Below is a slightly modified version of my column in The Hill on the call of Democratic members for President Joe Biden to circumvent Congress and simply raise the debt limit unilaterally. It is more than a flawed constitutional theory. It is an abandonment of the core premise of our constitutional system that each branch would jealously protect its own institutional interests and powers. It is reminiscent of when Democrats applauded wildly when President Barack Obama told them that he was going to circumvent Congress entirely after it refused to approve his immigration and environmental legislation. They were applauding their own institutional obsolescence. I called it a constitutional tipping point and now Democrats are asking to be effectively stripped of their core power over the purse.
Here is the column:
Roughly 25 years ago, many of us were shocked by the discovery of a home full of bodies of dozens of people laying in bunk beds, wearing jumpsuits and identical black-and-white Nike Decade sneakers. They were the members of the Heaven’s Gate cult who, with their leader, drank a lethal mix of phenobarbital and vodka to gain entry to “Heaven’s Gate” with the passing Hale-Bopp comet.
Few of us could understand how rational people could believe their leader that it was necessary to shed their earthly bodies to gain access to an orbiting alien space craft. Few would buy such a pitch, but these people did. Some of the men even castrated themselves as a sign of their faith.
This week, Heaven’s Gate came to mind as I watched members of Congress line up to take a step that runs against every assumption of self-preservation in Madisonian democracy: They sought to make themselves nonentities. They called upon President Joe Biden to reject their very institutional existence, discard the separation of powers and unilaterally borrow and spend federal money.
At one event, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released a letter to Biden on behalf of himself and nine Democratic senators “to urgently request that you prepare to exercise your authority under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.” He was joined in this by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), among others.
Obviously, these are not Nike-wearing cultists, but that only makes their actions all the more inexplicable. These are rational leaders whose desire to nullify their own existence would have seemed entirely implausible to the Framers.
A presidential “power of the purse,” however, is a fiction, only marginally more credible than the Hale-Bopp comet’s power to whisk human souls away into space.
Their argument for it is based on Section 4 of the 14th Amendment, which states, “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”
The drafters of this amendment did not want Congress to simply dismiss its obligations to pay off the Union’s debts from the Civil War. Although the amendment is not limited to those debts, it has nothing to do with debt ceilings set by Congress. Default, after all, is not a denial of the validity of debt, but rather a refusal or failure to pay debts in time despite their validity.
Courts have long left it to the political branches to work out such differences in what is often a game of chicken with default. Moreover, as University of Virginia law professor Saikrishna Prakash recently pointed out, there is more than enough federal revenue coming in each month for Biden to avoid default by paying the interest on the debt under existing federal law. That may cause temporary problems for other spending priorities — acute problems, even — but it hardly rises to the level of a constitutional crisis.
Instead, these senators are suggesting that a president does not need congressional approval to borrow and spend trillions of dollars, even though the Constitution explicitly grants both of those powers to Congress alone. They also claim that, by demanding budget cuts as a condition of permitting further borrowing, the House is violating the 14th Amendment.
Of course, the Republican-controlled House views it differently. It has agreed to raise the debt ceiling if Biden reduces future spending. Keep in mind that the House was responding to a crippling deficit that increased by nearly $1 trillion in the first seven months of fiscal 2023.
The House was also responding to billions spent without congressional approval or support. That includes hundreds of billions in student debt forgiveness that Biden knew he could not get through Congress. Instead, he ordered it unilaterally.
So who is obstructing the payment of the debt? The White House could conceivably find a judge willing to intervene in a classic budget battle to give President Biden such unconstitutional authority, but it is unlikely to be sustained on appeal. And that may not matter. President Biden has previously taken actions that he admitted were unlikely to “pass constitutional muster” but believed “at a minimum, by the time it gets litigated, it will probably give some additional time while we’re getting [billions] out to people.” Yes, he said that publicly.
Biden is not the first president to disregard legislative authority. But these members of the legislative branch are beseeching their leader to ignore them and their constitutional authority. Indeed, the most important power given to Congress under Article I is the “power of the purse.” It was the ultimate control over government. Whatever entanglements or commitments a president may seek, he must ultimately get the Congress to go along.
George Mason captured that intent when he declared that “no branch of government should ever be able to combine the power of the sword with the power of the purse.”
This purported 14th Amendment loophole would reduce the separation of powers doctrine to junk bond status.
Barack Obama previously rejected this theory and said that Congress had to give him the authority to raise the debt limit.
Despite the contrary views of Obama and a host of constitutional law professors, President Biden appears emboldened by the idea. He recently made a public promise to Democrats that, while he was willing to negotiate with the Republicans, he would not agree to “anything of any consequence.”
Biden said that his support for this novel theory is a familiar name: Harvard Professor Laurence Tribe. When Biden announced that Tribe assured him of that he could act unilaterally, some of his White House counsel must have crawled into tight fetal positions.
It was Tribe who previously advised Biden that his Administration could reestablish an national eviction moratorium that the majority of the Supreme Court clearly viewed as unconstitutional. (It allowed the moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expire since it had only days left). Biden then cited Tribe in calling for CDC to reimpose the moratorium . Biden admitted that his White House counsel and their preferred legal experts told him that the move was likely unconstitutional. However, he listened to Tribe at the urging of then Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It was found to be unconstitutional for obvious reasons.
Madison believed that, despite party or ideological affiliations, “ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” He established a tripartite constitutional system where checks and balances would prevent the concentration of power in any one branch or in any one’s hands.
Whatever ambition is exhibited in this latest effort, it is far removed from the institutional interests that Madison hoped would prevail over partisan interests.
Yet members are lining up for this opportunity to gut Article I, negate their own power of the purse and create an effective government not only by one branch but by one man. It is a remarkable moment. They would be destroying Congress by their own hand — and Biden didn’t even have to give them new pairs of Nikes.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law for George Washington University and served as the last lead counsel during a Senate impeachment trial. He testified as a witness expert in the House Judiciary Committee hearing during the impeachment inquiry of President Trump.
In their idea of a perfect world, Democrat elites would get away with packing the Supreme Court with leftists, granting statehood to DC and Puerto Rico, a permanently open southern border, gender-affirming surgery for minors in every state, an immediate ban on fossil fuels, and a de-emphasis on merit-based achievement throughout academia and the workplace. Fortunately, each of these goals is extremely unpopular with working-class and middle-class Americans in both parties. The demise of the Democrat elites is drawing nigh.
We can only hope.
Just think this as well: if say the Debt Ceiling is raised to the levels that Democrats are implying are needed for their grifts to continue, do you think others are going to accept that?.
The other countries in the world are about to make this all irrelevant. Think Petrodollar and then BRIICSS+ system. Once the music stops, like Citi’s Chuck Prince once said, you can bet the USA will be holding the largest bag of excrement in all of World History.
Biden’s entire presidency is operated solely for the benefit of anyone other than the common American. Its for the bureaucrat, by the plutocrat, for the aristocrat (& China). And that demented dummy, and his ice cream, will got soft served straight to hell, if there is one.
https://business.time.com/2007/07/10/citigroups_chuck_prince_wants/
Jason P: the debt ceiling needs to be raised to cover expenditures already appropriated by Congress. There’s no dispute about these expenditures because Congress approved them already, which reflects the will of the American people. You don’t even understand the issue. Biden’s entire presidency has been devoted to fixing the problems Trump left him, all of which will benefit the average American: unemployment at 10% (Biden brought that down to the lowest level since 1969); infrastructure–repairing and building bridges, airports and highways, which will create thousands of good-paying jobs; mending relations with EU and NATO allies (that Trump trashed), which is helping Ukraine fight off Russian aggession, which, if left unchecked, could result in WWIII; correcting the inflation caused by Trump’s tax cuts that mostly benefitted the very-wealthy, including the Chips Act, to domesticate computer chip production, which Trump screwed up due to his stupid tariffs; $35/;month insulin and lower prescription drug prices. The “common American” benefits from all of this. Biden has also pushed to rescind Trump’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, which will help with our debt problem that Trump drove to record levels with his tax cuts. This will definitely benefit the “common American”.
You can insult our President all you want and lie about him being a “demeted dummy”, but he has been far more successful in his first 2 years than Trump was in 4 years.
Hilarious
Gigi – You say: “There’s no dispute about these expenditures because Congress approved them already, which reflects the will of the American people.” There’s no such thing as the “will” of the American people. That is the rhetoric of totalitarianism. But there is “public opinion” as it shifts from time to time. According to polls, American public opinion favors conditioning a rise on the debt limit by cutting planned expenditures.
When your Congressional representative votes in favor of a bill to expend funds for a program–that reflects the will of the American people. People who think it’s acceptable to even consider allowing America to default on its debt don’t understand what’s going on–an ignorance promoted by Fox, InfoWars, Breitbart, OAN and NewsMax to cover up the outrageousness of Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans playing politics with our economy. There are two separate processes here: 1. the debt ceiling–that needs to be raised to pay for expenditures already appropriated by Congress; and 2. the budget for future expenditures–the current budge ends on September 30, and if there isn’t an agreement, the government will shut down–which it previous did under Trump. The American Treasury Bill is considered the most-stable investment in the world–the standard by which others are measured. Because America has always paid its bills and has never even come close to defaulting, those who purchase T bills get a very favorable interest rate on what has always been considered a safe and stable investment. However, if Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling in time, which they are threatening to do, egged on by Trump (who took bankruptcy 6 times and has to borrow money to keep his businesses open), future interest rates will be less favorable, purchasing T bills will be far less attractive and harder to sell. Interest rates on home mortgages are already going up, just by virtue of the threat that Republicans will not raise the debt ceiling. Stocks would take a tumble, and those receiving Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps might not receive all or part of the benefits Congress already appropriated and upon which they depend. There undoubtedly would be a recession–the depth and extent of which are uncertain. “Public opinion” does not favor any of these things. The only people who favor trying to leverage the debt ceiling with spending cuts don’t understand what’s at stake here and how McCarthy is abusing power. And, the role of alt-right media is to keep them from understanding just how truly awful McCarthy and the Republicans are.
Query: why didn’t Republicans pull this stunt when Trump was in office–even when his reckless tax cuts for the wealthy drove the national debt to record levels? Why won’t Republicans even consider rolling back the tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and individuals, which would ease a lot of the issues with the debt ceiling? By their actions, it’s crystal-clear who Republicans are really most concerned about. Trump is actually hoping that Republicans take his advice and let June 1 come without an agreement. Why? Because he thinks the economic chaos that would result might help him politically, and he and Republicans know that their base and many other Americans don’t understand all of this and will blame Democrats. Also, Trump is desperate to try to get back into office–to give himself a pardon and to pardon the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, the 3 Percenters and others who stormed the Capitol–so they will be out of prison and available do his bidding. There’s a lot at stake here, people. Republicans are playing games with America’s economy for political reasons, and it’s indefensible.
Gigi – You keep saying that we are in danger of “defaulting on our debt”. No, there is more than enough money to pay interest on bonds, notes and T bills. THAT is our “debt”. Projected expenditures are not “debt.” They are not a specific sum of money owed to repay a loan. Of course, Biden could refuse to pay interest on our real debt in order to bring about a default, but that result would be “on him.” Following your lead, I will say that “it the will of the American people” that the current spending madness be reigned in.
Edward: you are a disciple. You believe what alt-right media spoon-feeds you, and when confronted with facts, you refuse to believe. There’s not “more than enough money” to pay for the expenditures Congress already appropriated. So says Janet Yellen, our Treasury Secretary. Biden’s not “refusing” to do anything, other than to agree to cut expentiures Congress already appropriated, which is what he SHOULD do. The people’s representatives have spoken about what is to be spent on various projects–we can only fulfill these obligations by raising the debt ceiling. McCarthy is playing politics with America’s economic reputation, and if we default, regaining confidence in Treasury Bills as a stable investment will be forever gone. He had to sell his soul to get the Speaker’s Gavel–15 rounds of voting, which is a record, ending with kow towing to the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Bobert. He won’t agree to expel George Santos, who lied to his constituents about being Jewish, about his mother getting injured in 911, that he was a college graduate, that he was a volleyball athlete, and numerous other lies just to get elected, and who is wanted by Brazil for fraud. McCarthy needs every vote to exert power–and how is he using this power? To play games, and we’re already suffering–mortgage rates are higher. This nonsense over raising the debt ceiling has to stop. And, you never answered my question as to why Republicans didn’t pull this stunt when Trump was in office, if the true reason for being recalcitrant now is to curb spending.
Just in case anyone believes the left as they slime Trump repeatedly and think that another candidate will do better because the left won’t slime them take a look at this article. DeSantis hasn’t even announced his bid for the Presidency and look at how the NAACP is acting. This is the start. Remember the signs carried by the left saying Kill Bush?
“The NAACP issued a travel advisory discouraging tourists from visiting Florida to protest Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policies, which the civil rights group claim are “hostile to black Americans” — just days before he’s expected to announce his candidacy for president.”
The left is filled with hate and must be stopped. No one should fall into the trap of pitting one Republican against another because that is doing the left’s bidding. DeSantis is great, Trump is great and so are all the others that are running. The Republicans have real choice with productive people as opposed to what the left has to offer.
Biden, senile claiming his son was killed in Iraq.
Kamala, slept her way to near the top
Pete Buttigieg, failed in everything except learning how to spell his name.
https://nypost.com/2023/05/21/naacp-advises-against-visiting-florida-to-protest-desantis/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alert&utm_content=20230521?&utm_source=sailthru&lctg=62680bbe38a279b1870b18c5&utm_term=NYP%20-%20News%20Alerts
DeSantis has been making Florida an awful place. He’s anti-free speech. Anti-LGBTQ, and is making their education system into a joke. He may poll well in very small circles in Florida, but the rest of the country he is lagging behind by a lot.
