Biden will break his tax pledge

@averagejoe1 said
I don't disagree with any of this. well said. Start with nothing is perfect,....yet, the country is seemingly doing OK even with Biden, I guess the markets look beyond him. I just know, sitting here, that both parties, because they are so off balance in their negotiating, will in the end just never stop spending, so the market will not be able to hold up, the scales will ...[text shortened]... Business men should do this, not politicians. That's my 2 cents, thanks for your thoughtful input.

Joe your cost-cutting proposals are tiny drops in a bucket.

Spending on Medicaid is 10 times more than the Department of Education. Why are you proposing to cut the DOE before discussing the big ticket items? That's a political tactic to mention cutting the little guys on the roster, like we won't miss DOE so let's pick on them and ignore the real waste and fraud at the Pentagon and in health care. Let's eliminate spending for food stamps but keep propping up Lockheed's stock price with useless military projects.

Big to small, here. I'll believe a Republican is serious when they propose a 20% cut to the Department of Defense.

p.s. the farm aid was not a "tax break". The Trump administration mailed $32 billion worth of actual money to farmers in 2020. Those payments were not appropriated by congress, I think they went through HUD. DIRECT CASH PAYMENTS because they could not produce products that made a profit. I'm sorry, but that's not how capitalism works. Excuse me Mr. Sam but no one wants to buy my stuff so can you give me $32 billion please? That money, now that the spigot is open, is not going to stop.

@wildgrass said
Joe your cost-cutting proposals are tiny drops in a bucket.

Spending on Medicaid is 10 times more than the Department of Education. Why are you proposing to cut the DOE before discussing the big ticket items? That's a political tactic to mention cutting the little guys on the roster, like we won't miss DOE so let's pick on them and ignore the real waste and fraud at the ...[text shortened]... o can you give me $32 billion please? That money, now that the spigot is open, is not going to stop.

And i’ll Consider you an idiot to reduce military. It should be increased. You don’t know what Korea opened up last week..?
Sure, I would start by deleting all of the small departments, to develop the process, to realize how simple it could be. I don’t know what you mean about Medicare, but it needs to be left alone. The rest of your post concerns defense, which we of course need, so I don’t get you there.
If the farmer matter is as horrible as you say, it would not have happened. We weren’t in the room, when they decided to pay farmers to NOT grow crops. That is so crazy that there must have been one hell of a good reason . I’ve forgotten, I think I will look it up.
Tiny drops in a bucket? Consider the many millions that were given to the Kennedy Center and all of the other ridiculous payouts. Google the list. Sickening. They received money that was supposed to go to Covid. As a liberal, I guess you think that is all OK. I do not not

@averagejoe1 said
And i’ll Consider you an idiot to reduce military. It should be increased. You don’t know what Korea opened up last week..?
Sure, I would start by deleting all of the small departments, to develop the process, to realize how simple it could be. I don’t know what you mean about Medicare, but it needs to be left alone. The rest of your post concerns defense, which we of ...[text shortened]... money that was supposed to go to Covid. As a liberal, I guess you think that is all OK. I do not not

Joe I am dismayed at your reply.

Consider that, in 2016, an internal audit of the Pentagon (from the Defense Department itself) identified $125 Billion in bureaucratic waste. The report identified a clear path to eliminating this waste by streamlining bureaucracy, using less contractors (who are way more expensive), and better use of IT (in other words, eliminating the typewriter culture). That price tag alone is 15 times more than the CDC budget.

They buried it. Congress increased their budget instead.

Consider that the three US counties with the highest median income are cozied up around the Pentagon. These are military contractors and lobbyist salaries. That's your money being siphoned off to contract black ops projects (or perhaps nothing) that no one knows the price tag or usefulness of for national security. The lack of accountability (or simple accounting) is a system built for corruption.

Consider that $22.9 billion has blown away in the wind on prototypes (PROTOTYPES!) for a new Bradley tank. Twice the GDP of Korea on that. $67 billion on a weapon that's supposed to protect against ballistic missiles. 35 years in R&D and does not work. Both projects continue to be green lit with zero assurances it will ever perform. Contractors are not accountable for cost or simple failures. The same contractors keep getting no-bid contracts. Why? They have too much money.

Now you mention North Korea, a country with a GDP that is 100 times lower than the allocated money given to the US Defense Department? You are saying that we can't control North Korea with that kind of money then no amount of money can.

Now, millions in the Kennedy Center you say? How quaint. The Pentagon wastes your money in the billions every day and you don't care. I wish I could thumbs down your reply 100x.

@wildgrass said
Joe I am dismayed at your reply.

Consider that, in 2016, an internal audit of the Pentagon (from the Defense Department itself) identified $125 Billion in bureaucratic waste. The report identified a clear path to eliminating this waste by streamlining bureaucracy, using less contractors (who are way more expensive), and better use of IT (in other words, eliminating the t ...[text shortened]... your money in the billions every day and you don't care. I wish I could thumbs down your reply 100x.

I have said today on some post that life is not perfect, and certainly the money that is wasted on the military, healthcare, welfare, all the programs we need, is a given. So you are correct, I agree with you. And we conservative shiver at the thought of no-end-in-sight with liberal and government spending. We agree.
I, however, am big on having a big military,,,Korea has an ICBM that can reach your granny's house in Iowa. So, I hate it that libs don't see the importance of a big military. Esp with Biden in charge.
Yes, a lot of money is wasted in building the military, and everything else in this country, and yes there are lobbyists, which is the imperfect world we live in. I have no argument with that, so we should get rid of the expensive wasteful programs,,,,,there are people who are losers that have figured out how to game the govt, by easily over $40K annually. Yes, small potatoes, but 40 here and 40 there can add up to money. A billion here and a billion there, so what do you think? Just keep it all going, especially huge welfare programs? Marauder says we need a 'safety net' for everyone, I never knew what he meant, or who would qualify to fall into the net, but he dint say how he would pay for it. Maybe get money from the rich, if there are any rich folks left when he starts building the net.

Libs do not get economics.

@averagejoe1 said
I have said today on some post that life is not perfect, and certainly the money that is wasted on the military, healthcare, welfare, all the programs we need, is a given. So you are correct, I agree with you. And we conservative shiver at the thought of no-end-in-sight with liberal and government spending. We agree.
I, however, am big on having a big military,, ...[text shortened]... if there are any rich folks left when he starts building the net.

Libs do not get economics.

You want to get rid of wasteful spending and also increase the budget of the most wasteful "spender" of them all. (it's in quotes because it's not really spending. In many cases they're just giving the money away to the first foot in the door. Just the world we live in? Or perhaps we could fix the darn corruption???? Eh Joe?).

If North Korea can build a military large enough to scare you with a GDP less than what a US contractor charges for a Bradley tank prototype, then money's not well spent and it's certainly not solving your insecurities.

@wildgrass said
You want to get rid of wasteful spending and also increase the budget of the most wasteful "spender" of them all. (it's in quotes because it's not really spending. In many cases they're just giving the money away to the first foot in the door. Just the world we live in? Or perhaps we could fix the darn corruption???? Eh Joe?).

If North Korea can build a military large en ...[text shortened]... radley tank prototype, then money's not well spent and it's certainly not solving your insecurities.

The right wing mentality is based on fear. And its authoritarian streak in the US has moved it to looking for a single tough guy leader to destroy the objects of its fear (a common development in 20th Century right wing movements); absurdly most have decided this leader is a mentally unbalanced reality show host.

@no1marauder said
The right wing mentality is based on fear. And its authoritarian streak in the US has moved it to looking for a single tough guy leader to destroy the objects of its fear (a common development in 20th Century right wing movements); absurdly most have decided this leader is a mentally unbalanced reality show host.

Marauder, biden is a bit mental, don’t you think? I dont think he could respond to one question which Putin might ask him.
Right now this paper-mache’ man is being coached ny Susan Rice. Di u think he will answer some straight questions after he reads with those little bitty eyes?

@wildgrass said
You want to get rid of wasteful spending and also increase the budget of the most wasteful "spender" of them all. (it's in quotes because it's not really spending. In many cases they're just giving the money away to the first foot in the door. Just the world we live in? Or perhaps we could fix the darn corruption???? Eh Joe?).

If North Korea can build a military large en ...[text shortened]... radley tank prototype, then money's not well spent and it's certainly not solving your insecurities.

Well I suppose we COULD stop paying our workers and motivate them with brainwashing and threats of prison or execution but in the USA we are generally willing to pay more for stuff instead.

@wildgrass said
You want to get rid of wasteful spending and also increase the budget of the most wasteful "spender" of them all. (it's in quotes because it's not really spending. In many cases they're just giving the money away to the first foot in the door. Just the world we live in? Or perhaps we could fix the darn corruption???? Eh Joe?).

If North Korea can build a military large en ...[text shortened]... radley tank prototype, then money's not well spent and it's certainly not solving your insecurities.

Easy man,,,,,most every president in the last half century. have run record budget deficits. Nature of the beast, I guess. So now that I got that out of the way, that 'giving money away' phrase you use, ,,,you should write to the libs about that, I am not your man. Do you know that, as we speak, that checks are in the mail to the parasitic members of our society, we are sending them all KINDS of money,,,,,,,'giving money away." Why don't you go there first, maybe write Suzianne or someone, I am not your man. Geez. But don't spend money on a defense system!

At least we agree that we need to fix the darn corruption. Do a study on Biden's family and put it out there.

@averagejoe1 said
And i’ll Consider you an idiot to reduce military. It should be increased. You don’t know what Korea opened up last week..?
Sure, I would start by deleting all of the small departments, to develop the process, to realize how simple it could be. I don’t know what you mean about Medicare, but it needs to be left alone. The rest of your post concerns defense, which we of ...[text shortened]... money that was supposed to go to Covid. As a liberal, I guess you think that is all OK. I do not not

While you're on the topic of military spending...
Below is a list of top 10 countries military spending for 2019.
US spends more on military than next 9 countries combined.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-countries-for-military-spending/

Maybe this can be added to the discussion.

@averagejoe1 said
Easy man,,,,,most every president in the last half century. have run record budget deficits. Nature of the beast, I guess. So now that I got that out of the way, that 'giving money away' phrase you use, ,,,you should write to the libs about that, I am not your man. Do you know that, as we speak, that checks are in the mail to the parasitic members of our society, we ar ...[text shortened]... we agree that we need to fix the darn corruption. Do a study on Biden's family and put it out there.

That's fine. Spend money out the ear balls. My issue with Republicans is they want to do that without paying for any of it.

I can't stand that it's the Democrats who have to be the grownups.

@athousandyoung said
Well I suppose we COULD stop paying our workers and motivate them with brainwashing and threats of prison or execution but in the USA we are generally willing to pay more for stuff instead.

Did you miss the part where the Defense Department identified $125 billion worth of waste in their own system, and the response from Republican politicians was to ignore it and increase their budget instead?

@averagejoe1 said
Marauder, biden is a bit mental, don’t you think? I dont think he could respond to one question which Putin might ask him.
Right now this paper-mache’ man is being coached ny Susan Rice. Di u think he will answer some straight questions after he reads with those little bitty eyes?

Biden will eventually be judged on his policies, not on the endless character assassination attempts of right wingers.

@mghrn55 said
While you're on the topic of military spending...
Below is a list of top 10 countries military spending for 2019.
US spends more on military than next 9 countries combined.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-countries-for-military-spending/

Maybe this can be added to the discussion.

Consider, we are the most envied country in the world, assuming you don't count Scotland, Romania or the UK, 😛, so we are always vigilant to attack .....them fellers trying to get our stuff. Luckily, we have the advantage, having had practice fending off the liberals!

@no1marauder said
The right wing mentality is based on fear. And its authoritarian streak in the US has moved it to looking for a single tough guy leader to destroy the objects of its fear (a common development in 20th Century right wing movements); absurdly most have decided this leader is a mentally unbalanced reality show host.

I will not debate what you say, you may be right, but I would point out that that is what the left does. Fear climate change, fear the virus, "we" will save "you", just trust us.
And might I add, divide and conquer, Highlight as many minorities as possible, call as many as possible "victims" and then point out that everyone " fears " them.

That is the left, Fear, Fear, Fear. Divide and conquer. When in reality that do not give one tiny stuff for the "individual". A tranny Dares to go against the narrative and they are condemned. Fear and hate, divide and conquer, If you do not see it, you are not looking.