Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Economist Admits Deficits Pose Long Term Problem, Suggests Remedies
Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 10 Feb 2013 | John Semmens

Posted on 02/11/2013 8:47:25 AM PST by John Semmens

While Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman has been arguing that now is not the time for us to be worrying about the federal government’s debt, he does admit that a long term solution is necessary.

“In the short run we can always inflate the currency as a means of defaulting on federal obligations,” Krugman said. “But in the long term there are significant demographic problems that require a real solution.”

One of the significant demographic problems cited by Krugman was the aging population. “As people get older they tend to need more medical services,” Krugman recounted. “With our advanced technology these services can be expensive. The question is whether we, as a society, want to invest in life-saving interventions for those too old to be productive contributors to the nation’s wealth. Some means of easing them out of the equation is needed. Inexpensive palliative care or assisted suicide for those in this classification may be our best option.”

Another significant demographic problem is the insufficient number of wealthy who can be taxed. “The big money in our society is held by the huge cohort of the middle class,” Krugman pointed out. “I know that it is politically popular to talk about taxing the rich, but there just isn’t enough money there. We’ll have to hit the middle class with a hefty tax hike to get at the bulk of the wealth held by private parties in this country. Most of these people have far more possessions than they need. Siphoning off a chuck of their money via a national sales tax or value-added tax is probably the easiest way to accomplish this.”

if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...

http://constitutionclub.org/2013/02/10/semi-news-a-satire-of-recent-news-50/


TOPICS: Humor
KEYWORDS: deficits; obamacare; satire; taxes

1 posted on 02/11/2013 8:47:36 AM PST by John Semmens
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: John Semmens

Whenever I see the name “Krugman,” the song “If I Only Had a Brain” comes to mind.


2 posted on 02/11/2013 8:52:16 AM PST by Da Coyote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John Semmens

The man is positively evil.


3 posted on 02/11/2013 9:09:07 AM PST by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John Semmens

Krugman simply has no credibility. He argues both sides of the argument - FOR Obama’s spending and FOR conservatives’ desire to cut spending and reduce the size of our bloated government.

What Krugman does is support BOTH sides of the argument so that he will be right at least 50% of the time.


4 posted on 02/11/2013 12:09:08 PM PST by DustyMoment (Congress - another name for anti-American criminals!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DustyMoment

A major tax hike on the upper middle class will hit the Laffer curve limit—baby boomers who are comfortable will be able to retire a few years earlier than they might have planned.

Let’s see Krugman crunch those numbers.


5 posted on 02/11/2013 12:14:49 PM PST by cgbg (HLM--"Democracy is the theory that people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

You know this is satire . . . right?


6 posted on 02/11/2013 12:34:33 PM PST by ksen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DustyMoment
What Krugman does is support BOTH sides of the argument so that he will be right at least 50% of the time.

Either that or he supports the typical Keynesian solution of increased government spending during recessions and more austerity during boom times.

7 posted on 02/11/2013 12:38:24 PM PST by ksen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ksen

It is satire, but good satire also has a lot of truth to it. In a lefty’s mind, you are only as good as you are able to be productive. The moment you cannot be productive, they want to be rid of you.

That is an evil position.


8 posted on 02/11/2013 1:30:23 PM PST by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30
In a lefty’s mind, you are only as good as you are able to be productive. The moment you cannot be productive, they want to be rid of you.

Honestly that sounds more like the mindset of the Right since if you can't be productive then they don't want to help you out with government assistance.

9 posted on 02/11/2013 2:09:37 PM PST by ksen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: ksen

While there are some people on the right, who are so Darwinian in their point of view that they will let you die in a ditch, most are much more balanced than this.

Most people on the right are happy to help out, provided that you are honestly doing everything reasonably possible to provide for yourself.


10 posted on 02/11/2013 2:40:31 PM PST by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30
In a lefty’s mind, you are only as good as you are able to be productive. The moment you cannot be productive, they want to be rid of you.

Not entirely true, if you are a member of a "protected class", illegal, single mom, SSI recipient, gang affiliated, &c, &c, ad nauseum; your guaranteed vote is highly treasured (as well as that of your dogs, cats, dead relations, minor children...)

Regards,
GtG

11 posted on 02/11/2013 4:15:17 PM PST by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson