US Politics...the Reckoning

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

Oh, I don't know. I guess I was thinking that if certain policies worked before, it might be a good idea to try them again. No? Streamlining government, shoring up tax revenues by increasing tax rates at the top, etc. I was also thinking that we might give the administration that accomplished that some credit also, and that perhaps it's a point in favor of thinking that the Democrats are really the party that's best for the economy.

I dunno. The only balanced budget in the last 50 years was when we had a Republican Congress along with Clinton. As far as going back to those policies, you could eliminate the Bush tax cuts and that barely improves the current deficit hole. I've said previously I'd be perfectly willing to do that in exchange for closing the rest of the gap with spending cuts. Or for that matter, rather than looking to Clinton, why not go back to the economic policies of the 50's, with better growth, etc.

But my primary point is that the long-term financial problems are just worse than they were in the early-mid 90's because of the approaching Medicare problem and other economic issues. If it was as easy as turning back the clock, we could do that.

It's like your saying, hey, sure we had a really banner year at that Dominos franchise we own in 1993. And since then, we changed our pricing and our pay structure and conducted an illegal vandalism spree on our competitor down the block that was both pricey and damaging to our reputation, and things have really sucked.

No. You're ignoring how demographics and a bunch of other factors have changed since 1993. You could put those same policies in place, but the budgetary effect would be completely different. I mean, c'mon. You know that, right?

How is the current role of government, as you see it, bringing about the imminent destruction of this country? The only case I could make for you was on the issue of the debt.

Because the cost of the benefits we have voted ourselves is rapidly approaching the point where they will exceed our ability to pay for them.

It's a false dichotomy there. I personally think the Democrats are much more likely to get something done here, hence part of my support for the party.

Well, maybe the party calling for no cuts to Medicare is more likely to pass cuts than the party that has openly proposed a plan that cuts them significantly.

Yeah, and I'm a Chinese jet pilot.

On the rest of the things you're talking about, I haven't seen any liberal I need to take seriously say those things. They are red herrings.

Got Krugman?

Anyway, I'm not expecting you to agree with me. I'm simply giving you the perspective from the other side.