[talaniman]

Self serving competence produces capitalism. Self serving incompetence produces a welfare state, socialism, and excuse-making.

You are in error, as self serving produces GREED.

You've got to drop drinking the kool aid. The top 5% of income earners in the U.S. earn 34% of the income but pay almost 60% of fed income tax. You better be glad for those people or your share (and mine) would be much higher.

Might add that amongst the world's nations, the U.S. currently ranks fourth in average wages, behind only the very small nations of Luxembourg, Sweden, and Iceland. We are far ahead of Germany, U.K., France, Japan, and even Norway and Finland, and those countries pay a much higher percentage of their income into taxes than we do. Yes, we are even far ahead of the Aussies. So we should probably stop our whining and thank God every day that we have the prosperity we have. Possibly our biggest problem is we do not appreciate what we have.

Your data is accurate but your understanding of economics is completely flawed as it doesn't account for any economic activity other than governmental. I am grateful for life and prosperity is relative. I have no clue about drop drinking the Kool-Aid. I'm sure you will inform me.

[Athos]

Self serving competence produces capitalism. Self serving incompetence produces a welfare state, socialism, and excuse-making.

Trump's most important economic policy was the tax cut for the wealthy in December 2017. It was supposed to raise business investment but it did do only for a miniscule 0.1% boost in the GDP growth. His much-touted deregulation had little impact since most of the important deregulation moves weren't economic. Any GDP growth came from an exploding federal budget deficit, long term environmental damage, and reduced protection for workers, consumers, the poor, and small investors.

The above is from the conservative Wall Street Journal.

[jlisenbe]

You are in error, as self serving produces GREED.

And what else do you think motivates economic activity? It is the desire for self improvement. I guarantee that is what motivated you, me, and just about everyone. We wanted to meet our needs and the needs of our families.

Your data is accurate but your understanding of economics is completely flawed as it doesn't account for any economic activity other than governmental.

What???

Any GDP growth came from an exploding federal budget deficit, long term environmental damage, and reduced protection for workers, consumers, the poor, and small investors.

Debt itself does not spur economic growth. It's just amazing to me how liberals love to tout the supposed economic success of Obama and refuse to give Trump any credit for the current strong growth.

Now if you want to be critical of the debt we are incurring, I will be completely on your side.

[Wondergirl]

And what else do you think motivates economic activity? It is the desire for self improvement. I guarantee that is what motivated you, me, and just about everyone.

My colleagues and I worked for the benefit and improvement of our communities. We certainly didn't do these jobs and line our pockets with money from the miserable salaries we received!

[jlisenbe]

My colleagues and I worked for the benefit and improvement of our communities. We certainly didn't do these jobs and line our pockets with money from the miserable salaries we received!

I'll bet you would not have worked for free. You worked, first and foremost, for a salary. There is nothing wrong with that. I'm sure you helped people. So did I. I'd like to think that, as a school teacher and principal, I made an impact on the lives of children, but I had a wife and children to take care of. I work for free now at a drug rehab facility, but I am able to do that only because I ended up with an adequate retirement package.

If a guy making a million dollars a year decides to build a house twice as big as what he needs, you might complain about greed at work, but think about the jobs and income produced for many people by that building project. That's a good thing. We tend to think that giving a poor person money is the best thing we can do for him/her. I would say that giving them a job and some guidance in his/her life is the best we can do.

[Wondergirl]

I'll bet you would not have worked for free.

Yup, I would have. I loved every job I ever had. That's why I also did volunteer work. The paying jobs I had were very low pay even when I was a department head at a public library. I had a resume/cover letter business and later did counseling (both on a sliding scale), helping those who couldn't afford high-class services.

[jlisenbe]

Yup, I would have. I loved every job I ever had. That's why I also did volunteer work. The paying jobs I had were very low pay even when I was a department head at a public library. I had a resume/cover letter business and later did counseling (both on a sliding scale), helping those who couldn't afford high-class services.

So if you had worked for free, how would you have paid the bills? I loved teaching and I would have gladly taught school for free. It was both my job and my hobby, but working for nothing just was not an option. How would it have been an option with you?

[Wondergirl]

So if you had worked for free, how would you have paid the bills? I loved teaching and I would have gladly taught school for free. It was both my job and my hobby, but working for nothing just was not an option. How would it have been an option with you?

