A real discussion about spending cuts

[Moonbeam]

At some point even YOU have to realize you keep posting the same thing over and over and over again. You are worse than the Geico commercials. Are you doing it hoping someone new might see it?

You fail to appreciate how much I've learned over the years from my teacher, the incomparable Mulla Nasruden. I used to ask him his age and he always said 40, the same as the year before so I questioned him on that being the logician that I am. He told me that he is always consistent about the truth and once spoken it can never be changed. So trust me when I tell you that when it comes to being consistent, my teacher will get nothing over on me.

There is only one truth and it covers us all. A saying.

 

[davmat787]

But Nancy told us they'd already cut to the bone. But we know better. The question is, how do we rein in an out of control government and make them accountable? And before it's too late would really be a plus.

Step 1 Admit there's a problem. We can't get enough people in the .gov to admit there's a problem. So there's one problem.

Exactly this, and basically what I was going to post. We can all argue until we are blue or red in the face about which programs need to be cut or reduced. However, it won't make a damn bit of difference until there is a critical mass of those in government who are actually interested in the welfare of this country beyond their term and re-election.

 

[openwheel]

Who does not admit there is a problem? Republicans and democrats both agree there is a spending and debt issue. You are preaching to the choir. They just can't agree on fundamental differences.

But at the end of the day, everything should be cut.

 

[Matt1970]

You fail to appreciate how much I've learned over the years from my teacher, the incomparable Mulla Nasruden. I used to ask him his age and he always said 40, the same as the year before so I questioned him on that being the logician that I am. He told me that he is always consistent about the truth and once spoken it can never be changed. So trust me when I tell you that when it comes to being consistent, my teacher will get nothing over on me.

There is only one truth and it covers us all. A saying.

If you asked him his age one year and he said 40, why would you ask again a year later?

 

[Moonbeam]

Exactly this, and basically what I was going to post. We can all argue until we are blue or red in the face about which programs need to be cut or reduced. However, it won't make a damn bit of difference until there is a critical mass of those in government who are actually interested in the welfare of this country beyond their term and re-election.

The validity of your point is rendered moot by the fact that everybody including you when you posted assumes he or she is doing that. There isn't a tea party idiot anywhere who thinks he's harming the country by destroying over 200 years of credit or that the cost isn't worth it. We are being destroyed by the alternate reality delusions of well meaning but ignorant people who have no organic shame.

 

[Matt1970]

Who does not admit there is a problem? Republicans and democrats both agree there is a spending and debt issue. You are preaching to the choir. They just can't agree on fundamental differences.

But at the end of the day, everything should be cut.

The only seem to admit that there is a problem when running for office. Strangely once in office they always argue for the very excess spending they campaigned against.

 

[piasabird]

The president Terrorist in Cheif is running around the world giving arms and ammunition to terrorists in multiple countries. You really want to cut defense spending then make the president bring the troops home like he promised he would! Why does the USA or the UN have to be the police force to protect Muslim Murderers?

Problem 2 the Fed is creating and spending from thin air $85 billion every month. This is not free market principles or capitalism. This is corporate welfare. Do we really want to print up $1 trillion a year for buying back government bonds? It is not quite that much because we are saving some money on the bonds we buy back. If we just print money, then that makes the money we have in our pockets worth less. That means this increases the price of power and GASOLINE.

In reality under Bush Cheney significantly reduced the size of the Military. All the Troops for the gulf and afghanistan is coming from National guard and reservists. The only way to save money on the military is to bring our troops home and let them rest. They would be better off guarding our southern border. We could in fact reduce dramatically the number of troops we have in Germany, Korea, Japan etc. However, if something happens there will be no American hospital in Germany. It might be better if we just tell Europe to maintain the hospital for us.

I think it is time for a reality check. We are spending abour 20% too Much. So we really need a 20% cut. The easiest and fastest way to cut what we are spending is to ditch O'Bammacare and cut back on other things.

Here are some things we could do:
1 Get rid of the Cap on Social Security - Shore up Social Security.
2 Fase out over time credits and deductions like Earned Income Credit, Interest on houses, House closing costs, Business Expenses, and a few others to be identified Later.
3 Possible Federal income tax say 2%.
4 Immigration taxes and fees for immigration Legal and illegal.
5 Put a cap on all deductions and credits after a certain level of Income
6 Count capital gains over a certain amount per year as income. Protect small investors.

Even if we dont get rid of obammacare we need to make changes to the parts of the law that dont make sense or are hurting the poor, and get rid of all exceptions and waivers. Either emplement the law or give everyone a waiver.

 

[laspariahs]

I would say social security and medicaid are actually a part of it. Large cuts in any one program aren't enough.

You are correct that cutting budget items, whether they're in defense or otherwise, is very difficult. Every budget item has its backers and typically a real need or a moneyed interest with lobbyists behind it.

When you really think about it, almost the entire budget is a subsidy of one from another. Defense spending susidizes corporations (but also their employees) while medicaid, medicare, and social security susidize large sections of the population directly. Tucked into the discretionary and mandatory spending iems are also plenty of subsidies for various pet projects.

Defense-related expenditure 2012 Budget request & Mandatory spending[22][23] Calculation[24][25] DOD spending $707.5 billion Base budget + "Overseas Contingency Operations" FBI counter-terrorism $2.9 billion At least one-third FBI budget. International Affairs $5.6–$63.0 billion At minimum, foreign arms sales. At most, entire State budget Energy Department, defense-related $21.8 billion
Veterans Affairs $70.0 billion
Homeland Security $46.9 billion
NASA, satellites $3.5–$8.7 billion Between 20% and 50% of NASA's total budget Veterans pensions $54.6 billion
Other defense-related mandatory spending $8.2 billion
Interest on debt incurred in past wars $109.1–$431.5 billion Between 23% and 91% of total interest Total Spending $1.030–$1.415 trillion

Reality is defense spending is far more than you seem to think.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Let's have a real discussion about spending cuts.

First of all, the real problem isn't big spending Democrats. Its also not Social Security, Medicare, or food stamps.

Problem 1. To really cut spending you have to cut defense spending. But no one in Congress wan'ts to cut funding for the military base or airplane factory or tank factory that's in their state or district. So we keep paying for things the DOD says they don't even need.

Problem 2. Stop blaming poor people when the big money waste is subsidies to large corporations.

so, ignore ~40-50% of the budget?

any budget cuts HAVE to include medicare/medicaid, social security, and DoD. no ifs, ands, or buts.

those three together account for 70% of the federal budget. everything else is taking a single piece of straw out of a haystack, when you really need to move the entire haystack.

 

[Agent11]

I wonder how much Japan would give us for our military bases in Okinawa. Price would include equipment and training of course.

 

[Darwin333]

We didn't need a thread for everyone to say things that aren't going to happen, like get rid of SS or Medicare.

I am sorry to tell you but medicare/medicaid has increased at a rate exponentially higher than inflation for decades now. It is a very large reason for our budget problems and must be brought under control. This is simply a purely mathematical fact.

If you disagree with the math then please explain how and why, or better yet how it is possible for us to keep up with any spending increase that is exponentially, year over year, higher than inflation for eternity?