Fiscally Conservative: Federal Deficit Balooned by 77%

[lopri]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...01ffb5bd5e6_story.html?utm_term=.f4f4252ec111

I am out of words. I remember tedious back and forth between Obama administration and the Congress to negotiate budget, while the GOP screaming "deficit," and "debt," every step of the way. Now that they have power, we are treated with a crazy level of deficit increase. Massive tax cuts for the corporations and the wealthy, massive spending for the military (except for the LGBT personnel), massive cuts on domestic spending (except for Medicare, gotta keep "your government hands off my medicare!" crowd happy), and of course the massive waste of Wall construction now being pursued under the pretense of "National Emergency."

 

[sandorski]

They'll scream Deficit and Debt again. Once a Dem takes the Office.

 

[DrDoug]

It's been long known to those outside of the conservative bubble that conservative politicians love to spend money and cut revenue at the same time. I think they do it in hopes of loading up on the debt so much that Democrats are forced into entitlement cuts. Conservatives bitch about "tax and spend Democrats" while they are all about cutting taxes on the wealthy and businesses while increasing spending on the worthy conservative parts of government that they approve of. It's like someone voluntarily taking a pay cut and then going out and getting a bunch of loans to make up the difference.

I'm sure that conservatives will have a good explanation why Obama and the Democrats let this happen. Much like Mitch McConnell blaming the election fraud in North Carolina on Democrats for blocking action on voter fraud; one has nothing to do with the other but it makes sense to conservatives because it blames Democrats.

Their constituents are too fucking busy being too fucking stupid to do anything but the same thing, over and over: Vote Republican and blame Democrats for the problems it causes.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Just remember this happened during a period of solid economic growth and not during a fiscal crisis that threatened the globe.

Republicans are NOT fiscally conservative

 

[greatnoob]

Quoting myself but this is more generally what conservative administrations want happening:

Consider the implications of this:

0. Republicans give permanent tax cuts for higher quintile income earners and a few (temporary) breadcrumbs to the middle income earners
1. Dems of course knew what these tax cuts did (tansferred wealth to the upper quintile income earners) and opposed it
2. Tax cuts passed in bill, budget explodes. Economically and financially illiterate Republicans (vast majority of them save for the top 1%) are happy to get their nominal $10 (or $2000 if you weren’t a peasant) per week
3. Republicans get voted out, Dems are in power.
4. In order to fund their policies for SS, healthcare and other social services, they need to budget and forecast a projection of costs + expected tax revenue for x number of years. Since the deficit exploded there is no way to responsibly fund these policies

4.a) either Dems repeal the tax cuts (and then increase taxes alongside it), resulting with Republicans starting their gaslighting campaign: “the Dems are going to increase taxes and look they can’t even get their policies funded. We have you the tax cuts and now they’re taking it away from you” missing of course the reasoning behind the tax increases — reckless spending from Republicans at a time when they should have been saving. Or,

4.b) The Dems can’t fund their policies knowing the outcome of increasing taxes and how the Republicans will use it as their usual propaganda talking points. Lose-lose.

5. Republicans can blame the Democrats for their own doings and their economically and financially illiterate constituents will swallow it like the morons they are, not bothering thinking about the cause and effect of what has happened.
6. Republicans in power and now SS, etc. can be cut without backlash from their moronic, low income constituents because they’ve peddled the lie that this was the “Dems fault all along”. Again nobody can see the cause and effect because of their goldfish memory.

This is how they’ll starve the beast

 

[DrDoug]

The worst part for Democrats is that after Republicans jack up the debt while they control the government, once they are out of power for fucking things up the Republicans demonize Democrats if they consider raising taxes to undo the damage. Americans are pissed about the mess we are in but the last thing they want to do is pay to clean it up.

IMO if Democrats want to raise taxes and not have the masses pissed off about it, they need to hit the wealthy fucks. Hard. Workers across the spectrum are underpaid for the work produced, from the lowest to the highest. Their pay is being sacrificed in the name of executive pay and big shareholder dividends. While big dividends sound great for those who own stocks, people need to understand that most stocks are held by the those at the top and thus, most of those dividends are also going to the top. Big business and the politicians they have bought off have royally fucked up this country (and other parts of the world), all in order to suck up the vast majority of the wealth for themselves. The best part for the wealthy is that Republican politicians and their mouthpieces in the media have successfully diverted their voters from being pissed about being screwed over in compensation by training them to instead hate on Democrats and blame them for all of their problems.

