Congress is the biggest threat to US Foreign Policy

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by wgrr

If looking at an attractive womans boobies makes one a dork then I confess: I am a dork.

Seriously they could be many reasons why Kerry looked down. If you had the press following you around, taking hundreds if not thousands of pictures of you, I can assure you there would be some embarrassing shots in there for sure.

Originally Posted by finnbow

I suppose that I too am a dork. A big dork, at that.

Me, too.

[wgrr]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Nooo..... I don't think the status quo is a great way of staying solvent. It's entirely possible these automatic cuts are the only way of reining in the budget.

Pete

You can't run a countries budget like you run a household budget. Household financials are not measured in the debt to GDP ratio. They are dictated by 'can I afford to pay the cable bill this month'. If the answer is no the cable cost is cut back or eliminated. National budgets and spending involves Macro Economics. Your business or home budget involves micro economics.

This country has had no debt, I believe, one time in history and it caused a recession. Macro economics don't like balanced books that use double entry accounting.

This country has been in much worse financial shape in the past. Today the numbers look huge but, things cost a lot more today than they did after WWII when Eisenhower (and Truman) pulled us out of our dire financial problems by spending massive amounts of money to build the Interstates, schools, the GI bill, and investments in other public projects. His spending ushered in a time of unprecedented prosperity that this country had never seen before. Eisenhower was my kind of Republican. Today I bet there are only a handful of representatives, in Congress, that could even explain how the GDP is calculated.

BTW the top tax rate under Eisenhower was 90% after 3 million dollars of income. With tax breaks for investing money back into your business, the "job creators" actually created jobs and also created wealth by actually making something. Wall Street and the big banks today have not created one penny in wealth. I can't remember who said it but the saying goes, if you take a piece of wood and make an axe handle out of it; you have created wealth.

Pete, when you give me one example of a country that has cut it's way to prosperity I will change the way I think.

[wgrr]

Originally Posted by icenine

It is a world economy now...I do not know if Americans are willing to pay the higher prices for stuff made here. Plus if things made here cost more to buy they would in turn be higher on the world markets and less competitive abroad. It is indeed a quandary.

I buy American every chance I get. It is mostly clothing and boots. If tariffs were put into place, to make this import crap cost as much as American made quality goods, then manufacturing would start coming home. If tariffs were good enough for the founding fathers it is good enough for use today.

In 1972 a pair of 501 shrink to fit Levis cost $12.00 from Boone Brothers in Centerton, AR They were about five miles from Bentonville, and Wal-Mart, who put them out of business In the 1990's by selling Levi 501's for $12.00.

The plant that made a lot of the original 501's was in Fayetteville, AR about 25 miles from Wal-Marts HQ's. When Sam lost control of his company the Fayetteville location shut down. It moved to Mexico and then China. Have you priced a pair of original design Levi 501's lately? They are just as much as the American made jeans. I will say that the Lee jeans I have are well made in Vietnam. They cost $12.00 a pair and as they wear out I buy USA made jeans.

Until "We The People", who are the government, stand up and demand change, nothing will change. Those assholes in DC work for us. I don't want some idiot with the IQ of a red oak board representing me. sadly that is what I have. Pryor is the most disappointing. his dad was a great Senator. Mark is a Wal-Mart whore. I am very disappointed in him. I bet his dad is too.

Go out, get to work changing things,"tag your it" as Thom Hartman says.

[icenine]

Originally Posted by wgrr

You can't run a countries budget like you run a household budget. Household financials are not measured in the debt to GDP ratio. They are dictated by 'can I afford to pay the cable bill this month'. If the answer is no the cable cost is cut back or eliminated. National budgets and spending involves Macro Economics. Your business or home budget involves micro economics.

This country has had no debt, I believe, one time in history and it caused a recession. Macro economics don't like balanced books that use double entry accounting.

This country has been in much worse financial shape in the past. Today the numbers look huge but, things cost a lot more today than they did after WWII when Eisenhower (and Truman) pulled us out of our dire financial problems by spending massive amounts of money to build the Interstates, schools, the GI bill, and investments in other public projects. His spending ushered in a time of unprecedented prosperity that this country had never seen before. Eisenhower was my kind of Republican. Today I bet there are only a handful of representatives, in Congress, that could even explain how the GDP is calculated.

