What was once unthinkable has now become commonplace and ignored as unimportant. It's like the use of the "f" word. It was once considered vulgar and profane, but is now just another adjective.


In February, under what was current law at the time, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected (https://www.crfb.org/papers/analysis-cbos-february-2021-budget-and-economic-outlook) the budget deficit would total $2.3 trillion in 2021, $1.1 trillion in 2022, and $1.9 trillion in 2031. Incorporating the direct effects of the American Rescue Plan Act, we project the deficit will now total $3.4 trillion this year – higher than last year’s record $3.1 trillion (https://www.crfb.org/blogs/closer-look-record-3-1-trillion-deficit-fy-2020) – and $1.6 trillion in 2022.

I wonder how we intend to rescue ourselves from bottomless debt produced by the American Rescue Plan Act?

https://www.crfb.org/blogs/new-budget-projections-show-record-deficits-and-debt

The pandemic has left all countries in the same huge debt hole of varying degrees, being the largest economy just means USA has the deepest debt hole to dig out of.
There's more structural and underlying problems than a single piece of legislation.

The explosive growth of our national debt far, far preceded the covid crisis. Mr. Obama, for instance, doubled the national debt in only eight years. Trump did little better.

Even worse, many European countries, and Japan as well, are in far worse shape than we are when comparing national debt to GDP. It's a worldwide problem caused by the childish idea that just because we want something, we should be able to get it.

https://factsmaps.com/30-countries-highest-lowest-debt-gdp-ratio/

First I will address the folly of the government's various interventions in controlling the pandemic .

Today Clueless Joe met with the nation's governors . He said before the meeting

“There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level.”

In other words ;he punted .

This would be the same person who during the campaign said over a thousand times that"I will shut down the virus."
If he held himself to the same standards he was spewing during last year's campaign, then he should consider himself to be a cold blooded killer .

“Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation. He’s failed to protect us. He’s failed to protect America. And my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable.”

“We’re eight months into this pandemic,”and Donald Trump still doesn’t have a plan to get this virus under control, I do.”

More Americans have died from covid this year than last even though we have had the vaccine for the whole year. Maybe now he and the rest of the world will do their mea culpa's and admit that the attacks on Trump's management of the pandemic were grossly unfair . While he is at it ,he and the rest of the Dems and their compliant press can send mea culpa's to Republican governors who took a less activist role and who did not succumb to the temptation of subjecting their constituents to oppressive dictatorial mandates .

Now maybe we can end the nativity of believing that vaccines are manna from man made gods ;and get on with emphasizing preventive health and theraputic treatments .......to take steps to protect the most vulnerable as best we can ,and let the rest of us live our lives .

The trajectory of frivolous (there's an 'f ' word we can use ) spending of borrowed money predates the pandemic. The spiraling out of control deficit contributes to a national debt that well exceeds the GDP . (134%of GDP) Yes the pandemic spending moved the goal posts quite a bit , What the pandemic has become is a progressive's wet dream ; a justification to create as many nanny state gimmees as they can get away with .

Meanwhile this is the headline from the local paper from the state I liberated myself from..... NY ;where some of the most oppressive mandates still exist .

New York COVID cases surge 97% as omicron wave grows. Here's where (lohud.com) (https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2021/12/27/covid-19-new-york-numbers/49575823/)

Has omicron been fatal?

Nope .I follow the science so I knew that a virus becomes more infectious and less lethal as it mutates . Clueless attributes that to vaccines even though Omicron was no where's near as deadly in a nation like South Africa; a nation that does not have our rate of vaccinations .(only 26 % fully vaccinated )

So you do a self test. Negative. Two days later you start coughing, have a runny nose and headache. Now what?

Are delta and other earlier mutations still around?

“There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level.”

In other words ;he punted .Imagine the outrage that would have exploded amongst liberal dems on this site had Trump done that. It just goes to show, yet again, that it's not what a person says that matters, but WHO the person is that really counts. Sad.


