The deficit is a concern, not a crisis. Unemployment is a crisis. Fix unemployment and you'll fix the deficit, not the other way around.

Repeat after me: no one actually gives a fark about the deficit. no one actually gives a fark about the deficit. no one actually gives a fark about the deficit.

Most people think that 90% of the Federal budget goes to welfare and foreign aid.

vpb: Most people think that 90% of the Federal budget goes to welfare and foreign aid.

Don't forget Planned Parenthood and NPR (or is that welfare & foreign aid too?)

It's actually really simple: Take away the party labels, and a vast majority of people want more and smarter spending on social programs, infrastructure, and the general well being of the populous, and less spending on wars, pointless foreign aid, and ridiculous business policy.

There is no cognitive dissonance here. The BoomerWorst Generation has taken it upon themselves to ensure they get what they want now and run up the debt, what do they care they'll be dead in 30 years, their kids can deal with the problem.

No taxes now! Don't touch my Medicare! Electric scooters for everyone! U-S-A! U-S-A!

I'm down with cutting the Defense budget in half.

Obvious tag pulling a double-shift to cover the workload?

In a very general sense I think it's a truism that we are selfish beings. Everyone else needs to sacrifice. It's someone else's problem.

That's because the reality of the deficit is not that big a deal and people have no reason to care about it, but the concept of "debt" is very moralized so people have a gut feeling that they are supposed to judge it harshly.

The deficit is nothing more than a useful tool to be used as a rallying cry for Republicans adhering to the "Two Santa Claus" theory. In practice it has very little to do with actual governance, since, once in office, there are few consequences for those who increase its size.

No shiat?

People want most of these programs.

The only way to get rid of them is to commit political suicide, or revolution, and I think we know which one the Teabaggers are going after, if Paul Ryan's budget is any indication.

Dusk-You-n-Me: The deficit is a concern, not a crisis. Unemployment is a crisis. Fix unemployment and you'll fix the deficit, not the other way around.

Whether or not unemployment is a crisis actually depends by region. One of the benefits and detriments of having a large, spread-out country. Would be it good if we lowered the overall national average? Sure.

give me doughnuts: I'm down with cutting the Defense "homeland security" budget in half.

/FTFY
//Abolish the TSA
//Would also be down with scrapping the F-22 and F-35
///More here, just to start
////How about the "War on Drugs" while we're at it? Or corn and tobacco subsidies?
//slash spending

Republicans in power: "Deficits Don't Matter"; Democrats: WHARGARBL!
Democrats in power: "Deficits Don't Matter"; Republicans: WHARGARBL!

Wangiss: Republicans in power: "Deficits Don't Matter"; Democrats: WHARGARBL!
Democrats in power: "Deficits Don't Matter"; Republicans: WHARGARBL!

Þis

But now we've moved on to "Debt doesn't matter," "Debt interest doesn't matter," and "Taxes don't matter." Not to mention due process, privacy, etc.

Enjoy your downward spiral. I'm accepting a position on a board of directors in an S-Corp farm near Yosemite, far from military targets and rich in natural resources. I'll be moving there in a couple years, living in a yurt and building furniture out of 30 acres worth of oaks. The other members are also survivalists. If no one has a psychotic episode, we'll be in Paradise.

No profit means no taxes. All the legal benefits and none of the responsibility.

Secret to life: Find your niche!

Wangiss: But now we've moved on to "Debt doesn't matter," "Debt interest doesn't matter," and "Taxes don't matter." Not to mention due process, privacy, etc.

Enjoy your downward spiral. I'm accepting a position on a board of directors in an S-Corp farm near Yosemite, far from military targets and rich in natural resources. I'll be moving there in a couple years, living in a yurt and building furniture out of 30 acres worth of oaks. The other members are also survivalists. If no one has a psychotic episode, we'll be in Paradise.

No profit means no taxes. All the legal benefits and none of the responsibility.

Secret to life: Find your niche!

Let us know when the super volcano goes.

