Bill Maher on Teabaggers... Priceless

[oladub]

Neither made any sense except to buy votes. The latter was not a tax cut. it was a tax deferral. These politicians must thing we are idiots wanting trinkets. It wasn't their money to give. Borrowing money from China to pretend to give us tax breaks and put our kids in further debt to the Chinese falls short of prudent governance. A better idea would be to reduce federal spending.

[ghettopalmetto]

Neither made any sense except to buy votes. The latter was not a tax cut. it was a tax deferral. These politicians must thing we are idiots wanting trinkets. It wasn't their money to give. Borrowing money from China to pretend to give us tax breaks and put our kids in further debt to the Chinese falls short of prudent governance. A better idea would be to reduce federal spending.

This is not true. There is no substantive difference between Bush's "advance refund checks" and the Obama tax cut. Both amounts have to be deducted from the credits on Form 1040.

I suppose, however, that you'd rather have an economy that has zero liquidity, huh? That way, no one gets paid, we all lose our jobs, and the wealthy continue to live high off the hog. You act as if the stimulus bill was passed "just because".

Since the federal funds rate was already essentially zero, what macroeconomic tools and monetary policies were available that would increase liquidity? What would you have proposed?

The Bush tax cuts, on the other hand, WERE an attempt to buy votes. We had a tremendous opportunity to pay down national debt [[you know, that thing that conservatives are suddenly SO concerned about). At the end of the Clinton administration, it was projected we would have a net $1 trillion budget surplus over ten years. Where did all that money go??? Oh, that's right--tax cuts for rich people to buy investment homes with risky mortgages that banks could sell as packaged derivatives....

You're smarter than this. Stop being so penny-wise and pound-foolish.

[oladub]

gp, I was trying to agree that the Bush and Obama tax deferals stunts were equally absurd. The Mother Jones Matt Tiabi link I posted went a long way to explain how our federal government under Bush and Obama has orchestrated the largest heist in human history by transferring private debt to taxpayers. The bandaids that you want Obama to apply to our economic cancer will not do the job of correcting the economy. Obama's Porkulus was a ridiculous joke. "The bill was launched last year amid grandiose promises of "shovel ready" make-work projects. In reality, as the CBO explains, "five programs accounted for more than 80% of the outlays from ARRA in 2009: Medicaid, unemployment compensation, Social Security ... grants to state and local governments ... and student aid." In other words, what was labeled a "stimulus" bill was actually a stimulus to government transfer payments — cash and benefits that are primarily rewards for not working"

What would I have proposed? I would propose that the US stop paying to maintain an empire and that everything the federal government does that is not authorized under the 10th Amendment be ended as soon as reasonably possible. Close the Fed too. Round up employers of illegal aliens and give them hard time. Increase tariffs while reducing income taxes. Restore commodity based money to prevent goverment from inflating away our money's value. Restore government to it's sole duty of protecting our liberty. The government could start treating us like adults. That would reduce some of its unnecessary functions. There would be some increases in State taxes as states took over some federal functions that thes deemed necessary or desirable. I would look for[[ I'm guessing here) a 50% reduction in the federal budget and a 30% increase in state budgets. I'm more interested in reducing spending than debt because spending precedes debt.

Our government is past the point of being penny wise. It is broke. Its all over. The question is just how hard we will fall and at what reduced standard of living we will have to settle for.

[ejames01]

I have never seen the food and drug industries ever seriously covered on network news.

jeeze pal, you set yourself up for being made fun of and you want to blame me? Look in the mirror for someone to scream at.

On the subject of Bill Maher discussing subjects not covered in the mainstream press; I'm not aware of any. I am most familar with his mild tuorette's thing going on where he can't self-edit. In the olden days he'd be called a bubblegum machine head ... an idea just drops down from his brain to his tongue and it just rolls out.

Bill Maher is a worthless bore. Not too different from Bill O'Reiley. Wonder if it's an Irish thing, or a loopha thing, or a Bill thing.

