Why do Republicans hate entitlements - except for the rich?

[rdean]

The Republican message about Entitlements is consistent. No matter what the topic, what the media, what the question...the reply is to end Entitlements. When you ask Republicans to explain their vaunted "values", the ultimate effort is to combat Entitlements. Every lie, every sleazy PR tactic, every mile of astroturf, every phony "popular uprising" are simply means justifying the holy Crusade (which often literally involves hoisting the Cross, or other religious symbols). Republicans are demanding their own Entitlement: the entitlement of the rich to channel all resources into maximizing their personal wealth.

MORE: The Alternative to Cutting Entitlements: FUND ENTITLEMENTS

Good question. They won't answer.

 

[Steelplate]

Agreed......

For THIRTY FUCKING YEARS we have been giving the rich tax break after tax break and it has been doing nothing but increasing our deficit and creating class warfare. We've gotten to the point where Warren Buffet pays less percentage than his secretary.

It's time to let the Bush tax cuts EXPIRE.

.

That isn't a true statement.

Reagan cut taxes in 1981, and an economic boom followed.. Then he raised them as part of the 1986 tax reform. A recession followed.
Then Bush-41 raised taxes some more to save the S&L's. The recession got worse
Then Clinton Raised them, but cut Capital gains taxes.
Finally Bush-43 cut them..

The real economic problem is that we've systematically lost our manufacturing. We could go on wild Keynesian spending sprees in the past because from 1916 to 1976, we were an exporter of manufactured goods. We ran trade surpluses.

The entire national debt for our first 200 years in 1976 was less than 600 billion. In short, less than half of any one year of the Obama Adminstration. This was despite spending on two world wars, an interstate highway system, a space program and a cold war buildup of very pricy weapons we never used, thankfully.

Then we started importing more than we exported. It hit a trillion by the end of Jimmy Carter, 3 trillion by the end of Reagan, 5 trillion by the end of Bush-41 and 7 trillion by the end of Clinton. Bush ran it up to 10 trillion, and Obama to 15 trillion- so far.

Both parties are to blame for this. The Democrats are to blame for unreasonable labor rules that keep wages high, and protect union workers who probably ought to be fired. Not to mention ridiculous regulations on environment, labor, safety, etc. The Republicans are to blame because they supported free trade, and didn't keep up with our infrastructure needs.

We need to re-evaluate our goals, and the first thing we need to do is stop taking care of the rest of the world when we aren't taking care of ourselves.

Yeah..... back then, they needed cut... Now we've cut too far and for the past decade it's been killing us. Just because something works once, doesn't mean it's the "new way of doing things".

Your last sentence? I agree with. We do need to stop taking care of the rest of the world... at least until we get our economic shit together. Then when we do start helping take care of the rest of the world, we do it in moderation and demand that the rest of the financially stable countries also contribute.

Republicans believe in Free trade? what is free trade? Explain it to me like a 3rd grader. Because I don't see free trade.. I see rigged trade where we let China and other countries kill us with 10X the tariff rate that we charge them, then demand that we supply them with jobs that take jobs away from us, then demand our intellectual property to be shared with them to boot.

 

[DaGoose]

They're called entitlements because we are entitled to them. We paid for them. Call it insurance if you prefer, but they aren't some giveaway.

You can also look at welfare as an insurance program against crime. When you are out of options and you are facing a hungry child, a parent will do pretty much anything to give that child something to eat...and that includes committing a crime.

We've got a ratio of one job to every five applicants...that's a lot of hungry people.

Thanks for telling it like it is. You could throw public education in there too and how EVERYONE benefits from it. Most of these neo-cons couldn't find a poor person if you drew them a map, let alone know what they go through. Hell, they like to think that people would rather be poor than to have a good job!! So you see what kind of logic we're up against.

And as for entitlements I would bet that we will see everyone of these hypocrites standing in line with their hand out when it's THEIR turn to collect SS.

.

 

[Avorysuds]

They're called entitlements because we are entitled to them. We paid for them. Call it insurance if you prefer, but they aren't some giveaway.

You can also look at welfare as an insurance program against crime. When you are out of options and you are facing a hungry child, a parent will do pretty much anything to give that child something to eat...and that includes committing a crime.

We've got a ratio of one job to every five applicants...that's a lot of hungry people.

Damn! You owned man! Now you just have to show how you will pay for them!

Maybe you can get Obama to end 3 our of the 4 wars he's got going...

 

[Avorysuds]

They're called entitlements because we are entitled to them. We paid for them. Call it insurance if you prefer, but they aren't some giveaway.

You can also look at welfare as an insurance program against crime. When you are out of options and you are facing a hungry child, a parent will do pretty much anything to give that child something to eat...and that includes committing a crime.

We've got a ratio of one job to every five applicants...that's a lot of hungry people.

Thanks for telling it like it is. You could throw public education in there too and how EVERYONE benefits from it. Most of these neo-cons couldn't find a poor person if you drew them a map, let alone know what they go through. Hell, they like to think that people would rather be poor than to have a good job!! So you see what kind of logic we're up against.

And as for entitlements I would bet that we will see everyone of these hypocrites standing in line with their hand out when it's THEIR turn to collect SS.

.

WOoOOoOo! and the proof that these are great programs is the massive deficit and the possible collapse/depression! Great job guys! You must really hate it when that "reality" smacks you in the face lol.

Funny how all of this is going as predicted…

And like I said, don't argue that these programs might be a problem like they are, noOOooo, argue that we need to spend more!!!! We never saw that coming!

 

[Seawytch]

They're called entitlements because we are entitled to them. We paid for them. Call it insurance if you prefer, but they aren't some giveaway.

You can also look at welfare as an insurance program against crime. When you are out of options and you are facing a hungry child, a parent will do pretty much anything to give that child something to eat...and that includes committing a crime.

We've got a ratio of one job to every five applicants...that's a lot of hungry people.

Sure

but they are nothing more than a gov't version of a ponzi scheme
which is where the problems come in

I'm sorry, but that is nothing but a Faux news canard...

Social Security a Ponzi scheme? No way

Ponzi Schemes vs. Social Security - Research Notes & Special Studies by the Historian's Office

The first modern social insurance program began in Germany in 1889 and has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years. The American Social Security system has been in continuous successful operation since 1935. Charles Ponzi's scheme lasted barely 200 days.​

 

[Warrior102]

Righties even seem unable to grasp that $1.00 of unemployment insurance benefits provides a bang for the buck of $1.61—that is, for every $1 in UI benefits, GDP one year later is increased by an estimated $1.61.

http://www.economy.com/mark-zandi/d...e-Committee-Unemployment Insurance-041410.pdf

Gee - I wonder whose sock puppet you are

 

[Neotrotsky]

They're called entitlements because we are entitled to them. We paid for them. Call it insurance if you prefer, but they aren't some giveaway.

You can also look at welfare as an insurance program against crime. When you are out of options and you are facing a hungry child, a parent will do pretty much anything to give that child something to eat...and that includes committing a crime.

We've got a ratio of one job to every five applicants...that's a lot of hungry people.

Sure

but they are nothing more than a gov't version of a ponzi scheme
which is where the problems come in

I'm sorry, but that is nothing but a Faux news canard...

Social Security a Ponzi scheme? No way

Ponzi Schemes vs. Social Security - Research Notes & Special Studies by the Historian's Office

The first modern social insurance program began in Germany in 1889 and has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years. The American Social Security system has been in continuous successful operation since 1935. Charles Ponzi's scheme lasted barely 200 days.​

Reality is hard for some
there are 3 people working for each retired in the system
in 20 or so more years it will be 3 retired for each working
How much should we take from the guy's check
Without major reform
Sorry it is nothing but a ponzi game

The Left also told us that Frannie and Freddie were secure
Can anyone really trust the Left when it comes to finance ?




Three Little Pigs: How Entitlements Will Destroy Us

Politicians like to pretend that you can deal with the debt crisis by eliminating "fraud, waste and abuse." And certainly there is plenty of that. This is, after all, a federal government that is spending $34 million to help Americans learn to be better shoppers, and $4.2 million to conduct "A National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity."