I keep hearing next Wednesday, give or take a few thousand years.

meat0918: Wangiss: But now we've moved on to "Debt doesn't matter," "Debt interest doesn't matter," and "Taxes don't matter." Not to mention due process, privacy, etc.

Enjoy your downward spiral. I'm accepting a position on a board of directors in an S-Corp farm near Yosemite, far from military targets and rich in natural resources. I'll be moving there in a couple years, living in a yurt and building furniture out of 30 acres worth of oaks. The other members are also survivalists. If no one has a psychotic episode, we'll be in Paradise.

No profit means no taxes. All the legal benefits and none of the responsibility.

Secret to life: Find your niche!

Let us know when the super volcano goes.

I keep hearing next Wednesday, give or take a few thousand years.

#Geothermal

give me doughnuts: I'm down with cutting the Defense budget in half.

Well, if people are going to be discussing cuts, this should probably be provided so people can actually look at how much is currently spent where.

I was under the impression that if we cut NPR, Planned Parenthood, and ACORN, all our budget problems would be solved.

Is that not the case?

Dusk-You-n-Me: The deficit is a concern, not a crisis. Unemployment is a crisis. Fix unemployment and you'll fix the deficit, not the other way around.

yup. I know I'd sure like a job.

Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

cretinbob: Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce drug cartel wars? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase tax receipts? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce prison populaton? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase stoned drivers on the road? Legalize marijuana.

The solution is perfectly obvious: cut their stuff, not my stuff.

AirForceVet: cretinbob: Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce drug cartel wars? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase tax receipts? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce prison populaton? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase stoned drivers on the road? Legalize marijuana.

Hell, even that last one is a positive for the for-profit prisons. The increase in DUI arrests means they don't lose ALL of that sweet, sweet marijuana-bust money.

The long-term deficit problem is 100% driven by medical inflation. Fix that (and maybe return taxes to 90s levels) and we're OK. If we don't fix it, we're all scrod regardless of how government budgets turn out (e.g. dismantling Medicare won't stop old people from getting sick).

The problem is they keep trying to cut programs that benefit ME when they need cut the programs for THEM.

It's not that hard balance the budget through cutting my taxes and raising theirs also by cutting their services and raising mine. See that's fair, we both had something cut and something raised.

California's budgetary woes have already proven it. Given the chance, people will vote to increae spending and reduce taxes ad infinitum.

Wyalt Derp: The solution is perfectly obvious: cut their stuff, not my stuff.

/shakes tiny fist...

The deficit and national debt began to matter on January 20th 2009. It will no longer matter on Jan 20th 2013 or after Jan 20th 2017 granted a Republican wins the White House.

Let the Bush Tax Cuts finally expire and the problem will be solved.

/duh

LordJiro: AirForceVet: cretinbob: Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce drug cartel wars? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase tax receipts? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce prison populaton? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase stoned drivers on the road? Legalize marijuana.

Hell, even that last one is a positive for the for-profit prisons. The increase in DUI arrests means they don't lose ALL of that sweet, sweet marijuana-bust money.

Actually, the latest research from Colorado showed that drunk driving arrests decreased by about 10% in the wake of them legalizing medical marijuana, so I'm pretty sure it would be a minus for them.

No You!

Fix ME!

AirForceVet: cretinbob: Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce drug cartel wars? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase tax receipts? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce prison populaton? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase stoned drivers on the road? Legalize marijuana.

OK, I used to be against legalization of weed, but even I've gotten to a "meh, I just don't give a fark" state. I seriously doubt that legalization would increase the number of stoned drivers on the road. Most of the people who would toke and drive after smoking is legal are the same people who would do it now - or the same people who would drink and drive.

AirForceVet: cretinbob: Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce drug cartel wars? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase tax receipts? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce prison populaton? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase stoned drivers on the road? Legalize marijuana.

"You know, you're always hearing about some guy who drank too much, got behind the wheel, and maybe killed someone. You never hear about that with weed. Because when you're stoned, you're sitting there going 'Man, it feels like we're hardly MOVING!'

