Why don't Americans realize the deficit is falling?

The deficit decreasing in real terms is a good thing, regardless of which party is in power. I hope the trend continues. Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

Agreed, Whiny.

Agreed, Whiny. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Yup

The deficit decreasing in real terms is a good thing, regardless of which party is in power. I hope the trend continues. Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

I don't do it very often but I agree with Hanoi Cog on this one!

Uh, didn't you boys say that it was Obama's sequester? Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Good point, Asswipe... How about this - if Obama wants to take ownership of the sequester and admit it was good fiscal medicine, we'll give him CREDIT for the shrinking deficit... Deal?

Fixed it for you! Originally Posted by bigtex

You really are kind of stupid aren't you. Don't you remember that little payroll tax increase of 2%?

Good point, Asswipe... How about this - if Obama wants to take ownership of the sequester and admit it was good fiscal medicine, we'll give him CREDIT for the shrinking deficit... Deal? Originally Posted by lustylad

sure! Have at it! I'm sure he's waiting to hear from Yinz! I'm glad you're now speaking for "we."

sure! Have at it! I'm sure he's waiting to hear from Yinz! I'm glad you're now speaking for "we." Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

He is speaking for "WE"... Just like you speak for "THEM".... dumb-ass...

sure! Have at it! I'm sure he's waiting to hear from Yinz! Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Ok, I just talked to Odumbo... He said he only takes credit and deflects blame, even when it's logically inconsistent, as in blaming Republicans for the sequester while claiming credit for the resulting deficit reduction.

What a great leader and a stand-up guy he is! Just like Assup. A real chip off the old libtard block.

Fucking Medicare taxpayer.. Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

There. Fixed it for you.

Hallelujah!

Looks like we just saw BigTex, CJ7, WTF, and Yssup Rider agree wholeheartedly with an opinion expressed by CuteOldGuy.

Can a breakthrough leading to lasting peace in the Middle East be far behind?

Regarding the thread title, I think the reason many people are not aware that the deficit has been falling is that a large percentage of our dumbed-down citizens suffer from extreme cases of innumeracy -- and don't have a clue about the difference between the words deficit and debt.

Federal government spending has actually fallen slightly in nominal terms over the last three years, and by a larger margin in terms of percentage of RGDP (which is, after all, what really matters). And tax revenues have increased as the economy has begun to slowly come back.

Of course, we have a long way to go and a lot of vexing problems to address. But for now anyway, the near-term deficit outlook is not nearly so bad as it appeared just a couple of years ago.

There are plenty of talking points zealous partisans might reasonably utilize to attack politicians of the party they oppose. But it's wise to avoid nonsensical, rank disingenuity such as this:

(Addressed to BigTex)

You really are kind of stupid aren't you. Don't you remember that little payroll tax increase of 2%? Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn

Professor Barleycorn, have you completely forgotten the discussion we had concerning this about a year ago? The 2% payroll tax, as originally agreed by the parties, was intended to be a one-time temporary stimulus measure for 2011 only. Then the parties, as part of a larger deal, extended it for one more year.

Thus the act of simply allowing its previously planned expiry cannot reasonably be characterized as a "tax increase."

Good Lord, even Grover Norquist declined to characterize the bipartisan agreement to end the temporary tax rate adjustment as a "tax increase." And no one doubts his anti-tax bona fides.

Professor, this has been pointed out to you and a couple of others here on multiple occasions, but you would do well to try to remember it this time:

If you're going to hurl insults at the intelligence of others, it's always a good idea to be sure you have some understanding of the subject under discussion.

You will almost certainly embarrass yourself far less often that way.

Yes and you need to remember that at the time I was saying Obama was taking from our Social Security on the front side at the expense of the back end. It is, and was, our money that he was playing with. When he ended his "temporary" tax cut (he called it a tax cut so to repeal must be a tax increase by his standard) we started paying more taxes again but we lost thousands (depending on your age) from our overall Social Security contributions. Why did Obama steal our money like that. If Obama really wanted to stimulate the economy then why didn't he include spending cuts along with real tax cuts. It seems like he got half the message. Tax cuts stimulate but he didn't include a real tax cut. So he had the idea but didn't follow through with action.

Or are you going to call Obama out as a liar?

Yes and you need to remember that at the time I was saying Obama was taking from our Social Security on the front side at the expense of the back end. It is, and was, our money that he was playing with. When he ended his "temporary" tax cut (he called it a tax cut so to repeal must be a tax increase by his standard) we started paying more taxes again but we lost thousands (depending on your age) from our overall Social Security contributions. Why did Obama steal our money like that. Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn

Say what??

I'm not the one whose memory seems to have pulled a disappearing act, professor.

Remember this thread?

http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=636201&highlight=

Note particularly post numbers 7, 12, 13, 19, 23, and 24. Just take a look and see for yourself. Then you should easily be able to understand that you made no effort to learn anything whatsoever from that discussion.

You continually demonstrate a stupefying level of cluelessness regarding how any of this stuff works. And perhaps even worse, you make absolutely no effort to read, comprehend, and learn.

And you actually teach?

Embarrassing beyond words.

Yes and you need to remember that at the time I was saying Obama was taking from our Social Security on the front side at the expense of the back end. It is, and was, our money that he was playing with. When he ended his "temporary" tax cut (he called it a tax cut so to repeal must be a tax increase by his standard) we started paying more taxes again but we lost thousands (depending on your age) from our overall Social Security contributions. Why did Obama steal our money like that. If Obama really wanted to stimulate the economy then why didn't he include spending cuts along with real tax cuts. It seems like he got half the message. Tax cuts stimulate but he didn't include a real tax cut. So he had the idea but didn't follow through with action.

Or are you going to call Obama out as a liar? Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn

JD Idiot, you really are kind of stupid aren't you?

Almost 1/2 of all taxpayers (mostly low income) now pay zero federal income taxes. So the only way to lower their tax burden in 2011-2012 was to reduce the payroll tax. Everyone else was considered "rich" in Odumbo's eyes and therefore underserving of a tax cut.

I have seen estimates that the various tax increases that kicked in a year ago (payroll, income, and Obamacare) are slowing annual growth in real GDP by almost a full percentage point. The fastest way to reduce the deficit is to grow the economy, not slow it.