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Speechless. Righty-o. Defining moment. What is it now? 95% of people think that our government, and congress specifically, no longer 'works' and think something new is needed? bat shit crazy, Cruz is. Really, worse than Obama using federal agencies as a racket to carry out heavy handed corruption and party enforcement because Cruz wants to destroy all of government not just the dysfunctional parts. The problem is now that many people don't care about why the government doesn't work anymore, they have just given up and want a smaller, less intrusive Washington.
The message I see is that people want more transfer payments and fewer government employees including politicians who act the crazy, high and mighty part.
These people are traitors pure and simple. When the Federalist party was found to be rooting for the British in the war of 1812, they were destroyed. Now the Repubs cheer that a government shutdown was good for their party, never mind the nation.
It didn't work since the whole point was to get rid of Obamacare, which it most certainly did not (although that would have been a positive result had it transpired). Nevertheless I don't think it helped or hurt Republicans in the long pull, however, and certainly not on election Tuesday.
It would be nice to see a poll of the millions directly affected on just how much it influenced their vote, although if it did lead to anti Republican sentiment then the landslide on Tuesday would have been even more pronounced absent the shutdown.. Still, what happened in the recent national election had essentially zero to do with the shutdown except for the votes of the relative few.
Do any of you fiscal founts of knowledge know how Obamacare shows up in the econ stats?
Last year it appeared as if health care costs were falling, I think Mosler posted a few charts. But that was private sector spending. Now we see transfer payments spiked. And we see the releases from private insurers and hospitals and everyone is fat and happy. So it seems that the industry continues to grow as a % of GDP and maybe health care will add to growth, not subtract because the health care spending has been reclassified as public not private? The insurance subsidies are considered government expenditures not private expenditures on health care? I'm all confused.
If this is what people want: "The message I see is that people want more transfer payments and fewer government employees"
Then its exactly what they've been getting with our neo-liberal policies of the last 30+ years.
Federal Govt employment per capita is lower today than any point in modern history (I think I read pre-new deal even?). And transfers are taking up more and more of the budget on a % basis. This is reflected in the direct purchases and investment numbers. It makes sense, you cant maintain a constant total outlays as a % of GDP and grow the medicare\caid, SS and welfare payments that come with an aging population thats getting poorer all the time without cutting everything else.
If Govt spending isnt allowed to grow, then it really is a zero-sum game between retirees and everyone else.
We've been doing all this and instead of leading to an economic utopia, its more likely to become a dystopia.
Ryan see the scan at the post below with the 3 year trend...
they have established new line items this year (FY 2015) in the Medical area....
from what I hear the ACA is acting as a cramdown of cuts to the unit reimbursements... iow the govt is saying "we have just passed the AFFORDABLE (read "cramdown cuts") Care Act so now you wont get $100 for an MRI anymore we will only give you $75 because the ACA results in a 25% cost reduction in healthcare by definition...."
BUT, even with this they are still up on withdrawals due to demographics.... also providers can also order a xray, PET scan, etc... to go with the MRI so top line revenues to the providers is maintained... they just have to order more tests, imaging, etc... ie work the system...
so seniors are having to submit themselves to all sorts of perhaps marginally required tests so we can have any economic growth... the top line of most else govt is doing is down/breakeven....
the increases are being driven by the demographics IIRC there are 150k new enrollees per month right now... so there is not much these morons like Levin and Cruz can do about it unless they just want to throw people out ...
or like Levin and Cruz here are working for is euthanasia or "death panels"... ie denial of care... that would make them happy...
"live free or die" : they take the "live free" side of this deal so the rest of us are at greater risk of dying if they get their policies....
Levin isn't a politician and thus is merely a windbag and Cruz is a fringe/right political clown who has no national prospects whatsoever. Boehner and McConnell are the putative heads of the GOP, but they are to the left of the party as a whole so I think the best we'll see is a moderate legislative agenda going forward, if any at all. I also predict there will be no shutdowns of government before the 2016 elections. And the GOP's bread and butter constituency of elderly voters will not have their benefits eroded over the next two years either.... Oh, and Cruz does not want to destroy all government. That's a patently ridiculous assertion. Right wingers love government too, especially politician right wingers like Cruz. And there's nothing unreasonable about a jaded electorate relative to the pathetically unresponsive DC politicians and their bureaucratic underlings, especially regarding financial oversight or lack thereof when it comes to corporate overlords on Wall Street and beyond..
Mal these people drive the "discussion" on the right....
they have no opposite on the left ... the left ratings of these types of media people are in the toilet nobody listens to them on the left... not sure how the left operates but it must be different than the right which uses these media people to facilitate the discussion....
These types of media morons are unique to the right and they matter...
Remember "Harriet Meyers for supreme court"? These people made Bush get rid of her.... they are influential on the right (but not on the left...)
Democrats had a golden opportunity after the financial meltdown, but instead sold their souls to the financial/corporate devils. Ralph Nader long ago had Dems pegged but I got sucked into their vortex the past two presidential elections, when I should have known better. Democrat dereliction played right into Republican hands, so I don't blame talking heads for exploiting their idiocy. At any rate the left as represented by dumb-ass fringe Democrats is FUBAR, and Republicans in comparison look golden:
Speechless. Righty-o. Defining moment. What is it now? 95% of people think that our government, and congress specifically, no longer 'works' and think something new is needed? bat shit crazy, Cruz is. Really, worse than Obama using federal agencies as a racket to carry out heavy handed corruption and party enforcement because Cruz wants to destroy all of government not just the dysfunctional parts. The problem is now that many people don't care about why the government doesn't work anymore, they have just given up and want a smaller, less intrusive Washington.
