Thinking About … The Debt Ceiling

Spritzer10

Can we not get Obama the hell out of Office

949kyle

You wrote “The last time the national debt was reduced was in 1961 during JFKu2019s first year in office.” u00a0Not true. u00a0The LAST time was during Clinton’s two terms where the deficit was not only reduced but actually rolled over to surplus.np.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 18.0px; font: 13.0px Georgia}n

949kyle

Clarification: u00a0The FEDERAL deficit rolled over to surplus, the NATIONAL deficit was simply reduced.

Someone

Your question “If the Debt Ceiling Isnu2019t Raised” is a bit once sided.u00a0 Now do a “If the Debt Ceiling IS Raised” and compare the damages done one against the other…

Anonymous

I don’t see how this is an option. The Debt ceiling is related to expenses that we have already incurred. I think that the issue has been muddled by the current debate that has linked it to future spending. This is about paying the upcoming credit card bill not increasing the limit on the credit card so that you can spend more.nnNo politician should be considering not raising the limit as that is just irresponsible. That would be like eating a meal at a restaurant and then deciding that you did not want to pay for the meal.nnThat said there are a lot of politicians that are being total hypocrites at the moment. The largest portion of the debt is from 2 unfunded wars, 1 unfunded tax cut and an unfunded drug prescription program. Any politician that voted for those and are now not wanting to raise the limit is basically walking away form the meal that they ordered and ate.

Anonymous

Does this not support the premise of today’s topic about compromise. Because you do not agree with Obama’s stance remove him from office rather than reach a compromise. We has after all elected by a majority of the population.

Berrysm

If we raise the debt ceiling without corresponding cuts in spending, it is pointless, and will not get us out of this problem. u00a0Reckless spending by our President and Congress has GOT to stop!

Kelly

I think the worst of it is that we are a country that is so engrossed in capitalism that we have forgotten that unfettered capitalism is firmly based in fascism.u00a0 We cannot allow ourselves to be ruled by the dollar if we wish to continue taking care of real human concerns.u00a0 The debt ceiling is just another leash that the large corporations that are trying to finish taking over this country wish to use.u00a0 To quote my boyfriend, we have to stop treating this country like a business.u00a0 We can’t fire our poor and ignore them on the street.u00a0 We can’t lay off our elderly.u00a0 We have to take care of them.u00a0 The debt ceiling is what they are trying to feed the media to take the attention off of our real woes.u00a0 I don’t wish to live in a fascist society.u00a0 I wish to live in a real democracy.u00a0 I’ve rambled too long and I think I’ve stopped making sense.u00a0 I’ll still post this, though.u00a0 Good luck!

Mateophilipe

If you wish to live in a real democracy you probably need to move to another country. We in America don’t live in a democracy. We live in a representative republic. Democracy is mob rule.

Mateophilipe

THREE unfunded wars. The ‘tax cut’ that was unfunded was actually a reduced tax rate that Obama signed to continue. I really don’t know how you “fund” a tax cut. If taxes are lowered and revenues to the govt. go higher, how is that Unfunded?

Mateophilipe

Who are republicans compromising with? I don’t see an Obama plan. And haven’t even seen a budget in about two years. Compromise with what?!

Romie

I am so sick of the bombastic poltroons in Washington DC posturing for each other and measuring the sizes of their male members! u00a0They seem to have forgotten that they aren’t at the top of the heap, they’re at the bottom–they work for us, and they can (and should) be replaced.

Anonymous

From my vantage point outside of DC it seems like there where ideas on the democratic side as well however when the republican position is “we have taken a pledge not to raise taxes or close loopholes” I don’t see a point in fleshing out the plan. You need some agreement at 60 000ft prior to working out the details.

Anonymous

Yes I missed a war. I also did not mention party in my response as I disagree with both Bush and Obama in this point.nnIf you are lowering taxes then you are reducing revenue coming in. If you don’t have a plan for how you are going to cater for that reduced revenue then in my opinion that is an “unfunded tax cut”.

Nate

I guess that means it has been reduced since 1961.

Nate

Do the women measure their male members too? How does that work? I’ve heard stupid arguments between men and women in politics, but your talking about comparing dicks and/or balls. u00a0

Nate

Should they have large genitals, or small genitals to work for us? Which ones should be replaced? My genitals are quite large, should I run for office? Please look up a couple more words in the dictionary that you don’t yet know if you respond to my questions.u00a0

Nate

Damn straight! They’re as bad as Nazis, minus the genocide. u00a0Why have money and power become more important than liberty and humanity? u00a0 u00a0Is that what wars were fought for. So far, I’m not anti-war. If our leaders continue to fight wars for money and power, I might note vote next time. lolu00a0

JC

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.u00a0Thomas Jeffersonu00a0

Mateophilipe

But if lower taxes actually cause revenues to the govt to go up, then how is that a bad thing? (it does happen)

Mateophilipe

The position was to not raise taxes. They never said they wouldn’t close loopholes…. And again, who are the republicans compromising with? They have come back with plan after plan, all the Dems say is “not going to work, come back with another”

Anonymous

I have not seen a single economist write about there being a reasonable way of solving this problem purely using cuts and not risking an already fragile economy. The Republican stance has been no new revenue even though people that study this for a living state that is not a viable option. nnThe Dems on the other hand have been willing to cut programs that they fervently believe in and are even willing to talk about medicare. nnName one position that the Republicans started out with that they have said they would reconsider?nnCompromise is about both sides swallowing bitter pills not one side digging in and not budging.

Anonymous

Can you point out evidence for that which is relevant to the current state that the US is in. So a country that has the lowest effective tax rates and revenue in decades cutting even further & having that have revenues go up.nnMy evidence is that some of the largest tax cuts in the last decade have not increased tax revenue.

Chris@TTP

This has been contested in numerous texts by various economists. u00a0Clinton u00a0most certainly had a surplus regarding the Federal deficit, but did not lower the National debt. u00a0Now we can take turns playing tennis with different links proving one another is correct or get over it. u00a0u00a0

Mateophilipe

The Bush tax rates are in effect and tax revenues to the govt. went up.u00a0 No Iu00a0 can’t point out evidence which is relevant to the current state of the US, because the US hasn’t been in this situation before.u00a0 The US doesn’t have a revenue problem, trillions in revenue is not a problem, Trillions in SPENDING is a problem. Trillions in spending to ‘get us out of this mess’ has not worked. nu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Oh, and I disagree that we have the lowest effective tax rates too. US tax rates are about average, although about half of the citizens pay no income taxes. We could raise taxes on them so everyone can pay their fair share.