BTW the top tax rate under Eisenhower was 90% after 3 million dollars of income. With tax breaks for investing money back into your business, the "job creators" actually created jobs and also created wealth by actually making something. Wall Street and the big banks today have not created one penny in wealth. I can't remember who said it but the saying goes, if you take a piece of wood and make an axe handle out of it; you have created wealth.

Pete, when you give me one example of a country that has cut it's way to prosperity I will change the way I think.

A most excellent post sir. One thing I remember from college was my Macroeconomics class. I really believe the Tea Party is using this debt crisis like charlatans at a sideshow......we need to get the economy going first.

[icenine]

Originally Posted by wgrr

I buy American every chance I get. It is mostly clothing and boots. If tariffs were put into place, to make this import crap cost as much as American made quality goods, then manufacturing would start coming home. If tariffs were good enough for the founding fathers it is good enough for use today.

In 1972 a pair of 501 shrink to fit Levis cost $12.00 from Boone Brothers in Centerton, AR They were about five miles from Bentonville, and Wal-Mart, who put them out of business In the 1990's by selling Levi 501's for $12.00.

The plant that made a lot of the original 501's was in Fayetteville, AR about 25 miles from Wal-Marts HQ's. When Sam lost control of his company the Fayetteville location shut down. It moved to Mexico and then China. Have you priced a pair of original design Levi 501's lately? They are just as much as the American made jeans. I will say that the Lee jeans I have are well made in Vietnam. They cost $12.00 a pair and as they wear out I buy USA made jeans.

Until "We The People", who are the government, stand up and demand change, nothing will change. Those assholes in DC work for us. I don't want some idiot with the IQ of a red oak board representing me. sadly that is what I have. Pryor is the most disappointing. his dad was a great Senator. Mark is a Wal-Mart whore. I am very disappointed in him. I bet his dad is too.

Go out, get to work changing things,"tag your it" as Thom Hartman says.

I hear you. And your are correct. However I seem to remember Levi's being a tad more expensive in mid 1970s (like 30 bucks)...I may be mistaken though it has been years. However the fact that Walmart can sell knock off jeans in today's world for like $10 bucks means we are not going back to 70s pricing.
One of the laws of economics is lower the cost of an item and it rarely goes back up.......like McDonald's cutting the price on chicken mcnuggets.

I do not think high tariffs are the way to go since it makes us less competitive in the world and other countries bend the rules....I am sort of a free trader I guess. I think we need to do something different but I do know what that would be...infrastructure, education, etc in addition to buying American. It is hard to really buy American these days and with our right to work states it is hard to pay more for things made here i.e not at Walmart. That is our challenge how to mold our service economy to the 21st century.

We are not the big kid on the block anymore and I think putting up trade barriers will hurt in the long run.

[bobabode]

Well, shit. I just pulled my pants down and my Dickie jeans are made in Mexico. At least my size 11 Redwing steeltoes are made here. I shudder to think where my briefs are made...

[merrylander]

The chickens seem to be coming home to roost. Comment from a Wally World exec in today's WaPo - "Where are all the customers, Where is all their money?"

I have to replace our mailbox this weekend if the weather is nice. Went out the other morning to get the paper and saw it lying in the driveway, he usually puts it in the WaPo box.

Simple reason , both the WaPo box and our mailbox were flat on the ground, well the mailbox post was flat, I found the box behind one of the Norway Spruce and luckely found the alarm in the grass. Lovely set of wide spaced tire tracks over the boxes, through the swell and stopped short of the neighbours spruce trees. Guess one of my neighbours was stoned and could not navigate the curve. Of course they will not admit anything as then they would be obliged to cough up the $85 for the new mailbox and post.

[piece-itpete]

If you look at the link provided with that chart yo will find that Dems states are far below the national average over all. Also in a post recently about police being cut the examples were all left states.

