OT: Rick Santorum is running for President (again)
- Thread starter kjbert
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Report on Hastert I heard on the radio this morning while waking up (so maybe I misheard some of this) touched on the "what for" question briefly, said wasn't being publicized but then noted that he used to be a schoolteacher and coach for 16 years before being in Congress. So I'm thinking it has to be a kid (at the time) that was underage and he had a relationship with while a teacher. Boy or girl, who knows.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
1) The nomenclature is very important when discussing entitlements. The invention of the propaganda terms "entitlement" and "government hand-outs" is very much an exercise in semantics and marketing of party agendas. What you lump into one "entitlements" umbrella, I would subdivide more precisely. There's a difference between valid anti-poverty programs, bad economic policies driven by special interest groups, bad tax code, and decades old social programs that have not adapted with the times.
2) What is the threat? Where is it? Is it threatening US shores? Is it threatening our allies? Our oil? Our overseas corporate interests? Is our $8 billion of annual TSA spending not effective? How about the $600B of defense spending?
You've made my point about a nomenclature argument. Call them what you will but my list certainly highlights, for most reasonable people, what I mean. As far as defense is concerned - you are aware, I hope, that, as an example, we have drastically reduced the size of our navy while China is launching two super carriers a year. See China building islands in the previously international waters of the South China Sea. See Russia's annexation of Crimea and their continued breaking of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine while Lithuania orders conscription of young men into their military in fear of Putin's desire to rebuild the old Soviet Union. See the rise of ISIS in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Tajikistan - 75,000 fighters from over 100 countries including Europe and the USA. Perhaps the two hardly reported attacks in one week inside Saudi Arabia by ISIS will get your attention unless you're a candidate for the Neville Chamberlain "Peace in Our Time" award? How about an Iran nuke? Will that do it? Anybody who doesn't see how weakened America has become under this President has their head in the sand (or maybe even in a worse place.)
Unfortunately, that was the first thing I thought of, too, when I the story about the bribes.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
1) The US has more than half of the world's aircraft carriers. What's the point of having more when you also have a network of military installations upon which the sun never sets?
2) The rest are not US problems
One fear of IS is exportation. That is it. CIA, NSA FBI and locals do a nice job tracking this. Let the est cook because it's such a murky shit show that there is no move we can do right now that will help the matter. Putin is bleeding his country to death and the middle east is about a 6 or 7 country proxy war and the sides are not even clear. Our friends are friends with our enemies, and we are friends with their enemies and every move has very little upside right now. But exporting terror is legit - but it has been since Munich pretty much.
I believe ISIS cells are already here. I agree that the agencies charged with protecting us are doing a great job. But, I predict Baghdad will one day be Saigon redux and we'll see our choppers lifting Americans from the roofs of buildings in the Green Zone. I don't buy the idea that ISIS is not our problem. Remember, when they started, the Nazis were only 10% of the population and they took control of most of Europe.
serious question, how does the government address this issue? Seriously. As a practical matter how is this even realistic? Sounds great on paper, but I"m curious as to how this is possible for the federal government? Seems like an idea cooked up in some ivory tower. More handouts to make everyone equal? I'm not trying to be flippant but never understood how people expect the government to fix the idea of "income inequality". It's a talking point, not an issue the government can fix.
by "lifting all boats" or by simply taking from those who make more?
Solving income inequality isn't about making everyone equal, it's about bringing some (but hopefully most) of the 45M Americans below the poverty line to an acceptable standard of living.
I would imagine it's hard for most BWers to relate to living at that line, but it's really a low standard to hit. Justice isn't about taking from the mega rich and giving to the poor, it's about making sure people have some dignity. If it means adjusting tax codes on people that make 10M or more a year, I won't lose much sleep -- and frankly neither should they. I respect that they earned that money, and I'm associated with people who make that much (and have reaped the benefits from knowing them), but it should be unacceptable to live in a society where 15% of the population live below poverty line.
I would imagine it's hard for most BWers to relate to living at that line, but it's really a low standard to hit. Justice isn't about taking from the mega rich and giving to the poor, it's about making sure people have some dignity. If it means adjusting tax codes on people that make 10M or more a year, I won't lose much sleep -- and frankly neither should they. I respect that they earned that money, and I'm associated with people who make that much (and have reaped the benefits from knowing them), but it should be unacceptable to live in a society where 15% of the population live below poverty line.
The problem with thinking the government can fix this is the people who get squeezed are the shrinking middle class. The rich can afford these policies, the poor will benefit in a marginal way but the cost of living gets taken out of the middle. Obamacare is a perfect example. In an attempt to help those on the low end, the rich pay more and the middle gets crushed as they have the same service as before but now just pay more. The result is less purchasing power. The government cannot solve this issue and saying it's "top priority" as an issue to be solved by government means people ignore the ones are real in terms of what can be done. We already have free healthcare, welfare programs and a very progressive tax code. It's not like we're here with no safety net and flat tax.
The best way to address "income inequality" is to get off your ass, stop playing the victim, work harder and be an exemplary employee and further your education even if that means doing it after work!
Simplistic post from a simpleminded poster.
That being said, I am with adp here. We should not ignore the poverty issue, but government run social programs are not the solution.
Not sure the tax code is progressive enough if 45M people are below the poverty line. There's plenty of evidence that shows increasing welfare has profound effects on alleviating the poverty burden. Not saying it solves everything, but it helps lower crime and brings more people up to an acceptable level of humanity. God forbid we used a little bit of the $400B F-35 helping children on the verge of starving. The goal isn't to increase laziness and dependency for those collecting welfare, but right now we'll just stay the course and keep heading down the same road -- clearly not working.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/ending-poverty-by-giving-the-poor-money/?_r=0
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/ending-poverty-by-giving-the-poor-money/?_r=0
Here's an idea. It's a hybrid program to address income inequality. Instead of just handing out benefits, you put recipients to work on public projects like cleaning up neighborhoods. How about, as an example, making the thugs who rioted and looted and burned in Baltimore, making them clean it up and participate in the rebuilding process rather than spending them to prison where they will just become an additional drain on the taxpayers. It's about time we had leaders with innovative solutions instead of the same old redistributive nonsense,
Ahhh - when in doubt, go with a Nazi comparison. "ISIS cells" were Al Qaeda cells before this, and were something else before that. They have been here for years, and will be here for years. Many of them are on our radar and being watched closely.
Perhaps not removing Sadam would have been a decent way to combat what is going on in Iraq right now? I dunno. But it seems Colin Powell's "you break it, you bought it" proclamation was somewhat legit. When IS rolls into Saudia Arabia, I am sure we'll be ready. Till then, I do not see any upside of the United States spending money and lives on a war between Sunni and Shiites that has been raging since 400BC or so. Let it cook, and stay vigilant.
The tax code really doesn't impact people below the poverty line who don't pay income taxes or come out to a negative interms of taking vs. Paying into the system. We already subsidize these people. You cannot solve their problems via government. We already do this. This is another example of the talking points not matching reality. It's a silly ploy to drum up the liberal base before elections. Not based in any real reality of the system.
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Some have, 5.0 I give you Dr. Ben Carson as the epitome of what a poor ghetto kid can accomplish in this country if they are motivated.
Most people that are making big money don't pay big taxes because they find loopholes. I don't blame them for gaming the system, but if you are making that much money you are smart enough to hire the best accountants and lawyers so you pay 15% instead of 35%.
And again, if you think our system is progressive/working, do you think the problem is solved and we should keep on doing what we're doing?
I have smart accountants, i'm paying 30+ percent on an effective rate. Unless you have carried interest these loop holes don't exist. It's a fallacy. You get mortgage up to one million some 529 money on your state and you can write down expenses. I might have missed a few but that's it. Wwhen you're paying 47 percent on income tax alone you're nowhere near 15 percent. That's just not reality. You sell something you built, you get cap gains (which has gone up), you do have carried interest: outside of that you're getting reamed at an effective rate over 30. This tax hate is so silly. And again, soaking the rich even more does nothing on income inequality. Liz, you said it was your number 1 issue in the upcoming election but you don't think gov can solve it? That's a dubious statement.
I don't think the gov can solve it either. Usually, the gov makes worse trying to solve economic problems. Obamacare being a great example of awful policies that crush the middle class. Read an article this morning that premiums are expected to soar next year as most people expected. Middle class are going to get crushed. Best thing gov can do for middle class if create an environment to thrive. Gov. Won't solve the problem.
I was waking up. Fell asleep first period of the Hawks-Ducks game. Kids took me down early.
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
(1) FALSE
(2) TRUE
Jesus. You lack perspective on race issues. Do you read? Or does all the information in your head get there via the osmosis of the steady background buzz of Fox News talking points all day?
30%+!? Jesus, adp. Sounds like your accountants are merely accounting for what you are doing and not guiding you to better options. You may need to schedule an appointment with kjbert.
The baby boomer generation looted the middle class and is turning out the lights on it as the exit the workforce.
ND used to be a thoughtful/reasonable poster with whom you could have a good discussion. Now, he seems to be an angry intolerant guy spewing out irrelevant nonsense and personal attacks. It' too bad! (See his post above which is devoid of any substantive info and just attacks other posters personally.)
Does this mean that ND is yet another member of the same small group who is driving all of the good to very good posters away from BW with his old, boring nonsense?
If so, will you miss him?
If so, will you miss him?
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
All Ben Carson did was wake up one day in the ghetto and say you know what, I think I'll get up off my lazy ass and work hard, and I can do anything that I set my mind to!
Problem solved!
And if Dr. Ben can do it, anyone can!
(I can't find the sarcastic font button in this new format, but this type of oversimplified thinking is hilarious yet scary at the same time).
Problem solved!
And if Dr. Ben can do it, anyone can!
(I can't find the sarcastic font button in this new format, but this type of oversimplified thinking is hilarious yet scary at the same time).
NickleDimer
Post 'Til Your Fingers Bleed
I believe there is a lot of real estate between leaving the ghetto and become a neurosurgeon and leaving the ghetto and becoming a valuable tax-paying member of society? Let's just take the extreme like we did here. We'll chalk it up being systemic and deny all sense of personal accountability? Look at Baltimore now. The cops can't/won't do their jobs and where is all the major crime happening? In the same neighborhoods by the people who rioted over Freddy Gray. Mission accomplished. Now they are free to rape and pillage their own people even more.