Taxing the rich will not solve the problem.

[badvestor]

Eliminate all income tax. Initiate consumption tax. Zero taxes on food and necessities, Sky high consumption taxes on luxury items. Eliminate the fed. Bring back the severe restrictions in media and banking. Got too much media controlled by a few fks who pander to the globalist neocon agendas. Cut govt union wages, overtime and retirement pay for teachers and first responders like police and fire are bankrupting municipalities.

Primary solution is cut military spending way the fk back. That's really where all the money is going. Give a public severe beating to any neocon who wants to pansy around playing warlord at the tax payers expense. 650 Billion every year + 500 Billion on fighting globalist agendas. More than 1 fucking trillion dollars every year down that black hole. Obammy doing the neocons a favor by allowing the AQ to take over the ME.

 

[piezoe]

Quote from bone:

Brilliance. Total complete truthiness.

There is a problem with that , i.e., term limits. Sadly, "Brilliance ... [and] truthiness" are not enough. It's not realistic to think that term limits can be enacted given the current government structure.

Most of the problems with government that folks complain about have their root in the reality of human nature. Humans are diverse in abilities, native intelligence, and aspirations. And above all this stands instinct, vanity, and greed, which being genetic won't change except over many generations.

A realistic approach to problems starts with recognition of reality and moves on from there. I'm not suggesting people just throw up their hands and say there is nothing we can do about this or that problem. Rather I'm suggesting that these deep seated problems have to be worked on in baby steps until a broad consensus exists; then significant progress is possible in a generation or less. We are seeing that happening right now with respect to gay rights, and medical care. And it is only a matter of a few years before the consensus forces marijuana decriminalization at the federal level to be consistent with state law. And that can in turn lead fairly rapidly to a sea change in federal drug law. Once the consensus is formed, change can be rapid. But in the case of term limits, even a broad consensus in favor of them wouldn't be enough. It is not going to happen. Might as well advocate for something doable.

To get term limits for Congress enacted you'd have to go around Congress, and that's an extremely cumbersome process. What congressman or senator is going to vote themselves out of a job? Too few I would think to ever have a chance of term limits passing through the legislative branch.

 

[oldtime]

my senator for 20 or 30 years was Richard Lugar. I was sorry to see him go. My mother always sent him $50 a year, and whenever she had a complaint about the way he voted he would call her at home and explain why he did it.

Whenever he was on tv and they asked him a question, the first word out of his mouth was either yes or no. Then he would go on to explain why.

Not like these Cantor used car salesman today who never want to take a stand on anything.

At times, I have been part of the ABI party (Anybody But the Incumbant)

The days of farmers riding their horse to Washington and putting their 2 cents worth in for 2 years are over.

The funny thing is, since the beginning of time she has always just voted a straight republican ticket, but she said, "I just don't like that Mourdock, so I voted for the Libertarian candidate."

 

[maxpi]

There is nothing at all that can save the US. Taxes could not be raised high enough no matter what, if they were they would kill off the remainder of the economy. The public sector, all the cities, counties, states, and the federal government have budgets that total half or more of the GNP... and they don't have enough money! I've seriously questioned if given the entire GNP that they wouldn't still be running a deficit.

The real question is going to be whether we can hang on to our freedoms in the upcoming meltdown. We might actually expand them by getting rid of the War on Drugs. That would expand our 4th amendment freedoms back to what the founding fathers intended and would free us from drug cartels if full legalization were realized.

 

[oldtime]

Quote from maxpi:

There is nothing at all that can save the US. Taxes could not be raised high enough no matter what, if they were they would kill off the remainder of the economy. The public sector, all the cities, counties, states, and the federal government have budgets that total half or more of the GNP... and they don't have enough money! I've seriously questioned if given the entire GNP that they wouldn't still be running a deficit.

The real question is going to be whether we can hang on to our freedoms in the upcoming meltdown. We might actually expand them by getting rid of the War on Drugs. That would expand our 4th amendment freedoms back to what the founding fathers intended and would free us from drug cartels if full legalization were realized.

that's kind of small thinking. We can always join the Eurozone. They bail out just about anybody.

 

[vicirek]

Quote from luckyluciano:

Don't you think your military is mighty enough yet to deter aggression? If not now, when will it be?
All due respect, you have a shining military second to none, bigger and better than its ever been and crumbling embarrassing infrastructure.
What's required is a think is a shift in mindset.

Generals are always fighting the last war. All the military power depends on air power and this is only couple of thousand pilots that need minimum of 5 years of training. Ships are sitting ducks and army has just proven in Afghanistan and Iraq that they can not fight without air support. Once air supremacy is denied which is not that difficult to do with todays technology all the military might will be technically useless.

If you want to save do not cut military and R&D but rather cut useless bureaucrats.

Ideas to cut military spending in favor of growing bureaucracy were prevalent before WWII and invited aggression. Check old newspapers and history books. Canadians had to fit fishing boats with telephone poles to look like navy once the war broke out. This time oceans and channels are smaller and there is no room for error.

 

[4thaugust1932]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triffin_dilemma

 

[zdreg]

Quote from vicirek:

Generals are always fighting the last war. All the military power depends on air power and this is only couple of thousand pilots that need minimum of 5 years of training. Ships are sitting ducks and army has just proven in Afghanistan and Iraq that they can not fight without air support. Once air supremacy is denied which is not that difficult to do with todays technology all the military might will be technically useless.

If you want to save do not cut military and R&D but rather cut useless bureaucrats.

Ideas to cut military spending in favor of growing bureaucracy were prevalent before WWII and invited aggression. Check old newspapers and history books. Canadians had to fit fishing boats with telephone poles to look like navy once the war broke out. This time oceans and channels are smaller and there is no room for error.

]

' All the military power depends on air power and this is only couple of thousand pilots that need minimum of 5 years of training'

vietnam proved that overwhelming air power is insufficient to win a war against a motivated enemy.

 

[Scataphagos]

Total Federal Income Tax take is about $2.5T... not sure how much of that is corporate.

But if "EVERYBODY who pays Federal Income Tax (not just 'the rich')" had their tax raised by 60%, IT WOULD STILL LEAVE A DEFICIT! (Odumbo' spending $4 TRILLION/yr.) And don't you know, the politicos would run ever greater deficits once again.

Odumbo's "get the rich to pay a little bit more" is PURE HORSE SHIT! Won't fix a damned thing.

The only solution is CUT SPENDING! If we don't, we're doomed.

 

[colonial dr]

Quote from maxpi:

There is nothing at all that can save the US. Taxes could not be raised high enough no matter what, if they were they would kill off the remainder of the economy. The public sector, all the cities, counties, states, and the federal government have budgets that total half or more of the GNP... and they don't have enough money! I've seriously questioned if given the entire GNP that they wouldn't still be running a deficit.

The real question is going to be whether we can hang on to our freedoms in the upcoming meltdown. We might actually expand them by getting rid of the War on Drugs. That would expand our 4th amendment freedoms back to what the founding fathers intended and would free us from drug cartels if full legalization were realized.

Angry Romney voter. No the world and the US is not going to end. Geez......