Tag Archives: deficit

Is there a master budget strategy at work here?

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Is there a master strategy behind the president’s most recent budget offerings?

It is difficult for someone like me to accept the idea that the president would campaign on a promise not to raise taxes on the middle class and then to shift gears and do something that makes that promise look like it might be countered.

According to some of the things I have been reading on the Internet and hearing in the other media lately, I am not alone in this.  I get the idea there are lots of people questioning what appears to be a presidential back peddling on a campaign promise so I am thinking, “What if it is not a back pedal at all but is, in fact, some master strategy move?”

As I recall, Republicans have been trying to achieve cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – -  and indeed all so-called “entitlement” programs for an awfully long time now – - – ever since the beginning of “The New Deal” back in the days of President Roosevelt if I am not badly mistaken.

The president has looked to me like he has always been in the mode to protect the social safety net and the poor and middle classes and that he has consistently resisted Republican overtures toward  reducing or eliminating some of the key elements of the safety net on more than one occasion.

So now we come to the great budget negotiations which for a long time looked like they were stalled and looked to me like they would remain stalled because it seemed that  neither side could quite come to an agreement on much of anything – - – and it also looked to me like the Republicans were still out there suggesting that the president was not being serious in negotiating.  What  I believe the Republicans meant by that was “The president won’t give us everything we want and seems to want some things that we are not prepared to give . . . such as more revenues.” – - the last sentence is my paraphrase and was not necessarily spoken by any elected official that I know of.

It did look to me an awfully lot like there was an awfully lot of stonewalling and obstruction going on from that side of the fence.

Then suddenly – - – and to the surprise, sometimes shock and oftentimes dismay of some Liberals, the president appears to have changed  positions and has actually offered Republicans some substantial  new concessions on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Is the president thinking that the Republicans will decide they are not going to accept any of his proposals in much the same manner that they have boycotted and obstructed almost everything he has ever tried to do ever since he was first elected?

Is the president thinking that he has offered Republicans some tasty plums but that they will never be satisfied with anything he offers and will continue to demand more and more and more and that because of that nothing may ever get agreed upon?  If that would turn out to be true, would it tend to make Republicans look like they have problems making governing decisions in an effective manner?  Is there a possibility that if people started thinking that side of the fence can never agree on anything that it would reflect negatively on their side in the 2014 elections?  Is that what might be part of a masterstroke of strategy at play here?

There is the possibility – - – in my mind at least – - – that the president might be looking toward the 2014 elections.

My question is, “If the Republicans do manage to finally get major concessions from the president on Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, how will it look to their constituencies when those 2014 elections finally do roll around?

How will such an achievement look to voters who might be tempted to say to Republicans, “You don’t support the benefits on which we often depend so we are sure as hell not going to support any of you in 2014?  Is such a scene possible?  I think it is very possible.

I think the president might know this too! I do not know!  I cannot say for sure! But that is what I think and it makes sense to me.

If that is the case, then I think it is one helluva brilliant presidential strategy move.  He offers them what they have always wanted and they jump on it and they piss their constituencies off and Democrats sweep the 2014 elections in much the same manner as the Republicans swept them in 2010. That is my amateur interpretation of the possibilities here.

It looks to me like the Republicans involved in these budget negotiations may be working themselves into a corner – - – into a “damned if we do and damned if we don’t” situation.

No matter what, it looks to this blogger – - – and admittedly nothing more than just another armchair politician – - – like the president is firmly in control of the situation and that his leadership is shining as brilliantly as The Sun ever hoped to shine.

I think if the People start to think like I am thinking, then they will realize what is happening with these apparent concessions by the president and they will give their unqualified support to his leadership in a massive groundswell of grassroots approval and Republicans will be forced to break off their attacks on entitlements until and unless they come up with some worth while new concessions of their own on taxes and revenues.

I could be wrong and I am sure the Trolls will tell me why I am wrong, but all of a sudden I am feeling better about all this and I have a gut feeling that it will all work out for the better for everyone concerned.

