"The U.S. government spends money that it doesn't have and gives away almost 50% of its tax revenue through foreign aid and welfare"
LOL...the foreign aid budget of the USA is something around $30-50 Billion/year (or around 1% of the U.S. federal budget), and welfare was "reformed" back in the 1990s. It's not a significant portion of the USA federal budget anymore.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/02/how-much-does-uncle-sam-spend-on-foreign-aid.html
I personally think that the USA should spend less on foreign aid (see below), but one can't balance the budget just by slashing foreign aid alone.
"If taxes are raised, they should be raised on everyone. To balance the budget you would need a 88% tax on the highest earning bracket, and after the taxes, they would actually be making less than the lower class. Taxing one group more than another is unfair, biased and immoral"
...in your wild, Right-wing fantasy world that is...ugh... Progressive taxation is another completely non-controversial issue, except on the far Right-wing in the USA. Ending the GWB tax cuts (for mostly the rich ) & taxing millionaires at a slightly higher tax rate would yield another $3-4 Trillion in federal revenue over the next decade of so. Raising taxes on corporations, especially multi-national corporations, & hedge fund managers would yield another $100 Billion or so in federal revenue over the next decade or so. Eliminating unnecessary tax breaks for extraction (like Big Oil) & toxic chemical industries would yield another $70 Billion or so in federal revenue over the next decade or so. Limiting charitable giving and state & local tax deductions would yield another $1 Trillion or so in federal revenue over the next decade or so.
Keeping the estate tax at the estate level of $3.5+ Million (which will affect 0.5% of all estates) will fund around 27% of the projected, long-term Social Security (SS) shortfall. Bringing the SS payroll tax back to its historical level of taxation (around 90% of income) will fund around 40% (or around $550 Billion over the next decade or so alone) of the projected, long-term SS shortfall. Gradually raising the full SS retirement age over time to age 70 will fund around 35% (around $110 Billion over the next decade or so alone) of the projected, long-term SS shortfall. Extending SS coverage to more state & local govt. employees will fund around 10% of the projected, long-term SS shortfall.
Is there federal spending that can be cut as well? Sure, including around $110 Billion or so in unneeded "defense" spending, around $200 Billion in foreign aid, ending the failed No Child Left Behind nonsense (around $100 Billion) and reforming farm subsidies (around $10 Billion) all over the next decade or so.
Only through a balanced approach of spending cuts & increases in revenue can the federal budget be balanced over the long-term.
"Forced redistribution of wealth is extortion and theft"
LOL...again, spoken like a true member of the far Right-wing. The idea that taxation somehow equals "theft" is a wild assertion at best. Run along now...
You're talking about the exact same thing as what GWB did with taxes, period.
Paying taxes is a necessary responsibility of being a citizen, and we have unfortunately run up debts (which were things that were paid for with borrowed money...mostly under past GOP "leadership") which basically have to paid for with taxes at some point. There's no physical way to balance the U.S. federal budget & pay down at least some of the federal debt without raising some kind of tax on someone. Better taxes be raised on those that can better afford those higher taxes than on the middle or working classes IMHO.
The issue of govt. redistributing wealth via taxation literally goes back to the Roman Republic. It's only a "controversial" issue on the far Right-wing in the USA.
There's no reason for the USA to declare war on Iran. Iran has every right to develop nuclear energy as an alternative to petroleum, which is going to eventually run out anyways. Iran currently relies very heavily on others to refine the petroleum that they produce, and, while I don't support nuclear energy myself, Iran was given the go-ahead by the West under the Shah to develop nuclear energy. I personally think that a better solution for Iran's energy problems would better lie with wind, solar or geothermal energy, or other countries could provide Iran with enough nuclear fuel to power as many reactors as they want. In the very recent past, the USA has taken weapons-grade nuclear fuel from counties (like Mexico) that didn't want to have to safeguard it anymore...we could do the same thing with Iran if need be.
If I was Iranian & I saw what happened under the GWB Regime with the "Axis of Evil" countries (Iran, Iraq & North Korea), I'd want a nuclear weapon yesterday, not several years from now. Our potential adversaries unfortunately were shown under GWB that we'll leave you alone if you have even a crude nuclear weapon (North Korea) or we'll invade you & topple your regime (Iraq) if you don't have a nuclear weapon.
