Saturday, July 14, 2012
Criminal?
Mr. Quarter notes that Obama campaign's attempt to paint Mr. Romney as a "felon" even though major newspapers and fact check organizations nationally decry the claim as bunk. So, lets review. Barack Obama has confessed to using and dealing in marijuana and cocaine in his "autobiography" books. But he is not a felon? Give me a f-ing break!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Deuce and Making Shit Up
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) descended into a farcical hell last Thursday and dragged all of us with it when it ruled that The Affordable Health Care Act ( Obamacare ) was constitutional. For the first time in the history of the United States, citizens can now be taxed for simply being alive... and doing nothing but breathe.
Tax evasion is a crime; tax avoidance is as American as blood sports, muscle cars and moonshine. You can avoid any tax conceived by any government simply by not doing whatever is being taxed, or, if you're feeling froggy, you can devise shell corporations, off-shore numbered bank accounts and lie your ass off. However, if you don't have health insurance, for whatever reason, the only way to avoid the Obamacare individual mandate tax/penalty/assfuck is to renounce your U.S. citizenship and move to Ohshitistan...or croak. If you're drawing breath, you have to have insurance or shell out $800 to the I.R.S. Doesn't matter how rich you are (self insured), or how poor you are, it's pay the man, bitches! However, minorities, single moms, illegal aliens and members of the LGBT community can expect generous government subsidies to help pay for the insurance and avoid being unfairly taxed/penalized/associated with lesser, unprotected individuals, as if they were evil white men.
Adding insult to injury, the "logic" used by SCOTUS to find in favor of the government was so twisted, convoluted and tortured it would have made the most shameless pol who ever lived, Nancy Pelosi, proud to have thought of it. Though the law never calls the individual mandate requirement a tax in it's entire 2400 pages, and the government's Solicitor General argued on the first day of oral arguments that the mandate was not a tax, SCOTUS ultimately said, "Well, regardless of what the actual law says, what congressional leaders and President Obama say, we find it to be a tax, not a penalty, as every government agent has said it is, and therefore it is constitutional."
SCOTUS in fact didn't rule on the constitutionality of the law...it made up it's own law! The law SCOTUS ruled on doesn't exist...but the court wanted to find in favor of the law so it, well, it just made some shit up. Don't they know that making shit up is the job of the President and Congress and not the court? SCOTUS's entire reason for existing is to call "BULLSHIT" when it hears it, not to applaud the government's (or anyone else's) chutzpa for making up some seriously righteous B.S. and reward them for it by affirming the law?
Come on man! Justices are appointed for life. They can't be fired and are not subject to elections or recall. Their gig is for life...they're untouchable! That's the whole point. They get those perks so they can stand above and apart from partisan politics and hence are absolutely free to TELL IT LIKE IT IS without fear of any type of reprisal. In this case proponents of the law, backed by the MSM, deemed that to rule the law unconstitutional would mean "depriving 30 million Americans of health insurance". So, the Court decided that the facts of the case were so mean spirited and hard-hearted that the truth just wouldn't do, and so they just said, "Fuck it. We'll make some shit up and then everyone that matters will love us, we'll keep getting invited to all the cool kid's parties, and we'll go down in history as some righteous dudes."
The government had argued that the commerce clause of the constitution gave them the authority to enact the law; but the commerce clause says the government can REGULATE interstate commerce, not that it can DEMAND individuals participate in interstate commerce. Since the court couldn't find in the government's favor with a straight face using the commerce clause as the government had argued, it, well, made some shit up.
Prior to the court's decision being announced, most court watchers and commentators thought that at least the individual mandate would be voted down even if the rest of the law passed muster. The theory was that that the Court's four leftist commie bitches (Sotomayor, Kagan, Bader-Ginsburg and Bryer) would vote in favor of upholding the law, but would be overuled by the Court's four conservative champions of truth, justice and the American Way (Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts) plus the pivotal swing vote of the fence-sitting pussy Kennedy.
