Tax Reform Under Trump 2017

It’s gonna be crazy weird to have the Democrats be the party arguing about how deficits are gonna fuck us over.

How weird can it be? It’s been the case for 20 years, and arguably since Carter.

Nah, if you look back on these very forums, you had most of the left wing folks saying how the deficit doesn’t matter at all.

It’s true that the GOP doesn’t actually care about the deficit, but they were normally the ones SAYING that they cared about it.

Yep, but “the rich are stealing from your kids and their kids” might resonate.

I’ve argued that the idea of needing to balance the budget every year, or even most years, is silly, not that deficits don’t matter at all. The annual deficit is only too large when it causes general inflation of more than a couple of percentage points a year (most economists consider a bit of inflation a good thing). Also, it greatly depends on how the deficit happens, and what the excess spending (or foregone tax revenue in this case) is going toward whether it’s good or not (even assuming it’s within the “not causing excessive inflation” limits). In the current case, exacerbating inequality and asset price bubbles is Not Good.

In 1984 no one revolted. Everyone who even thought about it was broken completely and utterly.

I’d argue for 1984 because Trump and the GOP seem to be using it as a handbook on how to do things. Brave New World is in there for the reasons you mention though. The worst of both worlds in some ways, though we aren’t being taken away from Wrongthink. Yet.

Not until Trump’s third term. Or perhaps Ivanka’s first.

I mean if Trump could get away with it, he’d do it. He’s said as much probably a hundred times.

If only we’d sit up at attention when he speaks, like that dictator guy who has soooo much power. So jealous.

Aaand here we go, as night follows day:

House GOP plan would cut Medicare, Social Security to balance budget

That didn’t take long.

Well that’s just shocking. Fucking assholes. Fuck all of you that voted Republican.

Yep.

Here’s another article on this.

I was wondering when this will come up - knew it had to be coming sooner or later.

I guess the GOP doesn’t care about the next election cycle.

Havent they done this for the last bunch of years? Some poor sap who needs some conservative bonafides puts out a ridiculous budget that is used as a sacrificial lamb. It has no hope of becoming real, but it establishes a far right baseline as they start negotiations with Dems.

There will be no major change to entitlements in a midterm year.

Is such a change plausible after the election, assuming the blue wave happens, in the remaining months of this congress?

No way in hell with Dems controlling the House.

Keep the goverment out of my medicare!

Yeah, that’ll play well in november. Has to be about setting those goalposts so far into crazyland that they can get concessions prior to the elections. Or a last ditch effort to actually kill off their base before then, while they have three branches for the last time in hopefully forever.

I would not underestimate the GOP’s ability to convince people to vote against their economic interests. That’s their superpower.

Maybe we’ll see a bunch of commercials about “Medicare Queens,” or some other way of reminding scared old people that poor brown folks are somehow stealing from them.

“Wouldn’t you rather have this kidney donation go to a nice white woman with 2 grandchildren in law school than this black welfare queen with at least a dozen kids running around joining the gangs? Cutting the fat from Medicare will cut the crime rate in cities across the country. Also, BUILD THE WALL. Brought to you by the Committee to Help White Folks Stay Safe and Healthy.”