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He calculates $1 trillion could pave the entire U.S. interstate highway system with gold — 23.5-karat gold leaf. It could buy every person on the planet an iPod. It could give every high school student in the United States a free college education. It could pay off every American’s credit card. It could buy a Buick for every senior citizen still driving in the United States.
“As I started exploring, I was really taken aback by some of the things that can be done, both the absurd and the practical,” Simpson said.
America could the double the 663,000 cops on the beat for 32 years. It could buy 16.6 million Habitat for Humanity houses, enough for 43 million Americans…
It’s too recent to make Simpson’s list, but that $1 trillion could also have paid for the Bush administration’s financial bailout plan, with $300 billion to spare. It might not be enough, however, to pay for the war in Iraq. Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz has recently upped his estimate of the war’s cost to $3 trillion.
Many have addressed this topic since it became clear the nutballs in charge were going to use 9/11 as the core of their new imperialism. Simpson has done it with a lot more humor and wit.
Could’ve, should’ve, didn’t. Now what….
Or, we could have not spent any of it by cutting off gov’t access to our pocketbooks. Until we do there will be gross overspending, by all politicians.
>> It could buy a Buick for every senior
>> citizen still driving in the United States.
Why would they need two Buicks?
Your typical angry liberal comment at the end of the article adds nothing, and devalues the article.
Another epic fail on dvorak.org/blog.
#4 The Lib Dems have to do that because the tax system that enables this type of gov’t behavior was a Dem creation. I know it sounds psycho but, blaming others for their own mistakes is the hallmark of the Dem party.
#5 – Very true. Personally, I think Obama could go far on a platform of redoing the tax structure and admitting part of the reason for taxation is the redistribution of wealth.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step.
#4 Your typical partisan comment adds nothing to the blog.
Admitting you’re part of the problem might be productive for the nutballs with tender nerves over the war they supported from Day One.
But, then they might have to admit to their gullible and unwavering support for the creeps in charge.
#6
So you are saying that everyone should pay the same tax, i.e. $15,000 per person (man, woman, child).
Sounds good to me, my tax bill would go way down.
..could have bought 12 people a brand new Macintosh!
And by not spending it, it would have NOT added $1 trillion to the national debt.
@ #5
Right…
That’s not to say Democrats didn’t. I’m sure there’s plenty of blame to go around.
But you seem to be missing that the Republican party – in power for the last 8 years – seems to have done nothing about this apparent Democrat travesty.
Well if that’s true then that is pathetic – as the Republicans would presumably be against such a system (if its a terrible ‘Democrat system’). And being in power all those years they choose not to. That’s assuming they did identify said system was incorrect.
Sounds like a load of bollocks – as an explanation.
More likely both parties made mistakes. Seems to me the system as it stands today – is a defacto Republican system. Why? Because its the system they have supported for the last 8 years.
#13 “But you seem to be missing that the Republican party – in power for the last 8 years – seems to have done nothing about this apparent Democrat travesty.”
Not at all. This would require repealing a Constitutional Amendment. The Dems would never vote for it and the Repubs don’t control 3/4 of State legislatures.
You seem to be missing info on the US Constitution and the current State political landscape.
@ #14
Not at all. Thats only the last two years. So the prior 6?
Irrespective over that whole period (including when not having congress) they could have still tried to do something about it. Not least by at least trying to get something to go through.
But no – they did apparently nothing.
So the point stands.
#15 “So the point stands.”
The point that the Constitution wasn’t changed. You’re brilliant. LOL!
Fortuneately, Palin is the gift that keeps on giving. She will (hopefully) ensure a full Democratic government rule to clean up this Republican financial, death and destruction mess of epic proportions.
The last time there was Full control of Congress and the president was in 2004 when the Republicans controlled everything. Needless to say, they royally fucked things up.
With a Democratic government, we can begin to clean this shit up. It is fitting to see Alaska’s own Republican Ted Stevens convicted corruption, theft and abuse of power. Interesting to see the other oily piece of shit from Alaska, Palin, in full support of Stevens while McCain wants his resignation. Again, a double talking, dysfunctional ticket brought to you by the Bush/Rover GOP.
@ #16
Thanks for noticing 🙂
You are not so brilliant, or at least illogical. It appears that everything you say is in the form of how terrible the Democrats are, and therefore, in at least by implication, how ‘good’ the Republicans are. I’ve nothing against Republicans or Democrats in general. But I do have a problem with the Republicans that have been in power for the last 8 years. Because they have been crap by any reasonable measure.
Anyways just for example of your lack of brilliance/illogicality you say ‘blaming others for their own mistakes is the hallmark of the Dem party.’. And yet that’s exactly what you have been doing. Which makes you a democrat by your own logic. Weird stuff.
Anyways for homework, I’d like you to think of one thing – anything – that the Republicans have done wrong in the last 8 years… I know its hard… and then admit it. Perhaps in doing so you’ll be able to look outside of the strange prison you seem to have constructed for yourself.
Good luck – I feel you’ll need it.
Your typical angry liberal comment at the end of the article adds meaning, and really supplements the article.
Another epic win on dvorak.org/blog.
#8 – No Ted Kennedy jokes, please.
#7 – Negative. I actually foster debate because I can argue either side effectively, where as the liberal hacks… as well as most of the editors… can only state one side of an argument.
#10 – See? It got you to post an interesting question. In response, all that I’m saying is that we need to talk about taxation in an honest manor. Personally, I’m not a fan of the flat tax, but am a fan of creating a dividend type payout system… because it would eliminate the concept of someone that makes “no” money, and create a better environment to talk about taxing people who make money beyond what the government gives them (which is what the context of taxation is all about).
#11 – But only for the elite. The poor can look forward to Windows 7.
#17 – A meaningless post, as you repeat things that aren’t logical. As soon as McCain won the nomination the GOP’s power brokers started to focus on ’10. Wake up, drone.
#18 – For me, I’m not arguing that the right is any better… I’m simply stating that the left isn’t in position to speak on the subject because they aren’t forthright in their approach. If anything, your post confirms this, because you leave out the context around why those taxation methods can in to being.
At a fundamental level, and where I think we should be going as a country, wouldn’t you agree that taxing spending is more genuine that taxing income?
#20 – Your worship is noted.
James Hill,
Why the Estate Tax came into being? T.R. himself proposed it! James, clearly you have demonstrated on this blog that you can read. Here is a quick reference for you – http://tinyurl.com/6xa283
An an excerpt –
When Theodore Roosevelt demanded that Congress pass a steeply graduated inheritance tax in 1906, he was proposing the one bill that members of his own patrician class feared most. In attacking what they cherished – not just their money but also their sense of entitlement and superiority – he was challenging the class system, not the capitalist system, turning the upper-class world upside down. As far as these plutocrats were concerned, T.R. had betrayed his own class to the point of no return.
#23 Not really relevant as imposing this required the 16th Amendment that was pushed through by Dems.
Now, if you want to bring congressional spending under control, you have to cut off the available money.
James Hill and Paddy-O,
I made a mistake, President Ford signed the original EIC and every president has since extended and expanded it, including Reagan and Bush. Excellent, conservative leaning article on the topic here – http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance11.html
But how then could the Bush Crime Family and Prick Cheney/Halliburton have LINED THEIR POCKETS ??? The “PHONY WAR” in Iraq waged by the Pentagon, where they face NO ENEMY ARMY, NO ENEMY NAVY, AND NO ENEMY AIR FORCE is just a SINK-HOLE OF MILITARY EXPENDITURE TO ENRICH THE FAT-CATS IN THE AMERICAN MILITARY/INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX !!! Iraq, unfortunately, just happened to be in the CROSS-HAIRS OF THE AMERICAN WAR MACHINE !!! We can only hope that the next administration brings these WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE !!!
Paddy-O,
The 16th Amendment was ratified February 3, 1913 and addresses Income Tax , the Estate Tax is totally separate and existed prior to the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Read more about the Estate Tax here – http://tinyurl.com/6db2gd
#26 The lining of pockets on both sides of the aisle will continue until people like you decide to stop giving congress unlimited access to the wealth of the citizens.
Why are you upset about the inevitable consequences of a mechanism that you enthusiastically support?
That’s not logical.
I hate it when tax money is spent on something half the population thinks is a waste of money then they go on and on about what they could have spent the money on. That’s why taxes never seem to go down or away. Someone always has a great idea on how to spend it.
In Washington, we have a hotel/rental car tax used to pay for part of the baseball and football stadiums. This tax is due to end early since the projected income was lower than actual. That’s a good thing and the stadiums will be paid off early. When the basketball team asked for a new arena and allowance to continue the tax to the original deadline, our thief governor was quoted as saying there were many other groups that had a right to that money. That tax will not end early and may be extended. Another reason to vote no for increased taxes. And vote for Rossi.
Dumb liberals don’t understand the benefits of destroying Iraq.
1. It helps the GOP cause as this issue appeals to our core base. That is we frighten them to vote for us as we just had to call Democrats weak.
2. Improves the balance sheet of those devoted to the Republican cause. Halliburton, oil companies, defense contracters, independent security firms will tell you that the economy is in great shape.
3. It decreases the number of democrats who make up most of the soldier & contactor-employee deaths. Bush-donors remain here & instead send cheap labor who risk their lives to Iraq.
4. If the liberal press would have left me alone, I would have been known as the greatest President ever for freeing Iraq. Instead, the media dwells on negatives such as the killing of civilians which to me is irrelevant since they are not even white. Whoops, I mean American white who would vote for me.
5. Scares people even in the U.S. which means more proection money for Bush-friendly folks. My administration can do anything, jackoffs. All I have to do is mention 9/11. Hell, we would have invaded Mexico too, but I don’t think I could have convinced the public down there to let us handle($$$) the rebuilding of their country.
Come Nov 4: Vote GOP or the terrorists will win. Remember 9/11?
#20 – Uncle Patso applies a reverse James Hill and wins the match!
#21 – James Hill – A national sales tax would be the fairest for everyone. You would pay tax on how much you spend… and tourists and illegals would help pay too.