Political Discussion

[banca rotta]

Foreign aid is about "only" $18billion/year. However, the military budget is around $800 BILLION per year....think about the number of defense contractors etc!!!

As of now defense is about 702 billion. Social Security is around 725 billion and Medicare is about 827 billion. Basically we have to bring ALL the troops home (which is fine by me), and tell our seniors "F.O." just so we can balance the budget (Not fine by me!!!).

This problem is bigger then the human brain can handle.

[IamOld]

As of now defense is about 702 billion. Social Security is around 725 billion and Medicare is about 827 billion. Basically we have to bring ALL the troops home (which is fine by me), and tell our seniors "F.O." just so we can balance the budget (Not fine by me!!!).

This problem is bigger then the human brain can handle.

Thing is banca, we don't have to balance the budget - just get it down to where normal econ growth can stay ahead of the debt. If the defense budget would go back to where it was just a few years ago, that's a few hundred billion...

And for God's sake, states/locals need to STOP laying off people...and we need to make sure that "protectionism" in trade is not a dirty word!

[shark66]

. Basically we have to bring ALL the troops home (which is fine by me), and tell our seniors "F.O." just so we can balance the budget (Not fine by me!!!).

This problem is bigger then the human brain can handle.

Bring the troops back home and onto the unemployment line...one of the reasons they're not doing it...

Good luck to us all.

[IamOld]

Shark is right - as Thom Hartmann mentioned once...what if the defense spending were reduced...what would happen to the millions employed by - as Eisenhower called it - the military-industrial complex?

OR of course these funds could be used to actually employ people to rebuild a terribly crumbling infrastructure and/or...protect our industries!

[shark66]

I'm not necessarily against spending on military...in the Eisenhower days, that sector employed a large number of people in this country. Nothing wrong with building weapons and selling them to third-world countries eager to test them on their next door neighbors...

We need Putin to rebuild USSR so we can start from scratch...

Good luck to us all.

[IamOld]

I think Putin is headed that way!!
BUT until the 80's, the US also had significant manufacturing...I still remember when RCA TV"s were made in the US!

(I'd also like to see FAR more spent on the space program! - what's left of it anyway...)

[banca rotta]

Thing is banca, we don't have to balance the budget - just get it down to where normal econ growth can stay ahead of the debt. If the defense budget would go back to where it was just a few years ago, that's a few hundred billion...

And for God's sake, states/locals need to STOP laying off people...and we need to make sure that "protectionism" in trade is not a dirty word!

This is kind of a catch 22. Since we have a debt based fiat monetary system it doesn't seem possible to fix any problems quickly. It will be fixed in time but nothing soon.

You are correct that we don't need to balance the budget. If we balance the budget that's the same as removing 1.5 trillion out of the economy since that's the deficit and that will be devastating.

If we do as some want and "tax the rich" to equal even half of the deficit that will actually bankrupt the rich along with the economy since we work for the rich in most cases.

If we keep getting into debt and printing the money to pay it then the currency will collapse.

We are at a point of debt saturation and the system cannot handle it anymore and again there are long term solutions but no quick fixes.

[tobee43]

taxing the rich may not be the actual "true" resolve to this mess. however, they need to pay their FAIR share. that would be a help.

i'm tried of this country running on the broken backbones of the middle class, opps, sorry, there is no longer a middle class, it's now call "limbo" class.

remember, most of this government spending that got us in this mess did not go into social programs, it was WARS and battles and even then not really, it went to the contractors of those wars that had ties to the special interests in this county. certainly not to assist our soldiers with proper equipment in battle to help keep them safe.

trillions of tax dollars dished out by OUR government officials spending those trillions of OUR money from the taxes we paid to line their pockets. and now they won't even attempt to get the situation under control. SHAME on all of them.

the rich and the major corps that are outsourcing our jobs NEED to be taxed. i say time to pay the piper......or the paupers. (that would be us).

[IamOld]

The thing is we do not work for the rich. We work for organizations... if bill gates is taxed more that has nothing to do with the ability of microsoft to hire people...the rich aren't job creators...DEMAND is and that comes from us.

[tobee43]

The thing is we do not work for the rich. We work for organizations... if bill gates is taxed more that has nothing to do with the ability of microsoft to hire people...the rich aren't job creators...DEMAND is and that comes from us.

the basic laws of economics...supply/ demand...no demand, no supply.

what gets me, though, is when the demand is up, let's not fill those orders in any other country.

[ValleYum]

Check out this article I read on Bank of America. This stuff has to stop! Renting back foreclosed homes!? You can find it on [deleted by moderator]

I went to [deleted by moderator] and they helped me. They have an A on the BBB. Check them out. Make sure you read the article I posted on Bank of America.

Suffocation by SPAM.

I am thinking happy thoughts for your demise!!

[tobee43]

valle i'm so glad you are the span police!!! you have the BEST marketing for non-spaming LOL!!!!!!

[JackHofowitz]

taxing the rich may not be the actual "true" resolve to this mess. however, they need to pay their FAIR share. that would be a help.

i'm tried of this country running on the broken backbones of the middle class, opps, sorry, there is no longer a middle class, it's now call "limbo" class.

remember, most of this government spending that got us in this mess did not go into social programs, it was WARS and battles and even then not really, it went to the contractors of those wars that had ties to the special interests in this county. certainly not to assist our soldiers with proper equipment in battle to help keep them safe.

trillions of tax dollars dished out by OUR government officials spending those trillions of OUR money from the taxes we paid to line their pockets. and now they won't even attempt to get the situation under control. SHAME on all of them.

the rich and the major corps that are outsourcing our jobs NEED to be taxed. i say time to pay the piper......or the paupers. (that would be us).

Increase taxes on the rich -> Rich fire people from their companies.

It's not that simple unfortunately. Best idea is to look at the Regan era where he drastically cut taxes on everyone including the highest income bracket and it pretty much saved the economy.

[IamOld]

Jack, man, NO - the rich do not hire/fire anyone - are you trying to tell me that CEO's and HR people will out of spite fire folks? Perhaps...but than we're back to Mussolini's definition of fascism.


Look no DEMAND (buying of "stuff" by the "99%") no profits. Period. For hecks sake, Henry Ford, and old man Rockefeller recognized this!!!!

Reagan - don't even get me started on Reagan - cut taxes for everyone - bull - he cut taxes for the rich - hence massive recession in 81-83 - then he spent like crazy to get the nation out of recession - the "middle class" saw the elimination of "loopholes" like tax deduction for every kind of interest...

under Reagan, we began shedding jobs and had the first JOBLESS recovery from a recession in 84.

YES, he had really good relations with GOrbachev - GREAT - but economically - good grief. Never mind Iran-Contra, etc.

[banca rotta]

I have been stressing this for a while and will give a better breakdown for those interested.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Look at the link. Now look at the "US Federal Tax Revenue" which is about 2.3 trillion.

Then look at the "Largest Budget items". Get a look at what we are currently paying out in SS/SSI, Medicare/Medicade, Interest on the debt and war annually. If we do the right thing and end the war it still won't matter with all of the other programs growing annually.

The point is (again I'm not defending the rich) there aren't enough rich to pay for this!!!! They aren't there! They don't exist!!!! Period!!!!

That can only mean we have to reduce these expenditures. Good luck with that.