Are you ready for austerity?

[Cancel8]

When the new House majority is seated, you can expect a lot less, if the Tea Party candidates' rhetoric can be believed.

What government programs and services are you willing to do without?

Of course, cuts may not be enough to tackle the deficit.

Are you willing to pay more fees?

Are you ready to pay higher taxes?

Are you ready to wait longer for benefits, have them reduced, or maybe even forgo them altogether? Think scholarship programs/student aid, Social Security, VA benefits, Medicare.

In some countries where austerity measures are already being defined, there have been mass protests, strikes, and even riots after the electorate realized they'd put people in power who would actually cut government spending.

When spending is cut, programs and services will have to be curtailed or eliminated, pensions and other benefits reduced, payments postponed or even eliminated, etc.

Many schools, public and private will feeel the pinch as grant funding vanishes.

Layoffs are possible as government agencies are forced to eliminate programs.

Reduced spending means fewer dollars for businesses that provide goods and services to the government.

Are you ready to lose your job (and maybe do without unemployment benefits) to balance the budget?

What are you prepared to sacrifice?

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

What government programs and services are you willing to do without?

I don't think we necessarily have to do without any particular programs or services. We can cut defense by 1/3 (at least) and still be well equipped to defend our country. We can still cut education, while increasing pay to teachers and reducing overall spending.

That said, we can most certainly cut insane subsidies and let the free market decide what is viable and what is not.

Are you willing to pay more fees?

Are you ready to pay higher taxes?

I think it is inevitable given our debt situation that taxes/fees go up from here. Once the economy shows strength again, we should expect just that.

First... Social Security... my guess is we will see the formation of a donut... meaning the SS tax will begin hitting income over say $300k (or whatever arbitrary number they choose)

Second... While ideally they would chuck the entire tax code and switch to a flat tax with standard deduction, they won't have the balls to eliminate their bribe money (I mean lobbying money). Thus, we will likely see a bump up in the highest brackets, in cap gains rates etc... Then what we won't see is all the deductions and loopholes the idiots in DC add to the tax code to benefit their wealthy bribers.

Are you ready to wait longer for benefits, have them reduced, or maybe even forgo them altogether? Think scholarship programs/student aid, Social Security, VA benefits, Medicare.

If they create a donut for SS, pushing back the bene start date may not be needed. Especially if they allow for privatization as well.

Medicare/Medicaid are a mess. As long as we continue to be an overly obese society (in addition to the aging of the baby boomers) health care costs will continue to escalate. As long as we pretend we can simply fix the system by guaranteeing coverage for all (rather than actually working to fix the problem of rising costs) we are going to see this eventually cripple our economy.

In some countries where austerity measures are already being defined, there have been mass protests, strikes, and even riots after the electorate realized they'd put people in power who would actually cut government spending.

This is happening because those countries promised the world to their people and then discovered they couldn't afford it. Now people want what they were promised and are throwing tantrums as a result. This is why the ever increasing so called 'safety nets' are a farce. While it is nice to hear and it gets people elected by lemmings who believe the bullshit, these 'safety nets' are typically just a mirage. Waiting to disappear right as you need them.

When spending is cut, programs and services will have to be curtailed or eliminated, pensions and other benefits reduced, payments postponed or even eliminated, etc.

That is just fear mongering. Cutting spending can actually increase economic production if it is done to eliminate waste. There is NO reason we can't go back to the spending levels per capita that we had in the 80's and 90's.

Many schools, public and private will feeel the pinch as grant funding vanishes.

Bullshit. Grant funding would not have to be eliminated.

Layoffs are possible as government agencies are forced to eliminate programs.

True. Layoffs will occur in areas where there is vast waste. We should not maintain the status quo simply out of fear of people having to retrain to other fields. If we had this mentality in the early 1900's, the auto never would have taken off and you might be working for a buggy whip maker.

Reduced spending means fewer dollars for businesses that provide goods and services to the government.

Again true. see previous comment.

Are you ready to lose your job (and maybe do without unemployment benefits) to balance the budget?

The economy as a whole would benefit greatly in the long run if the idiots in DC would quit outspending the revenue every friggin year.

What are you prepared to sacrifice?

Whatever is necessary to quit pushing the problem onto future generations. we HAVE to take the pain. Otherwise the future pain may be more than this country can bare.

 

[Cancel8]

I don't think we necessarily have to do without any particular programs or services. We can cut defense by 1/3 (at least) and still be well equipped to defend our country. We can still cut education, while increasing pay to teachers and reducing overall spending.

That said, we can most certainly cut insane subsidies and let the free market decide what is viable and what is not.



I think it is inevitable given our debt situation that taxes/fees go up from here. Once the economy shows strength again, we should expect just that.

First... Social Security... my guess is we will see the formation of a donut... meaning the SS tax will begin hitting income over say $300k (or whatever arbitrary number they choose)

Second... While ideally they would chuck the entire tax code and switch to a flat tax with standard deduction, they won't have the balls to eliminate their bribe money (I mean lobbying money). Thus, we will likely see a bump up in the highest brackets, in cap gains rates etc... Then what we won't see is all the deductions and loopholes the idiots in DC add to the tax code to benefit their wealthy bribers.



If they create a donut for SS, pushing back the bene start date may not be needed. Especially if they allow for privatization as well.

