Doge sits down with Bret Baier. Worth a watch.

[Axtremus]

@Jolly said in Doge sits down with Bret Baier. Worth a watch.:

Chasing gnats and swallowing camels.

Yeah, like @jon-nyc wrote earlier, DOGE chases the gnats, while the GOP swallows the $19 Trillion camel.

[Jolly]

Go sit in the truck. Adults are talking.

[Mik]

If DOGE accomplishes nothing else, it focuses attention on the issue and plants it in people's mind. That's a good thing. I'd predict we will have more people telling their elected representatives that we want lower spending. That's grass roots.

[LuFins Dad]

1. It seems to me that the CBO pretty routinely underestimates the effects that tax breaks add to growth and underestimate the effect that tax increases slows growth.

2. Those projections also don’t take into account the effect that deregulation will have on growth.

3. Yes, these spending cuts do nothing without fixing FICA and then the cost of servicing our debt, but we’re looking at the Dave Ramsey debt snowball effect. Cutting spending in all of the other areas will allow us to start reducing the outstanding debt. When that number goes down you should see economic growth increase again.

4. The elephant in the room is still the FICA programs, and that will need to be addressed by removing the cap, but you need to earnestly show that you are taking steps to address your profligate spending before asking the bank of the 5% to give you more money…

[Jolly]

TINSTAAFL.

And the sooner the American people know that in their bones, the better off we'll be. Defend the country and its interests, Medicare, some type of healthcare for the indigent, Social Security (possibly in an altered form) and then we pay for what we can.

Yes, there will be pain and grief, but I see no other way to climb out of this mess. At least DOGE is a start.

[LuFins Dad]

@Jolly said in Doge sits down with Bret Baier. Worth a watch.:

TINSTAAFL.

?

[Jolly]

There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

Channeling Heinlein this morning...

[Jolly]

What The Federalist thought were the highlights... https://thefederalist.com/2025/03/28/6-unbelievably-scammy-federal-practices-doge-staff-reveal-in-fox-interview/

[Axtremus]

@LuFins-Dad said in Doge sits down with Bret Baier. Worth a watch.:

1. It seems to me that the CBO pretty routinely underestimates the effects that tax breaks add to growth and underestimate the effect that tax increases slows growth.

What evidence do you have to support this claim?

2. Those projections also don’t take into account the effect that deregulation will have on growth.

What evidence do you have to support this claim?

Cutting spending in all of the other areas will allow us to start reducing the outstanding debt. When that number goes down you should see economic growth increase again.

I take it you recognize the importance of "reducing outstanding debt." Let's put a pin on that and we will return to it soon enough.

4. The elephant in the room is still the FICA programs, and that will need to be addressed by removing the cap, but you need to earnestly show that you are taking steps to address your profligate spending before asking the bank of the 5% to give you more money…

You argue about showing earnestness in cutting spending right after you stressed the importance of reducing debt. Where's the earnestness when you see the GOP proposing to tag on $19 Trillion of debt to finance tax cuts? You expect the people to accept losing government services and government benefits when they see the national debt go up by $19 Trillion? For what? Tax cuts for the already rich?

Srsly, reevaluate your earnestness.

[Jolly]

And this is why we can't have nice things..

[Mik]

It's certainly why we can't seem to get a handle on spending and debt.

[LuFins Dad]

@Axtremus

1. I’m not your google daddy. While the CBO estimates are good on an annual basis (+/- 1% GDP), their long range projections have always been very off. It’s well documented and has been discussed. It’s not due to any bias but the simple fact that it’s impossible to really determine how the private sector responds to that +/- 1% as it adds up over 3 or more years.

2. They can’t take into account deregulation that hasn’t happened yet. They can’t only project on current policies.

3. What a load of absolute bullshit. Let’s start with the tax cuts for the rich. You know that the majority of the savings from the tax cuts were for the middle class, right? https://heartland.org/publications/measuring-the-effects-of-the-republicans-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-on-personal-income-taxes/ Meaning they will be the ones hit the hardest when the tax cuts expire. Beyond that, we’ve already established that the $19T long term projection is horseshit. The CBO can not project 10 years out worth a damn, only 12-18 months.

[Axtremus]

@LuFins-Dad

OK, now I see why you had to start by discrediting the CBO -- because you already knew that the rest of your argument cannot withstand the projection of having $19 Trillion tagged on to the national debt per the GOP's proposal, so you have to first discredit the $19 Trillion projection.

[LuFins Dad]

Link to video