Quantcast

wow, Bush actually got dumber (economics thread)

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
link

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- President Bush warned the incoming Democratic Congress Wednesday that he remains opposed to tax increases, and argued that the budget can be balanced by 2012.
I like how he pushes the responsibility on the next administration, just like he's doing with Iraq.

Also, he walked into office with a balanced budget and FVCKED it up even more than Reagan.


I know I shouldn't be surprised and I'm not really surprised at how sofaking wetodded he is, I think I'm surprised that others in politics and media aren't calling him out more and more each passing day.
 

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
He also outlined his 4 spending priorities for the new budget and the first 3 were the same thing, defense, while the last thing was "keeping the economy growing." Wow.

This just reinforces my belief that politicians have no understanding of political economy at all.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Try again.

What year did bush take office and subsequently start us towards a deficit?

Not to take sides, but there was this issue of planes slamming into the Pentagon and World Trade Center buildings and the economic decline that ensued.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Try again.
HAHHAAHAH


As for 9/11... the economic impact was already occuring. It started a few months before that due to the retarded tax cuts enacted in March 2001. And the deficit would've been fine had we not invaded Iraq and spent an absolutely absurd amount of money on the invasion.

For the record, while I didn't vote for Bush, I supported the invasion. I just had no idea that this admin had less of an exit strategy than I could've come up with.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Not to take sides, but there was this issue of planes slamming into the Pentagon and World Trade Center buildings and the economic decline that ensued.
Many of the policies that began blowing a balanced budget were put into place before 9/11. Remember that check you got? High income tax breaks and mercury pollution credits in lieu of fines had nothing to do with planes or an attack.........although the haliburton/bechtel/military spending of Iraq (in response to Suddam Hussein attacking us) certainly didn't help.
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
24
SF, CA
Not to take sides, but there was this issue of planes slamming into the Pentagon and World Trade Center buildings and the economic decline that ensued.
Okay, he can keep the money spent on Afghanistan. I want every penny from Iraq back.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Okay, he can keep the money spent on Afghanistan. I want every penny from Iraq back.
Well you were one of the ones all up in arms about not stealing the oil. If we could just steal the damn oil, it'd pay for itself.

No really though, you holding the president to a standard that he cant possibly live up to given the situation. Agree with the war or not, with the amount we're spending on it, no tax tweaks are going to fix the problem. There's a effing war going on.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
. Agree with the war or not, with the amount we're spending on it, no tax tweaks are going to fix the problem. There's a effing war going on.
That's certainly true, but there's something to be said for starting to bail out water instead of attacking the hole in the hull with an ax when the boat is sinking.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Try again.

What year did bush take office and subsequently start us towards a deficit?
Actually, it may only be 10 instead of 12. I'm too lazy to look up the numbers for the deficit, but Bush may not have had budget control for the 2001 fiscal year. And I forgot that even though he was elected in 2000, he didn't actually have power until 2001. Sue me...
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Actually, it may only be 10 instead of 12. I'm too lazy to look up the numbers for the deficit, but Bush may not have had budget control for the 2001 fiscal year. And I forgot that even though he was elected in 2000, he didn't actually have power until 2001. Sue me...
It's the liberal biased media making you say these things isn't it?

They stole my baby and make me post at least 10 anti-bush statements per day.
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,355
2,466
Pōneke
I see your manufacturing sector is pulling a little harder now as the dollar continues its decent.

GBP is nearly at US$2... Not been like that for a looong time. Reagan if I remember rightly, maybe early Bush1.
 

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
Let's back up a moment here. We're talking about Bush as though he controls the budget, but if I remember my 10th grade civics class, I seem to recall one of the key "checks" being that Congress held the purse strings. Can anybody identify the moment when that stopped being the case? I know the executive submits a budget request, but it seems like Congress never subtracts items, it only adds its on a layer of bull**** appropriations. I know that much of our budget is "non-voluntary" spending on entitlement programs, but come on.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Let's back up a moment here. We're talking about Bush as though he controls the budget, but if I remember my 10th grade civics class, I seem to recall one of the key "checks" being that Congress held the purse strings. Can anybody identify the moment when that stopped being the case?
Have you read any news out of Washington for the last 6 years or so?

You do recall Bush has that veto pen as well...?
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
24
SF, CA
I see your manufacturing sector is pulling a little harder now as the dollar continues its decent.

GBP is nearly at US$2... Not been like that for a looong time. Reagan if I remember rightly, maybe early Bush1.
It was 2:1 in 1991 during the first Gulf War.

Might be the only thing that saves Detroit. Nah, no it won't.
 

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
Have you read any news out of Washington for the last 6 years or so?

You do recall Bush has that veto pen as well...?
Bush has veto'd 1 bill legalizing stem cell research since taking office. He has simply used signing statements to make congress irrelevant to the creation of law.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Who really cares?

Everything is all better now since the Dim's are controlling the congress.

That's what the media tells us anyway.

:)
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Who really cares?

Everything is all better now since the Dim's are controlling the congress.

That's what the media tells us anyway.

:)
Please consider this, no, really, not a smartass statement, but something that you should honestly and sincerely think about...

The economic and political path that we're on would destroy your way of life long before you die. If you're ok with the massive reduction in your lifestyle in 20 years, cool.

Granted, the downslide we're on will only continue if the next admin continues as this has.

We simply cannot maintain this kind of debt build-up.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Please consider this, no, really, not a smartass statement, but something that you should honestly and sincerely think about...

The economic and political path that we're on would destroy your way of life long before you die. If you're ok with the massive reduction in your lifestyle in 20 years, cool.

Granted, the downslide we're on will only continue if the next admin continues as this has.

We simply cannot maintain this kind of debt build-up.
whatever... you worry too much about dumb sh!t you have no control over what so ever.


:)
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
whatever... you worry too much about dumb sh!t you have no control over what so ever.


:)
And if you really are a partisan-whore, then your votes are helping to reduce our lifestyle since we're weakening our position in global economics.


PS: I'm ok with reducing our standard of living since it's retardedly high.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Let's back up a moment here. We're talking about Bush as though he controls the budget, but if I remember my 10th grade civics class, I seem to recall one of the key "checks" being that Congress held the purse strings. Can anybody identify the moment when that stopped being the case? I know the executive submits a budget request, but it seems like Congress never subtracts items, it only adds its on a layer of bull**** appropriations. I know that much of our budget is "non-voluntary" spending on entitlement programs, but come on.
And if Congress actually voted on budget items or, hell, even acutally looked at the requests for funding, it would make things a lot better....and this place might actually run like it's supposed to.
 

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
People fail to appreciate the fragility of even the most seemingly solid economy. Confidence keeps us going but it may also prevent necessary reform. We would do well to remember that cities, countries, civilizations have collapsed and will collapse again. We are not unique and beautiful snowflakes who are immune to the pressures that faced past political organizations. That's why we need to jump on emerging imbalances hard an early so they don't become the kinds of problems that cause states to fail.

It is an economic fact that if you waste money that you do not have, you will have to curb consumption at some point in the future. It may not mean a real catastrophic decline in living standards, it may just mean stagnation and relative decline as other countries grow. However, this relative loss is what counts. The relative loss is what makes places like sub-saharan africa look like ****ty places to live when 1000 years ago you would have been hard pressed to choose western europe or america.