9 thoughts on “FriendFeed: Krugman: Obama spending …”
Sandy Underpants
Seems like the same divet-heads that criticized Obama’s stimulus/spending bill for being “stupid” because the government shouldn’t spend money, are criticizing this decision because the government shouldn’t be conserving money. Stop the wars and abolish the military and we won’t have any deficit and we won’t have a national debt after 4 or 5 years either. Yes, I’m serious. And yes, no army ever protected Americans from the underpants bombers sitting amongst you today. The military is the most worthless aspect of America the last 50 years, yet that is what consumes about 60% of our tax-dollars per year. Truly disgraceful.
Jazz
In the history of “trial balloons floated before a big public appearance”, Obama’s spending freeze announcement would easily win the Hindenberg award, if there were such a thing. I can’t compete with the many irritated pundits, though several have noted that the poor and voiceless will inevitably be disproportionately harmed when the rich and powerful lobby their way out of the freeze.
The poor and voiceless, such as the working middle class in the US, whose good wages were traded en masse for poor wages in China a generation ago. If indeed this recession is driven by the loss of consumption power for that vast swath of America (and the toppling of the debt that propped them up for a few decades), then this freeze may end up being a fabulous tool to help a recession become a Depression. Great.
David K.
Stop the wars and abolish the military and we won’t have any deficit and we won’t have a national debt after 4 or 5 years either
So my money is that China would conquer us first, although on further thought Hugo Chavez might try to liberate us first.
This is without a doubt the stupidest thing I’ve heard Sandy say yet, and he thinks the moon landing was faked!
Alasdair
Jazz – the way to get out of a recession (and keep out of a Depression) is to put as much emphasis as possible on saving or creating jobs that create stuff that can be used to create stuff that can be sold as well as stuff that can be sold …
That means more production of resources, more energy, more tools that creat stuff … and then, use those resources and that energy and those tools to create stuff that can be sold …
To have that happen, we have to avoid the Government taking (in taxes and fees and assessments) the resoruces that are needed to create the jobs …
And we need to prioritise the jobs as above, with jobs to count things and issue reports on things being way down at the bottom of the priority pile … a fat lot of good it does to have more people employed counting how many more people are becoming unemployed each month …
Take a look at how the US economy went after the market crash of 1929 – and what was done, that resulted in the Great Depression … take a look at how GDP went after 1933 – and when, eventually, the US GDP started a consistent upward trend again … (pretty much due to tooling up to sell stuff to the UK to help the UK keep the Nazis occupied until the US Industrial strength could be brought up to speed to mobilise to enter WWII) …
Numbers of jobs are important – but GDP is even *more* important …
If President Obama wants to be genuinely Presidential, he’ll start by vetoing *ANY* Bill that has earmarks attached … irrespective of party … and he will take to heart the Clinton realisation – “It’s the Economy, stupid !” …
Alasdair
Plus, no-one in their right minds wants to conquer the US … what the $#@$@#$ would they do with US if they won ? (See: ‘Mouse That Roared’ – and various Jewish Cabinet Jokes) …
(And, yes, Elder Loy, the site should have been “bagleweb.com”, already !)
(grin)
Sandy Underpants
Americans, like David K, have this idiotic mantality that everyone wants to take your stuff… or in this instance, take your country. There’s 300 million Americans that don’t want to be ruled by anyone and wouldn’t ever fall in line to take orders from…. the chinese (?). We don’t need a damn army, and what motivation does China have to take over America? Or Hugo Chavez for that matter. It’s inane. Americans are kept in this level of fear and paranoia that makes you a slave to your government and enforcers/military.
Let me know when the last time we truly needed the military. To protect us from those South Vietnamese who were looking to take over Washington DC? Thanks. The Koreans were at the mexican border looking for us. Oh remember when Afghanistan attacked us? That was a real betrayal since our CIA trained and fought alongside the Taliban in the 80s. Oh and the best job the US Military did was defending us from the territory thirsty Saddam Hussein. Man, he was so close to overthrowing the western world, if only he hadn’t fought to a 13 year stalemate against Iran, I’m sure we were next on the list. And the mother of all mothers, Good old Gorby. If Russia wasn’t completely bankrupt they probably really would have liked to have settled down in Sunny Southern California.
Most of the folks around SoCal think their style of government is the right way to go (sans siberia) anyhow. Quite frankly, living a country, as we do now, that has more people in prison [slavery] than any other nation on earth, and a court system that runs people’s lives via probation, it’s really not that far off from the negative attributes placed on the old Soviet Union, Americans just don’t want to admit it to themselves.
Alasdair
Ummm – given conditions in North Korea, isn’t it basically just one giant prison ? Some trustees have better conditions, and the Warden may be comfortable, but the average inmate/inhabitant ain’t comfortable …
David K.
