OT: Rating the President

Instar · #1 February 6th, 2003, 06:37 AM

Here, I have a solution.
Elect me supreme ruler of Earth. Everything will be fixed in about 3 months! <-- My campaign promise

Askan Nightbringer · #2 February 6th, 2003, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Instar:
Here, I have a solution.
Elect me supreme ruler of Earth. Everything will be fixed in about 3 months! <-- My campaign promise

Well, the best form of government is a benevolent dictatorship, providing I am that dictator.

Askan,
Apologising to Plato.

Fyron · #3 February 6th, 2003, 08:59 AM

There is no such thing as benevolent dictatorship.

Askan Nightbringer · #4 February 6th, 2003, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
There is no such thing as benevolent dictatorship.

And why is that?

Krsqk · #5 February 6th, 2003, 03:29 PM

"You implied the deficit was a problem, during the depression it wasn't, it didn't become a problem until it ballooned in the 80's."

Um, I think we're mixing up deficit and debt. A deficit is just the annual bottom line. If you spend more than you took in, you ran a deficit. That's acceptable for short periods of time when you have extra money and have a specific short-term goal which will increase your income. Debt (borrowing) is only acceptable when cash (or rapidly liquifiable assets) are insufficient to cover the cost for a transaction, or when doing so would disrupt normal fiscal operation. In either case, debt must be paid off as quickly as possible, both out of moral obligation and fiscal prudence.

Congress perpetually runs deficits with no short-term goals; they borrow to cover their deficit spending; and they have no production to pay for their spending. Reagan gets slammed for "his" deficit spending. It couldn't be, of course, that the Democrat-run Congress passed the tax cuts they promised him, but didn't cut spending (like they also promised him), and then took advantage of the booming deficits to attack him. Too bad the American people saw through it and re-elected him.

Fian · #6 February 6th, 2003, 07:13 PM

If the rich really were running the country, why isn't their tax rate lower? Maybe a flat tax? It is precisely because we are a democracy, and their vote equals the same as a poor man's that we have such a disparity in the tax rates. The poor continue to want services that they can't pay for (prescription drug benefit), and the rich are then the ones that end up paying for it.

As for the rich owning everything, I don't know if that is true. Can you provide any evidence that it is? We have a large middle class in America that owns stock, and as a whole might own more than the richest 5%.

rextorres · #7 February 6th, 2003, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fian:
If the rich really were running the country, why isn't their tax rate lower? Maybe a flat tax? .

Um . . . well actually when you factor in the Social Security tax which is just thrown into the general fund (and not in a "lock box" remember Gore "lost") the top 5% make 35% of the income but only pay 21% of the REVENUE. (Pretty good if you ask me and something conservatives seem to conveniently always forget).

Quote:

Originally posted by Fian:

As for the rich owning everything, I don't know if that is true. Can you provide any evidence that it is? We have a large middle class in America that owns stock, and as a whole might own more than the richest 5%.

Well they don't own everything, but 70% of the wealth is owned by 10% of the population. Pretty good if you ask me.

http://www.therationalradical.com/ds...stribution.htm

Quote:

Originally posted by Krsqk:

Reagan gets slammed for "his" deficit spending. It couldn't be, of course, that the Democrat-run Congress .

REVISIONIST HISTORY (please don't make things up!!)- the Republicans controlled the senate when Reagan passed his tax cut from (1981 -1987)- link below.

http://www.swishweb.com/Politics/USA...itics01con.htm

Quote:

Originally posted by Krsqk:

"You implied the deficit was a problem, during the depression it wasn't, it didn't become a problem until it ballooned in the 80's."

Um, I think we're mixing up deficit and debt. A deficit is just the annual bottom line. If you spend more than you took in, you ran a deficit.

The "debt" tripled in the eighties with a Senate controlled by the Republicans and Reagan in the white house because the "deficit" was ballooned. Reagan gave everything to everybody without worrying about the future. The deficit causes the debt so yes the deficit is a problem.

[ February 06, 2003, 18:16: Message edited by: rextorres ]