Where is the US economy headed?

@realjohnboy,

rjb, I know that countries like Norway has a very high VAT system; on goods at restaurants, the tax is 25%, and all others it's 19%. It seems high by any standard, but it's been my observation that the average income in Norway is $60,000, but their bars and restaurants seems to be filled, and most buildings in Norway looks to be in good repair. Beer costs $10, and wine about $14.

If the US did that, there might be a revolution! LOL

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@okie,

A ponzi scheme? By whose determination? Your's? ROFLMAO

The government has been printing money and spending more than tax revenue for most of contemporary times, and that includes both democratic and republican controlled administration and congress.

Are you going to charge them with fraud?

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A rather busy day on the economic news front today. A Federal Reserve report out says that consumer and business spending (one measure of GDP) in the U.S. economy for 2011 is expected to rise by 3.4%-3.9% vs an earlier projection (Nov) of 3.0%-3.6%.
The job market outlook remains grim. Unemployment for 2011 is now projected to remain in the 8.8%-9.0% range vs 8.9%-9.1% made in November.
The unemployment rate is apparently not a big deal with John Boehner (R-OH) who wants to cut federal jobs by 10%. "If some jobs are lost, so be it."

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Quote:

Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, accused Democrats and Republicans in Washington on Wednesday of ignoring America’s fiscal crisis while they played a political game of chicken that threatens the future of the next generation.

In his first big Washington speech, Mr. Christie said President Obama’s idea of doing “the big things” amount to the “candy of American politics.” And he said neither party was showing leadership on confronting entitlement programs that could bankrupt the country.

“The old playbook says lie, deceive, obfuscate, make it to the next election,” Mr. Christie told a small audience at the American Enterprise Institute. “The game being played down here is irresponsible and it’s dangerous.”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/christie-accuses-washington-of-ignoring-fiscal-crisis/

Exactly, Washington is broken, has been for awhile, and almost nobody is calling for reform/revolution yet. Our children and grand children will in time condemn us for our negligence.

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@hawkeye10,

http://www.hicksville.co.nz/Dinosaur.GIF

ENTITLEMENTS BAAD! WASHINGTON BROOOOKEN!!!

The minute Christie suggests a single tax increase to help deal with our problems, maybe I'll take him seriously. Until then, he's just playing the same game he accuses everyone else of.

Cycloptichorn

1 Reply

@Cycloptichorn,

Quote:

The minute Christie suggests a single tax increase to help deal with our problems, maybe I'll take him seriously. Until then, he's just playing the same game he accuses everyone else of.

Sure, because you like big government and are not open to any solutions that dont keep in place big government. Until you are open minded enough to listen to other proposed solutions you are not worthy of being taken seriously.

Your cartoons dont help your case either, you might consider acting like a grown up.

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@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

Quote:
The minute Christie suggests a single tax increase to help deal with our problems, maybe I'll take him seriously. Until then, he's just playing the same game he accuses everyone else of.

Sure, because you like big government and are not open to any solutions that dont keep in place big government. Until you are open minded enough to listen to other proposed solutions you are not worthy of being taken seriously.

Your cartoons dont help your case either, you might consider acting like a grown up.

You're playing the same game too, Hawk. That's why - well, one of the reasons - I don't take you seriously either.

I'm quite sure that you have no plan, and no plan of presenting a plan, that addresses our fiscal problems without raising taxes. But instead of examining that reality, you simply... like to bitch. Like Christie.

Right?

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

Christie indicated in his speech that he would be willing to increase the retirement age for SSAE at some (unspecified) time. His speech today seemed to be devoid of any other specifics.

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@Cycloptichorn,

Quote:

I'm quite sure that you have no plan, and no plan of presenting a plan, that addresses our fiscal problems without raising taxes. But instead of examining that reality, you simply... like to bitch. Like Christie.

That is the same line of reasoning as is the assertion that only experts can speak, which I reject. We have public servants, experts in their field, and when they dont perform I have every right to bitch even if I dont have enough expertise in the subject to know the solution.