[ghettopalmetto]

What would I have proposed? I would propose that the US stop paying to maintain an empire and that everything the federal government does that is not authorized under the 10th Amendment be ended as soon as reasonably possible.

As much as I've heard this straw man argument, not one concerned citizen cares enough to bring suit against the federal government in the Supreme Court. Knock yourself out.

Close the Fed too.

Sure! We don't need no dang stinking monetary policy. Everyone prints his own money in his garage. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Round up employers of illegal aliens and give them hard time.

Um, what exactly does this accomplish fiscally? You are aware that there is a bureau [[ICE) already dedicated to this cause. Oh, I get it. It's the whole "They took our jobs" thing. Yeah. Because I'm sure you're crushed you couldn't get that $8/hr job at the meatpacking plant, or the gig as a migrant farm laborer. Maybe when employers stop exploiting their labor force [[you know, like when we had organized labor), then legal residents of the United States might take those jobs.

Increase t

ariffs while reducing income taxes.

Trade imbalance? What trade imbalance? Let's not trade ANYTHING! We don't need no dang stinking exports! WOOOOOOOO!

Restore commodity based money to prevent goverment from inflating away our money's value.

You already did away with our central bank and all monetary policy. You want to see inflation? Just try to reintroduce the gold standard. You'll be penniless overnight.

Restore government to it's sole duty of protecting our liberty. The government could start treating us like adults. That would reduce some of its unnecessary functions.

I'm sorry that someone done stole your liberty. You have my sympathies.

Our federal government also has the duty to provide for the General Welfare. But hey, if the 19th Century works for you, you can always move to Mississippi.

There would be some increases in State taxes as states took over some federal functions that thes deemed necessary or desirable.

This has been happening since the 2001 Bush tax cuts. Welcome to the program.

I would look for[[ I'm guessing here) a 50% reduction in the federal budget and a 30% increase in state budgets. I'm more interested in reducing spending than debt because spending precedes debt.

Yup. You're guessing alright.

Our government is past the point of being penny wise. It is broke. Its all over. The question is just how hard we will fall and at what reduced standard of living we will have to settle for.

You go ahead and settle and feel bad for yourself and blame your woes on the Big Bad Gubment. I'm gonna keep working hard to make progress [[you know, the root of that evil concept known as "progressivism") in the prosperity of myself and my community.

[rb336]

The Austiran economists would never have allowed a Fed to create bubbles

the fed didn't create the bubble. bubbles, as anyone who has ever examined history will tell you, are created by desire of people to make a quick buck. hence, the "flipping" phenomenon which drove up real estate at an unprecedented pace. then you toss in all the derivitives the speculators created, and the bubble drove them up as well. the fed had nothing to do with it

[rb336]

As for Obama's stimulus plan, it is a total disaster. It was supposed to deliver 3.5M new jobs and prevent unemployment from exceeding 8.5%. Instead, the administration is trying to put a happy face on 10% unemployment and an additional 3M lost jobs. It was good though for Korean car manufacturers, overspending municipal governments [["2M saved jobs"), and Chinese wind generation manufacturers.

and most people without axes or ideologies to grind agree that had the stimulus plan NOT been implemented, we would be at least at 15-18 % [[possibly 20-22%) unemployment, and still rising. and what "chinese wind generation manufacturers" are you talking about?

[oladub]

Ah, gp and rb, things have been going so great in our economy, with its actual 17% unemployment, that you are asking for more of the same. More wars, more debt, more crazy government programs like Fannie and Freddie. Why if it wasn't for the privately owned and non-transparent Fed pouring money into the economy to sustain its owners' banks, how would the ultra-rich continue to gain advantage over us? Printing a lot of money distorts the economy so that misallocations are made [[bubbles) but it sure sells a lot of home to flippers. Let's continue to encourage illegal immigration while exporting ever more of our jobs so uppity US workers will never have the leverage to demand pay increases. NAFTA and GATT have done so much for US working people. I realize you didn't learn about supply and demand in Marxism class. A dollar worth of 1964 US coins is now worth $11.71 melted because they were made of 90% silver but you would rather have paper to allow the government to cover its uncontrolled spending with inflation. Gasoline consequently costs 1171% more today with your precious federal reserve notes than it does with 1964 silver certificates which should pleasure masochists. Congress would even have to ask taxpayers for tax increases to have new illegal wars and goofy new programs like cash for clunkers if it couldn't just print money like Uganda. Better?

