Comments

1

The easiest way to fix the deficit is to tax the rich. Overturn the tax cuts and return taxation to proper amounts (hint: not in the 20s percentage-wise; 36 percent or higher). This needs to be presented as the solution EVERY SINGLE TIME the matter is brought up. If they care about the deficit, they will reverse the tax cuts that gutted revenue and added TRILLIONS to the deficit and tax the wealthy and corporations to fill the coffers.

2

You have to keep in mind this is the pro-life party that just killed half a million people. The pro-freedom party that is trying to enact fascism. You know...hypocritical assholes.

3

Is one of them FELON Matt Gaetz who transported a minor across state lines to have sex with them?

Cause I'm thinking he's trying to deflect from HIS CRIMES.

5

Just received my third payment too (in today's mail). This and the prior one are actually being used to pay for sprinkler repairs for my condo, but the first one was actually used to donate to local arts organizations.

6

https://youtu.be/986EXp0pq8M

7

I think you kind of muddled the message at the end Charles. The last couple sentences are contradictory, since tax cuts increase the deficit. There are a few intertwined issues.

The first issue is the hypocrisy of the Republicans, who have no qualms about increasing the deficit, as long as it is in the form of tax cuts for the wealthy. If you believe (as many economists do, including the one you cited) that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with a deficit, then the fiscal impact of the tax cuts shouldn't worry you. I'm definitely in that camp.

The bigger concern is how the deficit is created. Standard Republican tax cuts send money to the rich. This is bad for the economy, as it increases stratification. In contrast, both Biden and Trump had big tax cuts during the pandemic, but the money was sent to low and middle income people in the form of direct checks. Republicans, of course, opposed this for bullshit political grounds (they didn't want Biden to get credit) and ideological reasons (only rich people should get extra money).

This is the biggest issue, and it demonstrates a real ideological divide. Democrats believe in a mixed economy, where the government spends a significant amount of money directly improving the quality of life for all Americans, as well as improving the private economy. The latter is achieved through regulation as well as infrastructure spending. Republicans want none of that. To quote Norquist -- arguably the most influential person in the last forty years -- they want to shrink [the government] down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub. Of course that contradicts calls for a bigger military and a draconian justice system, but Republicans are contradictory (which is to say, full of shit).

Around this time someone will point out some Republican somewhere who is reasonable. Yeah, sure. But I'm talking about the party as a whole, not the rare individual who questions Republican dogma.The people in charge, as well as the great mass of supporters who have controlled the party for the last forty years.

The last issue is the deficit itself, and what it can cause: inflation. Obviously, Charles, you are familiar with this concept, since you hail from Zimbabwe. Hopefully you will comment more about it. My take on it in Zimbabwe is that runaway inflation was simply the result of a collapsed economy. The state lost control -- it failed to properly regulate the free market, or provide a strong infrastructure.

The last time we had significant inflation it was not caused by a deficit. It was caused by a resource shortage (specifically oil). Making matters worse (for Americans), the oil was largely produced overseas. Thus a lot of money went into the hands of very few, and we couldn't get it back (through regulation or taxation). While extreme, this kind of thing happens all the time. A grocery store will charge a lot more for a box of cereal, because there is no competition. This occurs because the government allowed these companies to merge. The same thing is true with housing. The cartel that exists because of zoning creates a scarcity, and wealth flows to the owners. This is specific to particular items (food or housing) and has nothing to do with a deficit.

Deficits can cause a different type of inflation, where both wages and prices go up at the same rate. This tends to hurt the wealthy. A million dollars in the bank won't buy as much. Republicans also fear this (since they care most about the wealthy) but not if those same wealthy people are getting tax cuts. In that sense their concerns are consistent. It is about what is best for the wealthy.


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