Where the **** is the evidence that either party cuts spending? Here's a chart from that commie pinko Heritage Foundation. It's federal spending per household in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars. Note the two flat periods: the first is Nixon and the second is Clinton. Everything else is a steady climb. Hell, you can even jump on Obama for his second term already... Here's a bigger version: Federal Spending per Household Is Skyrocketing My purpose of posting those charts was to show the political reality faced by the politicians. To effect the level of cuts really needed, you have to cut defense and the transfer payments. But if you try and cut SS/medicare those wacko teabaggers (and a whole bunch of others) are going to get even crazier. Try and cut defense and the military industrial and Congressional complex goes nuts. The leadership courage needed to do the right thing is rare.
Yes. You ever hear of "comprehension"? He was obviously not one of the poor people who usually stayed poor.
The only tax credits that are refundable (pays if you owe less than zero) are the earned income tax credit, for low-income earners who work but don't make much money, and the child tax credit, for having dependent children, which is available to everybody making less than $130,000. The EIC is available to individuals without children who earn less than $13,000 and the max credit they can receive is $457. Couples with children can earn more and receive more. These people aren't getting rich from tax credits, they are barely getting by.bAny other refunds that people get are their own money back from payroll deductions that they don't owe at tax time. There are people getting rich from tax cuts, but they are on the other end of the scale.
Beck is still an idiot. Foreign aid is a tool that helps the US immensely. It is a core component of the State Department's international affairs budget and is considered an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy. We don't give it because we feel sorry for poor countries. It's our major leverage over much of the third world and many of our own allies. Contrary to popular belief, the US is neither universally liked or admired. People do not go along with our plans just because they think we are right or just or free. They go along as long as it is their best interests. We can influence their interests relatively cheaply with monetary aid and the relatively small amount of money goes a long way overseas. A lot further than influencing them with military threats and action, which is wildly expensive. The carrot and the stick has always worked better than the stick or the carrot alone. Our adversaries in Russia and China as well as our allies in Europe and Japan all give foreign aid to influence countries to act in their best interests. We cannot afford to allow them to buy support that we need to promote our own best interests. Foreign aid has turned many countries from the other side to our side . . . witness Egypt. It provides us with bases in regions we could not otherwise go . . . witness Kyrgyzstan. It gets us lots of votes in the UN . . . witness the Gulf War Coalition. It's gets us a global footprint, U.S. armed forces are stationed at more than 820 installations in at least 135 of the 195 countries on the planet. The richest country on earth would be foolish not to use this most basic tool and effective tool and we have never been foolish. Glen Beck is a fool, amigo, and a peabrain to boot.
Typical single-issue politics. Life with blinders on. I've got 35 years of split voting and conservative positions that you conveeeeeeniently choose to ignore. You just like to make it appear that I base my position on some "liberal" standard instead of actually addressing the points that I make to support my positions on each issue. Hit and run is your favorite tactic.
id like to get back to the estate tax. i realize conservatives are against any [non-regressive] tax, but otherwise id think theyd be more ok with estate taxes. it is completely against the "suck it up and do for yourself" philosophy. i think they cant separate logic from their concern for their family or ego or "legacy". are they so against gambling/lottery earnings high tax rates? isnt it the same thing except that dead guy has his estate taxed? he's dead. gov receipts have to come from somewhere. dead people's estates seems like one of the best sources. the people that have a real complaint are dead and the others (interitors) should just shut up and work.