If he held himself to the same standards he was spewing during last year's campaign, then he should consider himself to be a cold blooded killer .Yet another verification of the "content vs. author" moral choice. No wonder we're in so much trouble.

So you do a self test. Negative. Two days later you start coughing, have a runny nose and headache. Now what?
<sarc>I hermetically seal myself and add a layer of bubble wrap </sarc> My prescription remains the same . I would not even bother to self test unless I was visiting someone in a nursing home or someone I knew was vulnerable . I mask in enclosed public places and wash my hands several times a day ;always have . Maybe I don't go out if I am ill . Let's move on and live our lives in the new reality just as we did with the flu and the common cold .


“There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level.”

In other words ;he punted .


Imagine the outrage that would have exploded amongst liberal dems on this site had Trump done that. It just goes to show, yet again, that it's not what a person says that matters, but WHO the person is that really counts. Sad.


If he held himself to the same standards he was spewing during last year's campaign, then he should consider himself to be a cold blooded killer .


Yet another verification of the "content vs. author" moral choice. No wonder we're in so much trouble. If the Dems didn't have double standards they would have no standards at all.

Are at-home self tests a waste of time and money?

antigen tests or rapid tests are not as reliable as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.If you get a positive rapid test you should assume you have covid. 72 percent of the time it is accurate .

Let's move on and live our lives in the new reality just as we did with the flu and the common cold .Exactly correct. And that's not to suggest it is going to be pleasant or without risk, but there seems to be no alternative.

I have used the rapid test from Walgreens. I have also done the drive through testing with them, and it seems to be nothing more than the rapid test they sell for twenty five bucks.

But but ........ if you listen to the man who "represents science ";Herr Doctor Kill-joy Fauci, we cannot celebrate the New Year with anyone except immediate family;and only if the family is vaxed and boosted ..... and if you are vaxed and boosted do not go to large gatherings.Even with his previous assurances that those who take the jabs(s) could go back to living pre-pandemic lifestyles, he is now asking everyone to hermetically seal and bubble wrap themselves .


At $23 trillion, the national debt exceeds the size of the U.S. economy. But it gets much worse when you tack on the unfunded obligations like SS and Medicare .....both facing insolvency . This is unprecedented in a time of economic expansion ,low unemployment .rising wages .In other words ;the government borrowing to do a Keynesian tweek of the economy to counter the effects of the pandemic was completely unjustified .

So, why pursue useless—no, counterproductive—COVID-19 restrictions?
Because the big-government lie must be maintained. It is an article of faith. And faith requires reason-free sacrifice—it requires skin in the game, demonstration of devotion. To pursue rational policy would evidence no fealty to the notion of government-as-protective-god. To pursue irrational policy and then demand obeisance–this is the mark of the faithful. And if you are not faithful, you are a heretic.
And so regulatory genuflection becomes a test of virtue. Effectuating strict regulations is a sign of moral strength, of belief in the myth of government as catholicon. Pushing back against those restrictions is a sign of heresy.
On Oct. 22, 2020, in a debate with President Donald Trump, Biden said that “anyone who is responsible for not taking control … anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America.” This was incorrect. The truth is that anyone who claimed that he could take control of a virus should be held responsible for the consequences of that lie.
But that will only happen when Americans abandon the cultic worship of government and return to reality. And Biden and Democrats will fight such blasphemy with every weapon in their arsenal.

The Big Government COVID-19 Lie (dailysignal.com) (https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/12/22/the-big-government-covid-19-lie/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&mkt_tok=ODI0LU1IVC0zMDQAAAGBn4MkXpod3_jeKS8kEuU7u7 8lL69srJGBKYDvqvMYij4oU9wIQ4Y-mHOwhiOtUy6dH27hAM-FAcAbaffer6aLoXmjfnXmOwI1A20UkpZNCL56qGE)

Much of govt. spending is just about buying votes. It's why we were sent those ridiculous checks when Covid started. Most people didn't need them. The relative few who did needed more than they received. It was just a reminder. "Vote for me! I will send you more money!"

