Stagflation Nation

[Red Arrow]

Yep, every single poor person is just lazy. They didn't have some bad luck in business, didn't get sick and not have insurance, didn't have a tornado blow down their house. Didn't end up disabled because of poor working conditions. It's all because they're lazy.

I certainly don't think every poor person is lazy but do you have some percentages on your claims above?

[guido911]

So you once again assert that you wanting someone else to pay more tax isn't class warfare, but someone else wanting you to pay more tax is class warfare? That may be the most impressive feat of mental gymnastics I've seen this month. I also fail to see how I've "taken it to a whole other level" when the only thing I've done is point out the hypocrisy inherent in your statement.

If you are engaging in the same behavior as someone else, don't be offended when your description of that other person or group's behavior is applied to you.

Oh I see. Wanting all Americans to have skin in the game by paying some tax, not a lot, some, is class warfare.  Fine. I'm a class warrior then.  Just admit your wealth envy.

And by the way, I am going on my third cruise this year later in the summer (Bahamas), after the cruise I am going on a 4-day vacation partially by rail, I am booking my late winter 2012 ski trip to Mt. Hood, I am booking my spring break 2012 cruise (Southern Caribbean), and am generally living a more fun-filled life than you could EVER hope for. I won't tell you what I am doing over Thanksgiving or Christmas mainly because I am worried about your health.

Just so everyone else knows, by no means am I even attempting to be boastful. I think Nate's raging jealousy will push him over the edge and he'll wind up in an asylum or rehab.

[RecycleMichael]

And by the way, I am going on my third cruise this year later in the summer (Bahamas), ...

nathanm, Hoss, we v us, and I have booked the cabins on each side of you.  I plan to play audio versions of President Obama's speeches real loud say that we can all enjoy them.

[guido911]

nathanm, Hoss, we v us, and I have booked the cabins on each side of you.  I plan to play audio versions of President Obama's speeches real loud say that we can all enjoy them.

Post of the week winner in my opinion.

[nathanm]

Oh I see. Wanting all Americans to have skin in the game by paying some tax, not a lot, some, is class warfare.  Fine. I'm a class warrior then.  Just admit your wealth envy.

And by the way, I am going on my third cruise this year later in the summer (Bahamas), after the cruise I am going on a 4-day vacation partially by rail, I am booking my late winter 2012 ski trip to Mt. Hood, I am booking my spring break 2012 cruise (Southern Caribbean), and am generally living a more fun-filled life than you could EVER hope for. I won't tell you what I am doing over Thanksgiving or Christmas mainly because I am worried about your health.

Just so everyone else knows, by no means am I even attempting to be boastful. I think Nate's raging jealousy will push him over the edge and he'll wind up in an asylum or rehab.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm still here. And not jealous. And glad you're having fun; we should all have fun.

[Conan71]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm still here. And not jealous. And glad you're having fun; we should all have fun.

And we should all have some skin in the game.  I think it's really difficult for people to understand what their dependency on the government costs if they pay no taxes.  Many of these people assume their tax refund is manna from Heaven.

If every working American had to write a check to the government once a quarter or once a year, they might take an interest in the government being more fiscally responsible and requiring less of their earnings to get by.  As it is, it's always someone else's problem to deal with.

I realize it's a somewhat radical concept but, if nothing else, it would make everyone much more aware and sensitive to runaway government spending.

[Gaspar]

And we should all have some skin in the game.  I think it's really difficult for people to understand what their dependency on the government costs if they pay no taxes.  Many of these people assume their tax refund is manna from Heaven.

If every working American had to write a check to the government once a quarter or once a year, they might take an interest in the government being more fiscally responsible and requiring less of their earnings to get by.  As it is, it's always someone else's problem to deal with.

I realize it's a somewhat radical concept but, if nothing else, it would make everyone much more aware and sensitive to runaway government spending.

I used to have an assistant who would get all excited about her tax refund every year.  One year I tried to explain to her that it was not actually a gift from the government for paying taxes,  "It means you miscalculated your withholding."  That conversation ended up being a 10 minute waste of my life.  I might as well have been explaining string-theory to her.

[carltonplace]

We can't agree as long as we continue to be emotional about our particular died in the wool partisan stances. I'm a liberal but I'm willing to come to the middle and agree with Conan.

In order to get the debt under control, get the GOP to allow the debt ceiling to be raised, prevent austerity measures that could be crippling to growth and jobs (see Spain) we need to both cut spending and agree to ALL pay for what we ALL own.

Medicare and Medicade are out of control, there are many reasons for this (spiraling health costs, waste, lack of oversight, too many without their own health care plans, voter pandering)

National Defense is out of control (two wars that we put on the credit card (yes and NATO's war against MK), waste, lack of oversight, cronyistic defense contracts, pork, voter pandering)

We need to spend less on these big ticket items and we ALL need to agree to pay for them: ALL of us. Cutting discretionary spending feels good to some people so whack away, but believing that is the panacea is to be blind. How can you look at the budget and not see where we need to focus.

[guido911]

Is there a connection to the rising teen unemployment to the increased minimum wage? This author thinks so.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304447804576411903821123330.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

[Teatownclown]

Is there a connection to the rising teen unemployment to the increased minimum wage? This author thinks so.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304447804576411903821123330.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Since 2009, 88 Percent Of Income Growth Went To Corporate Profits, Just One Percent Went To Wages
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/30/258388/corporate-profits-recovery/

It's all about greed(oh!). When will you ever get it. The corporate/wall street hoarding keeps any meaningful progress from occurring. Let's figure this recovery will take 10 more years due to politics and stingy execs. Preserve and protect and here's hoping you've plenty of acorns.

[nathanm]

I realize it's a somewhat radical concept but, if nothing else, it would make everyone much more aware and sensitive to runaway government spending.

There is no runaway government spending. There are runaway bush tax cuts that Obama doesn't have the balls to call for a total repeal of. There is a stagnant economy that's resulting in lower tax receipts and higher expenditures on UI, Medicaid, and the like. There is the cost (both principal and interest) on two expensive wars and a much smaller amount for a few other skirmishes. But no, runaway government spending is largely a myth. Runaway debt, sure. But it's not caused mostly by spending increases. It's caused mostly by decreases in receipts. Friedmanites are celebrating.

The Bush tax cuts have finally gotten them to a point where even the Democrats are on board with savage spending cuts. It's amazing how a group of people can tell the country exactly what they're going to do, do it, get the exact result they were pushing for, and people still don't believe it.

[guido911]

Since 2009, 88 Percent Of Income Growth Went To Corporate Profits, Just One Percent Went To Wages
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/30/258388/corporate-profits-recovery/

It's all about greed(oh!). When will you ever get it. The corporate/wall street hoarding keeps any meaningful progress from occurring. Let's figure this recovery will take 10 more years due to politics and stingy execs. Preserve and protect and here's hoping you've plenty of acorns.

Okay. So what? Where is it written that anyone is required to hire anyone else? If you don't like capitalism, there's a simple solution.

[Teatownclown]

Employment is vital to capitalism here in America. Unless you favor chaos, disorder, and class warfare.

Why shouldn't profitable corporations and finance savvy individuals pay back to the system that made them rich? Why shouldn't they pay for government-funded research, national security, infrastructure, and untaxed financial speculation opportunities? Their taxes are %50 less today than in the 60's.

[we vs us]

Okay. So what? Where is it written that anyone is required to hire anyone else? If you don't like capitalism, there's a simple solution.

Does your version of capitalism not need workers? 

[Red Arrow]

Does your version of capitalism not need workers? 

Who gets to determine how many workers?