Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (115376)	8/31/2008 12:38:50 PM
From: Skeeter Bug	Respond to of 132070

oh yeah, and that old line about "opening the books" to cut waste is absurd. california's taxinator made that claim, along with a "time to let the sun shine in" comment when he was running for office. when he actually got in, he didn't audit anything, he didn't eliminate waste, but he did oversee a 40% increase in spending over 5 years. lies, d*mned lies, statistics and campaign promises. the system is broken beyond repair when it takes a sociopathic liar to get elected.

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (115376)	8/31/2008 12:45:46 PM
From: Skeeter Bug	Respond to of 132070

perhaps the biggest lie of the night was when obama said he's running for president for america, not for himself. well, bill clinton cranks in almost $10 million a year off of his ex-president notoriety. i fully expect obama to contribute all his ex-presidential "booty," as it were, to the us treasury. if he keeps it to benefit himself, another lie will have been exposed. and no, giving away 20% of his ex-presidential booty isn't good enough. he didn't say he was in this 80% for himself and 20% for americans. anybody want to take any bets where his ex-presidential proceeds end up - in his own pocket or in the treasurey to help all americans? i didn't think so.

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (115376)	8/31/2008 12:56:29 PM
From: Freedom Fighter	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 132070

skeeter, It isn't really the current debt or deficit that's the problem. It would be quite easy to support the current debt load by simply tinkering with the growth rate of spending. If you lower the growth rate of spending to below the nominal growth rate of the economy, real economic growth slowly lowers the deficit and eventually produces surpluses. We wouldn't even have to raise taxes. You could certainly argue that we are running up debts for things that are unlikely to pay for themselves, but that's typically the case with government. The real problem is all the long term promises made by pro government politicians that created and consistently expanded the role of SS and medicare in order to get elected. Keeping those promises or coping with them will require massive tax increases, massive cuts and intergenerational warfare, large scale inflation out of the IOUs etc... in coming decades. Virtually all countries and corporations carry debt. The key is how large they are relative to GDP/earning etc.. not the absolute level. When dealing with government the key is almost always what people are promising in order to get elected and what it will really take to fund it. Be careful of politicans making promises unless they are promising to make cuts. If they fail on the latter, at least it's neutral. If they succeed on the former, it's always a disaster.

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (115376)	8/31/2008 4:59:13 PM
From: Knighty Tin	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 132070

1. I believe that in 10 years we could be totally independent from Middle East oil. It will require the committment of the early space program, but we can do it. It could have been accomplished much sooner, but Reagan dismantled our energy technology programs when he took office. Hell, he even got rid of the 55 mph speed limit, which is just common sense. I know lots of people get orgasms driving at high speeds, but, as a nation, it is a luxury we couldn't afford. Thanks, Crazy Ronnie. Who you vote for does matter in this stuff. Neither party is perfect, but the Dems make some effort and have some accomplishment in the energy effort. Republicans are only accomplished at cranking out windfall profits for their base. 2. Possible, yes. If we can get the wealthy and the corporations to pay their fair shares. 75% of corporations pay NO income tax. That is a very tough promise and I don't think the Pres has the power to enact it in 8 years. So, it is improbable. 3. If we get universal health care, of course premiums will go down. Having 159 insurance cos. offering different health care plans, and then tailoring them for corporations and unions and so on is the definition of insane policy. 4. No chance on this one. I would gladly quit Blue Cross to get the Congressional Plan. Skeets, you are so cynical that you have lost your hope gene. McCain's solution of going to war with everyone won't help our debt much. But neither candidate talks about the elephant in the room. And the Dems should. They handled it better than any Republicrook ever has. The debt has soared under Dumbya. I would hire a worker who I knew was lying if she was attractive and that what she was lying about was not sleeping with her bosses. Hence, the appeal of Palin. <G>