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@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

Quote:
I'm quite sure that you have no plan, and no plan of presenting a plan, that addresses our fiscal problems without raising taxes. But instead of examining that reality, you simply... like to bitch. Like Christie.

That is the same line of reasoning as is the assertion that only experts can speak, which I reject. We have public servants, experts in their field, and when they dont perform I have every right to bitch even if I dont have enough expertise in the subject to know the solution.

Fine. You don't have to be an 'expert.' Just tell us how you would address the budget problem without raising taxes.

If you don't have enough data to answer that question, the honorable thing to do would be to not bitch at those who do have the data: there is no way.

Cycloptichorn

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@realjohnboy,

rjb, Those unemployment rates are bogus; they no longer include those long-term unemployed who gave up looking for jobs.

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@realjohnboy,

realjohnboy wrote:

Christie indicated in his speech that he would be willing to increase the retirement age for SSAE at some (unspecified) time. His speech today seemed to be devoid of any other specifics.

He's willing to solve the problem by cutting spending instead of raising taxes?

Shocking!

Cycloptichorn

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@realjohnboy,

Quote:

Christie indicated in his speech that he would be willing to increase the retirement age for SSAE at some (unspecified) time. His speech today seemed to be devoid of any other specifics

and for how many election cycles did we see national politicians put out policy papers that hardly anyone read or cared about and which had no effect on the nation and were never intended to??

There is a good argument that reformers need to bring people around to being willing to deal with the problems before getting into proposing solutions to the problems. Ripping Christie for not coming to the stage with an answer ready to go is the throwing of popcorn from the cheap seats, from people who want their news in sound bites and their problems solved with easy to swallow pills.

Christie was voicing a call to go to work....it was an important message.

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@Rockhead,

You're assuming that a tax isn't "fair" unless it's progressive.

Apparently okie agrees with you.

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@realjohnboy,

I don't know what you mean by "he would be willing". He's a governor and he's adamant that he isn't going to run for President. What's he got to do with raising the retirement age for SSAE?

He's apparently gone after the budget deficit in New Jersey like a mad man.

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@Cycloptichorn,

Unfortunately, "research" doesn't make your "idiotic mouth" any less idiotic.

You're a Spinner Cyclo, and you try and wield a stay in The Weeds like a sword.

So is Obama's budget director Lew.

BTW - What's on page 749 of the O-budget?

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@Finn dAbuzz,

Finn dAbuzz wrote:

Unfortunately, "research" doesn't make your "idiotic mouth" any less idiotic.

You're a Spinner Cyclo, and you try and wield a stay in The Weeds like a sword.

What a joke. You've done no research and have no data about public opinions on this matter, yet make pronouncements about 'what the American people want.' Where exactly are you deriving your data from, to make such statements?

Especially given the fact that your statements are 100% contradicted by polling data.

I laugh in your general direction if this is the best you can do. I know you won't stop spouting bullshit - you'd get bored having to stick with factual accounts - but don't expect me to stop calling you out on it.

Quote:

BTW - What's on page 749 of the O-budget?

It's only 215 or so pages long, you ******* moron.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/112267/20110214/obama-fiscal-year-2012-federal-budget-proposal-february-12-2011.htm

You don't even bother to do basic research when you are trying to insult someone Laughing

Like I said: when you don't know what you are talking about you'd be better served to keep your mouth shut than to make yourself look foolish over and over again.

Cycloptichorn

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@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

There is a good argument that reformers need to bring people around to being willing to deal with the problems before getting into proposing solutions to the problems.

Christie is the messenger who can do that?

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@spendius,

Spendi - you're not only more of a misogynist than me, you're a bigger cynic.

I'm going to be in London around mid-March, and would love to meet you face to face.

If you have any interest, PM me with contact info.

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@JPB,

I still have him on my list of potential candidates for the Repubs in 2012, JPB.
We have a separate thread devoted to all that though.

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Where is the US economy headed?

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