Romney's campaigning in foreign countries now? I guess with the super pac's you can get money anywhere. Makes you wonder who he will really represent when elected.

@andrew

Maybe you forget Obama's European Campaign Tour???

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/obama-s-europe-trip-conflict-over-berlin-visit-becomes-us-campaign-issue-a-565708.html

Romney's campaigning in foreign countries now?

Andrew, where have you been.... Obama's already gone overseas for fundraising in the last couple of months! But it's different somehow if Romney does too?

And I would be questioning who Barry has been representing for the last 4 years.... he's created more foreign jobs than American Jobs of his version of 'Foreign Aid', lol... that's why I chuckle when Obama complains about Bain's outsourcing... Using our money, Barry is the undisputed king of government outsourcing!

Mr. PheaNiques, Obama never campaigned in Europe while he was running for President.

Mr. Woody...

-1 going into the integrity coloumn, and -1 going into the informed column...offset by +2 in the koolaid column...

Andrew, you are either an outright idiot, or you are being sarcastic...I will chose option 1. Please refer to Obama's speech on Germany 2008...just for starters.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/24/obama.words/

Waiting patiently. . . . . . .another -1? or an admission? maybe I'm being to hasty, could be a bump on the head or maybe a coma

AndrewWoody,

Wrong! Obama campaigned in Berlin July 24th, 2008. It was widely published.

Romney met the Australian minister in San Fran if you read the article.

Think America is in decline NOW? Wait until we get into yet ANOTHER Middle Eastern war (read: IRAN), then this Country will really fall off the cliff.

The 1930's will look like mornings in the Caribbean paradise compared to what THAT will bring.

Barry's job approval rating is much higher in foreign countries than it is in the United States! Just ask Brazil who, thanks to the Obama admin., got $20 billion contract to build a new airplane for our military! Even though Beechcraft of Witchita, Kansas had a lower bid!

Obama's fundraising trip to Europe this year was Barry's way of getting paid back! Chicago style politics at its best, lol!

A private meeting, but broadcasted details. Ha! Guess we'll never know what was REALLY said, since Romney can say, "He said this, he said that..." without full disclosure from the Aussie's.

"Romney always tells the truth without partisan spin" < Now THAT would be a headline!

"The writing is on the wall. Right below where it says National Debt Clock."

And f we elect Romney, it will get worse. supply side economics is a joke. It doesn't work -- never has, never will.

AndrewWoody................He is just traveling around visiting his money invested in offshore accounts around the world. Romney does not believe in investing in America, and taxes are for the "Little People". Too bad Helmsley is dead, she woud have made a perfect running mate for Mitt ! Why do you think he is so embarassed to show us his tax returns ? Do you think he is embarassed because he made so much money ? I don't think so, the world already knew he was a billionairre, but we would like to know what percentage he paid in taxes and why he thinks that working middle class should pay taxes but he should not.

Well duh, Americans know we are in decline, yet most are too stupid to stop sending the same people to Washington that caused the problem in the first place. Spend spend spend to buy my vote. Doesn't matter we don't have the money to pay for it, just as long as I get mine...... How immature and selfish.

Roger785773,

I live in Europe and Most Europeans see the USA as in Decline. My sources are more than 100 news channels and perhaps the same amount of news papers, journals . And not all are Liberal. A some what diverse source I would say. And No Obama is not really liked here either. One can not spend themselves out of debt, see,

Greece

Ireland

Portugal

Spain

who is next USA?? Your call///

We have a bickering ineffectual government that caters to whomever pays them the most. They have no compulsion to lead or take this country in the right direction, they only care about making money and getting re-elected.

'Australia's foreign minister privately warned Sunday that foreign leaders see "America in decline," '

I seem to recall similar things being said about America when Jimmy Carter was President and complaining about the 'malaise' in America.

Then he was replaced by Reagan and we seemed to have a 'rebirth' of the American spirit.

It's obvious that Obama is another Jimmy Carter - could Romney be another Ronald Reagan in terms of rekindling the American entrepreneurial spirit?

Free Market Fan - This must be a joke:

They were all asleep during the class on 'fiscal responsibility of governments'!

You must have been asleep the entire "fiscally conservative" reign of horror during the GW Buffoon decade of collapse. The guy took a balanced budget and a strong economy, spent like crazy, exploded deficits long into the future, blew up unemployment, left a $1.4 TRILLION annual shortfall that was still growing, deregulated everything, collapsed the financial system, economy, housing market, two wars he couldn't finish or win, you name it. But boy oh boy, did the rich get richer.

You make me laugh posting such nonsense.

AndrewWoody "When Obama was a Senator campaigning he never campaigned overseas"

I guess that must have been Obama's 'Double' in Berlin in July 2008 then.

Thanks for the laugh, but you might want to actually check your facts before making silly statements.

Roger-785733 "Anyone else notice that Mitt Romney talks alot, but says nothing ?"

Sort of like Obama in 2008?

Australia is the nation that let Malaysian king hang two of Australia's kids and did nothing about it. Malaysia does not have a big military but it does have a big economy, So the Auzzie gov. didnt want to disturb it's business interests and let the hangings go unanswered. This is the kind of country Romney wants to use to show how smart he is lol. If i where the Auzzie Gov. Malaysia would still be eating alpha and beta particles for lunch.

