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

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#41876: Nov 24th 2012 at 6:18:52 AM

[up][up]We do need to cut spending to reduce the deficit, that fact is inescapable. Unfortunately the deficit doesn't fucking matter in the grand scheme of things. Would it be nice if we got rid of it? Yes. Can we get rid of it without damaging the recovery and plunging us into another recession? Unlikely.

At this point we should just reduce it as much as possible through tax increases on the wealthy and a lowered military budget and leave it at that. We can't afford to cut social programs when so many people still rely on them. When the economy improves fewer people will rely on them and they can be cut without causing too much harm. We can also tax more people because this means more individuals have jobs which will boost revenue and allow us to eliminate the deficit entirely. Honestly the deficit and debt are problems but they're ten+ year problems and can be averted by the next administration. The fiscal cliff and its cuts will cause harm this year.

[up]No because it does the opposite of what's intended. Austerity will crash the economy which will make the problem even worse.

edited 24th Nov '12 6:19:36 AM by Kostya

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#41877: Nov 24th 2012 at 6:43:02 AM

And the Grand Bargain is Austerity on steroids. The Fiscal Cliff is much better.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#41878: Nov 24th 2012 at 11:37:02 AM

Regarding prostitution: There is no federal law banning prostitution. Nevada's rural brothels are perfectly legal in all respects.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#41879: Nov 24th 2012 at 11:39:26 AM

Then what was Ron Paul complaining about? :P

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#41880: Nov 24th 2012 at 11:45:45 AM

It's Ron Paul. He doesn't have to be complaining about anything specific, he could just be complaining in general :P

Jokes aside, freely-contracted prostitution involving consenting adults is a victimless crime, and since Ron Paul's a libertarian, he's generally against criminalizing that kind of thing on a state level either.

edited 24th Nov '12 11:53:12 AM by Ramidel

#41881: Nov 24th 2012 at 12:43:27 PM

I think the question was brought up in the context of his views on drugs, and in the context of whether he would try to make it illegal if elected (contrasting him with someone like Santorum, for example).

<><
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#41883: Nov 24th 2012 at 12:54:13 PM

House Republicans plan vote on expanding visas

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#41884: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:20:08 PM

"The bill appears certain to pass the House but it’s unclear whether it will make it through the Democratic-controlled Senate in the short lame-duck session."

wut. Is Schroeder assuming that the Democrats will probably vote against it because it's a Republican suggestion?

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#41885: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:24:05 PM

[up]Probably. Frankly I hope they don't but they might turn stupid.

Honestly though the reason for this bill bothers me. "We can't be bothered to educate our own people so we're just going to import scientists." Oh well if it helps immigration issues I'll support it.

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#41886: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:26:57 PM

It bothers me more that they might win any significant Hispanic support at all purely due to transparently self-serving legislative tactics.

Then again, if we're getting them to stop obstructing and start support sensible policies, it's a win in at least those specific areas no matter the reason for 'em doing it.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
#41887: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:30:09 PM

The democrats shot down this same bill back in September, minus the family green card addition that has been added to sweeten the pot this time around.

EDIT: Here is the vote tally. It got a large majority with almost all the republicans and 30 democrats voting yea, but due to some procedural quirk it needed a 2/3 majority to pass and thus was defeated by the remaining democrats.

edited 24th Nov '12 1:57:40 PM by EdwardsGrizzly

<><
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#41888: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:46:45 PM

Hm, that link appears to be severely misleading. Apparently what the Republicans are in favor of isn't 'expansion,' it's shuffling the types of immigrants around so the numbers stay the same overall but the ones we get are more educated. And that's at BEST, discounting the details that would apparently shrink overall numbers, not increase them.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/09/18/861341/how-the-gop-proposal-to-add-visas-for-highly-skilled-workers-would-reduce-legal-immigration/

Yeah, don't blame the Democrats if they shoot that down. There's a difference between reform and playing musical chairs.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#41889: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:47:01 PM

[up][up][up][up][up]

Welcome to America.

Putting the 'petty' in to 'petty politics' since 1789

edited 24th Nov '12 1:47:12 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#41890: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:49:59 PM

@Deviant: Well, if the bill is as bugged as it appears to be, the Democrats will probably try to either shut it down or send it back amended to look like the DREAM Act (which will effectively kill it in the House, even if the amendment survives the filibuster in the Senate).

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#41891: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:53:04 PM

Misleading law names. Why do these folks always name their laws like propaganda pieces?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#41892: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:54:25 PM

[up]

Because it sounds good.

There's a reason we called it 'Shock and Awe' and not 'Bomb the sh*t out of Iraq'

edited 24th Nov '12 1:55:29 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#41893: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:55:42 PM

Okay now I'm hoping they shoot this down. This is just wrong and is basically them screaming they're not prejudiced when in fact they are just making the situation worse.

#41894: Nov 24th 2012 at 1:57:05 PM

@Karkadinn: I figured that out, and edited my post accordingly. I'll move it down here:

And now everything makes sense. This bill wasn't adding any new visas, it merely reallocated the 55,000 visas which are currently awarded by lottery to people in countries from which very few people currently immigrate to the US to be awarded to foreign students in US universities. The democrats oppose this. The new version still cuts the lottery, but it now adds a new provision allowing family members of legal immigrants to come to the US directly and wait here for their applications to be processed, instead of having to be separated from their families for years.

That's definitely a good thing, but I'm unsure about the first part. On the one hand, it certainly seems that someone who has already lived here for years and earned a degree in a valuable field from an American university is a better person to admit than a randomly selected person from a country where few people even want to come here.

On the other hand, without the lottery there may be some countries from which no people will immigrate here at all, which seems sad.

<><
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#41895: Nov 24th 2012 at 2:10:18 PM

Grover Norquist is angry that Georgian Senator Saxby Chambliss is breaking his pledge.

Norquist said: “Senator Chambliss promised the people of Georgia he would go to Washington and reform government rather than raise taxes to pay for bigger government. He made that commitment in writing to the people of Georgia,” Norquist said. “If he plans to vote for higher taxes to pay for Obama-sized government he should address the people of Georgia and let them know that he plans to break his promise to them. The Senator’s reference to me is odd. His promise is to the people of Georgia.”

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#41897: Nov 24th 2012 at 2:16:26 PM

Norquist is such an asshole.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
OhnoaBear I'm back, baby. from Exiting, pursued by a... Since: Jan, 2011
I'm back, baby.
#41898: Nov 24th 2012 at 2:30:39 PM

As a Georgia voter, I am very much behind Mister Chamblis on this.

Of course, I'm from Atlanta so not exactly representative of the state.

"The marvel is not that the Bear posts well, but that the Bear posts at all."
HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#41899: Nov 24th 2012 at 2:31:56 PM

Was that posted earlier? It seems like it was.

At any rate, good job Saxby.

OhnoaBear I'm back, baby. from Exiting, pursued by a... Since: Jan, 2011

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