Originally posted by scottishinnzDo you actually believe there is a damn bit of difference between a Democrat and a Republican when it comes to spending the taxpayers money. I know you have some of the best whiskeys in the world but you need to cut back some if you believe that.
Yes, but that was the Republican "Puppet Congress" (TM).
Originally posted by MerkPerhaps, but the Republicans had an overall majority - "W" could tell a few porkies and get whatever war he wanted funded - and the Democrats could do nothing about it.
With a lot of Democrats. The last time we had a good budget was a democrat pres and a trunk congress. Something to be said for gridlock.
Originally posted by slimjimI know that the US economy was a whole lot healthier 8 years ago.
Do you actually believe there is a damn bit of difference between a Democrat and a Republican when it comes to spending the taxpayers money. I know you have some of the best whiskeys in the world but you need to cut back some if you believe that.
People may be buying new cars now, but that bubble is going to burst real quick.
Originally posted by scottishinnzI wouldn't say it was healthier 8 years ago. 8 years ago the bubble was about to burst and indeed started to well before Bush was elected. Bush came into office with an economy that was sluggish and a stock market that was trending down. Then September 11th came and the Dow really headed for the sewer. Now the Dow is hitting all time highs and unemployement is at near lows. Interest rates are lower than they were, taxes are lower than they were. Things look to be going pretty well outside the housing market which is correcting.
I know that the US economy was a whole lot healthier 8 years ago.
People may be buying new cars now, but that bubble is going to burst real quick.
I'm not sure your assessment of Bush' handling of the economy is correct.
Originally posted by slappy115The only President to bleed himself in the Whitehouse. Had to in order to fight off infection. He lived with one shot in his shoulder and one in his chest.
Old Hickory would kick a$$ and take names with the war and the deficit.
The man won 3 duels for crying out loud. Congress wouldn't stand a chance.
Originally posted by MerkWell, I'll take it on the chin. I'm no expert on the US economy, but from what I'm told that deficit will have to be paid at some point, and that's going to hurt.
I wouldn't say it was healthier 8 years ago. 8 years ago the bubble was about to burst and indeed started to well before Bush was elected. Bush came into office with an economy that was sluggish and a stock market that was trending down. Then September 11th came and the Dow really headed for the sewer. Now the Dow is hitting all time highs and unemployement is ...[text shortened]... s correcting.
I'm not sure your assessment of Bush' handling of the economy is correct.
Originally posted by AmauroteHow many statues will be erected in your honor?
If you were going to make a statue to commemorate the awesome achievements of the current President, what would it look like?
I'd set him in green marble in a grinning simian half-caper, crushing a banana warhead into his forehead with one hand and wiping his ass with a tiny model Federal Reserve with the other.
Originally posted by scottishinnzWell, at least the Democrats are waiting in the wings -- they'll give everyone free college tuition, free health care, free social insurance, etc. And they say they're only going to take from the rich to pay for it all.
Of course, it has always had a deficit. The problem is that its Joe Q Middle-class taxpayer that's going to have to stump up.
As for printing more money, I don't think devaluing the currency is such a great idea - do you? All your imports suddenly jump in price....
Originally posted by slimjimI'm not going to say that the US economy is in bad shape. As far as I know it is doing okay for the moment. I would refrain though from offering "print more money" as a solution to a deficit. Printing more money devalues your currency (i.e. creates inflation). This only serves to make your negative trade imbalances even worse (as well as many other bad things). Just go back and look at many of the South American countries in the 1980's to see where printing currency to pay debts gets you.
This country has always had a deficit. They can always print more money.
A better way to handle deficit criticisms is to point out that we currently have enough output to pay the interest (and some of the principal if we so choose). The deficit does not imply doom is coming, rather it says that we'll need to save back a little larger fraction of our national income* in the future in order to pay the debt down.
* - assuming we don't get a big productivity boom, in which case we may be able to save an even smaller fraction of national income and still pay down the debt.
Originally posted by MerkHe was also horribly stupid about economics and finance. He caused no end of trouble with his closing the Second Bank of the US. Thank you Jackson for the Panic of 1837.
The only President to bleed himself in the Whitehouse. Had to in order to fight off infection. He lived with one shot in his shoulder and one in his chest.
The man won 3 duels for crying out loud. Congress wouldn't stand a chance.