Politics As Usual

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Quick question: How much of this year's deficit is due to Social Security payouts exceeding Social Security receipts?

quick answer: I have no idea

[SlaveNoMore]

Tyrone Slothrop
The Democratic Party does not believe more strongly in ethanol subsidies than the GOP. No one thinks they're good policy, and everyone votes for them to keep farmers happy. Surely you can find other pork that's shot up in the last few years because it tends to go to GOP districts instead of Dem ones.

You have my permission to shoot both Messrs. Kennedy and Stevens.

Cite, please, for the proposition that Clinton was able to balance the budget only because of some kind of bubble. The real bubble was in the stock market, not in the federal budget. And it would look like less of a bubble if Bush had tried to enact fiscal policies to help the economy instead massive tax cuts for the rich. See Jesse Helms' quote.

Go back and read my sentence. I said "surplus".

The non-sustainable amount of revenues caused by the bubble were used to calculate this non-existent projected "surplus" that Bush is always accused of squandering away. Losing nothing is still nothing.

[The Larry Davis Experience]

Originally posted by sgtclub
begining reform of medicare

So within a year of passing the massive medicare drug benefit the GOP will turn around and say, "Actually, we've got to cut this." Yeah, that's politically viable for Congress (who won't be free of the yoke of future electability).

begining reform of SS (e.g, private accounts, raising minimum age, etc., all under the cover of a Greenspan blessing).

Should we go the way of privatization, the transition to private accounts is going to cost us significantly more money than we currently pay into SS (estimated $2-3 trillion over the next 20 years). This is because the creation of the private accounts for current SS contributors will cut off the revenues which are being used to pay the current retirees (SS being a bit of a Ponzi scheme and all). I haven't crunched the numbers, but I would think there would have to be a significant increase in retirement age to offset that and provide some savings. Like, decades.

So we're left with "cutting pork", something no one has found a way to do much of even with both houses of the Congress and the WH in the same party's control.

This is a faith-based deficit reduction plan.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
The non-sustainable amount of revenues caused by the bubble were used to calculate this non-existent projected "surplus" that Bush is always accused of squandering away. Losing nothing is still nothing.

Of course, those same projections were Bush's original justification for the tax cuts.

[the Spartan]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Quick question: How much of this year's deficit is due to Social Security payouts exceeding Social Security receipts?

quick answer: trick question, none.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by sgtclub
quick answer: I have no idea

Apparently not.

The answer is "zero". SS runs a surplus. Your fantasy -- that Bush will cut deficits by reforming SS -- is sort of like shooting your sister's cat in order to keep your neighbor's dog from barking.

[SlaveNoMore]

Sidd Finch
I'm sorry, I thought we were discussing how the only reason Bush didn't cut spending was because of the necessities of war. My bad.

Next time I'll remember that in Slave-speak, "Bush is only not cutting spending because he's a strong wartime leader and we're at war" really means "oh yeah, well the Dems want to raise spending too."

That way, I'll know that, instead of saying "bullshit, most of the spending increases are not related to the war" that I should really say "Funny how the Dems were willing to forego tax cuts in order to pay for the program they wanted."

I'll take "tax and spend" over "borrow and spend" any day.

Funny, in that I've repeatedly said that Bush can run up deficits all year long if its ear-marked for defense spending. And in return, he SHOULD be cutting every fucking pork project at every turn. Especially pet spending projects near and dear to every liberal's heart. That he doesn't upsets me to no end.

That the Democrats threaten to spend even more - and to take more money out of my already lean pockets to do so - makes me violently ill.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Thank you for sharing this enlightening comment.

You're welcome.

My point, since you missed it, is that the families of those called up this time might have a different reaction than those called up for Kosovo.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Funny, in that I've repeatedly said that Bush can run up deficits all year long if its ear-marked for defense spending. And in return, he SHOULD be cutting every fucking pork project at every turn. Especially pet spending projects near and dear to every liberal's heart. That he doesn't upsets me to no end.

Funny, in that the post I was responding to said nothing of the sort. If you want to cross-reference your earlier posts to give them context, you need to do that.

"Context" in this case meaning "even I know that my comment that Bush is increasing spending only because of the war is utter bullshit."

[SlaveNoMore]

Sexual Harassment Panda
You're welcome.

My point, since you missed it, is that the families of those called up this time might have a different reaction than those called up for Kosovo.

Interesting, because I'm thinking the reaction would be about the same.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
Yeah? Ask him where he'd rather go. Kosovo, Fallujah - all the same.

Which place has hotter chicks?

[SlaveNoMore]

Sidd Finch
Funny, in that the post I was responding to said nothing of the sort. If you want to cross-reference your earlier posts to give them context, you need to do that.

"Context" in this case meaning "even I know that my comment that Bush is increasing spending only because of the war is utter bullshit."

Oh, fuck you. You've read enough of my posts over the years to know that I abhor runaway spending.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Oh, fuck you. You've read enough of my posts over the years to know that I abhor runaway spending.

Yes, but sometimes you drink a lot and get all silly.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Which place has hotter chicks?

Don't know, but I've heard good things about Moldavian women.

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Yes, but sometimes you drink a lot and get all silly.

Indiscretionary spending? I'm familiar with that.