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Debt Ceiling Debacle 2013: It's the End of the World As We Know It and the GOP Feels Fine

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Posts

  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.

  • fugacityfugacity Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    Preacher wrote: »
    chrisnl wrote: »
    What's this about kicking the can down the line for another three months? That would be horribly depressing (for me at least) if true.

    They think these fights are working out for them, because they aren't based in reality. But again they've already shown now they can't actually shoot their hostage, they've lost their leverage and this is about trying to hide the pathetic little shriveled dick they exposed.

    Yeah, this. If "We're not going to actually default" thing is now the official GOP position, then the GOP has basically lost this battle. Because when the hostage-taker says, "Well, okay, we're not actually going to shoot the hostage, c'mon," that's the time they lose credibility. That's when you walk up to them, take the gun out of their hand, and pistol-whip them in the goddamn face.

    I mean, they've basically admitted that what they proposed was fucking crazy-pants. That's not a good thing to be forced to admit.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uLuZGlwStBM#t=28s

    Skip to 27s.

    fugacity on
  • TenekTenek Registered User regular
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.

    Or you could just throw the can out, because it serves no useful function.

  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

    You misunderstand me. I am not saying that we must deal with the issue because there is a real, underlying need for it. I am getting annoyed that they are just engaging in stalling tactic after stalling tactic instead of actually doing their job and raising the debt ceiling for at least another year.

  • TenekTenek Registered User regular
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

    You misunderstand me. I am not saying that we must deal with the issue because there is a real, underlying need for it. I am getting annoyed that they are just engaging in stalling tactic after stalling tactic instead of actually doing their job and raising the debt ceiling for at least another year.

    Without the stalling tactics they have no leverage. The GOP is determined to take every potential crisis and either extract concessions or create another crisis, and so on ad infinitum. We're still dealing with the fallout from 18 months ago.

  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hold-house-votes-to-suspend-debt-limit/2013/01/23/58f2013c-6574-11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_story_1.html
    Murray characterized the decision as one that had been under discussions for weeks, long before the House moved. And she pledged to write a budget that addressed the problem of debt with a “balanced approach” that would protect government programs that help the middle class.

    Schumer said that would mean a budget that would pair spending cuts with higher tax revenues.

    A Senate budget that would include higher taxes would sharply clash with a House plan that will be advanced later this year by Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee.

    He has promised House conservatives a budget proposal that would balance within the next decade. That would likely require severe cuts, far deeper even than the budgets that he has proposed for the past two years, already slammed by Democrats for their sharp spending reductions and their overhaul of Medicare. Those spending plans each took nearly 30 years to balance the budget.

    Yup. This deal is DOA.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

    You misunderstand me. I am not saying that we must deal with the issue because there is a real, underlying need for it. I am getting annoyed that they are just engaging in stalling tactic after stalling tactic instead of actually doing their job and raising the debt ceiling for at least another year.

    Even pushing it off for a year is just another stalling tactic with a slightly longer deadline. We should really just get rid of the debt limit and deal with budgetary problems in the yearly budget.

    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • chrisnlchrisnl Registered User regular
    Yes House Republicans, go ahead and keep kicking this can down the road. Keep uncertainty afloat in the business world and keep hurting our economy. Might as well kick the sequestration down the road again too, it's not like military contractors have hiring decisions to make or anything.

    Silliest of geese, yet again.

    steam_sig.png
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    chrisnl wrote: »
    Yes House Republicans, go ahead and keep kicking this can down the road. Keep uncertainty afloat in the business world and keep hurting our economy. Might as well kick the sequestration down the road again too, it's not like military contractors have hiring decisions to make or anything.

    Silliest of geese, yet again.

    You're just bitter because they finally figured out how to use their position to actively tank Obama's economy.

    We can be thankful it took them more than four years to figure this out.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    Tenek wrote: »
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

    You misunderstand me. I am not saying that we must deal with the issue because there is a real, underlying need for it. I am getting annoyed that they are just engaging in stalling tactic after stalling tactic instead of actually doing their job and raising the debt ceiling for at least another year.