But it was not to be. The God's of clusterfuck deemed that Chief Justice Roberts would cave to presidential, congressional and media pressure, and in order to 'save the reputation of the court' and his own legacy would vote with the Four Commies of the Courtpocalypse and...wait for it...MAKE SOME SHIT UP!
The entire farce is worthy of Shakespeare.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Deuce and the D-Bags
D-Bags. We all know them...we all hate them. For your consideration I give you my top ten list of the biggest, most aggravating, most nauseating D-Bags currently infecting our society.
Drum roll....
NUMBER 10: Debbi Wasserman-Schultz, (D-FL)
Drum roll....
NUMBER 10: Debbi Wasserman-Schultz, (D-FL)
Currently the chair of the Democratic National Committee and Congress critter from Florida's 20th district, Ms. Hyphen makes her Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale and Miami Beach) constituents proud by supporting every far-left hallucination imaginable and at the same time insulting everyone who dares to disagree with her. She's Pro-Choice, pro Palestinian, pro LGBT, a climate change-monger, calls the Tea Party racists, is pro-union and believes a crime committed out of hate is worse than the same crime committed absent hate (cause some people are just special don't you know).
NUMBER 9: Bill Maher
Yes, it's the pasty, doughy vegan who says Christianity is a 'fairy tale' and called Sarah Palin a cunt. The host of HBO's Real Time makes a living mocking faith, conservatives, the second amendment, Catholics and the military. Most obnoxiously, Maher acts like he believes he's the smartest man in America, but I doubt if he's got the technical acumen to change the battery in his vibrating butt-plug.
NUMBER 8: Michael Bloomberg
The teeny-meany multi-millionaire Mayor of New York is among the country's worst buttinskys. Can't smoke in New York unless you're inside a four-alarm fire; can't eat sugar within 1000 feet of any school or day care center; can't use coconut oil to pop your popcorn unless you're a Muslim inside a mosque, in which case you can do anything; you can't own a gun in New York; can't donate food to homeless shelters 'cause the city inspectors haven't measured the salt, fat or sugar content. Bloomberg is to the health-nazis what Al Gore is to the climate-nazis. If not for his millions he would be a lunch room monitor at the Manhattan School for Pussies.
NUMBER 7: Al Sharpton
Circles the country like a vulture looking for the next racial incident he can feed on. Made famous by such sordid events as the Tawana Brawley affair, the Crown Heights riot of 1991, and a 1995 arson attack on a Jewish Harlem jeweler that led to 8 deaths. Most currently he's been scavenging on the Trayvon Martin case. Neighbors report seeing Sharpton feeding on road kill near his home.
NUMBER 6: Al Gore
Since losing the 2000 presidential election to Bush II, the former Vice President has gotten filthy rich jetting around the world telling everyone the sky is falling. Undefeated heavyweight champion of man-made global warming climate change, Gore has spent the last 12 years scaring the bajeezus out of small children and fools by making movies about polar bears drowning and glaciers melting, and demanding that Americans reduce the size of their 'carbon footprint'...all the while consuming more energy and pumping more carbon into the atmosphere with his jets, limo caravans and mansions than the entire country of Afghanistan.
NUMBER 5: Nancy Pelosi
"We must pass this bill to see what's in it", referring to Obamacare. Still the most moronic excuse for statecraft to ever be uttered in the House of Representatives. Caught lying about when she knew detainees at Gitmo were being water boarded. Tried to manufacture a racial incident by marching through Tea Party protestors arm in arm with Black members of Congress to deliver the Obamacare legislation to the Senate, attempting to equate Obamacare with the Civil Rights Movement. When no incident occurred, had Black members make one up, saying they had been spit upon. Despite numerous videos of the 'march', no evidence of any spitting was ever seen and a $10,000 reward for proof of the spitting went forever unclaimed. The queen of botox and hypocrisy.
