I'm curious...
With all this talk about reducing debt and cutting programs and raising the age of SS benefits...why has not a single damned person of influence mentioned that perhaps we're in this mess because we're so busy nation building half a world away? Sure it's been widely discussed in blogs and such. But I never see the discussion extend even to news talkshows, let alone being broached by a national figure such as a Congressperson or a White House staffer.
Oh, and the timing is absolutely perfect. Right after all those Tea Partiers voted people into office those same people are going to cut their benefits. Will they still chant about personal responsibility and an end to "Obamacare" when they no longer receive SS or medicare? HuffPo has a link to an August article where the GOP pandered to the grey haired set by saying SS and Medicare are doing just fine. Beautiful. Let's see what happens to the unemployment rate after sending all of our retirees back to work.
Norman Goldman's take on this.
Paul Krugman's take on it.
Lord help me I agree with both of them.
Ezra Klein has a further more detailed explanation of what today's announcement/report means. And shows in very clear numbers that much of the pain will be felt after the current crop of politicians is out of office.
Not a single damned person I voted for made it into office. And I'm grumpy about it. So, yea, I have every right to complain about where we're all heading in this handbasket.
ETA: Wait...what is this? Someone's starting to talk about ending the occupation of Afghanistan in political and fiscal terms. Let's hope it goes further than just some guy's article submission to an online newspaper. Of course I also have my own selfish reasons for wanting all of my friends over there to come home sooner rather than later.
Oh, and the timing is absolutely perfect. Right after all those Tea Partiers voted people into office those same people are going to cut their benefits. Will they still chant about personal responsibility and an end to "Obamacare" when they no longer receive SS or medicare? HuffPo has a link to an August article where the GOP pandered to the grey haired set by saying SS and Medicare are doing just fine. Beautiful. Let's see what happens to the unemployment rate after sending all of our retirees back to work.
Norman Goldman's take on this.
Paul Krugman's take on it.
Lord help me I agree with both of them.
Ezra Klein has a further more detailed explanation of what today's announcement/report means. And shows in very clear numbers that much of the pain will be felt after the current crop of politicians is out of office.
Not a single damned person I voted for made it into office. And I'm grumpy about it. So, yea, I have every right to complain about where we're all heading in this handbasket.
ETA: Wait...what is this? Someone's starting to talk about ending the occupation of Afghanistan in political and fiscal terms. Let's hope it goes further than just some guy's article submission to an online newspaper. Of course I also have my own selfish reasons for wanting all of my friends over there to come home sooner rather than later.