Ask Me Help Desk - how the swamp works

how the swamp works

Get behind a bill most people support ;like Covid relief .Then load it up with 5,593 pages of porkulus . Get your $600 check ? Good for you.
But how about these other spending priorities ?

$86 million for assistance to Cambodia; $130 million to Nepal, $135 million to Burma, $453 million to Ukraine, $700 million to Sudan. $1.3 billion for Egypt and the Egyptian military which mostly buys Ruskie equipment . $710 million to provide Syrians with weapons and training.

For Pakistan among it's benefits includes $15 million for democracy programs and $10 million for gender programs.

$40 million for The Kennedy Center operating expenses, which received $25 million in the last covid bill. It is not even open at this time. $1 billion for the Smithsonian and an additional $154 million for the National Gallery of Art.

There are funds to study the 1908 Springfield Illinois race riot .
There are funds for the creation of 2 museums ....Woman's History and Latino Museum.

There are funds to create a commission to educate “consumers about the dangers associated with using or storing portable fuel containers for flammable liquids near an open flame."

There is a statement about the Dali Lama's reincarnation or his likely successor ..

The Senate gets $89,615,280 to buy new furniture.
Congress gave themselves a $100,000 raise for all their tireless efforts at spending other people's money ;and monopoly money that does not exist .
Rand Paul blasted both sides of the aisle for this wreckless spending right on ! He may be the only voice of sanity left on Capitol Hill
Senator Paul: Stop Piling Debt on Future Generations, Open the Economy, and Cut Waste in the Budget - YouTube

one day you will prevent these add ons to a bill so that debate is about one issue. There appears to be a voice crying in the wilderness of an empty hall

This gets my vote for post of the year. I'm copying it to Facebook.

I'm sure their "fact checkers " will accuse your post of missing context . What is hilarious to me is that the proposal the administration started with was a $1.8 trillion direct for covid relief and it ended up being halved and loaded with pork. And they shelved the most controversial proposals which would've even jacked up the bill more .

So very true. It's the result of pols who have figured out that we, the people, no longer care about balanced budgets. The day will come when we will, but it will likely be a sad day. I can tell you this. It's hard to get much traction in getting anyone interested in the subject.

The Tea Party was formed over outrage about a $900 Billion bill. Here we have another $900 billion bill and the whine is that it is not nearly enough .

Yeah. When Brother Biden gets in, he has already promised to spend two or three tril more of the Monopoly money.

By the time Biden gets there you will be out of monopoly money and will have to use bananas

Just make sure you’re brushing up on your Chinese.

Trump AKA the Grinch stole Christmas

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...tail&FORM=VIRE
How Trump stole Christmas he vetoed all the goodies

We need someone to do a LOT of vetoing. Only way to get the budget under control. I feel pretty sure that KH/JB won't be the ones doing it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Just make sure you’re brushing up on your Chinese.

Ne How Ma

I suggest you take your own advice, the Chinese own a lot of US Treasury Notes, much more of yours than they do of ours

Xie Xie

Quote:

Originally Posted by paraclete

Ne How Ma

Ah Bou How

Quote:

I suggest you take your own advice, the Chinese own a lot of US Treasury Notes, much more of yours than they do of ours

They actually own a fairly small percentage of the total, something under 10% as I remember.

US debt is $26 trillion .China finances $1.1 trillion. So let's say China decided to destabilize by sell US debt . Do you think there wouldn't be other nations and private actors who would not buy ? China sold off $180 billion in 2015 and the market did not budge.

The concern here is that we keep on adding on to the debt ;not who finances it. The concern here is that fiscal restraint has been stricken from the political debate except for Paul cry from the wilderness. Half of the country think we should be getting into greater debt with their gimmee policies .

Rich people don't care about the debt or the government. Never did. Who you guys trying to fool? You only scream when not enough pie lands in YOUR plate.

There is nothing wrong with small government tal, it is somewhere for fewer people to be employed, but without debt things don't get done, no new bridges, no new aircraft carriers, ah what's the use................

If you're a small country then a small government may be cool, but small we are not and neither is the handling of the peoples business. We may be building planes and boats but bridges not so much. Big government may be inefficient, but smaller government is no better, it's even worse.

Quote:

without debt things don't get done, no new bridges, no new aircraft carriers, ah what's the use................