NUMBER 4: Eric Holder
The Attorney General has made a mockery of the law by failing to prosecute the New Black Panthers for their voter intimidation; trying to cover up his role in the Fast and Furious scandal that resulted in at least one U.S. Border Patrol agent being murdered by Mexican drug lords using weapons the ATF allowed to be illegally transported into Mexico; described the American people as cowards for not having a national discussion on racism; is suing numerous states for their attempts to stop illegal immigration. And now, Holder has instructed the DOJ to 'review' the so-called 'Stand Your Ground' laws in Florida and other states after the shooting of Trayvon Martin by a man simply trying to defend himself from attack. This guy is racist excrement and the commie version of Jim Crow.
NUMBER 3: Harry Reid (D-NV)
The Senate Majority Leader, Harry more than any other politician I can think of is the best argument for forced retirement or term limits. It's not just that he's as big a commie as Obama or Pelosi or Marx, it's his entire personae, or lack thereof. He has the leadership skills of a loogie. Drier than the Nevada desert he comes from, his speeches on the Senate floor have all the passion of a tumbleweed and display the intellect of a dung beetle.
NUMBER 2: Barack Obama
Surprise. You thought he'd be number one, didn't you. The first Communist ever elected to the presidency. You all know his politics. You all know the people he hangs out with. He's the second biggest mistake America has ever made, slavery being the worst. His work towards a communist distopia has done more damage to the U.S. than any enemy, foreign or domestic. His presidency is a nightmare Americans can not wake up from, and may very well not survive if God abandons us and Obama somehow gets a second term.
NUMBER 1: George Soros
This is the money man for the far left. The Center for Responsive Politics reported that during the 2003–2004 election cycle, Soros donated $23,581,000 to various groups dedicated to defeating President Bush. This quote sums up his ideology nicely: "The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States." Obama clearly shares this view. Soros writes the checks, Obama dictates the Soros law.
DISHONORABLE MENTION:
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg
Uber-Homosexual Dan Savage
Actor Alec Baldwin
Uber-Lesbian Rosie O'Donnel
The entire ACLU
Talking head Keith Olberman
Actor Sean Penn
Feel free to offer your own candidates in the comments.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Deuce and Surprise
Trayvon Martin is dead because he attacked the wrong man.
Not because he was black, at least not directly; not because he was profiled; not because guns kill people; not because George Zimmerman was looking to kill someone that night; not because of Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law. He's dead because he attacked and assaulted a man who was armed and prepared to defend himself.
The question is why did Martin attack? Despite the tortured and misleading language so much of the MSM has used describing Zimmerman as 'persuing' Martin, when in fact Zimmerman was simply following and observing Martin waiting for the police to arrive as neighborhood watch members routinely do, and that Zimmerman did not confront Martin as has been reported but that in fact it was Martin who approached Zimmerman while Zimmerman was still seated in his vehicle; it was Martin who initiated the confrontation that resulted in his own death...and has a man guilty of nothing more than defending himself facing second degree murder charges and a possible life sentence if convicted.
No one knows for sure the decision making process Trayvon went through that night that led him to his death, but there are clues, both personal to him and to urban Black teenagers in general.
First, Trayvon was no stranger to trouble. He had multiple school suspensions from his North Miami high school for offenses including evidence of drug possession (pot), possession of burglary tools and 'tagging' school property. In fact, the only reason Trayvon was in Sanford the night he died is because he had been suspended from school for ten days for "being in an unauthorized area." Why he was suspended for such a long period for what seems a relatively minor infraction has gone unexplained.
Secondly, Trayvon's MySpace and Twitter accounts offer more insight into his personality. Photos Trayvon posted of himself in his MySpace account show a black teenager with a gold 'grill' and tats...all at age 17. His Twitter name was @NO_LIMIT_NIGGA. Written communications and photos shared between him and his online friends show gang signs and references to buying 'plant', leading to the conclusion that Trayvon may have been known to sell pot.
Trayvon was not a convicted felon nor has any arrest record been made public, though if he had been arrested juvenile records usually remain sealed and would not be public knowledge unless leaked.
In short, Trayvon was not a gangster...but it appears he was a wanna-be gangster, caught up in the oh so common urban Black mythology of gangs, dope, street cred and disrespect of authority. It's this mentality that leads a 17 year old kid to believe he can confront a grown man and assault him.
