All Things in Moderation

The Debt Star

45 Responses

1. 

   novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 6:41 am said:

   Can we turn the ship around?

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2. 

   lmsinca, on May 4, 2012 at 7:05 am said:

   Here are a couple of charts of National Debt by Presidential term. It shows the raw numbers, the percentage of increase, as a percentage of GDP and trend lines. I think it’s just numbers with no political agenda based on the sourcing at the bottom. I thought it was interesting. Maybe it’s “Moderate”.

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   • 

     ScottC, on May 4, 2012 at 7:51 am said:

     lms:

     I think it’s just numbers with no political agenda…

     I’m not so sure. For example, the very first “headline”, at the very top, says “HEADLINE: By far, the president who increased the Natl. Debt the most, by all measures, remains Ronald Reagan. Clinton was best.” That’s simply not true. As a percent of GDP, Reagan averaged an increase of 2.41% per year of his term. Obama is averaging a staggering 8.55%, far higher than Reagan or anyone else. (Clinton was, undeniably, the “best”.)

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     • 

       lmsinca, on May 4, 2012 at 8:05 am said:

       Scott

       If you don’t dispute the numbers then they are non-political. What the numbers mean is political, obviously.

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       • 

         ScottC, on May 4, 2012 at 8:17 am said:

         lms:

         If you don’t dispute the numbers then they are non-political.

         Clearly numbers in and of themselves are non-political. When you said “I think it’s just numbers with no political agenda”, I assumed the “it” referred to the link as a whole, or the intent of the site.

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3. 

   Kevin S. Willis, on May 4, 2012 at 7:33 am said:

   Can we turn the ship around?

   It’s got us in a tractor beam! Time to go hide under the floor.

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4. 

   Kevin S. Willis, on May 4, 2012 at 7:36 am said:

   Ronaldus Magnus at least had the Democrats to blame, whom he had to buy off to get his tax cuts through. Dubya does not have that excuse, and Republicans, who have been strong in the house and senate even when in the minority, don’t have anything to crow about under Obama. That spending has not happened just because Obama said so.

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5. 

   novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 8:04 am said:

   Also — May the 4th be with you.

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6. 

   lmsinca, on May 4, 2012 at 8:24 am said:

   Nope scott, just the numbers, I didn’t even read the headline.

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7. 

   Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 8:47 am said:

   Behold the power of this fully operational Debt Star!

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8. 

   Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 8:49 am said:

   Help us Milton Friedman, you’re our only hope!

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9. 

   Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 8:53 am said:

   Technically the “behold the power …” is from Return of the Jedi.

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10. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 8:54 am said:

    Attacking that debt problem is not my idea of courage. It’s more like, suicide”

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11. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 9:00 am said:

    Tea Party: Sir, the odds of successfully navigating a debt spiral are 17 million…

    Obama: Never tell me the odds!

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12. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 9:08 am said:

    But how I’m to know the good debt from the bad?

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13. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 9:12 am said:

    Hokey economic theory and ancient monetary policy are no substitute for a good Fed Chairman at your side kid.

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14. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 9:17 am said:

    “I’m Ben Bernanke, I’m here to rescue you.”

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15. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 9:23 am said:

    NoVA/Troll:

    LMAO!

    “This isn’t the recovery you’re looking for … move along.”

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16. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 9:26 am said:

    Aren’t you a little short to be a Fed Chairman?

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17. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 9:31 am said:

    That wizard is just a crazy old man. Tomorrow, I want you to take your QEIII to the FOMC and have its memory erased. That’ll be the end of it.

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18. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 9:35 am said:

    gah! corked by mike. but i was going to replace “wizard” with “ron paul”

    i’ll have to check to this

    The Austrians are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that’s left of their religion.

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19. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 9:36 am said:

    I told you she would never consciously betray the Keynesianism.

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20. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 9:43 am said:

    You invested in that thing? You’re braver than I thought.

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21. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 9:54 am said:

    Don’t be so proud of this economic terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy an economy is insignificant next to the power of the Bernank.

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22. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 9:55 am said:

    Tight monetary policy, a more elegant inflation weapon, for a more civilized age.

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23. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 10:11 am said:

    lock interest rates in attack position!

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24. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 10:18 am said:

    Fed interest rates are too obscure to make an effective demonstration. But don’t worry, we will deal with your deficit spending soon enough.

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25. 

    Kevin S. Willis, on May 4, 2012 at 10:21 am said:

    Don’t be so proud of this economic terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy an economy is insignificant next to the power of the Bernank.

    Heh! That’s good.

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26. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 10:32 am said:

    Your father wanted you to have this copy of Road to Serfdom when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn’t allow it.

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27. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 10:36 am said:

    This one’s for NoVa

    K street in Washington: You”ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. 

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    • 

      ScottC, on May 4, 2012 at 10:38 am said:

      I sincerely hope you guys have brought up the script on the net and are not reeling these off from memory. There’s only one movie whose lines I know that well…Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

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28. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 10:41 am said:

    It’s just a flesh wound!

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29. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 10:43 am said:

    Actually, mine are from memory. I’m proud and ashamed.

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30. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 10:43 am said:

    I actually had the Star Wars soundtrack, on 8-track.

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31. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 4, 2012 at 10:46 am said:

    So if there’s a “clunk” written in the middle of the quote, you know why.

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    • 

      ScottC, on May 4, 2012 at 11:11 am said:

      McWing:

      So if there’s a “clunk” written in the middle of the quote, you know why.

      That was good.

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32. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 10:50 am said:

    8-track. I saw one of those once.

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33. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 10:53 am said:

    Unfortunately, mine are from memory too. But I did watch Episodes IV, V, and VI in the past year.

    I fart at your economic distress. Your mother was a Keynesian and your father smelled of stimulus.

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    • 

      ScottC, on May 4, 2012 at 11:25 am said:

      Wicked wicked Blankfein … he is a bad person and must pay the
      penalty. And here in Castle Fed, we have but one punishment
      … you must regulate his profits … and bail him out.

      (A bail out! A bailout!)

      You must bail him out well and after you have bailed him out you may
      deal with him as you like and then … bail out me.

      (And bail out me! And me!)

      Yes, yes, you must give us all a good bailout!

      And after the bailout … the quantitative easing!

      (The easing! The easing!)

      BEN: Well, I suppose I could stay a BIT longer.

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34. 

    novahockey, on May 4, 2012 at 10:55 am said:

    now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

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35. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 11:27 am said:

    My knowledge of Monty Python isn’t as good and the quotes I’m remembering aren’t lending themselves easily to alteration to fit the “Debt Star” theme. But:

    Women lying in strange ponds distributing swords is no basis for government. Executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not some aquatic ceremony.

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36. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 11:28 am said:

    Good one, Scott.

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    • 

      ScottC, on May 4, 2012 at 11:34 am said:

      Mike:

      Thanks. BTW, it is “Strange women lying in ponds", "Supreme executive power” and “some farcical aquatic ceremony.” (I was a Holy Grail freak when I was younger.)

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37. 

    Mike, on May 4, 2012 at 11:38 am said:

    Scott:

    Yeah, I knew it didn’t sound quite right when I was typing it. I guess that just means I need to see the movie again soon.

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38. 

    Fairlington Blade, on May 4, 2012 at 8:38 pm said:

    Really, Troll.

    ‘Tis Only a Flesh Wound!

    I speak as a proud former member of TOFW (back in the days of Netrek).

    BB

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