Text 2382, 63 rader
Skriven 2006-06-11 16:51:00 av Robert E Starr JR (2828.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: Atheists: America's m
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* * * This message was from Josh Hill to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
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@MSGID: <7c5p82dh7172uem1gcaf96tmdmivicb5jv@4ax.com>
@REPLY: <kurtullman-14EDAC.17064706062006@news.west.earthlink.net>
On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 17:58:06 +0000 (UTC), Rob Perkins
<rperkins@usa.net> wrote:

>Josh Hill wrote:

>>>Honestly I expect that Congress will wait until the system really is in 
>>>crisis (unlike the false crisis raised by the administration this year), 
>>>and then they'll print more money. Or decide to default on some 
>>>government debts.
>> 
>> 
>> But the government has never once in American history failed to repay
>> bonds. It isn't going to begin.
>
>We don't know that. Josh, you don't trust the current Administration or 
>the Congress. I don't see any a priori reason to trust a future 
>Congress, especially with the level of federal debt and the rate of its 
>increase.
>
>But, I will grant that if we can get past the senescence of the Baby 
>Boomers, without going into default, then we stand a chance of keeping 
>Social Security going for the next 100 years at least.

I've run the figures, using the official projections, and it's easy.
Trivial. Because average after-inflation income will grow faster than
the shortfall, much faster. So we can raise taxes a bit and still
leave American workers with more take home pay. Or we can increase
benefits less -- note I said increase less rather than reduce, because
benefits are currently pegged to average wages, and average wages go
up. Most likely, a combination of the two. That's assuming we have a
shortfall at all -- that depends on what the economy does.

Bush was lying through his teeth when he claimed we had a crisis.
Social Security is currently the best financed program in the Federal
Government.

>> Funny, isn't it, how the Republicans' heartfelt commitment to a
>> balanced budget disappeared the moment a Republican president replaced
>> a Democratic one.
>
>Yeah. Really funny. Not that the Dems really did any better when they 
>were in power. They didn't do any *worse*, but there you are.

This table, United States National Debt and the Presidents Who Are
Responsible For It, tells a very different story:

http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm

-- 
Josh

"I'm not going to play like I've been a person who's spent hours involved with
foreign policy.
I am who I am." - George W. Bush
   
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