    Without the stalling tactics they have no leverage. The GOP is determined to take every potential crisis and either extract concessions or create another crisis, and so on ad infinitum. We're still dealing with the fallout from 18 months ago.
    Yeah, this is exactly what they're doing. They're waiting until they're in a better negotiating position. It's fucking retarded, but they don't want to actually do anything about anything until presumably they have the leverage to stick it to the American people.

  • MetroidZoidMetroidZoid Registered User regular
    Tenek wrote: »
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.

    Or you could just throw the can out, because it serves no useful function.

    Dateline, DC: Republicans throw out proverbial can, citing "See, we eliminated wasteful spending. What have the Democrats done?"

    9UsHUfk.jpgSteam
    3DS FC: 4699-5714-8940 Playing Pokemon, add me! Ho, SATAN!
  • SyrdonSyrdon Registered User regular
    Thanatos wrote: »
    Tenek wrote: »
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

    You misunderstand me. I am not saying that we must deal with the issue because there is a real, underlying need for it. I am getting annoyed that they are just engaging in stalling tactic after stalling tactic instead of actually doing their job and raising the debt ceiling for at least another year.

    Without the stalling tactics they have no leverage. The GOP is determined to take every potential crisis and either extract concessions or create another crisis, and so on ad infinitum. We're still dealing with the fallout from 18 months ago.
    Yeah, this is exactly what they're doing. They're waiting until they're in a better negotiating position. It's fucking retarded, but they don't want to actually do anything about anything until presumably they have the leverage to stick it to the American people.
    I really want them to kick the can down the road until the next elections, and then have them lose horribly (well, enough that they lose the house). Of course, I'd also like a pony, and I think that might be more likely.

  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    They are unconcerned about kicking the can down the road too far. Soon that aluminum can will go well beyond them

    sticker,375x360.png

  • ChanusChanus Harbinger of the Spicy Rooster Apocalypse The Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User regular
    That should say:

    "Where we're going, we won't be able to use roads because we'll have sold them off to private entities that charge extortionate toll rates."

    Allegedly a voice of reason.
  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    Chanus wrote: »
    That should say:

    "Where we're going, we won't be able to use roads because we'll have sold them off to private entities that charge extortionate toll rates."

    "Where we're going, we won't need roads because we are self made men with self made flying time machines."

  • YougottawannaYougottawanna Registered User regular
    Can't wait to see Paul Ryan's new budget. I wonder how big his completely made-up numbers will be this time?

  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    Syrdon wrote: »
    Thanatos wrote: »
    Tenek wrote: »
    Yikes. We're just going to keep on kicking the can down the road until we lose the ability to pay for more road to kick it down.
    Let me know when interest rates are such that people buying bonds are not paying the federal government to borrow their money. Then this will be a slight concern.

    You misunderstand me. I am not saying that we must deal with the issue because there is a real, underlying need for it. I am getting annoyed that they are just engaging in stalling tactic after stalling tactic instead of actually doing their job and raising the debt ceiling for at least another year.

    Without the stalling tactics they have no leverage. The GOP is determined to take every potential crisis and either extract concessions or create another crisis, and so on ad infinitum. We're still dealing with the fallout from 18 months ago.
    Yeah, this is exactly what they're doing. They're waiting until they're in a better negotiating position. It's fucking retarded, but they don't want to actually do anything about anything until presumably they have the leverage to stick it to the American people.
    I really want them to kick the can down the road until the next elections, and then have them lose horribly (well, enough that they lose the house). Of course, I'd also like a pony, and I think that might be more likely.

    That's pretty much just what they did. They agreed to the fiscal cliff because they were sooo sure they'd be negotiating with a lameduck president and Democratic Senate to undo it and could extract tons of concessions in the process

  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    they might be made up but they are so, so serious and adult and hard choices or whatever

  • TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009 JerseyRegistered User regular
    they might be made up but they are so, so serious and adult and hard choices or whatever

    You forgot "wonkish". How could you forget Paul Ryan's wonkishness?!?

