Tea Party philosophy

[kallend 1,623]

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>2 - But that's ok, because when you are eating cat food, at least you can blame the government

Honestly I'd rather have retirees eating "cat food" (or more accurately cornflakes) than dying in the streets. (Which is all Social Security should do.)

we've been down this before -

establish a fleet of roving refrigerator collection trucks - use the corpses to feed the living at the equivalent price of cat food - use the money to fund the fleet

two problems solved - street cleanup, and starvation of the elderly

That's quite A Modest Proposal.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Bolas 5]

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How many have lost big chunks of their retirement money that was invested in stocks and/or real estate in the past few years? The first case is the person's own fault, but the second is beyond their control.

Don't agree, those people had other options than the investments they made. There are no guarantees.

Also unless the money is in stock in a company that goes bankrupt or people sell what stocks/funds they had when the market is down, the money isn't really "lost."

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[Gene03 0]

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Summed up succinctly in this passage from a NYT article:

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When talking about the Tea Party movement, the largest number of respondents said that the movement’s goal should be reducing the size of government, more than cutting the budget deficit or lowering taxes.

And nearly three-quarters of those who favor smaller government said they would prefer it even if it meant spending on domestic programs would be cut.

But in follow-up interviews, Tea Party supporters said they did not want to cut Medicare or Social Security — the biggest domestic programs, suggesting instead a focus on “waste.”

Some defended being on Social Security while fighting big government by saying that since they had paid into the system, they deserved the benefits.

Others could not explain the contradiction.

“That’s a conundrum, isn’t it?” asked Jodine White, 62, of Rocklin, Calif. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe I don’t want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security.” She added, “I didn’t look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think I’ve changed my mind.”
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The solution to this conundrum is obvious - teabagger leaders should discourage such dangerous activities as thinking, and instead concentrate on outrage, anger and vitriol. Throwing bricks through windows is always preferable to gaining perspective.

Are you saying they should become [shudder] Democrats? [/shudder]

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[rehmwa 2]

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>2 - But that's ok, because when you are eating cat food, at least you can blame the government

Honestly I'd rather have retirees eating "cat food" (or more accurately cornflakes) than dying in the streets. (Which is all Social Security should do.)

we've been down this before -

establish a fleet of roving refrigerator collection trucks - use the corpses to feed the living at the equivalent price of cat food - use the money to fund the fleet

two problems solved - street cleanup, and starvation of the elderly

That's quite A Modest Proposal.

titling noted and appreciated


though I believe Ross Perot has been proposing similar concepts for some time, so it's not really my idea

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 2,400]

>Are you saying they should become Democrats?

Why, I thought the currently accepted stereotype of democrats were Cardigan-and-jacket wearing wimpy out-of-touch Ivory Tower types who watch PBS, drink French wine, avoid corn-fed US beef and hate America! If you're going to switch your stereotypes so dramatically I'm afraid you'll have to run it by Glenn Beck first.

[mirage62 0]

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It's not going to go over very well with anyone my age, and most of us have not taken any state money so you can't claim we're "addicted". We have, however, been paying SS and Medicaid taxes for decades. I can assure you that my generation has no intention of saying "OK, we paid and paid for 40 years but it's OK, just keep the money, we'll figure something out".

John (God I know better here....) but I bet you have a real well funded retirement plan....you've made a good living. GET OVER YOURSELF and agree that you should give UP you S.S. benifits. Damn man it's not much and really isn't at all important that you paid in for decades. I've worked hard and have been taxed at the highest levels for decades. It's going to hurt a little when the gov takes your S.S. to help people that haven't done SHIT to get ready for retirement (unlike yourself who has)

Your double standard here is amazing.

How could you be the least bit against giving up your benifits? The poor people need them and the gov is going to help them.

Oh when it really effects John than theres a problem.

LOL, dude you'd better start putting some more away cause your going to get screwed like the all the rest of us.

Note: John actually is close enough to retirement (I think) that he may actually get his S.S. and good for him. He paid it in.

Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little

[kallend 1,623]

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It's not going to go over very well with anyone my age, and most of us have not taken any state money so you can't claim we're "addicted". We have, however, been paying SS and Medicaid taxes for decades. I can assure you that my generation has no intention of saying "OK, we paid and paid for 40 years but it's OK, just keep the money, we'll figure something out".

John (God I know better here....) but I bet you have a real well funded retirement plan....you've made a good living. GET OVER YOURSELF and agree that you should give UP you S.S. benifits. Damn man it's not much and really isn't at all important that you paid in for decades. I've worked hard and have been taxed at the highest levels for decades. It's going to hurt a little when the gov takes your S.S. to help people that haven't done SHIT to get ready for retirement (unlike yourself who has)

Your double standard here is amazing.

How could you be the least bit against giving up your benifits? The poor people need them and the gov is going to help them.

Oh when it really effects John than theres a problem.

LOL, dude you'd better start putting some more away cause your going to get screwed like the all the rest of us.

Note: John actually is close enough to retirement (I think) that he may actually get his S.S. and good for him. He paid it in.

My personal circumstances are irrelevant.

A contract is a contract. SS, Medicare, and for that matter the aviation fuel tax are NOT general taxation. They are for a specific purpose, they were enacted for that purpose, and that IS their purpose.

The govt. can to what it likes with general taxation, including any taxes it levies on SS payments to seniors.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[mirage62 0]

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My personal circumstances are irrelevant.

Actually there not. Through the years John I have listen to you make comments that you know relate to others "personal circumstances" when they perhaps argue about higher taxes. YOUR circumstance is that you are close to your payoff and the thought of someome touching your hard paided for S.S. benifits upset you.

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The govt. can to what it likes with general taxation, including any taxes it levies on SS payments to seniors.

If I'm reading your comment correctly you are saying that SHOULD the gov decide to inact a tax say on people that have seperate form S.S. retiremnt income greater that XX they face additional tax on there benifits of X %?

You'd support that John, I bet as long as the numbers were just below whatever you have set aside.

Your rabid stance on this shows that although you support higher taxes on higher income earners you certainly don't think it's fair for them to take yours.

Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little

[kallend 1,623]

Do you actually understand the concept of a contract?

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[mirage62 0]

Much better than you do most likely. BTW there is no "contract" between you and the goverment for S.S. benifits.

Do YOU uinderstand the idea of being a hyprocrite?

Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little

[kallend 1,623]

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Much better than you do most likely. BTW there is no "contract" between you and the goverment for S.S. benifits.

Do YOU uinderstand the idea of being a hyprocrite?

You seem to think it's all about me. It's not. There are tens of millions of Boomers coming up to retirement. If the govt. reneges on the deal there WILL be a revolution.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

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There are tens of millions of Boomers coming up to retirement. If the govt. reneges on the deal there WILL be a revolution.

The government took their money and now they want something in return. What a bunch of selfish racists.

Don't they realize that it's not their money? It's the government's.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 1,623]

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There are tens of millions of Boomers coming up to retirement. If the govt. reneges on the deal there WILL be a revolution.

The government took their money and now they want something in return. What a bunch of selfish racists.

Don't they realize that it's not their money? It's the government's.

Nope. For years the govt. has been sending them a letter each year outlining the benefits that they will get.

SS is NOT general taxation (although a number of administrations have raided the trust fund as if it is).

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

I think it's odd how you are arguing against a philosophy you've been pitching for years.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 1,623]

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I think it's odd how you are arguing against a philosophy you've been pitching for years.

Incorrect.

Go back and read my comments about aviation fuel taxes.



It's a pity you can't tell the difference between general taxation and taxes approved by Congress for specific purposes and those purposes only. The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) is the enabling legislation. Tax deposits are formally entrusted to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, or the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.

It's all moot anyway; any government reneging on SS is committing political suicide.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[mirage62 0]

John as normal is correct. S.S. can't be touch - that's why they will take a look at John's other retirment accounts...means test it and then tax the HELL out of the account - the OTHER accounts he has. The S.S. will be paid but they will take from them other.

So actually we are ALL correct.

