Oh hey, another useless WSJ piece.

Clearly he should adopt the MO of the Party of No and do nothing at all.

So in essence, the money was set aside for nearly a year. But not set aside in the happy-saving-is-awesome kind of way, but the let's-crush-our-debtor's-trust, stagnate-our-growth and increase-the-chance-of-hyperinflation kind of way.

I can't figure out if TARP was a lot of money or just a little bitty bit. Depends on the argument you're making, I guess.

Mmmm, skittles.

Isn't that like paying my Mastercard bill with my VISA card?

OnmyojiOmn: Clearly he should adopt the MO of the Party of No and do nothing at all.

That would be the party with the absolute best plan for health, prosperity, and sustainability this country has ever seen.

munchy: Isn't that like paying my Mastercard bill with my VISA card?

No, it's more like taking a cash advance from your mastercard to get a secured visa card and then paying your mastercard bill.

Or something. I dunno, it's confusing when you're trying to compare the federal government, which can create money out of nothing, to individuals, who only have access to that money.

Uh-huh. And if he proposed what's really needed to reduce the debt--higher taxes--conservatives across the country would go into a frothing rage.

1979- "tax and spend liberals! Stop wasting money on regular people!!"

1980-1992 "debt? Why worry about the debt? Wh do you hate the military"

1992-2000 "tax and spend liberals!! Look at the debt!!!"

2000-2008 "debt? Wh worry about the debt? Wh do you hate america?"

2008-? "Tax and spend liberals!!!!"

"Y"

If you want to be serious about the national debt, raise taxes and cut the military, raise the SS age, and raise the medicare age.

Problem solved

/I win forever.

schrodinger: Oh hey, another useless WSJ piece.

Politics page currently at 6.73% fascist, past 30 days at 3.59%, this headline rated as neutral. It can't be both neutral and useless - that's just crazy talk.

After all 'some members of Congress have said they won't approve an increase in the $12.1 trillion debt cap unless efforts to reduce the deficit are included.' That is an amazing amount of information provided by the WSJ. Some members of Congress!

NobleHam: Uh-huh. And if he proposed what's really needed to reduce the debt--higher taxes--conservatives across the country would go into a frothing rage.

Why is that the knee-jerk default reaction to 'what is really needed to reduce the debt'?

You know what else could reduce the debt? Reduced spending.

I know, it's a hard concept for a majority of Americans, given our collective monthly budgeting failure, but the way it works is... if your income is x, then just spend less than x. The leftover goes toward your debt.

OnmyojiOmn: Clearly he should adopt the MO of the Party of No and do nothing at all.

Sometimes doing nothing IS the best strategy. I have notced in my life when I don't spend money, my debt load goes down.

inthrees: You know what else could reduce the debt? Reduced spending.

Because freezing government spending during a Recession has certainly worked in the past.

Oh wait...

inthrees: NobleHam: Uh-huh. And if he proposed what's really needed to reduce the debt--higher taxes--conservatives across the country would go into a frothing rage.

Why is that the knee-jerk default reaction to 'what is really needed to reduce the debt'?

You know what else could reduce the debt? Reduced spending.

I know, it's a hard concept for a majority of Americans, given our collective monthly budgeting failure, but the way it works is... if your income is x, then just spend less than x. The leftover goes toward your debt.

Then we have to cut the military dramatically.

OnmyojiOmn: Clearly he should adopt the MO of the Party of No and do nothing at all.

Sometimes doing nothing IS the best strategy. I have notced in my life when I don't spend money, my debt load goes down.

Doing nothing about the debt will decrease the debt? This is why we need to turn the War on Terror into the War of Conquest.

Of course, Empires cost more in the long run, and that's kinda the lesson we have right now.

Don't worry by the time the inflation hits from all the money we printed to spend our way out of this 15 trillion will look like chump change.

This headline sounds like some marketing chump at Newscorp had it submitted after it passed some kind of internet buzz word quota.
Does Drew get paid to submit these?

How about, for starters, we bring all of the troops home from every corner of the world save a few RDF's and a carrier group, and stop policing the world - let them sort out their own damn problems. Then transform the military into an infrastructure-revamping force at home so we can do things like move towards alternaive energy and not have bridges collapsing willy-nilly.

inthrees: You know what else could reduce the debt? Reduced spending.

during the worst recession since the recession caused by reducing spending in 1938 during the worst recession.... get the picture.

i'm not opposed to reducing spending. the pentagon's budget alone is so full of wasteful pork t could likely be chopped in half and still allow us to maintain the world's best military. but reducing spending during a recession is asinine.

