No more tuition assistance

[Publius]

Of all the places to cut, it's not the military... if you're not going to strengthen it, then just stay out. We don't need it weakened. There are a million and one other government programs who's good-byes are long over due. Thanks for nothing folks on Capital Hill.

BTW, I'm still waiting for Obama to state how un-American, unpatriotic, and irresponsible it is that he just inherited over 14 trillion dollars of debt from the last president (you know, that one that held office from 2008-12). But, gee, I don't think that will happen anytime soon, isn't that a shocker. Go figure.

[Prloko]

I am removing my post because I didn't want to hijack the thread.

[brucet3]

Of all the places to cut, it's not the military... if you're not going to strengthen it, then just stay out. We don't need it weakened. There are a million and one other government programs who's good-byes are long over due. Thanks for nothing folks on Capital Hill.

BTW, I'm still waiting for Obama to state how un-American, unpatriotic, and irresponsible it is that he just inherited over 14 trillion dollars of debt from the last president (you know, that one that held office from 2008-12). But, gee, I don't think that will happen anytime soon, isn't that a shocker. Go figure.

Publius... seriously. The last administration put 2 wars, 2 giant tax cuts skewed toward the wealthy and Medicare part D on the credit card and republican cheered him on while he did it. Reagan did the same thing. Not to mention the 1st giant bailout and presiding over ship while deregulation (thanks Sen. Phil Graham now of UBS bank) almost took the US and World banking systems over the edge of the abyss.

If you look at the numbers, in the history of America, the year to year deficit (not the debt) has never been reduced as fast as it has been under Obama. All the while the stock market is booming and job numbers are finally going up consistently.

Seriously if he was a republican, you'd be cheering him. But since he's President BlackenStein everybody has their panties in a bunch. I not a blind Obama loyalist, in some respects he's as bad as Premiere Bush. I honestly don't know how either of them can sleep at night.

As for military cuts... America should not be Policing the world or building Helio's and warplanes that our military commanders don't need or ask for. This is not Team America. There is no reason for bases in Germany, Japan, Iraq, Afganistan... those last two places are a complete cluster fuck that should have been ended years ago. Every time I hear about a young soldier dying or getting his/her arms blown off because some Afghan army loser pulls a friendly fire kill infuriates me.

And that's why you should vote for me in the next, and last, King of America election.

[Publius]

Publius... seriously. The last administration put 2 wars, 2 giant tax cuts skewed toward the wealthy and Medicare part D on the credit card and republican cheered him on while he did it. Reagan did the same thing. Not to mention the 1st giant bailout and presiding over ship while deregulation (thanks Sen. Phil Graham now of UBS bank) almost took the US and World banking systems over the edge of the abyss.

If you look at the numbers, in the history of America, the year to year deficit (not the debt) has never been reduced as fast as it has been under Obama. All the while the stock market is booming and job numbers are finally going up consistently.

Seriously if he was a republican, you'd be cheering him. But since he's President BlackenStein everybody has their panties in a bunch. I not a blind Obama loyalist, in some respects he's as bad as Premiere Bush. I honestly don't know how either of them can sleep at night.

As for military cuts... America should not be Policing the world or building Helio's and warplanes that our military commanders don't need or ask for. This is not Team America. There is no reason for bases in Germany, Japan, Iraq, Afganistan... those last two places are a complete cluster fuck that should have been ended years ago. Every time I hear about a young soldier dying or getting his/her arms blown off because some Afghan army loser pulls a friendly fire kill infuriates me.

And that's why you should vote for me in the next, and last, King of America election.

I intended to say 2 things with my post.

There's plenty of other programs, that could and should, IMO, be eliminated entirely, let alone have cuts. And Secondly, Obama whined and complained about how Bush left him with debt, and he blamed him for it. I'm just wondering when we're going to here him blame himself.

I could start listing figures after figures of what Obama has and is doing, I'm not going to though. No need to derail this thread and start a political banter. I will say, that no, I wouldn't be cheering him on if he was a republican just as I didn't cheer Bush on. They're 2 sides of the same coin.

[quasarvs]

@Brucet3

And I'd like to add that I would disagree with you on the bases.
We need to have American bases world wide to protect our citizens world wide.
Granted in nations with whom we have good relations it may not be very necessary, but
if something happens to a citizen in a more precarious part of the world we would have
the ability to respond quickly, that is, if our base is properly secured.

