New Paul Ryan Budget

[kpt018]

I think dollar for dollar, there actually are fewer consequences to cutting military spending than any other program due to having exponentially more dollars to cut than anything else.

To put in perspective, Paul Ryan's budget proposal of cutting medicare and welfare would only save $5 billion over 10 years and would have large impacts on many people's lives. But just eliminating the A-10 Thunderbolt II program (a program which the DoD itself proposed to eliminate) would save $3.5 billion in 5 years. That's over half the money in half the time while having no impact on peoples lives, and a minimal impact on the military's overall airpower.

Very true.

And how big does our military have to be until Republicans are satisfied? Do we have to own a force larger than every country on Earth combined before enough is enough?

The thing that particularly bothers me about proposed cuts to any program that helps the poor is the growing inequality we face, which I think is a huge problem. Obviously, guys like Ryan want to do things that widen the gap. It takes a real snake to convince poor people that they are better off if we cut the safety net.

There's an article on Slate that makes some good points related to rising income inequality:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/04/02/wealth_inequality_is_it_worse_than_we_thought.html

The conversation is often about the 1%, but it's really the ultra-wealthy (0.1%) that is really receiving the biggest gains.

 

[UpaLoompa]

True. It should be in play, but Jack seems to think that cutting defense has fewer consequences than other programs. My point is that the utility of defense is subjective and only really knowable in hindsight.

When looking at the size of budgets for different governmental units, there's really no way to argue otherwise. We don't spend much on anything but defense.

Boy will I have some egg on my face if aliens attack and we don't have functional SCRAM missiles.

 

[Jack V Savage]

To put in perspective, Paul Ryan's budget proposal of cutting medicare and welfare would only save $5 billion over 10 years and would have large impacts on many people's lives. But just eliminating the A-10 Thunderbolt II program (a program which the DoD itself proposed to eliminate) would save $3.5 billion in 5 years. That's over half the money in half the time while having no impact on peoples lives, and a minimal impact on the military's overall airpower.

Right. And it works in reverse, too. *Raising* funding for various safety-net programs would have a large positive impact on people's lives, and probably have a long-term ROI in terms of increased economic growth, while increasing military funding would have almost no impact on defense.

 

[Bay Area]

The thing that particularly bothers me about proposed cuts to any program that helps the poor is the growing inequality we face, which I think is a huge problem.

Thaaaank you!

With the shrinking middle class, and the widening wealth gap, we will need a larger safety net. Assuming the wealth gap is going to widen, and the middle class will continue to shrink, which it certainly will. Which brings me back to my original post: how in the hell can any middle class or poor class person with a functioning brain be a tea partier or a Paul Ryan supporter? Its a joke.

 

[kpt018]

Thaaaank you!

With the shrinking middle class, and the widening wealth gap, we will need a larger safety net. Assuming the wealth gap is going to widen, and the middle class will continue to shrink, which it certainly will. Which brings me back to my original post: how in the hell can any middle class or poor class person with a functioning brain be a tea partier or a Paul Ryan supporter? Its a joke.

Yeah, it takes real snake oil salesmen, like Ryan, to pull it off. That and some good ole fashioned misinformation. I mean, given we just got passed the worst recession since the great depression and the recovery is NOT fast enough, it makes no sense (and is even cruel) to cut off the safety net.

 

[Denter]

When looking at the size of budgets for different governmental units, there's really no way to argue otherwise. We don't spend much on anything but defense.

Boy will I have some egg on my face if aliens attack and we don't have functional SCRAM missiles.

You mean out of the discretionary part of the budget, yes?

 

[Satsui Ryu]

And how big does our military have to be until Republicans are satisfied? Do we have to own a force larger than every country on Earth combined before enough is enough?

I find it ironic that the same people who feel the need to blow half our wealth on defense are the same people who hoard guns for the impending invasion by the American military. Why give so much money to a perceived enemy? And clearly this money is going to waste if a bunch of out of shape redness with AR's is all that is needed to defeat the American military.

 

[Bay Area]

Yeah, it takes real snake oil salesmen, like Ryan, to pull it off. That and some good ole fashioned misinformation. I mean, given we just got passed the worst recession since the great depression and the recovery is NOT fast enough, it makes no sense (and is even cruel) to cut off the safety net.

Right. Especially when you factor in the majority on welfare are working families, kids, and the disabled. Shit aint right.

 

[kpt018]

I find it ironic that the same people who feel the need to blow half our wealth on defense are the same people who hoard guns for the impending invasion by the American military. Why give so much money to a perceived enemy? And clearly this money is going to waste if a bunch of out of shape redness with AR's is all that is needed to defeat the American military.

Lol, good point. Pretty inconsistent logic, don't ya say?

 

[UpaLoompa]

You mean out of the discretionary part of the budget, yes?

Of course.

 

[Rhood]

Well, in his defense, once you're in your late 30's and beyond you'll always look awkward in a gym.
This is something that, at 37, I'm coming to terms with.

That's a myth!
Look at Randy Couture or Dan Henderson's muscles.
It's clearly obvious Paul Ryan is severely lacking testosterone.

Also, his dumbbell weights are fake.
The number 40 was painted on it.
Those style of plate stacks are typically engraved with the # of lbs cascading around a circle.
Given the size of the plates displayed in that picture, I'm guessing they are 10 lbs each.

 

[Calmete]

There's nothing anyone can do to make democrats happy. Why even try at this point. They're crazy.

 

[Its Me Austin]

Both parties just exist to stay in power. They both are hugely in favor of welfare; just different kinds of welfare. The only difference between the Republicans and the Democrats is that Republicans want to give $100 million to 10,000 people and the Democrats wants to give $10,000 to 100 million people.

Exactly. The ts actually thinks that democrats are the "good guys" though.