A TOUCH OF humor as the year dwindles to its dying day on Sunday.
Yes, I know, I know. A tax cut without an accompanying reduction in spending is putting a Band-Aid on a beheading. It’s just a short-term feel-good.
No matter. Feeling good, even for one day, plus getting more money in your pocket is a fine thing. The spending cuts ain’t gonna happen, at least not to the degree necessary.
The United States is doomed. It’s only a question of time.
In the meantime, I live in another country, and I’m old, not facing so many more years on this spinning globe. Don’t worry! Be Happy! That’s my motto.
Always looking on the bright side, señor. You are a hoot. Not so much NOB. Oh, well, we old folks know how to cope, unpleasant as it can be.
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Ricardo: With too many years under our belts, we’ve seen things come and go, and they usually go.
As for being a hoot, yes, I am a hoot. The Moon is mostly about hooting.
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“A tax cut without an accompanying reduction in spending is putting a Band-Aid on a beheading.”
Warren Mosler, one of my economic heroes, found himself in 2000 sitting next to Al Gore at a Democratic fundraising dinner, where Gore was going to give a speech about what to do with the $5.6T 10-year budget surplus projected at the time (you’ll remember that from ’98 to 2000 we had surpluses). Mosler explained to him that there wasn’t going to be any surplus because any time the Feds run a surplus the drain of dollars from the private sector causes a recession, which does not end until a deficit restores the lost savings and income, and aggregate demand rises enough to restore employment and output.
Al Gore nodded in understanding and then got up and delivered the speech about the $5.6T surplus.
Pearls before swine…
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Creigh: Pearls before swine indeed!
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On reflection I’ve decided Al was right. If he’d been elected, he’d have spent the money. No surplus, no recession. What happened instead was that George Bush was elected, and he cut taxes AND spent the money. The deficit came roaring back, and the recession, which actually started in March 2001 just as Mosler predicted, was nipped in the bud.
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Most flattering image of Nancy I’ve ever seen.
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Carole: Yes, it does beautify her a little more than what exists in reality.
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Felipe,
The only way we get out of this mess is a convention of states and ratification of a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. Congress, regardless of which party is in power, will never vote to cut their own throats. Despite rhetoric to the contrary, neither side wants a change in the status quo.
Regards,
Troy
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Troy: I see no hope. In time, the United States will collapse as all empires do in time. Sad.
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Sad indeed. But we and our loved ones are enjoying life elsewhere.
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Patzman: Yes, praise the Lord and pass ammo. Or something to that effect.
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Funny how the party out of power suddenly sees religion on deficit spending. But when they’re back in power, their spending is far more important than any consequence of accumulated debt.
I think the Democrats would get more traction if they didn’t sound nearly hysterical in all their public appearances.
They also need to get ready for an investigation of their own Russian collusion, for which there seems to be far more evidence than anything done by the Trump campaign.
Saludos,
Kim G
Redding, CA
Where the Red Scare is beginning to permeate everything. Fortunately no Russians lurking under the bed. Yet, anyway.
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Kim: How right you are, and not for the first time.
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