I was married to a guy just starting out in his field. His paycheck was a joke until he joined their union. Meanwhile, with my low pay (Lutheran schoolteachers don't get paid much), we were able to survive. Thanks to my mom's (Lutheran pastor's wife) training, I'm a creative, thrifty cook and baker. The very small two-bedroom (both 10x10) house we bought in 1972 has become our retirement home. We were never greedy or took expensive vacations (think tent camping instead).

To change the subject, I'm looking forward to what Lori Lightfoot will accomplish as Chicago's new mayor!

[jlisenbe]

I was married to a guy just starting out in his field. His paycheck was a joke until he joined their union. Meanwhile, with my low pay (Lutheran schoolteachers don't get paid much), we were able to survive. Thanks to my mom's (Lutheran pastor's wife) training, I'm a creative, thrifty cook and baker. The very small two-bedroom (both 10x10) house we bought in 1972 has become our retirement home. We were never greedy or took expensive vacations (think tent camping instead).

Yes, but you did take vacations, and your husband joined the union so he could make more money, and you lived a life better than 80 or 90 percent of the rest of the world. I don't say that to ridicule you in any way. You made your life count for something and for that I commend you, but the guy worth 100 mil whose business provided jobs for hundreds of people also did well. It still comes down to trying to make a living, paying the bills, and being able to help others.

I'm looking forward to what Lori Lightfoot will accomplish as Chicago's new mayor!

What makes you hopeful?

[Athos]

It's just amazing to me how liberals love to tout the supposed economic success of Obama and refuse to give Trump any credit for the current strong growth.

It's equally amazing to me how the fringe right-wing loves to blame liberals on every problem under the sun - while rarely understanding what the word actually means.

[jlisenbe]

It's equally amazing to me how the fringe right-wing loves to blame liberals on every problem under the sun - while rarely understanding what the word actually means.

I don't think you have found anyone on this board who is doing that.

[talaniman]

Any president that followed Obama would have the same economy as the dufus. The actual economic trend lines from the past decade show that to be the case, and I have shared those with you as well as the ones you yourself have produced.
,
You righties bought into his big lie that it was all him.. In Truth the dufus has never paid for a thing and is in hock up to his big orange butt. The question is to whom. You want great growth, then circulate a lot more money to main street so they can buy stuff, instead of giving mo'money to the guys who hoard it and play the rules to suck up the countries wealth.

What a disgusting display for the dufus overseas in Japan. I remember when Obama was blasted for going to a ball game with the Cuban president, but lo and behold those same critics are silent when he romances Kim who is shooting rockets and disparaging the dufus 's enemies, takes Vlad's side against our own intel community despite the evidence, and while the Chinese laugh about our tariffs that Americans pay for waiting for this grand deal.

Fascinating you accuse me of drinking the Kool-Aid JL, while you are the one talking crazy. Sorry to break up the civility and sharing with my crap.

[Athos]

I don't think you have found anyone on this board who is doing that.

You mean, other than you?

[jlisenbe]

You mean, other than you?

I haven't blamed libs for everything under the sun. You need to start dealing with the truth instead of your own prejudiced fantasies.

Tal, you claim that anyone following Obama would have had a great economy. You might have a point. Obama produced the weakest recovery from a recession in history. With him out of the way, the economy has really taken off with Trump. Maybe you're right in that the secret was to get Obama out of the way.

[paraclete]

I haven't blamed libs for everything under the sun. You need to start dealing with the truth instead of your own prejudiced fantasies.

Tal, you claim that anyone following Obama would have had a great economy. You might have a point. Obama produced the weakest recovery from a recession in history. With him out of the way, the economy has really taken off with Trump. Maybe you're right in that the secret was to get Obama out of the way.

Ah you agree you are fringe right wing, and yes, with a business environment more in tune with their aspirations the economy boomed

[jlisenbe]

Ah you agree you are fringe right wing,

I'd say politically conservative, but follower of Christ more than anything.

[paraclete]

I'd say politically conservative, but follower of Christ more than anything.

You and me, both

[jlisenbe]

You and me, both

I suspected as much. Glad to hear it.

[talaniman]

Hello you wingers, the idiot is still at work while you smooze each other. Get a room why don't ya!

Dear Nancy,

Please start impeachment proceedings on the idiot in the WH

Thank you

The Lefty in the Bunch

PS

Don't forget his sycophants too!

[jlisenbe]

The Lefty in the Bunch

One of three.