No. You do not get to decide what the founding fathers would think today, or that it should even matter. All you have for us is noise, but fear not, if you shout loud enough, over and over and over, we might start to think your credibility is not all shot to hell. As long as we fail to look too close at the content, that is.
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President Obama Meets With Tim Cook and Other CEOs to Discuss Fiscal Crisis
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No. You do not get to decide what the founding fathers would think today, or that it should even matter. All you have for us is noise, but fear not, if you shout loud enough, over and over and over, we might start to think your credibility is not all shot to hell. As long as we fail to look too close at the content, that is.
Right, the "world" and my country in self-selecting polls.
The problem with online polls is that only interested people respond to them.I think you have no real understanding of what Canadians think. Most Canadians are amused by American politics but not necessarily "interested" in them.
You see, here in Canada, we actually have multiple parties and we actually have a right and a left whereas your "left' is just a bit less "right" than the Republicans. Your "left" is still right of centre and I would go as far as to say that the Democrats in the US are to the right of the Conservative party in Canada on many issues.
You do. You pay it every time you buy a product from their companies.
So what? If they go out and protest you'll be completely ****ed and you'll have to cave in - you can't shoot them.
Raising the retirement age by a few years is easily enough.
The communists had wage controls, and then all the competent people started to leave, so they introduced immigration controls.
Unfortunately that doesn't play out in the real world. If the president was paid 10-100x more, and therefore significantly better it would easily pay for itself with better government.
a) Abraham Lincoln was one of the few good presidents from the 19th century.
b) Abraham Lincoln had an easier job.
Not really, if you want someone who is better at running the country than a Google developer you need to pay them more.
The incompetence of our politicians costs us a huge amount of money every year.
I think he should be paid several million because that's what you'd pay a CEO who has an easier job.
$0.00125/year each is a lot of money.
Unless he wants to buy a Ferrari, or a private jet, or a Rolls Royce. Why shouldn't the most important person on earth have those things?
You are leaving out a very important aspect of the pay equation: if you pay public servants in peanuts, they will feel needy and deprived and so seek supplementary income. Traditionally, this extra income is in the form of graft, bribery and influence peddling, and is a more acute problem in the US because of the length and open-ended cost of elections (new senators and congress-critters begin fund raising for re-election before they even sit down at their desk to do work). Granted, campaign finance reform and/or full public financing would help a lot here, but as long as a rep's vote is up for bidding, the system will continue to be listing dangerously starboard.
So basically, we have this as a recap:
- Those who are paid more are better at their jobs
- Money is the only motivating factor in life
- Millions of dollars a year is the only thing that a competent person should expect
Wow.
I always find those types of people amusing. I could say I will give them $1 million dollars to kill themselves and they would do it. Perhaps I should, it would be nice to have a world where people give a damn.
And on the money thing to motivate people to work. It is not like Mitt Romney needs anymore money, he is doing it because it is his desire so that guy you are replying to is full of nonsense and doesn't even see the reason he is voting for Romney in the first place haha
Actually it is mostly cold but sunshine and Unicorns might be a good description for the majority of people there. Yeah the taxes are super high but you actually get something for them (healthcare, education, clean air) whereas here taxes are lower but you don't get anything for them but debt payments and military.
Most people don't try to succeed or fail, they just try to live and be less miserable. If you want people to risk things you need a social net. For example; if we had universal health care then people wouldn't be afraid to quit their regular job and try opening a business because they are afraid to lose insurance. I know lots of people in that situation, especially if they have pre-existing conditions. Healthcare should be a right.
We are already back in an aristocratic society despite the constitution and bill of rights. Have you even been around wealthy people that flaunt their wealth, it is sick... they really don't care about anything. Read Les Miserables a few times (or the Hunger Games if you can't handle that.)
Leaders should never take advantage...
Obviously you didn't understand what I said when I said "China happened." I wasn't referring to their horrible Communist regime but our "take advantage" business leaders transferring manufacturing to China for the past 30 years. It became a snowball effect and now it will take years to fix if anyone in government even wanted to. Once again short term gains for the stock and who gives a damn about 25 years later when no one has jobs to buy anything, but there will be a market somewhere (just not in the USA) it is so unpatriotic.
Yeah, because we had such better realistic options.
LOL Mitt Romney actually tried to defend his comment saying he didn't care about 47% of Americans. Not the best guy to lead a nation I think.
