tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post6733624476599100890..comments2023-09-29T06:58:20.125-07:00Comments on Badtux the Snarky Penguin: The economy is not a zero-sum gameBadTuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345749557330760251noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-978542262446833272010-01-29T18:47:01.043-08:002010-01-29T18:47:01.043-08:00Data?! You started it with an analogy, so why can&...Data?! You started it with an analogy, so why can't I go on with that as well?<br /><br />*clears throat*<br /><br /><br />Have you seen the size of Dad's gun collection? He could sell off almost 3/4 of what he owns and still have more than enough to protect us. And if most of our income is going towards interest payments on old debt then that tells me he needs to get another job as well as cut back on spending. Otherwise Dad is gonna always be working his ass off and that's never good for the family, is it? And it seems that Mom & Dad are hiring far-far more babysitters for us then ever before. All that extra hired help sure can't be cheap...<br /> <br /><br />All that aside, if you really wanna run on a platform of <i>"Raise taxes and raise 'em high!"</i> then please let me know exactly which office you're running for...I'd love to follow that race. ;)purplepenquinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17985523216476971244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-88569119429643638502010-01-29T16:50:50.964-08:002010-01-29T16:50:50.964-08:00So, Purple, what would you count as waste? Nationa...So, Purple, what would you count as waste? National defense? Social Security? Medicaid? Medicare? Payment on the national debt? Because you add those four things up, and you're at 85% of the federal budget, leaving very little for the "big screen TV" that you claim is going on. In fact, the U.S. government uses a smaller percentage of the national GDP than any other major economy's government. We're long past the time when the U.S. government was spending on the equivalent of big screen TV's... yeah, there's occasional spending on junk food and the occasional restaurant meal, but the data simply doesn't support your assertion that a significant portion of government spending is waste.<br /><br />So, tell me where the waste is. I bet you can come up with a bit of waste here and there, but if it accounts for more than 1% of federal spending, I would be *seriously* surprised. Our crumbling infrastructure and collapsed regulatory agencies that can no longer insure that our food and water is safe tend to indicate that we've cut spending to the point where the children are starving, with a big-screen TV nowhere in sight.<br /><br />- Badtux the "Data, not talking points, please" PenguinBadTuxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01345749557330760251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-27045356055163843722010-01-29T16:42:16.679-08:002010-01-29T16:42:16.679-08:00You'd really starve your kids for two days out...You'd really starve your kids for two days out of the week before you'd cut household spending by getting rid of the super-deluxe cable-TV package with all the movie channels and NFL access? <br /><br /><br />You're acting as if <b>all</b> gov't spending is going towards <b>only</b> the bare basics (putting food on the table) and that simply isn't true.purplepenquinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17985523216476971244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-36462732296824008462010-01-28T20:06:42.672-08:002010-01-28T20:06:42.672-08:00BT -
I posted my first article at HubPages. It&#...BT - <br /><br />I posted my first article at HubPages. It's not about economics or Penguins or music, but I thought you might read it and give me feedback since you put words together better than average.<br /><br /> http://hubpages.com/hub/Of-Questions-and-Answers<br /><br />DougTampaDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12927689342520971279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-40773872918552292652010-01-28T15:08:14.231-08:002010-01-28T15:08:14.231-08:00In fact, I mis-spoke. It's supply side econom...In fact, I mis-spoke. It's supply side economics - based on a distortion of Lafferism - that has been invalidated.<br /><br />Cheers!<br />JzBJazzbumpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07337490817307473659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-56483121053522455802010-01-28T12:51:35.462-08:002010-01-28T12:51:35.462-08:00LFC -
You make a good point, re: Laffer. And it...LFC - <br /><br />You make a good point, re: Laffer. And it sent me on a very useful quest.<br /><br />This work done by <a href="http://angrybear.blogspot.com/2007/09/tax-rates-and-economic-growth-look-at.html" rel="nofollow">Angry Bear</a><br /> goes a long way towards invalidating conservative claims about taxation and growth. The hot topic a few days ago.<br /><br />Which is a bit askew from today's topic, but information I'm keenly interested in. Laffer plots Govt revenue, not GDP growth, vs. tax rates, of course. <br /><br />Cheers!<br />JzB the pro-tax trombonistJazzbumpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07337490817307473659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-10062775519592369672010-01-28T09:21:10.574-08:002010-01-28T09:21:10.574-08:00The right has managed to make ignoring reality a p...The right has managed to make ignoring reality a part of their DNA. A normal cycle for realists is execute, examine your feedback, adjust, and repeat. The right's cycle is execute, ignore reality, and blame others for failures that can't be ignored. Look at Iraq. Look at Afghanistan. Look at the economy. In every case, it was GOP policies that failed miserably, and still they ignore the facts and blame others for things that can't be ignored.<br /><br />JzB, I wouldn't call the Laffer Curve invalidated. It makes some sense. The problem is that the right only ever sees one half of the curve. It never sees what happens past the inflection point. As far as they are concerned, we're still only 10% of the way onto the curve, when we're actually past the 50% point and thus dealing with reduced revenue.LFChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10723708514119454447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-64582115342533233242010-01-28T09:07:17.752-08:002010-01-28T09:07:17.752-08:00It's an inability to reconcile reality with id...It's an inability to reconcile reality with ideology. I really believe the biggest difference between a progressive and a regressive (i.e. "conservative") is that a progressive accommodates reality into his ideology, while the regressive denies reality for the sake of ideological purity. You said something similar recently.<br /><br />Thus, the regressives haul out the invalidated Laffer curve to deny that they are starving the children. Lowering taxes is the way to raise revenues, increase business activity along with the general welfare, and float everyone's boat.<br /><br />Neocons, Libertarians, The Muslim Brotherhood, Maoists and Marxists all share this <i>negation of reality</i> complex. For them, ideology trumps reality, every time.<br /><br />This week, we got new phones and a new garage door opener, which I am paying somebody to install. <br />I would go out and spend more money today, but it's too damned cold.<br /><br />Cheers!<br />JzB the reality trombonistJazzbumpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07337490817307473659noreply@blogger.com