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Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30758 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
If a serious approach to the revenue side (federal taxes as a piece of GDP are at their lowest point since 1950), joined with a serious approach of the expenditure side, there might be a chance. But for now, in the 'I'm right, you're wrong' mode of politics, all we have is one side saying it is 100% expenditures, and the other side saying it is 25% expenditures and 75% revenue. There is no middle ground, and thus, lacking either a Democrat domination (not going to happen) or a TeaPublican domination (I don't see that happening either), we won't get anything done. Now, if compromise and governance were not four letter words, perhaps we'd get something done short of a dictatorship. The idiots we have now who refuse to cut spending at all unless taxes go up are idiots. The idiots we have now who refuse to raise "taxes" at all are idiots. (I think they are willing to raise revenue, it just has to be called a user fee not a tax.) In any case this Mexican Standoff has to end. The country defaults and becomes a slave to Red China if it doesn't. |
BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
Ah yes, eliminate the 16th (I believe it is) Amendment -- and do so via.... oops the Senate get's a piece of that decision and a super-super majority at that. As long as we are at it, let's reestablish property requirements and eliminate the vote for women. We simply must return to the good old boy days. Consider this, the states are subject to special interest bickering and are even less (if that is possible) capable of resisting it.
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BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
I think we agree here -- there is plenty of idiocy to go around. I like the idea of a user fee for folks making $1M or more <smile>. The idiots we have now who refuse to cut spending at all unless taxes go up are idiots. The idiots we have now who refuse to raise "taxes" at all are idiots. (I think they are willing to raise revenue, it just has to be called a user fee not a tax.) |
BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
By the way, there was a cut in spending -- sequestration will kick in if the standoff continues. Further, if (and I know this might be a nightmare scenario for you) the Teapublican candidate for dictator doesn't win the office formally known as President, then on the tax side there will be a raise (or rather a return to the pre Bush II tax levels). I suspect in that scenario, the TeaPublicans just might try to be their own 'voices of reason' by suggesting a dfferent range budget cuts in exchange for something other than the total elimination of the 2001 tax cuts. Oh, and regarding China, well for the US, the major problem with the budget deficit is demographic (the recession of course amplified the problem with major short/intermediate term 'deficit enhancement') -- China actually will be facing an even more serious demographic problem -- as a function of their 'one-child' enforcement for over 20 years. Their population is on the cusp of rapid aging -- along the lines of Europe and Japan. Folks in the west need to evaluate what the combination of one child families along with the preference of those one child families for boys means for a country which, notwithstanding its rapid economic growth, is still a quite poor country (the rural hinterlands of China have hundreds of millions of quite poor people).
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MOMMY: He is MAKING ME Read His Posts Thoughts and Prayers. GOoD Thoughts and GOoD Prayers. HATERWORLD Vs THOUGHTs and PRAYERs World. It Is a BATTLE ROYALE. Nobody LOVEs Me. Everybody HATEs Me. Why Don't I Go Eat Worms. Tasty Treats are Wormy Meat. Yes Send message Joined: 16 Jun 02 Posts: 6895 Credit: 6,588,977 RAC: 0 |
Teapublican candidate for dictator Sounds Good to Dullnando. DictateToMeDullnando May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!! |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30758 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
Oh, and regarding China, well for the US, the major problem with the budget deficit is demographic (the recession of course amplified the problem with major short/intermediate term 'deficit enhancement') -- China actually will be facing an even more serious demographic problem -- as a function of their 'one-child' enforcement for over 20 years. Their population is on the cusp of rapid aging -- along the lines of Europe and Japan. Folks in the west need to evaluate what the combination of one child families along with the preference of those one child families for boys means for a country which, notwithstanding its rapid economic growth, is still a quite poor country (the rural hinterlands of China have hundreds of millions of quite poor people). Yes all those boys and no girls. Sounds like they are raising an army to invade and get killed off. I wonder if they even offer a wife to every soldier that returns ... |
BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
Guy, it looks like we are more in agreement than not, aside from your epithet regarding Obama. After all, our President lacks the skin tone to be other than a socialist or dictator I suppose (at least in the view of some of the fair skinned bunch) <smile> |
BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
Guy, regarding election of Senators -- given how manipulated the state districts are, that results in state legislators being even more extreme (right or left) than we see in Congress. (I know, how could they be more extreme than what we have there -- but they are). I live in Arizona, where over half the legislature lacks college education -- and find that to be quite disconcerting. This is a legislature which approves concealed carry of weapons on school grounds...... by students. |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30758 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
