Betrayal Complete: Mike Johnson Passes $61 Billion Ukraine Aid, Violates Hastert Rule Again

[roamer_1]

Only if you think the isolationist wing of the GOP is the party as a whole is this a betrayal.  The old norm in American politics was that partisan politics ended at the shoreline and foreign policy was bipartisan.  It served us well all through the Cold War (arguably actually WWIII, fought in slow motion thanks to nuclear deterrence, which we eventually won). 

In fact, as a supporter of the old bipartisan foreign policy consensus, I think it easier to argue that the isolationist-let-Putin-have-Europe faction of the GOP are the traitors (possibly even in the strict sense of adhering to enemies of the United States) than that Mike Johnson has betrayed anyone.  The time for a Russophilic foreign policy was the early to mid-1990's (when I argued for one), not now that having made post-Soviet Russia into a definitional enemy for no reason in the 1990's when we could have genuinely befriended them (even as the Allies made Weimar Germany into a pariah for the sins of the Kaiser and the German General Staff in 1914), a revanchist regime has taken over and made Russia into a threat to international peace once more.

Taxed Enough Already.

*mic drop*

[jmyrlefuller]

Taxed Enough Already.

*mic drop*

Judging by the size of the debt and the deficit, no, we are NOT taxed enough.

[roamer_1]

Judging by the size of the debt and the deficit, no, we are NOT taxed enough.

Stop spending. Reduce government. YES, we ARE taxed enough... too much. Way too damn much.

[The_Reader_David]

Taxed Enough Already.

*mic drop*

Then defund the misbegotten Federal agencies that only exist because Wicker v. Filburn turned the Commerce Clause into an excuse for the Federal government regulate everything, and continue to lead the free world against authoritiarians and totalitarians (while having an even better basis for that in being freer ourselves without the regulatory state).

[jmyrlefuller]

Stop spending. Reduce government. YES, we ARE taxed enough... too much. Way too damn much.

Here's some homework for you, then. Come back to me with a federal budget that is both balanced and offers the level of taxation you think is just right. I will wait.

[DB]

Here's some homework for you, then. Come back to me with a federal budget that is both balanced and offers the level of taxation you think is just right. I will wait.

Historically you can't get much more than 20% of GDP in taxation (all taxes) for any length of time. Demanding more only reduces what comes in due to depressed economic activity. We're already there. So demanding more will only result in less which won't help balance the budget. The only viable path is reducing spending.

[Free Vulcan]

Zillions in spending, not one iota of anything that would fix the issues going on with this country, like our wide open border. No attempt to use any leverage whatsoever.

Let's just wave the flag, beat our chest, play patriotic music, and chant 'Nat'l Security' over and over and over.

[Smokin Joe]

Declaring the Cold War over may have been premature. The communists and Communism have never been so prolific and healthy as since Communism was declared 'dead', as our Universities, media, government, and streets show.

[dfwgator]

If you want to be and stay speaker, you keep your skeletons buried in the closet, lest you end up like Gingrich and Livingston.

Or Hastert.

[roamer_1]

Then defund the misbegotten Federal agencies that only exist because Wicker v. Filburn turned the Commerce Clause into an excuse for the Federal government regulate everything [...]

YES.

[...] and continue to lead the free world against authoritiarians and totalitarians (while having an even better basis for that in being freer ourselves without the regulatory state).

NO. We ain't got the money to be the world-police.

[Bigun]

Here's some homework for you, then. Come back to me with a federal budget that is both balanced and offers the level of taxation you think is just right. I will wait.

Sound policy. (get rid of the fed, the Marxist Income tax, and reinstitute sound money.) Things will take care of themselves in short order.

[Bigun]

Declaring the Cold War over may have been premature. The communists and Communism have never been so prolific and healthy as since Communism was declared 'dead', as our Universities, media, government, and streets show.

 

[roamer_1]

Here's some homework for you, then. Come back to me with a federal budget that is both balanced and offers the level of taxation you think is just right. I will wait.

A decent rule of thumb: Administration/management of a business seldom exceeds 10% of operating capital. And that is high.
.
So if GNP is 'operating capital'...

As for the balance, FAIR tax. My major interest in that is that it ties government to production rather than income... You can bet the bank that they would get out of the way of production and encourage small business if that's where their bread is buttered.

We ain't got the money.

