Re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic

POSTED BY: dreamtrove
UPDATED: Thursday, March 30, 2006 06:32
VIEWED: 6568
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DREAMTROVE

Thursday, March 16, 2006 3:57 AM

I watched the senate debate the budget today.

Democrat: let's close some loopholes and spend, that will fix the problem.

Republican: Tax and Spend Democrats! Hiss! Let's take the money from 920.

Democrat: There's no money in nine twenty. That's just another way of saying you'll take out a loan! Borrow and Spend Republican! Hiss!

Republican: There's no money in the loopholes, we closed those loopholes and spent the money already.

Democrat: We can't borrow. Look at the debt. Up it goes.

Republican: We can't tax. Look at the sagging economy.

Democrat: Here's an idea: Let's close some loopholes and spend, that will fix the problem...

I began to wonder if there was anyone in the senate who could see this who sinking ship thing. Only one proposal actually suggested we reduce spending: A Snowe(R)-Wyden(D) amendment which would change the medicare cost analysis to the same as the one used for the VA, which would save us a couple hundred billion. Sounded like a good idea.

Anyway, just thought that our govt, which is now spending $3T a year and has a debt of $9T and long term liabilities of $53T.

Fifty Three Trillion Dollars. The GDP of Earth is only $55 Trillion.
Anyway, wondered if anyone here had any ideas on how to fix this problem, or anything we can do about it.

DREAMTROVE

Thursday, March 16, 2006 7:10 AM

$$$Bump$$$

SASSALICIOUS

Thursday, March 16, 2006 7:23 AM

use a 3 dollar homemade car bombs to fight war instead of multi-billion dollar contracts with boeing, lockheed martin, and whatever the others are called.

but that's not very realistic.

AUSSAY

Thursday, March 16, 2006 9:28 AM

Pull out of Irag and reduce the military budget, especially the billions on research and weapon development

"Shake your head boy, your eyes are stuck"

www.fireflyfans.net
http://www.browncoatsriseagain.com/

PIRATENEWS

Thursday, March 16, 2006 10:49 AM

Stop Gangsta Govt from looting $70-trillion/year from CAFR govt pension funds, which could be used to run ALL govt ops without ANY taxation of any kind. RAISE taxes on imports to equalize wages via FAIR Trade. Halt ALL new construction on govt projects. Pull out of 60 nations including Iraq, and put half of all troops and national guard on the borders, with orders shoot to kill all Mexican civilians, police and soldiers (just like Iraq). Deport 30-million illegal aliens, including "anchor babies".
http://cafrman.com

www.police-state.net

USA no longer exists thanks to NAFTA SHAFTA, which merged USA with Mexico and Canada, which is part of 55-nation British Commonwealth, run by the German dictator Queen of England, for the "British" Empire (Anglo-Sino Alliance). That's why cops aren't allowed to arrest 30-million criminal aliens in USA today, with 7,000 more invading USA every day, with immunity from prosecution for criminal trespass. Where's that pussy HERO/ZERO when ya need him? USA DOA RIP.

www.whatreallyhappened.com/Aug02articles.html

"No mandatory registration markings on the bow. Make sure we cite them for that. Your ship and its contents will be auctioned. The proceeds of its sale will go to pay for your defense."
-Alliance commander

FIREFLY SERENITY PILOT MUSIC VIDEO (VERSION 2)
Dobson: You're gonna kill a lawman in cold blood?
http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2006/03/8912.php

HERO

Thursday, March 16, 2006 2:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by piratenews:
Where's that pussy HERO/ZERO when ya need him?

Guess I'm too busy putting people in jail for real crimes. I don't have time to deal with your 'crazy talk'.

I am driving to a neighboring county next week to be a "special prosecutor" (turns out I'm "special" after all)...if I see any illegal aliens I'll try and run them over. Thats the most I can do for you, aside from recomending a good therapist and that you up your dose of anti-depressant medication.

As for saving the government from economic disaster. I work, pay my taxes, have bought a new TV/car/house, and vote for fiscally sound Republican candidates. I've done my part. Now you want real economic stability then you need to address health care costs and energy production. Until we do, things are just going to putter along like they have been for the last ten years or so Bush/Clinton/and whoever is next.

