Thoughts on Today's Political Landscape

[randolph]

Tracy

I agree with your last sentence. Over the last 3 years, the democrats have stuck us with spending packages and royally expanded government which greatly accelerates our debts rise to $20 trillion. The debt level and current spending levels has already brought our credit rating down for the first time ever. This limits our ability to care for the segment of our society that worries you so much without putting us further in the hole. Dangerous times... __________________

We have gone over the "quantitative easing" and the enormous costs of that program in other posts and threads. I hate it that the banks have got off Scott free on the financial debacle.
The massive debt is indeed very scary, particularly in view of the fact that it has had marginal beneficial effect. Presumibably it prevented a worldwide depression, which is very good. If the economy was back on its feet and unemployment was down to 6% I suspect the huge debt would seem less important.
A lot of that will be paid back with recovery and the rest will be inflated away to the detriment of my and everybody elses savings. It will be good for the stock market however.
Indeed, we are in a serious bind and now Obama wants to spend another 450 billion to reduce unemployment,. Where is that money coming from, more debt? Now he wants to cut employment taxes, further weakening social security. Reinstating the Bush tax cut for the rich would only add 80 billion, where is the rest coming from. A serious slashing of our bloated imperialistic military budget would help alot.

[randolph]

Here is a hypothetical scenario and how it would work out for government income. It is quite clear where all the money is. FDR taxed the rich at around 70% to help pay for WWII.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by randolph

Indeed, we are in a serious bind and now Obama wants to spend another 450 billion to reduce unemployment,. Where is that money coming from, more debt?

How many stimulus packages is this guy going to do before he finally realizes they don't stimulate the economy? There is something wrong with the economy. BO's administration needs to stop printing money to buy votes and try to understand WHY the economy is so bad and fix the real problems.

Some interesting posts. I've actually enjoyed reading them. I don't identify with either party. One thing that has become obvious is that the US desperately needs leadership and Obama is clearly not the "one":

http://www.standard.net/stories/2011...r-nation-needs

My ex-wife and I supported Hillary through the 2008 primary. Reluctantly I voted for Obama in the fall. It was in the midst of my divorce. Maybe I can plead temporary insanity?

Who do any of you see emerging as the next US president?

[ila]

Originally Posted by aw9725

...Who do any of you see emerging as the next US president?

The wrong person.

I don't really see any leaders running for the US president. The only person that has a chance of bringing some credibility to the office is Hillary, provided that she decides to run and gets the nomination.

[smc]

The problem is that the government is not stimulating the economy enough. Roosevelt understood it. Obama does not, or the intransigence of those who more directly represent the wealthy rulers (i.e., more directly than does he) keeps it from happening. What we need is many, many, many hundreds of billions in investment to create jobs doing things this failing, falling-behind country needs, not piddling symbolic stimuli ... and not tax breaks for phony "job creators."

[randolph]

Originally Posted by smc

The problem is that the government is not stimulating the economy enough. Roosevelt understood it. Obama does not, or the intransigence of those who more directly represent the wealthy rulers (i.e., more directly than does he) keeps it from happening. What we need is many, many, many hundreds of billions in investment to create jobs doing things this failing, falling-behind country needs, not piddling symbolic stimuli ... and not tax breaks for phony "job creators."

Maybe the billions will come from China to build factories here when millions of desperate unemployed workers here in the US are willing to work for peanuts, like the dock workers in the nineteen thirties.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by smc

The problem is that the government is not stimulating the economy enough. Roosevelt understood it. Obama does not, or the intransigence of those who more directly represent the wealthy rulers (i.e., more directly than does he) keeps it from happening. What we need is many, many, many hundreds of billions in investment to create jobs doing things this failing, falling-behind country needs, not piddling symbolic stimuli ... and not tax breaks for phony "job creators."

Wasn't about half of the stimulus bill composed of tax cuts?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by aw9725

Some interesting posts. I've actually enjoyed reading them. I don't identify with either party. One thing that has become obvious is that the US desperately needs leadership and Obama is clearly not the "one":

http://www.standard.net/stories/2011...r-nation-needs

My ex-wife and I supported Hillary through the 2008 primary. Reluctantly I voted for Obama in the fall. It was in the midst of my divorce. Maybe I can plead temporary insanity?

Who do any of you see emerging as the next US president?

That's one problem right there. There is no "one" leader. A leader is not needed. People working in concert in full knowledge of the benefits they will gain and the good they are doing for their fellows is what is needed.