  • ShinyRedKnightShinyRedKnight Registered User regular
    I've been following this forum and have since been gather info on the issue hand and economics in general. How accurate is the following video? youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE

    steam_sig.png
    PSN: ShinyRedKnight Xbox Live: ShinyRedKnight
  • AstaerethAstaereth In the belly of the beastRegistered User regular
    I've been following this forum and have since been gather info on the issue hand and economics in general. How accurate is the following video? youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE

    100% accurate and a nice, easy explanation of the debt ceiling.

    ACsTqqK.jpg
  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    Astaereth wrote: »
    I've been following this forum and have since been gather info on the issue hand and economics in general. How accurate is the following video? youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE

    100% accurate and a nice, easy explanation of the debt ceiling.

    And the top comment is "WHY DONT WE JUST CUT SPENDING!"


    sigh

  • ShinyRedKnightShinyRedKnight Registered User regular
    Astaereth wrote: »
    I've been following this forum and have since been gather info on the issue hand and economics in general. How accurate is the following video? youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE

    100% accurate and a nice, easy explanation of the debt ceiling.

    And the top comment is "WHY DONT WE JUST CUT SPENDING!"


    sigh


    Yeah I saw that... its frustrating.

    steam_sig.png
    PSN: ShinyRedKnight Xbox Live: ShinyRedKnight
  • Knight_Knight_ Dead Dead Dead Registered User regular
    Astaereth wrote: »
    I've been following this forum and have since been gather info on the issue hand and economics in general. How accurate is the following video? youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE

    100% accurate and a nice, easy explanation of the debt ceiling.

    And the top comment is "WHY DONT WE JUST CUT SPENDING!"


    sigh

    SOMETHING SOMETHING HOUSEHOLD BUDGET SOMETHING TIGHTEN BELTS SOMETHING

    Meanwhile the UK enters a triple dip recession due to austerity. Yup, that's totally where I want to be as a country.

    aeNqQM9.jpg
  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    I rexeny attended a major talk on the debt ceiling, and the speaker was showing us numbers that basically showed that our non entitlement spending is already on a path to dropping drastically as a percentage of GDP, but it doesn't even matter because our greying population will send Medicare costs up so high. The takeaway was basically that we cannot achieve anything meaningful through non-Medicare spending cuts and have no way to cut Medicare spending fast enough to help, so we have no choice but a large increase in revenue through higher rates and/or lower tax expenditures. I didn't agree with everything he said, but this is spot on.

    He also harped on the whole "you think you are middle class, but you are not" thing (this was a room full of lawyers at a $100 a head lunch) which I thought was a needless distraction (but it reminded me of this thread!)

  • DeebaserDeebaser on my way to work in a suit and a tie Ahhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered User regular
    fuck i fread the comments
    Y DID I READ THE COMMENTS!?

  • AstaerethAstaereth In the belly of the beastRegistered User regular
    edited January 2013
    Deebaser wrote: »
    fuck i fread the comments
    Y DID I READ THE COMMENTS!?

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  • Mild ConfusionMild Confusion Smash All Things Registered User regular
    They are unconcerned about kicking the can down the road too far. Soon that aluminum can will go well beyond them

    sticker,375x360.png

    Well, it is almost 2015.

    steam_sig.png

    Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
  • Chomp-ChompChomp-Chomp Shonen Princess Registered User regular
    Astaereth wrote: »
    Deebaser wrote: »
    fuck i fread the comments
    Y DID I READ THE COMMENTS!?

    Do you get sucked into reading Youtube comments, even though you know you'll hate them? Never fear! With the power of HerpDerp, all Youtube comments will be derped into oblivion, allowing your eye to pass over them without gleaning any information, enraging or otherwise! If you order now, you'll get HerpDerp free of charge*.