He may poll well in very small circles in Florida. . .
No better way to make oneself look like an idiot than to say the above after DeSantis trounced his Dem opponent by 20 percentage points in last year’s gubernatorial election. Now that’s funny!!
” an awful place”
It demonstrates that you are ignorant. DeSantis won big time because Floridians feel safe, prosperous, and are free. Freedom irritates you because you want all people to be your slaves. Florida has no problem with any segment of society except the very woke who wish to make them less safe, less prosperous and less free.
Education has been improving for decades and the states budget is in excellent condition. There are no income taxes. People are moving to Florida from all over.
Whether you are Bug, ATS, or any other anonymous, it doesn’t matter. You all think alike and act stupid all the time. None of you have done very much in your lifetimes.
ATS is too cowardly to respond, so his remark remains on the blog. ATS said:
“S. Meyer is insulting people again. It’s who he is.”
Yes, I insult “awful people” while you insult the people of Florida, which you call “an awful place”. There is no end to your awful behavior, awful lying, and awful deceitfulness. Why anyone would want to engage with such an awful person is awfully difficult to understand.
Where is the Florida Commissioner of Insurance? Why are places badly damaged by Hurricane Ian, like Fort Myers Beach, still sitting in ruins while insurance companies refuse to honor valid claims? Last night, NBC did a piece that featured private adjusters who were hired by insurance companes to assess damage to homes and businesses in the Ft. Myers Beach area. Several of them reported that the insurance companies altered their figures, deleted photos of damage proving it was due to wind and reduced their estimates to ridiculous levels. The insurers also tried to blame most of the damage to flooding and storm surge (which is only covered if you have separate flood insurance) instead of wind damage. There is supposed to be a Commissioner of Insurance in every state to protect the rights of insureds against the tyranny of insurance companies. Where is Florida’s Commissioner of Insurance and why aren’t they looking out for the insureds who are getting screwed by their insurers?
Florida is well-served by DeSantis. Ian was a devastating storm, but Desantis handled the disaster extremely well. The insurance commissioner blocked insurance companies from dropping policies. I think Florida did quite well following such a horrific disaster.
Separate coverage for flooding is a necessity. Flooding is insured by one program and wind damage by another. If someone doesn’t carry flood insurance, they won’t be compensated for damages. Look at the beach areas where the hurricane hit. Do you notice water inundating the surrounding communities? I guess you have a problem recognizing what water looks like.
S. Meyer: the depth of discipleship never ceases to amaze me. Last night’s piece featured private adjusters, and multiple ones of them all said the same thing–insurace companies are screwing their insureds, altering their figures, deleting photographic proof of things like roofs being blown away, which lets in rain, so the water damage to the interior is due to wind, not flooding. DeSantis is a joke. If he really cared about Floridians, he’d be on top of the insurers–they have to get a license to sell insurance. DeSantis could leverage license renewal or an enforcement action to get them to do what the private adjusters said about wind damage. You appaarently know more than expert adjusters when it comes to assessing the source of property damage.
Are you stupid? I already told you in part how the insurance commissioner immediately acted for the consumer. We don’t know everything he does, but there are always disputes between the insurers and the insured. Those claims are adjudicated in court, not by the insurance commissioner.
If it looks like the insurers are committing fraud, the insurance commissioner will enter the picture. The commissioner walks a tightrope because if the insurers go bankrupt, there will be no insurance for the future, or rates will climb to unaffordable amounts.
You seem to have nothing but an empty head.
I know multiple Floridians, and they all HATE DeSantis–they know Florida is very gerrymandered, which is how DeSantis got power. They resent his antI-LGBTQ rhetoric, his book banning, attacks on education and petty vindictiveness, especially against Disney.
How can elections conducted statewide be “gerrymandered”?
The concept of gerrymandered in a statewide election makes no sense at all. Just shows Gigi has no idea what she’s talking about.
Gigi, you may want to remind those Floridian friends of yours that I-75 and I-95 run northbound too!
“I know multiple Floridians, and they all HATE DeSantis”
Natacha, or more recently Gigi, If you know them, they would be on the hard left. That means they know very little about Florida or Desantis. They will hate DeSantis because, like trained seals, that is what they are taught.
Fortunately, it appears Florida is turning redder because of good management of the state.
Florida is such an awful place people are flocking there.
The Baby Boomer generation are moving from northern states to avoid winter weather, including driving on ice and snow, and would do so regardless of who the Fla governor is.
winter weather, including driving on ice and snow, and would do so regardless of who the Fla governor is.
winter weather, ice and snow? Who told you these types of weather cycles happens?
regardless of who the FL governor is? Like previous governors who led FL with millions of retired baby boomers living in America?
Peter, I told you to take a Creative Writing Course at UCLA, West Hollywood campus years ago to improve your trolling comments. Add to the course list, Logic. You are in grave need of thinking skills. Maybe you can meet your future husband there. But if he has half a brain, he would check out your package before dumping you. Do you still have your package or did you snip the little cherries and micro-zucchini off? Just saying!!!
Peter, Peter, Peter, You provide me much humor for which I am truly indebted to you. To whom shall I send a check in your name, Gays Against Groomers or Dave Rubin for DeSantis PAC?
😂
Heavy duty..!
. . . would do so regardless of who the Fla governor is
Wow, talk about denial! Every day people move from other warm states (such as California) to Florida, and everyday we hear stories of people leaving NY because of the high taxes, high cost of living, and high crime, to go to Florida.
They are leaving NYS because of the Democrats that run the state.
One reason they head to Florida is for greater freedom and opportunity.
It seems that the speech is free-er [sic] in FL than in other parts of the US. Like NY.
If FL was such a bad place, why is their population growing while NY is losing?
Just something to think about.
S. Meyer – DeSantis is great, Trump is great and so are all the others that are running.
Not all the others. DiSantis and Trump are great because they’re fighters. Same with Ramaswamy. Tim Scott is a nice guy, which is not what we need. We’re at war, we do not need to deal nicely with the opposition. We need to crush them, pulverize them, and make sure they never rise again – just like we did to the Axis Powers last century. This is just as much of an existential fight as that was.
DeSantis is great. Tim Scott isn’t ready, but he is far better than anyone the Dems can put forth. I won’t knock him because I don’t know him well enough, and he is doing his job. I think we are seeing some who are running for Vice President.
“Just in case anyone believes the left as they slime Trump repeatedly and think that another candidate will do better because the left won’t slime them”
Instead of mention the obvious, you could look for the strings on the marionettes: Once you see it, it’s insane to watch their performances without recognizing the strings! The disadvantage: You know the plot and see next moves.