The USA doesn't need to strike Iran for Israel, since Israel is very capable of defending themselves (with nuclear weapons if need be). The mullahs that run Iran currently aren't going to attack Israel & risk their own destruction...they are cowards.
"You have no proof of that."
Of course I do...the falsehoods that you stated here again & again are right here in black & white for all to see.
BTW, don't like being laughed at eh?? Well, know that when others read your utter nonsense here that they'll be doing the same thing...lol...
"Then verify them. Use another source SAYING THE SAME THING."
What a moron you really are...you just don't like being schooled with the FACTS of the matter, so you feebly try to claim "bias" in the actual factual reporting, where there is none...lol...what a joke...
"I don't live in America. Germany."
Then you disgrace Germany with your support of illegal torture, period. Run along now...
"Inhuman acts do not deserve human rights."
All humans have rights, period.
"They should be treated as POW's not regular prisoners"
...who both have rights as well.
"You had no response for this"
Of course I did, you just don't know how to read apparently, moron.
"from now on, I'll refer to you as a Nazi."
Riiiight...because I spout all kinds of Nazi propaganda on this website...not...what an idiot & a liar you really are...sheesh...
"If someone does not wish to help the poor, it's his fuckin' right."
Not through taxes it isn't...and 'round & 'round we go.
"not that of a Fascist government."
We don't have a fascist govt., idiot.
"This isn't a discussion on how we should vote."
This is a discussion on how our system of govt. works...one that you don't want to participate in or acknowledge, which is YOUR problem, not mine.
"I provided evidence using reason and matching of Thomas Jefferson wanted."
No, you meshed your OPINION onto Jefferson and made believe that you were in agreement with him, period.
"As for your crime rate chart, you failed to mention that these crimes included VIOLENT crimes"
...which doesn't matter at all. You don't think that crimes for monetary value ever turn violent?? Well, you've never been in a liquor store holdup, like some of my friends were when we were all much younger.
"You failed to show any other decades"
...which doesn't matter, since I know when welfare reform was...it was in the mid-1990s.
"You failed to mention that they included sexual assault and rape in the statistic"
Never heard of those types of crimes where the perpetrator took things of value as well?? What a surprise...
"You failed to say that this is the amount of crimes REPORTED to police officers."
Riiiight, because all (or even most of) the crimes that are reported to the police are bogus...not...learn some logic you fool...
"I know you Nazi Communists like the term comrade"
LMAO! Fascists & communists are at the opposite end of the world political spectrum, moron. You just showed how much you know about politics & history...absolutely, positively NOTHING!
"But crime rates are DOWN."
Gee whiz, and your "evidence" (with no reports on the total amount of crime BTW) are for "Number of offenses reported" AND include "rape"...lol...what an idiot you really are.
"And, of course, before LBJ (king of welfare) crime was lower as well."
Baloney.
"correlation does not prove causation, of course, but if you want to make an argument about the comparison between crime rate and welfare... well, statistics will only show that more welfare equals more crime. Less welfare equals less crime."
Nice job at contradicting yourself all in the same phrase...LMAO! Take a course in logic kiddo, then come back another time...because we're DONE here.
"The possibility of a terrorist escaping is a non-issue."
Of course it is...there is nothing to fear from terrorists in this country that are safely locked up, since NONE of them have ever escaped!
"The issue is the political cowardice of some people who think we need to kowtow to our detractors. Personally I could give a damn what France or anyone thinks about America - and it gets tiresome listening to people who do."
Who the hell mentioned France?? America has enough laws of its own to live up to, and torturing prisoners, not allowing prisoners access to counsel & not following international treaties which are U.S. law under our system is illegal!
"Obama has closed Guantanamo and move terrorists into our country, for no good reason."
If you don't know by now why the Gitmo torture prison is a huge stain on the face of America, then there's simply no hope for you my friend.
"But you go left-wing. Tisk, use some right wing"
Facts are facts...learn the difference between biased opinion & real, verifiable facts.
"You insuate that I am right-wing"
...because you obviously are.
"Inhuman acts do not deserve human rights."
All humans have rights because they are human, period.
"They should be treated as POW's not regular prisoners"
POWs have rights too...ugh...
"You can't debate opinion"
Of course you can...with FACTS. Opinions that are not based on verifiable facts are worthless...just like yours are, moron.