It may look a little hairy right now, but I think it will all turn out alright in the end because I do not believe the Will of America is the will of fools and that when the voters elected this president, they did the right thing and I think their judgement will be justified in the end – - – like it has always been justified for all the years since the founding of the Nation.

I will never ever say that the will of The American People is anything except what is good and decent and right for the country because it is the genius of that American Will that has sustained us through every period of trial and I think it will continue to sustain us even in these apparently difficult times.

There are clouds right now – - – and a little rain – - – but I think the Sunshine is coming again – - – and soon!

Posted by John at 10:45 pm

Republican Debt Reduction May Be A Wish Dream!

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I cannot say that Republicans are given to actually lying about what they think they can do with American Government.

So maybe some of them just aren’t aware, somehow, that what they say is not always (Not usually in my view) accurate or on  target.

I do know that some Republicans are fond of bragging (Loudly and long)  about how their party is dedicated to reducing the National Deficits and the National Debt.  In my opinion, they seem to actually believe that their Right Wing Fiscal theories are best for America.

The question of “What Is Best For America” may also depend on which “America” they are speaking about here.  I have noted that in the Republican world view, there are often two separate America’s talked about– The Red State America and The Blue State America (or) The Conservative America (“The Real America) and The Liberal America (The Commies, Hippies, Nazis and other various non-significant low life forms.)

Ask the Occupy Wall Street People what I am talking about. They have been subjected to this “Division” by the dark side of  Conservatism and they know full well what I am talking about.

My question then is “When did any Republicans who have ever been in Government achieve any kind of significant reduction in the national debt or the deficit? (Other than Eisenhower or Nixon?)

It certainly wasn’t during the administration of President George W. Bush.

I believe, if I am not mistaken, the Bush  Administration I just mentioned ran up the biggest national debt in the history of the country and we are still paying for that one– and our children and, quite possibly, our grandchildren will be paying for it too.

President Richard Nixon is reported to have been the last Republican who had any success at all in reducing the national debt and the deficit but most people I talk to don’t seem to remember his achievements in that area.

But credit where credit is due!  Nixon did have some significant success with debt reduction.  But that was in a time when a different Republican party existed.  Back in those glory days for America, the political parties could work across party lines and actually get things done.

I doubt that very many of  today’s “No Compromise” obstructionists on the side of Conservative idiocy could ever come anywhere close to achieving any of those wonderful old agreements that contributed so much to America’s greatness back then.

They tell me that President G.W. Bush’s Administration increased the national debt by about 6 trillion+ dollars during it’s reign while Obama has only seen an increase of around 1.7 trillion dollars.  That is quite a difference in my opinion and I don’t see how that gives any Conservatives any room to strut and crow about their handling of the Economy.

The “Real” truth is that every Democrat President since Franklin D. Roosevelt has reduced the national debt and every Republican President except for Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon has seen it rise significantly in spite of their claims to the contrary.

So, when you hear all that old rhetoric on the campaign trail about how Obama has caused the national debt to balloon out of control since he took office and how one or more of the Republican candied-dates can “Get America’s Economy Back On Track Again” with one plan or the other, you can (In my opinion) just discount their claims as the same, tired old BS and pull the lever on that voting machine for the Democrat.

With an understanding of how so many mis-guided and mis-informed Bubbas on the Radical Conservative Right seem to hate the fact that Barack Obama is President of The United States, I, for one, am discounting every single piece of “Anti-Obama” BS rhetoric proceeding forth from them and their myth-manufacturing media.

Read More About Republican Economic Myth:  ( Click Here )

How did we get in this economic mess? ( Click Here )

Posted by John Liming as strictly his political opinions.

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Right Wing Cheers Idea Of Child Labor!

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This is a child laborer in America in the early 20th century.
The following article is strictly the opinion of John Liming,
author of “The Liming Liberal Digest.”

