StrangeSox

State of Illinois =! the US government, default reserve currency of the world. It would have shoved the rest of the Eurozone over the edge and made 2008's crash look mild. There are also very serious problems in even figuring out what happens with payments at that point, since there aren't any prioritization schemes on the books. Every single payment would be challenged in court by someone who didn't get theirs. Has Illinois actually defaulted on debt obligations?

QUOTE (Y2HH @ May 7, 2012 -> 10:15 AM) This is true, however, adding endless amounts of debt, despite still paying the "minimum payments due", is the inevitable road to bankruptcy. You can't unspend that money, though. The deficit ceiling has to be raised periodically to pay for goods and services already approved by Congress. It wasn't a budget act. If the tea party House members had gotten their way last summer, the US would have defaulted on payments it already owed. The results would have been catastrophic.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ May 7, 2012 -> 08:51 AM) ...and it failed to do any of that. Well it does allow Democrats to campaign by pointing out "look! they refuse to raise taxes on millionaires paying a lower rate than you, and they wanted to end middle-class tax cuts (payroll taxes)!" How effective those policies would be and how effective that campaigning will be remains to be seen.

That post wasn't specifically addressed to you but to those making excuses for almost allowing the US, a monetarily sovereign nation, to default on its obligations because they don't like what some of those obligations were.

TVA Announces Job, Capital Spending Cuts After Q2 Loss Damn it, this means they're never going to finish my project out there. Between this and the SONGS fiasco with their steam generators, these will be "on hold" forever.

The Buffet Rule is a token political move to start the ball rolling on tax reforms or, more bluntly, to provide a cudgel to beat Republicans for opposing raising taxes on the rich while advocating for spending cuts for the poor. It's never been presented as a panacea.

Not being happy with spending and taxation levels still doesn't excuse not raising the arbitrary debt ceiling to pay for goods and services already delivered, sending the US government into default.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 7, 2012 -> 06:47 AM) Because the original purpose of the federal government wasn't national security or anything. Partially but not "the" original purpose. I think there was something about providing for the general welfare... But so what? If it's really an ineffective waste of trillions of dollars, shouldn't we stop doing it?

Using that logic, we better end the War on Terror and the War on Drugs, too!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2012 -> 07:00 PM) They all are QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 5, 2012 -> 06:57 PM) I'm confused why Republicans here still make these sorts of posts.

The Nazi party in France got 20% in the first round.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2012 -> 11:34 AM) You mean France that is about the third or forth domino of Europe going bankrupt? No thanks. Sarkozy out, Hollande in. First leftist head of French gov since 95.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2012 -> 11:34 AM) You mean France that is about the third or forth domino of Europe going bankrupt? No thanks. Yep, and entirely due to a universal health care system!

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 6, 2012 -> 08:54 AM) I have, and you can buy insurance. And besides that, you can get care. To say you can't is a strawman. See, the thing is, many people can't buy insurance. But you know this, you are just making a bad faith argument. It's pathetic that many poor americans have to rely on once-a-year clinics run by groups like doctors without borders if they can get non-emergency care at all. Best system in the world!

I wish we had a real, modern health care system like France instead of the pro-corporate insurance reform we got which will likely be struck down in a couple of months. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that your insistence that ppaca will bankrupt the insurance industry and leave us with single payer are true!

Also, a France joke? Is this 2004?

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 5, 2012 -> 07:38 PM) Why, you all got what you wanted, except becoming f***ing robots for the government. Line up for your chip. Oh, right, health care is not far enough left, we're not a marxist state (yet), and we haven't become France. If you like that style so damn much, go live there and leave us the hell alone. Oui Oui. Hitting the sauce early tonight?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 5, 2012 -> 07:04 PM) Because we are all insane. Nah. But it's not like Obama doesn't catch plenty of s*** here from me, balta, bs etc. granted it is from the left, but theres not unwavering praise.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ May 5, 2012 -> 06:06 PM) oh, but that's ok, because that's not an important issue right? so i should still vote Obama. because i mean Romney is a total radical and he would hurt worker rights. oh wait. so will Obama. looks like a lose lose for your pro-labor ideals. but thats OK, because Obama has compromised and is being a moderate, and that's all that matters. I'm confused why Republicans here still make these sorts of posts.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 5, 2012 -> 06:01 PM) Yeah, he's a Centrist Democrat who will favor so-called Free Trade over domestic, union jobs when it comes down to it. He's established that many times. Of course, that's not a message that gets publicized. And 68 Democrats in Congress aren't going to matter unless you can somehow get the Republican Majority to come out against a "Free trade" proposal that makes big money for big business and hurts worker rights. He's a crappy neoliberal like Clinton.

I like the "purging the traitors" rhetoric in a post meant to defend against calls of increasing ideological extremism. We need more alan wests in congress!

I couldn't believe noah went back out there.

"Ambition" here is symbolized by a beast of burden tricked with a prize it will never claim into serving the sloth of its rider, a fitting analogy for the lot of most workers in America. Welfare payments offer a relief and alternative to unrewarding servitude. A good cartoon.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ May 4, 2012 -> 06:27 PM) Of course it is. Like I said...our ENTIRE political system is insane. That's not our political system as much as it is our Constitution.

Lobbying is free speech.