Due to multiple insurance policies DNC has already secured win in 2024 Presidential Election for their nominee. In the unlikely event of proof of personal enrichment by his son Hunter’s “business dealings” (aka “influence peddling”) a decade ago, President Biden’s handler let him announce his retirement (health, family issues, you name it) and a replacement (maybe Newsom/Rice) will take over. However, as head puppeteer made it crystal clear to his puppets to limit their “investigations” in writing, letters, produce reports, conduct interviews other than these “too political” ones, don’t expect any GOP interference in this democratic process.
BTW: Do you think that Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his entourage will be able to solve “security issues” within next 1 1/2 years in order to release “J6 tapes”? Remember, the head puppeteer aligned himself with U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger slamming Tucker Carlson’s (Why is he still on break when he was supposedly fired?) “offensive and misleading conclusions” about the siege, concluding: “It was a mistake, in my view, for Fox News to depict this in a way that’s completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks!”
Charlotte, my statement before Obama ran for his second term was that if he was elected, I feared the nation would not return. There were two fundamental reasons. 1) It meant the American electorate was too fat, therefore, was not mindful of the events happening. 2) America’s government in DC would change for the worse, pushing America away from our Constitutional Republic.
I had numerous discussions that even though the pendulum swings, the swing would be in a downhill direction. Though I was very negative about the Democrat party, I never thought they would be so lawless and anxious to create an oligarchy, but they are. If the Republicans rule the WH for 12 years, we might make it back to where we were before. The only way to get change in a positive direction is to abolish today’s Democrat party. Vote for no one in the Democrat party, even if only for a dog catcher. Vote most Republicans out and replace them with true classical liberal/ libertarian candidates.
“If the Republicans rule the WH for 12 years, we might make it back to where we were before.”
Don’t see any path for that.
“The only way to get change in a positive direction is to abolish today’s Democrat party.”
Nice dream! After each election-circle, the DNC becomes more powerful, the influence of the GOP dwindles.
“Vote for no one in the Democrat party, even if only for a dog catcher.”
Before ’08 election was a full-fledged personality cult in motion. Anything what 1st time Senator Obama (who sent powerhouse Hillary packing) said, his huge crowd ecstatically cheered. On 10/30/08 in Columbia, MS he said: “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” It remains to be seen whether everyone understood the same thing, but he received phrenetic applause for this revolutionary bold statement. What’s the ideology called that “fundamentally transforming” society? A common answer is totalitarianism.
Many have instinctively felt that this “fundamental transformation” leads to an uncertain future and causes fears. On the other side of the isle, “Maverick” warned the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: “My friends change is coming. to Washington! I fought corruption, big spenders, lobbyists, crooked deals tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses.” Compared to these well known phrases, “fundamental transformation” was the winner.
Eight years later, Obama’s irreversible “fundamental transformation” was a cultural revolution in the name of “tolerance” and “diversity.” Since this did not appeal to many either, Donald Trump came at the right time. Miraculously and against massive opposition from the establishment, he swapped “The Apprentice” (even E. Jean Carroll was a “massive” fan of this reality show) for the WH. Since then, the Republicans have competed under two flags: MAGA and Traditionalists. In the case of a majority electoral system, the Democrats prevail in battlegrounds. In this way, they can easily implement “fundamental transformation”, even if, according to polls, the majority does not support this policy: Forward not backwards!
“Vote most Republicans out and replace them with true classical liberal/ libertarian candidates”
In this political landscape, they even don’t be spoilers.
“Don’t see any path for that.”
If you see no path, there is no reason to fight. Such a defeatist attitude is not in my dictionary.
And what exactly are your specific actions you are participating?
Not everything in my life is open to the public.
You will have to find your own way.
How shall I put this – both parties are acting like fools.
First off, the “national debt” is in reality the surplus of the American people. How can this be so?
Well there are several ways to explain, but the simplest is to look at basic bookkeeping. In double-entry bookkeeping, for every debit there is a corresponding credit. So let’s look at the national debt in these terms.
When the federal government spends (debits) more than it receives in revenue (credits), then we say there is a Federal debt or budget deficit; that the government has spent more than it takes in. However, as double-entry accounting tells us, there are somewhere corresponding credits and debits that exactly pair up with the Federal debt. So the Federal debits are someone else’s credits; and vice versa, the Federal credits are someone else’s debits.
And for simplicity sake let’s say all Federal credits are tax revenues, and all Federal debits are Federal spending on the military, Social Security, Medicare, etc. And let’s also assume that all Federal government activity takes place just within the nation.
What double-entry accounting tells us then, that it is the American people’s debit to pay taxes, which counts as the Federal government credit. Are you with me so far?
What it also tells us is that it is the American people’s credit when the Federal government spends money, its debits.
So government spending is a credit to all American citizens and businesses. Whether that spending is wise or foolish, fair or unfair, is a subject for another day. The Federal government spending does go in aggregate to the American people and business as its credit. And if the Federal government spends more than it takes in, it becomes more credit for the American people and businesses. The “national debt” is in reality the surplus of the American people.
So what about deficit spending, is that not harmful to the nation? Deficit spending is simply when spending is more than revenue collection. And there is no doubt the Federal government has engaged in deficit spending for a long time. But this is not the problem it appears to be.
If you or I engage in deficit spending for a length of time, we can expect economic trouble. Same for state and local governments. It is not sustainable.
But the Federal government is not like our household budgets.
Why? Because the Federal government is the sovereign issuer of the currency. If you or I print $20 bills in our basement to cover our debits, we will likely wind up in Federal prison.
On the other hand, the Federal government is always creating new money through the Constitutionally-mandated Congressional appropriations process. The constitution gives Congress the ability to create money to pay its bills. Again whether they do so wisely is fodder for a different conversation. But the Constitutional ability for Congress to do so is certain.
The whole “Federal debt” issue is really a form of Kabuki theater, with you and I and the American people as the audience. Its a pointless and dangerous charade of politicians who are either lying or ignorant. Turley provides a good analysis of part of the Democratic foolishness, while the debt ceiling “crisis” is being pushed by the Republican fools.
If you doubt the foolishness of either party to this charade, just think about what it would mean if the Federal government were to erase all of its “debt.” Which means that it would need to take back the credits of the American people and make them debits for us, so it can turn its debits into credits.
For example, if there was a plan to tax and/or cut spending by $3.3 trillion every year for 10 years, it would, if my math is correct, take on average from all American citizens (children included) $11,000 a year. For 10 years. For a family of 4 this would average $44,000 a year in either higher taxes or less government spending for a full 10 years.
This would result in an unmitigated economic disaster. It would crash markets. It would destroy businesses. It would throw countless people into misery. All for what? To make sure the Federal budget is “balanced?” Why do this if the Federal government cannot go broke?
It is time for all of us to understand what is going on and to not accept debt ceiling foolishness from anyone.