Things get done without debt all the time, a fact that we will be facing at some point in the future. The stupidity of our Congress is to pass a 900 billion dollar stim package which only sends 150 bil or so to people. Billions and billions go overseas or to large businesses in the U.S. It is lunacy with tax money, and it is far beyond lunacy with borrowed money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Things get done without debt all the time, a fact that we will be facing at some point in the future. The stupidity of our Congress is to pass a 900 billion dollar stim package which only sends 150 bil or so to people. Billions and billions go overseas or to large businesses in the U.S. It is lunacy with tax money, and it is far beyond lunacy with borrowed money.

Yes but it is a lunacy that is purely your own. Your politicians have been on a steady diet of pork for decades and there is no such thing as fiscal restraint, completely unknown to the current generation. you have grasshopper minds over there, noone can stay on subject but run around pursuing their own agenda, so you spend billions on non essentials

Quote:

Yes but it is a lunacy that is purely your own.

Sure it is.

"Australia is set to forecast a record budget deficit of around A$200 billion ($142.7 billion) for 2020/21 as the government ramps up spending to support the coronavirus-hit economy, with its balance sheet seen in the red for at least the next four years."

https://www.reuters.com/article/aust...-idUSKBN26M7P5

You've had a budget deficit every year since 09. Selfish, money-grubbing pols can be found everywhere along with a large number of dumb voters who enjoy the temporary fruits of deficit spending.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Sure it is.

"Australia is set to forecast a record budget deficit of around A$200 billion ($142.7 billion) for 2020/21 as the government ramps up spending to support the coronavirus-hit economy, with its balance sheet seen in the red for at least the next four years."

https://www.reuters.com/article/aust...-idUSKBN26M7P5

You've had a budget deficit every year since 09. Selfish, money-grubbing pols can be found everywhere along with a large number of dumb voters who enjoy the temporary fruits of deficit spending.

again you know very little, the budget deficits were forced upon us because of the GFC, an american financial pandemic. We were just getting back to balanced budget when covid 19 arrived from somewhere over there. Our deficit spending has been to support the unemployed and small business owners who have had to close, not to support a myriad of give me's and yes, it may take a few years to claw back, but we have the discipline to do that

Yeah. There's always those excuses. "It's someone else's fault. We have things we need to buy. We'll get it all under control...tomorrow."

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Yeah. There's always those excuses. "It's someone else's fault. We have things we need to buy. We'll get it all under control...tomorrow."

We are a more compassionate society than you are. While we have both conservative and socialist politics at play our differences are not radicalised and so common sense prevails. It is our conservative government who have taken these measures and not in an election year. We take a longer view on some issues and a more short term view on others. Our goals have always been to have a balanced budget and before the GFC hit we were actually paying down debt, but like AGW and the GFC and covid19 we are continually beset by these northern hemisphere problems, things that do not originate with us and have little relevance other than disruption to our unique way of life

The sun is shinning here today as it does on at least 260 days of the year and the issues of covid being on the other side of the mountains seem far away, even though there are a few cases being recorded and dealt with. We are the envy of the world and so your opinion of us and the way we manage things is just american envy

In terms of private giving to charity, we are about six times ahead of you, so don't try and tell me about your wonderful compassion. Many Americans don't use the excuse of, "Let the gov take care of it."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...table_donation

Quote:

but like AGW and the GFC and covid19 we are continually beset by these northern hemisphere problems, things that do not originate with us

Always someone else's fault. I'm not suggesting you have not had to deal with some issues not of your making, but we didn't exactly invent the COVID virus if you remember.

The only solution to deficit spending is to not engage in deficit spending. As long as we retain our cherished excuses, it will not happen. The only proper response is to say, "It's our deal, and we have to solve it ASAP." It will be painful, but if we value our children and grandchildren, we will embrace it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

In terms of private giving to charity, we are about six times ahead of you, so don't try and tell me about your wonderful compassion. Many Americans don't use the excuse of, "Let the gov take care of it."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...table_donation

Always someone else's fault. I'm not suggesting you have not had to deal with some issues not of your making, but we didn't exactly invent the COVID virus if you remember.

The only solution to deficit spending is to not engage in deficit spending. As long as we retain our cherished excuses, it will not happen.