But the sad fact is that such outrages account for only a tiny fraction of federal spending. For example, there has been enormous anger over "earmarks," yet all earmarks together amount to less than 1% of the federal budget. In fact, if you completely eliminated all non-defense discretionary spending — everything from the Department of Education to the FBI, from NASA to the Food and Drug Administration — we would still face a budget deficit this year in excess of $500 billion. Throw in the entire defense budget and we barely break even.

Now add Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and Obama's 2011 budget has a $1.27 trillion deficit. It's the entitlements, stupid.​

 

[Seawytch]

They're called entitlements because we are entitled to them. We paid for them. Call it insurance if you prefer, but they aren't some giveaway.

You can also look at welfare as an insurance program against crime. When you are out of options and you are facing a hungry child, a parent will do pretty much anything to give that child something to eat...and that includes committing a crime.

We've got a ratio of one job to every five applicants...that's a lot of hungry people.

Damn! You owned man! Now you just have to show how you will pay for them!

Maybe you can get Obama to end 3 our of the 4 wars he's got going...

They are ending. Both conflicts will be winding down in the coming months. I've always agreed with the President when he said (roughly) "We must be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in".

Now if there was just something we could do about Medicare Part D which hurt our economy by sending us deeper into debt...what could we do to fix Medicare? Oh, I know...make it the Public Option that Americans were clamoring for (by well over 50%) and put IT on the National Exchange we'd all like to see. How about we also let Medicare negotiate the price of drugs like we do for the VA (and like other countries do)? That's be a big help doncha think?

Now...what can be done to strengthen (not destroy) Social Security? Hmmmm...I know, get rid of that income cap on it!

 

[Big Fitz]

Hey! let's increase GDP by smashing all the windows too! Let's wreck a few cars and blow up a few buildings! That'll REALLY get things rolling! After all, insurance companies pay for that. Oh wait, we're all on unemployment improving the fucking economy!

Take a laxative so you can pull your head out and get a clean breath.

Democratic shills keep posting this uneducated garbage, and then wonder why they can't fix the economy? They wonder why the market crashes every time they open their mouths? They wonder why the S&P is downgrading our debt rating?

Fucking morons don't know supply and demand from their own asscracks.

I understand supply and demand perfectly well. And the reason employers are not hiring is because there simply is not enough demand for their products. Lowering taxes for the wealthy is not going to change that either. We have hit a point where the baby boomers have drastically reduced their spending, for a very basic reason; they're done raising their kids and now they are saving for retirement. For the rest of the middle class, their earnings have stagnated for years, and now they are being squeezed, so they don't have enough to spend other than for the basics. This is why employers are not hiring and why there is so little demand. To make matters worse, we have cut taxes as much as we can, to the point that we can't cut them any more for the middle or low income earners. And as I said, lowering them further for the wealthy won't help either, because that will not create demand for anything. We are in for a long rough ride.

No... they're not 'saving' for retirement anymore. They've been retiring since the 1990's and now the bulk of the generation are retiring. They're now dying off. At my job, it's stunning to see how many ARE retiring. In other industries they're facing a real problem of good employees leaving because they're either leaving early in an effort to escape with good retirement still in hand, OR they're being moved out early. But this means they no longer have these good skilled and experienced employees, and they can't be found in the US any more because so many jobs were held by them and the following 2 generations are no where near the size and capable of filling their shoes. Illegal immigrants can't cut it. Foreign visas won't stay long. They don't know what to do about it, and how it's going to fit with the depression we're in as well.

 

[Seawytch]

Sure

but they are nothing more than a gov't version of a ponzi scheme
which is where the problems come in

I'm sorry, but that is nothing but a Faux news canard...

