Government Gone Wild

1. 61

   canadawest99posted 14 years ago

   Don't let the recent budget deal fool you.  Nothing was accomplished.  This video puts things in perspective.  Scary to say the least.
   
   http://youtu.be/VtVbUmcQSuk

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   1. 71

      Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The assumption that we have to "pay off the debt" is incorrect. All we have to do is reduce the deficit sufficiently that the debt becomes smaller relative to the size of the economy. Accomplishing this is important. The debt can't continue to grow indefinitely. I wonder who the strident guy reading the lines as if he really knows something about economics is and who's paying him to do it?? Personally I prefer "Girls Gone Wild."

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      1. 61

         canadawest99posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Ralph, its all debt, you are just playing with semantics.  Whether the U.S. tackles the long term debt or the annual obligations it doesn't matter.  I think what the video is saying that both of those are so large that they defy solutions that people will accept.

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         1. 71

            Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            No, I'm not "just playing with semantics." You are disseminating clever propaganda funded by Dick Armey, the Koch borthers, the Cato Foundation in the form of an unidentified strident individual (paid actor), selected to appeal to ignorant Tea Baggers, reading a script written for him by the people who stand for slashing Medicare, Medicaid, and gutting the federal government, destroying collective bargaining and cutting taxes for the richest Americans.
            
            Linked below is an op-ed from today's paper by Nobel prize economist, Paul Krugman, which provides an informed view of the issues that apparently concern you.
            
            http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/opini … ef=opinion
            
            "The House budget proposal that was unveiled last week — and was praised as “bold” and “serious” by all of Washington’s Very Serious People — includes savage cuts in Medicaid and other programs that help the neediest, which would among other things deprive 34 million Americans of health insurance. It includes a plan to privatize and defund Medicare that would leave many if not most seniors unable to afford health care. And it includes a plan to sharply cut taxes on corporations and to bring the tax rate on high earners down to its lowest level since 1931."

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            1. 61

               Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I love the way that "we should spend less money because we're trillions in debt to the world" is seen as propaganda.
               
               That's brilliant. Marx would be proud.
               
               Here's the real question to ask: why haven't our debtors come knocking on our door for the money?
               
               I would guess 1) we spend most of the money we get on "defense", and 2) we pay them off with backroom central bank deals.
               
               just guesses, though.

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               1. 71

                  Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Why don't we agree to just leave Marx out of the discussion?
                  
                  The point Krugman is making is that slashing the budget with unemployment at 8+ percent is premature and risks sliding back into another recession. This is standard economics taught in nearly every classroom outside of Bob Jones "University." Everyone agrees that the deficit must be brought under control at the appropriate time. But there is little agreement on what programs should be cut, let alone on a badly needed tax increase on the corporations, banksters and oil billionaires.

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                  1. 61

                     Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     The same people who predicted the collapse in 2000 and 2008 are the same people who are warning against this.
                     
                     Krugman not only was wrong, but he contradicts himself regularly.

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               2. 60

                  DTR0005posted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Or another possibility Evan is much less sinister. We are a great customer  - we are one of the best customers our debtors have. And who in business wants to see a good customer fail or go under? It's all interconnected. We go under they lose a great customer.

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   2. 74

      cheaptrickposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Damn!I was hoping to see some politicians topless and flashing like'girls gone wild'!What a disappointment...but then maybe not considering the...well...ya know...

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2. 72

   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Government Gone Wild?
   
   The government of America hasn't operated properly, since it's inception. The government put in place an Economy, which encounters slowing periods. The duration of the slowing period is supposedly being reduced, with injections of "paper money".
   
   However, inefficient monitoring and poor governmental laws, has led to one sided advantages for some. That some is the upper 1% of the wealthy.
   
   It's obvious to the average person that America's political arena is corrupted completely. It's recently been realized, through self-realization- that American politicians are not trustworthy at all.
   
   Those who are corrupt, actually taking money, sway votes in either direction are the guiltiest. Those who don't say anything or bring those individuals to light, lack integrity, because they sit from a position of compromise or else, trying to defend the citizenry. Compromise isn't equality. The advantages are one-sided and not always beneficial to all those involved.
   
   So, it means, the citizens actually don't have representation in any political office, because none of them wants to actually do what's right for the citizenry. And, too busy, protecting themselves from the onslaught of the rest of the citizenry.
   
   Who is actually protecting the citizenry? Answer- No one. Everyone is too busy protecting themselves, including the citizens themselves. Utterly ridiculous.

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3. 41

   Mikeydoesposted 14 years ago

   You guys see "Inside Job"?
   
   Please do, it is a new documentary, narrated by Matt Damon(who does a great job) that explains why we are in this mess.
   