I don't know if you did not invent covid, it has not yet proven whether anyone did but as a weapon it is certainly suprisingly effective against you

As to charitable giving you have more millionaires and billionaires with tax problems than we do, and our social security system means there are not as many destitute people to deal with. Which would your rather have, social problems and the wealthy giving or no social problems? Your attitude beggars belief, you are an idiot of the first order, but you come from a long line so it isn't your fault but in reality, it is your fault because you can't see beyond the end of your nose. You cling to out moded ideas and say how superior we are you are diluded

Quote:

I don't know if you did not invent covid

You are delusional.

Quote:

As to charitable giving you have more millionaires and billionaires with tax problems than we do,

Anyone who knows even a few things about income taxes in America knows that giving to charity is not the way to increase profits. It's a ridiculous idea that suggests that giving away a dollar to save thirty cents is a good idea.

Quote:

and our social security system means there are not as many destitute people to deal with.

How do you know that?

Quote:

Your attitude beggars belief, you are an idiot of the first order, but you come from a long line so it isn't your fault but in reality, it is your fault because you can't see beyond the end of your nose.

One thing I have learned about you. You don't like it when you are confronted with facts which disagree with your prejudiced ideas about your country and ours. We have our problems to be sure, but it's your pretending that everything is rosy in Aussie land that is pretty crazy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

You are delusional.

One thing I have learned about you. You don't like it when you are confronted with facts which disagree with your prejudiced ideas about your country and ours. We have our problems to be sure, but it's your pretending that everything is rosy in Aussie land that is pretty crazy.

It is you who are delusional, what you don't like is that someone has given the lie to your ideas and demonstrated that there are much more successful methods of dealing with these things. You think me prejudiced because I don't kowtow to american thinking, but in reality everything is rosy here, the sun shines, the economy grows, we have a trade war with China and we can laugh, because it isn't doom and gloom, hundreds of thousands are not dying, our hospitals have beds to conduct elective surgeries, the future looks really good, and our borders are closed

Quote:

someone has given the lie to your ideas

And you've done that when?

Quote:

but in reality everything is rosy here, the sun shines, the economy grows, we have a trade war with China and we can laugh, because it isn't doom and gloom, hundreds of thousands are not dying, our hospitals have beds to conduct elective surgeries, the future looks really good, and our borders are closed

You sure weren't laughing about that China trade war or the Afghan problems. Rather strange for someone who is "laughing", don't you think?

Quote:

a very good reason has just been advanced for Australia and other foreign forces to leave Afghanistan. Soldiers cannot be trusted to act lawfully and these are not the first instances of war crimes being perpetrated in this long and bloody conflict. But we don't need to be there just leave them to the tender mercies of the Muslims, we have all heard what atrocities they are capable of.

Unfortunately the news from China isn't all fake, China has initiated a trade war with Australia and I'll bet our so called allies will take advantage of this and jump into supplying what were our markets led of course by our fair weather friend, the US of A."the Usury States of Amnesia "you do realise that we are now on the front line of your trade war with China. No matter we will find other markets for our products, they demand a premium in the world

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

And you've done that when?

You sure weren't laughing about that China trade war or the Afghan problems. Rather strange for someone who is "laughing", don't you think?

Yes as I posted recently China has shot themselves in the foot with their trade war with us so we can laugh, while trade with them is big it is a small part of our economy. The "afghan" problems have left the news scene so they will be dealt with in the courts where that sort of thing belongs, it gave comfort to our enemies for a short time. We are of a happy disposition and so we laugh in the face of adversity. As a Christian I know the power of prayer, enough said, shusssss

Quote:

As a Christian I know the power of prayer, enough said, shusssss

On that we can certainly agree.

Well I guess it's a start for a new year

The power of prayer isn't just an exclusive Christian domain, no more than marriage is.

No, but I don't hear Muslim testimony that prayer works

Quote:

Originally Posted by paraclete

No, but I don't hear Muslim testimony that prayer works

Muslims don't pray to ask God for stuff.

Quote:

Muslims don't pray to ask God for stuff.

Do they go to the Father through Jesus? I seem to recall that Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Do they go to the Father through Jesus? I seem to recall that Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

They certainly are more dedicated to a prayer life and prayer ritual than Christians are!

https://www.wikihow.com/Pray-in-Isla...o%3B%20More%20

Quote:

They certainly are more dedicated to a prayer life and prayer ritual than Christians are!

Question dodger.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlisenbe

Question dodger.

You and I both know the answer to your question.

Yeah, but I'm the only one willing to say it. Wonder why? And that's not meant to be snarky. I really do wonder why you are so frequently reluctant to answer questions like those.