Social Security a Ponzi scheme? No way

Ponzi Schemes vs. Social Security - Research Notes & Special Studies by the Historian's Office

The first modern social insurance program began in Germany in 1889 and has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years. The American Social Security system has been in continuous successful operation since 1935. Charles Ponzi's scheme lasted barely 200 days.​

Reality is hard for some
there are 3 people working for each retired in the system
in 20 or so more years it will be 3 retired for each working
How much should we take from the guy's check
Without major reform
Sorry it is nothing but a ponzi game

The Left also told us that Frannie and Freddie were secure
Can anyone really trust the Left when it comes to finance ?




Three Little Pigs: How Entitlements Will Destroy Us

Politicians like to pretend that you can deal with the debt crisis by eliminating "fraud, waste and abuse." And certainly there is plenty of that. This is, after all, a federal government that is spending $34 million to help Americans learn to be better shoppers, and $4.2 million to conduct "A National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity."

But the sad fact is that such outrages account for only a tiny fraction of federal spending. For example, there has been enormous anger over "earmarks," yet all earmarks together amount to less than 1% of the federal budget. In fact, if you completely eliminated all non-defense discretionary spending — everything from the Department of Education to the FBI, from NASA to the Food and Drug Administration — we would still face a budget deficit this year in excess of $500 billion. Throw in the entire defense budget and we barely break even.

Now add Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and Obama's 2011 budget has a $1.27 trillion deficit. It's the entitlements, stupid.​

That doesn't make it a Ponzi scheme. It can be FIXED without being destroyed (which has, seemingly, been the Republican goal for years). Remove the income cap.

Know what will also help? Getting more people working.

 

[Big Fitz]

Democratic shills keep posting this uneducated garbage, and then wonder why they can't fix the economy? They wonder why the market crashes every time they open their mouths? They wonder why the S&P is downgrading our debt rating?

Fucking morons don't know supply and demand from their own asscracks.

I understand supply and demand perfectly well. And the reason employers are not hiring is because there simply is not enough demand for their products. Lowering taxes for the wealthy is not going to change that either. We have hit a point where the baby boomers have drastically reduced their spending, for a very basic reason; they're done raising their kids and now they are saving for retirement. For the rest of the middle class, their earnings have stagnated for years, and now they are being squeezed, so they don't have enough to spend other than for the basics. This is why employers are not hiring and why there is so little demand. To make matters worse, we have cut taxes as much as we can, to the point that we can't cut them any more for the middle or low income earners. And as I said, lowering them further for the wealthy won't help either, because that will not create demand for anything. We are in for a long rough ride.

Agreed......

For THIRTY FUCKING YEARS we have been giving the rich tax break after tax break and it has been doing nothing but increasing our deficit and creating class warfare. We've gotten to the point where Warren Buffet pays less percentage than his secretary.

It's time to let the Bush tax cuts EXPIRE.

.

Oh lord. Another "All evil can be traced to Reagan" liar.

The Great Society and New Deal have failed. It's time to cut them loose.

We don't have a revenue problem, we have a two headed issue of a spending problem AND deadbeat problem. Too many deadbeats demanding someone else pay for their life's ambitions, and too many politicians giving it to them.

I'd like to see a SINGLE lib get behind cutting ALL entitlements for ALL incomes and ALL businesses.

You willing to butch up and agree to that? No more corporate subsidies, no more tax breaks for any tax bracket (them poor's gonna pay THEIR share too then), no more welfare, no more social security, no more medicare, no more medicaid...

and all that money, returned to the people to spend as they see fit.

You willing to get behind such a plan? We all share in the sacrifice.

 

[Big Fitz]

I'm sorry, but that is nothing but a Faux news canard...

Social Security a Ponzi scheme? No way

Ponzi Schemes vs. Social Security - Research Notes & Special Studies by the Historian's Office

The first modern social insurance program began in Germany in 1889 and has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years. The American Social Security system has been in continuous successful operation since 1935. Charles Ponzi's scheme lasted barely 200 days.​

Reality is hard for some
there are 3 people working for each retired in the system
in 20 or so more years it will be 3 retired for each working
How much should we take from the guy's check
Without major reform
Sorry it is nothing but a ponzi game

The Left also told us that Frannie and Freddie were secure
Can anyone really trust the Left when it comes to finance ?




