Why can't the US live within their means?

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This thread just reaks xenophobia and ignorance.

I don't know what to say kxmode, it's americans like you who give americans like me a bad name.

What's even sadder people like ruennsheng who is one of the few members here who's shown some compassion to our nation in spite of its stupidity. I know there's more to this topic and I don't want to come off attacking but I think Fuzzy hit it right on the nail. You're part of the reason as to why the U.S. is getting the disgust it gets and why we're letting ourselves be held back.

That's all I have to say.

Last edited by MissConstrue on 13 May 2010, 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Xenophobia? Call it pride. Call it whatever you want. But I love the United States. And stupidity? I'm a educated, smart, second generation immigrant. I think I have the right to say what I want.

People who act for all of humanity instead of for themselves tend to die rather quickly, y'know.

Self delusion much?

And I thought you were smarter than this...

I don't want to have this discussion with you people. I'm not going to waste my time on this thread anymore. You are free to close it or delete it, I really don't care.

We should cut our military expenditures! I'm all for having a hi-tech military with modern arsenal of nuclear weapons but 700 military "bases" in a 130 countries? Foreign expenditures in general need to be cut drastically. We're funding Mexico's own failed "Drug War" and propping up their corrupt government, what has that gave us? A steady stream of illegal immigrants, violence crossing the border, and thousands dead. Has it made a dent at all with drug use in the US? I doubt it. Another thing I heard recent is that they're building a billion dollar embassy in London with a moat no less. It's all too ridiculous.

btw since the Detroit Lions and their futility has been brought up in this thread, I was at their record setting 16th loss a few years ago. Only team in NFL history to go 0-16. For a crappy game, it was cool to see history.

Losing your Lions topic

If memory serves correctly, I was under the impression that ruennsheng was a fan of some UK soccer/football team that had a Lions logo.

There the problem is again folks! See that? Anyone that doesnt do it the American way is insane and stupid.

So tell me, 200% expenditure vs 100% income is ok with you?

Ever wonder why Europeans see the US as a banana republic? It doesnt matter how many tanks or nukes you have, people are unemployed, corporations are greety f-ers, you hardly have any labour rights to speak of because you have been indoctrinated to hate the communist ghost, your society hate poor people, your welfare system is pathetic and your healthcare system leaves shitloats to desire (well, at least untill O do something about that).

Basically, (let me go out on a "hunch" here) right wing people you are afraid of much needed change, your economy will collapse within 20 years unless you do change!

But you people will stand in the way, waving your flag around like the russians did before their country fell down and belive you can continue to live in a dream world where money is grown from trees and only a few people live decent lives.

Facts: Socialism by itself is non-viable. Capitalism by itself is non-viable, together though they encompasses both mass and individual security and quality of life.

And THAT is what is important for a society - to have a working country, not to blindly follow some career politicians left or right BS politics.

As demonstrated in this thread, anyone who believes that they are correct has no good reason to argue. Ideally, argument exists to combine incorrect ideas into the truth.

I appreciate that you recognise that I wasnt smearing all Americans.

Just wait until we're facing debt default in the next year or two, and the Fed prints their way out of it. When the resulting hyperinflation occurs, that's when the party will really get started!

Would you like to know where the 200% expenditures is really going? Here's President Bush's budget for 2009:

Mandatory spending: $1.89 trillion

$944 billion - Social Security (21.05%)
$408 billion - Medicare (13.34%)
$224 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (7.32%)
$360 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending (11.77%)
$260 billion - Interest on National Debt (8.5%)

Discretionary spending: $1.21 trillion

$515.4 billion - United States Department of Defense (16.85%)
$145.2 billion (2008*) - Global War on Terror (4.75%)

So according to the 2009 budget 53.48% was spent on social programs versus only a non-mandatory discretionary spending of 21.6% for Defense and Global War on Terrorism.

Only a paltry 8.5% was spent on interest on the Nation's Debt. 8.5%. Can you imagine only paying 8.5% per year on your total credit card debt? You tell me.



Please post facts to support this. I want to see your facts.

Last edited by kxmode on 13 May 2010, 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

You are not sovereign, you do not issue your own currency, your debts are not in the currency you issue. The United States has had deficits for nearly every year of its existence. Interestingly enough, periods of surplus often preceded depressions. All the United States needs to do is roll over its debts to bondholders and as it creates its own money that's just a matter of a few keystrokes, no gold to ship to anyone.

(Great, wikipedia economics...)

Assuming that those numbers are remotely close to reality:
It could have been up to 20% if you'd cut back on the so called "war on terror". Giving a police station in the midwest a new snowmobile, and hassling people by removing their nailcutters at the airport isnt going to stop Al-Quaida. Changing foreign politics will probably have a greater impact - and that is almost free.

Example: If you took $2 billion and bombed poor countries with foodcrates, educational programs, medical aid, self help (etc) that would do way much more in favour of stopping terrorism than Seawolf Sub nr 406. People who feel good and get help generally does not turn around to their benefactors and blow them up with suicide bombers, they tend to LIKE them instead.

Another thing the US could do is to raise taxes, but thats not gonna happen. The best thing that could happen to you is to get rid of that national debt and stay on the plus side forever. As for healthcare: ask yourself; Why is it that healthcare costs so much? Is it because corporations love to provide for society that which the government should do? Is it because they love to sell their patented drugs for $2 bucks a pop?

At some point, the payment capacity of a society that is purely capitalistic will fail, because the goal of corporations is to make money and the total gathered taxes will not be able to pay for it all - things do not tend to get cheaper, especially wages. Changing the society ground up - without "blah bla-left" or "blah bla-right" is what is required to make things work.

The problem is therefore not an economical one, its changing peoples stiff political views. And that is a harder problem than filling out columns in excel.

However, i wish you good luck, you're gonna need tonnes of it.




All i have to say is look at Usa and Russia, none are hardly close to being the economic pinnacle(s) of civilisation.

I think they are.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy09/ ... tables.pdf
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy09/browse.html



You mean like these peace-loving people?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdyKmzEdHws[/youtube]



I live in California. They already raised our taxes up to 10%. How much more should they tax me? I pay my fair share and then some.



Government intervention via laws and rampant frivolous lawsuits the Government refuses to do anything about.



Do you know how much it costs to research and develop medicines and vaccines? Private sector "evil" corporations such as Walmart are offering low-cost medicine programs.



According to your fuzzy logic you are throwing corporations, whose goal is to make a profit for their shareholders, in the same basket with Government, whose job is to pay down the debt. The two aren't mutually exclusive.



Not going to happen.



It's already happening. People, regardless of party affiliation, are angry at the status quo, and they're making their anger and dissatisfaction known online and at tea parties.