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Politics What is happening????

Discussion in 'Tilted Philosophy, Politics, and Economics' started by pan6467, Apr 23, 2012.

  1. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    I've always been keen on rational reduction in government by increased efficiency.
    NOT CUTS.

    I do know the current administration is attempting to get to the bottom of it,
    but it has languished due to one distraction or crisis or another...

    But at least they're still putting it out there...now if they can just get the pork-laden and do-nothing congress to actually make decisions and act.

    Here's a good report on the redundancies and glut by our own GAO.
    Summary

    I still think Obama is planning on them letting it go over the "fiscal cliff" to initate discretional cuts that he would decide on...not Congress.
    Of course, he can't just come out and say this...it would freak everyone out and then the opposition would be able to take steps.
    Now he's got a scapegoat and an excuse.
     
  2. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    This is probably just a coincidence, so never mind....

    [​IMG]
     
  3. EventHorizon

    EventHorizon assuredly the cause of the angry Economy..

    Location:
    FREEDOM!
    could you find more solid evidence on this stat please? i think you're mistaken.
     
  4. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    Social safety net programs outside of social security/medicare/medicaid are budgeted at about $1/2 trillion/year.

    The Iraq War cost more than $5 trillion and still counting.
     
  5. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    You mean "billion" in all these instances, right?
     
  6. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    About 15% of the $3+ trillion federal budget goes to non-entitlement, non-defense domestic social programs (unemployment insurance, food stamps, vets assistance, other family assistance, etc).

    I was high on the war cost. The latest CBO projection is $2.5 - 3 trillion long term; much of which was off-budget during the Bush years so as not to contribute to an annual deficit.
     
  7. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Oh, sorry. I was looking at the figures wrong. You were stating an overall cost. I was still stuck on weekly costs as from above.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. EventHorizon

    EventHorizon assuredly the cause of the angry Economy..

    Location:
    FREEDOM!
    i'm pretty sure that social programs cost more than DoD spending does. now is it easier to avoid wars than it is to avoid old people? sure. i think it'd be just as easy to cut back on the 99 weeks of welfare to prevent people from abusing the unemployment insurance and buying a $10 pack of marlboros
     
  9. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    The defense budget is 60 percent of discretionary funding. All other domestic programs combined, including the social safety net programs, account for the other 40%

    [​IMG]

    I would suggest that there also is far more waste, fraud and abuse in the DoD budget than all other programs combined as well.
     
  10. EventHorizon

    EventHorizon assuredly the cause of the angry Economy..

    Location:
    FREEDOM!
  11. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    Only if you include Social Security and Medicare, programs paid for by workers and employers rather than general revenue, as social programs.
     
  12. EventHorizon

    EventHorizon assuredly the cause of the angry Economy..

    Location:
    FREEDOM!
    arent workers + employers = everyone?
     
  13. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    The difference is dedicated funds (payroll tax) vs general revenue funds.

    There is a reason that the federal budget is divided into entitlements (based in part on contributions) and discretionary funds.

    DoD is by far the largest recipient of discretionary funds. No economist would dispute that fact.

    But you can compare apples and oranges if you would like.
     
  14. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Interesting perspective... how most of our twists and turns may be just paranoia...

    Not totally out of reality, I've often thought we were leaning at windmill and fighting straw men.

    --- merged: Dec 24, 2012 5:18 AM ---
    Interesting perspective... how most of our twists and turns may be just paranoia...

    Not totally out of reality, I've often thought we were leaning at windmill and fighting straw men.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 31, 2012
  15. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Nate at 538 is putting his numbers to work again,
    showing that BOTH Dems & GOP in their efforts to make themselves safe in election from the other party,
    have promoted more craziness during the primaries...and partisan actions and attitude when they finally are in Congress.

    Personally, I think we should get rid of all redistricting and gerrymandering,
    make the whole damn nation a grid of equal size...then that "set" of grid squares becomes the district.

    However, a sub-law should state if possible to make the squares as contiguous to the center of the district as possible.

    Anyways...here's the summary, stats and graphs for ya.
    FiveThirtyEight
     
  16. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Following on the notion that our districts are becoming more entrenched, forcing pandering to the extremes...not the middle,
    is the overall idea of election reform...balancing our voting methods allowing for easier and faster voting.

    We DO need to push for this...it is 2013...there shouldn't be a scenario where we are still voting on the par of the 1800's

    Hopefully we can move this forward...unfortunately, there are many with another agenda, who like their "safety",
    both in getting elected and in focusing one idealogy.

     
  17. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    OK, this will pretty much piss everyone off...no matter what side.
    The audacity is just amazing.

     
  18. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
  19. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
  20. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    It's because it's America.

    It's because of the Internet.

    You could easily get 25,000 Americans to "sign" a petition to build a space cannon that can shoot chocolate and turn the moon into a giant truffle.
     
    • Like Like x 1