I don't know who said it yesterday, but some government official said that "cutting costs in this city would be POLITICAL SUICIDE."The left so often blames Republicans for EVERYTHING, including this rotten economy, but which party is it who has made so many Americans dependent enough on freebies for a politician to say that?
So, as we've all said for years, Democrats won't cut anything because they'd have no political careers, and Republicans are afraid to do as much cutting as necessary.........how do we survive?
Z
45 comments:
They care about our survival only in that political power guarantees that they can thieve from us and, thus, continue to feather their own nests.
All that matters to politicians -- regardless of political affiliation -- is power.
Like most people, keeping their jobs is a primary goal of politicians.
The statement "cutting costs in this city would be POLITICAL SUICIDE" is a true one now.
Americans don't even realize how dependent they have become on government funds. Many sectors of our economy depend on federal dollars for the very existence of those sectors. Two quick examples of what I mean: paratransit services and certain programs in public schools (including speech therapy for children not enrolled in the public education system). Conservatives, too, screech when they realize that such programs might be lost if the budget axe falls.
I'm sad to say that most Americans have a sense of entitlement. Getting Americans to develop that sense of entitlement has taken decades, but now we see it having become a lifestyle.
Meanwhile Obama and the Progressives are getting us deeper and deeper into socialism! The blame lies with the president and his party.
Obama could snort cocaine in the Oval Office and blame Bush, and guess what? The Progressives would believe him!
yes, AOW, they've been enticed long enough that it's a lifestyle.
Remember when families just a generation back would have rather died than take welfare? There are still families like that, I'm sure, but NOT MANY.
And, of course, the gov't never advertised welfare, food stamps, etc...attracting the new to the freebies.
And colleges have worked for the left on making people feel entitled.
it is political suicide because no country has succeeded with this methodology.
Radical, and they called Reagan The Teflon president? !!
"which party is it who has made so many Americans dependent enough on freebies"
Well,while this is a rhetorical question, as the answer is obvious, it begs another question. How has our society become so ignorant of reality that the expectation of "freebies" has lead to such imprudence at the "Ballot Box"? Once again Jefferson nailed it:
http://doctorbulldog.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/a-nation-hell-bent-on-voting-itself-gifts-from-the-public-trough/
Z - We survive by keeping going.
By each section of government doing their job. By trying to get along. By the people speaking out and by following the Constitution.
We been in a bad way before and we can survive this bad time.
Sue, you voted for him, why are you complaining ?
Sue said:
We been in a bad way before and we can survive this bad time.
THIS bad?
Recommended reading: Your Public Servants Are Robbing You Blind.
Sue,
While few would deny the need for Government, how would [you] reconcile the fact that Governments in the US, Federal on down, are taking on debt at a pace which outstrips any hope of repayment. Only moments ago our U.S. National Debt stood at $16,745,238,500,900, growing so fast it was impossible to even keep up while watching the increase go forward on the " U.S.Debt Clock". The way I see it, "keeping going" on the path that we are on will only compound the situation, as the Left Wing continues to "trash" the Constitution!
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: "It goes on." ~ Robert Frost
AOW --- the example you gave does seem egregious but we have no idea whether or not she did a decent job.
Certainly we know that the people in the financial sector like Pete Peterson who is running the deficit con job have NOT done a decent job of anything except enriching themselves.
The brainwashing is so bad on the right that we have droves who think you can compare the fiscal policy of the comptroller of the worlds reserve currency to a household budget.
Sorry, but the general populace is not ready to handle economic issues. They can only be manipulated.
We can thank Obama and the democrats for the divisive politics we have today,and for dividing the American people and pinning them against each other by putting everyone into separate groups and the constant character assignations by the left.
America as we knew is gone and it won't be back. The people have been conditioned to blame eveyone and everything, except government.
that's right COF. The government who, lives high off the hog on tax payer money and in DC where it is one of the richest of 7 counties in the country wants us to believe it is someone else's fault.
It will if it goes the European way. There's no doubt about it. Today I was listening on French TV that now european countries may not be able to guarantee bank deposits because they're too broke. That's a very scary thought.
And today, I read that Obamacare will not control costs. Duh! France can't even control costs with their medical system that includes some price control.
We're in deep merde.
The brainwashing is so bad on the right that we have droves who think you can compare the fiscal policy of the comptroller of the worlds reserve currency to a household budget.
Ducky, you're an economics ignoramus and you're making fun of the "populace." Please!
This is the failure of telling Americans the American dream was about having stuff, having a big house and forgetting that the American dream is about the freedom of being or becoming who you want to be, wealthy or not.
This is the failure of materialistic thought here and in the Western world. Whether it was Marxist materialism or right-wing materialism (only prosperity matters), it has pushed people into this materialistic vision of the American dream.
That belief led them to getting into debt, which created the opportunity to greedy banks and financiers to create unsustainable financial products, knowing they would get bailed out by their friends in government using their cartel aka the Federal Reserve.
Now we are in a downward spiral. Because some people on top are exploiting the situation for financial or political gains. This will eventually turn ugly because there's also a moral crisis in the Western world that hasn't been yet addressed openly.