So Obama campaigned overseas. What's the big deal? McCain campaigned for a week in the Middle East and Europe. Some of you must think campaigning is the same as fund-raising, but it's not. And sure you can say for either of them it was a tour, but both of them did it to show how they act on the international stage. Romney would be a fool NOT to take his campaign overseas. How else will he display to Americans his Geo-political credentials???

And let's not forget they all have to make the obligatory butt kissing trip to isreal.

Well if We did not have only half the government working just maybe We wouild have been a lot better off than We are now, what has happened is the GOP caused this mess on purpose to try and take control of the country, they did not care about those people that ended up paying the price with their homes and jobs all they focused on was trying to get Obama out by bring down our great Nation, and for those that VOTE REPUBLICAN don't whine about the status of our country, you have as much responsibility as your politicians you elected! And as far as America declining it's way pass that stage people We are on life support and the REPUBLICANS want to pull the plug!

@ journal journal 1.11: 8 % unemployment???? hahaha and I suppose you believe that crap?? Only 8% are filing for unemployment benefits. The rest have exhausted the payout or simply do not apply.

Real unemployment is something like 14-15%.

See attached link from ABC news regarding foreign contractors getting work in the USA. Thanks Obama for "hope and change"......

Upset

You should be Upset of Barry, who is giving us the largest debt than any president in history, four wars and counting . The economy is stuck on the mod with no better future, the amateur we have has president is a failure. By the way the house market collapse was caused by people like Obama , who demand lower the bar to obtain loan for the people that can't afford to buy houses and the irresponsibility of Barney to turn off the alarms coming from Fredy and Sallie. Bush was not a fiscal conservative and got the blame too, but Obama make it worst.

5 trillion of dollars to be where we are is a high price for a lousy job, The waist of stimulus money is a good example, for 1 million of dollars per jod, should be cheaper just hand out the money and help more people.

We are in decline, because the occupant of the White House is ashamed of our country, too big, to powerful, too imperialist, too bold. Berlin heard his apology.

Not to mention a shrinking middle class, Shrinking still after 3-1/2 years of Obama.

a 1% that refuses to give back anything substantial, Except for those silly little charities like the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Except for all those taxes they pay. Yes, I know it is a great talking point to say they don't pay taxes but that is simply not the truth. 1% of Americans pay 22% of the total tax burden, more then any other group. The article has a chart to show who pays what and how America has a progressive tax system meaning the rich pay more and the poorer pay less but in tax rate and total tax percentage.

And the top 1%? In 1979, this group earned 8.9% of the nation's income and paid 14.2% of all federal taxes. In 2009, they earned 13.4% of the nation's income but their share of the federal tax burden rose to 22.3%.

Meanwhile, the federal tax burden on middle- and lower-income earners is lighter. In 1979, the bottom 20% paid barely any taxes at all, just 2.1%. Now their share of taxes is a minuscule 0.3%. The burden on the middle-income earners ($34,900 to $50,100) has dropped too. In 1979, they paid 13.6% of all federal taxes; in 2009 they paid 9.4%.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444873204577537250318931044.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

special interest groups that have way too much influence, Most special interst groups like PETA, NRA, NAACP, Tea PARTY, OWS, are just large groups of Americans who come together to have a voice in Washington because they as individuals do not have enough money or power to be heard. By joining together in a group they have a better chance of having their issues heard and addressed. They are Americans and should have a voice.

a large and extremely vocal anti-science crowd, Many scientific studies are bieng hijacked by political parties to advnace their own adgenda. Questioning used to be patroitic and was promoted, now you are attacked.

civil liberties being taken away in the name of security, Yes, again something both parties have done yet I don't see many protest Obama, yet he has advanced Bush's war powers, not limited them.

politicians that want little more than power, Agree

nonstop warmongering, Not sure what you mean? Is calling Iran a threat "warmongering" or just fact?

etc. the list goes on.

CommieObamie "the top 10% pay 94% of all taxes."

Not true - the top 10% pay about 70% of the federal INCOME taxes in this country, but I would still call that 'substantial'. Interestingly, they also pay a higher percentage of all personal income taxes collected than BEFORE the Bush tax cuts, so it was actually the middle class and poor that primarily benefited from the Bush tax cuts.

By the way - the lower 50% of Americans (in income) pay NO personal federal income taxes, but it is primarily those that complain that the 'rich don't pay their fair share' - What a laugh.

AndrewWoody "When Obama was a Senator campaigning he never campaigned overseas"

I guess that must have been Obama's 'Double' in Berlin in July 2008 then.

Thanks for the laugh, but you might want to actually check your facts before making silly statements.

Liberals always want to rewrite history.

For those viewed as longtime allies of the US our decline is worrisome, but for our enemies and backstabbing friends the US decline could not be a more welcome sight. Problem is, since Obama has been president trying to tell our allies from our enemies has become difficult. Obama believes his job as president is to right the wrongs he envisions from history. Trouble is that the only way for Obama to do such a thing is to create more wrongs. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

george pauljohn "Australia is the nation that let Malaysian king hang two of Australia's kids and did nothing about it"

That happened over 26 years ago, and had nothing to do with the current PM of Australia, so what's your point?

Also, they were not 'kids' - they were in their late 20s and were convicted of Drug TRAFFICKING, not just drug use.

