That's exactly it. And the Americans love it. I've read about this for years but to actually see this happening in plain site is just so sad.
The Economy May Never Recover!
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That's exactly it. And the Americans love it. I've read about this for years but to actually see this happening in plain site is just so sad.
I thought this could be fun...
It's easy enough to look through the proposed stimulus bill and say, "That's crap... so's that... that, too."
If you were tasked with taking this behemoth of an economy from the bowels of a deepening recession, and you had to do it quickly with taxpayer money, how would you do it?
How much cash would you need? Where would you spend it?
Tax cuts? For whom? How much?
Aid? To whom would you give it?
I know a lot of you have some really kick-ass ideas floating in your head. Care to throw 'em out there?
It's easy enough to look through the proposed stimulus bill and say, "That's crap... so's that... that, too."
If you were tasked with taking this behemoth of an economy from the bowels of a deepening recession, and you had to do it quickly with taxpayer money, how would you do it?
How much cash would you need? Where would you spend it?
Tax cuts? For whom? How much?
Aid? To whom would you give it?
I know a lot of you have some really kick-ass ideas floating in your head. Care to throw 'em out there?
Well... to start with I would cut the corporate tax from 35% to 10%. Then corporations would have more money to reinvest in building their business, hiring more people, and providing benefits for their employees ( this assumes the stock payers would demand the CEOs take reasonable salaries). I would let the market correct itself. I would NOT print more money.
I would revamp the entitlement system ( as in scrap most of it). Let churches and charities help those who need help. The government is not our Babysitter. The government should maintain roads and infrastructure and protect citizens from invasion. The money we could save by not giving entitlements to illegal aliens alone would be a fortune.
I am a capitalist and that is where I would start. I am also old, my back is hurting, and I'm going to bed now.
I would revamp the entitlement system ( as in scrap most of it). Let churches and charities help those who need help. The government is not our Babysitter. The government should maintain roads and infrastructure and protect citizens from invasion. The money we could save by not giving entitlements to illegal aliens alone would be a fortune.
I am a capitalist and that is where I would start. I am also old, my back is hurting, and I'm going to bed now.
Easiest question in the world.
Economic Stimulus? Repeal the income tax. Bam, 50% more money for everyone to spend.
More jobs? Remove corporate taxes. Hey, what do you know, companies can afford to hire people again.
Tax cuts? For the rich. For the poor. For everyone.
Aid? No one. Life isn't a fucking charity. Get off your ass and be productive.
Follow all this by massive spending cuts. This would include ending our overseas empire.
If this could happen, we would have the most productive economy ever.
I'm of the the opinion that we're fucked. No, we aren't going to starve to death or anything...but the high standard of living we've enjoyed is now on a long downward path.
Someone asked who fucked up the economy in the first place -- here is a summary of how we got here: SheeplePeople Summary
Someone asked who fucked up the economy in the first place -- here is a summary of how we got here: SheeplePeople Summary
I know a couple of people that have been let go. A recession is when your neighbor losses they're job and a depression is when you lose your job.
Before you go off talking about how crazy this stuff sounds. Do your own research. This is just some off the stuff I've browsed and reviewed.
The New World Order, an Overview
[ame=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6030443037963555139]Esoteric Agenda[/ame]
Friends of Liberty - FEMA CONCENTRATION CAMPS: Locations and Executive Orders
I know only a handful will take the time to educate themselves about what is happening and what could possibly be going on behind the scenes
The New World Order, an Overview
[ame=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6030443037963555139]Esoteric Agenda[/ame]
Friends of Liberty - FEMA CONCENTRATION CAMPS: Locations and Executive Orders
I know only a handful will take the time to educate themselves about what is happening and what could possibly be going on behind the scenes
I think its possible to get out of this tight economic condition but it will take time and effort. Remember we did get out of the Great depression.
Well, depending on who you ask, we've already spent somewhere between $500 billion and $3 trillion dollars on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So I guess America is that stupid.
But budgeting money to be spent on education, improving school facilities, keeping our teachers employed, keeping the population healthy, repairing our roadways, and a bunch of other stuff that goes to benefit actual citizens is something I can definitely get behind. Agree or disagree on government spending, they're going to do it anyway. So I would rather see that money go to aid teachers, students and people in need in general.
I would rather the world more closely resembled a Libertarian's wet dream, but that's not the case. Republicans had eight years and they spent it on bombs, clandestine prisons, war crimes, shredding the constitution and being assholes in general. I'm no Democrat, but let's see how things go when the man in the White House is turning the Federal Spending Faucet inward.
I just read this and laughed (and then cried a little in discouragement)...
