Posts Made By: James Brown

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

So what'll we get from the GOP, another MAGAt by the name of DeSantis? He's no better than Trump...

That is not a rational comment Rod, at least not in my opinion.  DeSantis has an edge to him (shipping illegal's to Martha's Vineyard was unnecessary etc.) But he is obviously a competent executive.  

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

So what'll we get from the GOP, another MAGAt by the name of DeSantis? He's no better than Trump...

This is, in one sentence, the Ds campaign strategy in 2024.  Hell, the Rs could nominate Romney, Sue Collins, or Lisa Murkowski and the NYT, DNC, WaPo and other D voices would immediately brand the candidate as the second coming of Trump.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I understand that but that's not what I was referring to, I was referring to GOP senators Ron Johnson and Rick Scott's plans to put up medicare and SS every couple of years for "review" and "sunsetting pending additional funding"...

Ok, but the "or eliminated" words in your post sound to me a lot more like the "pants on fire" lie than "review" or "sunsetting pending additional funding."

Speaking of SS, Biden just bumped it up something like 8%.  I'm not eligible yet, but I did check the SS web page and my projected benefits went up a lot.  I guess I should say, "thanks Joe."  Bottom line though, I doubt any majority of any party is going to make meaningful cuts in SS until the whole nation is bankrupt.  When will that happen?  Hopefully not for a long time. 

Jim

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I understand that but that's not what I was referring to, I was referring to GOP senators Ron Johnson and Rick Scott's plans to put up medicare and SS every couple of years for "review" and "sunsetting pending additional funding"...

Rod, while I have you on the line, I was reading a piece on 538 about Boebert's still uncalled race and why it was so close.  This picture (credit the Denver Post) was at the top, and made me think of you.  Lauren is after all, along with MTG, one of your favorite gals!

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-lauren-boeberts-race-is-so-close/ 

Originally Posted by James Brown

Rod, while I have you on the line, I was reading a piece on 538 about Boebert's still uncalled race and why it was so close.  This picture (credit the Denver Post) was at the top, and made me think of you.  Lauren is after all, along with MTG, one of your favorite gals!

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-lauren-boeberts-race-is-so-close/ 

p.s.  She's not bad looking, but too much makeup and well, the gun thing - that would be a bit off-putting for me if I were in the market.  But your tastes may differ... 

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Dubya proposed privatizing SS but that idea sunk like a lead weight with the great recession of '08. Can you imaging what would have happened to the income of seniors dependent on SS if that had happened. "Privatizing" SS, not to mention medicare, has DeSantis and his cronies written all over it...

I realize that W floated that idea, but the R's backed off big time in view of the push-back from seniors. 

I do not recall the details of "privatization" but if you and I had been able to invest our contributions in an S& 500 index fund starting in '08, our shares would have grown by something like 230% between then and now, including the recent crash.   I am not in favor of this for retirees or near retirees, but it might be an option for young people.  That would of course cut the legs out from under the whole Ponzi scheme though...

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

It's too bad she didn't lose. She did lose the lease on her restaurant, though. Boebert, and her Jewish space laser spouting sidekick, the despicable MTG, typifies the MAGAt's of her party and that doesn't say much for the folks in their districts who voted for them now does it?...

You know, this is a really important point. 

People have values based in their upbringing and environment.  A lot of rural voters in Colorado value gun rights, personal freedom, low taxes, and such quite highly, and these folks appreciate Boebert's right-populist stance.  Maybe more importantly, these rural voters hear loud and clear the hatred and disdain directed toward them from the elites on the coasts and in the press. 

"They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."  

“You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?” Clinton said. “The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic—you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”

I think this is the reason the Trump movement swept 1/2 the nation.  It is one thing to disagree on policy, but it is another thing entirely to label those you disagree with on guns, taxes, freedoms, the environment, abortion, education, the proper level of business regulations, the border and so on as racist, sexist deplorables.  Most Boebert/Trump supporters are good people: ranchers, farmers, businessmen and women, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters living in many states, even yours.  Is it surprising they would support a flawed politician who champions their values when the other side openly mocks them?  Is it surprising that they would support a firebrand who kicks back to the left some of the venom the left has shoveled at them?

Of course, the firebrand and champion of the "deplorables" was too flawed.  He lied too much, his narcissism became intolerable.  Most of his supporters were dismayed by Jan. 6.  So he lost in 2020, his people lost in 2022, and hopefully they will lose bigly in 2024.  

Bottom line, I think that this will be a better country when people try to understand why Boebert has the support of 1/2 of her district rather than to merely dismiss this population of good people as gun-toting bible-clinging rubes.  Jim

p.s.  I realize that I could have written this post from the other perspective.  Political incivility and a refusal to do anything but hate and "otherize" your political opponents is a cross-party pandemic.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Which ponzi scheme are you referring to?

SS of course.  There is no real trust fund, if I understand the system correctly.  The young workers of today fund the retirement payments made today.  If we get to the point where the economy shrinks dramatically, the whole thing fails.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I don't believe you'd hear any such thing. None of 'em are even remotely MAGA extremists. Basically, they're all Dubya light...

I was exaggerating to make a point.  We'll never know regarding Romney etc., because the W light crowd will not be nominated.  The successful R candidate has to appeal to moderates and the MAGA crowd.  Haley is trying to walk this tightrope.  So is DeSantis.  The successful R  candidate will absolutely be labeled Donald Trump II. 

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

The economy has tanked before, like it did in '08 and SS and medicare hasn't failed, has it? Maybe, just maybe, it's funded better than you or Russ or some other GOPer thinks it is...

I'm no expert.  But I think the following is true:  There is no trust fund or "lock box" where money or gold bullion or anything else is set aside for SS.  On the contrary SS proceeds go into the general fund.  The funds get spent, and the Government owes the money back.  Just like the money I have in the bank gets spent, and the bank owes it to me, when I ask.  (I think, not sure) that a big chunk of the Governments total debt is unfunded SS and MC obligations.  

I don't have a problem with the above, it is the way macro-economic nation-scale finance works.  Right?  (I'm no expert, correct me if I am wrong)

'08 and other recessions stress the system, but the government increases the debt limit to avoid default.  Right? (I'm no expert, correct me if I am wrong)

If the shit really hits the fan, then the Government will have no choice but to default.  A 1930s type depression maybe.  Or actually losing WW3.  Short of that I am a big believer in the system, as you know.  That does not mean that I think the government can get away with increasing SS benefits at a whim.  People live longer than they did in 1930.  Some adjustments from time to time make sense.