Look at Europe. The situation is worse every day. Things are imploding under our own eyes for the same reason. The European dream was the dream of material equality and the welfare state to save people from materialistic concerns.
America cannot help but fail. The reason for this is that the people are Epic Fail. This isn’t about one political party or another … they are both major disappointments (to me). But note how the communists have taken over one of these parties, and note also that people without spines have taken over the other.
America will fail because there are too many people living within our borders just like Ducky (AKA Nostradumbass). No one hates America as much as Nostradumbass, and he is happy to do his part to accelerate our nation’s destruction. So, as long as we have filth such as this, our country is destined to fail.
Sue, I've blogged about what you said; Democrats really do feel things will be okay and, with a good look at the deficit and illegal immigration and the morality of our kids (I could go on for miles here but will limit it to what's on my mind right now), we will not be truly okay again. I can only imagine that people on the fence but who voted for Obama at the last minute did think that "Well, it's America! We'll be fine whoever wins"
I think we're being shown that's a horrible miscalculation.
I can remind us all of years gone by and less deficit (or no deficit), interest from the banks, kids whose parents cared enough to raise them with character and dignity and a work ethic, teachers who didn't indoctrinate, when families chipped in because welfare wasn't big enough to yet, when the military was doing such good, when immigrants respected our country's laws enough to know they'd better damn NOT come in illegally or they were going back (never imagining we'd PAY them to be here illegally), ...etc etc.
No, we will not be the same. This is something we must all address in our hearts and at the voting booth next time. Or at least in 2014. That could help.
And no, I do NOT think Republicans have it all made and they'll fix everything. But, they'll at least remind us that patriotism is not something we need to be ashamed of, and that defense IS important, and WE COME FIRST. No matter WHAT.
No country survives without that; WE COME FIRST. Period. Does that mean we aren't compassionate? No, but WE come first.
By the way, folks, did you all see where even Bill Maher is bemoaning his high taxes? Yes, the guy who gave a million to Obama's campaign fund (supposedly) but didn't seem to have understood all that Obama was going to DO?
AOW, you are SO right...it took well calculated years of indoctrination to get us to this awful level of entitlement but I don't see how we get out of it.
Darth - How do you get from my comment that I'm complaining?
I'm psychic
The only avenue I can see to startto reverse course, is to build a viable third party. The Democrats and Republicans have become so utterly corrupt that they are beyond salvage. They both maintain an incestuous relationship with the media, and both have the primary goal of gaining and/or maintaining power....always at the expense of the liberties of the citizenry.
Only competition for that power, will make them return to even a modicum of accountability.
@CI
" build a viable third party.."
Totally agree. They'll either run scared or get the message we're fed up.
Ducky: Even the financially unsophisticated know that you cannot continue forever to spend more than you take in.
Were the debt a static percentage of GDP, it would be a different situation.
The debt continues to grow, and if the economy ever takes off again, the jig is up. As interest rates rise, service on the debt will consume a much larger percentage of the budget.
Not a good place for a household or a nation to be in, regardless of who got us here (and I think we can all agree that the major parties share the blame on this one).
CI,
I agree, in theory, that a "viable third party" may be a desireable alternative. Do you think that the 'numbers' are there? Whenever this comes up I always remember that this concept gave us "Slick Willy" and his endless baggage. You are right, however, it's up to us to fix things. I just hope that there are enough of "us" to make it happen!
JonBerg - I'm not confidant that enough citizens will ever realize the intellectual and political deficit our nation is in.
It's simply too easy to maintain the status quo, and then bitch about the state of affairs. Society has been induced to believe that every issue pits the 'good' party versus the 'bad' party....when in fact both parties thrive on that paradigm for their existance, and the media enables and perpetuates the busniess model.
One thing is for sure, the GOP is willing to allow America to fail and destroy the middle class with policies and filibusterw obviously intended to keep feeding their corporate overlords.
Just wake up, young man. The corporate overlords have bought many people on both sides of the aisle.
The country has already failed.
When the imbecile communist was voted in a 2nd time that sealed the deal.
We're not America anymore. In my opinion, we're being taxed at 10X plus the amount of tax that was imposed on Early Americans when they told Britain what for. We have legions of the stunningly stupid actually cheering each liberty that is taken away from them by the communist democrats that have had the majority since 2006 elections.
This isn't America. Not any more.
The only way we can possibly survive is to hit rock bottom and hope the pain hits the 51% hard enough that it brings enough of them out of their stupor to understand what is going on.
Elect a repub in 2016 or 2020? Useless and probably impossible anyway. I'd even argue, detrimental actually, since all will be blamed on them and only push back the time when people might get a glimpse of reality.
The Only chance now is 3rd party. How likely is that?
Radical Redneck. Respectfully I disagree. The Blame lies with the voters.
The dependent, nanny state loving, lazy ignorant, mis and uninformed voters.
Though ignorance is no longer a valid excuse.
The government is requiring the medical industry to go paperless, and move their records and data to computer networks...
...but Medicare and Medicaid will not accept an electronic signature for any documents from a doctor.
---
The Navy is using four times as much paper since it went "paperless."
how do we survive?