Yes, i’m the idiot for believing that without a standing military the U.S. would be less safe. Clearly thats the logical conclusion. Seriously Sandy you are about the craziest person on this blog (Sorry Alasdair, I know how hard you try, but Sandy has a gift)
Krugman: Obama spending freeze is “appalling on every level”
Seems like the same divet-heads that criticized Obama’s stimulus/spending bill for being “stupid” because the government shouldn’t spend money, are criticizing this decision because the government shouldn’t be conserving money. Stop the wars and abolish the military and we won’t have any deficit and we won’t have a national debt after 4 or 5 years either. Yes, I’m serious. And yes, no army ever protected Americans from the underpants bombers sitting amongst you today. The military is the most worthless aspect of America the last 50 years, yet that is what consumes about 60% of our tax-dollars per year. Truly disgraceful.
In the history of “trial balloons floated before a big public appearance”, Obama’s spending freeze announcement would easily win the Hindenberg award, if there were such a thing. I can’t compete with the many irritated pundits, though several have noted that the poor and voiceless will inevitably be disproportionately harmed when the rich and powerful lobby their way out of the freeze.
The poor and voiceless, such as the working middle class in the US, whose good wages were traded en masse for poor wages in China a generation ago. If indeed this recession is driven by the loss of consumption power for that vast swath of America (and the toppling of the debt that propped them up for a few decades), then this freeze may end up being a fabulous tool to help a recession become a Depression. Great.
Stop the wars and abolish the military and we won’t have any deficit and we won’t have a national debt after 4 or 5 years either
So my money is that China would conquer us first, although on further thought Hugo Chavez might try to liberate us first.
This is without a doubt the stupidest thing I’ve heard Sandy say yet, and he thinks the moon landing was faked!
Jazz – the way to get out of a recession (and keep out of a Depression) is to put as much emphasis as possible on saving or creating jobs that create stuff that can be used to create stuff that can be sold as well as stuff that can be sold …
That means more production of resources, more energy, more tools that creat stuff … and then, use those resources and that energy and those tools to create stuff that can be sold …
To have that happen, we have to avoid the Government taking (in taxes and fees and assessments) the resoruces that are needed to create the jobs …
And we need to prioritise the jobs as above, with jobs to count things and issue reports on things being way down at the bottom of the priority pile … a fat lot of good it does to have more people employed counting how many more people are becoming unemployed each month …
Take a look at how the US economy went after the market crash of 1929 – and what was done, that resulted in the Great Depression … take a look at how GDP went after 1933 – and when, eventually, the US GDP started a consistent upward trend again … (pretty much due to tooling up to sell stuff to the UK to help the UK keep the Nazis occupied until the US Industrial strength could be brought up to speed to mobilise to enter WWII) …
Numbers of jobs are important – but GDP is even *more* important …
If President Obama wants to be genuinely Presidential, he’ll start by vetoing *ANY* Bill that has earmarks attached … irrespective of party … and he will take to heart the Clinton realisation – “It’s the Economy, stupid !” …
Plus, no-one in their right minds wants to conquer the US … what the $#@$@#$ would they do with US if they won ? (See: ‘Mouse That Roared’ – and various Jewish Cabinet Jokes) …
Found it – here – about 6 jokes down …
(And, yes, Elder Loy, the site should have been “bagleweb.com”, already !)
(grin)
Americans, like David K, have this idiotic mantality that everyone wants to take your stuff… or in this instance, take your country. There’s 300 million Americans that don’t want to be ruled by anyone and wouldn’t ever fall in line to take orders from…. the chinese (?). We don’t need a damn army, and what motivation does China have to take over America? Or Hugo Chavez for that matter. It’s inane. Americans are kept in this level of fear and paranoia that makes you a slave to your government and enforcers/military.
Let me know when the last time we truly needed the military. To protect us from those South Vietnamese who were looking to take over Washington DC? Thanks. The Koreans were at the mexican border looking for us. Oh remember when Afghanistan attacked us? That was a real betrayal since our CIA trained and fought alongside the Taliban in the 80s. Oh and the best job the US Military did was defending us from the territory thirsty Saddam Hussein. Man, he was so close to overthrowing the western world, if only he hadn’t fought to a 13 year stalemate against Iran, I’m sure we were next on the list. And the mother of all mothers, Good old Gorby. If Russia wasn’t completely bankrupt they probably really would have liked to have settled down in Sunny Southern California.
Most of the folks around SoCal think their style of government is the right way to go (sans siberia) anyhow. Quite frankly, living a country, as we do now, that has more people in prison [slavery] than any other nation on earth, and a court system that runs people’s lives via probation, it’s really not that far off from the negative attributes placed on the old Soviet Union, Americans just don’t want to admit it to themselves.
Ummm – given conditions in North Korea, isn’t it basically just one giant prison ? Some trustees have better conditions, and the Warden may be comfortable, but the average inmate/inhabitant ain’t comfortable …
Yes, i’m the idiot for believing that without a standing military the U.S. would be less safe. Clearly thats the logical conclusion. Seriously Sandy you are about the craziest person on this blog (Sorry Alasdair, I know how hard you try, but Sandy has a gift)