And why not? Surely Trayvon was aware of the flash mobs of Black teenagers that had targeted Whites and brazenly attacked and often robbed them in cities across the country last summer. Surely Trayvon was aware of the flash mobs of Black teenagers descending on retail outlets and looting the stores in broad daylight. Surely Trayvon was aware of the 'knockout game', where Blacks, usually teenagers, walk up to an innocent and unsuspecting person, usually White, and attempt to knock them out with one punch...so they can post the video on YouTube and brag to their friends how they 'tought that cracka a lesson.'
Surely a NO LIMIT NIGGA could handle one lone man who was not Black, was smaller than him and who lived in a nice gated community where people don't live by the laws of the 'hood.'
Surprise!
Not because he was black, at least not directly; not because he was profiled; not because guns kill people; not because George Zimmerman was looking to kill someone that night; not because of Florida's 'Stand Your Ground' law. He's dead because he attacked and assaulted a man who was armed and prepared to defend himself.
The question is why did Martin attack? Despite the tortured and misleading language so much of the MSM has used describing Zimmerman as 'persuing' Martin, when in fact Zimmerman was simply following and observing Martin waiting for the police to arrive as neighborhood watch members routinely do, and that Zimmerman did not confront Martin as has been reported but that in fact it was Martin who approached Zimmerman while Zimmerman was still seated in his vehicle; it was Martin who initiated the confrontation that resulted in his own death...and has a man guilty of nothing more than defending himself facing second degree murder charges and a possible life sentence if convicted.
No one knows for sure the decision making process Trayvon went through that night that led him to his death, but there are clues, both personal to him and to urban Black teenagers in general.
First, Trayvon was no stranger to trouble. He had multiple school suspensions from his North Miami high school for offenses including evidence of drug possession (pot), possession of burglary tools and 'tagging' school property. In fact, the only reason Trayvon was in Sanford the night he died is because he had been suspended from school for ten days for "being in an unauthorized area." Why he was suspended for such a long period for what seems a relatively minor infraction has gone unexplained.
Secondly, Trayvon's MySpace and Twitter accounts offer more insight into his personality. Photos Trayvon posted of himself in his MySpace account show a black teenager with a gold 'grill' and tats...all at age 17. His Twitter name was @NO_LIMIT_NIGGA. Written communications and photos shared between him and his online friends show gang signs and references to buying 'plant', leading to the conclusion that Trayvon may have been known to sell pot.
Trayvon was not a convicted felon nor has any arrest record been made public, though if he had been arrested juvenile records usually remain sealed and would not be public knowledge unless leaked.
In short, Trayvon was not a gangster...but it appears he was a wanna-be gangster, caught up in the oh so common urban Black mythology of gangs, dope, street cred and disrespect of authority. It's this mentality that leads a 17 year old kid to believe he can confront a grown man and assault him.
And why not? Surely Trayvon was aware of the flash mobs of Black teenagers that had targeted Whites and brazenly attacked and often robbed them in cities across the country last summer. Surely Trayvon was aware of the flash mobs of Black teenagers descending on retail outlets and looting the stores in broad daylight. Surely Trayvon was aware of the 'knockout game', where Blacks, usually teenagers, walk up to an innocent and unsuspecting person, usually White, and attempt to knock them out with one punch...so they can post the video on YouTube and brag to their friends how they 'tought that cracka a lesson.'
Surely a NO LIMIT NIGGA could handle one lone man who was not Black, was smaller than him and who lived in a nice gated community where people don't live by the laws of the 'hood.'
Surprise!
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Deuce Is Too Aware
I'm exhausted, and my health is failing because of it.
I can't go a day without some do-gooder demanding my attention so they can raise my awareness about the cause they care so much about. I just have to care as much as they do, and if I don't well then I'm just scum and don't deserve to live.