DON'T FORGET WE HAVE A NEOFACIST MILITANT GAY ANTI-GOD PRO-BABY MURDERING MOVEMENT and 51% of ADULT Americans that don't pay any income tax, just suckin' uncle Sam's teat. And that it costs $100,000 minimum for a Bachelor's degree. AND 20 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS crushing the public school and medicaid systems.

Seldom Seen Sam Colorado:

Obama complains about Bain's outsourcing...Barry is the undisputed king of government outsourcing!

and SSCC which of those companies where the jobs were outsourced is Obama owner or CEO? What was that again, OH -0-; thought so. Another Conservative Non sequitur rant.

redvirginia...Your posts have yet to contain an ounce of truth...How about it? Think you righties can manage a single day without your "I hate Obama" routine? People who look around for blame are usually the ones who own the MOST blame.

US businesses owned by China, US jobs in China, Olympic uniforms made in China, even US National Monuments made in China. Somehow we all listened to this world economy. First, we let our industry jobs go because our politicians told us we were now in the information age and we'd have all these high tech jobs waiting for us - now those jobs too are overseas gone to a cheap labor force. Our nation is being prepped by the wealthy to make us a population of poor, hungry and desperate people so we'll work for lower wages and reduced or no benefits while they rack up millions of dollars - a nation of slaves.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Australia's foreign minister privately warned Sunday that foreign leaders see "America in decline," Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said.

Herm, this is news?

Think you righties can manage a single day without your "I hate Obama" routine?

I dont hate him, just his ideology. To tell you the truth, I find him more likeable than Romney.

This is simply another attempt to cause fear. The Standard shock and awe that Republicans do. It's a Rush Limbah scare the people tactic and cause hate and discontent. I can't believe that there is still people who fall for that old hat trick. Housing is bouncing back, Wall street is doing the best in many years, the percentage of out of work people have gone down from almost 10% to 8%, car sales are up, and gas prices have gone down. So... seems like Obama is doing a great job and things will continue to get better at a slow rate. Rome wasn't built in a day and President Obama is not going to fix 8 years of bush in 3.5 years of office. He will though get us back on track once we take the House back and stop the NO NO NO from the Republicans and their constant trying to stop the economy from healing just to make Obama look bad. Fear is all the Republicans know how to preach. You don't need guns, you don't need big military, and you don't need to strip education, fire departments, police departments, and medical departments to feed the rich.

I’ve been reading through the comments and most of what I see is – name calling, impugning each others intelligence, “my idea is better than yours”, “my way or the highway,” the blame game, “you’ll flinch before I do” and a host of other wonderful childish traits. These are all the same things I see congress doing.

Hmmm, I guess congress really is representative of the American public…. Perhaps that's what is wrong with America.

Apparently ewent forgets the 8 years of liberals bashing Bush. In fact liberals still bash Bush and republicans daily. But they ignore the fact that Bush is a principled man, who refuses to even comment on the job being done by Obama which he thinks can undermine a presidency. Much like we get from both Carter and Clinton. Yet not a day goes by when Obama doesn't blame someone else for this failures, or make up endless excuses for why nothing positive gets done. Nope, ewent espouses the hypocrisy of the left, with the liberal do as I say not as I do holier then thou attitude.

I’ve been reading through the comments and most of what I see is – name calling, impugning each others intelligence

Is this your first time here? hehe

Maybe we are in decline because we have Australia's Poster boy over here. You might know him, his name is Rupert Murdoch, and he is the owner of FoxNews.

Spartan,

If you are expecting something for nothing, then you are the one who is not giving! People with wealth give only when there is a reward, such as a job well done, or to a charity to which has some meaning to them.

When you have people getting something for nothing, that is when real decline begins. Those forced to give quit investing in new productive adventures.

Marx has a terrible hold on the nation. His definitions of class divide people and set the world on fire with many variants to his unwise philosopies.

We should all believe Mitt Romney because, because, because he tells the .......! Well, lets just say he TALKS a lot!

Are we plebeians or Americans?

Part of the problem is the 1% who don't support their own country. Part of the problem is the % that think they're entitled to a free lunch. Part of the problem are the % who place social agendas ahead of the country. Part of the country thinks it is more important that this President fail than the country succeed.

United we stand, divided we fall... but underestimate America's potential at your own risk. However, some people here have got to wake up.

Rick-3416939 Yet not a day goes by when Obama doesn't blame someone else for this failures, or make up endless excuses for why nothing positive gets done.

What failures are you talking about and there are plenty of positives. We have posted the positives a million times. you just refuse to see them.

The more money we waste on waging stupid wars overseas the less we have to invest in American People - their health, education, etc - and in the infrastructure this country needs to compete. Of course US is in decline.

We should all believe Mitt Romney because, because, because he tells the .......! Well, lets just say he TALKS a lot!

Mitt Romney hasn't even been given a chance to lie, and fail on all his election promises. Obama was given a chance, and he lied and failed.

Surprise, surprise. Romney had a secret meeting.

Just like his secret offshore accounts, just like his secret tax returns, just like his secret time with Bain, just like his secret emails as governor that are missing.

Just another secret held by Romney.

am all for balancing the budget but slashing aid for the poor is gonna be evil and thats what he's gonna do..1% is not gonna be touched...and will have a bunch of idiots saying "well am not gonna pay for it" when in fact everything we have is paid for off the backs of the poor which in turn gets no aid...the poor in the country are pretty naive ...

