[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"][QUOTE="radicalcentrist"]

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"]

as well as increasing capital gains to the same rate as salaried income.radicalcentrist

That is a terrible idea.

Sounds like even more corporate tyranny.

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"]

I would rather use the money on defense spending for something more useful.radicalcentrist

How do you know that Defense is less useful than public transportation?

Do you even have to ask? You don't think a national amtrak system would be more beneficial to the economy? Not to mention our "defense" spending is going toward war, which is inherently bad. I'm not much of an imperialist.

I like the single payer option simply because it's more efficent and cheaper.

It's pretty obvious by just looking at the graph that we need to change the healthcare system. The U.S is one of the only countries in the industrialized world that doesn't have a single payer, or socialized medicine, and it shows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization_ranking_of_health_systems

We also have a pretty mediocre lifespan compared to countries like Japan who spend far less.

Yeah! More socialism!

How about no...

Jebus213

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"][QUOTE="radicalcentrist"]

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"]

as well as increasing capital gains to the same rate as salaried income.SpartanMSU

That is a terrible idea.

Hell no.

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"]

as well as increasing capital gains to the same rate as salaried income.radicalcentrist

That is a terrible idea.

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"]

The top 400 earners in the economy have more than the bottom 150 million.radicalcentrist

And I'm a pizza deliveryboy and I own more wealth than the bottom 75 million. What's your point?

My point is that raising taxes on people with gratuitous amounts of money accounts for a lot more revenue than if we taxed lower brackets, obviously.

You don't think raising the taxes on these sorts of people won't help to lessen the financial crisis?

If you trust the short-run economic models that most macro textbooks use, absolutely. Raising taxes on anyone, without an equal or possibly greater increase in government purchases reduces planned expenditures throughout the economy, and therefore will reduce total spending, and therefore total income in the country.

Yes, that's why I said that.

I agree we do need to cut spending,

In the long run absolutely, but in the long run we are all dead.

You didn't quote that whole statement

but I think most of this should come in defense spending. In terms of healthcare, we need a single payer system.

Why and why?

I would rather use the money on defense spending for something more useful. Like transportation. I like the single payer option simply because it's more efficent and cheaper.

It's pretty obvious by just looking at the graph that we need to change the healthcare system. The U.S is one of the only countries in the industrialized world that doesn't have a single payer, or socialized medicine, and it shows.

Anyone want to pitch in and send this Paul Craig Roberts fellow a copy of N. Gregory Mankiw's "Macroeconomics"? If we all pitch in a measly $.50, I'm sure we can scrape together the $8.64 needed to send him a copy. My favorite MacroEcon textbook
First off, there is no reason to think that the dollar is in any danger of collapsing on foreign exchange markets. The United States is still the largest open economy in the world.

Second, the United States Federal Reserve still has one of the strongest records on containing inflation.

Third, the recent round of quantitative easing amounts to a mere 1 or 2 percentage point increase in inflation expectations

Finally, even if the dollar were to collapse on foreign exchange markets, there is no reason to think that this will have any serious consequences for American consumers. We still buy most of our goods and services from other Americans. The US economy, simply because it is so large and diverse, is a basically closed economy. A falling dollar would harm those who rely on imports, but those who are in export industries and services would greatly benefit.

radicalcentrist

Exactly.

BUT WE NEED THE GOLD STANDARD HURR DURR

[QUOTE="imaps3fanboy"]

[QUOTE="cslayer211"] We need to cut everything including defense. You seem to believe that we can raise taxes on a select few and as a result everything will be all fine and dandy. Sorry but it's not that simple. Only way to pay off our debt is to grow the economy, and make cuts to the deficit to start decreasing how much money we spend every year.cslayer211

The top 400 earners in the economy have more than the bottom 150 million. You don't think raising the taxes on these sorts of people won't help to lessen the financial crisis? I agree we do need to cut spending, but I think most of this should come in defense spending. In terms of healthcare, we need a single payer system. IIRC we also dole out less welfare money than every other country in the industrialized nation, so that isn't really a problem. Social Security is fine for now. Around 10% of the budget goes to simply paying off interest on our debt, thanks to presidents like reagan and bush who cut the top tax rates which lost us trillions in revenue.

Raising the tax rate on income above 250,000 will surely help, as well as increasing capital gains to the same rate as salaried income. Social security is a payroll tax and people generally get out what they pay in. Medicare is also a payroll tax that really isn't that costly. I have no problem paying 1.6% ( or whatever it is) out of my paycheck for it. Not to mention. SShas run a surplus for a very long time. Lol GSA parties? You know how much of the budget that is? Practically nothing. Sure, they shouldn't do that, but it isn't that big of a deal. I'm sure you're the same type of person that thinks cutting PBS is going to help the ease the debt. Government waste? You mean defense spending, surely. Obamacare is bad. Expanding the private insurance companies power is stupid, but you know whose idea that is? The republicans in the early 90's first came up with it. Ask Gingrich about it.