Three Little Pigs: How Entitlements Will Destroy Us

Politicians like to pretend that you can deal with the debt crisis by eliminating "fraud, waste and abuse." And certainly there is plenty of that. This is, after all, a federal government that is spending $34 million to help Americans learn to be better shoppers, and $4.2 million to conduct "A National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity."

But the sad fact is that such outrages account for only a tiny fraction of federal spending. For example, there has been enormous anger over "earmarks," yet all earmarks together amount to less than 1% of the federal budget. In fact, if you completely eliminated all non-defense discretionary spending — everything from the Department of Education to the FBI, from NASA to the Food and Drug Administration — we would still face a budget deficit this year in excess of $500 billion. Throw in the entire defense budget and we barely break even.

Now add Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and Obama's 2011 budget has a $1.27 trillion deficit. It's the entitlements, stupid.​

That doesn't make it a Ponzi scheme. It can be FIXED without being destroyed (which has, seemingly, been the Republican goal for years). Remove the income cap.

Know what will also help? Getting more people working.

Fix SS? Sure. Follow the Ryan Plan and begin privatization.

 

[Neotrotsky]

The money is invested in nothing but IOU's from the gov't


With our current downgrade, this might not be the best "investment"

 

[Big Fitz]

There is way more entitlements for the poor, ie welfare, wic, free education . Section 8 houses , food stamps.. That is just to name a few and the Rich earned their money others are just given to them. I am neither Rich or Poor. I a smack dab in the middle. Hubby worked his butt off 25 years in the navy and now is working his butt after navy retirement. Could we live on his retirement alone mostly likely yes but we do not want to live pay check to pay check plus we want to put our kids through college with our student loans. We do not qualify for any grants ( make to much) I would love to see my kids come out of college without owing anything to anyone but them selves.!! And last but not least MOST(not) all have earned every penny they earned !!

And I'll bet you also pay your "fair share" of taxes.........

.

I bet you don't. With that nice of a bike in your avi, I bet you're cheating on your taxes somewhere. Obviously you aren't taxed enough because you don't need such a luxury.

 

[Big Fitz]

The money is invested in nothing but IOU's from the gov't


With our current downgrade, this might not be the best "investment"

Ah HAH! Our treasuries have been downgraded, but not our IOUs! LOL... We've improved the economy by being downgraded!

 

[Big Fitz]

OMG. the DAILYKOS.

And guess what it's about, the rich the rich the rich the rich the rich the rich..

They should go ask all their friggen RICH representatives WHAT the hell is up with ALL YOUR RICHES..

But they won't, they will just piss and moan and play the CLASS warfare games and continue to say the Republican have a war(how nice choice of words there eh?) the working people..... because THAT IS ALL THEY GOT folks.

What the fuck don't you self righteous liberals get. US WORKING PEOPLE who PAY ALL THE TAXES are BROKE. we can't fund all your favorite class warfare games (entitlement) anymore. you all can go to hell

Maybe you should be a liberal then... The working people ARE broke... but the really wealthy in this country... No, I am not talking about your $300k-$1M/year people... but the truly wealthy are making money hand over fist. Maybe you should ask them why you are being overly burdened and broke while they keep expanding their wealth exponentially.

Furthermore... while you are asking them that, perhaps you should ask them why they refuse to invest in this country and it's people. It's kind of funny how up until Reagan, entitlements weren't a problem and were an accepted and lauded part of our society. After Reagan.... when Big Business started taking over the country, it has become the bane of society. Did you ever think... just once... clear your mind of the Conservative mantra that you have so ingrained in your head... okay... ready(probably not)?

Did you ever think that they want Medicare and Social Security dissolved so that Wall Street and private insurance companies can get their hands on that money too? The whole point of Social Security and Medicare is specifically NOT to have it be "for profit" and subject it to the risk taking of Wall Street and the cost cutting and Cold Blooded actuarial processes of Insurance Companies.

That is OUR money that has been specifically taken from our paychecks to provide those benefits to us. I don't want a middleman sucking a part of that money away, and I certainly don't want to have my Social Security subject to the next time Wall Street fucks up.