If you've read any of my other posts, you'll know that this statement you've made is completely false. Embarrassed to admit who I voted for? Please, tell me how you think that's true. I already blatantly posted here, for everyone to read, including you, that I wrote in Ron Paul. In fact, I've wrote in Ron Paul in all of the elections that I've been able to take part in. Is he a "Republican"? If you only look at the R or the D next to someone's name, which WAY too many people in this country do, then yes, I guess he's a Republican by that measure.
However, if you researched his views, you'd see he's far from the traditional Republican views. He's libertarian at heart, believing in small government, sound currency and fiscal policy, and preserving liberties.
So, what am I embarrassed about again? Last time I checked, posting in a forum and preaching about who I voted for, why I voted for them, and why I think the country today is in a world of hurt, doesn't really define "being embarrassed" to "admit" who I voted for.
Thanks for the reply, though...
I will never stand aside, be silent, and let the government run my life.
I will continue to shout and support the Campaign For Liberty.
Right, the "world" and my country in self-selecting polls.
I think you have no real understanding of what Canadians think. Most Canadians are amused by American politics but not necessarily "interested" in them.
You see, here in Canada, we actually have multiple parties and we actually have a right and a left whereas your "left' is just a bit less "right" than the Republicans. Your "left" is still right of centre and I would go as far as to say that the Democrats in the US are to the right of the Conservative party in Canada on many issues.
FYI I am not American, where I am Originally from (The netherlands) we/they have a multi party Democracy and as with you canadians are amused by their politics, not really a democracy is it, what choice do they have there.
Hell, where I am now (Indonesia) there is also a better multi party democracy now.
I am aware that Canada has a better political system than the US, although "we" hear little about it in the media here and in Europe.
Still I am pretty sure most of the world stands behind Obama/Democrats.
This is good that The Great Obama is meeting with these leaders.
I wonder if the republicians wouldve compromised at all LOL
The downfall of our economy is the rebublicians not caring about anyone besides how can any law benefit big business & rich people.....YAWN
I wonder if the republicians wouldve compromised at all LOL
The downfall of our economy is the rebublicians not caring about anyone besides how can any law benefit big business & rich people.....YAWN
Keynes actually called for government spending in bad times but repayment of that expense in good times. The point is we never do that. We just spend more. It may look good in theory but doesn't work in practice. As the last 40 years have shown and the $16T in debt that was accumulated.
We are now going to see the death of the Keynesianism theory all over the world. Good riddance.
The forefathers would also be ashamed at the fact that "negroes" are not enslaved and a "mulatto" is now in the White House. What's your point? Just because they founded this country, doesn't make them Jesus. We change with the times, they lived centuries ago and had no idea what the future has in store. Who cares what they would think about this country today? They're worm chow....
You are correct that austerity measures should be implemented during times of prosperity, not depression.
Alas, our leaders keep sticking their hands into the cookie jar - usually GOP leaders though. Remember that Clinton/Gore were actually paying DOWN our debt during their economic boom years.
I'm talking about supporting the constitution and what is stands for. It's being violated left and right by both parties today. People are still treated unequally today as they were when slavery existed. The majority of people prosecuted and sent to prison for drug violations are black. Not to mention, sound fiscal policy hasn't been exercised in this country in a very long time.
By your measure, should we tear up the constitution, bury it, and let it decompose into worm chow as well? Or, should we all reevaluate where we stand today, see that liberties are being violated and that our spending is slowly killing us, and reinstate the sound principles of the constitution that were meant to make this country great.
If something is old, that doesn't mean we should abandon it in favor of some "new world order" that's become enlightened to policies that don't work.
It is not just GOP leaders, it is both. We have increased the debt every year since 1971 (the year we left the gold standard). Including Clinton.
Clinton never had a surplus. It was a myth:
http://pjmedia.com/rogerkimball/2012/01/09/did-bill-clinton-run-a-surplus-plus-our-titanic-moment/
Clinton benefited from the dot-com boom but didn't get blamed for the bust that followed in 2001. Of course, Bush followed the Keynesianism model and boosted the economy with low interest rates and deficit spending which caused the housing bubble.
Why won't Keynesians admit that the theory doesn't work? If you stimulate during a downturn, all you do is lay the seeds for the next boom/bust. This approach just creates one boom after another with each on being bigger than the last and if you do it with debt, you are left with even more debt.
