CBS Poll: 91% Approve, 9% Disapprove of State of the Union Speech

[Foxfyre]

Nice diversion and non sequitur G.T. There are other threads to debate social issues and/or whether it is the federal government's responsibility to feed the hungry, etc. Also how well we can do that if we are bankrupt and the economy collapses completely.

Let's try this again.

I have your credit card and am maxing it out and generating huge over limit penalities as well as huge debts for you. And I continue to do that while looking deeply into your eyes and saying with all the sincerity I can muster, "I am concerned that you are spending too much money."

How sincere would you believe that I was?

The real world doesn't work like that.

NYS, for example is in Debt.

If they cut ALL spending.

The guy who collects tolls on the highways, presumably more than his pay, cannot work. (do you think he'll work for free?)

Their "spending cut," in this case, costs them more.

That's what I meant.

It sounds nice to compare it to a real life person with a credit card, but it's not.

It sounds nice to say "we're not going to spend a single dime!" and expect that that somehow solves the Debt, it doesn't. The cuts have to be strategic, and we still need to invest where said investment would yield future GAIN, thus more debt reduction.

I like how you think it's just as simple as turning off a light switch. It's not. Try reality.

Even the mighty U.S.A. cannot sustain 1.5 trillion dollar deficits year after year and not collapse the economy. That is precise what the President proposed, however, even as he gloriously pronounced he would cut the deficit in half in the next two years. You cannot freeze spending at the current level, especially in a shaky economy, and expect to cut the deficit much at all, much less in half.

And news flash--cutting the deficit in half would still leave $750 BILLION deficits as far as the eye can see and that also is not sustainable.

 

[Stephanie]

Well hell, why didn't they just go on and make 110% approve..It is a CBS poll afterall..

good grief, like this is soooooooooooo IMPROTANT.

 

[G.T.]

Nice diversion and non sequitur G.T. There are other threads to debate social issues and/or whether it is the federal government's responsibility to feed the hungry, etc. Also how well we can do that if we are bankrupt and the economy collapses completely.

Let's try this again.

I have your credit card and am maxing it out and generating huge over limit penalities as well as huge debts for you. And I continue to do that while looking deeply into your eyes and saying with all the sincerity I can muster, "I am concerned that you are spending too much money."

How sincere would you believe that I was?

The real world doesn't work like that.

NYS, for example is in Debt.

If they cut ALL spending.

The guy who collects tolls on the highways, presumably more than his pay, cannot work. (do you think he'll work for free?)

Their "spending cut," in this case, costs them more.

That's what I meant.

It sounds nice to compare it to a real life person with a credit card, but it's not.

It sounds nice to say "we're not going to spend a single dime!" and expect that that somehow solves the Debt, it doesn't. The cuts have to be strategic, and we still need to invest where said investment would yield future GAIN, thus more debt reduction.

I like how you think it's just as simple as turning off a light switch. It's not. Try reality.

Even the mighty U.S.A. cannot sustain 1.5 trillion dollar deficits year after year and not collapse the economy. That is precise what the President proposed, however, even as he gloriously pronounced he would cut the deficit in half in the next two years. You cannot freeze spending at the current level, especially in a shaky economy, and expect to cut the deficit much at all, much less in half.

And news flash--cutting the deficit in half would still leave $750 BILLION deficits as far as the eye can see and that also is not sustainable.

No shit to all of this, except not spending a dime still doesn't work as a fix.

 

[G.T.]

Well hell, why didn't they just go on and make 110% approve..

good grief, like this is soooooooooooo IMPROTANT.

it's not all that improtant

 

[Foxfyre]

No shit to all of this, except not spending a dime still doesn't work as a fix.

But not spending a dime that we don't absolutely HAVE to spend would be a fix.

Announcing that every unspent dime of the stimulus and TARP monies would be returned to the national treasury and would be untouchable would be a real beginning for a fix.

Announcing that the CBO now reports hundreds of billions of new deficits are built into the healthcare overhaul and the President will support the GOP in repealing that and starting over with a revenue neutral plan would be a wonderful blast of fresh air.

Announcing that once the economy is back on an even track and the budget is balanced and the debt is being paid down, THEN here is what I want to happen. . . . would be a really good start. . ..

Announcing that federal government entitlements are not sustainable and we have to start rolling them back now with the ultimate goal of returning them to the states or private sector would have acknowledged the real problem.

Announcing that the federal government and unions would no longer be working together and we will push for right to work laws at all levels, federal, state, local governments and private sector would have been a real stride toward real reform.

Giving every American 100% assurance they will be taken care of no matter what choices they make or what circumstances befall them would be wonderful. But we can't do that.

We can give them a climate in which they are limited only by their willingness to do what all honorable people do to achieve prosperity.

We can't give them anything with a bankrupt country.