The hypocritical incompetence the GOP

[DaBurglar]

For years (decades really) we have heard from the Republican establishment how we must Get the deficit and the National Debt under control.....AND RIGHTLY SO!  I am neither a deficit hawk nor a liberal spendthrift, but I do believe there is a point where we MUST balance the budget and maintain a manageable debt portfolio (some types and levels of US Treasury debt is actually GOOD if.....IF it is primarily and predominantly owed to USA corporations and citizens)    We have long been past the point where debt and continued deficits are unhealthy.The Republicans used to rant and rave about the fiscal unhealthiness of the US government, to the point where, in MAY of 2011 the Republican Congress, led by the recently empowered/elected  "TEA PARTY" brought the country, and the world to the brink of economic oblivion by threatening to shut down the government because the continued deficits required yet another Debt ceiling elevation (at that point I believe it was 15-16 Trillion dollars).....   Its hillarious how no one remembers this or is talking about it, how many idiotic ignorant callous know-nothing republican congressional reps (especially Michelle Bachman) were actually ready (and even voted) to NOT honor the debts and obligations of the US government, insisting this was the only way to get Congress, the President and Democrats to get serious about the debt & deficits!  Most absurd of all, many reps like Bachman actually insisted that there would be little to no real harm or impact to the US not honoring its debts even for just a short while!!!!    It has since been demonstrated and discussed that this would have been a colossal disaster and would have caused a economic cataclysm rivaling the great depression only far more destructive.Yet here we are, Republicans are now all set to literally "EXPLODE" the deficit and debt with these absurd TAx cuts....they blissfully ignore this deficit issue, and now act as if the debt doesnt really matter or count, at least for the near future.    WTF?First off, the tax cut proposals that have been floated are a confusing hodgepodge of items and things that each does a different thing or impacts a different group of taxpayers; the amount or level of benefit the Middle and lower middle class will receive is completely uncertain and unclear, but one thing is becoming very clear, and that is the primary, definite beneficiaries in the long run (i.e. 4-5 years out and longer) are the wealthiest individuals  AND the corporations.Second,  WE DO NOT NEED A FRIGGIN TAX CUT!!  The economy RIGHT NOW is in the best shape it has been in a very long time, and everything is moving in the right direction (and contrary to Trumps claims it is NOT due to HIM, except perhaps the continued rise in the stock market which has received an added boost with his inauguration but which was already on its way to solid gains when Obama spent his last 4-5 months in office.)   I'm totally serious, this is ridiculous....the arguments for the tax cuts (often deceptively called "tax reform") are so hollow, and in many cases flat out wrong and erroneous, it maked me gag.     Apart from the catastrophic impact on the deficit, the so called benefits of tax cuts from the current LOW levels (historically speaking) are overstated or nonexistent.   It has never been empirically shown that slashing taxes on the wealthiest payers stimulates the economy (and investment and hiring etc) beyond very limited and temporary degrees.    When you give rich people and large corporations a tax cut, they usually tale that cash and sit on it and if and when they do spend some of it, it is at a later date/time and in much smaller increments & amounts than is needed to impact the economy in a meaningful way.    The Supply side, trickle down theory does not work, has never worked and cannot work....VOODOO economics.....The only thing this is going to do is bankrupt the country faster, widen the gap between wealth and poverty....and cause other, REAL tangible problems and crisis, like Social Security solvency, Medicare funding and other social programs funding to become completely untenable when it is revealed, two or three years from now that these tax cuts DO NOT pay for themselves....meanwhile we continue to pay for a BLOATED absurd Defense Budget that currently exceeds 710 BILLION DOLLARS!   That is more than the next 27 nations of the world COMBINED, 24 of whom are allies!   And here is the point to remember:  WHEN you buy and pay for all these bombs and missles and super cool airplanes that cost 200 million a plane, etc  YOu do so with the implied intention that you HOPE to never have to USE them....EVER!   Do you see the absurdity in that?I am not advocating disarmament or pacifism.....I am just saying (in fact I am stating) that it IS POSSIBLE for the USA to have a very good strong robust capable MILITARY without BLOWING such a ridiculous amount of money every year!    With proper strategic thinking and analysis, surely we can defend the VITAL interests of the USA without spending 700+BILLION annually!!!!   How about "only" 450 or even 500 BILLION???   Take that saved 200 BILLION, and either don't borrow it to spend it in the first place, OR if you are going to borrow and spend it, then you easily just paid for health care for EVERYONE, education for everyone who wants it, a crapload of new roads and bridges,  and/or a slew of other stuff.     C'mon, all you conservative diehards out there.....a couple years ago, you were all apoplectic with all kinds of theories and gripes of what OBAMA was doing and how he was flushing the country down the toilet.....if only things were as good as they were when HE was in office.

[Casino Knight]

I need a tax cut. Business has been so good since Donald Trump took office I've had to hire 5 more people just to keep up.

[Tedlark]

Great news CK, have you considered hiring any consultants? Or putting them on a contract basis maybe?

[Casino Knight]

   Great news CK, have you considered hiring any consultants? Or putting them on a contract basis maybe?

To much of a hassle, because we pay top dollar for professionals and have great benefits.

[DaBurglar]

I need a tax cut. Business has been so good since Donald Trump took office I've had to hire 5 more people just to keep up.

Then you don't need a tax cut....you need to keep paying what you are paying so the country you live in and love can afford all the massive aircraft carriers and f-35 joint strike fighters, among thousands of other goodies.


I'm glad no one actually argued though with the stellar sound logic of my analysis and assessment of the latest example of Republican incompetence and blatant hypocrisy. The non partisan tax watchdog groups agree too, and even Ryan and McConnel have recently backtracked and recanted what they originally stated about this tax cut. Sadly I fear most Americans, of both parties, are too disengaged, too ignorant, too fat or too addicted to drugs (or sex) to understand or care.