tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post6850686813547561942..comments2024-03-29T06:09:09.845-04:00Comments on the daily howler: The three faces of the New York Times!<b>bob somerby</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02963464534685954436noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-26283327499954168472013-03-14T14:21:16.882-04:002013-03-14T14:21:16.882-04:00David, Ryans's plan (at least if it is like th...David, Ryans's plan (at least if it is like the last two, I admittedly have not read this particular heaping pile of excrement (Which I feel allowed to say, having perused the first two that seemed to come from an excrement-producing organization)(end disclaimers))<br /><br />Anyway, his plan specifies tax revenues at a certain level. Say 19% of GDP. However, in the last plan it also spelled out tax breaks for the rich as part of the plan. Never did it bother to explain how it is possible to get revenues to 19% of GDP combined with those tax cuts for the rich. Thus, it is perfectly fair and reasonable to point out that his plan only works if he gets revenue from some other source. (and no that source can NOT be a "roaring econonmy" because a roaring economy can make 15% of GDP-2 greater than 19% of GDP-1, but it can NOT get you back to 19% of GDP after tax cuts for the rich knock you down to 14% of GDP).<br /><br />It is perfectly fair to look at a plan which takes Current Revenues and subtracts huge Tax Cuts for the Rich and then claims Higher Revenues (as a higher percent of GDP) that there must be an X so that CR-TCR+X=HR where X is greater than zero.<br /><br />History, unfortunately, provides numerous examples of Republicans cutting taxes for the rich and raising taxes on the poor. I have several examples in my own web journal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-63694362273140251152013-03-14T00:51:49.237-04:002013-03-14T00:51:49.237-04:00I agree that critics are entitled to judge the Rya...I agree that critics are entitled to judge the Ryan plan on the basis of what possible way it could accomplish what it claims. If they think Ryan's plan won't result in a balanced budget, they're entitled to say so. David in Calnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-71467883620474470912013-03-13T21:43:28.479-04:002013-03-13T21:43:28.479-04:00Nobody campaigning in the fall of 2008 had any ide...Nobody campaigning in the fall of 2008 had any idea how much of an economic disaster Bush was going to leave behind. It's dishonest to hold anyone to their campaign proposals in that time frame.<br /><br />Critics are entitled to judge the Ryan plan on the basis of what possible way it could accomplish what it claims.urban legendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-85566179026586043942013-03-13T16:19:42.718-04:002013-03-13T16:19:42.718-04:00urban legend, if Ryan's plan doesn't accom...urban legend, if Ryan's plan doesn't accomplish what it intends, there are infinitely many possibilities. The most likely is that the deficit would simply be larger than he says it will be. Alternatively, I suppose it's conceivable that any tax could be raised or any spending could be cut, even though such steps are not in Ryan's plan. It is indeed making things up for the Times to latch onto one particular step that's not in Ryan's plan.<br /><br />One could do a similar analysis of Mr. Obama's plan. When he campaigned in 2008, he promised a much smaller deficit than we have now. His plan turned out not to add up. But, of course, that doesn't mean that he raised middle class taxes.David in Calnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-61815728931852650272013-03-13T14:05:21.755-04:002013-03-13T14:05:21.755-04:00If one is skeptical that the "plan" -- i...If one is skeptical that the "plan" -- if you can even call it that -- will accomplish what it claims, that is a perfectly natural observation: how in the hell will dropping the top rate for the wealthiest result in collecting enough revenue to meet almost certain spending obligations except by raising middle class taxes to compensate for those reductions? It's an inevitable deduction, not "making things up."urban legendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-81636996323458917762013-03-13T13:58:57.249-04:002013-03-13T13:58:57.249-04:00Not sure of the point of your question.Not sure of the point of your question.urban legendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-37308749562244983302013-03-13T13:58:04.866-04:002013-03-13T13:58:04.866-04:00The only time you should compare the government...The only time you should compare the government's budgeting to household budgeting is when you are out to cut the government's budget. All other comparisons are invalid. This is so obvious, so vastly common sensical, that the reasoning for it doesn't even need to be presented. tilhttp://til.tknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-58307494826661846232013-03-13T13:41:57.555-04:002013-03-13T13:41:57.555-04:00Might I also ask how many middle class families ar...Might I also ask how many middle class families are able to operate their budget without ever going into debt?<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-5812917794163038322013-03-13T13:32:46.174-04:002013-03-13T13:32:46.174-04:00Yeah, that was some roaring economy G.W. created w...Yeah, that was some roaring economy G.W. created when he did the same thing.<br /><br />Santayana was a prophet.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-88033554471854617892013-03-13T13:28:28.396-04:002013-03-13T13:28:28.396-04:00At least she's trying to start moving dialogue...At least she's trying to start moving dialogue in the right direction -- away from the absurd family budget simile towards understanding that (1) a government that assumes debt in its own currency can choose never to default under any circumstances, and (2) what matters is not how many scary "trillions" the debt is but how big it is compared to GDP. That ratio can decline even if the annual budget is in deficit. I'm not sure I've ever seen an article anywhere try to do that, and it could be looked at as remarkable it took a 28-year-old to do it. When even the great liberal President we elected so enthusiastically feels the need to invoke the infantile family kitchen table imagery when he "pivoted" from jobs to the deficit, we have a long way to go. I see this as a hopeful sign.urban legendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-60427107547700274572013-03-13T13:22:49.207-04:002013-03-13T13:22:49.207-04:00The New York Times demonizes Ryan's plan by ma...The New York Times demonizes Ryan's plan by making things up. They write:<br /><br /><i>it sets a goal of slashing the top tax rate for the rich to 25 percent from 39.6 percent, though naturally Mr. Ryan doesn’t explain how this could happen without raising taxes on middle- and lower-income people.</i><br /><br />Notice how the Times pulled out of the air the tax increase on middle and lower income people. With equal (lack of) justification, they might have written:<br /><br /><i>it sets a goal of slashing the top tax rate for the rich to 25 percent from 39.6 percent, though naturally Mr. Ryan doesn’t explain how this could happen without cutting lots of wasteful government spending</i><br /><br />or<br /><br /><i>it sets a goal of slashing the top tax rate for the rich to 25 percent from 39.6 percent, though naturally Mr. Ryan doesn’t explain how this could happen without creating a roaring economy</i><br /><br />Or, they could have left out the fictional hypotheticals and simply reported the details of Ryan's plan. David in Calnoreply@blogger.com