Usa Thread

[kamui]

Just a reminder who caused this mess:

 

1999 Budget of the United States of America under the government of Bill Clinton was the first balanced budget in decades.

 

But it wasn't supposed to be the last. Indeed, experts projected surpluses as far as the eye could see. $5.7 trillion in surpluses, to be exact. The surpluses were so strong that deep into the future—in 2009—the entire national debt was going to be zero.

 

It didn't quite work out that way, did it? As Washington seems paralyzed, our economy stagnates, and America's full faith and credit is on the brink, it is useful to recall how we got here. This was not an act of nature. There was no unforeseen earthquake, no tsunami, no hurricane that wiped out our surplus. It was instead a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican president who squandered the surplus. In full possession of the federal government for the first time since Eisenhower, the GOP—with, to be fair, some help from some very foolish Democrats—systematically dismantled the economic and fiscal policies that produced the strongest economy and largest budget surplus in our history.

Specifically, they did four things: cut taxes (with a heavy tilt toward the rich), waged two wars on the national credit card (one of which was against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and posed no serious threat to America), passed a prescription drug benefit with no pay-for (the first entitlement in American history without a revenue source), and deregulated Wall Street (which helped turn the American economy into a casino and touched off the Great Recession).

 

My link

[Julian2]

Thanks for that, I started think that because I was the only one who thought this it must be wrong.

[Flashermac]

Begala is hardly a neutral commentator:

 

 

<< Paul Edward Begala (born May 12, 1961) is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years. As counselor to the President in the Clinton White House, he coordinated policy, politics, and communications. >>

 

<< Begala, along with business partner James Carville, helped then-Governor of Arkansas Clinton win the 1992 presidential election. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign. Clinton carried 33 states and became the first Democrat elected President since 1976. Begala served as a counselor to the President in the Clinton White House, where he coordinated policy, politics, and communications. Begala is a CNN political commentator and a research professor of public policy at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute. >>

 

<< Paul Begala has an over-the-top style of commentary that has led him to be parodied on Saturday Night Live, where Begala has been a repeated guest, in an on-going skit of Hardball with Chris Matthews. Andrew Sullivan also gives out a Begala Award for "extreme liberal hyperbole". >>

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Begala

 

 

I don't trust any politician. They are all the enemy of the people and the friend only of themselves.

[kamui]

Thanks for that, I started think that because I was the only one who thought this it must be wrong.

 

The USA reminds me of the Roman Empire in its final stage. When living conditions got worse expect for the superrich and powerful, while the elite became incapable to govern. Finally it fell prey to the 'Babarians' and the dark ages began.

 

IN the USA it is the minority group of white, christian fundamentalist, right wing males, supported by the oligarchs and most the powerful men (and a few women), who hold the country hostage and who put their ideology above the common good.

 

Soon we will have Wikileaks of Asian diplomats describing the USA as third world country where less the 5% of the people own 90% of the country. Whereas for example Hispanics lost 60% of their income in the past years, were the poor are denied access to good education and to quality health care, were the infrastructure is crumbling (like bridges collapsing) and essential transportion and communication joints are falling way behind Asia and Europe (airports, train systems, internet connections) - all the while the superrich don't pay taxes anymore but receive public funding; while the military-industrial complex wastes and receives more money than other countries earn in a year.

 

Oh, sorry, my bad.

Neither is this future nor are these secrets no one dares to talk about. That's published knowledge about the current state of the USA.

 

Good Bye USA as we know it...

[kamui]

Begala is hardly a neutral commentator:

 

 

<< Paul Edward Begala (born May 12, 1961) is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years. As counselor to the President in the Clinton White House, he coordinated policy, politics, and communications. >>

 

<< Begala, along with business partner James Carville, helped then-Governor of Arkansas Clinton win the 1992 presidential election. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign. Clinton carried 33 states and became the first Democrat elected President since 1976. Begala served as a counselor to the President in the Clinton White House, where he coordinated policy, politics, and communications. Begala is a CNN political commentator and a research professor of public policy at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute. >>

 

<< Paul Begala has an over-the-top style of commentary that has led him to be parodied on Saturday Night Live, where Begala has been a repeated guest, in an on-going skit of Hardball with Chris Matthews. Andrew Sullivan also gives out a Begala Award for "extreme liberal hyperbole". >>

 

 

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Paul_Begala

 

 

I don't trust any politician. They are all the enemy of the people and the friend only of themselves.

 

 

Nevertheless, he just stated well known facts: The US deficit started to spread like cancer during the Reagan era and became much worse during the Bush's years. Of course there where enough democrats who supported this (and the wars).

[Flashermac]

The USA I knew has been gone for decades. I don't see that the Democrats are much different from the Republicans. Originally, members of Congress served at their own expense. Nowadays, they are paid salaries most Americans can only dream of. They act like they are the amnart and really seem to believe they are. The rest of us are not even prai; we are serfs.

 

Sound and fury is all one gets from the federal government nowadays. What happened to Obama's promises? When are the troops coming home? Why the fark is the US spending billions trying to build up Afganistan and Iraq, when the US of A is broke itself? Why does Congress try to rush through bills for a vote when they haven't even been read. (Famous last words: "We'll find out what it says after we pass it.") Does anyone in Congress have any sense of decency left? It doesn't look like it.

 

No wonder Cav is leaving. It is tin hat time for all Americans.

[Flashermac]

p.s. I don't believe anything I just wrote, but I thought I'd see if I could write like Begala.

[Flashermac]

Nevertheless, he just stated well known facts: The US deficit started to spread like cancer during the Reagan era and became much worse during the Bush's years. Of course there where enough democrats who supported this (and the wars).

 

 

Fair enough, but he absolves Obama of all blame. GWB got the US into a big hole financially. Instead of trying to climb out, Obama dug it even deeper, trying to see if it would go to China or something. Begala is completely one sided and partisan. He likes to rant. A skilled debater would slice him up.

[Steve]

To be fair to Dubya, there were signals that the tech boom was over by the time Clinton was leaving. 911 didn't help either. The economy would have slowed down no matter what, even if Clinton got a 3rd term. That said, the Republicans worsened it. I don't think the Dems would have squandered it as well but not as much. For sure, there wouldn't be two wars fought.

 

As for Begala or Fox News, if its facts its facts. If Hitler said 1+1=2, just because he's Hitler doesn't make that fact wrong. When I say faacts I mean irrefutable. Often times when these pundits sprout things its either without its full context or their own side have done the same. There is no balance. If Bagala's information is irrefutable then it doesn't matter which party he supports.

 

Rove on Fox News would spout some of the most biased info that was hypocritical in its full context. The daily show would highlight them. No one calls him on it though.

 

It amazes me that the media uses people with a clear bias for expert opiion and we collectively go along with it. There are plenty of people in academia who are objective and have made a great effort to remove themselves from the political process of having to choose a party publicly. The top brass of te military had a tradition of keeping their political affiliations personal although they are mostly thought to be Republican in terms of voting record. They saw it as their duty to be as netural as possible publicly so they could serve any president.

[waerth]

You guys should vote Clinton back in .... he managed to balance the budget