Ian, let Ben borrow your card. Remember: the massive debts will, in the end, make you become more frugal which makes you a better person.
Government deficits mean nothing. I can't believe anybody has sleepless nights worrying whether the federal deficit is growing. Plenty of people have sleepless nights worrying about their own personal deficits. Plus, the current federal deficit, as a percentage of GNP, is inconsequential. Nothing a little belt tightening and lower unemployment won't fix in rapid succession.
If deficits mean nothing, why should we have to tighten our belts at all? You've contradicted yourself in the span of 4 sentences.
Because tax burdens on Americans are too high. The actual deficit itself means nothing, but it gives politicians an excuse to raise taxes.
No, it's reducing government spending. Everyone in DC could do a better job of cutting waste in the federal government, including the president.
You're reading into things that aren't there. I'd be happy to lower employment taxes to the dividend / cap gains rate. I just want to pay now whatever we spend now. And right now, we're spending a lot more than we'd ever bring in charging everyone 15% for it. Meanwhile, discretionary spending is skyrocketing under Republican control, and Bush hasn't vetoed a single spending bill. (That link is to the commie infiltrators known as the Heritage Foundation, by the way.) Dubya loves spending your kids' money, probably because he figures that, like Reagan, he'll be dead or senile before he has to actually watch somebody pay it. You've been betrayed by your own party, Mr. Small Government.
I call bullshit. $321 billion in annual debt interest payments, Ian, before we get to paying down the principal. Should we just default and start over? (Man, that'd screw the Saudis and Chinese, wouldn't it?)
Not to drag this thread OT, but this is a good example of what is driving us on the left a bit nuts. In the reality based world, Bush is the biggest spender ever. He's killing the era of small gvt. all by himself. But the kinds of people who want small gvt. love him anyway. An analysis of the election that helps explain this is that for whatever reason, they see Bush as a member of their tribe, so anything he does is OK. And that tribe was able to muster 51% of the vote. I don't think all of those voters are in the tribe, so I'm hopeful that some of them will wake up and smell the reality soon. But if they don't, if delusional ignoramuses get to run the country, what hope is there? It's NOT about liberal-conservative. It's just about reality.
Both sides have individuals who are not generous. Being generous has nothing to do with your political affiliation, but what is in your heart. For those who don't give to the less fortunate, I feel sorry for you.
Hey, if it worked well for Philip II, it can work for us too! Who's up for planning a fleet to sail to England? Anyone?
In that case we're screwed. The so-called party of fiscal responsibility controls both houses of Congress and the White House and spending has ballooned tremendously. And they'll continue (so will Democrats) because the day they close the spigot they lose votes at home.