I'm Beginning To Hate Bush ...

[Gatekeeper]

FrustratedPoet, Wernazuma III:

And here I am, fresh out of silver bullets, crosses and garlic.

Gatekeeper

[GePap]

The Bush admin. is popular currently because they have a singular visions and they have constantly been moving forward to implement that vision: in times of uncertainty, beginning in 2000 at least (with the elction debacle) if not all the way back to 1989 (and the end of the 40 years of 'order') such leasdership is popular because at least people think someone is at the helm.

I completely abhor the Administrations vision, I think they are in almost all respects wrong, but sadly opposition is minimal and weak and the President has been very successful in his acts: While there have been, as gatekeeper points out, a string of unsettling events during his precidency, Bush has had immense success in all his policies and acts as if he expects nothing else, be it domestic or foreign.

I like what The NYTimes magazine said last saturday about Bush, to paraphrase :"he is a daring leader and if he succeed, his success will be great, and if he fails, his failure will be monumental". In 10 years we will all the dealing with the aftermaths of the coming March War in Iraq, his tax cuts, his changes to Medicare, Medicaid, SS, and so forth and so on. And as I said before, i am deeply pessimistic about it all.

[DuncanK]

Would someone be kind enough to tell me which part of this to read so that I can participate?

[GePap]

All of it, or none of it. There are wothwhile statements throughout.

[DuncanK]

Thanks GePap,

I just skimmed through and read the last page or so.

Yes, Republicans can be scary. I was a little young, but I remember my parents being afraid of what Ronald Reagan was going to do. Looking back on history he did much better than rational people thought that he would. Sure people are poorer and a he could of done a lot better. Ronald Reagan talked like he was in control of everything, but informed people knew better. I believe that in reality that Reagan followed the advice of his advisors even when he didn't understand them. At times he didn't, like with the economy, but that actually turned out alright.

Damn, I'm going now where with this.

Point is I think Bush will not do too bad if he knows to listen to his advisors at the right time. With this tax cut the economy is likely to tank. I hope that he will admit he was wrong (to himself) and change course. If he doesn't we could be in real trouble. Interest rates are already too low, and the Fed will be powerless. Any lowering will cause a liquididty crisis.

[DanS]

Bush's economics advisors are telling him that taxes on capital have negative optimal rates. That's why he's introducing these tax cuts.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by DanS
Bush's economics advisors are telling him that taxes on capital have negative optimal rates. That's why he's introducing these tax cuts.

Are you talking about capital gains taxes or income taxes?

[DanS]

Capital gains and dividend taxes.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by DanS
Capital gains and dividend taxes.

Oh, I was talking about income tax cuts. I'm not against capital gains cuts.

[DanS]

Have you even taken a look at the president's plan, and how much $ goes to each element?

[GePap]

DanS:

Every body politic has decisions to make. Cutting taxes on capitol may, in 20 years, lead to a higher GDP: but personaly I prefer the services that that tax income provides more then I care to have a higher GDP. The wages of most Americas, figuring in inflation, have stagnated for a decade or more. And I don't buy trickle down supply side economics. I don't care if today we have less millionares than we could have, given how poor so many government, be they local or federal, are.

Use the money to help the states balance their budgets and avoid raising property and sales taxes and making cuts in state services.

And I remain deeply pessimistic about the near future.

[DanS]

"The wages of most Americas, figuring in inflation, have stagnated for a decade or more."

This is not true.

but personaly I prefer the services that that tax income provides more then I care to have a higher GDP

Well, this is certainly your choice. But I would prefer a higher GDP.

[orange]

'bout time

[Imran Siddiqui]

hear on the news every day, "Recession, recession, recession" so direct your insults to the American media.

So you admit that all your knowledge cames from the media?

I believe that in reality that Reagan followed the advice of his advisors even when he didn't understand them. At times he didn't, like with the economy, but that actually turned out alright.

Probably true. I basically thing that every President does the same. They basically say, well I appointed these guys so they could tell me what to do, so why not listen to them.

Though Reagan didn't always listen to them. An interesting Reagan story is when most of his cabinet wanted a national ID card. Reagan said mostly nothing as just about everyone argued for it. Then Reagan quipped "Why not just stamp numbers of everyone's arm", but did so in a genial way (indictative of a joke). Everyone laughed, but the President got everyone to see the sanity of his position, even though his cabinet totally disagreed with thim initially.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by DanS
"The wages of most Americas, figuring in inflation, have stagnated for a decade or more."

This is not true.

Oh, not that again?! DanS considers 3% growth in 20 years robust growth