So, we pay off a cash advance with another cash advance? The U.S. of A. now goes to a pay day lender for money? I thought those places were only for white trash, illegals, and poor black folks.

Man, this country is on a track for a train wreck. It started most recently with Dubya and will end with Barack Hussein Obama II.

The crack cocaine of consumerism (even at the government level) has won - doesn't matter what side of the isle you are on!!!

Pssssh... everyone knows the only real way to get rid of the national debt is by getting rid of earmarks.

And to everyone on here trying to equate personal finances with government finances, go ahead and try to issue bonds, and see what your rating is. I'm guessing it falls a bit below AAA. Good luck getting investors to line up for those.

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: Pssssh... everyone knows the only real way to get rid of the national debt is by getting rid of earmarks.

And to everyone on here trying to equate personal finances with government finances, go ahead and try to issue bonds, and see what your rating is. I'm guessing it falls a bit below AAA. Good luck getting investors to line up for those.

If we got rid of every earmark, it would be a drop in the bukkit compared to the military.

One more thing, if President Barack Hussein Obama II was so serious about reducing debt, he would probably be best served by kicking his party in the ass.

Throwing money at problems does not solve them despite what many of the Marxists on Fark say. Stimulus version 1.0 did not work? Let's think up version 1.01. Healthcare is required, but does anyone think the $1.2 tril figure will come in as planned?

President Barack Hussein Obama II has the same problem I do in a small sense. Every month, I promise myself I won't buy comics or other crap on eBay or Amazon....but every month I end up doing it anyway. I am sure President Barack Hussein Obama II would like to limit spending as well as long as he gets through the current month.

Difference is that I live within my means and he does not.

/Waiting for the Marxists to come out and say "Cut spending in a recession,......and we all die blah blah blah"

inthrees: You know what else could reduce the debt? Reduced spending.

You there! Stop that crazy talk!

ghare: If we got rid of every earmark, it would be a drop in the bukkit compared to the military.

/Sarcasm
//Would like an earmark for more bukkits

FlashHarry: since the recession caused by reducing spending in 1938 during the worst recession

What was the other part of that equation?

smokescreen: One more thing, if President Barack Hussein Obama II was so serious about reducing debt, he would probably be best served by kicking his party in the ass.

Throwing money at problems does not solve them despite what many of the Marxists on Fark say. Stimulus version 1.0 did not work? Let's think up version 1.01. Healthcare is required, but does anyone think the $1.2 tril figure will come in as planned?

President Barack Hussein Obama II has the same problem I do in a small sense. Every month, I promise myself I won't buy comics or other crap on eBay or Amazon....but every month I end up doing it anyway. I am sure President Barack Hussein Obama II would like to limit spending as well as long as he gets through the current month.

Difference is that I live within my means and he does not.

/Waiting for the Marxists to come out and say "Cut spending in a recession,......and we all die blah blah blah"

Ahhhh, another "Deficits don't matter unless a Democrat is in office and the Bush Administration never happened" nitwit.

/You still buy COMICS? Grow up.

Obama should have been a stage magician.

smokescreen: President Barack Hussein Obama II has the same problem I do in a small sense. Every month, I promise myself I won't buy comics or other crap on eBay or Amazon....


Your life must truly be a living hell, and a distinct parallel to the decisions of the President....

ghare: smokescreen: One more thing, if President Barack Hussein Obama II was so serious about reducing debt, he would probably be best served by kicking his party in the ass.

Throwing money at problems does not solve them despite what many of the Marxists on Fark say. Stimulus version 1.0 did not work? Let's think up version 1.01. Healthcare is required, but does anyone think the $1.2 tril figure will come in as planned?

President Barack Hussein Obama II has the same problem I do in a small sense. Every month, I promise myself I won't buy comics or other crap on eBay or Amazon....but every month I end up doing it anyway. I am sure President Barack Hussein Obama II would like to limit spending as well as long as he gets through the current month.

Difference is that I live within my means and he does not.

/Waiting for the Marxists to come out and say "Cut spending in a recession,......and we all die blah blah blah"

Ahhhh, another "Deficits don't matter unless a Democrat is in office and the Bush Administration never happened" nitwit.

/You still buy COMICS? Grow up.

Hey ASSHOLE, read my other post about deficits....the part about it doesn't matter what side of the isle you are on.

Typical liberal speak......your opinion counts so long as it is the same as mine.