Keynesianism may work in theory but it doesn't work in practice where you are using the world's reserve currency as the base since politicians will try to use debt and QE to spend endlessly.
We are going to have a currency crisis when we cannot borrow or print anymore to sustain this unsustainable system.
Obama ran a campaign of higher taxes, but those higher taxes were only on the rich people, i.e. those making above a certain amount. He said several times that the middle class would not pay a cent more in taxes.
In those "best and happiest societies," which are progressive socialist countries, EVERYONE pays a higher tax. It's not just the rich people paying more in taxes. Even the middle class pays more. That's the tradeoff of having those services that those other countries enjoy.
Obama's campaign platform of raising taxes on the wealthy while keeping the middle class taxes at current levels and the fact that he won with that campaign shows why it's impossible to emulate those "best and happiest societies." Like I said, EVERYONE pays a higher tax in exchange for those services that higher quality of life. No politician would ever try to sell a tax hike for everyone in exchange for a better quality of life. The American people, especially the middle class, refuse to pay a cent more in taxes. That's exactly why it's impossible to emulate those countries.
I was very sad Ron Paul didn't get the Republican nomination.
I voted for him earlier this year
Even if people find him too radical, there are checks and balances and redtape in the government that won't let him get everything, or maybe anywhere near everything, he wants same as anybody else. But I like where his head is at, he seems a lot more level headed and "of the people" than himself, which is very difficult to balance in politics seemingly. He understands economics much more than Obama too, which I think at this point is paramount. I would love someone to even begin to debate that, and I'm sure they will. It'd be a good laugh... Simply taxing the rich is not going to fund the federal government very long and it will definitely not be any type of sustainable. I don't see how that primarily can be the fuel of the argument.
He is NOT too radical - he is simply the most principled and consistent politician you have in the US of A nowadays, with a solid ground on the Austrian school of economics (instead of the Keynesian blablabla coming from Krugman et al).
People may disagree with his "purist" constitutional views...but at least he would not embark on aggressive wars and illegal interventions all over the world just because some stupid hawks want to.
Alas, the average US citizen is not smart enough to vote for him - both CNN and Fox are too influential on both sides of the spectrum to allow such an independent and "clean" candidate to win.
He also won't ever get any nomination due to another tiny factor, of course...his non-biased views on foreign policy and especially regarding the single biggest geopolitical cancer of recent history: Zionism. At least I was glad to see him as the ONLY Republican candidate to speak candidly against yet another dreamed-of intervention in Iran.
That might be the smart political move, but doesn't really make too much of a dent in our national debt. I thought our goal was to pay off national debt not to make old people happy. Exactly how long do you plan keeping this cycle spinning? Remember that thing called interest?! It makes more sense financially to cut losses early than to delay much worse consequences as long as possible. Either way it will suck, but believe me, it will suck for everyone, not just the elderly. Nobody before them even had such a thing as retirement, and most people after them won't either, so what makes them so special?! They should really get over themselves.
What good do benefits have when we are completely bankrupt and sell our future to other nations?! We need to stop thinking this is 1980! We have to change our thinking and priorities to survive.
Oh no, I don't have you pegged wrong. You're not a Republican who votes for Republican candidates.
It's all the branding. The Republican brand is in the dumpster so none of you want to admit that's what you are.
"When the people find they can vote themselves money,
that will herald the end of the republic."
I think that sums up this recent election. What these business leaders have to say is irrelevant. Our course is already set, and they cannot stop where we are headed. Right now you are living the best times you are going to live for a while. All indications show that we are headed for hard times. Just follow where money and assets have been going the past year. It's really sad that we voted in a guy who got us more into debt and is responsible for a massive increase in the size of government that is going to cost everyone more money and place burdens on business. Were seeing the effect of Obamacare now.
that will herald the end of the republic."
I think that sums up this recent election. What these business leaders have to say is irrelevant. Our course is already set, and they cannot stop where we are headed. Right now you are living the best times you are going to live for a while. All indications show that we are headed for hard times. Just follow where money and assets have been going the past year. It's really sad that we voted in a guy who got us more into debt and is responsible for a massive increase in the size of government that is going to cost everyone more money and place burdens on business. Were seeing the effect of Obamacare now.