to a third of a percent, it's like the fat kid switching to diet coke with his supersized meal--and adding an extra sandwich.

Have a look and see that what you describe is tiny cuts (hello, diet coke) and big spending (mmm, tax cut sandwich).

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...us/budget.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by geerussell

You may not realize it, but you're not serious. When you say cut gov't by a third then name examples that might add up to a third of a percent, it's like the fat kid switching to diet coke with his supersized meal--and adding an extra sandwich.

Have a look and see that what you describe is tiny cuts (hello, diet coke) and big spending (mmm, tax cut sandwich).

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...us/budget.html

I mentioned a couple to get started. But we clearly have to cut the federal gov't in large measure. We need to whach these useless agencies.

What I'm getting at is no matter who wins the whack-an-agency debate, both sides are just rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic.

Unless you are talking about eviscerating defense, entitlements and health care... you aren't serious about deficits. We--and by we I mean world+dog--aren't serious. The only way that happens is a huge popular mandate which does not exist or going over the cliff.

No way do we have to eviscerate defense, entitlements and hc to cut the deficit.

Start by cutting spending. Entitlements need to be included but as soon as the Repubs raise it the Dems will run to the old peeps and say they want you to die and the want to cut SS. I'm hoping for something with BO and Sen McConnell behind closed doors again. But it would take a huge amount of time to go into the detail to make cuts in SS, HC and defense.

As the debt gets paid down the less has to go to interest payments and principal on the national debt and instead of spiraling down exponentially, its the reverse.

But hey, if you youngsters don't want to start now, thats fine with me. I'll be retired and watching y'all scramble with the debt. I'll have my pile of cash buried in my basement so the Gov't can take their piece of me. :)

And Gee, who gives a shit if the peeps want cuts but no nimby. Much of this is out of our hands. Its up to our elected officials. They created this mess, its up to them to fix it.

I'll have to go look at what our payments are on our national debt.

Looks like we're spending about $400Billion a year on interest alone. I think thats right.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ses_-_2009.png

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tahoe

No way do we have to eviscerate defense, entitlements and hc to cut the deficit. ...Start by cutting spending.

By what magic do you cut the deficit without addressing the areas where most of the spending and most of the growth in spending happens?

Again I refer you to the 2011 federal budget. Click on the button to hide the mandatory spending. Look at what's left: defense and table scraps. All the deficit hawks are doing is arguing over small pieces of the table scraps.