I think we could maybe make enough to make a huge dent in the debt, by having a $100 ppv on Netflix or Hulu for the decimation you were advocating. I for one would be willing to pay even more to see that.
I object to the phrase "spend money like drunken sailors". The government does not spend money like drunken sailors. Drunken sailors stop spending money when they run out. Government just keeps on spending.
An enormous portion of the national debt is owed to... the Fed. Not people. Not companies. Not even other governments. Our government owes money to itself. Money which was spent moments after its ex nihilo creation.
My solution for *this portion* of the debt is to say, "From electrons you were created, to electrons you will return."
So once the fed is finally dragged back under the control of the US Treasury and de-loused, it can and should have all debt cancelled, even if it would require a currency reset. (I of course back the idea of at least bi-metallism as a hedge against fiat currency issues, since crypto's only as good as the power stays on (and it very well may not with certain parties unwilling to relinquish control and would rather rule over ashes.)
Most crypto is fiat money, and is going to lose value eventually.
Bitcoin is unique because it is backed by the Bitcoin mining process of calculations needed to maintain the security of the blockchain. Bitcoin is also limited by a specific amount that there will never be more than that. There is also no Central controlling authority for Bitcoin.
So barring some massive change for Bitcoin or other circumstances that are unlikely, it will remain a stable option, but not a perfect option.
A lot of currencies for many countries are fiat money as well, only with less restrictions.
I'm not saying Bitcoin is perfect. I'm just saying that it has unique advantages.
Right, it does something similar to what happens with a physical commodity. Gold and silver only increase if more is mined out. You have a natural sink of physical deposits that are lost or consumed by industry. Generally this is only a slow growth as compared to the demands of money tied to it. And Crypto has nothing backing it but the software (block chain) and whatever other agreements. It's biggest advantage is that it is not controlled by a central bank, but at the same time, what we saw with FTX proved that it still can run victim to all sorts of shenanigans.
Personally, I vote for a currency based on egg production. Scales with the population, can't be hoarded. Encourages feeding the people. One newbuck per dozen, to the farmer.
My biggest wish with all this, however, is that Trump can figure out how to make all these changes permanent AND stop the Dems from changing it all back when they successfully steal their next election. Can we find enough patriots in the Senate to pass these changes into law so they cannot just easily be swept away like presidential directives can?
Because I read you, Larry Correa, and a few others I am firmly based in the reality that as we currently live is nonsubstainable. I truly wonder what the match is, or what exactly will cause the bottom to drop out. We have very intelligent people raising the alarm, but there are no answers on how to resolve, plan, or make ready. Yes I would love God, Aliens, or something would step in, but that is wishful thinking. Right now I just see senators, congressmen and women doing a grift. I am just unsure how long the grift can last.
Republics cannot survive long past the moment that the public realized it can vote itself goodies from the public treasury. There is but one solution to that. Someone brave and with nothing to lose must come in and FORCE fiscal responsibility upon the public and rein in their greed for ill gotten goodies. In this regard, the US has been astonishingly lucky to have survived in this state for 110 years.
The other option, economic collapse and all the horrors that come with a failed state, and the opportunistic foreign forces that will follow to take kinetic control. Americans need to realize that the post WW2 golden age ended with the hard stop of 9/11. Then, like a duck shot out of the sky we began plummeting back to Earth.
I am reminded of an analysis by Chiun from "The Destroyer" series when considering the United States and rolling his eyes at Remo's patriotism:
"All empires die. The question is whether it is by the sword or the worm. Death by the sword is more honorable."
I would suggest that government debt does have a useful purpose, for it enables governments to spend more than they earn in an emergency situation, to keep the country and its economy going. E.g. in wartime, a country that can borrow can fund an increase in the size of its armed forces and the materiel to equip it that it wouldn't be able to afford during times of peace.
The problem throughout much of the west in recent decades, is that the default position outside of emergencies has been for governments to operate at a deficit. Consequently, the debt built up during emergencies is never repaid, and the total debt owed only ever goes up.
In order for emergency borrowing to be sustainable in the long run, the default non-emergency position for governments needs to be a budget surplus. This isn't going to be a painless transition. Governments won't be able to tax their way into a surplus. They are going to have to cut spending. That won't be easy, especially in countries with governments that are inclined to roll over and give in to union demands. In particular governments aren't inclined to do significant damage to the finances of those sections of society that reliably vote, for they may vote for one of the opposition parties' candidate at the next election in response.
I think we could maybe make enough to make a huge dent in the debt, by having a $100 ppv on Netflix or Hulu for the decimation you were advocating. I for one would be willing to pay even more to see that.
I object to the phrase "spend money like drunken sailors". The government does not spend money like drunken sailors. Drunken sailors stop spending money when they run out. Government just keeps on spending.
