Forget the Oath, Obama Needs an Economic Do-Over

Current events should defuse the comedy of Bush fans

IF you have been following the news, the deregulation of our economy moved us in the vulnerable position we are in now, for starters. Eight years of the Bush Admin and the twelve years of the Republican congresses have turned a well regulated economy in what seems like nothing more than organized crime, corrupt oligarchies, monopolies and collusion at the highest levels. Bernie Maddoff's biggest accomplice in his ponzi scheme was the Geo Bush's SEC. The list of Bush's incompetence goes on in volumes. Please follow current events a little closer, but go finish your homework first, Dean of MN.

We can thank a well regulated capitalist economy for the fifty years of US prosperity following FDR's huge government expenditures that brought us out of the Great Depression, the original Stimulus Package, regardless if you think credit is due to WWII or the New Deal.

We have done it before, handling the largest economy in the world, and we can do it again.

But by all means, no one is holding you back from moving a Scandinavian country.

Paul of WA @ Jan 28, 2009 13:51:09 PM

Smart

"When will we get that the US is simply TOO BIG and diverse a country for the government to be particularly efficient.

We are NEVER going to have "smart" government like the Scandinavian countries do folks....so can we please get over that fantasy already and opt for as small a government as possible?"

Very astute observation.

Dean of MN @ Jan 28, 2009 11:17:22 AM

Size of Government vs. Smart Government

To those who say it's not the size of government that matters but how smart it is.....I agree in theory.

But let's be real. The U.S. Federal government has NEVER been particularly smart with money. No, we're not the worst or most inefficient government in the world...but we're clearly not anywhere near the best.

When will we get that the US is simply TOO BIG and diverse a country for the government to be particularly efficient.

We are NEVER going to have "smart" government like the Scandinavian countries do folks....so can we please get over that fantasy already and opt for as small a government as possible?

mysticaltyger of CA @ Jan 28, 2009 05:15:40 AM

You can't cut taxes for people who don't pay them!!!

<<Wait...tax cuts for poor people? Not so fast! Thats irresponsible!>>

Poor people, by definition, pay practically nothing in taxes. They are net recipients of other peoples' tax money.

It makes sense to me that massive govenment spending programs are not that efficient. The US government is a giant clumsy elephant. It simply is NOT designed to be efficient. At the same time, tax cuts may be a temporary help, but not a real solution, either.

Bottom line is like another poster said....we want more government than we are paying for.

So, America...if you like tax cuts....ask yourself what government benefits you YOU PERSONALLY do without in order to set things right?

For those who want more government.....what percent of your income are YOU PERSONALLY willing to pay to set things right?

What reforms are WE willing to accept to Social Security and Medicare to set things right? The long term budget problem can not be solved unless Medicare and Social Security are reformed. Taxes couldn't be raised fast enough at the rate these 2 programs are going (especially Medicare).

mysticaltyger of CA @ Jan 28, 2009 05:06:19 AM

Still Waiting...

Paul, you still haven't explained how Bush's economic policies put us in our current economic state. You don't actually have a clue, do you?

Dean of MN @ Jan 28, 2009 00:02:19 AM

We don't need to revive the dead ideas of the past eight years

Your're right, we don't need the kind of pork, welfare, and graft that Bush and Republicans have given us, Genius. Clearly we don't need to duplicate the corrupt cronyism that is the trademark of the Bush Administration.

Good thing we voted out the republicans. Just think, McCain's economic advisor John Thain could be dishing out TARP2 banker's welfare with no strings attached. Big fat bonuses for screwing up - and with taxpayer's funds! No thanks.

There's some point when folks have to get over the denial and self deception that these Republican ideas professed for the last eight years have any worth. Are you proud, Dean of MN, of the economy Bush left us with? Maybe you like to continue to defend feudalism, too.

Paul of WA @ Jan 27, 2009 17:49:37 PM

Deficit spending bad - increase the deficit to revive the economy

Bush presided over the largest growth in government ever and incurred the largest debt ever -just spending way out of control. We just can not afford Bush's welfare for bankers anymore and we can't tolerate Cheney's guaranteed overcharging from military contractors anymore.

------------------

I thought government spending and deficits were "stimulative"? Can't you guys keep your story straight?

I guess we just need the kind of pork, welfare, and graft that Obama has proposed. Genius.

Dean of MN @ Jan 27, 2009 16:39:41 PM

The tax cut ideology of past eight years is failure

Its hard to ignore history -

If you want to screw up the economy you can count on republicans.

Of course, a Stimulus Spending package will restore the economy, but we cannot just repeat the worn out Republican ideas that have been proven wrong.

As for the Republican slogan of tax cuts as stimulus, we've been hearing that for eight years with clearly a net negative result and, well, most Americans are not in a hurry to give John Thain another tax break on his bonus from taxpayers money.

Bush presided over the largest growth in government ever and incurred the largest debt ever -just spending way out of control. We just can not afford Bush's welfare for bankers anymore and we can't tolerate Cheney's guaranteed overcharging from military contractors anymore.

Paul of WA @ Jan 27, 2009 16:16:24 PM