Problem is John's going to get screwed for being ready for a decent retirement to take care of people who didn't get ready.

What makes the whole thing funny as it relates to John is his normal positions on these KINDS of subjet. John is in effect a big corporation that can "afford to pay some more" although he busted his ass to get to what he has. Is John greedy like a corporation - that he speaks of from time to time? No, he just wants to keep what is his, that he worked hard for, now THERE's an idea

What makes it not funny is in the end the middle class will get really screwed here.

Note: John may not have a penny for retirment - but knowing John...I don't think so.

Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little

[timmyfitz 0]

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There are tens of millions of Boomers coming up to retirement. If the govt. reneges on the deal there WILL be a revolution.

But the revolution won't go past 4PM everyday. That when the early bird specials start. And there will have to be a time out for naps too.

[rehmwa 2]

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I think it's odd how you are arguing against a philosophy you've been pitching for years.

Incorrect.

nonsense - you preach that the money is the government's and none of our business how it's used until we vote the next time

The fact that some funds are directed specifically to certain areas just implies that they are very high on the priority list. (But we really know, that this is just rationalization to take more money from target areas that aren't really that important)

If the gov passes a bill to disassemble SS and spend that money elsewhere, then your philosophy says that's fine. (they just updated their spending priority list). We can vote later if the specifics displease us.

Agree, it's all moot for this specific scenario though for the same reason.

Now, if they could make the money disintegrate if spent elsewhere - then I'll take your side.

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 1,623]

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I think it's odd how you are arguing against a philosophy you've been pitching for years.

Incorrect.

nonsense - you preach that the money is the government's and none of our business how it's used until we vote the next time

Incorrect. The GENERAL FUND is for use at the govt's discretion. The trust funds are not.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

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Incorrect. The GENERAL FUND is for use at the govt's discretion. The trust funds are not.

so, your government can pass a law putting SS into the general fund......

if it displeases you, you can vote against those guys next time - in the meantime, the money disappears in a 'poof' of earmark local pandering of correctness and fairness of some kind of another...

we aren't really disagreeing, you just like to think that the stuff "you" think is sancrosanct is more important than other stuff - just like every regular guy out there does

maybe we can tie strings around every single dollar spent and completely eliminate a general fund - that'll keep them busy for a while

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[kallend 1,623]

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we aren't really disagreeing, you just like to think that the stuff "you" think is sancrosanct is more important than other stuff - just like every regular guy out there does

I, and tens of millions of others, think it sacrosanct because we've been informed that it is for all our working lives by every administration.

And our voting power will ensure that it is.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rushmc 18]

I, and tens of millions of others, think it sacrosanct because we've been informed that it is for all our working lives by every administration.

And our voting power will ensure that it is.
A great example of pure arrogance

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[kallend 1,623]

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I, and tens of millions of others, think it sacrosanct because we've been informed that it is for all our working lives by every administration.

And our voting power will ensure that it is.
A great example of pure arrogance realpolitik

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[mirage62 0]

So John you and your "tens of millions" voters.... what do you think will happen when the 100 of million voters decide to save there on ass by means testing you rich fat cats and take just alittle for the better good of the masses?

These of you that have "to much" are going to be asked to give just a little to these that "don't have enough" and the masses will force it.

Sounded good when he said "Only people that make $250,000 a year will see higher taxes" What the diference when he says "People who have bought tax free bonds, taken advantage of programs passed by the evil Rep" (You have to make what we did look BAD) are going to have to give up a little of there retirment.

It's coming.

Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little

[rehmwa 2]

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And our voting power will ensure that it is.

so you admit it's not sancrosanct - it's subject to law and changes to law and congress could take it away in an instant

again, it would be idiotic to do that, but it's possible they are that irresponsible

(your whole argument boils down to - "BUT,,,But, I think it's REALLY, REALLY, REALLY important" and I agree with you, but people feel that way about a lot of budget items......)

I mean, seriously, with the public and admins of both sides all pushing to revise various rights guaranteed in the constitution to press their agendas - how can ANYTHING be considered sancrosanct....?

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants