Three Central Premises

[Burning Giraffe]

This post will be short and sweet. We must make the issues facing this nation as clear as possible. Here are a few things we must all learn to agree on if we want to move forward stronger than we are today.

1. Debt is bad. All the capital we spend on interest is capital we could be spending on investment. We must be actively reducing our debt at the same time that we are actively paying off debt previously accrued.

2. The Federal Government cannot provide American citizens with a higher quality of life without bankrupting the engine that produces wealth. If entitlement programs are seen by the American People as a necessary safety net, then we must require the federal government to run entitlement programs for that purpose and nothing besides. Entitlement programs must be a temporary safety net aimed at cushioning initial economic blows and allowing people to quickly return themselves to the work force. Our President and our Legislature ought to be praised or denigrated on their ability to run Entitlement Programs with the objective of the highest turnover rate possible. This means, that an effectively run Welfare Program would average three to six months of assistance before the individual is back to work. An ineffectively run Welfare Program would be one that averages anything over six months. Quickly returning Americans to the work force, not providing quality of life, ought to be the purpose and mandate of America's Entitlement programs.

3. No centrally planned economy has ever succeeded. The insecurity of a market controlled economy will always provide greater prosperity than the perceived security of a government regulated and centrally planned economy.

If we can all agree to these three premises, I believe we can recover from this ridiculous mess we've all gotten ourselves into.

 

[Geo Patric]

1. Debt is bad.

no, it is not. if it were, we, as a responsible people, would outlaw it. In fact, capitalism depends on debt. it would not work without it.

All the capital we spend on interest is capital

is paid using dollars of less value than that used to establish the principal. again, a central premise of capital gain.

we could be spending on investment.

"we" who, round eye? we are spending on investment. the monies spent by the federal government are invested in the interests of the people who put them there to do just that. Whether they are successful or 'prudent' investments is a matter for debate. that they are investments is not.

We must be actively reducing our debt at the same time that we are actively paying off debt previously accrued.

emm.... and we have to start mopping up the water at the same time we clean up the spill? the sentence is circular... "reducing the debt" and "paying off the debt" mean precisely the same thing.

which is not to say that it is not a good idea to do it.

2. The Federal Government cannot provide American citizens with a higher quality of life without bankrupting the engine that produces wealth.

yes, we can. we have been for more than 60 years, republican admins, who spend more on unfruitful investments, create MORE debt and greater deficits, aside.

If entitlement programs are seen by the American People as a necessary safety net, then we must require the federal government to run entitlement programs for that purpose and nothing besides. Entitlement programs must be a temporary safety net aimed at cushioning initial economic blows and allowing people to quickly return themselves to the work force.

lemme summarize that... "blah... blah... blah...". repetition of frightened conservatives. empty, for the most part.

3. No centrally planned economy has ever succeeded.

first, that is nonsense. second, if you think we have a centrally planned economy" (clever how you snuck the accusation that "Obama is Commie" in there... way slick!"), kindly demonstrate how it differs from prior "economies".

The insecurity of a market controlled economy will always provide greater prosperity than the perceived security of a government regulated and centrally planned economy.

!!! love that! debt is bad... insecurity is good! You trust those who generate revenue to benefit themselves more than those who generate revenue for the benefit of the public as an explicit responsibility to the public and as a result of a demand (via democratic election) BY the public. ok. i do not.

If we can all agree to these three premises,

we cannot some of us are rational