Good Fun Going Over The Fiscal Cliff

[Velokid1]

The defense budget is so colossal and so much of it non-vital that we could pretty much start ANd stop with the military budget.

[Amskeptic]

The defense budget is so colossal and so much of it non-vital that we could pretty much start AND stop with the military budget.

I am amazed that so little discussion of the military budget is occurring on this side of the cliff. Therefore, I am all for the fiscal cliff. It is morally indefensible that these people on both sides of the aisle won't bring it up.
Colin

[glasseye]

Approximately 1300 bases on foreign soil.

How many foreign bases in American soil?

[hambone]

Our military is bullshit. Nukes? WTF? Oh man give me Romans with swords.

[drober23]

Military spending is a tough one to tackle. First, the whole patriotic crowd is automatically against you cause "America has to be strong!" Then, each area that has a nice employer due to the military (bases, plane construction, etc...) wants to cut the budget, but not THEIR local piece of the pie.

A good chunk can for sure come out of the military. Ending the war in Afghanistan will help too. But my point before is that if people want a nice place to live, then society has to invest in it. Are we willing to continue the current trend where people with money are only interested in a nice place for themselves to live while the rest of the country goes to hell? I hope not.

[Amskeptic]

Military spending is a tough one to tackle. First, the whole patriotic crowd is automatically against you cause "America has to be strong!" Then, each area that has a nice employer due to the military (bases, plane construction, etc...) wants to cut the budget, but not THEIR local piece of the pie.

A good chunk can for sure come out of the military. Ending the war in Afghanistan will help too. But my point before is that if people want a nice place to live, then society has to invest in it. Are we willing to continue the current trend where people with money are only interested in a nice place for themselves to live while the rest of the country goes to hell? I hope not.

With not a whole bunch of creativity, we could utilize the military-industrial complex to rebuild other sectors of this economy generating actual middle class jobs AND playing by the real rules of capitalism where they'd have to prove their place in the market. Why can't they jump into green energy (which the field units have been doing) and see if they make us number one in other technological areas?
Colin

[Amskeptic]

John Boehner's "Plan B" could not muster enough votes in his own caucus to come to the floor.
Plan B included no additional taxes on any income below a million, and it included a new cost-of-living adjustment to Social Security payments.
I think we might go over this curb after all . . .
Colin

[Bleyseng]

ah, but cutting the Earned Income Credit isn't raising taxes on the poor its cutting a nasty give a way loophole.

[drober23]

The "cliff" doesn't involve an irrevocable leap on some random day. Even if things aren't done by "the deadline" bills can be passed that roll the changes back. Both sides will push as hard as they can, as long as they can. This isn't close to being done yet.

[Amskeptic]

Both sides will push as hard as they can, as long as they can. This isn't close to being done yet.

We are pretty close now.
Colin

[Velokid1]

I really hope Obama doesn't "compromise" too damn much to these ideological asshats.

[Amskeptic]

I really hope Obama doesn't "compromise" too damn much to these ideological asshats.

I agree. Crossing my fingers. Currently reading "Griftopia" by Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi. Makes me a little more deadset against a compromise that extracts from "the rest of us" after "they" made out so very very handsomely throughOUT the recession.
Colin

[yondermtn]

Well, who won? Are we going to go through all of this again?

[Amskeptic]

Well, who won? Are we going to go through all of this again?

Looks like we have wrested defeat from the jaws of victory once more, AND the Republicans have managed to neatly disarm Obama but good for the next round. I am disappointed, yes, but more importantly, I am disgusted as hell with Obama and the Democrats for rushing this thing through. They have no leverage now! What are they going to say when the Republicans hold us hostage to the debt ceiling?
Colin

[BellePlaine]

Our government can’t solve this problem. The dysfunction between these two political parties is proof that they ARE the problem. Everything that I observe is cyclical with expansion/contraction patterns. Things grow, mature, and then die. Everything. It’s nature. I think weeding out these old, inefficient and deeply rooted (entrenched) big old parties is life. We are going to get more of the same as they fight around the edges about tax rates/future proposed spending cuts and do nothing about our 17 trillion tab.