Biden is giving away free money - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqey_c0SulI)

Here are yesterday's numbers






61.8%
of the U.S. population have received two vaccine doses












32.3%
of fully vaccinated people in the U.S. have had a booster shot












512,553
new U.S. cases recorded yesterday












1,762
deaths in the U.S. recorded yesterday


(from all variants of covid )

The inflation factor The Fed will begin to reverse it's easy money policy . But how will that impact the national debt ? A one percentage increase in interest rates translates into a $30 trillion increase in interest costs on the national debt.


That is under the unrealistic assumption that the government will not add debt to counter covid ;AND the Dems get off their spending orgy ;AND the 2017 tax cuts expire on schedule AND the economy performs gang buster well for oh let's say the next 30 years .
Given that optimistic outlook the debt will only be about twice the the size of the US economy. wooooohoooo !!!

Oh yeah .In that time frame there will be no more national crisis's to address with additional spending . No more pandemics recessions, wars, climate issues, (am I missing any ? ) The sad thing is that these are not even the big factors that drive the debt off the cliff .

Socialism is the debt driver. Entitlements unfunded are the biggest factors Social Security ,Medicare ,Medicaid are the big elephants in the room. Additional spending beyond revenue has made it worse . But these ponzi scheme programs are the real culprits . Yeah we all funded our parents retirements and health care and we expect our children to do the same for us .

But back to the Fed controlling inflation . They will do it by raising interests rates . They have already said it will start this year. But Congress' irresponsible spending has complicated the task.

How Higher Interest Rates Could Push Washington Toward a Federal Debt Crisis (manhattan-institute.org) (https://www.manhattan-institute.org/riedl-higher-interests-push-washington-toward-federal-debt-crisis)

The government will be forced to spend more of it's revenue to finance the debt than ever before . That is money that won't be available for the spending orgy promised by the Dem leadership. Serious cuts are in order . No 'tax the rich 'rhetoric will bail us out .

So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last
Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
All together shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again
Your cares and troubles are gone
There'll be no more from now on

Appropriately enough ;the Song 'Happy Days are here again' was originally penned for the movie 'Chasing Rainbows ' .

A one percentage increase in interest rates translates into a $30 trillion increase in interest costs on the national debt.I think you meant to say billion and not trillion.

You summed it all up well. It's really maddening how liberals, and some cons as well, choose to close their eyes and pretend it's all really OK. It all comes back to preferring a fantasy world over the truth. "The rich should pay their fair share!" When you point out that they already pay most of income taxes, and that the poor don't pay anything, or that there is no tax formula out there anywhere that would bring in sufficient revenues to balance the budget, you are met with, "!!##&!!#&&!**#!" Or point out that we have a national debt equivalent to 100K for every living American, and you just get a yawn.

“A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money." (Attributed to Senator Everett Dirksen )

If you see money as a tool and not a goal then you can apply as needed to get the job done.

Try unlimited borrowing in your personal life and see where it gets you. Try it with your state. Or just hang around a bit longer in our country and see what happens. Fantasies don’t work well in the real world.

Dems don't mind paying for stuff...repubs...never.

Dems don't mind paying for stuffYou mean like Obama and Biden have done?

Yep, except repubs always say no.

I'll say it again. There is no tax plan anywhere under discussion that will even come close to bringing a balanced budget, and there has been no such plan for probably twenty years. It's a hopeless situation of overspending which we American voters are too stupid and lazy to put a stop to. It is on both parties. To say the dems are willing to "pay for stuff" is just bizarre. There is no history at all to back that up. The last balanced budgets we had occurred with a dem pres and a repub Congress, and the repub Congress, led by Gingrich, was largely responsible.

Forget the balanced budget, that didn't last very long after Bush came along. You'll never even control the debt or deficit without a plan of tax policy, investments and growth over TIME, combined with appropriate cuts that are fair, balanced and efficient. Current partisan bickering doesn't even make it possible for anything but conflict.