Learn how to hunt, fish, sew, and speak Spanish.
The number one show on TV is WWE.
Followed closely by Sports, and the likes of Jersey Shore and Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, etc.
3rd Party ? Not a gonna happen.
My advice is to have a plan B and C close to your heart. This evil is just getting started.
Honestly, I can't WAIT to run into the likes of Libgirl on the street in a couple years complaining about how HC costs are 3X, food 3X, gasoline 3X, and their home value - 30%, and their take home is Less than it was 5 years ago.
Man, I'm going to laugh in their face so hard, and tell them to S U because this is what they voted for. Go see bill mahr, wolfey bltzgreig, or the moron pelosi if they want their money back. hahaha
@C. Fouts -- Ducky: Even the financially unsophisticated know that you cannot continue forever to spend more than you take in.
Were the debt a static percentage of GDP, it would be a different situation.
The debt continues to grow, and if the economy ever takes off again, the jig is up. As interest rates rise, service on the debt will consume a much larger percentage of the budget.
----
Yup, you can't allow it to grow at a higher rate than economic output even in a low interest environment. True enough, wouldn't argue with that.
But let's look at how we got here:
1. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars were funded with supplementals and kept off the books.
2. The Bush tax cuts.
3. The housing bubble and the collapse of the American investment banking system along with the subsequent bailout.
4. The stimulus
The smallest was the stimulus which probably accomplished the Keynesian goal of spending to promote growth.
However, we still haven't done much about the other three and have added a health insurance program that continues the insanity of for profit health care and does nothing to lower costs.
In other words, The Black Messiah is just an extension of Chucklenuts. A corporate pimp and hardly the socialist people claim.
As a nation we can solve those issues but I think the problem occurs when we let the Pete Peterson crew take over. A parcel of poltroons who have no desire for reform but wish only to eliminate social programs completely.
You and I could solve this but we'd have to get the fringe crazies on both sides to shut up and take a timeout.
Kid,
"The country has already failed."
You will get no argument from me. Unless and until common sense prevails we will remain screwed!
Thanks for your continuing enlightenment. All too many still don't get it.
@ Ducky: "the stimulus which probably accomplished the Keynesian goal of spending to promote growth."
A dubious claim. If this is all we got for all that spending, then we should conclude that the brand of Keynesianism they tried is a failure.
Where's the multiplier?
No, there is not substitute for economic growth brought on by time-tested free market principles.
Ask Europe how spending their way of of it is working.
For all the talk of austerity, government spending in Europe continues to climb, as the banksters and government collude to rob the public.
You and I could solve this
What pretentiousness.
Ask Europe how spending their way of of it is working.
The guy won't get it. Plus the mistake of Keynes and many economists is to analyze economics without looking at the legal framework and other human criteria. Without mentioning the inability to consider return on investment. And that's why the experts don't have a clue these days. It's like climatologist looking at climate by only looking at what's going in the atmosphere without looking at the sun or under the Earth.
You can try to keep spending in France but it won't work. It hasn't worked since Mitterrand in the 80s. Why? Because there's no incentive to create any jobs in France. It's too costly because of taxes that companies have to be paid on workers. And the wages are too high for people who work 35hrs a week and go on vacation 2 months in the year. Fix that first then spend money SMARTLY.
Curt, so glad you came back and did yet another much-needed lesson for Ducky. Thanks for that (I almost emailed you in case you were too busy to come back!)
FrogBurger, excellent last sentence there. Sad thing is that we are on the same slippery slope, too stupid to see it coming.
Liberalman, when you stop being a drone and a 12-year old mouth piece, comment again. Till then, spare the energy. I'm yawning.
Real definition of liberal = lies be us!
and we're damn proud of it too ... there, we've spoke "my mind!" and you've got to do what we say and be tolerant as we strip away your freedoms. We can be viciously hateful, the great Ox has spoken."
Gosh, who does that sound like?
"I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:13-14
Good NEWS: "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." Is 14:15
Happy Ending! Heaven's better than delusional Utopia! Yay!
FrogBurger, Many see the situation in Greece if they're even watching and they see that Cypriot is planning to 'tax' deposit savings. Just pull some right off the top. And they gasp and see how evil that is.
Yet, how many see that their American dollar has been reduced in value by 40-50% and realize that this is even worse than the gov just tapping your account for a one time 40% (You can remove your money and not give them another chance)
In the USA, you have no option, Your 2003 dollar is now worth much less than 50 cents and you have no way to get it back or protect it unless you put it to work making (risky) investments.
Your dollar has not only been devalued but prices have gone up and portions have gone down, so you ever worse off.
Ah, what if the dollar value goes back up? Prices aren't rolling back. They never have before generally speaking. Add in all the obammycare taxation that is going to really start hitting in 2014 and I triple guarantee you prices aren't rolling back, they will continue to go up.
I'd rather pay the one time 40% and have a currency that is worth 100 years from now what it's worth today.
The EU can't print money like the US can and is doing. Well over 45 trillion since the 'financial crisis' started in Oct 2007.
JonBerg, Thanks for the compliment.
Post a Comment