Unfunded liabilities are a – if not, THE – real problem…promises made by government to government employees, retirees, and bond holders that future tax payers can never fulfil. You can guarantee within a generation or two those bills will become unpayable as pay-as-you-go, debit/credit transactions on a government balance sheet. Not only because the government fiat currency will be even more worthless, but also because the people tasked with paying those past-promised liabilities will simply refuse to do so. And who would blame them? They never voted to be represented by the Ponzi-scheme, kick-the-can-down-the-road-minded, Congresses of current and decades past. There are no future bookkeeping entries that can or will fix that.
Unfunded liabilities are a problem. But not this problem. Why can’t the Federal gov’t fulfill its promises on SS and pensions? Did you read my post? The Federal gov’t budget is NOT like your household budget, sorry but its true. How can the Federal gov’t run out of money if it is the sovereign issuer of it? Literally the Fed creates the money Congress appropriates. And destroys money it receives in taxes. That should blow your mind. You persist in thinking our currency is backed by gold perhaps. That has not been the case since the 1930s domestically, and 1971 internationally. Or perhaps you don’t understand the basics of banking.Read up on the topic and then get back to this.
Yes, I read your post. No, journal entries on a ledger do not equal debts paid and creditors whole.
That is true. But the underlying assumption is that Fed’l budget deficits are an unalloyed evil and that only a “balanced budget” can save the Republic. Right?
I just explained how that underlying assumption is a lie. The Fed’l budget is unlike any other budget there is. Because the Fed’l gov’t can never go broke, except when fools push a budget ceiling ultimatum.
Let me ask you, who is the “deficit” owed to? Treasury bond holders? Likely. So if bondholders want their money now, the Fed can just buy back the notes with creating the money it needs. In fact they do this in billions of dollars everyday. There is no threat today of default because the debt is too large.
BTW, Congress has already appropriated the money to pay its bills. What this charade is in effect is doing is that “we won’t pay our bills” because it refuses to let the Fed create the money to pay. The time to question the wisdom of any spending is in the appropriation debates, not when the bills are due.
” Because the Fed’l gov’t can never go broke…”
Technically true.
“…except when fools push a budget ceiling ultimatum.”
This isn’t a Party problem, it’s a Trust problem.
The federal government has been suffering a currency trustworthiness-problem since it stopped backing paper with precious metals as collateral. Even the coinage it mints today is near its lowest buying power since silver was removed as the main metal. Neither the currency nor the government that prints it will become more trustworthy by multiplying by any factor, the supply of paper – just because the government “can”. I don’t wish the US currency to have zero value (trust) to her own people, like the folks who lived in Weimar Germany in the 1930’s.
A balanced budget, at a minimum, gives *some* confidence to citizens that government is *attempting* to be responsible stewards of the national economy. Adding paper, year after year, to the supply only creates inflation which everyone knows makes everything artificially cost more; too many dollars chasing too few goods and services, which leads to higher interest rates on every consumer dollar borrowed, hitting the people who can least afford those real household increased costs the most. You’ll never convince people who can’t afford basic necessities that government overspending is “good for them”. Doing so anyway only increases the loss of trust in government and the paper it prints. The government may never go broke, but it can never print its way to national prosperity, either. Most certainly not with citizens that do not trust the people pulling on the levers of power against their consumer voices or the people saying ‘everything will be fine because government is here to print more money’. People’s trust in money, just like their trust in government, is only worth it’s perceived value – and that perception IS reality in both instances.
The gold standard, as with as other commodity-backed currencies, have thankfully become obsolete. While the logic behind commodity-backed currencies seems to make sense, in fact it does not allow an economy to grow beyond the supply of the commodity.
And it is unnecessary. Witness that historically the US and other industrial economies temporarily abandoned the gold standard during times of war when they needed to expand production.
Fiat currency has now been around for about 90 years in the US. The US economy has grown far more than the gold standard would have allowed. And the value of the dollar has remained, on the whole, remarkably stable (with bouts of inflation during the oil embargo and COVID).
Fiat currency’s value is based on a few things, not the least of which is the aggregated value that American workers have produced over the years. If you doubt the value of the dollar, please send me all of your dollars and I will take proper care of them. 🙂
You mentioned Weimar Germany’s inflation. The cause of their hyperinflation was obviously due to the Treaty of Versailles which required Germany to pay extremely onerous “reparations” to the Allies in the Allies’ currency. This was an impossible situation as JM Keynes had warned about at the time. The effect of converting the output of the German economy into foreign currencies, which left the country, devalued the mark to such a degree that they could not print marks fast enough. Hence hyperinflation.
” Weimar Germany’s inflation.”
If you don’t like German hyperinflation, try Argentina and think again.
And that government went out of existence because it lost the trust of her citizens. It’s replacement, Third Riech, (remember them?) turned out to be even worse for all of Europe’s population, including those with lots and lots of cash. Perhaps you could take a break from ‘theory’, get some fresh air, then try to sell your wares to the family who can’t afford to pay all their bills each month do to high inflation. Be sure to get in their face about how well off they are when their government keeps spending their tax money against their wishes, you know, for their own good.
Is there little trust in the Federal government because the dollar is not backed by gold? I can name a 100 things more important as to why people don’t trust the government. Take your pick: lying about COVID and “vaccines”; lying about Ukraine; lying about the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Balkans; lying about Palestine; lying about being for working people; lying about the train derailment in E Palestine, Ohio; lying about “the Fed can fix this inflation with higher interest rates”; and on and on. I’m sure you can name even more.
I have in fact fought hard all my adult life with working people to make our lives better. In an organized and effective way. I am retired and am grumpy when anonymous commenters make assumptions about what I do.
We all need a Federal government that is not beholden to the corporate oligarchs of this country. We are in fact not a democracy, but indeed an oligarchy, which is “rule by the wealthy.” You are not helping matters when you spout off lies of one flavor of the oligarchy that whip people into a frenzy of fear over Federal spending, in order to not to have that fury aimed at them.
Smarten up. The oligarchs have two parties. And neither is interested in returning democracy to the people anytime soon. We need to organize, build our power, and take back the democracy that is rightfully ours.
You misunderstand double entry accounting. Credits have an exact opposite in Debits. And vice versa. Nothing about bills paid.
“Whether that spending is wise or foolish, fair or unfair, is a subject for another day. “
No! That should be the subject before spending the money. They should also take a course in economics and observe what happens to a nation’s currency when money is mismanaged.
You are talking like a friend who went bankrupt.
I agree and in theory when congress went through debates on the current budget that was the time to discuss the wisdom of certain spending. But it seems it is the Republican aim to use the fake budget deficit crisis to cut spending they don’t like and could not get passed during the time of debate on the budget. This is dishonest. Why not advocate directly and openly to cut Social Security and other social spending? Because they know most people oppose it. Instead they resort to the fake budget deficit crisis to confuse citizens. And the Democratic fools take the bait, hook, line and sinker.
I can’t speak to what your friend said. But the ONLY way the Federal gov’t can not pay its bills, is in this foolish and stupid exercise. Our personal finances are another matter as we can’t legally create money to pay out bills.