[roamer_1]

Historically you can't get much more than 20% of GDP in taxation (all taxes) for any length of time. Demanding more only reduces what comes in due to depressed economic activity. We're already there. So demanding more will only result in less which won't help balance the budget. The only viable path is reducing spending.

That's right.

[Bigun]

A decent rule of thumb: Administration/management of a business seldom exceeds 10% of operating capital. And that is high.
.
So if GNP is 'operating capital'...

As for the balance, FAIR tax. My major interest in that is that it ties government to production rather than income... You can bet the bank that they would get out of the way of production and encourage small business if that's where their bread is buttered.

We ain't got the money.

That, by itself, would solve so many of our fiscal problems.

[roamer_1]

That, by itself, would solve so many of our fiscal problems.

Sure would - IF it was their ONLY means of taxation.

[DefiantMassRINO]

There's still time to salvage Border Security using the FY 2025 Budget process.  Remember those things called budgets?

[Smokin Joe]

YES.

NO. We ain't got the money to be the world-police.

Lead by example, and let them find their own path.

[libertybele]

There's still time to salvage Border Security using the FY 2025 Budget process.  Remember those things called budgets?

That ship sailed about 4 years ago.  As long as the DEMS and RINO's are in power a secure border is NEVER going to happen.  There's too much $$ to be made and too many votes to be had.

[Hoodat]

Judging by the size of the debt and the deficit, no, we are NOT taxed enough.

@jmyrlefuller

Set tax rates anywhere you want.  No matter where you set rates, the net for the government will be 19% of GDP.  So anything over 19% will have to be borrowed/stolen/etc.

Setting tax rates determines GDP.  If you want to go back to post-WWII rates, set the top rate at 91%.  Growth will suffer, but you can pat yourself on the back by sticking it to those greedy capitalists.  And at the end of the year, you will find that government ended up with 19% of total GDP for the year.

Or you can set a flat tax rate of 19% with no deductions.  Everyone pays 19%.  Everyone.  Growth will skyrocket.  Democrats will complain, and at the end of the year, you will find that government ended up with 19% of GDP.

So which do you choose?  Option 1 or Option 2?

[Hoodat]

There's still time to salvage Border Security using the FY 2025 Budget process.  Remember those things called budgets?

Congress could pass a bill today allocating $100 billion for border security.  And the Biden regime still won't secure the border.  But they would at least have another $100 billion to spend on bring more illegals in.

You want this shit to stop?  Then stop giving money to government.  THEY are the problem.  When the government can no longer hand out free shit to illegals and they start enforcing laws already in effect, illegals will stop coming.  It is really that freakin' simple.

Stop feeding the destroyer.  Balance the budget.

[Timber Rattler]

https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1781803832789414137

Yeah, I support military aid for Ukraine (intel, weapons, and ammo only...no cash pallets or funding its government or pensions) but this demonstration was way over the top, and they were clearly rubbing Republicans noses in it.

[Timber Rattler]

The Hastert rule says that the speaker will not schedule a floor vote on any bill that does not have majority support within their party—even if the majority of the members of the House would vote to pass it.

Here's the problem though...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bn97tNnwoE

[Timber Rattler]

Congress could pass a bill today allocating $100 billion for border security.  And the Biden regime still won't secure the border.  But they would at least have another $100 billion to spend on bring more illegals in.

Right!  That money would either be misused to fund illegals or diverted to other commie causes (Green New Deal and DEI), or both (most likely scenario).

[jmyrlefuller]

@jmyrlefuller

Set tax rates anywhere you want.  No matter where you set rates, the net for the government will be 19% of GDP.  So anything over 19% will have to be borrowed/stolen/etc.

Setting tax rates determines GDP.  If you want to go back to post-WWII rates, set the top rate at 91%.  Growth will suffer, but you can pat yourself on the back by sticking it to those greedy capitalists.  And at the end of the year, you will find that government ended up with 19% of total GDP for the year.

Or you can set a flat tax rate of 19% with no deductions.  Everyone pays 19%.  Everyone.  Growth will skyrocket.  Democrats will complain, and at the end of the year, you will find that government ended up with 19% of GDP.

So which do you choose?  Option 1 or Option 2?

If that were the case, the Laffer curve would be a straight line. It, of course, is not.

So what happens when your mandatory expenses exceed what you can ever bring in in taxes, by your understanding of it? You're down to two options: print your way out of the crisis, or declare national bankruptcy and bring the whole system down.