Hard Power and Soft Power

[wink]

Cutting taxes for FY26 reduces revenue in FY26, which adds the deficit in FY26, and the national debt overall..

Only if the amount of income the reduced tax is applied to stays static. That is highly unlikely. Whether it goes up and how much is a guess at this point. But it will change. You cant say for certain the deficit will go up without knowing how much income, corporate and personal, will be taxed.

 

[Spekkio]

There are people who model the impact of fiscal policy before the President and Congress acts.

Without spending cuts, the JCT and CBO estimate that the TCJA extensions will add about $300-325B per year over ten years to the deficit. That includes projected revenues from economic growth.

If federal spending is cut by 8%, the deficit increase shrinks to $100B per year.

 

[Faded Float Coat]

No, not when we're $37T in debt. There's lots of shit that could, and should be, in "Americas interest" but not at the expense of a debt burden that prevents us from addressing the strategic issues affecting us here at home.

I'll start taking the debt seriously when the party of "small government, balanced budgets, and sensible tax reform" starts taking it seriously. That party currently has the executive and legislative branch - but you know as well as I do what the tax-revenue-spend plan looks like, dont be distracted by the DOGEbags. And......before anyone whatabouts this, the other party doesn't take it seriously either, but then again, I've never really expected them to.

 

[Faded Float Coat]

I'm interested in reading from someone who enjoyed the disgraceful clown show in the oval today: how does that (or broadly waves hand in general direction of the world) make America greater? Please avoid under-grad IR tropes, wikipedia, or Breitbart. Bonus points if you can explain it in a way that someone who voted for McCain and Romney could understand....

 

[Spekkio]

The only lucid part of that engagement was the last couple of minutes where Trump gives insight into how he actually views the conflict. The rest was... not a good look, to say the least.

He is potentially trying to pull a reverse Nixon and use Russia to counter-balance China instead of pushing these two countries into an alliance.

 

[Random8145]

On the debt and deficit, let's be real, the only thing that is going to make a serious dent in that is either some sizable tax increases and/or serious spending cuts. The vast majority of the budget is Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and defense. Cutting the other stuff is just window dressing. The problem, which I think is a legitimate concern, is let's say we do some tax increases and brought in $500 billion in additional revenue. Would make a very good dent in the deficit. But only if our politicians maintained fiscal discipline and put the money towards that. More likely, they would find all new things to spend it on and take us back to square one.

As for the Oval Office, Zelensky didn't do himself any favors with his behavior. He has some solid points, but is he stupid or something? You do not try to muscle or condescend to Trump (and by extension much of America) and in front of the press.

 

[number9]

As for the Oval Office, Zelensky didn't do himself any favors with his behavior. He has some solid points, but is he stupid or something? You do not try to muscle or condescend to Trump (and by extension much of America) and in front of the press.

I'm not quite sure how I would do if I was him after 3 years of war, especially when the people with whom I was negotiating were happy to lie to my face about the basics.

 

[Max Q]

I'm not quite sure how I would do if I was him after 3 years of war, especially when the people with whom I was negotiating were happy to lie to my face about the basics.

Also being accused of causing the war that’s killed so many of his people

 

[Faded Float Coat]

..You do not try to muscle or condescend to Trump (and by extension much of America) and in front of the press.

I enjoy the saying: everything is a conspiracy when you're a moron. That doesn't necessarily apply here, and I'm not calling you a moron (yet), but I think there's another one that goes something like: everything is an insult when you're cripplingly insecure. That one seems apt.

 

[Max Q]

I enjoy the saying: everything is a conspiracy when you're moron. That doesn't necessarily apply here, and I'm not calling you a moron (yet), but I think there's another one that goes something like: everything is an insult when you're cripplingly insecure. That one seems apt.

 

[Random8145]

I enjoy the saying: everything is a conspiracy when you're moron. That doesn't necessarily apply here, and I'm not calling you a moron (yet), but I think there's another one that goes something like: everything is an insult when you're cripplingly insecure. That one seems apt.

I am not defending Trump, and I agree, he is absurdly thin-skinned where you have to walk on eggshells when dealing with him.

 

[Randy Daytona]

The only lucid part of that engagement was the last couple of minutes where Trump gives insight into how he actually views the conflict. The rest was... not a good look, to say the least.

He is potentially trying to pull a reverse Nixon and use Russia to counter-balance China instead of pushing these two countries into an alliance.

Was busy at work and missed it, but heard that Vance was there - I can’t ever remember a Vice President being at a meeting like this before. (Traditionally it would be only the Presidents).

Anyone want to speculate why Vance was featured?

 

[Waveoff]

you have to walk on eggshells when dealing with the President of the USA

FTFY

 

[Spekkio]

On the debt and deficit, let's be real, the only thing that is going to make a serious dent in that is either some sizable tax increases and/or serious spending cuts. The vast majority of the budget is Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and defense. Cutting the other stuff is just window dressing. The problem, which I think is a legitimate concern, is let's say we do some tax increases and brought in $500 billion in additional revenue. Would make a very good dent in the deficit. But only if our politicians maintained fiscal discipline and put the money towards that. More likely, they would find all new things to spend it on and take us back to square one.

As for the Oval Office, Zelensky didn't do himself any favors with his behavior. He has some solid points, but is he stupid or something? You do not try to muscle or condescend to Trump (and by extension much of America) and in front of the press.

Social Security and Medicare aren't part of the 'balanced budget' discussion because they are funded through different taxation. Medicare is revenue neutral and social security was making money up until last year or so... but Congress will kick that can down the road until the 2028 or 2032 elections.

The largest income tax spending item as a whole are actually are tax credits, with the tax credits contained in the ACA and inflation reduction act carrying the lion's share of them.

 

[Spekkio]

Was busy at work and missed it, but heard that Vance was there - I can’t ever remember a Vice President being at a meeting like this before. (Traditionally it would be only the Presidents).

Anyone want to speculate why Vance was featured?

Since taking office, Vance has done quite a bit of diplomacy (if you can call it that) with Europe and Ukraine. It seems like he's the de facto Europe SME in the administration.