Will we default on our debt.

[CaptainMattJ.]

we cant be a consumer economy if no one has money to buy anything. The thing is, people dont see things in logical terms anymore. They see it as "dont let the other side get what they want". The republicans and democrats are all greedy fat old men, with little concern for the middle class and ridiculous breaks for the corporations that "persuade" them into bailing them out. Its not like the corporations give a god dam about their workers. Instead of giving them a wage they can live off of without having to worry about when the next paycheck is coming , they keep paying them less and less, and cutting costs wherever possible.

and the republicans, who refuse to raise taxes on the wealthy, are killing the country. The wealthy got tax BREAKS while the middle class got screwed. people living paycheck to paycheck have no room to breathe, while the wealthy sit on their ass in their second home up in Avalon. Only a greedy politician wouldn't raise taxes on the wealthy when its the only thing we can do to save ourselves from burying ourselves in debt

Of course, when the corporations get whacked, then they take it out on the workers. theyre so desperate to keep their rich lifestyle that they sack the workers wages and cut down anywhere they can. Corporations who hire illegal aliens to do the dirty work for nothing while the legal American cant get a job anywhere for a decent wage to live off of.

With the mind-blowing costs of the war, the corporations sticking it to the little guy, and the politicians sitting on their old wrinkly ass and doing nothing about it, is why were going down the drain.

[Sailor Steve]

It's easy to be hypercritical when you're young and still know everything.

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

we cant be a consumer economy if no one has money to buy anything. The thing is, people dont see things in logical terms anymore. They see it as "dont let the other side get what they want". The republicans and democrats are all greedy fat old men, with little concern for the middle class and ridiculous breaks for the corporations that "persuade" them into bailing them out. Its not like the corporations give a god dam about their workers. Instead of giving them a wage they can live off of without having to worry about when the next paycheck is coming , they keep paying them less and less, and cutting costs wherever possible.

and the republicans, who refuse to raise taxes on the wealthy, are killing the country. The wealthy got tax BREAKS while the middle class got screwed. people living paycheck to paycheck have no room to breathe, while the wealthy sit on their ass in their second home up in Avalon. Only a greedy politician wouldn't raise taxes on the wealthy when its the only thing we can do to save ourselves from burying ourselves in debt

Of course, when the corporations get whacked, then they take it out on the workers. theyre so desperate to keep their rich lifestyle that they sack the workers wages and cut down anywhere they can. Corporations who hire illegal aliens to do the dirty work for nothing while the legal American cant get a job anywhere for a decent wage to live off of.

With the mind-blowing costs of the war, the corporations sticking it to the little guy, and the politicians sitting on their old wrinkly ass and doing nothing about it, is why were going down the drain.

+1.

congress is too busy helping the ones with money instead of helping the people who actually need it the most. but why should they? free speech can be in the form of money now, so why listen to words? those are so last century.

Originally Posted by Snestorm

Default.
It'd be the best thing that ever happenned to USA.

Throw out the "Federal" (privately owned) Reserve.
Tell the IMF where to go.
Let USA print US Dollars again.
Nobody for Uncle Sam to borrow from, and pay interest to.
They can't spend what they haven't got.
Do away with the Income Tax & Socialism.
Let Uncle Sam finance himself with Tarrifs & Excise Taxes, just like he used to.

well said and i agree with neal in that we need a flat tax of 15% but i want it to be on EVERYONE even those on wellfare and social security of which i am in the later catagory.

then institute a national sales tax of 5% on every purchase with no loopholes or exceptions and you triple the revenues coming into goverment overnight.

next while im being king for a day i would eliminate the IRS and homeland security along with the federal reserve as well as fanny mae and freddy mac, stop all funds going to support the united nations and sever all ties to the IMF banks as well as stop ALL foreign aid to ALL countries (if we cant fund our own country why are we giving hundreds of billions of dollars to the countries that either hate us and want to destroy us or are loaning us money?)

Originally Posted by Skybird

On the deadlock between both parties, Obama already had agreed to huge compromises, and if the relation between both parties would be normal, the Reps already would have worked out a compromise. It'S just that the Tea Partry movement in them sees any compromise as weakness and that their hate on Obama for the lost election is so irrational and that bitches like Psalin have been so successful in poisening that now it is just about doing as much damage to the president as humanly possible - even at the cost of the nation that gets blinded and deafened by their vitriol.

what a joke, obama agreed to only spend 1.3 trillion more money instead of the 3.4 trillion he wants to spend so you think thats a huge compromise when your broke and in default already? dont make me laugh

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

I think the same about the Democrats, what a coincidence.

I differ with the GOP on taxes, I think they should raise all income tax brackets--low, middle, and top-- 15% across the board until the deficit is wiped clean.