What people need to know is the following (especially the mentally disturbed liberals).....debt is sometimes good and sometimes bad, but one thing that cannot be disputed is that sooner or later the bill comes due.

Once again, doesn't matter what side of the isle you are on. Bush racked up a huge bill on stupid shiat and the current administration can't be taken seriously that it intends to reduce debt.

And yes, I still buy comics because I have something called....gulp....disposable income.

smokescreen:
And yes, I still buy comics because I have something called....gulp....disposable income.

I guess giving blow jobs for money is recession-proof?

The US will never be out of debt until we elect another Andrew Jackson and abolish the Fed.

I could easily abolish the debt but it would require many, many cuts and it would probably make me the most unpopular president ever. It would also require Congress to go along which we know won't happen as people are too used to their entitlement programs.

//We need a king.

Asako: The US will never be out of debt until we elect another Andrew Jackson and abolish the Fed.

I could easily abolish the debt but it would require many, many cuts and it would probably make me the most unpopular president ever. It would also require Congress to go along which we know won't happen as people are too used to their entitlement programs.

//We need a king.

Or the whole thing could come crashing down. Give it a couple years, the main supports are already cracking.

Just get out of the way.

smokescreen:
Don't people with....gulp....disposable income have something better to do with their time and money than yell at liberals at 7am on a work day?

/just wondering
//Cubs suck, Bears suck, Blackhawks suck, White Sox suck, Bulls suck

munchy: Isn't that like paying my Mastercard bill with my VISA card?

even worse. This is like taking out a loan to buy something. Not buying the thing you took the loan out to buy. And paying back the loan with the loan money, but only after waiting for a year of interest to build up on it.

I'll just leave this here.



Notice the run up in 42...wonder what coincides with that? Deficit spending gets us out of economic slumps people.

if this works, Obama can redirect the money designated for Nationalized Health Care towards reducing our public debt.

Wait just a moment! Just what the deuce is going on here? Do you mean to tell me that the Government is planning on SUBTRACTING funds it DIDN"T spend from the deficit? That is, the number by which government spending excceeds income?

Why of all the effrontery! This sort of accounting-related tomfoolery and monkeyshines simply cannot be tolerated!

Or something....Whatever, I'm OUTRAGED!

Notice the run up in 42...wonder what coincides with that? Deficit spending gets us out of economic slumps people.

Yes, but defecit spending with no realistic intentions/plans of curtailing that spending going forward, and not having a production-based economy to generate decent organic GDP growth is a different story.

The only way to deal with this problem is cutting government spending (massively) and raising taxes (massively). The people in government right now will never step up to that challenge, and anyone who runs for office on that platform is unelectable. So, instead of dealing with it rationally and making difficult choices for the benefit of future generations, it will be forced on us harshly by the laws of economics. Not tomorrow or next week, but in the lifetime of most of us.

Magorn: Why of all the effrontery! This sort of accounting-related tomfoolery and monkeyshines simply cannot be tolerated!

It's hard to explain to the citizens of earth that they owe $36,000,000,000,000 to private bankers although it is still widely tolerated.

Link (new window)

You morons that have debt should follow this genius leadership. Pay down your Visa by taking a cash advance from your other Visa. Tell democrats that you're paying down your debt. They'll applaud you.

OnmyojiOmn: Clearly he should adopt the MO of the Party of No and do nothing at all.

Sounds less expensive than handing out big wads of cash to every Officially Sad fool with a grievance and his hand out. I like your plan!

OnmyojiOmn: Clearly he should adopt the MO of the Party of No and do nothing at all.

It sounds like "doing nothing" (not spending the TARP money) is exactly what's on the table.

IdBeCrazyIf

I'll just leave this here.

love your chart, but

add a vertical line on the year 2008, to show when dem-o-rats started running up the spending (Pelosi in control)

//reality sure sucks for dem-o-rats

IdBeCrazyIf: Notice the run up in 42...wonder what coincides with that? Deficit spending gets us out of economic slumps people.

What chart will you guys use to make your points after the Obama Admin throws a mighty big wrench into the point made by this one?

IdBeCrazyIf: Notice the run up in 42...wonder what coincides with that? Deficit spending gets us out of economic slumps people.

i'd also like to point out you are NOT making the argument that under Obama the line will go down again. You are simply letting commenters falsely infer that. Also, the scale of spending for Iraq and Afghanistan as a % of GDP pales in comparison to WWII. We shouldn't be near those levels without a war of that scope and god forbid we are near those levels and then need to fund a war of that scope.