I'm barraged by nagging women (why is it always women?) to help (give money) cure breast cancer; prevent eating disorders; rescue unwanted doggies and kittys; help feed those poor Filipino kids living in that giant garbage dump; shut down puppy mills; stop climate change (by having a lifestyle of a Medieval peasant who happens to drive a Chevy Volt); adopt a member of the GLBT community; support Planned Parenthood and finance some chick's birth control/abortion; help stop discrimination against Muslims, just convert or die.
My awareness has reached it's maximum possible elevation. Any higher and the air is so thin I can't breathe. I've reached into my pocket so many times I've got repetitive injury syndrome (please help me by sending some cash). I can't sleep because of the anxiety of knowing the world is getting shittier by the minute and tomorrow will be worse than today was and everyone but me is slowly dying in squalor and filth...and it's my fault because I'm not aware enough.
Well, no more.
As of today, right now, I officially don't care. Why? I don't owe you an explanation but I'll tell you anyway. It's because I can't do anything about your cause. All my time, my energy and my wealth goes to my cause...making sure myself and my loved ones don't become one of your causes. I'm taking care of me and mine, and if you do the same, whoever you are and wherever you are, then you won't need any one's help to live your life, and you won't need these incessant armies of beggars screeching at me 24/7 to raise my awareness enough to give a shit about you.
Now that I've confessed my sin and you are feeling all warm and fuzzy because you do care and now you know for sure that you're a better human being than I am, let me fill you in on something. First, I don't care.
Think what you want, say what you want, care about whatever makes you feel guilty, just stop bothering me with it.
Secondly, it's really easy to say you care and and cry your crocodile tears for every poor schmuck and schmuckette who has a hand out, but I know your dirty little secret...you don't really care anymore more than I do. Oh, you'll pretend to care whenever anyone is watching, and say all the right things that you think will make you sound like a caring and compassionate person, a citizen of the world and worthy of everyone's respect. If you can afford it you may even give money and attend charitable events, but you don't do it because you really care. You do it because you want to be loved, appreciated and thought of as noble...better than the other members of your country club, to be showered with honors, acclaim and mention on the society page. It's called competitive altruism. You care more and so obviously are more worthy of, well, everything.
Knock yourself out. I still don't care.
I feel better already...and worse. There's always a price to pay I guess.
I can't go a day without some do-gooder demanding my attention so they can raise my awareness about the cause they care so much about. I just have to care as much as they do, and if I don't well then I'm just scum and don't deserve to live.
I'm barraged by nagging women (why is it always women?) to help (give money) cure breast cancer; prevent eating disorders; rescue unwanted doggies and kittys; help feed those poor Filipino kids living in that giant garbage dump; shut down puppy mills; stop climate change (by having a lifestyle of a Medieval peasant who happens to drive a Chevy Volt); adopt a member of the GLBT community; support Planned Parenthood and finance some chick's birth control/abortion; help stop discrimination against Muslims, just convert or die.
My awareness has reached it's maximum possible elevation. Any higher and the air is so thin I can't breathe. I've reached into my pocket so many times I've got repetitive injury syndrome (please help me by sending some cash). I can't sleep because of the anxiety of knowing the world is getting shittier by the minute and tomorrow will be worse than today was and everyone but me is slowly dying in squalor and filth...and it's my fault because I'm not aware enough.
Well, no more.
As of today, right now, I officially don't care. Why? I don't owe you an explanation but I'll tell you anyway. It's because I can't do anything about your cause. All my time, my energy and my wealth goes to my cause...making sure myself and my loved ones don't become one of your causes. I'm taking care of me and mine, and if you do the same, whoever you are and wherever you are, then you won't need any one's help to live your life, and you won't need these incessant armies of beggars screeching at me 24/7 to raise my awareness enough to give a shit about you.
Now that I've confessed my sin and you are feeling all warm and fuzzy because you do care and now you know for sure that you're a better human being than I am, let me fill you in on something. First, I don't care.
Think what you want, say what you want, care about whatever makes you feel guilty, just stop bothering me with it.
