Thoughts on the Economy
Ok, while I was looking on the Internet for some news on the economy, I stumbled on a website called “The Moderate Independant.com” I like this website because it’s extremely balanced, it attacks both Democrats and Republicans alike. Any way I was looking over an article on this site about the deficit, and it ran some numbers here that I’ll quote for every one.
“Our deficit ceiling just got raised to $8 trillion. Our annual deficit is running over $450 billion. ”
“An $8 trillion debt might not be such a big deal if we have revenue of $10 trillion a year to work with – we can simply pay it down over 10 or 20 years by reigning in spending a bit.”
The fact of the mater is, we are only taking in just under $2 trillion dollars. Now you see the problem.
“In order to balance the budget, we need to cut our spending by about 25%.”
25%, just to Balance the budget, that’s not including paying the debt we owe other countries, mostly China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
Here’s a quote of the federal budget as of 2003
“Defense spending makes up 22% of the budget, and Social Security/Medicare make up 37%. So, combined debt interest, defense, and retirement spending make 66% of the federal budget.
Which leaves just 34% of the budget. Another 3% is law enforcement and general government operations.
Social and development programs, the one thing that seems malleable to those who wish to cut, make up just 31% of the budget, or a total of $605 billion. Included in that number are things like unemployment payments, education, health research, college loan programs, agriculture programs, FDIC insurance of savings. Only about $55 billion total goes to programs for the poor, like food stamps, Medicaid, etc.
This is why you no longer hear the President or conservatives talk about balancing the budget through spending cuts. That old rhetoric about how just by cutting programs for those poor, lazy minorities you could balance things out is replaced by the reality that even entirely eliminating such programs doesn’t even come close to making a dent in things – you could entirely eliminate programs for the poor and still have about $400 billion of deficit, or about 20% of all the rest, much of which is uncuttable.”
Now according to the presidents revised budget plan for 2005, Home Land Security funding has gone up 10%,
Military spending has gone up 7% (yet we’re still using scrap metal for armor, how interesting)
-Sources from http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/
And http://www.moderateindependent.com
Now, according to the statement provided by my first source, the economy is growing, this may be true, but it doesn’t help the deficit problem because total government revenue is still declining. During the first 4 years of the Bush Administration, the total National revenue has been – 6.8%, yes that’s correct, NEGITIVE 6.8%
Much of this loss comes from many sources that all compliment each other
1. The Demands of fighting 2 separate wars
2. Tax Cuts during a time of war
3. Politicians who are like stupid college kids with credit cards.
4. The reliance on the Middle East for oil
I believe allot of these situations can be fixed, 1 by truly trying to develop an alternative power source, and not this Bio-diesel crap Bush is talking about, I mean LARGE SCALE alternatives, like Solar or wind power, both of which can be enormously mass produced. Simply put, there is a finite amount of oil on this planet that is rapidly diminishing, and when it does, it’s more than just energy that’s going to suffer, a lot of plastics and fertilizers are made from crude oil. There is a finite amount of oil, but there is infinite power to be harvested from other sources.
We need to see behind the smoke and mirrors that the Bush Administration has put up for us and start trying to balance the budget, because if we can’t balance the budget, that’s grounds for other countries to Invade, and harvest OUR resources, and Yes, we may be a super power, but can we really hold off China, Korea, Russia, etc… All at the same time?
This has been my thoughts on the economy
Mr. Jack
Joy Says: May 23rd, 2005 at 5:10 pm
Mr. Jack,
Excellent! You research and develope the solar and wind power alternatives or find/initiate a person or group that can. (I am not being sarcastic) Figure the cost and practicality of it and get the ear of a big spender or two to fund it. Do what you can about your ideas as well as writing them. Put up or….is good advice for all of us when we want to complain but not actively work toward a real solution.
I don’t agree with some things this administration is doing or the way it’s doing them, just as I don’t agree with things every administration, from Washington’s on, have done.
The balance is to not throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak.
If you start now to actively research track records of whoever you think will be a good president, look at what they’ve done and what they support in action and how they support it and vote them into office,they’ll also do things you don’t agree with and may even strongly disagree with. If not, then hero worship may be the problem.
At any rate, it will be good to not defend in them something you would not defend in a candidate not of your choosing.
I hope you don’t think that this administration has a corner on smoke and mirrors.
Joy Says: May 23rd, 2005 at 5:14 pm
One more comment: you live in a country where you can say something to the leaders. Do it.
Anonymous Says: May 23rd, 2005 at 10:56 pm
You’re right Joy, I can stand up to the leaders, and I plan to, but right now Im in no position to seeing as Im still in college. once I work my way up to a respectable rank in the Army, then I plan to challenge them to my fullest extent.
Right now I’m developing my debate strategy on several sites, and forming strategy, you don’t want to take on THE MAN without a plan. So when you say I’m doing nothing, you are very wrong, I’m simply taking my time, after all Chance favors the prepared mind.
Joy Says: May 24th, 2005 at 3:37 pm
Hi Anonymous,
By THE MAN, are you referring to the President?
I was not referring to taking anyone on, I was referring to letting your voice be heard.
I’m not following what you’re saying regarding working your way up to a respectable rank in the Army before writing, voting, calling etc. Those are the things I was referring to. Are you referring to another method?
Trodsky Says: May 24th, 2005 at 5:59 pm
hey anonymous,
Try getting elected to some office of signifacant power before trying to make a diffrence… not moving up to a full Staff Sergeant in hte Army. Your just a number there and nobody cares what you think in the ranks, not even at Lt. or Maj. or even General. And given the way things are right now, iam sure the Army would honor you and pin a bug fat award on your chest for challenging U.S leaders while serving right????
Yes your right you need 2 prepare a whole lot more before you make your move…
Mr. Jack Says: May 25th, 2005 at 12:10 am
Trodosky, I’m working my way up to Generalship, not some sad staff sergeant. I got To WestPoint Military academy, I major at political science, and you’d be very surprised at how political one who commands loyalty of an army can be. Take Eisenhower for example, and Lee. Very powerful people.
And Joy, making my voice heard won’t get me anywhere without action. Take all the Liberal books, all the Moderate news journals, all that is actively challenging the U.S government and is it even slowing the corruption? Not Really.
And Trodsky, Read “The Art Of War” but Sun Tzu, and you’ll understand that just because one serves his nation doesn’t mean he agrees with his leaders decisions.
Sriram Says: May 25th, 2005 at 4:00 pm
The 22% defence spending sounds dubious. The ‘cost cutting’ thing sounds fishy to me. It looks like a liberal ploy to get the people to put more money on the government.
Edge Says: May 25th, 2005 at 4:44 pm
Hey Anonymous. “Chance favors the prepared mind?” it would help maintain credibility if you would stop ripping-off bad Steven Segall movies.
Just some free advice.
Joy Says: May 27th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
Anonymous,
I hope you don’t think that a liberal or even moderate run government would be without corruption…even with good generals involved. Look closer behind Lee and Eisenhower and I daresay you’ll find corruption also. There will be corruption, unfortunately, during every administration.
Right now I’m looking pretty hard at the filibustering going on (regarding the judicial nominees) instead of allowing a vote. That looks like corruption to me. I guess it’s all in the perspective.
Just out of curiosity, what “moderate news journals” are you referring to?
Lefty Says: May 29th, 2005 at 4:07 am
Edge,
Re comment #7. And Segal was ripping off Abraham Lincoln. To my knowledge, he was the first to say that “chance favors a prepared mind.”
Mr. Jack Says: May 30th, 2005 at 7:11 pm
and Joy, I realize there will alwase be corruption, and yes I realize Lee and eisenhower wern’t perfect, my point with them was that a general with the loyalty of an army can be extreamly political, I never said they were without flaws.
as for my moderate news journals, I usualy read the editorials of my local news papers (somthing few people do any more)
I also look at “the moderate independant” while I realize this is somewhat of an extrame moderate journal, it does offer some good insight.
further more, just look at data provided by any sight on google about the economy, right now, I wouldn’t be so concerned about the fillibuster as I would the housing market. which will be the subject of my next post.