So declare investments income and try to tax that at 90%. You won't have a rich person left in this nation inside of 6 months.

What will you do then? Hunt them down and drag them back to pay taxes and force them to earn in this nation?

Well seig heil to you to, sport.

 

[Big Fitz]

And I'll bet you also pay your "fair share" of taxes.........

.

You really are a nasty piece of shit.

And I'll bet you also pay your "fair share" of taxes.........

.

And i'll bet you wear HD branded motor clothes made in china while trying to live a lifestyle
invented in hollywood cruising down hill and dale on sunny summer sundays with open
headers disturbing everyones peace and quiet while you parade around with a group that
appears to be heading for a village persons reunion not knowing your suspension and
induction sytems are made in Japan and when you factor where chrome comes from your
hardlies could really be considered Japanese-african-aMerican motor cycles imho.

TRANSLATED: We don't have any intelligent responses so we'll throw out some personal insults and admit defeat.

.

Pointing out your blatant hypocrisy is not admitting defeat. Ignoring (or remaining oblivious to) your hypocrisy is just funnier still.

 

[Big Fitz]

The Republican message about Entitlements is consistent. No matter what the topic, what the media, what the question...the reply is to end Entitlements. When you ask Republicans to explain their vaunted "values", the ultimate effort is to combat Entitlements. Every lie, every sleazy PR tactic, every mile of astroturf, every phony "popular uprising" are simply means justifying the holy Crusade (which often literally involves hoisting the Cross, or other religious symbols). Republicans are demanding their own Entitlement: the entitlement of the rich to channel all resources into maximizing their personal wealth.

MORE: The Alternative to Cutting Entitlements: FUND ENTITLEMENTS

Good question. They won't answer.

I'm all for ending ALL entitlements.

You gonna step up to the plate on that one, Hairnet?

 

[Seawytch]

Reality is hard for some
there are 3 people working for each retired in the system
in 20 or so more years it will be 3 retired for each working
How much should we take from the guy's check
Without major reform
Sorry it is nothing but a ponzi game

The Left also told us that Frannie and Freddie were secure
Can anyone really trust the Left when it comes to finance ?




Three Little Pigs: How Entitlements Will Destroy Us

Politicians like to pretend that you can deal with the debt crisis by eliminating "fraud, waste and abuse." And certainly there is plenty of that. This is, after all, a federal government that is spending $34 million to help Americans learn to be better shoppers, and $4.2 million to conduct "A National Conversation on Pluralism and Identity."

But the sad fact is that such outrages account for only a tiny fraction of federal spending. For example, there has been enormous anger over "earmarks," yet all earmarks together amount to less than 1% of the federal budget. In fact, if you completely eliminated all non-defense discretionary spending — everything from the Department of Education to the FBI, from NASA to the Food and Drug Administration — we would still face a budget deficit this year in excess of $500 billion. Throw in the entire defense budget and we barely break even.

Now add Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and Obama's 2011 budget has a $1.27 trillion deficit. It's the entitlements, stupid.​

That doesn't make it a Ponzi scheme. It can be FIXED without being destroyed (which has, seemingly, been the Republican goal for years). Remove the income cap.

Know what will also help? Getting more people working.

Fix SS? Sure. Follow the Ryan Plan and begin privatization.

Perfect example of destroy not fix. Ryan's "Cat Food for Grandma" plan...brilliant.

That would have worked out well if Bush had been successful in privatizing SS during his Presidency (when he tanked the economy) wouldn't it?

The first "entitlements" to be cut should be the ones to corporations that are making a profit...not to the things Americans are actually entitled to...like the SS they've been paying into all their lives.

"Entitlements" like tax breaks for actually moving jobs overseas.

Republicans block ending offshore jobs tax breaks

Shipping Jobs Overseas: How the Tax Code Subsidizes Foreign Investment and How to Fix It

Before we look to the least among us that will be most hurt by cutting their social safety nets, let's look to those that won't be hurt in the least by making them pay their taxes...

Tax Time? Not for Giant Corporations