It's the spending, Buck. If you tripled everyone's taxes, the politicians would simply quadruple spending. If you could tax your way out of spending binges, Europe would be rolling in surpluses.
The answer has always been simple. Economic growth is what creates the real wealth that can support a properly-sized government without going into hock for it.
Clinton's "surplus" was not due to any unique tax rates, but the fact that at the end of the 90s a shitload of people were getting rich, rich, rich and paying taxes on all that new wealth and capital gains. It is certainly arguable how "real" that particular wealth was, but the government collected taxes on its creation and movement all the same.
Maybe we need a few more people making lots of money.
Things will probably improve when we get all the idiots out of Washington who think "pro-business" is a mortal insult.
Current Events » in reply to Re: Oh there's a good argument
It's the spending.
The whole thread (39 posts)
- U.S. credit rating in danger
- Obama's view of raising the debt ceiling.
- Jesee Christee, WTF?
- Re: danger
- Re: insight
- And now for some true insight into the GOP mentality
- Re: Oh there's a good argument
- It's the spending.
- Busness as usual
- Show me the word "taxes" in my post. (n/t)
- The only rational response to anything is to cut taxes, don't you know?
- *Contented sigh*
- Oh there's a good argument
- Meanwhile, out here in my alternate reality...
- No danger