Efficient and effective

[paindonthurt]

Ukraine is the cheapest money we will ever spend combating Russia. We should have done it with Georgia as well.

We don't need more domestic stimulus at this time, although my industry is booming because of it. Let what is there work through the system, and when its spending is close to be complete, target some other major need. People complain about the spending, but if our government would have been doing what it supposed to for the past 60 years, our bridges and energy infrastructure wouldn't be complete ****. There is no cheaper time to address it than today, unless you can go back and do it yesterday, and that is a fact.

We have sent them way way way too much money unchecked. That isn't arguable, but i'm sure you'll try.

 

[paindonthurt]

Hallmark of both parties is to clutch fiscal responsibility pearls while not in power, then spend like drunken sailors when in office. Been that way for most of my life. Surprisingly, Clinton was the only one to take a stab at stopping the bleeding in my literal lifetime:

"He had budget surpluses for fiscal years 1998–2001, the only such years from 1970 to 2023. Clinton's final four budgets were balanced budgets with surpluses, beginning with the 1997 budget. The ratio of debt held by the public to GDP, a primary measure of U.S. federal debt, fell from 47.8% in 1993 to 33.6% by 2000."

Here's a thought. Lets cut taxes and cut bureaucratic jobs by even more. lets start with a mandate of 10% reduction in number of workers and 10% reduction of remaining salaries above $150,000/year

 

[paindonthurt]

No. We are sitting on a very sizable bubble right now. The dollar is weak. Housing is stalling, wages are stagnant, and inflation is still crippling, despite what your president is telling you.

2024 is going to be a very rocky year for the economy. Very rocky. You heard it here first. Let's revisit later. But I'd advise taking precautions.

Nah man its all good. we'll elect a conservative president. the bubble will pop and the dummies will yell how great biden was!

 

[paindonthurt]

Baby Boomers have really done a lot of damage. Large portions of our spending is going to provide care for them, and they’ve book-ended these benefits with several rounds of tax cuts which are only compounding the problem.

We also put the Great Recession, Afghanistan, Iraq, COVID stimulus, etc. all on the credit card and don’t have much to show for it.

Baby boomers didn't create social security. but it should die with them.

 

[paindonthurt]

I would raise taxes rather than kicking grandma out to the street.

Trump and Bush’s tax cuts have been complete disasters. Especially considering both left office with us in deep recessions. COVID almost does Trump a favor. Most people forget we were having to cut interest rates in 2019 before Wuhan got involved.

hey lets give that efficient government more money!!! Atta boy!

 

[paindonthurt]

I would raise taxes rather than kicking grandma out to the street.

Trump and Bush’s tax cuts have been complete disasters. Especially considering both left office with us in deep recessions. COVID almost does Trump a favor. Most people forget we were having to cut interest rates in 2019 before Wuhan got involved.

FFS the recession under trump was purely b/c of covid.

 

[paindonthurt]

If I have 0 credit card debt, I guess that means that PDH owes $202K…

Here’s where that graph comes from by the way:

US national debt hits $34 TRILLION - and it could affect your finances

The staggering figure, which is a major point of contention between Republicans and Democrats, is equal to $101,233 in federal debt for every person in America.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Still on the spectrum huh?

 

[mstateglfr]

View attachment 495528

- Is the exponentially increasing US national debt actually a bad thing? Yeah, I get that it looks bad. And I get that we cant ever pay it off. But in what ways is it actually bad right now?
As a thought, if the debt is never called in to be paid at once, what does it matter how much debt we have?
Again, it looks bad and I fully recognize things need to change because yes exponentially increasing debt is bad at a fundamental level.

- Penn Wharton(Trump's school!) says this debt chart is misleading because it includes nearly $7TRILLION that the US Gvt owes itself. They say what should be focused on is equal to about 98% of GDP and that it isnt sustainable once we reach 200% of GDP.

- Time to mint some $10TRILLION dollar coins and hand em over to erase our debt. Kidding not kidding.

 

[paindonthurt]

Should 'offender' be used? I get it, its just a word so who cares...but at the same time, words matter to all of us and which ones are used often determine how something is viewed.
Just because something takes up half of a budget doesnt mean its an offender.

If spending is wasteful and does not benefit society in any number of ways, then call it an offender. I am not sure 'social programs' as a general category can be honestly argued as not benefitting society.

It doesnt benefit society to give them things they don't need and make them dependent. It hurts society way more than letting them suffer some.

 

[paindonthurt]

- Is the exponentially increasing US national debt actually a bad thing? Yeah, I get that it looks bad. And I get that we cant ever pay it off. But in what ways is it actually bad right now?
As a thought, if the debt is never called in to be paid at once, what does it matter how much debt we have?
Again, it looks bad and I fully recognize things need to change because yes exponentially increasing debt is bad at a fundamental level.

- Penn Wharton(Trump's school!) says this debt chart is misleading because it includes nearly $7TRILLION that the US Gvt owes itself. They say what should be focused on is equal to about 98% of GDP and that it isnt sustainable once we reach 200% of GDP.

- Time to mint some $10TRILLION dollar coins and hand em over to erase our debt. Kidding not kidding.

Debt isn't bad. Too much debt compared to income and assets is bad. Not sure how that is a hard thing to understand.

 

[HRMSU]

A few things:

1) not sure how you define "energy", but oil production is at record levels, as a nation, for the entire world. I admittedly don't keep up with any other "energy" so you may have a point?

2) Our infrastructure is what makes us a strong nation and we are falling apart, so this was needed. It seems all republicans are now on board with it as well, since they all show up for photo ops the minute that the money they voted against hits their district. I'm certain that bill had a lot of fat in it, as they all do, but we have to do something at some point. I'd just as soon we start now and me help foot bill for my kids and grandkids.

3) The inflation rate has dropped from 9 percent to 3.2 percent, but it's pretty unlikely the Act did that by all objective accounts that I find.

4) It is interesting, and this is NOT directed at you just the topic in general, that a lot of people genuinely believe the "media" that tells them Trump was great for the economy when he is the first president since Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression to depart office with fewer jobs in the country than when he entered.

5) I've lived long enough and am more than capable enough to look at the data to see that the economy largely is the economy and doesn't have a particular political party affiliation.

1. Get used to it. We are leaving the Middle East because we no longer need to keep the peace so the oil keeps flowing to our Allies. We will provide it. Just hope a decent regional power can keep that place from going to hell in a hand basket and Turkey is not as friendly to the West as they used to be so good luck.

2. Trying to follow your Republican shaming or hypocrisy claims here because the fat that "you are sure was in the bill" is why it wasn't supported. I think both parties and most Americans
support true brick and mortar infrastructure improvements. That's not even a partisan issue it's an American issue. So, yes, celebrate the real infrastructure projects in your district and call out the BS crap that was packaged in that deal. That goes for both parties on jamming in the fat!

3. No argument here. The fact that they even came up with the idea of naming it what they did is a reflection of how they think of all of us much less the low information useful idiots voters.

4. Small thing called COVID shut us down and wrecked the whole economy....maybe you were lucky enough to miss that....boy I sure wish I could have. I will say that there has been a good rebound in the market and my investments are doing pretty good but they were cooking prior to COVID.

5. For the most part I agree. There are policy nuances and how we each are impacted changes with the party politics but Wall Street is going to Wall Street.

 

[mstateglfr]

It doesnt benefit society to give them things they don't need and make them dependent. It hurts society way more than letting them suffer some.

Reality just hasnt played out like your Ayn Rand views would suggest.
The country has grown exponentially in GDP, productivity, healthy, protections, and education since the introduction of social safety nets and socially funded programs and gvt departments.

Its a direct line of site path from those things being introduced to improvement and sustained prosperity within society.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Still on the spectrum huh?

The spectrum is my life.

Be glad you aren’t on the spectrum. You’d been bullied constantly by folks when you were a teen.

BTW, at least you didn’t use The Epoch Times this go-around.

 

[mstateglfr]

Debt isn't bad. Too much debt compared to income and assets is bad. Not sure how that is a hard thing to understand.

I understand that and even acknowledge it in the post you quoted. I say it is bad at a fundamental level.
Penn says we are good until we double where we are now. So stop trying to paddle against the current, sit back, and enjoy the ride down the river and over the cliff...if you live long enough to see how far the fall is.

...or just mint some $10TRILLION coins and screw the world. Thatd be about the most USA thing ever- totally on brand. Lets go for it!