DEAD

[44nutman]

When, to you, is eventually?  I mean, is it before the dollar is no longer the world's reserve currency, or after?  Or maybe after the world bond market decides it's had enough of US Treasury bonds and we have to jack interest rates in the double digits to get buyers?  At that point, it will be too late to do anything other than the government running out of money halfway through the budget year and can't make those medicare and social security payments.

And is that 100 years off or closer to 100 months?

What I meant by eventually is we will have to deal with it, at some point. Right now we have 3 choices, increase revenue, cut costs or a combination of both. I think we are trying to deflate the dollar which would work temporarily but in long term is not a great decision. It is like owning two cows and killing one because your hungry. Sure you get to eat but lose the ability to get more cows in the future.

These latest budget talks, made me  even more aware our bloated government will never be able to get shit done due to too much money is being thrown at D.C. These patrons have way too much money invloved to let their employees vote for any reasonable cuts because those cuts will affect someone that gives money to the representatives. The representatives argue that money is needed to run, which is illustrated by Obama's BILLION DOLLAR war chest.  The only cuts they can make are to projects which affect the middle class and poor. Those groups financially do not donate money to anyone. They are individuals but, individually are lower on the totem pole than the "individual corporations". 
If you follow the money you will realize that lobbyists run our country and too greedy to understand they are killing it. Short term gains rule over long term prosperity.

[lil mike]

What I meant by eventually is we will have to deal with it, at some point. Right now we have 3 choices, increase revenue, cut costs or a combination of both. I think we are trying to deflate the dollar which would work temporarily but in long term is not a great decision. It is like owning two cows and killing one because your hungry. Sure you get to eat but lose the ability to get more cows in the future.

These latest budget talks, made me  even more aware our bloated government will never be able to get shit done due to too much money is being thrown at D.C. These patrons have way too much money invloved to let their employees vote for any reasonable cuts because those cuts will affect someone that gives money to the representatives. The representatives argue that money is needed to run, which is illustrated by Obama's BILLION DOLLAR war chest.  The only cuts they can make are to projects which affect the middle class and poor. Those groups financially do not donate money to anyone. They are individuals but, individually are lower on the totem pole than the "individual corporations". 
If you follow the money you will realize that lobbyists run our country and too greedy to understand they are killing it. Short term gains rule over long term prosperity.

What I'm worried about is that eventually will be coming sooner rather than later.  And at that point, it will be too late.  We'll have an austerity budget to beat all austerity budget because there just won't be any money.

Then what happens to Medicare?

But, as Howey made clear, there is a large section of this country that thinks there is no fiscal crisis, and all you have to do raise taxes on the rich and the problems will be solved.  Unfortunately, the rich don't have near that kind of dough.  Nobody does.

[Howey]

But, as Howey made clear, there is a large section of this country that thinks there is no fiscal crisis, and all you have to do raise taxes on the rich and the problems will be solved.  Unfortunately, the rich don't have near that kind of dough.  Nobody does.

Once again, you're oversimplifying my response. What I said was:

Were the currently nonexistent financial problems with medicare and social security the result of them being funded with bonds or are our financial problems due to Medicare Part D, excessive tax cuts for the rich and the financing of two wars with the bonds?

See...you missed "currently". Although both are projected to be in the red sometime in the future, they're solvent now. Currently, our financial "crisis" (it really isn't) is specifically due to "Medicare Part D, excessive tax cuts for the rich and the financing of two wars with the bonds".

Why do I say that? Because without those the deficit wouldn't be anywhere near where it is today.

[lil mike]

Once again, you're oversimplifying my response. What I said was:

See...you missed "currently". Although both are projected to be in the red sometime in the future, they're solvent now. Currently, our financial "crisis" (it really isn't) is specifically due to "Medicare Part D, excessive tax cuts for the rich and the financing of two wars with the bonds".

Why do I say that? Because without those the deficit wouldn't be anywhere near where it is today.

What was the federal budget deficit in 2007, after two wars, tax cuts, and Medicare Part D?

[Howey]

What was the federal budget deficit in 2007, after two wars, tax cuts, and Medicare Part D?

Try this (instead of answering a question with a question and/or repeating tired old Republican talking points):

Some lawmakers, pundits, and others continue to say that President George W. Bush’s policies did not drive the projected federal deficits of the coming decade — that, instead, it was the policies of President Obama and Congress in 2009 and 2010. But, the fact remains: the economic downturn, President Bush’s tax cuts and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq explain virtually the entire deficit over the next ten years (see Figure 1).

The deficit for fiscal year 2009 — which began more than three months before President Obama’s inauguration — was $1.4 trillion and, at 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the largest deficit relative to the economy since the end of World War II. At $1.3 trillion and nearly 9 percent of GDP, the deficit in 2010 was only slightly lower. If current policies remain in place, deficits will likely resemble those figures in 2011 and hover near $1 trillion a year for the next decade.

The events and policies that pushed deficits to these high levels in the near term were, for the most part, not of President Obama’s making. If not for the Bush tax cuts, the deficit-financed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the effects of the worst recession since the Great Depression (including the cost of policymakers’ actions to combat it), we would not be facing these huge deficits in the near term. By themselves, in fact, the Bush tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will account for almost half of the $20 trillion in debt that, under current policies, the nation will owe by 2019. The stimulus law and financial rescues will account for less than 10 percent of the debt at that time.

The highly credible source: http://www.cbpp.org/about/

[FooFa]

I think what bothers me the most is that unethical practices are the new norm in big business now.  You don't have to really hide your head in shame if you're caught anymore.  People bitch and whine, but it's pretty much accepted that that's how you have to conduct yourself to make dem big bucks.  Instead of being fringe or outcast...most of them easily rub the shit off their collar and go right back to business.  The masses don't punish them, hell, you practically can't anymore.  Even if you boycotted their products or services, you're still giving them cash through one of 100's of other interests.

Even if you could mind control the masses and make everyone boycott the living hell out of products galore...all you would be doing is hurting the smaller businesses.  The big boys, while greedy as hell...can wait you out and teach you a lesson when you finally come crawling back.

It's part of the thing that I can't comprehend about at least some peoples human nature. I don't understand the notion that you have to make more this year than last every single year and if not you're somehow failing. Like when Sam was living he cared about the employees having time off and used to close in the evening at a certain time. Fast forward to now and they're not giving FT hours to anyone but department managers, no discount card for 6 months or a year, no health options for at least six months. The people who have been there forever and in some cases are making well over 20 an hour have been pushed and prodded to different shifts and things they didn't care to do, for the sole purpose of course of trying to get them to leave.