Joy Says: May 31st, 2005 at 7:12 am
Mr. Jack,
I remain concerned about the filibuster because it seems to be judges who have more say than us, the legislators and the President…which, of course, is why the dems are filibustering. They want their people in, period. They won’t allow a simple vote. Why? My opinion is that they’re not thinking of the good of the country or the fairness of the court. They seem to fear that these nominees will get in with a vote and there goes their plan and power hold for the next umpteen years. That may not matter to you, but it does to me. The judges that seem to think that it’s their job to make laws rather than interpret the Constitution are liberals, and, I think, the kind that the dems will vote in. That is not the mindset we need in the highest court in the land. Speaking of smoke and mirrors, the pretenses used by the dems to keep from voting on the judicial nominees are pretttty darn thin, and their slip is showing…it’s called an agenda. It seems to be something like this : “Keep these positions open until we can get one of our good ol’ boys or gals in here who think it’s their job to make the laws” and (my comment) everybody loses. If you want real power these days, it seems to be in the courtroom on the judge’s bench, where too many renegade judges are deciding things that aren’t theirs to decide. If nominees with this mindset get voted in to the Supreme Court, we’ll have a whole new kind of government - and democracy or republic won’t be it’s name.
If you and Circe think the Judeo Christian value system that our government was founded on is bad, maybe it’s because you haven’t truly lived in a country ruled by the humanist value system. It ain’t purty. If we are the highest authority there is, we’re in big trouble. Make that BIG TROUBLE. If the judges in the highest court of our land think that it’s their job to make laws, and they have the final say (because they are the highest authority, in this mindset), then we’re run by judges rather than those checks and balances our government was set up with. I, personally, don’t want a Pharoah mindset in the Supreme Court. It’s causing enough trouble in the lower courts.
Yes, the economy is important, but it doesn’t eclipse the need to keep an eye on and speak up about actions that could have a major affect on our whole system of government.
pizz Says: June 1st, 2005 at 2:21 am
My goodness, I have to be quicker to get in my comments before Joy.
Got nothing to say that hasn’t been said already.
Mr. Jack Says: June 1st, 2005 at 3:37 am
Joy, I completely agree with you about the democrats, ever since they lost the 2004 election, they’ve been squabbling like weasels for any power they can get.
And to your comment about government, yes, I believe corruption and dirty politics, and the decisions our leaders make is an issue important to every American, However, Bad governments can be overthrown, I believe Ancient Rome is a good example of such. However, once a nations economy slips, it’s a much harder problem to fix.
And since I am currently looking for a house, I believe the real estate issue is very important, because not only does it in tale that mortgage rates will probably skyrocket, but it also shows that the American Dollar is becoming quite Useless, and will eventually collapse, a problem that will be extremely difficult to fix.
As to the Judah Christian comment, I don’t really give a damn about religion; I find it gets in the way. And if you look at history, a majority of our founding fathers weren?t Christian, They belied in god, but not the Christian, Jew, Muslim god.
And the liberal judges aren’t trying to make laws; they’re doing their jobs, and interpreting the constitutionality of the laws that the legislature and the executive are passing, which some of them like the schivo law, don’t benifit the good of the country, but rather a single individual. It’s all a part of that whole checks and balances thing you should have read about in elementary school.
Joy Says: June 1st, 2005 at 6:58 pm
Mr. Jack,
Many of the founders’ interpretation of God was as a Supreme Being, Who created the universe and everything in it, then basically sat back to let it run it’s course, but stepped in to human events when deemed necessary. I understand what you’re saying about your opinion of religion, but what I’m referring to is reality in the difference between governments run by at least a pretense of believing in a Supreme authority other than man and those run by the belief that man is the supreme authority. Since you major in political science, I’m sure you see that clearly.