Many tea party activists seem to understand these things. Mill Maher and his smug audience don't. Neither do you it seems.

The 10th Amendment is no a straw man argument gp. It is a part of the Constitution that has been ignored by both parties. Obviously you don't want to knock yourself out voting for candidates who will observe their oath of office but if you want to cut the debt it is an outstanding elixir.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. "

[ghettopalmetto]

Printing a lot of money distorts the economy so that misallocations are made [[bubbles) but it sure sells a lot of home to flippers.

Good for you--you're learning macroeconomics. That's what monetary policy is--the central bank regulates the flow of money through the economy. When the economy rebounds, they will WITHDRAW money from circulation so that inflation doesn't go through the roof. When the federal funds rate is as low as it can go, though, there's really only one other way to create liquidity in the economy, which is--you guessed it--printing money.

Let's continue to encourage illegal immigration while exporting ever more of our jobs so uppity US workers will never have the leverage to demand pay increases. NAFTA and GATT have done so much for US working people.

I don't know why you're so hung up on illegal immigration. I do not personally support illegal immigration, but I also do not support employers who refuse to pay so-called "living wages", and I do not support aggressive moves by state governments to infringe on workers' rights to organize.

The 10th Amendment is no a straw man argument gp. It is a part of the Constitution that has been ignored by both parties.

So, hire an attorney. Bring suit in federal court against the government.

[johnsmith]

A dollar worth of 1964 US coins is now worth $11.71 melted because they were made of 90% silver but you would rather have paper to allow the government to cover its uncontrolled spending with inflation. Gasoline consequently costs 1171% more today with your precious federal reserve notes than it does with 1964 silver certificates which should pleasure masochists.

True, a 1964 or previous year quarter is worth more than a gallon of gasoline. Imagine that, less than 25 cents a gallon using real money. But inflation and federal reserve funny money has multiplied the price by 10 in 45 years. So ghettopalmetto, how is it again that the federal reserve somehow reigns in that inflation? Their method works great huh? They've really got a great track record there.

[ghettopalmetto]

True, a 1964 or previous year quarter is worth more than a gallon of gasoline. Imagine that, less than 25 cents a gallon using real money. But inflation and federal reserve funny money has multiplied the price by 10 in 45 years. So ghettopalmetto, how is it again that the federal reserve somehow reigns in that inflation? Their method works great huh? They've really got a great track record there.

Modern monetary policy shoots for a target inflation rate, generally agreed-upon as 2%, to keep the economy stable.

If you really want to return to 1964 prices, we can find a way to lower your income to say, $6000 a year.

[oladub]

When the economy rebounds, they will WITHDRAW money from circulation so that inflation doesn't go through the roof. When the federal funds rate is as low as it can go, though, there's really only one other way to create liquidity in the economy, which is--you guessed it--printing money.

Bingo, Let's be like Uganda and counterfeit money. One problem is that the Fed has a history, except under Volker, of keeping the rate too low for too long thus helping create bubbles. The most solvent state, by the way, is North Dakota which has its own state bank. The 10th Amendment makes room for that and it seems to work out better in ND than has the Fed has in the US. Why you would be cheer leading for an outfit owned by the likes of the Bank of America and Goldman Sachs I don't know. I just assume that the Fed serves its owners first and us as an afterthought.

I don't know why you're so hung up on illegal immigration. I do not personally support illegal immigration, but I also do not support employers who refuse to pay so-called "living wages", and I do not support aggressive moves by state governments to infringe on workers' rights to organize.