It didn’t last because we have become a lazy, dull-minded, self-indulgent people. We want our toys, repubs and dems alike.

What toys are you referring too?

https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/p526x296/271134786_10159728162015351_4256480874582443316_n. jpg?_nc_cat=1&_nc_rgb565=1&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=9267fe&_nc_ohc=QdA6GVUFKdUAX8JusNe&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AT-0M5X-e19_CxaaPpUssNNP3ZztxsbAW9OJW1Uy0-ohjA&oe=61D90B17

Toys? COVID checks. Welfare checks. Earned income credits. Fat defense contracts. Taxes lower than they should be. Medicaid.

Toys? COVID checks. Welfare checks. Earned income credits. Fat defense contracts. Taxes lower than they should be. Medicaid.

2 for 6 agreements as to luxury, but 4 are clearly a necessity for far to many given condition not of their making.

7 percent inflation rate in December. Go figure. Maybe the irresponsible printing of money is not such a good idea?

Thank you Pres Biden.

Read the build back better bills. Both versions deal with inflation and are paid for.

They are not paid for. That’s the whole problem. The deficit grows ever larger.

Joe Manchin called out the Dems lie about Build Brandon Better being paid for . It is budget trickery .


“The American people deserve transparency on the true cost of the Build Back Better Act. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office determined the cost is upwards of $4.5 trillion which is more than double what the bill’s ardent supporters have claimed. They continue to camouflage the real cost of the intent behind this bill.

Manchin Statement On Build Back Better Act | U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia (senate.gov) (https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-statement-on-build-back-better-act)

Which means it will in fact cost much more than 4.5 trillion.

Which means it will in fact cost much more than 4.5 trillion.
Guess how it'll be paid for.

Borrowed/printed money. It cannot possibly be paid for with tax revenues when the feds are already running a deficit of over a trillion dollars a year. It is completely hopeless.

Nope. Guess again.

I'm not guessing.

I'm not guessing.

Obviously.

ObviouslyYou see? Even Athos is agreeing with me.

How about some support here?


We’ll go through the numbers.
The CBO said in its Nov. 18 report (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57627) that the House bill, not including revenue from the IRS enforcement provision, would cost $1.7 trillion in spending and bring in $1.3 trillion in revenue over 10 years, adding a net $367 billion to the deficit. But once we factor in (https://www.crfb.org/blogs/cbo-scores-build-back-better-act) a $207.2 billion revenue impact from the IRS provision — a CBO estimate — the net increase to the deficit is $160 billion over 10 years.
The CBO’s report on provisions of the bill under the purview of the Committee on Ways and Means includes the $207.2 billion (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57626) in the notes section, explaining that under its scorekeeping guidelines, it can’t include the IRS enforcement impact in the estimate of the legislation.
The Treasury Department believes (https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/the-substantial-revenue-raising-potential-of-tax-compliance-efforts) the impact from spending $80 billion over 10 years on increased IRS enforcement on the wealthy would garner about twice that: $400 billion, which, if correct, would make (https://twitter.com/secyellen/status/1461468361808875524?s=21) the Build Back Better Act “fully paid for.”Now even if the revenue and expenditure figures prove to be accurate, and of course they never do, then the bill will fall short of revenues. But even at that, in a time where we are falling into such a terrible hole of debt, then instead of controlling spending, we are proposing silly new spending bills. It's unbelievable. It's like telling an addict he needs to get more drugs.

https://www.factcheck.org/2021/11/cbo-build-back-better-not-quite-fully-paid-for/

You see? Even Athos is agreeing with me.
Hahahahahaha!!! That's not what he's saying.

You see? Even Athos is agreeing with me.

When pigs fly.

The Treasury Department believes (https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/the-substantial-revenue-raising-potential-of-tax-compliance-efforts) the impact from spending $80 billion over 10 years on increased IRS enforcement on the wealthy would garner about twice that: $400 billion, which, if correct, would make (https://twitter.com/secyellen/status/1461468361808875524?s=21) the Build Back Better Act “fully paid for.”

