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PostPosted: July 18 12, 11:51 am 
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AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:
Arthur Dent wrote:
Nothing makes the military budget special. But job destruction right now would mean just that. If we agree that too much military spending is not a good use of resources, then that productive capacity should be directed to some less wasteful end.

I agree it should be redirected, but that's the short term answer. For how long should the federal gov. continue to borrow money to pay for the productive capacity necessary to keeping workers employed, regardless of what sector it is?


These answers aren't probably what you're looking for, but cutting spending isn't the only way to reduce the deficit. That's not to say that you can't cut spending at all, but you probably need to supplement the spending cuts with tax hikes......... specifically for the rich folks.


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PostPosted: July 18 12, 12:17 pm 
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Socnorb11 wrote:
AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:
Arthur Dent wrote:
Nothing makes the military budget special. But job destruction right now would mean just that. If we agree that too much military spending is not a good use of resources, then that productive capacity should be directed to some less wasteful end.

I agree it should be redirected, but that's the short term answer. For how long should the federal gov. continue to borrow money to pay for the productive capacity necessary to keeping workers employed, regardless of what sector it is?


These answers aren't probably what you're looking for, but cutting spending isn't the only way to reduce the deficit. That's not to say that you can't cut spending at all, but you probably need to supplement the spending cuts with tax hikes......... specifically for the rich folks.


I admittedly know nothing about the economics of the Fair Tax, but wouldn't that address this?


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PostPosted: July 18 12, 12:20 pm 
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No. Johnson explicitly states he wants the Fair Tax to be revenue neutral.

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PostPosted: July 18 12, 2:07 pm 
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Quad Cities is a perfect example of the dilemma of using defense cuts to balance the budget.

The Rock Island Arsenal is the biggest employer in the area, with something like 8,000 employees. It was at 9,000 at its peak a few years ago. Maybe the Arsenal doesn't have to close entirely to get to a more reasonable level. But laying off, say, 4,000 of those employees would be devastating to the local economy. I don't know what the solution is. I am in favor of cutting defense and ending the war(s). But some kind of safety net for all these employees may be needed, too.

I don't think you can just flip a switch and lay all these people off at one time. Unwinding it slowly over a longer period of time would be a lot better. Start with early retirements, and then go down the line, laying off a couple hundred a year or something over a period of several years. That would give these people a much better chance to retrain and find a new job.

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PostPosted: July 18 12, 2:21 pm 
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cards2468 wrote:
pioneer98 wrote:
Here is another idea I've floated before:
The U.S. Should Require All Citizens to Vote
Quote:
Why would increasing turnout make a difference? It is not that high turnout is a surefire indicator of civic health and democratic values -- the former Soviet Union, after all, boasted 98 percent turnouts. The greater impact is on the culture of politicians. Australian politicians of all stripes say that knowing both parties' bases will certainly vote motivates them to focus on those persuadable voters in the middle. They do not emphasize the kinds of wedge issues like guns, gays, or abortion that dominate American discourse. Instead, politicians focus on the bigger questions -- like the economy, jobs, and education -- that drive the voters in the middle, and they avoid the kind of vicious or vitriolic campaign rhetoric that turns off the persuadable voters.

If the Soviet Union did it, it has to be good, right?


What would be so wrong about saying: OK, you want to be a citizen of this country? The one responsibility you have is to vote in every election.

Oh, right. Asking Americans to get off their behind and vote for "None of the above" every 2 years is asking way too much. Because it's a slippery slope. The next thing you know, someone out there may have the nerve to suggest they actually inform themselves before voting. That means they might have to actually read something longer than a Tweet. Scary, scary stuff.

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PostPosted: July 18 12, 3:09 pm 
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Someone really needs to make a gif of someone taunting and dancing over a downed scarecrow.


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PostPosted: July 18 12, 5:58 pm 
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slide_into_first wrote:
If voting were important they would make it illegal.


They're working on it.

Homeland Security lets states view immigration database to aid voter purge

Governor makes Iowa one of the toughest states for felons to exercise their right to vote

Voter ID laws could block thousands in November

750,000 PA voters without state-issued photo ID could be disenfranchised under new GOP law

One voter suppression law isn't good enough in Michigan

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PostPosted: July 19 12, 6:29 am 
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pioneer98 wrote:
What would be so wrong about saying: OK, you want to be a citizen of this country? The one responsibility you have is to vote in every election.

Oh, right. Asking Americans to get off their behind and vote for "None of the above" every 2 years is asking way too much. Because it's a slippery slope. The next thing you know, someone out there may have the nerve to suggest they actually inform themselves before voting. That means they might have to actually read something longer than a Tweet. Scary, scary stuff.

Because we're a country that's damn proud of being able to do whatever we want.

And yes, most Americans are poor at informing themsleves over issues related to the election, and because of that, those who don't feel motivated to vote, I really don't want casting a vote.

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PostPosted: July 19 12, 9:57 am 
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cards2468 wrote:
pioneer98 wrote:
What would be so wrong about saying: OK, you want to be a citizen of this country? The one responsibility you have is to vote in every election.

Oh, right. Asking Americans to get off their behind and vote for "None of the above" every 2 years is asking way too much. Because it's a slippery slope. The next thing you know, someone out there may have the nerve to suggest they actually inform themselves before voting. That means they might have to actually read something longer than a Tweet. Scary, scary stuff.

Because we're a country that's damn proud of being able to do whatever we want.

And yes, most Americans are poor at informing themsleves over issues related to the election, and because of that, those who don't feel motivated to vote, I really don't want casting a vote.


That's the long way of saying we are lazy.

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PostPosted: July 19 12, 9:59 am 
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Ann Romney says they have 'given all you people need to know' on taxes
Quote:
Ann Romney stood firmly by her husband's commitment to release only two years of tax returns in an interview airing Thursday, saying the information already disclosed was plenty of transparency for the presumptive GOP nominee.

"There are so many things that will be open again for more attack, and you just give more material for more attack, and that's the answer. We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life," Mrs. Romney said on ABC.


OK, I'll go eat my cake now.

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