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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (272996)	2/11/2006 4:44:49 AM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1573123

Last count when we had this argument, it was over 20%. No. You might have said it was over 20% but actually it was not even remotely close to that figure. Our GDP is close to $13 trillion. That's interesting because we weren't discussing GDP; GDP was not at the base of the ratio set up by the article......the original point was that 40% of Russia's national income, not its GDP, went to its military, and that was its downfall. And then I said that US defense was costing us at least 20%, not of the country's national income, but of the US budget. However, were we to use national income as the base figure, then the percentage for the defense number would be closer to 25% since the federal budget usually is a larger amount then the revenues the gov't collects. What's not surprising is that you brought out the GDP number again. Its your favorite.......whenever you are losing a discussion and want to trivialize another number you whip out the GDP. Its such a huge number every other number pales in comparison. Of course, the number itself doesn't mean squat........everything but the kitchen sink is thrown into it so that what exactly it reflects is not very clear. But what is very clear is that the Republicans are so used to lying and prevaricating to everyone including themselves, the the GDP number has become the holy grail.......its their explanation and justification for every act of irresponsible spending and irresponsible tax cuts. They have told themselves so many stories and come up with so many convoluted formulas to explain away problems that they have forgotten what's real and what's not real. Supply side economics, the trickle down effect, deficit spending, tax cuts for the rich, etc........all Republican mumbo jumbo intended to cover their greed and destructive behavior and which ultimately gets underpinned by the $13 trillion GDP number that will make everything okay. Well, Tim, its all lies.........all BS. If you understand the concept behind Republican economics, then you are a crook. If you don't, then you've been snookered. Take your pick. For a long time, there were enough strong people opposing you all to keep the US from going down the tubes.....but most of them are gone now, or have been neutralized. The markets still go down when they announce the US trade deficit last year was the highest ever thanks to our dependency on oil, or when its announced that the budget deficit is growing at a faster rate. But then, in a couple of days, it bounces back forever stuck in a range that never goes anywhere....maintaining a general malaise.........a malaise that results from greed and lies.