ReplyDeleteThe message I see is that people want more transfer payments and fewer government employees including politicians who act the crazy, high and mighty part.
These people are traitors pure and simple. When the Federalist party was found to be rooting for the British in the war of 1812, they were destroyed. Now the Repubs cheer that a government shutdown was good for their party, never mind the nation.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't work since the whole point was to get rid of Obamacare, which it most certainly did not (although that would have been a positive result had it transpired). Nevertheless I don't think it helped or hurt Republicans in the long pull, however, and certainly not on election Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to see a poll of the millions directly affected on just how much it influenced their vote, although if it did lead to anti Republican sentiment then the landslide on Tuesday would have been even more pronounced absent the shutdown.. Still, what happened in the recent national election had essentially zero to do with the shutdown except for the votes of the relative few.
Do any of you fiscal founts of knowledge know how Obamacare shows up in the econ stats?
ReplyDeleteLast year it appeared as if health care costs were falling, I think Mosler posted a few charts. But that was private sector spending. Now we see transfer payments spiked. And we see the releases from private insurers and hospitals and everyone is fat and happy. So it seems that the industry continues to grow as a % of GDP and maybe health care will add to growth, not subtract because the health care spending has been reclassified as public not private? The insurance subsidies are considered government expenditures not private expenditures on health care?
I'm all confused.
Ryan-
ReplyDeleteIf this is what people want:
"The message I see is that people want more transfer payments and fewer government employees"
Then its exactly what they've been getting with our neo-liberal policies of the last 30+ years.
Federal Govt employment per capita is lower today than any point in modern history (I think I read pre-new deal even?).
And transfers are taking up more and more of the budget on a % basis. This is reflected in the direct purchases and investment numbers. It makes sense, you cant maintain a constant total outlays as a % of GDP and grow the medicare\caid, SS and welfare payments that come with an aging population thats getting poorer all the time without cutting everything else.
If Govt spending isnt allowed to grow, then it really is a zero-sum game between retirees and everyone else.
We've been doing all this and instead of leading to an economic utopia, its more likely to become a dystopia.
Ryan see the scan at the post below with the 3 year trend...
ReplyDeletethey have established new line items this year (FY 2015) in the Medical area....
from what I hear the ACA is acting as a cramdown of cuts to the unit reimbursements... iow the govt is saying "we have just passed the AFFORDABLE (read "cramdown cuts") Care Act so now you wont get $100 for an MRI anymore we will only give you $75 because the ACA results in a 25% cost reduction in healthcare by definition...."
BUT, even with this they are still up on withdrawals due to demographics.... also providers can also order a xray, PET scan, etc... to go with the MRI so top line revenues to the providers is maintained... they just have to order more tests, imaging, etc... ie work the system...
so seniors are having to submit themselves to all sorts of perhaps marginally required tests so we can have any economic growth... the top line of most else govt is doing is down/breakeven....
the increases are being driven by the demographics IIRC there are 150k new enrollees per month right now... so there is not much these morons like Levin and Cruz can do about it unless they just want to throw people out ...
or like Levin and Cruz here are working for is euthanasia or "death panels"... ie denial of care... that would make them happy...
"live free or die" : they take the "live free" side of this deal so the rest of us are at greater risk of dying if they get their policies....
Levin isn't a politician and thus is merely a windbag and Cruz is a fringe/right political clown who has no national prospects whatsoever. Boehner and McConnell are the putative heads of the GOP, but they are to the left of the party as a whole so I think the best we'll see is a moderate legislative agenda going forward, if any at all. I also predict there will be no shutdowns of government before the 2016 elections. And the GOP's bread and butter constituency of elderly voters will not have their benefits eroded over the next two years either.... Oh, and Cruz does not want to destroy all government. That's a patently ridiculous assertion. Right wingers love government too, especially politician right wingers like Cruz. And there's nothing unreasonable about a jaded electorate relative to the pathetically unresponsive DC politicians and their bureaucratic underlings, especially regarding financial oversight or lack thereof when it comes to corporate overlords on Wall Street and beyond..
ReplyDeleteMal these people drive the "discussion" on the right....
ReplyDeletethey have no opposite on the left ... the left ratings of these types of media people are in the toilet nobody listens to them on the left... not sure how the left operates but it must be different than the right which uses these media people to facilitate the discussion....
These types of media morons are unique to the right and they matter...
Remember "Harriet Meyers for supreme court"? These people made Bush get rid of her.... they are influential on the right (but not on the left...)
rsp,
Matt,
ReplyDeleteDemocrats had a golden opportunity after the financial meltdown, but instead sold their souls to the financial/corporate devils. Ralph Nader long ago had Dems pegged but I got sucked into their vortex the past two presidential elections, when I should have known better. Democrat dereliction played right into Republican hands, so I don't blame talking heads for exploiting their idiocy. At any rate the left as represented by dumb-ass fringe Democrats is FUBAR, and Republicans in comparison look golden:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/179345/democratic-party-favorable-rating-falls-record-low.aspx
"I will make a fortune shorting everything in sight."
ReplyDeleteAnd let's face it Mike, we'll only be able to change the system once we've taken all their money off them and can buy back the politicians.