Posted on 12/01/2012 10:00:01 AM PST by neverdem
Previously on The Perils of Pauline:
Last year, our plucky heroine, the wholesome apple-cheeked American republic, was trapped in an express elevator hurtling out of control toward the debt ceiling. Would she crash into it? Or would she make some miraculous escape?
Yes! At the very last minute of her white-knuckle thrill ride to her rendezvous with destiny, she was rescued by Congress’s decision to set up . . . a Super Committee! Those who can, do. Those who can’t, form a committee. Those who really can’t, form a Super Committee — and then put John Kerry on it for good measure.
--snip--
But that fundamental dishonesty is the heart of the crisis. You cannot simultaneously enjoy American-sized taxes and European-sized government. One or the other has to go.
Mark Steyn ping.
Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.
Thanks for the ping neverdem.
Mark Steyn ping.
Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.
Thanks for the ping neverdem.
Moving far away from big “diverse” urban centers is probably the most critical factor.
You just won’t want to be around them when the EBT cards stop working.
“One or the other has to go.”
Can’t we just get rid of ALL of them? Please? Pretty Please?
“I’ve got my money on this outcome. If I’m right, I’ll buy myself a drink. And if I’m wrong, I’ll buy myself a drink.”
I’ll be bar tending, Sistah! LOL!
My dad said that about wars and civil disorder. He'd seen Paris in the autumn of 1944, when the reptiles who'd prospered under Nazi occupation were still riding high, and black marketeers were everywhere. "Scum rises" is about the best way to put it.
Without having a link handy, I believe you're right -- he said "[g]overnment spending in the United States" -- not "United States Government/federal spending".
And yes, I think the 40+% is a "public-sector" (vs. private sector) number.
Excellent phrasing. I was trying to find those very words.
Sounds perfect!
"So given that the ruling party will not permit spending cuts, what should Republicans do? If I were John Boehner, I’d say: “Clearly there’s no mandate for small government in the election results. So, if you milquetoast pantywaist sad-sack excuses for the sorriest bunch of so-called Americans who ever lived want to vote for Swede-sized statism, it’s time to pony up.”
Okay, he might want to focus-group it first. But that fundamental dishonesty is the heart of the crisis. You cannot simultaneously enjoy American-sized taxes and European-sized government. One or the other has to go."
Ironically right now on MSNBC the lib Chris Hayes group is arguing that Americans have to be prepared for higher taxes in the future when the economy gets better. That is these libs ultimate goal for that reason.
But right now Dems are winning playing Santa. So that idea would not be received well. And there is little evidence that Rs want to decrease spending, they may want to decrease Pork while increasing theirs and cutting taxes or some tax reform.
If Bohner wanted to win, and Rs (even here) really believed it was important to win the WH and congress which they endless post dramatic comments claiming , then they would want the economy to fail , as it did under Bush, and for O to get the blame for it.
And then the question is : How do we get that?
All we have to do in order to bring our level of federal spending down to our level of taxes is to end the Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare programs now.. Not in ten years, but now. The federal government should not be involved in our health care industry, period.
It is not the function of the federal government to finance health care for old people and poor people. The majority of people do not get their health care from the federal government. Why don't our politicians represent the majority of the American people anymore?
We need to just bite the bullet and cancel those health care programs, now. That may be a hardship for some at first, but within a decade most people will adjust and make other, private, arrangements for their health care.
Why wouldn't it? Nobody with their hand in the public treasury should have a say in how much they get.
If voting is all that important to them, they should get off government assistance.
"But today, if you confiscated every penny the Forbes 400 have, it would be enough to cover just over one year’s federal deficit. And after that you’re back to square one. It’s not that “the rich” aren’t paying their “fair share,” it’s that America isn’t. A majority of the electorate has voted itself a size of government it’s not willing to pay for."
Such a shame that the GOP nominated a candidate who could so easily be portrayed by the shameless DNC/State-run media as an 'out of touch rich guy' only trying to keep taxes low for himself and his rich friends. We ain't called the Stupid Party for nothing.
p.s. nice graphic
The crash is going to be epic, that’s for sure. Magical thinking eventually slams into hard reality. Nobody can predict what form of govt (or none) will emerge a generation past the crash. The French Revolution led to Napoleon and war across Europe. I shudder to imagine a CW2 in America.
Thanks for the reply.
I used to make that point about GWB. Like O he wouldn't have spent all that money if he couldn't have justs borrowed it.
But here lies the problem, and this happens too often,
If House Republicans are really holding the middle class tax cuts hostage for equal spending cuts to pay for it as a deficit principle, then they should come out and say that and take consistent action, and consistently stand on a principle. “No more tax cuts unless they are paid for”
But this morning Chris Wallace asked Bohner if he was holding those middle class tax cuts hostage to the rich tax cuts, Bohner said :”No, Obama is doing that”
This seems to be the current talking point, but there is no way Republicans will sell this to voters now. Not after FICA and Romney and the election results...I think Bohner knows he lost and this is all acting to prepare Republicans for it
Bohner is playing a losing hand in this. Not only over tax cuts but now Geithner and Obama have told Bohner (on TV of course) to make public their entitlement cut proposals, if that is what they are demanding. And Republicans are scared to do that for obvious reasons. So once again they go into the gun fight with a twig in hand.
GREAT piece. Thank you for posting it.
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