Comments on: The Sequester

By: tyouth

tyouth — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:32:08 +0000

Last week I was looking at the numbers. If I have it straight, the cuts would amount to less than .005 (that is less than 1/2 of 1%) of federal spending and is about a 25% decrease in increased spending from last year. Hardly hawkish.

The sequester might, if the pols let it happen, go a long way in bolstering the dollar and the US credit rating without really doing much. Psychologically, it might be perceived as fiscally responsible without actually having been. Good propaganda.

The reality is analogous to someone making $50k, owing $400k and spending $70,000 last year. This year he’ll cut the spending down to $69,650. big deal.

By: Michael Kennedy

Michael Kennedy — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:45:33 +0000

The hysteria about miniscule cuts in spending continues on the Sunday talk fests. For some reason, Fox News Sunday did not appear on my cable but ABC and NBC followed the White House spin. Steve Rattner (what a name !) was spouting the talking points.

By: VSSC

VSSC — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:52:02 +0000

Listen you never know. They may be so over-extended and fragile that any cutting DOES bring them down.

We should be happy they’re showing incompetence and fear.

I can advise from experience you’re miserable until you commit. Hoping it will suddenly NOT be what it has to be..that something calls it all off at the last second.

Since the white knight you’re waiting for is the Republican Party, or the nice white ladies of the Tea party…

It’s not going to happen.

The future belongs to those who want it.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:13:53 +0000

It’s a national version of the game played by local pols when anyone tries to cut spending. The police chief gives a press conference and threatens to lay off half of the force, the mayor says they may have to close schools and hospitals, etc., etc.

By: TMLutas

TMLutas — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:24:33 +0000

If these department heads in the Cabinet had a heart, they would take the opportunity to cut the least useful expenses, furlough the least productive employees, and provide a road map for future cuts by their sequester choices. This would have good signalling effects for Congress and it would minimize the pain and suffering of the american people as these cuts come around. But I don’t think they are actually doing that which means that we’re losing more effective expenditures and the people will suffer more than necessary because the government would rather make it more painful in order to put pressure on the Congress to open the money taps again and soon.

This is called the Washington Monument Syndrome (sometimes Mount Rushmore Syndrome) and is a staple of budget cutting kabuki. It needs to be denounced, loudly and repeatedly, not with facts and figures but with cries of shame on you.

By: Dan from Madison

Dan from Madison — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:15:41 +0000

“Oh screw them. Let it sequester. The media will blame the Republicans no matter what.” This.

By: Bill Brandt

Bill Brandt — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 06:42:14 +0000

I heard that if they can just cut the budget 1% the budget will be balanced in…10 years – but the guvmint is so lean and mean now there is no way they can possibly do that ;-)

By: Robert Schwartz

Robert Schwartz — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 03:58:19 +0000

Oh screw them. Let it sequester. The media will blame the Republicans no matter what.

By: Citizen Eagle

Citizen Eagle — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 03:51:46 +0000

Fortune and Forbes list the 500 wealthiest men/women in the worls. We should pass a law taking all their wealth except $200,000 which we let them keep. After all, as Obama says, they could not earn it without all the freebies we provide the super rich.

Also all earning by everyone should be put in a pool and divided up equally among not just citizens but every body. End inequality forever and ever.

John Lennon had the rite idea. Imagine a world in which there are no possessions and every body shares everything and we live as One! – led by Progressives.