“But it seems it is the Republican aim to use the fake budget deficit crisis to cut spending they don’t like and could not get passed during the time of debate on the budget. This is dishonest.”
The Democrats were in control when the bill passed. Both parties are big spenders, but the blame is on those that voted for these costly spending bills. That is the Democrats.
Politicians are naturally dishonest, but most of it today is from the Democrats. The Republican sentiments, as a whole, weren’t dishonest though I think McConnell was. Biden wouldn’t discuss anything. That means he is responsible for the lack of negotiation and has lied about almost everything important.
” Why not advocate directly and openly to cut Social Security and other social spending?”
If you believe Medicare and Social Security need cutting, then recognize that happened before, but it requires both parties involved. Maybe you think we should wait until interest rates get so high that we have hyperinflation or prefer the people taxed in a hidden fashion through inflation. We have loads of examples of what happens when governments spend too much. Some of the richest nations in the world have become ruined because of that type of spending.
“fake budget deficit crisis to confuse citizens.”
The falsities are coming from Biden and the news media. We need to curtail spending, and McCarthy passed a very reasonable bill that should have cut more.
People create money all the time, except they eventually go bankrupt. The Government would also, but it can print money, and when it does, it steals money from the people and those holding America’s debt. Unfortunately, interest rates climb as debt climbs and money becomes less available. I hope you don’t intend to solve the debt problem by stealing from the people. Is that what you wish to do?
I agree that lies about the federal budget are coming from the Biden admin. However the Republicans in Congress are also lying. Do you want to keep waving your team’s flag and ignore the entirety of the problem, or do you want to find a way out of the ‘bipartisan” morass we find ourselves in. Federal spending does not equal inflation. You benefit greatly from Federal spending. We all do. “Government needs to keep its hands off my Medicare” is a ridiculous statement, and so is your “we need to curtail spending.”
You appear to have a child’s understanding about inflation. And about the Federal budget, much less how the money system works.
If you read and understood my rather straight-forward post on the Federal debt, you’d realize that you have been lied to about the Federal debt. We have all been lied to. I will repeat part of my post above in case you missed it:
On balancing the Federal debt: “if there was a plan to tax and/or cut spending by $3.3 trillion every year for 10 years, it would, if my math is correct, take on average from all American citizens (children included) $11,000 a year. For 10 years. For a family of 4 this would average $44,000 a year in either higher taxes or less government spending for a full 10 years. This would result in an unmitigated economic disaster. It would crash markets. It would destroy businesses. It would throw countless people into misery.”
Talk about taking from the American people, “balancing ” the Federal budget would accomplish that very thing. This is what you are demanding.
” However the Republicans in Congress are also lying. ”
OK.
“Do you want to keep waving your team’s flag.”
Mark, they are not my team though there are some I support.
“Federal spending does not equal inflation.”
Printing excessive money devalues the dollar and causes inflation.
“You benefit greatly from Federal spending. We all do”
The government needs to spend money to function. About 20% is sufficient. The private sector is much better at increasing wealth, while governments that cannot control their spending are best at reducing future wealth.
“Government needs to keep its hands off my Medicare”
Are you quoting yourself?
“we need to curtail spending.”
This is true because we are spending more than raised while not increasing our growth rate proportionately. The private sector is more adept at increasing wealth.
“You appear to have a child’s understanding about inflation.”
You are insulting. You are far from being a professor and far from understanding economics. You are using insult instead of intellect.
“On balancing the Federal debt:”
What follows your statement is a poorly thought-out depiction of what results from reducing spending. I won’t dissect what you said because I would have to start from remedial econ 101. I prefer you to live with your delusions as incomplete and erroneous as they are.
“And if the Federal government spends more than it takes in, it becomes more credit for the American people and businesses.”
Next time my bank informs me that my account is overdrawn, I’ll be sure to tell them: Just count those debits as credits — and poof, problem solved.
That comment, to the degree it can be understood, is a great example of Keynesian magical “economics:” Assume that wealth is just here, somehow. The government’s job is to redistribute it. Any economic disasters, e.g., inflation and bankruptcy, can be evaded by playing games with words — lots of them.
Its not a credit to you personally, but collectively as a whole. Which will mean nothing to you personally. This is not Keynesian economics. It is just a description of how the money system works. You apparently are trying to shoehorn your political economics into this.
I’m trying to work out how it is hostile to anyone to insist that history textbooks reflect, you know, actual history.
They would be destroying Congress by their own hand — and Biden didn’t even have to give them new pairs of Nikes.
They of course would still collect their salaries, stipends, pensions and other benefits all the while continuing to masquerade behind a tissue paper thin guise as senators while maintaining the pomp and circumstance of office.
World’s greatest deliberative body – NOT!!!
The debt ceiling is kafkaesque nonsense. If congress authorizes programs, it should be understood that they also authorized spending for those programs. Why are we still having this idiotic brinksmanship?
It has something to do with the law. The law isn’t written to say that “if Congress authorizes programs including the spending for it, the debt ceiling automatically goes up.” Frankly I would not want that, since it would make opening the spigot that much easier and there would be absolutely no brakes on Congress.
OT: Brittany Griner hopefully learned something about America that ATS, Svelaz and the other feeble liberals on this blog should absorb. We heard your disgusting and demeaning comments toward America while the rest of us stood for your right to protest, but you slammed against anyone else’s rights and continue to do so. You take from America and give nothing in return. You should all take the type of trip Brittany took. You would be better off for it.
“Brittney Griner on standing for national anthem: ‘Means a little bit more to me now’
Griner stood for the anthem before the game Friday, but she and other basketball players had knelt during the anthem in 2020 as part of social justice protests.”
Here is what she said:
“What I went through and everything, it just means a little bit more to me now. So I want to be able to stand. I was literally in a cage [in Russia] and could not stand the way I wanted to,”
“Just being able to hear my national anthem, see my flag, I definitely want to stand. Now everybody that will not stand or not come out, I totally support them 100 percent. That’s our right, as an American in this great country.”
I say good for her. She was previously acting like a spoiled brat, but now she has learned something in the school of hard knocks and is wiser and humbler for it.
I wonder though was it worth trading the Lord of War, Merchant of Death back to where he could continue his lethal assault on humanity? I’m not saying . . . just wondering.
And WHICH PRESIDENT got her released?
Simon Rosenberg:
If you want to get the debt down you have to start with getting annual deficits down.
In the last 40+ years only one party has done that – the Democrats.
Last 3 GOP Presidents all saw deficits RISE on their watch.
GOP = economic wrecking ball.
That’s pretty simplistic. The President doesn’t have the power of the purse, Congress does. The only way the debt goes down is if we have a budget surplus. That has only happened once in recent memory, in the mid-90s when a fiscally moderate Dem was president and both houses of Congress were controlled by the GOP.