Gary Charpentier quote "Okay, I'll bite. What countries are on any precious metal standard today? Are their economies in good shape?" So your answer is none. And you think Dr. Bernanke has no idea of good monetary policy. Okay. I bet you think horses are the way to go because they emit less greenhouse gas than a car. |
BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
No -- Arpaio is a professional demogogue - laws mean very little to him -- which sort of sets a bad example as sheriff. If there was justice, he'd serve in his own jails -- and not the soft ones he has set up for those who contribute to his political coffers, but the nasty ones for those who don't. Further, if he, incarcerated, should lather a bit about the injustice of it all, he should be consigned to the special control chairs he has his lackeys use for those who don't behave. Barry in Arizona, |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30758 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
Guy, Dr. Bernanke is a politician? Well, I do see where he ran for school board once, but somehow I don't think that makes him a politician at the level you seem to claim. Of course if you want to call him an academic, that I'd agree with, or are you saying that the academic class is the political class? |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30758 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
Guys, lets keep AZ politics out of the USA thread. Start an AZ thread if you want to discuss it further. |
BarryAZ Send message Joined: 1 Apr 01 Posts: 2580 Credit: 16,982,517 RAC: 0 |
My apologies Gary -- and a fair point it is. One perhaps tangent note, the AZ state budget actually managed a surplus this year. They did it in part by a way perhaps suggested for the Federal budget -- by denying healthcare coverage to about 100K poor folks previously covered under state/federal combined programs. Actually saved the Fed budget some dollars, because of the state change, the US denied something like $200M matching funds to the state. Another way the state saved money -- reducing support for education, not only K thru 12, but also to universities. There are plenty of folks in Congress advocating Federal cuts to education as well. So perhaps a model for at least some folks in Congress to consider. Anyway, the only reason I persist (for this one message) in mentioning the great state of AZ is to present their approach to budget balancing. |
bobby Send message Joined: 22 Mar 02 Posts: 2866 Credit: 17,789,109 RAC: 3 |
Guy, Using that logic my local beat police officer is a politician, the Chief is appointed by a politician, and thus the Chief is a politician; the Chief appoints the senior management, thus the senior management are politicians; the senior management appoint lower levels of management, etc, etc. Madness. I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ... |
KWSN - MajorKong Send message Joined: 5 Jan 00 Posts: 2892 Credit: 1,499,890 RAC: 0 |
Guy, Well, Bobby, the term 'politics', while it does have several meanings involving government, it is a bit more inclusive than that. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics meaning 5 a: the total complex of relations between people living in society The term 'politician' is a bit more narrowly defined http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politician meaning 1: a person experienced in the art or science of government; especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government Now then, the Federal Reserve is essentially a corporation with some rather strong ties to the Federal Government of the USA. 'The Fed' has a .gov URL: http://www.federalreserve.gov/ The seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System are appointed by the US President and confirmed by the US Senate, just like, for instance, Secretary of State. Is Ms. Clinton NOT a politician?? Now then, Dr. Bernanke is, essentially, the Chairman of the Board of 'the Fed'. The Board members of regular, publicly traded corporations (for example, IBM, ExxonMobile, AT&T...) are elected to their positions, as is the Chairman, with the voters ultimately being the corporate stockholders. They are most definitely political positions, responsible for the government of the corporation. In a regular, publicly traded Corporation, the Chairman and the rest of the Board are politicians. No matter which way you slice it, Dr. Bernanke, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System *IS* a politician. https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE #Texit Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016. Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power. |
bobby Send message Joined: 22 Mar 02 Posts: 2866 Credit: 17,789,109 RAC: 3 |
meaning 1: a person experienced in the art or science of government; especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government Thus we are all politicians to some degree rendering the term useless. Clearly the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is a political appointment, though if the term "politician" it to be useful epithet, I'd say it's a bit more open to debate whether any particular incumbent of that office is a politician to the same extent as, say, the Secretary of State. To put it another way, is the recipient of a political appointment an ex-officio member of the political class? On the question of semantics, I find it odd that people are reticent to explain how another is meant to interpret their words, seems to me that this is a recipe for confusion. I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ... |
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