Agree 100%, except with the income tax part. Pick another tax please, as Ore-gone has the highest(?) income tax in the nation. I'd make it harder to weasle out out of paying. (see pelosi and the exemptions for obamacare)
I say, if you vote for higher taxes, by god you and your buddies are going to pay them too.

well said and i agree with neal in that we need a flat tax of 15% but i want it to be on EVERYONE even those on wellfare and social security of which i am in the later catagory.

And welcome to the black economy.

then institute a national sales tax of 5% on every purchase with no loopholes or exceptions and you triple the revenues coming into goverment overnight.

So you are cutting and raising the same tax and expect to increase revenue and avoid the black market?

next while im being king for a day i would eliminate the IRS and homeland security along with the federal reserve as well as fanny mae and freddy mac

How much will they cost to get rid of and how much will new institutions which will replace them cost?

stop all funds going to support the united nations

it is hard to stop the money going when you don't hand it over anyway

stop ALL foreign aid to ALL countries

Shut down your international trade you mean.


But then there is........

We have to recognize that it took us decades to get into this hole and it will probably take decades to get out of it.

[Ducimus]

I think this picture pretty much sum's up the real problem in American Politics today regardless of party affiliation:



Although, this kind of obstructive mindset isn't helping either:

[CaptainMattJ.]

Its a mexican standoff. much like the cold war. Republicans and democrats hold the decision that will make or break the country. And neither seems to want to do the right thing. Draw the line, cut our insane spending spree and start paying off the ginourmous debt we dug ourselves into.

Stop counting on the corporations to create the vast majority of new jobs and start helping small(er) buisness get back on its feet.

Defaulting isnt an option. Short term means nothing. the trend will continue, and we will soon find ourselves in a 100 foot hole with a broken shovel.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

No. This is all political kabuki theater. No one wants to be part of the Congress that let America default.

I'd agree, no-one wants to be remembered for that and all the negative connotations that it involves. Sure both sides would blame the other but it would be a failure across the board.

No, there'll be a last second deal struck. Both sides are just trying to squeeze the most out of it.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

Its a mexican standoff. much like the cold war.

But it is like a Mexican Standoff while standing on a sinking ship. Just waiting the other person out is not the optimum solution.

It is like playing "Hand Grenade Chicken" it does not matter who throws first, but who throws last.

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by Armistead

Seems the issue is taxes. Obama gave a lot regarding spending, the GOP is holding the no tax line.

one side is compromising and the other isn't, that's pretty much the core as i can see. IMO, I think the republicans getting their way would be much more of a disaster than some very very rich people having to pay a little more in taxes.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by gimpy117

one side is compromising and the other isn't, that's pretty much the core as i can see. IMO, I think the republicans getting their way would be much more of a disaster than some very very rich people having to pay a little more in taxes.

But some very very rich people paying a little more in taxes won't even scrape the paint, let alone put a dent in the problem. If you take 100% of everything every millionaire and billionaire has it won't even come close. Then who do you tax?

[gimpy117]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

But some very very rich people paying a little more in taxes won't even scrape the paint, let alone put a dent in the problem. If you take 100% of everything every millionaire and billionaire has it won't even come close. Then who do you tax?

well the point is, we need cuts yes, and those have been offered along with some pretty substantial cuts. but as far as i know republicans are bent on no more taxes on the rich and steeper cuts

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by gimpy117

well the point is, we need cuts yes, and those have been offered along with some pretty substantial cuts. but as far as i know republicans are bent on no more taxes on the rich and steeper cuts

And my opinion is that the "tax the rich" thing is a diversionary game played by liberals to try to level the playing field, and has nothing to do with the economy or the Federal Deficit. At the height of his wealth Bill Gates had 60 billion dollars. If we stripped Bill Gates of his entire fortune and distributed it equally, every man, woman and child in America would recieve...$200. Yep, two hundred dollars. If we stripped every single billionaire in America - all 385 of them - of everything they have, we would gain a total of $1.3 trillion (yes, I pulled out my calculator and did the addition), so a little less than five thousand dollars for each of us. And then they would all be broke, and then who would you complain about?
http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400#p_1_s_arank_-1_

$1.34 trillion. $1,340 billion. Last year's Federal Budget Deficit was $1.29 trillion, so breaking all of them might just pay off this year's deficit. Then what?
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-mone...ing-1-trillion

Oh, great! While I was looking at this I just stumbled on a site which already did the work I just did, so I did it all for nothing!
http://www.federalbudget.com/

Anyway, every time someone brings up "Tax the rich more" or "make them pay their fair share" I have to wonder if that someone has a clue what they are talking about, or is just parroting another party line.