Originally Posted by wgrr

You can't run a countries budget like you run a household budget. Household financials are not measured in the debt to GDP ratio. They are dictated by 'can I afford to pay the cable bill this month'. If the answer is no the cable cost is cut back or eliminated. National budgets and spending involves Macro Economics. Your business or home budget involves micro economics.

This country has had no debt, I believe, one time in history and it caused a recession. Macro economics don't like balanced books that use double entry accounting.

This country has been in much worse financial shape in the past. Today the numbers look huge but, things cost a lot more today than they did after WWII when Eisenhower (and Truman) pulled us out of our dire financial problems by spending massive amounts of money to build the Interstates, schools, the GI bill, and investments in other public projects. His spending ushered in a time of unprecedented prosperity that this country had never seen before. Eisenhower was my kind of Republican. Today I bet there are only a handful of representatives, in Congress, that could even explain how the GDP is calculated.

BTW the top tax rate under Eisenhower was 90% after 3 million dollars of income. With tax breaks for investing money back into your business, the "job creators" actually created jobs and also created wealth by actually making something. Wall Street and the big banks today have not created one penny in wealth. I can't remember who said it but the saying goes, if you take a piece of wood and make an axe handle out of it; you have created wealth.

Pete, when you give me one example of a country that has cut it's way to prosperity I will change the way I think.

I hear that 90% tax rate all the time. Two words - tax shelters.

It is also very easy to spend yourself into oblivion.

One example? I just saw on France24 this AM that the EU, who's been cutting mercilessly, expects 1.3% growth in 2014. They're lucky to not have had a collapse. The European money gurus know we need to do it and don't think we can. I heard one Middle Eastern investor call the US 'the Wests cleanest dirty shirt.'

Pete

[Bigerik]

Originally Posted by wgrr

I buy American every chance I get. It is mostly clothing and boots. If tariffs were put into place, to make this import crap cost as much as American made quality goods, then manufacturing would start coming home. If tariffs were good enough for the founding fathers it is good enough for use today.

In 1972 a pair of 501 shrink to fit Levis cost $12.00 from Boone Brothers in Centerton, AR They were about five miles from Bentonville, and Wal-Mart, who put them out of business In the 1990's by selling Levi 501's for $12.00.

The plant that made a lot of the original 501's was in Fayetteville, AR about 25 miles from Wal-Marts HQ's. When Sam lost control of his company the Fayetteville location shut down. It moved to Mexico and then China. Have you priced a pair of original design Levi 501's lately? They are just as much as the American made jeans. I will say that the Lee jeans I have are well made in Vietnam. They cost $12.00 a pair and as they wear out I buy USA made jeans.

Until "We The People", who are the government, stand up and demand change, nothing will change. Those assholes in DC work for us. I don't want some idiot with the IQ of a red oak board representing me. sadly that is what I have. Pryor is the most disappointing. his dad was a great Senator. Mark is a Wal-Mart whore. I am very disappointed in him. I bet his dad is too.

Go out, get to work changing things,"tag your it" as Thom Hartman says.

I expand my purchasing a bit, but I consider Canada and the US being one market. Which we really are. We just have heavy regulation on our banks which kept them from collapsing. Plus we regulate them on the federal level, so that they can operate by the same rules across the country. To be honest, I can't imagine a more expensive, and inefficient, way to run a banking system then how it is done in the US.
Anyhow, it is getting harder and harder to buy North American. I'm happy to say my entire stereo is modern, and with the exception of the ceedee spinner, all made domestically. Sounds fabulous too!

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

If you look at the link provided with that chart yo will find that Dems states are far below the national average over all. Also in a post recently about police being cut the examples were all left states.



I hear that 90% tax rate all the time. Two words - tax shelters.

It is also very easy to spend yourself into oblivion.

One example? I just saw on France24 this AM that the EU, who's been cutting mercilessly, expects 1.3% growth in 2014. They're lucky to not have had a collapse. The European money gurus know we need to do it and don't think we can. I heard one Middle Eastern investor call the US 'the Wests cleanest dirty shirt.'

Pete

Really... You sure have some strange heroes, Pete.