Originally posted by Oliver North
you seem determined to find a single cause for something that is 50-60 years in the making and largely happened in the absence of American power...Like, Bill Clinton didn't cause globalization...
I'm not trying to place blame. I'm trying to determine the root variables.
Originally posted by Oliver North
...Hell, if you are looking to blame someone (which you shouldn't be), blame India and China for modernizing and providing cheap labour for American consumers.
Precisley. Consumers are demanding lower and lower prices placing enormous pressue on retailers. People love the low prices at big box chaines like Wal Mart but don't take into consideration the effect it will have on real wages. A lot of people gave me shit about the negative tone of many of my posts/threads in the past yet I believe there is real reason to feel this way. Business as usual under either major party means only the top 1% will have a bright future in the U.S. of A.
Originally posted by Lestov16
How much would you say 9/11 and the resulting wars contributed the financial crisis? How did the profit of the military-industrial-complex, through a massive military budget, contribute, compared to the manufacturing sector job loss and bank crisis?
contribute to the recent financial crisis or contribute to long term economic trends that make the American market less competitive than international competition?
in either case, both 9/11 and the wars likely contributed nothing. America spends very little on these wars compared to their overall security budget, and to be honest, the military-industry is one of the few American industries that is still highly profitable. The military industrial complex is actually supporting the American economy rather than reducing it.
Originally posted by Lestov16
I'm not trying to place blame. I'm trying to determine the root variables.
the root variables of what though? like, the recent economic crisis is essentially the fall-out from mass banking deregulation that was pushed internationally and fed by fraud from its top players. Yes, Clinton played a roll in this, but so has every president since Reagan, and with the exception of Canada and a few others, it played out on many national stages.
the root variables of why America is no longer competitive? thats a little more complicated and doesn't really have clear "roots". It is more a consequence of an increasingly global world rather than the effect of a few specific causes. The issue is that there is no political will to address them, because they don't win points in the dog-show of American politics and the answers require investments that wont pan out within a single presidential term.
Originally posted by Mairuzu
You were justifying it. What did he commit? Speech crimes?Cool, I believe they are all good reasons. This is more of a jab toward Obama and not simply an issue about drone strikes if you payed attention to what I was responding to.
There are others in here. Its an open forum and it was still a horrible assumption. VERY horrible. Very. Oh shit im using very too much again, only one very is the limit? ><Such mediocre jabs at me lol. When it doubt, call the other person angry, and if they use one word more than once, call them out on it too!
Originally posted by Mairuzu
We are to blame.
Our economic crisis may be the result of several factors, but wouldn't our debt be reduced greatly if we raised our corporate tax rate? Corporate taxes are at an all-time low, making up only 1% of the GDP, while profits at an all time high. If the administration is desperate enough to tax families, why don't they tax corporations which are in the perfect position to get a tax increase. Why are these corporations immune from contributing to financial reform? And as stated before, it's corporations outsourcing of jobs which has led to corporate flourishing while our manufacturing sector hemorrhaged. So the least they could do is put some of that money back into the economy, rather than horde it for the CEOs.
Originally posted by Omega Vision
Not for nothing, but we can't totally absolve Al-Malaki's for bringing his son into a warzone.There are plenty of ways that that could have ended badly without an American drone strike even coming into the equation.
We aren't at war with yemen...
Originally posted by Omega Vision
You're using an old fashioned definition of warzone. There doesn't need to be an official war for a place to be a warzone. I would call much of Mexico a warzone right now.
Sounds to me like you're attempting to justify it. You really cant see that?
Originally posted by Omega Vision
You are angry. It shows in your sentences and your attempt to look as if you're amused, because the guy who says "lol" can't be mad.