"And your buddy says "Start. The. Farking. Car."

-Mickey Cucchiella

Why, it's as if it was all a charade to fool voters into voting for the exact same lobbyist-blowing whores they'd voted for previously. If anybody voted for the Republicans were going to do anything other than continue the fight against women, non-whites, and the 1960s in general...

This just in...once you give somebody something (aka money for stuff you wanna do), they really tend to NOT wanna give it up.

Try taking a kit-kat from a 10 yr old brat.

I wonder what happened between 2007 and today that would cause Republicans to drastically change their view on deficit spending.

Wangiss: Republicans in power: "Deficits Don't Matter"; Democrats: WHARGARBL!
Democrats in power: "Deficits Don't Matter"; Republicans: WHARGARBL!

Haha. Yeah. Bof sidez r teh saym.



Oh wait.

AirForceVet: cretinbob: Want to fix the deficit? Raise taxes. Want to fix unemployment? Start a new industry.
Want to do both? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce drug cartel wars? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase tax receipts? Legalize marijuana.

Want to reduce prison populaton? Legalize marijuana.

Want to increase stoned drivers on the road? Legalize marijuana.

Want to get down, down on the ground? Legalize marijuana.

/Wait, what?

Spending the taxpayers' money on things I like is vital to the future of our nation and needs to not only not be cut, but be increased. Spending taxpayers' money on things *you* like that I don't is wrong and your reasons for supporting it are nefarious.

Want to lay on the lawn, drink Sierra Nevada, eat pizza and listen to Pink Floyd records?

Legalize Marijuana

3_Butt_Cheeks: This just in...once you give somebody something (aka money for stuff you wanna do), they really tend to NOT wanna give it up.

Try taking a kit-kat from a 10 yr old brat.

But just think of the satisfaction you getting taking that kit-kat from a 10 year old. God, it's almost arousing. Speaking of arousing, you haven't quite lived until you've taken WIC away from a single mother. It is boner-inducing to say the least.

Wendy's Chili: I wonder what happened between 2007 and today that would cause Republicans to drastically change their view on deficit spending.

Deficit spending the likes of which this country has never seen.... perhaps?!

FrailChild: Wendy's Chili: I wonder what happened between 2007 and today that would cause Republicans to drastically change their view on deficit spending.

Deficit spending the likes of which this country has never seen.... perhaps?!

[lh6.googleusercontent.com image 458x339]

Hey look, it's a graph that lies.

bdub77: There is no cognitive dissonance here. The BoomerWorst Generation has taken it upon themselves to ensure they get what they want now and run up the debt, what do they care they'll be dead in 30 years, their kids can deal with the problem.

No taxes now! Don't touch my Medicare! Electric scooters for everyone! U-S-A! U-S-A!
ding ding ding

FarkedOver: 3_Butt_Cheeks: This just in...once you give somebody something (aka money for stuff you wanna do), they really tend to NOT wanna give it up.

Try taking a kit-kat from a 10 yr old brat.

But just think of the satisfaction you getting taking that kit-kat from a 10 year old. God, it's almost arousing. Speaking of arousing, you haven't quite lived until you've taken WIC away from a single mother. It is boner-inducing to say the least.

I'll smack a child for a kit-kat. If single mothers knew how to pole dance and wax the yeast cake, they wouldn't need WIC anyway.

FrailChild: Wendy's Chili: I wonder what happened between 2007 and today that would cause Republicans to drastically change their view on deficit spending.

Deficit spending the likes of which this country has never seen.... perhaps?!

[lh6.googleusercontent.com image 458x339]

You realize it only looks like that because Bush kept the cost of the war off of the books don't you in addition to the ramification of the Bush Tax cuts? Wait, Fox News drone detected.....of course you don't.

I wonder if we'll legalize it when stuff^ like^ this^ starts happening here

Or will Fox News tell us this is a good way to deal with those police 'Cadillac' pensions?

All links NSFW