It just might be possible for our beloved America to go to Hell in a hand basket yet! From some of what I have been reading and hearing coming out of the mouths of some of Conservatism’s rising stars, this country could be in real trouble if a Republican were to win the White House in 2012.

There is at least one proposal reportedly being touted by at least one of their candidates that seems to me to suggest a repeal of child labor law for the good of society.  The crap proposals are always for “The Good Of Society” aren’t they?

To my knowledge and belief, the actual words “For the good of society” were not actually spoken by the individual I am talking about here.  Those are my words–not those of the individual. – but I am responding to something I have been reading that I think is absolutely one of the most horrible things I have ever heard.  I have heard that a candidate for the Presidency of The United States has advocated for removal of some of the restrictions on certain forms of child labor.

It seems that there are reports being circulated that former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich (Now the Republican Front Runner in the race for the Presidency) has not only suggested that poor kids should be in the labor force but that it would be alright for even children as young as 5-years-old to be working as well. (Se the linked item below for full details of what I am talking about.)

This is an item I noticed in “Raw Story” as I was reading through the various blogs and news sources on the Internet today.  My jaw literally dropped at what I was reading. I was aghast and shocked!

As The former Speaker was making the case at Saturday Night’s presidential debate, the Republican audience is reported to have virtually erupted with applause and approval for the outrageous idea about re-instituting child labor in The United States.  It is further reported that other GOP debate audiences have also cheered the death penalty and letting a man without insurance just go ahead and die without any kind of help from anybody and they have also booed a gay U.S. Soldier.

Now to my way of thinking, this only shows just how reprehensible Conservatism has become.  I cannot believe that grown adults who are supposed to be responsible thinkers and, in many cases “Christian” to boot, are actually cheering some ideas that sound to me like they were originated in the deepest pits of Hell itself.

 Of course, what you are reading right now is simply my personal opinions. But to me, the idea of allowing any degree of a  return to child labor in The United States is downright untenable and  totally unacceptable.

I wonder that if something like this were ever to transpire in this country, if we would see the return of a vast army of under age manual laborers toiling away in the dark, dirty and dangerous conditions of sweat shops for next-to-nothing wages and no benefits like it was at a shameful time in our History? 

Will Conservatism recognize the billions of dollars in extra profits that could be tapped on the backs of innocent poor children and manipulate the political system to the point where these kids could be indentured like that?

Will we see the day return when kids will be locked inside of factories or mines so that some fat cat can get fatter and the idea will be sold on the basis that it is only to teach poor kids the work ethic?

What is going to happen if some government big wig finally comes to the conclusion that legalized child labor is a heck of a lot cheaper than adult labor because kids will settle for less and are more easily manipulated and intimidated?

In the early 20th century, there were as many as two million kids employed in the slavery known as “Child Labor” in The United States. Two million  kids were almost forced to work at jobs designed for adults in despicable and deplorable conditions because families simply could not earn enough at their jobs to make it without the kid’s help. These poor kids were viewed simply as a part of the individual family economy.

It got to the point where child laborers rarely had any opportunity at all to be kids. For many of them, work became far more enticing than getting an education and so they were doomed to work their childhood away for a few piddling extra dollars and often at disastrous results for their health and safety.

Child labor absolutely condemned thousands upon thousands of American kids to a future of illiteracy, poverty and never-ending misery.

And you are going to stand there and tell me that this is the kind of thing that is drawing cheers from an audience of GOP supporters? The only thing I can say to that is, “That would be typical of them in my personal opinion.” I mean, haven’t members of Conservatism shown themselves to be “All Heart” on many occasions as they attack the Middle Class, the lower wage earners and the elderlyy– and now, the children?

If that is the case, all I have to say for America is “God Help Us All!”

Learn more:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/10/gop-debate-audience-cheers-child-labor/

Learn even more:

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/hine-photos/

Posted by John Liming (Strictly My opinion)
(Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at 4:00 PM EST (USA)

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