Thursday, October 13, 2011
Political Mayhem Thursday: Fixing America, RRL Style!
RRL here. Welcome to the new, better, much more conservative Razor!
And today's PMT topic is...
DEBTAGEDDON!!
This country is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions. Old Testament real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!
The question of who is to blame comes down to a fundamental question, where do you think we should go? If you think we should go towards a huge welfare state then the "tea party" (or as they are known in some circles, "Panopticon 2.0") is to blame, because they put a roadblock (a costly one) in the way of unbridled spending by refusing to support new taxes. If you think we should go towards balanced budgets, reasonable spending, small government, unicorns, fairies, and pots of gold then lots of people are to blame. Bush and the Republican congress that allowed spending to get out of control in the last decade. The Democrats in congress that pushed through three rounds of wasteful stimulus spending. The Democrats in the Senate that haven't proposed a budget in THREE YEARS. And, if you really want to get crazy, then go back to the Democrats in congress who told Reagan during the last real debt ceiling fight that if he raised the debt ceiling they would promise real meaningful spending cuts, and then turned around and never did it, which some conservative Republicans have never forgotten. This problem didn't start two years ago. It didn't start 10 years ago. It started decades ago.
Did this bring us to the brink of disaster? Probably not. I mean, they're still playing baseball games, people are still shopping, nobody has built thunderdome yet. It is bad, but it isn't cataclysmic. But I applaud the efforts of those who said that raising taxes isn't enough (because it isn't) and we have to start finding ways to reign in spending (because we do) and refused to give in, because that is the only way meaningful change was going to happen. And it has to happen. Because we can't tax our way out of the pile of debt we have.
Comments:
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If a board of directors of a corporation faced the quandry of the U.S. Government, it's pretty clear what it would do. It would make drastic reforms in the things that are structurally imperiling our future, so that the old adage "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging" could be carried out. And then, to bridge the gap between now, and when those structural changes took effect, you would raise taxes, with the tax increase dedicated to paying debt.
Something similar to a Dave Ramsey approach. It has been well described by Tom Friedman of the NY Times as the Grand Bargain.
But if it were done by s board of business leaders, instead of politicians, it would not be hard to devise and carry out an effective plan.
Something similar to a Dave Ramsey approach. It has been well described by Tom Friedman of the NY Times as the Grand Bargain.
But if it were done by s board of business leaders, instead of politicians, it would not be hard to devise and carry out an effective plan.
I would like to point out the current debt is bigger than the LT Principal and interest we know about. Stopping the 11+ years of war will help but that war came with billions+ $$$$$ of veteran medical expenses for the next 50+ years as we morally have to pay for the damaged lives this war has created.
I think we can belt tighten and cut all we want but in the end increased taxes will have to be part of the plan.
I think we can belt tighten and cut all we want but in the end increased taxes will have to be part of the plan.
The problem is that no one realizes each side will have to compromise to fix things. That means no program is off limits for spending reform, especially the military and government subsidies to businesses. And additional revenue must be found: we can't stop spending our way out of debt either.
It would be a lot easier if each side revealed what it really wants. Republicans want to end all social services to make people beholden to wealthy companies and individuals so that we can return to the Gilded Age, and Democrats want the same thing except they want to be the lackeys instead of the Republicans. They just don't admit it.
It would be a lot easier if each side revealed what it really wants. Republicans want to end all social services to make people beholden to wealthy companies and individuals so that we can return to the Gilded Age, and Democrats want the same thing except they want to be the lackeys instead of the Republicans. They just don't admit it.
# posted by 
: 9:36 AM
: 9:36 AM
I agree with OsoGrande that a Board of Directors (and/or an effective CEO) would handle this much more effectively.
The problem with the analogy, however, is that a Board only reports to stockholders (and really only stockholders with a major stake in the company) a much more homogenous group that U.S. citizens (individual and corporate).
I did not vote for Obama, but hoped that he would roar into office FDR or Reagan style with a complete agenda and plan and get it implemented right away. Then we'd see if it was working.
But he did not. He's just nibbled here and there and been a very unfocused, if not disinterested leader.
The problem with the analogy, however, is that a Board only reports to stockholders (and really only stockholders with a major stake in the company) a much more homogenous group that U.S. citizens (individual and corporate).
I did not vote for Obama, but hoped that he would roar into office FDR or Reagan style with a complete agenda and plan and get it implemented right away. Then we'd see if it was working.
But he did not. He's just nibbled here and there and been a very unfocused, if not disinterested leader.
I am very happy with the new conservative direction of the Razor. By the way, to see an actual drum circle at occupy wall street, including white guy wearing Bob Marley shirt and completely nonsensical hippie poster writings, go here:
http://occupyherbstreit.tumblr.com/page/2
Plus, that website is funny.
By the way, did I give you a falcon? Where did I get a falcon? Damn cartoon me is so baller.
http://occupyherbstreit.tumblr.com/page/2
Plus, that website is funny.
By the way, did I give you a falcon? Where did I get a falcon? Damn cartoon me is so baller.
# posted by : 10:51 AM
: 10:51 AM
You didn't give me a falcon. You paid me with a falcon. And, a bottle of mediocre wine and $200.
# posted by : 10:58 AM
: 10:58 AM
Congratulations RRL!
What brilliant insight to have a falcon, 200 bucks and a bottle of cheap wine turn off the "Comment moderation has been enabled. All comments must be approved by the blog author" feature.
Now could you please tell us more about how to fix America.
What brilliant insight to have a falcon, 200 bucks and a bottle of cheap wine turn off the "Comment moderation has been enabled. All comments must be approved by the blog author" feature.
Now could you please tell us more about how to fix America.
I think the falcon turned off comment moderation. He likes to bite at shiny things.
# posted by : 11:33 AM
: 11:33 AM
Since RRL opened the topic of Occupy Wall Street, how about posting here a few of those silly signs they cooked up down there. There’s really something for everybody and here are just a few:
-If only the war on poverty was a real war, then we would actually be putting money into it.
-Jail Corporate Criminals.
-I bailed out a Bank and all I got was a new Debit Card charge.
My personal favorite:
-Due to recent budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.
And if RRL were to be an incoherent hippie there’s one that would fit him just right, I think:
-We don’t need no stinkin' permits, we’ve got the First Amendment!!
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-If only the war on poverty was a real war, then we would actually be putting money into it.
-Jail Corporate Criminals.
-I bailed out a Bank and all I got was a new Debit Card charge.
My personal favorite:
-Due to recent budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.
And if RRL were to be an incoherent hippie there’s one that would fit him just right, I think:
-We don’t need no stinkin' permits, we’ve got the First Amendment!!
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