"The President uses fear to sell his $787 billion stimulus package."
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From: New Mexico
Thats why the stimulus happened.
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At least unemployment didn't go above 10% right?
Wait, jobs may not have been "created", but a lot were saved.
Gov't wants any excuse they can get to increase spending. The recession was jus another excuse to promote an agenda.
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Like the failed "War on Drugs?" Iraq? Israel? The numerous military bases abroad (those Germans might attack Poland again!)
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From: Western Washington
But you don't want to know what it would look like without Government intervention.
You have been listening to too many right-wing fringe types who do nothing but attack Obama. He could say he's cutting everyones taxes 20% and reducing Federal spending 30% and they would complain about that too. Of course in that case they would have a right to complain. The last thing the Feds should do in a tenuous economic situation is slash spending.
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WWII saved us from the first depression because we were suddenly spending money on Goods MANUFACTURED in America.
You want out of this recession, you need a war (wait we already have one) and American Manufacturing. Hm.. seems like we are lacking in that Department. Now requiring us all to buy health insurance, that will help us out. Oh and spending $787 Billion on an bill full of pork and earmarks, that definately helped us out.
Ask "what should government do? Nothing?"
and the answer is "Yes".
Americans have done alright without someone else telling them what to do or how to spend.
You want out of this recession, you need a war (wait we already have one) and American Manufacturing. Hm.. seems like we are lacking in that Department. Now requiring us all to buy health insurance, that will help us out. Oh and spending $787 Billion on an bill full of pork and earmarks, that definately helped us out.
Ask "what should government do? Nothing?"
and the answer is "Yes".
Americans have done alright without someone else telling them what to do or how to spend.
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You know when one of your friends has done something really stupid or are in a really bad situation, someone always says, "it could have been way worse!"
That is what I think about when you hear our Govt saying "we had to spend all that money or the world was going to come to an end!" Their excuse when unemployment continues to sky rocket, foreclosures get worse, banks keep failing etc etc...; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING IF WE HADN'T SPENT ALL THAT MONEY.
I don't buy it.
That is what I think about when you hear our Govt saying "we had to spend all that money or the world was going to come to an end!" Their excuse when unemployment continues to sky rocket, foreclosures get worse, banks keep failing etc etc...; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING IF WE HADN'T SPENT ALL THAT MONEY.
I don't buy it.
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From: Western Washington
I bet you don't.
Most Americans have no idea how close we were to complete economic collapse. Being a sceptic is good if you are well-informed and understand what happened. Being a sceptic without any knowledge is bad.
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You know when one of your friends has done something really stupid or are in a really bad situation, someone always says, "it could have been way worse!"
That is what I think about when you hear our Govt saying "we had to spend all that money or the world was going to come to an end!" Their excuse when unemployment continues to sky rocket, foreclosures get worse, banks keep failing etc etc...; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING IF WE HADN'T SPENT ALL THAT MONEY.
I don't buy it.
That is what I think about when you hear our Govt saying "we had to spend all that money or the world was going to come to an end!" Their excuse when unemployment continues to sky rocket, foreclosures get worse, banks keep failing etc etc...; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING IF WE HADN'T SPENT ALL THAT MONEY.
I don't buy it.
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I'm a firm believer in "if you can't afford it, don't buy it." If I don't have the cash to buy something then I pass on it. I'll save my money or work OT to buy what ever it is I want. My cc balance has been 0 for the past 9 years. I don't need credit bc I don't use credit; aside from my home. If our Govt lived by those rules our country would be a lot better off right now!
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I didn't say I was in favor of that. The more you make, the more you should take home. It all has to do with how fine the graduations are and/or the details of the tax code. Like I said previously in this thread, "The devil is in the details".
I have NO idea where you got the idea I thought anyone owed me anything! Do you have trouble understanding basic English?
If you have fifth grade reading comprehension you would have understood that I basically said a graduated income tax makes a lot of sense. I went to public schools where I got a solid basic education and then I went to a state funded university where I learned quite a bit on the taxpayer's dime. I was able to do it via a government sponsored student load (which I paid back years ago). Sure, I worked too but without the loan and the affordable tuition at the state university I attended there was little chance I could have afforded any kind of decent higher education.
With the government having afforded me this educational opportunity, I could contribute to society in ways that would not have been possible. In fact, by age 40 I made more money in the private sector than I ever dreamed was possible. I've worked for oil refinery contractors, oil/gas exploration companies and other private companies before becoming a private investor amongst other things. I'm 47 and have never recieved any welfare, food stamps or other government handouts except for a few months unemployment insurance which my employer and myself had paid into.
I think people like me who make good in the world should pay their debt back to society. All that education didn't come free and it's what has made the United States into the innovative and productive country it is. But countries like India and China are catching up. The best way to stay on top of the game and keep the U.S. strong is to insure that educational opportunities are not out of reach for people like me. If the government is pared to simply providing national security we are doomed to become a third world country with a bunch of ignorant people who want work but have no skills.
It's also important to provide a social safety net so people who lose their jobs due to restructuring or their company failing have basic healthcare in the interim while they find work in the field they have valuable skills in. That's just good common sense and makes the best uses of the resources of our country (our citizens and especially people with special skills). It is not an efficient system if people don't have the ability to take a year or so to find a job that will best utilize their skills. Healthcare is a crippling expense unless one has been employed long enough to save up a sizeable nest-egg. By pooling our resources we can create a stronger economic engine.
