President Bush's Mess

[traderx]

This country will never endorse the likes of Ron Paul. A majority are addicted to the concept of something from nothing. Paul's beliefs stand in stark contrast to that. He could have been elected easily in the eighteen hundreds or even the first two decades of the twentieth, but not today.

You are right. It would take something on the order of a revolution for real change and that is not going to happen until those who have money taken from them to give to others decide they are not going to take it anymore. I think we are a long ways off from that. If we have more and more taxes levied on the "haves" combined with asset erosion, we will prolly get there but that seems to be a long ways off.

Boomers are in their 40's to 60's and when you consider that the 50's are peak earnings years, who is going to foot the bill as boomers retire? I believe many boomers will opt to retire early and look to the government for assistance. Sooner or later, the weight of deficit spending and debt has got to collapse under its own weight. Who knows what will emerge from the mess? Maybe then we can have a government that truly responds to the will of the voters. Maybe not.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Boomers are in their 40's to 60's and when you consider that the 50's are peak earnings years, who is going to foot the bill as boomers retire? I believe many boomers will opt to retire early and look to the government for assistance. Sooner or later, the weight of deficit spending and debt has got to collapse under its own weight. Who knows what will emerge from the mess? Maybe then we can have a government that truly responds to the will of the voters. Maybe not.

Perhaps. But most of the research I've read indicates that so-called boomers are either chosing or being forced to work longer...not retire early. Do you see information that indicates something different?

 

[traderx]

Perhaps. But most of the research I've read indicates that so-called boomers are either chosing or being forced to work longer...not retire early. Do you see information that indicates something different?

My prediction is based on worsening conditions. If a baby boomer couple has half a million investment in a home now worth $300k and stocks worth $500k that used to be worth double that and the government wants more than half their income but also offers a safety net, that couple may opt for the net. I am guessing that would take a top federal tax rate of greater than 50% and maybe some new and inventive tax programs, like taxing your home, an idea Bill Clinton flirted with.

 

[Winnie]

Well, that's fine with me if you disagree. You asked, and I gave you my opinion.

I do hold him responsible for his reactions and actions to what has happened in the world. There has been IMO an almost-total lack of leadership from him--and, in his own words he is "The Decider".

I'm just saying that the results of his decisions leave a lot to be desired and are much less than what I expected from the president of the country.

And it is fine with me also that we disagree. I meant no offense. I really appreciate your input.

I see on this board, over and over, people say that Obama will have to deal with this "mess" left by Bush. I want to understand what this refers to. I see no mess left by Bush. I don't mean to judge. It is fine with me that some believe our country is messing up and needs to right itself. I really just want to understand those views different than mine.

I apoligize if you feel I was inferring your opinion is less valid than mine own. I don't feel that way.

 

[Mango]

You are right. It would take something on the order of a revolution for real change and that is not going to happen until those who have money taken from them to give to others decide they are not going to take it anymore. I think we are a long ways off from that. If we have more and more taxes levied on the "haves" combined with asset erosion, we will prolly get there but that seems to be a long ways off.

I disagree. The revolution has started already via grassroots efforts that Obama has awoken in us. Isn't that the seed of any revolution? We will, going forward, hold our politicians more accountable for their spending and their actions.

As far as Bush is concerned, most already posted his negatives. The veil of secrecy around his administration, the unchecked power of the executive privileges, lying to the public about WMD..... the list goes on.......and all I have to say is goodriddens.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Send him back here and he can mess with Texas once again.

 

[Mango]

Send him back here and he can mess with Texas once again.

You have my condolences.

Maybe, they should have him move into Gitmo for a while while his furniture and belongings are being transported to Texas.

 

[Winnie]

I disagree. The revolution has started already via grassroots efforts that Obama has awoken in us. Isn't that the seed of any revolution? We will, going forward, hold our politicians more accountable for their spending and their actions.

As far as Bush is concerned, most already posted his negatives. The veil of secrecy around his administration, the unchecked power of the executive privileges, lying to the public about WMD..... the list goes on.......and all I have to say is goodriddens.

I have been noticing more of this already. I feel great hope that Obama will be able to deliver on transparency and bipartisanship. Nancy Pelosi, not so much. I'm an optimist. I think Obama can triumph over Pelosi.

Your second paragraph...we disagree.

 

[traderx]

I disagree. The revolution has started already via grassroots efforts that Obama has awoken in us. Isn't that the seed of any revolution? We will, going forward, hold our politicians more accountable for their spending and their actions.

As far as Bush is concerned, most already posted his negatives. The veil of secrecy around his administration, the unchecked power of the executive privileges, lying to the public about WMD..... the list goes on.......and all I have to say is goodriddens.

I see the election of Obama as voter backlash and not an act of revolution. To have a revolution, we need some desparate folks en masse.

You say that we will hold our politicans more accountable? Obama subscribes to a body of economic theory that favors deficit spending and big government as the solution. The reaction to Obama's proposed massive spending programs even though we already have a budget deficit of over a trillion dollars and debt equal to a year's worth of GDP? Go Obama!

If home prices continue to recede and taxes on the haves continue to rise and government gets creative if and when it realizes that deficit spending did not work, let's revisit and compare notes.

 

[30ashopper]

You are right. It would take something on the order of a revolution for real change and that is not going to happen until those who have money taken from them to give to others decide they are not going to take it anymore. I think we are a long ways off from that. If we have more and more taxes levied on the "haves" combined with asset erosion, we will prolly get there but that seems to be a long ways off.

The ?haves? don?t revolt, they just leave. That's the classic 'brain drain' problem European countries have been dealing with for decades. Historically those interested in achieving something more than mediocrity left for the states and other countries with lower taxation, leaving behind a welfare state in dire fiscal straights. This is also the reason why social democracies in Europe have such restrictive immigration policy - you have to keep the folks who are just looking to leach off the system out of the country. You can see the beginnings of this phenomenon in California today.