An enormous portion of the national debt is owed to... the Fed. Not people. Not companies. Not even other governments. Our government owes money to itself. Money which was spent moments after its ex nihilo creation.
My solution for *this portion* of the debt is to say, "From electrons you were created, to electrons you will return."
So once the fed is finally dragged back under the control of the US Treasury and de-loused, it can and should have all debt cancelled, even if it would require a currency reset. (I of course back the idea of at least bi-metallism as a hedge against fiat currency issues, since crypto's only as good as the power stays on (and it very well may not with certain parties unwilling to relinquish control and would rather rule over ashes.)
Crypto is just fiat currency, minus the backing of the full faith & credit of a national government.
I've never trusted it because of that among other reasons. Smells like a Dutch Tulip market.
It did allow a former cow-orker of mine to retire at 28, because he dropped.a c-note or two on it when they were around $20 a pop.
Most crypto is fiat money, and is going to lose value eventually.
Bitcoin is unique because it is backed by the Bitcoin mining process of calculations needed to maintain the security of the blockchain. Bitcoin is also limited by a specific amount that there will never be more than that. There is also no Central controlling authority for Bitcoin.
So barring some massive change for Bitcoin or other circumstances that are unlikely, it will remain a stable option, but not a perfect option.
A lot of currencies for many countries are fiat money as well, only with less restrictions.
I'm not saying Bitcoin is perfect. I'm just saying that it has unique advantages.
Right, it does something similar to what happens with a physical commodity. Gold and silver only increase if more is mined out. You have a natural sink of physical deposits that are lost or consumed by industry. Generally this is only a slow growth as compared to the demands of money tied to it. And Crypto has nothing backing it but the software (block chain) and whatever other agreements. It's biggest advantage is that it is not controlled by a central bank, but at the same time, what we saw with FTX proved that it still can run victim to all sorts of shenanigans.
Personally, I vote for a currency based on egg production. Scales with the population, can't be hoarded. Encourages feeding the people. One newbuck per dozen, to the farmer.
Gold and silver are good, and written into the Constitution as the only legal tender.
My biggest wish with all this, however, is that Trump can figure out how to make all these changes permanent AND stop the Dems from changing it all back when they successfully steal their next election. Can we find enough patriots in the Senate to pass these changes into law so they cannot just easily be swept away like presidential directives can?
Decimation is a bit merciful for my taste. I'd say scaphism for the lot of them.
Because I read you, Larry Correa, and a few others I am firmly based in the reality that as we currently live is nonsubstainable. I truly wonder what the match is, or what exactly will cause the bottom to drop out. We have very intelligent people raising the alarm, but there are no answers on how to resolve, plan, or make ready. Yes I would love God, Aliens, or something would step in, but that is wishful thinking. Right now I just see senators, congressmen and women doing a grift. I am just unsure how long the grift can last.
Republics cannot survive long past the moment that the public realized it can vote itself goodies from the public treasury. There is but one solution to that. Someone brave and with nothing to lose must come in and FORCE fiscal responsibility upon the public and rein in their greed for ill gotten goodies. In this regard, the US has been astonishingly lucky to have survived in this state for 110 years.
The other option, economic collapse and all the horrors that come with a failed state, and the opportunistic foreign forces that will follow to take kinetic control. Americans need to realize that the post WW2 golden age ended with the hard stop of 9/11. Then, like a duck shot out of the sky we began plummeting back to Earth.
I am reminded of an analysis by Chiun from "The Destroyer" series when considering the United States and rolling his eyes at Remo's patriotism:
"All empires die. The question is whether it is by the sword or the worm. Death by the sword is more honorable."
I have a long quite from Barry Goldsmith Conscience of a Conservative; 1964. Basically, we get the government we ask for. Been true a loong time.
You're both nicer and meaner than me in different ways.
I honestly think that we should just wall off DC and arrest the whole place. About 1% of all of it is innocent, in my opinion.
I would suggest that government debt does have a useful purpose, for it enables governments to spend more than they earn in an emergency situation, to keep the country and its economy going. E.g. in wartime, a country that can borrow can fund an increase in the size of its armed forces and the materiel to equip it that it wouldn't be able to afford during times of peace.
The problem throughout much of the west in recent decades, is that the default position outside of emergencies has been for governments to operate at a deficit. Consequently, the debt built up during emergencies is never repaid, and the total debt owed only ever goes up.
In order for emergency borrowing to be sustainable in the long run, the default non-emergency position for governments needs to be a budget surplus. This isn't going to be a painless transition. Governments won't be able to tax their way into a surplus. They are going to have to cut spending. That won't be easy, especially in countries with governments that are inclined to roll over and give in to union demands. In particular governments aren't inclined to do significant damage to the finances of those sections of society that reliably vote, for they may vote for one of the opposition parties' candidate at the next election in response.