The Budget and Math or The GOP is Full of Schtick

[Jimmy Higgins]

One of the problems today in the US is that math is no longer a subject people are familiar with. And we aren't talking complicated math. We are talking simple addition, subtraction, and greater than/less than.

The GOP in the US House right now is looking to cut US spending by $2 trillion... over the next 10 years.

According to the CBO's spending outlook, in general, the US Government will be spending on about $87 trillion in the next ten years. Over that same period of time, the US will raise about $70 trillion. That means, roughly $17 to $20 trillion in new debt.

See, the math is pretty clear that the GOP is full of BS. Cutting spending of $87 trillion to $85 trillion or in theory the new debt from $17 to $20 trillion down to $15 to $18 trillion isn't actually taking the debt seriously. It isn't close to taking it seriously. And that is just one half of the equation, "spending".

What about "revenue"? The largest ledger item the GOP demands to have, that is also one of the largest costs to the government would be the Trump tax cut! Making Trump's tax cuts permanent will cost the Government $400 billion a year. That'd be $4 trillion over ten years. That'd be twice the revenue lost than the actual "cuts" they are proposing.

The GOP are Cosplaying fiscal conservatism, and doing so very openly and very poorly, and all they are really doing is giving more and more money back to the ultra wealthy and corporations.

 

[Elixir]

What about "revenue"?

TARIFFS!!!
Ten dollar cups of crappy coffee, fifty dollar Big Macs and lots of $100,000 subsistence level jobs opened up by deported farm workers - it’s going to be Great for oligarchs.

 

[ImGod]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget. I tell all the olds who voted for this that SS and Medicare need to be cut in half next. That way productive younger workers don't need to pay for unproductive lazy old people.

Boy they become big, big government supporters quickly. But it's time we gain some efficiency in society by limiting ages.

 

[bilby]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

 

[laughing dog]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

We always have the police!! Or give massive subsidies for ice cream, cake, lasagna and meat lovers pizza.

 

[Toni]

One of the problems today in the US is that math is no longer a subject people are familiar with. And we aren't talking complicated math. We are talking simple addition, subtraction, and greater than/less than.

The GOP in the US House right now is looking to cut US spending by $2 trillion... over the next 10 years.

According to the CBO's spending outlook, in general, the US Government will be spending on about $87 trillion in the next ten years. Over that same period of time, the US will raise about $70 trillion. That means, roughly $17 to $20 trillion in new debt.

See, the math is pretty clear that the GOP is full of BS. Cutting spending of $87 trillion to $85 trillion or in theory the new debt from $17 to $20 trillion down to $15 to $18 trillion isn't actually taking the debt seriously. It isn't close to taking it seriously. And that is just one half of the equation, "spending".

What about "revenue"? The largest ledger item the GOP demands to have, that is also one of the largest costs to the government would be the Trump tax cut! Making Trump's tax cuts permanent will cost the Government $400 billion a year. That'd be $4 trillion over ten years. That'd be twice the revenue lost than the actual "cuts" they are proposing.

The GOP are Cosplaying fiscal conservatism, and doing so very openly and very poorly, and all they are really doing is giving more and more money back to the ultra wealthy and corporations.

If they ‘solve’ the budget ‘crisis’ that’s one less issue that the GOP can run on. The legislators don’t actually go to the grocery store but their constituents do.

Interesting ( or not) today at the grocery store I ran into an old(er than me) acquaintance and another lady of a certain age ( a stranger to me) and quite easily we fell into conversation about the horrors of the last month and fears about what is coming. I’m in the upper Midwest where people don’t openly express criticism in harsh or direct terms, but let me tell you, when you’ve got three old ladies talking about fear and survival tactics and lack of sleep because of anxiety over what is coming next—and none of us talked about losing SS—I don’t believe that Trump’s approval ratings are over 40%.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Al Franken suggested a while ago that a massive amount of savings could be had by synchronizing two of America's larger expenses, the elderly in their last year of life and safety in space missions.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Or give massive subsidies for ice cream, cake, lasagna and meat lovers pizza.

I know just the boomer/leader who could lead this parade, if he only got on board. Thin the ranks with buckets of triglycerides! Eat the biggest slice of chocolate cake you ever saw! Death by Chocolate! Massive Asses = Great Americans!

 

[TV and credit cards]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Carousel

 

[bilby]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Al Franken suggested a while ago that a massive amount of savings could be had by synchronizing two of America's larger expenses, the elderly in their last year of life and safety in space missions.

That explains John Glenn...

 

[Toni]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Al Franken suggested a while ago that a massive amount of savings could be had by synchronizing two of America's larger expenses, the elderly in their last year of life and safety in space missions.

I understand that you are joking but as a society, we really do need to come to grips with end of life care. There were some really difficult times in my family when one sibling insisted that we should put our mother who was in end stage dementia on dialysis to extend her life in that too familiar congestive heart failure-renal failure-kidney failure loop so common in the very old and frail. Part of that needs to include a more generous use of pain killers, particularly morphine. Yes, it hastens death a little and that is hard but watching someone you love live in agony for months is definitely not better for you or them. Not that I probably need to say this to anyone here but it is better to avoid hospitals and nursing homes/convalescent centers that are affiliated with any denomination of Christian church. Suffering seems to be expected and made worse by the sermons over the intercom and sometimes from nursing staff. Not a problem IMO if chaplain services are offered as long as it is clear that patients and family are free to decline.

 

[Shadowy Man]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Cutting the USDA, cutting the FDA, cutting CDC, cutting NIH, and putting RFK Jr in charge of HHS should do the trick.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Kill off the boomers. I think he meant retirees, not ballistic missile subs.

Covid, for example.

 

[barbos]

Both parties are full of shtick.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

If we cut the military and kill off boomers at a faster rate, we can balance our budget.

How are you going to kill anyone at a faster rate if you cut the military?

Al Franken suggested a while ago that a massive amount of savings could be had by synchronizing two of America's larger expenses, the elderly in their last year of life and safety in space missions.

I understand that you are joking but as a society, we really do need to come to grips with end of life care. There were some really difficult times in my family when one sibling insisted that we should put our mother who was in end stage dementia on dialysis to extend her life in that too familiar congestive heart failure-renal failure-kidney failure loop so common in the very old and frail. Part of that needs to include a more generous use of pain killers, particularly morphine. Yes, it hastens death a little and that is hard but watching someone you love live in agony for months is definitely not better for you or them. Not that I probably need to say this to anyone here but it is better to avoid hospitals and nursing homes/convalescent centers that are affiliated with any denomination of Christian church. Suffering seems to be expected and made worse by the sermons over the intercom and sometimes from nursing staff. Not a problem IMO if chaplain services are offered as long as it is clear that patients and family are free to decline.

God is making you suffer for a reason! Take your punishment, it's good for your soul! Are you really that deep in denial that you don't know what sins you need to confess before the torment ends?

(And, yes, I realize I'm describing an evil deity. The Christian one looks far more like evil than good.)