Rick: Apparently ewent forgets the 8 years of liberals bashing Bush. In fact liberals still bash Bush and republicans daily.

Well, DUH! Dumbya and the GOP destroyed our economy...and you're whining because people give him credit for EXACTLY what he did?

But they ignore the fact that Bush is a principled man,

Oh yeah. He lied to go to War with Iraq. He ran, like a coward, from his military post when he was in the national guard, because it looked to daddy like he might get sent into danger! Oh my! He supported and directed torture. VP Bush and President Cheney spent 8 years wiping their butts with the US Constitution. He's a sell out to foreign oil. BILLIONS disappeared into Halliburton's coffers, never to be seen again, during the Iraq War... Gee, I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENED!! The list goes on and on and on with that LowLife's "principles"...

who refuses to even comment on the job being done by Obama

Right. Dumbya left Obama the biggest, most calamitous mess ever left to another President. What's Dumbya going to say --- "Hey Barack. Are you finished cleaning up my Goddam Mess yet??"

jesus h nipple, get real, you clowns!

Brenda: what "medical departments" are you talking about? and yes we do need "big military"...evidently you're not aware that a lot of people in this world really hate us and wish to kill us.

Roger-78

When I see Australia's foreign minister say it PUBLICLY instead of "

Silly comment really, and rather Missourian. World leaders are smart enough not to say such things publicly because it would damage relations. But they often do level with each other in one-to-one meetings. Many countries newspapers are saying the same thing as the Australian Foreign minister, you will never see this kind of comment in out 79% democratic party dominated news media.

Why are they saying such things? Could it be they see that our debt now is equal to the GDP and the EU countries are only 88 - 90% of GDP are headed toward bankrupt. They also see we are moving in the direction the EU is trying to reverse to get out of trouble. All they see is leadership in place that is making the matters worse, and not better.

Did any of you trolls actually read the story ? It says, right at the beginning, that they met in a San Francisco hotel. Defend Obama all you want, but try using facts morons !!!!

So what DB, Romney threw the Foreign Minister under the bus? If the Foreign Minister wanted it public, maybe Romney should have let the Foreign Minister speak for himself.

Hey Bernitch here we are almost 4 years later and your stupidity is still showing. Just incredible how one party is immune from the truth. The theme song for the Democratic Party convention has to be Send in the Clowns.

Rick it is BUSH'S FAULT. He came into office with a robust economy, and a budget surplus, he left Obama with a mess. Bleeding 700000 jobs a month. A budget deficit of over a trillion and the banks crashing. You rightys had better get a grip or you will see a decline in America that will take decades and a man like FDR to fix. Obama at least has stopped the bleeding and could have done much more if not for a tea party house whose sole purpose is to see him fail. The pledge to Grover Norquist has seemed to take president over the pledge of allegiance to the flag. You are totally wrong.

get romney into the white house...It's obviouse he knows how to run a business and thats what we need...not another stumping politician...He may not be a great choice but he's gotta be better than the socialist junior senator w/ no real world experience we have now.

George PaulJohn

Australians are not stupid, they know damn well that America's "decline" was because of Bush and they know the debt was due to bush wars and tax cuts for the rich and greedy.

That is history the way you want it to be, not what it is. Terrible to have someone point that out, but, is a necessary thing or we all will fail in such utter delusions.

AndrewWoody,

I see that you are a liberal based upon your inability to read and comprehend. Romney did not go to Australia. He and the Australian minister met in San Francisco. The Australian asked Romney for the meeting. Even foreign governments see that Obama is done. We will be done also if we stay with Obama.

I hope that you are not considered competent to vote since you cannot even read a short article and understand it.

Please do not have any children.

Cheney pulls a back muscle and ends up in a wheelchair? Well, that's as good an excuse as any for trying to illicit sympathy. Most people with pulled back muscles get up and go to work regardless. Pardon my lack of sympathy. 8 years of Cheney as Lord and Master over this country hasn't left much.

"redvirginia...Your posts have yet to contain an ounce of truth...How about it? Think you righties can manage a single day without your "I hate Obama" routine? People who look around for blame are usually the ones who own the MOST blame."

So, anybody that criticize Obama is an Obama hater. You have no moral to judge, reading your previous comments the hate is on you. How can we call your comment, cynical?

Actually John in Battle Creek we are seeing the decline of the US and it will NEVER be fixed. Obama has added almost 6 trillion to our national debt and there is no end in sight to the bleeding. Blame is history, reality is here today, and with Obama in office the problem has only gotten worse. As long as you liberals can play the blame game and believe the excuses Obama gets a pass, history will not be so kind him. Obama has wasted trillions and more then doubled our annual deficit all on his own.

Hey Barry Kardashian... Your claims are much like your namesake marriage... FAKE... Please do your research before posting more drivel from Limburger or Beck.

Beechcraft was locked out of the bid process because they presented a developmental plane with TWO prototypes. The contract specifically called for a proven, NON-developmental plane. Also, hate to break it to you, but Soros does NOT own 1/5 of the airlines. He is a small owner of a chinese airline that purchased a number of Brazillian planes making him a buyer NOT owner and thus would make no money on this contract.

And lastly, the Tucano with 7 years of proven flight experience was going to be built by Sierra Nevada Aircraft at a new plant in Jacksonville FL... SOOOOO want to give it another shot bud???

I'm sure foreiogn leaders see the U.S. as having a barely functioning government - remember the KaNTOR LED SCREWUP THAT CAUSED THE DEVALUATION OF THE DOLLLAR? I find it intersting that ROmney would go public and name names with somebody we still are doing businesss with. ROmney is not ready for the Big Leagues.

Saying that the "1%" pay more in taxes is nothing more than a GOP talking point. Of course they pay more, dollar-wise- BECAUSE THEY MAKE MORE!! And that is how it is designed to work. But you look at their tax rate percentage as compared to a Middle Class American and that is where you see the disparity. The wealthy pay their paltry sums of tax (or not) without breaking a sweat but paying taxes for people who need the money to live hurts. Six people in this country, the Walton heirs, have more combined wealth than the collective assets of 43% of the poorest people in this country!!

It's time we get back to the higher tax brackets where the wealthy pay upwards of 90% of income tax like it used to be. Trickle-down economics has failed miserably because the wealthy hoard their cash and use it as weapons against the rest of us to retain it. That is not "earned income". That is wealth that was handed to them as a result of manipulating the system. It's not like they broke a sweat to make those bucks like the rest of us do.

chris-65

DON'T FORGET WE HAVE A NEOFACIST MILITANT GAY ANTI-GOD PRO-BABY MURDERING MOVEMENT and 51% of ADULT Americans that don't pay any income tax, just suckin' uncle Sam's teat. And that it costs $100,000 minimum for a Bachelor's degree. AND 20 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS crushing the public school and medicaid systems.

DON'T FORGET WE HAVE A NEOFACIST MILITANT RIGHT-WING FUNDIE ANTI-BABY MURDERING MOVEMENT and 51% of ADULT Americans that don't pay any income tax, just struggling to survive. And that it costs $100,000 minimum for a Bachelor's degree in a private college. AND 20 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT AMERICA CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT crushing the public school and medicaid systems.

Fixed it for you.

You know, I find it odd that it takes some foreign minister to tell our leaders (or potential leaders) something we all already new and something we all have already been telling our leaders. I think this is only news to those we elect.

hen he was replaced by Reagan and we seemed to have a 'rebirth' of the American spirit.

LOL! Go look at US National Debt graph. More like he was replaced by Reagan and we had a rebirth of the American credit card. It amazes me the Reagan started the mess we are in now yet some fall over themselves the praise him.

@DBAkron;" World leaders are smart enough not to say such things publicly because it would damage relations". I agree. Then Willard blabs the content of their private meeting for political gain with his right wing nutjob fringe, showing world leaders they can't trust him to keep anything they say confidential.

I find it odd that the left refuses to believe the truth. It is simple. We are in decline. This President has no idea how to stop it. It is time for someone different. If the left wanted change then they should have tried to run a decent Democrat against this guy.

Why does the left want to destroy this country?

Charlie-1915998 your statement of supply side economics concerning and Romney, have one big problem, we have had supply side economics since 1982 and it hasn't changed. It is also called voodoo economics or Reaganomics. Hoover tried this and caused the Great Depression, we now have and still have for the past 5 years the Great Recession. This is what happens when the 1% do not pay their fair share of taxes. Prior to Teflon Ron taxing scam, the 1% had 45-50% taxation. It is now only 28%. Typical supply side and trickle down theory economics cause the 1% to get richer the poor to become poorer and the middle class get SCREWED.

Oh this is just nonsense. Who are they going to invest in, if not the USA? It's just the foreign leaders wishful thinking. Our unemployment rate is ONLY 8% 92% of the people who want to work have work (regardless of whether or not they like their job)

Exactly. America is so in need of investment that it pays 1% on it's treasuries. Go invest somewhere else? People are lined up to invest in America.

And the top 1%? In 1979, this group earned 8.9% of the nation's income and paid 14.2% of all federal taxes. In 2009, they earned 13.4% of the nation's income but their share of the federal tax burden rose to 22.3%.

The USA financial collapse in 2008/2009 lowered tax receipts to historic levels. This is still true and most of the damage fell on the middle class. According to the tax policy center, tax receipts are down about 17% sine 2008. THAT's why the 1% percentage is up (funny how numbers and percentages can be manipulated). That's also why historic numbers of people are not subject to income tax (blame the economy, not the people following the tax law). they don't make enough, but a lot of these people pay payroll taxes. We all know how regressive every other tax the 99% pay is.

The middle class has given up jobs and 40% of their equity. Federal workers have taken a pay freeze for the last 2 years. What have the 1% given up? Nothing, and they complain about contributing anything more since their Bush tax cut.

We can see who the Americans really are, and those that just are greedy, and those that protect the greedy.

Why can't all these old dumbazzes just roll over and die? No wonder the world is effed up. We have old, creepy people like this man that scares the hell outta the sheeple, and then steals their money.

Humpty Dumpty (Bush) sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!

Simple enough for ya ...........

Where this country is right now is exactly where Bush/Cheney/Republican Party/People like the Koch Bros want us to be. Only they expected worse than it is. They want no middle class and China wages for all. Bush tax cuts, no rise in middle class wages. Exactly what they are aiming for.

Stopthecannibals: where do you get your information?

The middle class had no choice about giving up their jobs because the the CEO's of the companies moved overseas for greater profit and lower quality.

ewent

redvirginia...Your posts have yet to contain an ounce of truth

Let us look at this together okay?

who is giving us the largest debt than any president in history,

Bush 4.8 Trillion (with democrat help in 4 of those years), Obama 5.1 Trillion through 39 months in office and still growing. No one HAS to spend money, unless they have no stones, or no cooperation from congress. TRUE!

four wars and counting .

Afghnanistan - inherited

Iraq - inherited

Egypt - I'm certain RedVirginia is thinking we did go to war here but we didn't

Libya - we intervened here through NATO. Libya actually went beyond the limits of the war powers act, but, Obama put a good enough argument up that no real action was taken against the president

Yemen - we sent drones in to oust a strengthening Al Quaida.

Pakistan - we have been sending drones after Al Quaida over for some time violating Pakistans, we even sent seal team 6 in to eliminate Bin Laden.

RedVirgina still on mark with this one.

The economy is stuck on the mod with no better future, the amateur we have has president is a failure.

If you cannot figure out the economy is in a mudbog, you don't know what at flowering expanding economy looks like. Any time job growth is less than the number of people entering the job market, you are in trouble. We have had this for 3 1/2 Years and every year we are forecast to not get above that level for another year. That is called failing polices.

By the way the house market collapse was caused by people like Obama , who demand lower the bar to obtain loan for the people that can't afford to buy houses and the irresponsibility of Barney to turn off the alarms coming from Fredy and Sallie. Bush was not a fiscal conservative and got the blame too, but Obama make it worst. Citibank to make more loans 5 trillion of dollars to be where we are is a high price for a lousy job, The waist of stimulus money is a good example, for 1 million of dollars per jod, should be cheaper just hand out the money and help more people.

RedVirginia got it here too. Obama as a Lawyer in 1995 was involved in a class action suit against Citibank in forcing them to give more loans to poorer, specifically minority applicants. The only way to do this in some of these communities was to look the other way on weak income records and bad credit records.

In 2003, mortgage regulators went before congress with concerns about what mortgage companies were doing with loans they were making and then selling. Regulators had no authority to track where these loans were going so default rates could be tracked.

In the House, a coalition of all democrats and some republicans lead by Barney Frank, Charlie Rangal attacked the regulators claiming nothing was wrong with the system, and they better stop complaining or face congressional investigations themselves.

In the Senate Chris (discount mortgage from Countrywide) Dodd, Harry Reid combined with Republican defectors Susan Collins, and Olympia Snow also lead the charge to stuff any legislation giving regulators any further powers to track the selling of FHA loans.

Bush had a role too. He proposed and got a federal program to pay peoples down payment, if they otherwise qualified in income, debt ratio, and credit history.

The trouble with Bush's proposal is that pressure form interested parties in congress (mostly democrats) were demanding more low income loans to the point regulators were telling bankers (mostly mortgage companies [not wall street] to make people qualified, be creative. This meant that people not qualified were now getting loans at an astounding rate.

ewent - RedVirginia is mostly correct & you are mostly incorrect!

I find it odd that the left refuses to believe the truth. It is simple. We are in decline. This President has no idea how to stop it. It is time for someone different.

I also find it add the the right refuses to believe the truth. We have been in decline far long than the time Obama has been president. Before Obama we had Bush a disaster in his own right. Why does the right think that electing another Republican will be different? If you really want change VOTE THIRD PARTY!

I find this little tidbit funny.

Foreign nations think we are in decline and therefore wont "invest" in the american market.

And here I thought they were logically not investing in the American (and London) market because we fleeced them so badly that it should have scared them out of the markets for at least a good decade.

I guess stupid is as stupid does...bring on ROMNEY, so Wall Street cant finish what they started - bankrupting the entire world, shrugging their shoulders and saying "I dont know what happened, we must have made some bad deals"

remember, that housing bubble ONLY existed beacuse the FOREIGN INVESTORS flooded the american market, and banks HAD to put that money somewhere, so the housing bubble boomed - and then they bundled crappy products and fake products and called it TRIPLE AAA products with no proof and no ability to even KNOW what was in there...and then it went KABLOOEY.

SO AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS A LACK OF INVESTING IN AMERICA IS A GOOD THING?

we dont need more bubble economies, we need a return to MAKING THINGS.

and since that isnt ever going to happen, you can bet your bottom dollar we'll permanently be in decline following every bursting bubble economy.

so, lets take some bets - Romney becomes president: what is the next bubble economy? Housing? Tech Industries? there are only so few real options...

Well, the rest of the world recognizes that President Spendthrift is ruining our country. But apparently, the 50% of our population who back him are too ignorant to see it.....or maybe they do realize it, but choose to deny it and simply write ridiculous, snarky comments attacking the messenger, Mr Romney.

people seem to forget that banks couldnt make bad loans without money to make those bad loans with.

where did that money come from?

foreign investors.

so please, explain to me how flushing our market with foreign investors will bring different results?

especially, if that president is a republican again?

I see a country full of talking point regurgitating declineists!

Eric in Oregon

At first I had the same reaction, but often foreign leaders might not care if he says some things, especially if they are in favor of the person saying them. If something the foreign minister didn't want said, he simply will deny ever saying or meaning what Romney said as inaccurate. We have to wait and see on this one.

Long after Bush 43 left office, he was asked what China's biggest concern was. Here, in an early meeting, he had asked that of the Chinese leader. It was if a large enough number of the poor farmers went to the city to get jobs, the chinese government would fall under the riots that would take place because there aren't near enough jobs available in the cities for such numbers. It's actually the reason why movements are restricted by a permitting process.

spider "Well, the rest of the world recognizes that President Spendthrift is ruining our country"

since when does one idiot from Australia - who concedes HE brought up this IDEA of america in decline - means the entire world agree's?

*face palm

it's hard to have a real conversation about the REAL problem when the republicans BELIEVE whole heartedly this entire economic mess was caused because the govt held guns to banks heads and forced them to make bad loans to people who couldnt afford houses.

but thats not reality. im not denying that banks made bad loans. im not even denying that the govt urged them to loan to people who probably shouldnt have been buying homes in the first place.

what im saying is - that and that alone did not bring down our economy.

and banks NEVER could have made those "bad loans" if they werent flush with investor money and having no idea where to dump it.

and the republicans LOVE to forget Bush travelling and touting HIS Home Ownership program as a means of brining BACK the american economy.

and the republicans LOVE to forget that banks didnt fail on the bad loans, they failed on the "bundles" they made and the derivatives and the junk that couldnt be identifiable or understood and had fake ratings, and THAT is where the massive losses occured, and those "investments" were NEVER designed to hedge the risk on the "bad loans" they "were forced to make at gunpoint" because this part of the process FAR EXCEEDED the default on home loans...infinitely exceeded it.

so no, we cant have a real conversation because republicans wont operate in reality.

and Mitt Romney's solution: INVESTORS, FLOOD OUR MARKETS AGAIN SO WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER BUBBLE ECONOMY THAT FEELS GOOD FOR 4 YEARS AND THAT GOES KABOOM!

and you call us democrats the crazy ones???????

America is in decline because the middle class is being squeezed.

Why do you think India, China, and Brazil are growing? Their middle classes are spending.

A country doesn't retain greatness when only the rich get to keep the money.

Actually John in Battle Creek we are seeing the decline of the US and it will NEVER be fixed. Obama has added almost 6 trillion to our national debt

Lie!

Bush started his first term with $5.7T in debt and his last budget left the country with $11.9T in debt. Bush added $6.2T to the national debt.

Obama strted his first budget with $11.9T in debt and the current debt is $15.9T. Obama has added about $4T to the national debt.

These numbers are easy to check but I don't expect you will bother!

AndrewWoody Ah, Obama was not President in July 2008 when he went to Berlin!

Have we become a nation of intellectual chaos where we simply cannot agree on anything? Read the posts.

No nation in this state of mind can lead anything. Outsiders looking in probably see this turmoil and do not trust our future.

If we do not get together on something we are doomed. However, we are "free" to do pretty much as we please. Wheeeeeeeee! The American Dream, etc. etc.

john in battle creek

Rick it is BUSH'S FAULT. He came into office with a robust economy, and a budget surplus,

Wrong on the robust economy AND Budget Surplus

Many Economists agree that the economy had been in a recession for 6 months before Bush took office (June 2000). This was from the .com bubble bursting in early 2000. June was the real peak, with a low point in unemployment in December 2000.

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2006/08/the_2001_recess.html

http://www.incontext.indiana.edu/2003/mar-apr03/spotlight.asp

There was a second dip down caused by 9/11 in starting november of 2001.

Fiscal 2001 shows a deficit, but fiscal 2001 started in October of 2000 under Bill Clinton before Bush was even elected and he didn't make any changes to that budget. Fiscal 2001 showed a drop in revenue of 61 Billion when outlays only increase 57 Billion (77 Billion increase the year before) causing a 31 Billion Deficit. The drop in revenue was from a decrease in profits and increase in layoffs as we slid into a recession.

Bush fiscal policies did not begin until October 1 2001 in fiscal 2002 and not completely until January 2002 when the tax cuts began.

Spartan - would that be the 1% that already pay 36.73% of all of the US tax bill. Gee, how socialist of you to demand more.

How about getting the 50% who pay 2.25% to pony up their fair share.

ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html

BREAKING NEWS - THE WORLD DOESNT LIKE THE US!

The world sees us all as fat, loud, dumb, ignorant, and petty. Blaming just the democrats (losers) or just the republicans (idiots) wont help when they are both to blame for this. For those of you saying the current state of our country is Obamas fault: You're right... but so are the people blaming Bush.

The one thing that previously made our government so great was a little thing called balance. Now we just have two power hungry political parties that are both willing to let the country fail just to prove the other side wrong.

These forums are a perfect example of what is wrong with our government. The "everything is a debate" mentality where the only goal is to score a win for your side regardless of reality, morality, compassion, or even facts, has turned our once great nation into a group of bickering children.

Yes - Climate change is real. No - Regulation is not the way to stop it

Yes - Guns kill people. No - Gun control laws will not stop it (criminals dont usually follow laws)

Yes - Insurance and healthcare costs are out of control. No - Obamacare will not stop it (why would insurance companies lower prices when they know you HAVE to buy their product, even if you dont want to?)

Feel free to add to the list...