   There should be a bunch of people behind bars right now, but instead they have all the money, and they leave us with none. And also make it harder for us to get it.
   
   Gov't, bankers, lobbyists are all in it together, they all have the money.. And everyone keeps voting for it. It'll make you sick when you watch it. I had a good idea of it going around, but it shows you things that really boggle your mind.
   
   We as a nation need to do something, starting with taking all of their money and putting them behind bars.

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4. 71

   Ralph Deedsposted 14 years ago

   Government Gone Wild--
   
   http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/l … ry/1123039
   
   Before you go to a Government Gone Wild seminar, know speaker's history
   
   By Dan DeWitt, Times Columnist
   In Print: Wednesday, September 22, 2010
   
   Politics & Campaigns
   
   Maybe, you Pasco County residents have seen the ads in your subdivision newsletter. Maybe on the Internet.
   
   And maybe, if you don't trust national politicians and you're easily swayed by exclamation marks and capital letters, they might sound like something you need to see, these seminars, these bold, new exposes of waste and dishonesty that go by the name of Government Gone Wild — excuse me, GOVERNMENT GONE WILD! — and that promise to tell you "what the federal government does not want you to know!!''
   
   Because "ADMISSION IS FREE'' and they are scheduled in Pasco for "ONLY 3 NIGHTS!!'' you better "RESERVE NOW!!''
   
   None of this is new to Hernando County, home of GOVERNMENT GONE WILD! star Blaise Ingoglia, who is identified on the governmentgonewild.org website as a motivational speaker, which is one of several titles by which he goes. Professional poker player is another. So is chairman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee, which casts doubt on the claim that these seminars, the first of them scheduled for Thursday night at the Word of Life Auditorium in Hudson, really are "NON-PARTISAN.''

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   1. 61

      canadawest99posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The post was not an endorsement of the company government gone wild or his speaking tour, just the facts he presents which are dead on.
      
      If you don't like that analysis then just sit with the U.S. debt clock running on your screen for a few minutes and that will tell the story (look for the $113 trillion dollar figure at the bottom), or just wait until May when the U.S. technically defaults on its debt or is forced to come up with 300 billion in cuts.
      
      Anyway you look at it, U.S. is insolvent.  The debt is real and its not some fabrication and it will never be paid back.

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      1. 71

         Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The "facts" are a script written for an actor by extreme libertarians, supply-siders, tax opponents, government haters and funded by people like the Koch brothers who aren't satisfied with their bloated fortunes accumulated thanks to oil industry tax loop holes.
         
         Yes, the debt is real and it will never be repaid. If the deficit is eliminated the debt will become insignificant as the economy grows. Doesn't it strike you that one of the richest countries in the world can no longer support its schools, repair its roads and bridges, help its poor, provide universal health care and so forth. Why not? Because the corporate anti-tax crowd and billionaires don't want to pay their fair share of taxes. So produce videos like the one you posted to manipulate the an uninformed electorate to vote against their own interests.
         
         You are from Canada where the government seems to be able to do the normal thinks expected of a democratically elected government.

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         1. 61

            canadawest99posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Canada's debt was spinning wildly out fo control about 15 years ago and we bit the bullet hard to get it under control.  First the gov't did do stimulus spending but it didn't go to banks, it went to community grants to develop infrastructure and value added businesses.   That got the economy kickstarted a bit, then our sales tax and personal taxes went up a few points across the board and then across the board cuts in gov't spending.  No program was spared.  The deficit was eliminated for quite a while until the last few years when the economy crashed.  Now they are trying to eliminate a new deficit in 3 or 4 years.

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            1. 71

               Ralph Deedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               The banks in Canada are much more responsible than banks in the US. My understanding is that they didn't get involved in the excesses in the mortgage market like virtually all major US banks did.

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5. 72

   tritrainposted 14 years ago

   Oh.
   
   I thought his was a bunch of politicians of politicians on spring break...
   
   Dang.

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6. 71

   Ralph Deedsposted 14 years ago

   Here are some facts about the US deficit--
   
   http://www.dailykos.com/

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   1. 59

      Doug Hughesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Ralph, I did some calculations a few months back. I was curious, assuming a balanced budget, what would my monthly share be if we wanted to halve the national debt in 30 years?
      
      I weighted the calculations by income - each share is a direct ratio of income. My income is in the middle quintile and my monthly payment comes out to a whopping $46.08 per month.
      
      For someone in the top 5% of earners, it could run upwards of $300 per month. For someone in the bottom 20% their monthly payment to cut the debt in half is only $10.
      
      There's a lot of people screaming that the sky is falling. The only thing missing to solve the debt and deficit is the will.
      
      That and the influence of fat cats who don't want to pay their share.

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