One way.

Hahahahahaha!!! That's not what he's saying.Oh well. I notice you haven't bothered to dispute the CBO. I suppose that's progress of a sorts. You see, I was not guessing at all.

Oh well. I notice you haven't bothered to dispute the CBO. I suppose that's progress of a sorts. You see, I was not guessing at all.


The Treasury Department believes (https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/the-substantial-revenue-raising-potential-of-tax-compliance-efforts) the impact from spending $80 billion over 10 years on increased IRS enforcement on the wealthy would garner about twice that: $400 billion, which, if correct, would make (https://twitter.com/secyellen/status/1461468361808875524?s=21) the Build Back Better Act “fully paid for.”

The CBO does not agree. At any rate, the current catastrophic deficit will continue. I guess you are ok with that?

The CBO does not agree. At any rate, the current catastrophic deficit will continue. I guess you are ok with that?

The CBO is not infallible.

Neither is Biden. However, the CBO IS nonpartisan.

Neither is Biden. However, the CBO IS nonpartisan.

Biden is trying to do the right thing for the people of Afghanistan. Time will tell.

Build Back Better is for the Afghans?

Build Back Better is for the Afghans?
It's more money supposedly being "misspent".

This thread is not about the Afghans. It is about BBB.

This thread is not about the Afghans. It is about BBB.

Sorry, wrong thread. Too much going on at the same time.

No problem. It has been busy.

Biden is trying to do the right thing for the people of Afghanistan. Time will tell.

By abruptly punching the clock and leaving the people of Afghanistan to the mercies of radical jihadists terrorists . Good job Clueless Joe !

It's amazing that people here still try to defend him. I wonder how many weapons that 300 mil is going to buy?

We already left enough hardware behind to make the Taliban the most armed terrorist group in the ummah .

Thank you, Mr. Biden. But to be fair, he's doing great on inflation and reining in fed spending. [SARC]

Yeah I saw them brag that inflation last month wasn't as bad as November .

Yeah I saw them brag that inflation last month wasn't as bad as November .

That happens to be true.

Don't worry about inflation . Inflation is now good according to the compliant press .


But on the whole, inflation can actually be a good thing for many working-class Americans — especially those with fixed-rate debt like a 30-year mortgage. That's because wages are going up, which not only empowers workers but also gives them more money to pay down debt. Plus, in the case of a mortgage, your monthly payment will be the same but your house will increase in value.
And many of the people taking a bath when prices rise are higher-net-worth people who hold the vast majority of government bonds.



The trouble is, you're not going to feel the upside immediately.



Brings back memories

Watch Saturday Night Live Highlight: Jimmy Carter on Inflation Cold Open - NBC.com (https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/jimmy-carter-on-inflation-cold-open/3007609)



Why inflation can actually be good for everyday Americans and bad for rich people - CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/economy/inflation-good-bad-winners-losers-fixed-rate-debt/index.html)

Don't worry about inflation . Inflation is now good according to the compliant press .

And according to economists depending on the circumstances. And depending on the rate. A certain moderate rate can be good.

SNL has often put on brilliant social commentary skits.

Your "compliant press" is a misnomer. Just a piece of bias since it tells the truth which is increasingly going against the republican idea of government. The press is one of the most powerful shields we have against a bad government.

moderate rate

not the highest rate in over 40 years .

I have noticed one thing held in common by both the hard core Trump and Biden supporters. They cannot bring themselves to say a negative word about their pres. So the highest inflation rate in 40 years can be dismissed as merely being moderate.

I suspect we ain't seen nothin yet. It could get into the "high-moderate" range before much longer.

Inflation can be managed. Not like it was a surprise to anybody.

At the highest in forty years, is it being managed now?

A predictable spike and yes will be managed like the last spike. Don't panic. At least the dufus ain't in the WH no more.

Average inflation with Trump was considerably below what we have now as was unemployment. I thought you like management?