Re: Tax Cuts
Wick, gotta disagree. The problem isn’t the tax cuts and the solution isn’t higher taxes. If we’re going into a recession economy, the last thing we need is more taxes slowing things down further. We’re taxed plenty enough, good and hard. The problem is the spending. And the Republicans are worse than the Democrats. Bush II has expanded government faster than both FDR and LBJ. Heck, guess which party has the three biggest earmark snouts, according to Citizens Against Government Waste? Yep, the GOP.
We’re paying enough in taxes. Even God doesn’t ask for the rate of tithing the federal leviathan demands. What we have to change (end) is the spending — and that means everything from health care and welfare (individual and corporate) largess to maintaining military forces around the globe.
I think the solution lies in something Milton Friedman once said.
The free man will ask neither what his country can do for him nor what he can do for his country.
8 Comments to “Re: Tax Cuts”
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Trey, I agree with you in principle, but where is the courage of Republicans’ convictions when it comes to this ungodly expensive war? Comes a time to put your money where your mouth is — not the next generation’s money.
Daniel,
Yeah, you are right. How dare FDR spend all that money fighting the Nazis. I mean, heck, they didn’t attack us.
Let’s see…why has W expanded the government and increased spending so much since he took over office? Oh yeah, the 9/11 tragedies. Homeland Security didn’t exist before, but it is “needed” now, both for logical and silly reasons. Waging war on terrorism…yeah, costs money to do that, which is never an inexpensive burden.
While I’d like to see our troops come home and see our deficit spending drop significantly, we have to admit that Bush faced a crisis unlike any other previous president during his first year in office. He’d barely figured out which bathroom he prefers in the White House when 9/11 took place. Comparing him to any other president is unfair, except for maybe FDR and Pearl Harbor.
Welfare definitely needs an overhaul. The abuse and fraud by consumers is frightening. Fixing that and closing the fraud loop could save us a hundred million a year, give or take. Healthcare needs some changes, but socializing it is NOT an answer. (Ask any Canadian doctor about how easy it is to practice there and make money at it.)
Setting expectations to fix all of these social and military problems on a timeline isn’t reasonable, but setting incremental goals makes sense. It needs to be done right, not quickly.
Deft parry, Brian: Immediately exhume the Nazis. Hey, weren’t you on the debate team with Sandra Crenshaw?
I’m gonna scream the next time a Repub rants about runaway federal spending and cites welfare and EARMARKS for cryin out loud. Credit to Wick for pointing out the true culprits, everything else is nibbling on the edges.
And thanks to Trey for a terrific and earnest point of view regarding.
That said, facts are facts and this time around the party in power GOP cannot hide. Yet many people do not read, have no interest beyond ‘is the beer is cold’ after work.
To that point, I received an email from a friend so far to the right of Wick he was last seen in Madagascar. According to his undoubtedly forwarded email; prior to the Dems taking the congress in ‘06, the economy was humming, oil was cheap, homes were selling dbl. digit, the White House was the right house. It’s all about the Republicans losing in 2006. If that had not happened, the future would continue to be like the opening scene in The Sound of Music. What’s playing on YOUR iPod.
To him I sent Wick’s, Rod Dreher’s, and Trey’s threads along with a couple of Peggy Noonan and David Brooks and Pat Buchanan and George Will and Wm. F. Buckley assessments of those 2000-2006 total GOP house, senate and White House scorecards. With an occasional WSJ and National Review piece tossed into the mix. What’s that new X-rated video sensation? Ideological Robots (and Sandra Crenshaw) Gone Wild?
Considering the fact that US citizens (and visitors) may pay taxes in up to approximately 17 different ways on the money they earn, save and spend from birth to death and based on a total population of 303,807,741- the conclusion would be that our Beloved Country wouldn’t have the following problem:
http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Ldebtclock.htm
As the median American household budget goes (extended credit debt vs. income to cover with very little to no savings) so goes the budget of the country as a whole.
We have no self discipline on the personal or nation level and deserve to reap what we’ve sown: bankruptcy and foreclosure.
oh crap..you people said Nazi.