Secondly, it's really easy to say you care and and cry your crocodile tears for every poor schmuck and schmuckette who has a hand out, but I know your dirty little secret...you don't really care anymore more than I do. Oh, you'll pretend to care whenever anyone is watching, and say all the right things that you think will make you sound like a caring and compassionate person, a citizen of the world and worthy of everyone's respect. If you can afford it you may even give money and attend charitable events, but you don't do it because you really care. You do it because you want to be loved, appreciated and thought of as noble...better than the other members of your country club, to be showered with honors, acclaim and mention on the society page. It's called competitive altruism. You care more and so obviously are more worthy of, well, everything.
Knock yourself out. I still don't care.
I feel better already...and worse. There's always a price to pay I guess.
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Complete Failure
Mr. Quarter is reprinting the following excerpts from an article published in Investor's Business Daily today:
February 17 marks the three-year anniversary of the day President Obama signed the stimulus into law. The original estimate for the cost of the stimulus was $787 billion. Now the Congressional Budget Office says that, when all is said and done, it will have cost $825 billion (that is $825,000,000,000).
At the time, Obama claimed that it would "create or save" up to 3.5 million jobs, and that "a new wave of innovation, activity and construction will be unleashed across America." The stimulus, would, he promised""ignite spending by businesses and consumers" and bring "real and lasting change for generations to come."
Here's where various indicators stood in or around February 2009, and where they stand today.
Unemployment rate: The jobless rate is unchanged from February 2009 to January 2012, the latest month for which we have data. Both stood at 8.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Obama's economists had initially predicted that with the stimulus, unemployment would stay below 8%.
Number of long-term unemployed: The number of workers who have been unable to find a job in 27 months or more has shot up 83%, with their ranks now at 5.5 million.
Civilian labor force: It has shrunk by 126,000. In past recoveries, the labor force climbed an average of more than 3 million over comparable time periods.
Labor force participation: The share of adults in the labor force — either looking or working — has dropped 3% — also highly unusual in a recovery. At 63.7%, labor force participation is at a low not seen since the middle of the very deep 1981-82 recession, when fewer women were in the work force. A lower participation rate makes the unemployment rate look better.
Household income: Median annual household income is about 7% below where it was in February 2009, according to the Sentier Research Household Income Index.
National debt: Up $4.5 trillion, or 41%, according to the Treasury Department's monthly reports. The latest Treasury figures put the national debt at $15.4 trillion, larger than the entire U.S. economy.
Deficits: The deficit for fiscal year 2009 totaled $1.4 trillion. The Obama administration's proposed deficit for 2012 is $1.3 trillion, which would mark the fourth year of deficits topping $1 trillion.
Gross Domestic Product: Real GDP has climbed just 6% between Q1 2009 and Q4 2011, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. For those that need help with the arithmetic, that is growth averaging just 2% per year
Spending by consumers and businesses: Personal consumption has managed to climb 10% in the past three years, according to the BEA, but companies continue to hoard cash, with cash on hand up 27% since Q1 2009, according to the Federal Reserve Bank.
Perhaps the best measure of the success or failure of the stimulus, however, is the fact that President Obama in his latest budget plan has called for still another round of stimulus spending, this time totaling $350 billion over the next four years, for what is labeled "short-term measures for jobs growth."
Post Script: The budget for Fiscal Year 2010 — the first budget developed by the Obama Administration after taking office in 2009 — projected the federal deficit in fiscal 2012 would be $581 billion, or 3.5% of GDP. Instead, the budget deficit now is expected to be $1,327 billion, or 8.5% of GDP.
February 17 marks the three-year anniversary of the day President Obama signed the stimulus into law. The original estimate for the cost of the stimulus was $787 billion. Now the Congressional Budget Office says that, when all is said and done, it will have cost $825 billion (that is $825,000,000,000).
At the time, Obama claimed that it would "create or save" up to 3.5 million jobs, and that "a new wave of innovation, activity and construction will be unleashed across America." The stimulus, would, he promised""ignite spending by businesses and consumers" and bring "real and lasting change for generations to come."
Here's where various indicators stood in or around February 2009, and where they stand today.
