IF "deficits matter", as the GOP now claims...

[Viva_Daddy]

then why is it that increases in "Defense Spending", NDAA, and Corporate Welfare don't have to be "offset" by increased taxes?

GOP demands we "offset" any new spending for the poor or for "disaster relief" with decreased spending on other programs for the poor or for Social Security or Medicare. Well, two can play at this "fiscal deficit hawk game".

Let's call out the GOP for the hypocrites they are!!!

[NashvilleLefty]

1. "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter" -

Dick Cheney.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney

[tiredtoo]

2. The large deficit the Republicans are talking about ?

They built that !

[patrice]

3. Especially since we are the single biggest financiers of our own debt, what we NEED is more control

over the interest rates on the BONDS that finance that debt.

Currently, that interest rate on PUBLIC debt is set by a PRIVATE banking cartel, The Federal Reserve, which ALSO determines the interest rates on the DEBT that finances PRIVATE PROFITS, ergo public debt/risk and private profit/gain are played off against one another by wholly owned corporate congressional critters and lobbyists during the legislative process itself, then again during the appropriations process, and, since 2010, yet once again AFTER all of the decisions have supposedly already been made, now in the fight about the budget cap.

I just wonder about the cost:benefit value-engineering we could do (e.g. co-operative-esque balance sheets for in-kind exchanges??) if we controlled the interest rates paid on our own credit which 40% of which we are borrowing from ourselves anyway.

[NoOneMan]

4. It is a given that Republicans are hypocrites

But, do deficits matter? Is it a "good" or permissible thing to always have an economic system that perpetually fails to address the needs of a society without constant government intervention that exceeds the system's ability to pay for?

[AnnieK401]

9. The real problem is the people making the rules (Congress) are being bought

by the biggest takers.

[NoOneMan]

15. That sounds like an excuse

Maybe the real problem is an unstoppable, unsustainable system that can never deliver the progress it promises in exchange for exploitation

[AnnieK401]

16. Can't disagree with you -

I'm sure we are all open to concrete suggestions.

[MiniMe]

5. They don't care about the deficit

All of their budget proposals made the deficit worse. They have already spent all the money on the wars and tax cuts. Now they don't want to pay for it. Call them the freeloaders that they are.

[zbdent]

6. Like today's "liberally-biased media" would call them out on their hypocritical bulls*it!

[jillan]

7. NO cuts to earned entitlements until Defense budgets are slashed!!!

[dipsydoodle]

8. Deficits may not matter while interest rates are low.

It might not be so funny if interest rates were to escalate. Servicing the debt could create a nightmare.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. Republicans should be called out!

Bush was the one who started the deficit. With Clinton there was a surplus

[SleeplessinSoCal]

11. And the GOP Medicare drug prescription plan banning seniors from negotiating prices

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/21/opinion/la-ed-medicare-prescription-drug-negotiated-prices-20121221

[humbled_opinion]

12. They certainly are hypocrites but

There are much easier ways to get the revenue... and I better start hearing Obama talk about them, I already sent an email to him and to the VP....

We need a VAT... (exemptions food and all items bought at thrift stores)

We need a transaction tax on all wall street transactions.

We need a banking tax on all banking transactions.

We need a real tax increase on the wealthy, I recommend a 60 percent tax rate at a minium for those making 500K and above.

We need a serious annual gun ownership tax.

We need tax increases on ammo and gunpowder.

We need a luxury/wealth tax on all high value purchases say 20 percent tax on all single items that cost 50K or more.

We need a Millionaires tax i.e. Federal property tax on all multi-million dollar homes/property annual assesment at 5 percent of the vaule.


Explain to me why Democrats are not talking about these things..

Explain to me why Obama when he starts a discussion about spending cuts demanded by the rightwing, starts off with chained CPI on SS?

Explain to me why Obama holding all the cards allowed the right to create the illusion of rich as 400K and above? and now demand that tax increases are off the table on future deficit debates?

Explain to me why so many now on DU are telling the lower middleclass and poor working class to suck up this payroll tax increase as if our bosses have somehow increased our pay to offset this money that we were actually spending in the economy?

Anyone please explain this to me.... before I lose complete faith in my party.

[former_con]

13. Your Ideas certainly merit discussion...

I am afraid that many will think they are too extreme and impossible to get approved politically... .now that being said, should we still try? Of course we should, the President has no political pressure regarding re-election, he is historic as far as his legacy is concerned, and so truly I agree it is about time to really get things done in this second term....

I will be looking forward to the next debate concerning the debt ceiling it will tell us alot about how this second term is going to go...

[Populist_Prole]

14. Because they live in a xenophobic chickenhawk fascist bubble

Coupled to the whole "American Exceptionalism" bullshit, those in that bubble, see no irony at all. It is just assumed the the MIC is sacred.