H

DREAMTROVE

Thursday, March 16, 2006 3:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SASSALICIOUS:

use a 3 dollar homemade car bombs to fight war instead of multi-billion dollar contracts with boeing, lockheed martin, and whatever the others are called.

but that's not very realistic.

It seems to be working okay for the enemy.

Quote:
Originally posted by AUSSAY:

Pull out of Irag and reduce the military budget, especially the billions on research and weapon development

We can't really pull out of Iraq until we destroy it. I mean, literally, split it in three to avoid a civil war. But I disagree where the fat is in the military budget. I think weapons research is probably the better part, but we should kill WMD projects in favor of things like missile defense. It would be nice to be able to stop OBL when he gets his hands on a nuclear missile rather than just sit back, watch, and then swear vengeance.

DREAMTROVE

Thursday, March 16, 2006 3:33 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pirate News:

Stop Gangsta Govt from looting $70-trillion/year from CAFR govt pension funds

This number seems off to me. I don't think there are $70 trillion dollars a year to be had, sinc ethe GDP of Earth is only $55 Trillion, which was in my post.

The best answer to this IMhO is privatize social security.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pirate News:

Pull out of 60 nations including Iraq

I'm not at all sure this is a good idea. We could reduce our forces in Germany, and we're doing that, but we maybe should keep an army in S. Korea just in case. Not adding a war with Iran would be a start.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pirate News:

Put half of all troops and national guard on the borders, with orders shoot to kill all Mexican civilians

Now you're just talking crazy talk. Here's a solution: Merge with Mexico. Screw the border. If the Mexicans were already *in* America, they would stop coming *to* America. There's no flood of people from Alabama into California. in spite of the fact that Alabama is really no better off than Mexico. No one is coming to NY from South Carolina, which is arguably in worse shape than Mexico (Anyone been there lately?) But this is an immigration issue, it doesn't really affect the budget.

DREAMTROVE

Thursday, March 16, 2006 4:00 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hero:

I work, pay my taxes, have bought a new TV/car/house, and vote for fiscally sound Republican candidates. I've done my part. Now you want real economic stability then you need to address health care costs and energy production. Until we do, things are just going to putter along like they have been for the last ten years or so Bush/Clinton/and whoever is next.

Ah, someone who understands the problem. I think I need to post the budget here so people get the idea, which I'll go dig up a graphic in a sec.

Electing conservative republicans is probably a good start, but you can also write your elected representatives and tell them your ideas. If you don't, they're more likely to bow to other ideas they get from other letters, which are often paid for by lobby groups.

My local congressman was here talking about the works. He said he gets maybe 50 to a 100 'unique' letters on each issue/bill as it comes up. He said that the unique letter is one that has the appearance of being written by a sole individual citizen with their own unique ideas. Everything else they get is part of a group effort. These group efforts ultimately get reduced to one letter. If you get 1000 people to send something in, he says only one copy or letter goes into his file. If he thinks it's not a sincere voice of the people, but some organized spamming, move-on.org or something, then zero copies go into the file.

Health care costs are probably the main concern in the budget. I was looking for particular ways to do that.

To me, the energy production answer is easy, we need to give up on oil. This is one area where I agree with Bush, or, at least what he says. Actually, I agree with most of his state of the union address, except the parts about being hawkish on Iran. A war with Iran will not only hurt our budget, it will up our global death toll, and permanently put the fatal gun shot to our international image. Our new image as "genocidal anti-arab crusaders" will not be attracting international customers to american business. But I digress.

Here's the Washington Post's Budget:

This budget doesn't account for supplementals for defense appropriations, which need to stop. I think were up to another 5%-10% being tacked on to the budget each year in defense appropriations supplementals.

DREAMTROVE

Thursday, March 16, 2006 4:07 PM

Two questions. What's "Income Security" and why are there two things for "Health" and "Medicare". Hero is right, the biggest block there is healthcare spending, but it's just in two blocks. But what's "Income Security"? I googled this with no luck.

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