Look at Europe, they have excellent educational opportunities and have prospered in the modern economy. They have thousands of very dynamic companies with high paying jobs and good benefits. It's almost enough to make the US look like we are half-way to a third world country. If "socialism" was so terrible, certainly Finland, Ireland, Germany, France, Norway, Italy, etc. all would have failed by now. Of course those countries are not socialistic, they are capitalistic at least since they got rid of nobility. And that is what the conservative movement is taking us towards, a system of the haves and the have nots. That's not a dynamic economy, that's a fiefdom. A commoner will not have any rights left if we follow the far right.
What's got me laughing is how the far right uses emotional issues to get the most ignorant commoners on board with their agenda. It would be comical if it were not so tragic.
No, I don't want a hand-out, I want to give back to make our nation stronger because widespread ignorance will always lead to more poverty than opportunity and education. And this works best if all people like myself who have made good in this fantastic country pitch in to help create these opportunities.
I have NO idea where you got the idea I thought anyone owed me anything! Do you have trouble understanding basic English?
If you have fifth grade reading comprehension you would have understood that I basically said a graduated income tax makes a lot of sense. I went to public schools where I got a solid basic education and then I went to a state funded university where I learned quite a bit on the taxpayer's dime. I was able to do it via a government sponsored student load (which I paid back years ago). Sure, I worked too but without the loan and the affordable tuition at the state university I attended there was little chance I could have afforded any kind of decent higher education.
With the government having afforded me this educational opportunity, I could contribute to society in ways that would not have been possible. In fact, by age 40 I made more money in the private sector than I ever dreamed was possible. I've worked for oil refinery contractors, oil/gas exploration companies and other private companies before becoming a private investor amongst other things. I'm 47 and have never recieved any welfare, food stamps or other government handouts except for a few months unemployment insurance which my employer and myself had paid into.
I think people like me who make good in the world should pay their debt back to society. All that education didn't come free and it's what has made the United States into the innovative and productive country it is. But countries like India and China are catching up. The best way to stay on top of the game and keep the U.S. strong is to insure that educational opportunities are not out of reach for people like me. If the government is pared to simply providing national security we are doomed to become a third world country with a bunch of ignorant people who want work but have no skills.
It's also important to provide a social safety net so people who lose their jobs due to restructuring or their company failing have basic healthcare in the interim while they find work in the field they have valuable skills in. That's just good common sense and makes the best uses of the resources of our country (our citizens and especially people with special skills). It is not an efficient system if people don't have the ability to take a year or so to find a job that will best utilize their skills. Healthcare is a crippling expense unless one has been employed long enough to save up a sizeable nest-egg. By pooling our resources we can create a stronger economic engine.
Look at Europe, they have excellent educational opportunities and have prospered in the modern economy. They have thousands of very dynamic companies with high paying jobs and good benefits. It's almost enough to make the US look like we are half-way to a third world country. If "socialism" was so terrible, certainly Finland, Ireland, Germany, France, Norway, Italy, etc. all would have failed by now. Of course those countries are not socialistic, they are capitalistic at least since they got rid of nobility. And that is what the conservative movement is taking us towards, a system of the haves and the have nots. That's not a dynamic economy, that's a fiefdom. A commoner will not have any rights left if we follow the far right.
What's got me laughing is how the far right uses emotional issues to get the most ignorant commoners on board with their agenda. It would be comical if it were not so tragic.
No, I don't want a hand-out, I want to give back to make our nation stronger because widespread ignorance will always lead to more poverty than opportunity and education. And this works best if all people like myself who have made good in this fantastic country pitch in to help create these opportunities.
You question my English comprehension, and then you pull tons of "facts" straight out of your *** that dont even add up. I SAID that graduated tax systems are necessary. What my WHOLE point was is how outlandish you are in your percentages, and generally, the things that you are wanting to get accomplished. In england.. they take tests.. if you fail your test in 8th grade then your butt goes out and starts working. If you are fortunate enough to make high school then you take another, and so on until you make college. They dont give you ANY special attention. And in the United States all these kids take every bit of it for granted. They EXPECT nice programs, and they EXPECT all these things. What does anybody have to earn these days? All I see is hand-out this, and hand-out that.
You bring me a pay check showing that you can produce $400,000 a year, and tell me you arent frustrated when you bring home $200,000.
I am not the only person who has looked at the fallacy and just plain stupid, contradictory statements that you make and taken them in a complete way then you Realyy meant it. The United States of America has gotten completely stupid with the way that my hard earned dollars are spent. I REALLY DON'T care for your life story, and to be honest I feel sorry for you
. Im outta here, and Im done so dont even write back to this
. I have wasted enough time trying to talk sense with your kind. 
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From: Blue Ridge Mountains, GA
When you resort to insults, it's proof that you lost the debate.
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From: Blue Ridge Mountains, GA
More gov't spending will only lengthen this.
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From: Blue Ridge Mountains, GA
Like Peter Schiff has said, people borrow money to pay for big screen TV's, cars they don't need, and houses they can't afford. All of that was possible because of America's reserve currency status and the increase of money available by the Fed.