TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The General US Politics Thread

Go To

Nov 2023 Mod notice:


There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.

If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.

Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.

If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules when posting here.


In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.

Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Completion oldtimeytropey from Space Since: Apr, 2012
oldtimeytropey
#32651: Oct 15th 2012 at 6:25:03 AM

@US Military Budget: Do we know what percentage of that is servicemen paychecks, retiree benefits, healthcare for families, housing for families, and R&R facilities for servicemembers and their families?

edited 15th Oct '12 7:25:43 AM by Completion

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32652: Oct 15th 2012 at 6:57:00 AM

I know we're on the military now, but Krugman has been going on a bit about Romney's claim that the uninsured don't die from lack of coverage, and some physicians have chimed in. You know, the people who actually treat our sick.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#32653: Oct 15th 2012 at 6:58:11 AM

Naaaah I think I'm gonna trust Romney more about healthcare than actual physicians.

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#32654: Oct 15th 2012 at 7:03:34 AM

[up][up] Hell, having insurance isn't even always enough, because insurance doesn't always cover the stuff you need.

Like I'm having problems right now with my insurance only covering a third of the labs and none of the prescriptions.

edited 15th Oct '12 7:03:43 AM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#32655: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:01:56 AM

I've rarely found my insurance to be helpful. It's more like a membership card. "Sorry, we only serve a certain class of clientele... oh! You're a member! Here's a menu." If you don't have it, you get bounced out of there.

I'm a skeptical squirrel
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#32656: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:06:40 AM

There's a new Romney web ad going around claiming that a non-partisan study says that Obama's policies will raise taxes while Romney's wont.

The study was conducted by the American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank well-known for its pro-business leanings.

They're doubling down on the outright lying.

Edit: The ad specifically talks about raising taxes on the middle class.

edited 15th Oct '12 8:12:45 AM by GlennMagusHarvey

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32657: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:08:25 AM

Well, Obama should raise taxes, and if the Bush tax cuts expire, they will go up. This "taxes BAD" meme has become infectious. We need top marginal tax rates of 70% or more, not the pitiful 35% they are now, and we need to scrap the capital gains rate entirely.

edited 15th Oct '12 8:09:21 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#32658: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:13:04 AM

Correction: that web ad specifically talks about raising taxes on the middle class.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32659: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:21:19 AM

Oh. Well, it is true that the Bush tax cuts will expire (for everyone) if Congress doesn't act soon. Since this is entirely in Congress' hands to do something about (in a lame duck session, no less), of course it makes sense to blame it on Obama.

edited 15th Oct '12 8:21:46 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
#32660: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:26:39 AM

@US Military Budget: Do we know what percentage of that is servicemen paychecks, retiree benefits, healthcare for families, housing for families, and R&R facilities for servicemembers and their families?

The 2012 spending was about $900 billon, of which about $300 billion went into upkeep and logistics, about $120 billion went into obtaining new equipment, about $70 billion went to R&D, and about $60 billion went to foreign aid. Apparently the rest mostly went to wages and benefits, although it is hard to pin down precise numbers.

<><
thatguythere47 Since: Jul, 2010
#32661: Oct 15th 2012 at 8:59:18 AM

This just kinda blew my mind, for some reason I didn't see it. (from the colbert report)

BLUE-TIE STEPHEN: He's promising a 20% tax cut for the top 1%.

RED-TIE STEPHEN: Ah, but he's also promising to close their tax loopholes, so they'll still pay the same amount.

BLUE-TIE STEPHEN: Then... why cut their taxes?

I mean, I know on an intellectual level that 90% of everything everyone says is bullshit, but wow, that is incredibly stupid and I feel stupid for not catching it.

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32662: Oct 15th 2012 at 9:03:00 AM

Congratulations, you win the "finally seeing through part of the BS" cookie.

Of course, it is not necessarily the case that all tax assessments and expenditures are equal. There is a significant overhead involved in tax loopholes, in the form of the legions of lawyers and accountants who get paid to decode all that crap and maximize the tax deductions for people and companies.

You could cut a huge quantity of purely parasitic jobs just by removing all that cruft and making the tax code a simple progressive one again.

edited 15th Oct '12 9:03:22 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#32663: Oct 15th 2012 at 9:08:48 AM

...and the day after you did it, Fox News would rail about the poor lawyers and accountants being out of jobs. :)

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32664: Oct 15th 2012 at 9:09:53 AM

But we'd have a lot of government accountants being fired, too. They could report that as a bonus, since "government jobs aren't real jobs".

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#32665: Oct 15th 2012 at 9:11:27 AM

But what about Tax Exiles? Revoke their Citizenship?

Keep Rolling On
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#32666: Oct 15th 2012 at 9:48:22 AM

[up] "Tax exile"?

Like the people that leave the country to avoid paying taxeS? most of them forefiet their citizeship themself. You pay US taxes if your a citizen no matter where you live.

I'm baaaaaaack
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32667: Oct 15th 2012 at 9:50:56 AM

On a purely personal note, I am for using any means necessary within the bounds of international law to compel "tax haven" countries to cough up the people they are sheltering.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#32668: Oct 15th 2012 at 10:02:16 AM

[up] Not much unless we want to start punishing them. They make money off those guys. They have a LOWER tax rate, but it's still enough they get tens of millions from all the people that pull it.

I'm baaaaaaack
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#32669: Oct 15th 2012 at 10:06:49 AM

^

They make money off those guys.

True, and it's not just the Exiles themselves: it's the people that support them too. Those working in the shops, clean the houses etc...

They have a LOWER tax rate, but it's still enough they get tens of millions from all the people that pull it.

Have enough of them, and they make money. On that subject: Flags of convenience?

Keep Rolling On
Joesolo Indiana Solo Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Indiana Solo
#32670: Oct 15th 2012 at 10:48:05 AM

I HATE those. It pisses me off to no end. There should be some sort of international standards for ships over a certain size...

I'm baaaaaaack
NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#32671: Oct 15th 2012 at 10:53:27 AM

Romney lied (big surprise) about the fact he was bipartisan. In fact, he literally pulled a Palin and the left the state. And that wasn't when he had veto count was over 800.

http://www.politicususa.com/romneys-800-vetoes-governor-belie-claim-bipartisan.html

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#32672: Oct 15th 2012 at 11:16:05 AM

In the ad in which Romney tells us how much he likes vetoes, and he ends by saying, “I can’t wait to get my hands on Washington.”

...yeah, that's our problem.

Not enough vetoes.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#32673: Oct 15th 2012 at 11:24:33 AM

[up]

Well duh. if it wasnt for Obama and his evil demuchrats the republicans and all their budget saving laws would be in effe-oh god I cant even say it with a straight face.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#32674: Oct 15th 2012 at 11:26:39 AM

@Joesolo: The issue isn't their lower income tax rates per se, but the fact that they functionally shelter income earned by doing business in the United States. You should pay taxes at U.S. rates for income earned in the United States.

Now, I realize as I write this that it's far less clear cut than I'm making it sound, but I'm operating from the premise that renouncing your citizenship and changing residence to an island nation should not permit you to ignore U.S. taxes.

edited 15th Oct '12 11:27:42 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

Total posts: 417,856
Top