OT: Joe Biden hates children as we see with his own grandchild. The children he likes are all on the take. Hunter is Biden’s Rhode’s scholar and the perfect child for him.
“The Biden administration is set to end familial DNA testing at the US-Mexico border, which has been key to preventing the fraudulent entry of many illegal immigrants and mitigating child trafficking, according to a memo obtained by Just The News.”
Erasing women update:
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/transgender-california-high-school-runner-athena-ryan-2nd-place-finish-girls-race-draws-backlash
“Trans ideology and women’s rights are irreconcilable.” (TM)
Our Dems aren’t convincing anyone anymore with two brain cells to rub together. The question is, and always remains: will they vote differently? Up to this point, the fear of looking bad makes the answer to that question, ‘No.’. They will vote blue again just to vote blue. Dem voters are about allegiance to the regime, not the country or even their own well being. It’s likely going to make life very, very dark for awhile in the future.
The Democrats now overtaken by Leftists will learn the hard way that by being infertile, and hence no new offspring, they become irrelevant. Biden, DNC, MSM, are all tanking in marketshare, just like Bud Light.
“This is CNN!” has become “Nobody watches CNN”
Americans have stopped watching CNN. Will being less Left wing save it?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/05/21/cnn-ratings-liberal-woke-viewers-politics-donald-trump/
On Friday May 12, in primetime, Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers, the left-leaning MSNBC news network scored 1.1 million, Newsmax drew 357,000, and CNN 335,000. That meant only about one in 1,000 of the US population was watching CNN during peak viewing hours.
@Estovir
Now? This has been going on fir a long while; they are now simply so confident in their death grip that they no longer hide it. Sad thing for us is that they aren’t even a majority, just very wealthy and well connected. ‘Regular’ people that still support the corporate Dems are idiots, and they beg for their own enslavement. It really is that simple. You are no longer voting for JFK, Dems. You are voting for Mao or Stalin, folks that had to take power forcibly in the past. If humanity sees a 22nd century, it’ll be a miracle, and it’ll have zero to do with the climate.
The entire communistic American welfare state is unconstitutional including, but not limited to, matriculation affirmative action, grade-inflation affirmative action, employment affirmative action, quotas, welfare, food stamps, minimum wage, rent control, social services, forced busing, public housing, utility subsidies, WIC, SNAP, TANF, HAMP, HARP, TARP, HHS, HUD, EPA, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Labor, Energy, Obamacare, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Social Security Supplemental Income, Medicare, Medicaid, “Fair Housing” laws, “Non-Discrimination” laws, etc.
Article 1, Section 8, provides Congress the power to tax for ONLY debt, defense and “…general Welfare…,” omitting and, thereby, excluding any power to tax for individual welfare, specific welfare, particular welfare, favor or charity. The same article enumerates and provides Congress the power to regulate ONLY money, the “flow” of commerce, and land and naval Forces. Additionally, the 5th Amendment right to private property is absolute, allowing Congress no power to claim or exercise dominion over private property, the sole qualification being the power to “take” private property for public use. If the right to private property is not absolute, there is no private property, and all property is public.
Government exists, under the Constitution and Bill of Rights, to provide maximal freedom to individuals while government is severely limited and restricted to merely facilitating that maximal freedom of individuals through the provision of security and infrastructure only.
The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court, which has egregiously and high-criminally failed to fulfill its sworn-oath duties.
IGNORE THE INVALID AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL “RECONSTRUCTION AMENDMENTS”
__________________________________________________________________________
“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
– Chairman Mao Tse-tung
_____________________
“They consider…that it fell to…Abraham Lincoln…to lead his country through…the RECONSTRUCTION of a social world.”
– Karl Marx Letter to Abraham Lincoln, 1864
___________________________________
The “Reconstruction Amendments” must be fully and irrevocably abrogated as invalid, illegitimate, illicit and unconstitutional communism, which they are.
The amendment process in the Constitution does not include violence with a gun to America’s head.
Secession was fully constitutional and Lincoln’s entire “Reign of Terror” must have been “nipped in the bud” and struck down by Judicial Review on that very issue, constitutional secession.
Res Ipsa Loquitur: Amendments are nigh on impossible to ratify; Lincoln’s successors illicitly and unconstitutionally rammed through not one, but three amendments in an environment of brutal, post-war, military occupation and oppression, which is not prescribed in the Constitution as the amendment process.
The improperly ratified, invalid, illegitimate, illicit and unconstitutional “Reconstruction Amendments,” derived from a theme of Karl Marx, must have been struck down by Judicial Review, the erstwhile courageous efforts of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney notwithstanding.
Seceded Confederate States would have reunified after their economic failure.
Reprehensible slavery must have been abrogated through legal means – George Washington freed his slaves in his will and slavery was on its way out.
Extant immigration law, the Naturalization Act of 1802, must have been enforced.
The Supreme Court recently acted retroactively by 50 years to correct the status of unconstitutional abortion and return the issue to the States, following the law.
The Supreme Court must now act retroactively by 150 years to correct the antithetical, anti-constitutional debacle of Lincoln’s unconstitutional “Reign of Terror,” following the law.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lincoln and his successors wrote the history books and imposed the “Big Lie” on the United States with a gun to America’s head.
Lincoln tore down the Constitution and commenced the incremental implementation of the principles of the Communist Manifesto – America is effectively a communist nation.
Justices of the Supreme Court swear an oath to support the literal, clear and evident, meaning and intent of the Constitution, not to impose communist ideals and principles.
The singular American failure has been and remains the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court.
Do you ever get tired of copying and pasting the same comments day after day after day after day?
You’re the most boring commenter I’ve ever encountered, and among the most bigoted.
ATS,Svelaz,Fish Wings and the rest of the loony left are projecting again…..yet more drivel!
As are Sanders, Warren, et al!
Mentally ill politician lobbying for other mentally ill people. LOL:)
https://twitter.com/TFMetals/status/1660350912953458689
OMG! You read it all again! Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you for your support? Oh, and did you want to debate the law and its application, nay, corruption by Lincoln and his barbarian, communist, fellow travelers and their ideological descendants progressing away from constitutional America toward the full dominion of the Communist Manifesto for the benefit of illegal alien invaders?
It won’t be pretty, but when the debt limit reaches critical mass, the house of cards will fall. Those who have tangible skills (“essential workers” in terms of COVID language) will have a better chance of survival and those who do not will go by the wayside. There will be no bailout as there will be no money to do so.
What seems to be the plan in motion now is to destroy the economy and then target personal assets. “Own nothing and love it.”
No matter how you dress it, no matter what you call it, the end game is communism.
E.M. – Those who have tangible skills (“essential workers” in terms of COVID language) will have a better chance of survival and those who do not will go by the wayside.
We know which category our left-wing trolls fall into. Once the objective they desire is accomplished, they’ll be shocked, shocked to find out they’re not wanted any more, much to the amusement of millions of conservatives with tangible skills, as you put it.