Medicare/Medicaid are a mess. As long as we continue to be an overly obese society (in addition to the aging of the baby boomers) health care costs will continue to escalate. As long as we pretend we can simply fix the system by guaranteeing coverage for all (rather than actually working to fix the problem of rising costs) we are going to see this eventually cripple our economy.



This is happening because those countries promised the world to their people and then discovered they couldn't afford it. Now people want what they were promised and are throwing tantrums as a result. This is why the ever increasing so called 'safety nets' are a farce. While it is nice to hear and it gets people elected by lemmings who believe the bullshit, these 'safety nets' are typically just a mirage. Waiting to disappear right as you need them.



That is just fear mongering. Cutting spending can actually increase economic production if it is done to eliminate waste. There is NO reason we can't go back to the spending levels per capita that we had in the 80's and 90's.



Bullshit. Grant funding would not have to be eliminated.



True. Layoffs will occur in areas where there is vast waste. We should not maintain the status quo simply out of fear of people having to retrain to other fields. If we had this mentality in the early 1900's, the auto never would have taken off and you might be working for a buggy whip maker.



Again true. see previous comment.



The economy as a whole would benefit greatly in the long run if the idiots in DC would quit outspending the revenue every friggin year.



Whatever is necessary to quit pushing the problem onto future generations. we HAVE to take the pain. Otherwise the future pain may be more than this country can bare.

Good answers. I suppose we'll see if the majority shares your sense of purpose as time goes by and the reality of what "reduced government" really means sets in.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

We could fix all our economic problems by implementing protectionist measures and keeping jobs here in america. This is the obvious simple solution, that's why you rarely hear it discussed in the internationalist fascist controlled media. They only talk about stimulus and tax cuts, no real solutions.

 

[Cancel8]

We could fix all our economic problems by implementing protectionist measures and keeping jobs here in america. This is the obvious simple solution, that's why you rarely hear it discussed in the internationalist fascist controlled media. They only talk about stimulus and tax cuts, no real solutions.

If only you ruled the world.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

If only you ruled the world.

Wow. now that's a cogent argument in favor of globalization stupidity.

Do you have any real arguments against protectionism? Something not based on revisionism and myopia?

 

[Cancel8]

Wow. now that's a cogent argument in favor of globalization stupidity.

Do you have any real arguments against protectionism? Something not based on revisionism and myopia?

You'll need to ask someone who's in favor of stupidity. I can't help you.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

You'll need to ask someone who's in favor of stupidity. I can't help you.

Stupidity is your area of specialty. It's apparent in your posts.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

We could fix all our economic problems by implementing protectionist measures and keeping jobs here in america. This is the obvious simple solution, that's why you rarely hear it discussed in the internationalist fascist controlled media. They only talk about stimulus and tax cuts, no real solutions.

Again.... Smoot Hawley... look it up.

Protectionism is destructive not only to our economy, but to the global economy. Such measures are moronic in nature.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

Wow. now that's a cogent argument in favor of globalization stupidity.

Do you have any real arguments against protectionism? Something not based on revisionism and myopia?

Smoot Hawley

 

[Sammy Jankis]

Smoot Hawley

LOL. That sounds funny.

Protectionism is still exactly what we need to save our economy.

History doesnt matter. The world is different now.

 

[Cancel 2016.2]

LOL. That sounds funny.

Protectionism is still exactly what we need to save our economy.

History doesnt matter. The world is different now.

LMAO... yeah... history doesn't matter.

Fire burns you say? sorry, but history doesn't matter. Fire will surely not burn today just because it did yesterday.

 

[Cancel8]

Stupidity is your area of specialty. It's apparent in your posts.

Got any examples of "stupidity" in my posts? Please link to them. I'm always open to improving.

 

[Sammy Jankis]

LMAO... yeah... history doesn't matter.

Fire burns you say? sorry, but history doesn't matter. Fire will surely not burn today just because it did yesterday.

We didnt need protectionism when we had all the technology and organization to produce, but now we do need protectionism since alot of other countries can produce really well.

It all comes down to the lives of americans. Do you care about them?

Globalization zealotry is dumb economically, morally wrong, creates national security risks, and generally erodes our future.

 

[Cancel8]

Now, back to the subject of the thread...

Has anyone seen Youcut?

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/

 

[Sammy Jankis]

Now, back to the subject of the thread...

Has anyone seen Youcut?

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/

Protectionism has everything to do with austerity.

Through protectionism austerity measures could be avoided.

 

[Cancel8]

Protectionism has everything to do with austerity.

Through protectionism austerity measures could be avoided.

Have any historical examples of the avoidance of austerity measures through protectionism? Or is that an impossible request, since "history doesn't matter", according to some?

 

[Sammy Jankis]

Have any historical examples of the avoidance of austerity measures through protectionism? Or is that an impossible request, since "history doesn't matter", according to some?

It's the outsourcing of all our jobs that creates the needs for austerity.

think it through instead of relying on dead and irrelevant history.

 

[Cancel8]

It's the outsourcing of all our jobs that creates the needs for austerity.

think it through instead of relying on dead and irrelevant history.

By "think it through instead of relying on dead and irrelevant history", do you mean you can't supply any evidence for your position?

 

[Sammy Jankis]

By "think it through instead of relying on dead and irrelevant history", do you mean you can't supply any evidence for your position?

No. Not at all. Im relying on you to know what the fuck is going on in the present, and asking to consider my model of causality.