Besides illegality, the supply/demand situation it creates for working Americans is economically devastating. My solution is not so much fences and chasing around illegal aliens is as it is to severely punish their cheating employers. They could be a new source of government revenue while imprisoned. Were that done, the jobs that Americans won't do for illegal alien wages would mostly dry up, Americans blue collar wages would rise, unions would be empowered, and the government could cut back on unemployment and welfare costs. American workers would then recieve a larger slice of the national economic pie.

I am the one here looking out for American workers, preventing inflation, ending wars. You are on the other side, advocating for the elites and their status quo.

[Bobl]

Just watched the video of a bunch of tea partiers abusing an apparent Parkinson's sufferer. They disgust me.

[Patrick]

I have come across these salad-tossers on several occasions here in DC. Just one question for the Teabaggers.....I don’t see any Tyrones, Muhammeds, Pedros, Patels, and Juans. Where are they? All I see is a bunch of Steves, Brendas, Rogers, and Donalds. By the way, you do know what the term “teabagging” really means don’t you?

[firstandten]

Do you think the teabaggers learned the history of their fake movement from the dumbed down Texas textbooks??

[Jimaz]

Tea Partiers Mock Parkinson's Victim [[Video)

"Inhumane"

[Patrick]

Most teabaggers still can't get over the fact that a Black man is the President of their beloved nation. That is what a lot of their rage boils down to really. Where were they when Bush was pissing away billions?

[jcole]

Tea Partiers Mock Parkinson's Victim [[Video)

"Inhumane"

That video is sickening.

[Bobl]

Yes, the video is sickening, but illustrates the dangers of a movement based on fear. These people are fearful. They see their world crumbling, and wish to hold on to what little they have. "I got mine, screw you."
Their behavior reminds one of that of the brown shirts in Germany, who the tea baggers' parents and grandparents fought in WWII.

[firstandten]

These teabaggers are just white supremacist dressed up as revolutionary patriots so that they can be seen as socially acceptable and thus give their fake movement some mainstream creditability. These folks wouldn't know a patriot even if he walked down the street toward them singing "yankee doodle dandy"

[Patrick]

Washington [[CNN) - Civil rights icon and veteran Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, said anti-health care bill protesters Saturday repeatedly yelled the "N" word at him as he left a heath care meeting and walked to the Capitol.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...id=UaI7YkOBQNi


This shows their true colors in plain view.

[Roq]

Washington [[CNN) - Civil rights icon and veteran Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, said anti-health care bill protesters Saturday repeatedly yelled the "N" word at him as he left a heath care meeting and walked to the Capitol.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...id=UaI7YkOBQNi


This shows their true colors in plain view.

I saw this on Yahoo news and could not believe there were still people like this. I guess I should know better but damn. All these people need a pair of sweaty balls shoved in their face.

[maxx]

Do you think the teabaggers learned the history of their fake movement from the dumbed down Texas textbooks??

Maybe, because the original Tea Party here was about taxation without representation in Parliament. If today's teabaggers think they are not represented, they need to get some candidates and run them. Or they could move to Rep. Broun's parallel universe.
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/ar...aggression.php

[gibran]

if a slight increase in taxes saved our health care system and set our country back on the tracks...what's the problem..we are still under taxed according to many other industrial nations...and if a tax increase increases the productivity of workers through stimulus funds and HCR [[< loss time in ER or loss of work after an illness gets into a life or death situation) then so be it...

when the last great generation fixed through sacrifice and hard work the effects of WWII we all were on the same pages, we have since then lost that spirit..it was replaced with the greed that is on display today...we lost a fight for the soul of our nation when we gave up "regulations and government" to corporations and bonuses that are obscene...

the true "colors" of the teabaggers comes out more and more each day...you have to ask yourself who is more concerned with valuing each other...Teabaggers or those who want to see health care extended to all equally and justly....if it is deficeit spending your concerned about...well then boycott all spending for foreign countries that make a mockery of our government and place a workable tariff on certain big ticket goods that would benefit our local economies...

[Patrick]

Here is some irony....today when i drove through, a small group of Teabaggers were bitching at the Capitol surounded by thousands of Latinos protesting for fair immigration reform.