[sanantone]

Taxpayers shouldn't be footing the bill for every single American who decides to travel overseas, but that isn't even the reason why we have military bases all over the place. This is when the little Libertarian in me comes out. The tuition assistance is the last thing that needs to be cut. I actually believe the federal government (including the military) could afford to cut the full amount of our budget deficit in a couple of years. Why does it take 10 years to cut a yearly deficit of $1 trillion? Is this some kind of adjustment period? Most of the spending is unnecessary, imo, and we can afford to cut it now. If the government is concerned about taking money out of the economy during a weak period, there are plenty of funds that can be diverted to job creation from unnecessary projects.

[Prloko]

I previously deleted my comment to prevent a thread hijack, but since this thread has already been blown-up....

This is the absolutely worst time to cut spending and raise taxes (whether your repub, dem, libertarian, socialist, etc.). Cutting spending and raising taxes is a tactic best left for trying to slow a rapidly expanding economy and curb inflation. Doing this while mired in recession/depression, stagnant growth, etc just exasperates the problem. The Great Depression was made into a greater depression from the same thing, why does history always seem to repeat itself?

We have Cons insisting on spending cuts, we have Libs insisting on tax increases, both are being done at the wrong time.

[Prloko]

Taxpayers shouldn't be footing the bill for every single American who decides to travel overseas, but that isn't even the reason why we have military bases all over the place. This is when the little Libertarian in me comes out. The tuition assistance is the last thing that needs to be cut. I actually believe the federal government (including the military) could afford to cut the full amount of our budget deficit in a couple of years. Why does it take 10 years to cut a yearly deficit of $1 trillion? Is this some kind of adjustment period? Most of the spending is unnecessary, imo, and we can afford to cut it now. If the government is concerned about taking money out of the economy during a weak period, there are plenty of funds that can be diverted to job creation from unnecessary projects.

It takes that long to cut 1 trillion because most money in the budget is mandatory spending (Social Security, Medicare, interest, Defense). Very little money is under discretionary spending, which is the spending that can be cut.

You all have to remember, that government spending is subject to the money multiplier. Every dollar not spent is not just a dollar saved. That's money not being spent at stores, on infrastructure, new employees, etc.

Why does history always seem to repeat itself.

[sanantone]

I previously deleted my comment to prevent a thread hijack, but since this thread has already been blown-up....

This is the absolutely worst time to cut spending and raise taxes (whether your repub, dem, libertarian, socialist, etc.). Cutting spending and raising taxes is a tactic best left for trying to slow a rapidly expanding economy and curb inflation. Doing this while mired in recession/depression, stagnant growth, etc just exasperates the problem. The Great Depression was made into a greater depression from the same thing, why does history always seem to repeat itself?

We have Cons insisting on spending cuts, we have Libs insisting on tax increases, both are being done at the wrong time.

Many economists believe that the Great Depression was prolonged by the reliance on excessive, government spending.

It takes that long to cut 1 trillion because most money in the budget is mandatory spending (Social Security, Medicare, interest, Defense). Very little money is under discretionary spending, which is the spending that can be cut.

You all have to remember, that government spending is subject to the money multiplier. Every dollar not spent is not just a dollar saved. That's money not being spent at stores, on infrastructure, new employees, etc.

Why does history always seem to repeat itself.

So the explosion from a half a trillion dollar deficit to a trillion dollar deficit was mostly caused by Medicaid, Social Security, and Defense? For one, I think most of the increase in defense spending was unnecessary because the war in Iraq was unnecessary. As far as Social Security goes, the raiding of the fund for non-Social Security spending can be blamed for its pending insolvency.

[Prloko]

Many economists believe that the Great Depression was prolonged by the reliance on excessive, government spending.



So the explosion from a half a trillion dollar deficit to a trillion dollar deficit was mostly caused by Medicaid, Social Security, and Defense? For one, I think most of the increase in defense spending was unnecessary because the war in Iraq was unnecessary. As far as Social Security goes, the raiding of the fund for non-Social Security spending can be blamed for its pending insolvency.

Considering that the defense budget by itself is half a trillion, yes..