Unemployment rate: The jobless rate is unchanged from February 2009 to January 2012, the latest month for which we have data. Both stood at 8.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Obama's economists had initially predicted that with the stimulus, unemployment would stay below 8%.
Number of long-term unemployed: The number of workers who have been unable to find a job in 27 months or more has shot up 83%, with their ranks now at 5.5 million.
Civilian labor force: It has shrunk by 126,000. In past recoveries, the labor force climbed an average of more than 3 million over comparable time periods.
Labor force participation: The share of adults in the labor force — either looking or working — has dropped 3% — also highly unusual in a recovery. At 63.7%, labor force participation is at a low not seen since the middle of the very deep 1981-82 recession, when fewer women were in the work force. A lower participation rate makes the unemployment rate look better.
Household income: Median annual household income is about 7% below where it was in February 2009, according to the Sentier Research Household Income Index.
National debt: Up $4.5 trillion, or 41%, according to the Treasury Department's monthly reports. The latest Treasury figures put the national debt at $15.4 trillion, larger than the entire U.S. economy.
Deficits: The deficit for fiscal year 2009 totaled $1.4 trillion. The Obama administration's proposed deficit for 2012 is $1.3 trillion, which would mark the fourth year of deficits topping $1 trillion.
Gross Domestic Product: Real GDP has climbed just 6% between Q1 2009 and Q4 2011, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. For those that need help with the arithmetic, that is growth averaging just 2% per year
Spending by consumers and businesses: Personal consumption has managed to climb 10% in the past three years, according to the BEA, but companies continue to hoard cash, with cash on hand up 27% since Q1 2009, according to the Federal Reserve Bank.
Perhaps the best measure of the success or failure of the stimulus, however, is the fact that President Obama in his latest budget plan has called for still another round of stimulus spending, this time totaling $350 billion over the next four years, for what is labeled "short-term measures for jobs growth."
Post Script: The budget for Fiscal Year 2010 — the first budget developed by the Obama Administration after taking office in 2009 — projected the federal deficit in fiscal 2012 would be $581 billion, or 3.5% of GDP. Instead, the budget deficit now is expected to be $1,327 billion, or 8.5% of GDP.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Vonnegut's Premonition
Recent events have caused Mr. Quarter to recall a Kurt Vonnegut short story entitled Harrison Bergeron that he read in high school. Wickipedia summarizes the plot as follows:
The story is set in the year 2081. Due to the 211th, 212th and 213th Amendments to the Constitution of America, all Americans are mandated equal. “They were not only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way." In America no one is more intelligent than anyone else, no one is better looking or more athletic than anyone else. In order to stop any sort of competition in society these measures are enforced by the United States Handicapper General. The current Handicapper General and her team of agents have developed several forms of "handicaps." Beautiful people are forced to wear masks, athletic people have to carry weights, and intelligent people have to wear radios in their ears that interrupt thoughts with loud noises.
Sound familiar? Sounds a lot like the world that Obama would like to create. His speech in Kansas last week certainly bespoke of a world dominated by "fairness." Mr. Obama insisted that "unfairness" could only be rectified by handicapping the wealthy with higher taxes. It is not a great stretch to imagine how he would create equality and fairness in all other areas of endeavor in this country
The story is set in the year 2081. Due to the 211th, 212th and 213th Amendments to the Constitution of America, all Americans are mandated equal. “They were not only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way." In America no one is more intelligent than anyone else, no one is better looking or more athletic than anyone else. In order to stop any sort of competition in society these measures are enforced by the United States Handicapper General. The current Handicapper General and her team of agents have developed several forms of "handicaps." Beautiful people are forced to wear masks, athletic people have to carry weights, and intelligent people have to wear radios in their ears that interrupt thoughts with loud noises.
Sound familiar? Sounds a lot like the world that Obama would like to create. His speech in Kansas last week certainly bespoke of a world dominated by "fairness." Mr. Obama insisted that "unfairness" could only be rectified by handicapping the wealthy with higher taxes. It is not a great stretch to imagine how he would create equality and fairness in all other areas of endeavor in this country
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