"Every economist, even those who quibble with the details and the makeup in the package, will agree if you've got a trillion dollars lost in demand this year and a trillion dollars in lost demand next year, then you've got to have a big enough recovery package to actually make up for the lost jobs and lost demand."
- President Obama
Source: Senate faces stimulus package deadline - CNN.com
I try not to pick on Obama too much, but comments like that are nearly as discouraging as others' tendency to be persuaded by them (including our elected officials).
Funny and sad at the same time.
"Every economist, even those who quibble with the details and the makeup in the package, will agree if you've got a trillion dollars lost in demand this year and a trillion dollars in lost demand next year, then you've got to have a big enough recovery package to actually make up for the lost jobs and lost demand."
- President Obama
Source: Senate faces stimulus package deadline - CNN.com
I try not to pick on Obama too much, but comments like that are nearly as discouraging as others' tendency to be persuaded by them (including our elected officials).
Funny and sad at the same time.
People need a bit more historical perspective here about what Obama is up against. The stock market crashed in 1929 as we all know, but this did not by itself cause the great depression. The depression begin in the 1920s as a recession, as you will see at this url which gives a time line. The economy was sinking in the midst of good times, culminating in the crash.
After the crash, there was still no depression, which began in 1932. You had years of bank failures, growing unemployment, economic contraction and government inertia. Obama is seeing the same trajectory, and trying to stop the skid. You may not agree with his methods, but this is his intent. Those who have a deeper understanding of the era may know there was an active and growing Bolshevik movement here. My own grandmother, who was abandoned by her husband and supporting 3 kids on Relief, was approached by their recruiters. Some have speculated that The New Deal (and Roosevelt) saved the country from a communist takeover by spending on public works projects (employing the destitute) and giving the country direction and a sense of purpose.
Some may make the case that The New Deal didn't cure the depression; WWII finally ended it. Yes, this is true. We have two running wars right now. Are they helping our problems much?
After the crash, there was still no depression, which began in 1932. You had years of bank failures, growing unemployment, economic contraction and government inertia. Obama is seeing the same trajectory, and trying to stop the skid. You may not agree with his methods, but this is his intent. Those who have a deeper understanding of the era may know there was an active and growing Bolshevik movement here. My own grandmother, who was abandoned by her husband and supporting 3 kids on Relief, was approached by their recruiters. Some have speculated that The New Deal (and Roosevelt) saved the country from a communist takeover by spending on public works projects (employing the destitute) and giving the country direction and a sense of purpose.
Some may make the case that The New Deal didn't cure the depression; WWII finally ended it. Yes, this is true. We have two running wars right now. Are they helping our problems much?
The New Deal didn't end the great depression. WWII helped, but it didn't end it either.
What caused it in the first place was the statist government policies being used. What made it so long was FDR and his "new deal". What got us out of it was the free market. We didn't get out of the Great Depression until the government finally started taking a little more of a hands off approach to things.
What caused it in the first place was the statist government policies being used. What made it so long was FDR and his "new deal". What got us out of it was the free market. We didn't get out of the Great Depression until the government finally started taking a little more of a hands off approach to things.
Government should be paying for:
Infrastructure. (I include food/water/sewer/roads in this)
Police/justice system
Proven, scientific, medical care.
Basic education to produce consumers.
Smart economic investments.
Defense, so other jealous countries can't come and take it all away.
Oversight that prevents oppressive monopolies. (Media, banking, etc)
Everything else should be in the private sector. There should be a very basic, very minimum level of comfort available to everyone.
Taxes pay for the playground. The games that you play in the playground should be up to the people who are playing.
Infrastructure. (I include food/water/sewer/roads in this)
Police/justice system
Proven, scientific, medical care.
Basic education to produce consumers.
Smart economic investments.
Defense, so other jealous countries can't come and take it all away.
Oversight that prevents oppressive monopolies. (Media, banking, etc)
Everything else should be in the private sector. There should be a very basic, very minimum level of comfort available to everyone.
Taxes pay for the playground. The games that you play in the playground should be up to the people who are playing.
We've just witnessed what corporations do with their cash - they stuff their pockets with it. The oil companies just got a bunch of huge tax cuts under the bush administration and what did they do? did they use it to reinvest, did they hire more people, did they provide more benefits for their employees? Just the top level executive employees. All the while, the rest of us choked on high heating costs.
I think you have forgotten about something: how about social security and medicare? I pity the poor politician who suggests to the public they take in granny in her old age and pay her medical bills.
Not that you personally wouldn't enthusiastically care for your mother in her late golden years 24/7. There's your playground. Just saying.
And social security would fall under the very basic minimum care required.
My parents are taking care of their old-age long-term needs by paying for insurance that pays for that. Free markets are better at that than government.
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