Principia Discordia

Principia Discordia => Aneristic Illusions => Topic started by: Adios on December 27, 2010, 04:39:21 PM

Title: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Adios on December 27, 2010, 04:39:21 PM
Republicans view their midterm electoral victory as a mandate to cut spending, and cutting $100 billion from a $3 trillion federal budget sounds like a reasonable goal.

But GOP leaders say they will focus only on non-security discretionary spending, and won't slash funding for defense, Social Security or Medicare.

That makes their task a lot harder.

Cutting non-security discretionary funds by $100 billion means a 21% annual reduction in the part of the budget that includes funding for education, health and human services and housing and urban development, among other things, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank.

In other words, the sacred cows of domestic Democratic policy.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/27/news/economy/GOP_budget_promise/index.htm?cnn=yes

Is the GOP strategy really going to be this obvious? Will anyone really notice?
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Requia ☣ on December 27, 2010, 04:46:51 PM
Senate republicans already rejected a massive spending cut bill (in committee) so I'm guessing politics as usual.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: LMNO on December 27, 2010, 04:53:11 PM
FUCK THE POOR!
     \
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/blog/P022409JB-0615-red.jpg)
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Adios on December 27, 2010, 04:55:21 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD on December 27, 2010, 04:53:11 PM
FUCK THE POOR!  IN HALIBURTON WE TRUST!
     \
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/blog/P022409JB-0615-red.jpg)
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Bebek Sincap Ratatosk on December 27, 2010, 05:21:27 PM
Meh, if they can't afford bread... let them eat Twinkies.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Jenne on December 27, 2010, 06:10:06 PM
In the words of my mother (the died-in-the-wool GOPite):  Unless and until people in the US take to the streets in protest like they did in Europe over this, it will go virtually unnoticed except by the media shit-stirrers.  (My mom never says "shit-stirrers" but that's what she meant.)

I have to agree, and Katty Kay or however you spell her name said the same thing last weekend.  Even though the Teabaggers and the GOPers didn't want to lay down what it was they are willing to cut when interviewed before the last Congress left this past week, we all know what it was they were going to do once back in session and getting down to business.  Rocket Science, this isn't.

And the fact it's happening in Yurp will only work to their advantage.  There's nothing the GOP likes better than to look like they are only doing what everyone ELSE thinks they should--since they paint the Dem-Libs as leftist Europhiles who ape their every move.  "See, we're only doing with the Democrats WISH they had the balls to do!"
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on December 27, 2010, 06:12:08 PM
HAW HAW!

I can't wait to see the teabaggers at Capitol Grilling explain this away.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Adios on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: The Good Reverend Roger on December 27, 2010, 06:14:29 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.

And if that were their objective, they'd do just that.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Jenne on December 27, 2010, 06:16:44 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.

Naw, your formula does not compute, because each of those elements goes under the subheading of "Security."  :lulz:  GOP'ers would find each of those things OFF the table.  You'd have to come back with someone less obvious. 

The trick is to make each of those sound like a public works program.  Then they'd cut it right the fuck off, and to the quick!
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Adios on December 27, 2010, 06:17:53 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 27, 2010, 06:12:08 PM
HAW HAW!

I can't wait to see the teabaggers at Capitol Grilling explain this away.

LOL, keep us informed please.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Adios on December 27, 2010, 06:20:53 PM
Quote from: Jenne on December 27, 2010, 06:16:44 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.

Naw, your formula does not compute, because each of those elements goes under the subheading of "Security."  :lulz:  GOP'ers would find each of those things OFF the table.  You'd have to come back with someone less obvious. 

The trick is to make each of those sound like a public works program.  Then they'd cut it right the fuck off, and to the quick!

Top Secret America = Government sponsored welfare for spying.
The War on drugs = Government sponsored welfare for rednecks in 4-wheel drives.
The war on terror = Government sponsored corporate welfare.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Jenne on December 27, 2010, 06:24:53 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:20:53 PM
Quote from: Jenne on December 27, 2010, 06:16:44 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.

Naw, your formula does not compute, because each of those elements goes under the subheading of "Security."  :lulz:  GOP'ers would find each of those things OFF the table.  You'd have to come back with someone less obvious. 

The trick is to make each of those sound like a public works program.  Then they'd cut it right the fuck off, and to the quick!

Top Secret America = Government sponsored welfare for spying.
The War on drugs = Government sponsored welfare for rednecks in 4-wheel drives.
The war on terror = Government sponsored corporate welfare.


That's the ticket...but you gotta get more minorities in there.  The rednecks are too close to being "family."  Or so it's said, anyway, to get the Teabaggers riled up.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Reginald Ret on December 27, 2010, 11:12:57 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.


Uhmm, no that'd get you about 10% of what you need to balance the budget.
That is without actually starting to pay back your huge ass debt.


Here, have a budget.
http://www.freedomainradio.com/traffic_jams/tn57.pdf
You need to reduce it by about 2 trillion, go play.
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Adios on December 28, 2010, 12:24:02 AM
Quote from: Regret on December 27, 2010, 11:12:57 PM
Quote from: Charley Brown on December 27, 2010, 06:13:37 PM
Eliminate the war on drugs.
Eliminate the war on terror.
Eliminate Top Secret America.

Then America would be debt free in short order.


Uhmm, no that'd get you about 10% of what you need to balance the budget.
That is without actually starting to pay back your huge ass debt.


Here, have a budget.
http://www.freedomainradio.com/traffic_jams/tn57.pdf
You need to reduce it by about 2 trillion, go play.

Between 2009 and 2010, the average monthly cost of the Iraq war fell $1.8 billion to $5.4 billion, a 25% drop. But increased spending in Afghanistan ate up that savings–and a bit more. Monthly costs rose $2.2 billion to $5.7, billion, a 63% increase.
Overall, CRS estimates that the U.S. has spent $1.1 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/0...-report-shows/
__________________

Hawk,
just sayin'
Title: Re: Spending cuts, or Politics as usual?
Post by: Cain on December 28, 2010, 12:50:24 AM
Actually the overall cost was put at 3 trillion in 2009 by two economists, one of which was former Chief Economist of the World Bank, Joe Stiglitz.