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  • enc0reenc0re Registered User regular
    I rexeny attended a major talk on the debt ceiling, and the speaker was showing us numbers that basically showed that our non entitlement spending is already on a path to dropping drastically as a percentage of GDP, but it doesn't even matter because our greying population will send Medicare costs up so high. The takeaway was basically that we cannot achieve anything meaningful through non-Medicare spending cuts and have no way to cut Medicare spending fast enough to help, so we have no choice but a large increase in revenue through higher rates and/or lower tax expenditures. I didn't agree with everything he said, but this is spot on.

    He also harped on the whole "you think you are middle class, but you are not" thing (this was a room full of lawyers at a $100 a head lunch) which I thought was a needless distraction (but it reminded me of this thread!)

    I find those sorts of forecast slightly misleading for the following reason. Medicare is set to explode because of rising healthcare cost. If healthcare inflation continues on its present path, than by the time Medicare bankrupts us so will the private side of healthcare. In other words, the cost problem isn't unique to government healthcare. As an extreme example, abolishing Medicare in no way solves the cost problem.

  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    enc0re wrote: »
    I rexeny attended a major talk on the debt ceiling, and the speaker was showing us numbers that basically showed that our non entitlement spending is already on a path to dropping drastically as a percentage of GDP, but it doesn't even matter because our greying population will send Medicare costs up so high. The takeaway was basically that we cannot achieve anything meaningful through non-Medicare spending cuts and have no way to cut Medicare spending fast enough to help, so we have no choice but a large increase in revenue through higher rates and/or lower tax expenditures. I didn't agree with everything he said, but this is spot on.

    He also harped on the whole "you think you are middle class, but you are not" thing (this was a room full of lawyers at a $100 a head lunch) which I thought was a needless distraction (but it reminded me of this thread!)

    I find those sorts of forecast slightly misleading for the following reason. Medicare is set to explode because of rising healthcare cost. If healthcare inflation continues on its present path, than by the time Medicare bankrupts us so will the private side of healthcare. In other words, the cost problem isn't unique to government healthcare. As an extreme example, abolishing Medicare in no way solves the cost problem.

    I agree that we really have a healthcare problem, not a Medicare problem, but given the nature of entitlement programs like Medicare and the political landmine that a sharp cut would be, I think that the government is more beholden to and at higher risk from our healthcare problems. The private sector can at least react to rising costs with less care (even though this would be a major quality of life drop for the Americsn people) but we can't really limit Medicare costs on any kind of reasonable timeline.

  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    Medicare will get more expensive over the next decade, and then start dropping off as boomers die.

    It is hardly a fundamental crisis.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    Medicare will get more expensive over the next decade, and then start dropping off as boomers die.

    It is hardly a fundamental crisis.

    Without raising revenue to compensate, they will do a lot of damage before they die out though. Medicare isn't the problem, it's being cavalier and not raising the money to pay for it that is. The GOP wants to cut spending instead of raising revenues, but the bottom line is that major spends like Medicare just aren't susceptible to short or even medium term cuts, and the costs are mostly in that short- medium range. We could make cuts, but the only major coat center with room is in the military, and we know how they feel about that.

  • MuddypawsMuddypaws Lactodorum, UKRegistered User regular
    edited January 2013
    Knight_ wrote: »
    Meanwhile the UK enters a triple dip recession due to austerity. Yup, that's totally where I want to be as a country.

    Think of the UK as the ugly painting in the attic to the US's youthful, blemish free economy.

    Muddypaws on
  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    Medicare will get more expensive over the next decade, and then start dropping off as boomers die.

    It is hardly a fundamental crisis.

    Without raising revenue to compensate, they will do a lot of damage before they die out though. Medicare isn't the problem, it's being cavalier and not raising the money to pay for it that is. The GOP wants to cut spending instead of raising revenues, but the bottom line is that major spends like Medicare just aren't susceptible to short or even medium term cuts, and the costs are mostly in that short- medium range. We could make cuts, but the only major coat center with room is in the military, and we know how they feel about that.