Oh don't get me wrong, I'm definitely amused at your attempts to try hide your failed assumptions by attempting to pull the "you're angry" card. One of the many escape goats to your failed arguments. Like I said, when in doubt... stoned
Originally posted by Omega VisionThe Sum 41 School of Political Science
Such a clever girl
Originally posted by Lestov16
Our economic crisis may be the result of several factors, but wouldn't our debt be reduced greatly if we raised our corporate tax rate? Corporate taxes are at an all-time low, making up only 1% of the GDP, while profits at an all time high. If the administration is desperate enough to tax families, why don't they tax corporations which are in the perfect position to get a tax increase. Why are these corporations immune from contributing to financial reform? And as stated before, it's corporations outsourcing of jobs which has led to corporate flourishing while our manufacturing sector hemorrhaged. So the least they could do is put some of that money back into the economy, rather than horde it for the CEOs.
your debt has very little to do with your economic situation, it is more of something that is being used to manipulate market confidence and voters
I already mentioned that I really don't feel like debating the DvR policy positions, however, no, simply raising taxes does not necessarily raise revenue, especially when we are talking about a population who are notorious for avoiding taxes or international investment/banking to avoid paying.
Originally posted by Oliver North
your debt has very little to do with your economic situation, it is more of something that is being used to manipulate market confidence and votersI already mentioned that I really don't feel like debating the DvR policy positions, however, no, simply raising taxes does not necessarily raise revenue, especially when we are talking about a population who are notorious for avoiding taxes or international investment/banking to avoid paying.
I agree that the question is more about politics than economics. However, raising taxes is not purely a political game question: it is also a major economic variable.
If taxes are raised, significantly, during a depression, that's like rubbing feces into a large laceration.
Your other point is spot on: the tax system needs to be grossly adjusted in the US. You are making mention of "effective corporate tax rate" vs "nominal corporate tax rate".
To flesh that out, the US's nominal tax rate is 39.2. However, no single corporate sector has an average effective tax rate over 31%. WTF? How can this BEEEEE? You already know, of course, but most Americans don't. In fact, to drive the point home, utilities have a corporate effective tax rate of only 14%.
However, I would like to see corporate taxes disappear and have a system of excise (broad definition which would include sales tax and value added tax) taxes with little to no loopholes.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/30/456005/reminder-corporate-taxes-very-low/?mobile=nc
Originally posted by Lestov16
👆To DDM, Digi, and all the other GOP supporters on here, why are you standing up for them? It's very blatant that our economy is in the shitter mainly because of them. They ravaged our economy and then intentionally obstructed all attempts at reform for no logical reason. I can understand wanting to be neutral, not wanting to be labeled a Republican or a Democrat, but even from a neutral standpoint, how can you accept the disgusting actions of the GOP?
Some of the legislation that took a dump on our economy was actually done by Clinton.
Gramm-Leach-Biley Act of 99 and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2k.
Those two pieces of legislation had a large impact on the to big to fail crisis.
Really though both parties are created the problem and the media just helps sensationalize it to get more corporate sponsors for advertizing and viewing.
Originally posted by dadudemon
I agree that the question is more about politics than economics. However, raising taxes is not purely a political game question: it is also a major economic variable.
I'm not really trying to say that taxes aren't important. just that the economy is more complex than "raise taxes = revenue", especially when the people we are talking about raising taxes on are already able to dodge them so well.
Otherwise I really don't know enough to have much of an opinion on specific tax policy, other than to say I'm not so sure no-taxes is a good idea, at least if you are trying to grow the economy. Not that high taxes are the answer, but more that tax policy needs to reflect spending policy, or is almost necessitated by spending. Taxes need to be what they need to be, and in terms of the economy, so many things are far more important. America saw some of its greatest growth in periods where tax rates were astoundingly high, and now is pulling out of a recession in a period where the effective rate is the lowest its been in 100 years iirc.
EDIT: my point about political games was more about people's hard on for the debt. Unless you are an African nation, national debt is hardly a major economic issue, at least in terms of what we are describing. Its most common use right now is as a scapegoat for investors to explain why they aren't spending their money or for politicians to score points. America's economy and past history (not to mention integration in the global economy) sort of means that people are going to lend it money as long as it needs it, and so long as politicians don't do insane things like, say, refuse to pay those loans back in a satisfactory way (debt-ceiling stuff), most other countries are actually betting on America recovering. ****, think about it, would China spend money investing in American debt if they didn't think it was a solid investment?