They eat cake and we fight among ourselves for the scraps they let us have.

 

[Bitek]

They'll scream Deficit and Debt again. Once a Dem takes the Office.

As sure as the sun rises in the East.

 

[Bitek]

Quoting myself but this is more generally what conservative administrations want happening:

Yep. That's why I think Ds have to be careful taking the bait of just talking about raising taxes and debt worries. It's obvious the public doesn't actually care that much else they wouldn't vote R.

Instead I think they have to act as if we are going to spend into debt regardless, and focus energy on giving tax cuts more aimed at the lower and middle class at the expense of the wealthy.

Basically do a real middle class tax cut and partially fund it through taxes on the rich. Use the R's mantra of tax cuts against them, but aim it at the people that need it.

In the meantime also focus on strengthening benefit programs. Force the Rs to preach austerity and cuts, or taking from the avg viewer to give to rich.

We're in a debt fueled policy arms race. Rs will never give up deficit spending to pay back donors until we have a crisis. Ds might as well use the money for better things first.

 

[UNCjigga]

What’s hilarious is how they blew up the deficit and have done zilch for infrastructure.

 

[ch33zw1z]

What’s hilarious is how they blew up the deficit and have done zilch for infrastructure.

Can you name any legislation that Trump campaigned on that's been enacted besides handing a pile of money to people with a pile of money, and the middle class paying for it?

 

[DarthKyrie]

They'll scream Deficit and Debt again. Once a Dem takes the Office.

The Demonrats are always to blame, it doesn't matter if the Republicans are the ones that enacted the policies.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

In his defense at least he managed to fix the trade gap...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/december-2018-trade-data-from-u-s-commerce-department-11551877494

WASHINGTON—The U.S. posted its widest monthly trade gap since 2008 in December and a record annual deficit in goods as sturdy economic growth underpinned higher spending by American consumers and businesses.

The international trade deficit in goods and services rose 19% in December from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted $59.8 billion, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a $57.3 billion gap.

Woohoo largest trade gap EVER!

 

[ivwshane]

In his defense at least he managed to fix the trade gap...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/december-2018-trade-data-from-u-s-commerce-department-11551877494



Woohoo largest trade gap EVER!

You haven't heard? Trade deficits are good now!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Just remember this happened during a period of solid economic growth and not during a fiscal crisis that threatened the globe.

Republicans are NOT fiscally conservative

They are the classic troupe “Welfare Queens” spend, spend, spend, never save, never prepare for a downturn and many come from States that take far more Federal money than they generate.

 

[Thebobo]

In his defense at least he managed to fix the trade gap...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/december-2018-trade-data-from-u-s-commerce-department-11551877494



Woohoo largest trade gap EVER!

We are G-R-E-A-T!

 

[DarthKyrie]

We are G-R-E-A-T!

MAGA Turnip 2020!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hal2kilo]

They'll scream Deficit and Debt again. Once a Dem takes the Office.

They are already screaming about their self created increase in deficit so that they can cut Medicare and Social Security. Oh, and that's been the plan all along.

 

[senseamp]

Democrats need to toughen up. Gut the filibuster and pass Medicare for all. Raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.

 

[ivwshane]

Democrats need to toughen up. Gut the filibuster and pass Medicare for all. Raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.

And cut military spending (by half sounds good).

 

[thilanliyan]

And cut military spending (by half sounds good).

That's unpatriotic.

 

[ivwshane]

That's unpatriotic.

I'd argue that a standing army is unpatriotic

 

[DarthKyrie]

I'd argue that a standing army is unpatriotic

There is a reason the Constitution only authorizes a Standing Navy and The Militia.

 

[woolfe9998]

Add Trump. Except worse.

Republican "fiscal conservation" is a farce.

 

[ivwshane]

View attachment 3947

Add Trump. Except worse.

Republican "fiscal conservation" is a farce.

Conservatism is a farce

 

[VRAMdemon]

Trump supporters