    You'll get no argument from me that taxes need to be higher, that's why I voted for Democrats! I'm just saying that people like to say that Medicare is fundamentally flawed, and it isn't. Baby Boomers are just fundamentally greedy.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • spacekungfumanspacekungfuman Poor and minority-filled Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2013
    Medicare will get more expensive over the next decade, and then start dropping off as boomers die.

    It is hardly a fundamental crisis.

    Without raising revenue to compensate, they will do a lot of damage before they die out though. Medicare isn't the problem, it's being cavalier and not raising the money to pay for it that is. The GOP wants to cut spending instead of raising revenues, but the bottom line is that major spends like Medicare just aren't susceptible to short or even medium term cuts, and the costs are mostly in that short- medium range. We could make cuts, but the only major coat center with room is in the military, and we know how they feel about that.

    You'll get no argument from me that taxes need to be higher, that's why I voted for Democrats! I'm just saying that people like to say that Medicare is fundamentally flawed, and it isn't. Baby Boomers are just fundamentally greedy.

    I actually think it is fundamentally flawed, but the flaw is on the revenue side, not the benefits side. When we started the program, you just could not spend as much on silver year and end of life care as we routinely do now, and this necessitates a reevaluation of how we fund the program. This reevaluation has not happened.

    spacekungfuman on
  • AManFromEarthAManFromEarth Let's get to twerk! The King in the SwampRegistered User regular
    Medicare will get more expensive over the next decade, and then start dropping off as boomers die.

    It is hardly a fundamental crisis.

    Without raising revenue to compensate, they will do a lot of damage before they die out though. Medicare isn't the problem, it's being cavalier and not raising the money to pay for it that is. The GOP wants to cut spending instead of raising revenues, but the bottom line is that major spends like Medicare just aren't susceptible to short or even medium term cuts, and the costs are mostly in that short- medium range. We could make cuts, but the only major coat center with room is in the military, and we know how they feel about that.

    You'll get no argument from me that taxes need to be higher, that's why I voted for Democrats! I'm just saying that people like to say that Medicare is fundamentally flawed, and it isn't. Baby Boomers are just fundamentally greedy.

    I actually think it is fundamentally flawed, but the flaw is on the revenue side, not the benefits side. When we started the program, you just could not spend as much on silver year and end of life care as we routinely do now, and this necessitates a reevaluation of how we fund the program. This reevaluation has not happened.

    That's not really medicare's problem. That's a refusal of the people who can afford to pay to do so, and a refusal to do anything other that would make healthcare costs come down. Obamacare is a decent start, but it's about thirty years too late.

    Lh96QHG.png
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    We could save hundreds of billions if Medicare were allowed to negotiate drug prices, like the VA does.

  • MillMill Registered User regular
    Yeah, I think most of us can agree that a fair chunk of the medicare problem can be attributed to the GOP being more interested in coddling the rich by letting them keep more than their fair share and the GOP fetish for austerity because cutting seems to be the only thing they can do when it comes to budgets.

    Properly funding the government, particularly raising taxes where they need to be raised would go a long way to fixing medicare. We could probably get some more mileage if we let Medicare negotiate drug prices. Also could probably get some cost cuts if we did higher education in this country differently, I think their wouldn't quite the drive to push for some of the wage levels if they didn't have to accumulate so much debt that can't be forgiven. I'm sure there are a few odds and ends, here and there, that could also yield some savings.

    We have a huge elderly population in the boomers, which uses a fair bit of resources. The recession didn't help things at all. There's also the issue where what we've really done is allow people to live longer but not really improve the quality of life. The economy recovering will help some. Once the boomers start to drop, as terrible as it may sound, that will help things quite a bit. Depending on how tech goes, improving the quality of life could lead to cost savings, but I think it might be too late for any such improvements to help anytime soon.

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