This conservative has more than a few tangible skills over those useless eater leftists.
I had a conversation with a biochemistry professor a few years ago on RNA and HIV, which dovetailed into a shoot from the hip conversation on current events. I told him I did not believe our population could sustain its current trajectory much longer due to obesity. He agreed and then put me in check: “unless if kids start having babies, our species will be gone”. It was game, set, match.
Liberals have lost the overall battle by extinguishing themselves. They do not produce babies, on top of killing new life and throwing the elderly into nursing homes or euthanasia. It is our kids and grandkids who will suffer more so, and then, no one will be around to further the species. Just throwing that out there …LOL
Estovir, you are dead on. And this demographic callapse is happening faster than most people realize.
E.M.
I agree with you but only to a degree.
During the pandemic, COVID lockdowns, I found “essential workers” and businesses to be questionable.
What are truly tangible skills if we reach critical mass and the house of cards fall?
That Dylan Mulvaney wackadoodle? Useless eater.
Art Professor Shellyne Rodríguez? Useless eater.
Philip Bump? Useless eater.
Marc Elias? Useless eater.
They offer nothing for the good of the community. Community would be very local as noted by economist and sometimes social commentator Charles H. Smith as a centralized government in this day and age is highly dependent on technology.
The house of cards falls, that technology is likely not to be there. More than a few power companies have raised the flag that dependable energy sources are being taken off line for Biden’s net-zero green policy without adequate so-called green energy sources coming on line to fill in the gap.
There is a group useless non-thinking eaters who will rush to the knuckle head who promises to give them cheap food, the internet and reality TV shows.
Then there is the rest of us who know and understand that knuckle head is promising is a mirage. We know the mirage will dissipate under common sense and logic. We will be the ones with full bellies and not promised lies.
Upstate Farmer,
I was thinking more like farmers, truckers, railroad workers, plumbers, electricians, medical personnel such as doctors and nurses..etc. People who know how to fix things, do things and make them work.
So the country is In deficit but you hire 87,000 more IRS agents. Thats the answer. Squeeze the last drop from their lemons and the deficit will be solved. The problem is that they will just add another pet program and the nation will forever remain in a debt crises. They will take their newfound largesse to buy more votes with another handout such as reparations. Welcome to the county fare suckers. Fetch and step right up. Fetch and step right up.
Yeah, let the wealthy tax cheats continue cheating. So much better than hiring people to catch them and to answer questions from the average tax-payer. The income from catching the tax cheats more than pays for the extra workers, but you don’t care about that.
half of all workers pay no tax
1% of earners account for 40% of the revenue.
Already we a down to a thin slice of tax filers.
We all see what the FBI has become, the IRS was already corrupted by Obama, Bidens puppet masters have just added more nerds and given them guns.
The dems response to increased crime is just legalize the crime…like shoplifting, and car jacking, then reducing the police force.
But for some reason ADDING agents is the solution to people legally using the tax code as written and then harassing the innocent.
Also guns are dangerous, but 86,000 nerds that cant tell the difference between and Glock and hair dryer, will be just fine armed to the teeth
The US government already collects $5 trillion in taxes every year. Washington is awash in money. Isn’t that enough?
Shut down the US government. Live not by lies. The Congress has a responsibility to reduce spending and manage its finances responsibly, just like ordinary Americans are expected to do. Members of Congress, principled Republicans and Democrats, need to act like responsible adults and stop saddling the young with their feckless spending. Biden is compromised cognitively and his VP is no better. Congress needs to show Americans that they can manage our national affairs, and that our country is not a dumpster fire raging out of control. Few Americans have trust in their country, much like the days of Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Congress needs to show Americans they can be nonpartisans who talk to colleagues like rational people to get the business of this country done. If they fail, then they pave the way for another Ronald Reagan in the person of DeSantis to lead America out of its abyss created once again by Democrats like Carter did.
Even Bill Clinton learned that Newt Gingrich and the GOP Congress had him by the nuts when it came to fiscal spending. We need a Congress like that of Bill Clinton’s reign of terror.
Shut it down. Live not by Biden’s lies.
If it comes to a shutdown, the GOP should stick to its principle
– Newt Gingrich
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022502924.html
The Washington establishment believes that the government shutdown of 1995 was a disastrous mistake that accomplished little and cost House Republicans politically. The facts are exactly the opposite. While the shutdown produced some short-term pain, it set the stage for a budget deal in 1996 that led to the largest drop in federal discretionary spending since 1969. The discipline imposed by this budget – overall spending grew at an average of 2.9 percent a year while I was speaker of the House, the slowest rate in decades – allowed us to reach a balanced-budget deal in 1997. This would all have been impossible had Republicans not stood firm in 1995 and shown the American people (and the White House) that we were serious about reducing spending.
This is false. Fed’l budget deficit hawks have been crying the sky is falling for most of my 65 years. And the sky has not fallen despite the budget deficit becoming far larger than when they first started clucking.
If the Fed’l budget was like your household budget, you would be correct. You are correct for local and state gov’t as well. But not the Federal gov’t, for it is the sovereign issuer of money. It has generally created the money it spends since the 1930s. Time to catch up with the times.
Blah, Blah, Blah. I didn’t read this piece in detail, because I don’t need to–more purchased Turley slop. The Full Faith and Credit provision of the Constitution provides that America must pay its bills. Repubicans know that most of their base doesn’t understand that the funds that need to be borrowed by raising the debt ceiling would be to pay for expenditures already appropriated by Congress. Since these expenditures were approved by Congress, they represent the will of the American people–something else Republicans don’t care about. Republicans are holding America’s economic reputation hostage, by trying to leverage future spending cuts to pay for expenditures already appropriated by Congress, all without raising more revenue, like rolling back the tax cuts to the wealthy Trump shoved through, which would solve the problem. And, Trump is pushing Republicans to go ahead and allow America to renege on its obligations–something that would be devastating. I cannot even imagine how or why any reasonable person would take economic advice from someone who bankrupted six businesses, who also has a string of failed buisnesses, and who lost the poipular vote twice, and lost the midterms. But, Trump thinks the economic disaster that would result from failing to raise the debt ceiling would provide leverage for his campaign, because he thinks he could blame Democrats for this–instead of Republicans, who would be at fault. Laurence Tribe, who has advised multiple presidents (how many have YOU advised, Turley?) has opined that Biden not only CAN invoke the Full Faith and Credit provision, he has a DUTY to do so–a mandate from the Constitution.
If you aren’t reading Professor Turley’s article, then why are you even here? You should create your own webpage. That would make it easier for the rest of us to ignore you.
Wait!
Would you go to NUTCHACHACHA’s dump site to consume the tripe spewing from this parasitic, dependent, communist, Feminazi lunatic’s masticating mandibles?
They said they wanted freedom.
What they really wanted was “free stuff” – endless “free stuff” by the truck load, oh, and your entire country.
Go away then. Nobody cares what you have to say about an article you haven’t read.