The European Union will collapse and, as such, so will we for all the same reasons.

Let's face it, the EU has become a rigid, unresponsive, slow-growing, ageing, over-regulated socio-economic experiment gone horribly wrong. Regardless of how you look at it Greece is in a "Great Depression. The IMF and Brussels have little desire to continue financing its government largesse as it repeatedly refuses any level of significant austerity. For the skeptics, all you have to do is look back historically. In the mid to late 80's the disintegration of the Soviet Union was unimaginable, but within 10 years it was inevitable. One of the world’s two superpowers collapsed without a war, invasion or other catastrophe.

As we watch the histrionics unfold it's not only the European economies but also its politics that are in turmoil. The failure of the great social and economic justice experiment that has plagued the EU is finally being exposed for the farce many of us have warned about. As the dominos known as Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy gain momentum and fall, the results are obvious.

Europe is in the midst of a fiscal crisis caused by too much government spending. In the face of this many of their politicians want the European Central Bank to keep buying the never-ending debt of these reckless welfare states. They persist despite the recent report by the ECB that shows government spending is unambiguously harmful to economic performance.

They analyzed a wide set of 108 countries composed of both developed and emerging and developing countries, using a long time span running from 1970-2008, and employing different proxies for government size. The results show a significant negative effect of the size of government on growth. Interestingly, government consumption is consistently detrimental to output growth irrespective of the country sample considered. This included OECD, emerging and developing countries.

As many have claimed, the problem is government spending, regardless if that spending is financed by increased taxes or borrowing. Unfortunately policy makers focus on the symptoms, deficit, rather than the problem, big government. This is a classic example of when one bad government policy is used to justify another bad government policy. Or, as Einsten defined insanity, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". As the fiscal crisis spirals out of control their solution is to promote inflationary monetary policy by the ECB.

Sound familiar?

The study also shows that economic progress is limited when government is zero percent of the economy, absence of rule of law, property rights etc., but also when it is closer to 100 percent. The law of diminishing returns operates in addition to increased taxation needed to finance the growing burden of government’s size. This has harmful effects on economic behavior, namely consumption decisions. Basically what the study shows is that government is too big. In order for economies to be efficient government spending must be slowed down and maintained below that of the private sector. These spending cuts must be genuine rather than just reductions in the rate of growth as we see our politicians deceiving us with.

One of the main takeaways here is that economists should not be trusted too much. Given their track record since the 70’s it’s difficult to trust them at all. Only a handful of them--such as Peter Schiff, Nouriel Roubini and others—saw the housing and illiquidity collapse evolving, the other “economists” ridiculed them. Now, after the damage has been done many believe these same authorities magically have the solutions.

This weekend the AP reported that our poverty rate will climb to civil rights era levels. The levels are expected to reach 15.7%, yet our government’s response will be the same nonsensical increase in spending on failed government social programs.

Now before any of you begin to label me as a heartless Republican who wants dirty air and water, nuclear waste in your bedroom and only care about the rich, let me ask you a question. How much government intervention is enough before you agree it’s not working? In 1965 the poverty rate was 14% today it stands at 14.3% (15.1% when including the recession effect). Over that period of time, according to the Cato Institute, we have spent over $17 TRILLION on the war on poverty. Not only has this massive redistribution of wealth not helped, it’s gotten worse and continues to worsen. The wars on poverty, drugs, crime and illiteracy have been abysmal failures. The government’s response is to just keep pouring good money over bad in the hopes that these problems will magically improve.

As the ECB report shows, the solution is NOT more government, yet we continue to spend hoping something will change. The only thing that keeps changing is massive debt and unfunded liabilities that will take decades to repay. The Obama administration continues its nonsense about taxing those mean, nasty, rich people to redistribute more wealth in the name of social and economic justice. This has never and will never work.

America is in decline because of our government’s incompetence and corruption. Fiscal malinvestment, monetary malfeasance, entitlements and social programs that continue to fail are the cause. Massive waste, fraud, abuse and corruption consumes between 20%-30% of our GDP yet our government demands more and more of our hard earned money. The worst thing is, the bobble-heads agree. Obama’s pathetic tax the rich platform will generate about $85 BILLION annually. Our government spends $10 BILLION every day, so this will cover about 8.5 days. What do we do about the other 356.5 days? Remember, this is ONLY if our government actually uses this increased revenue to pay down our debts. If you believe that your naiveté has consumed your common sense. I guarantee you that nowhere in the legislation will it be written that this money be used for debt repayment. It will be redistributed in the name of “investment” (read spending) and our debt will just continue to skyrocket.

It’s time we get someone in the White House who can change our course of self-destruction so our economy can become prosperous again.

By the way, we don't have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem.

I would follow that up with: We don't need more taxes. We need more TAX PAYERS (at all levels of the economy). If people aren't making money, they aren't buying stuff and therefore, they aren't paying taxes. The 99% are sitting on trillions of dollars gained through government tax breaks and corporate welfare. They need to let go of a few sheckles and do their part to stimulate the economy. How about banks making loans to promising small businesses. And by that I mean "small" businesses -- those with 50 or fewer employees. By government standards somehow even Donald Trump is classified as a small business.

Of course they can't do it alone; and that's where government stimulus comes in to put more money into consumers' pockets.

But let me get back to the topic at hand:

I hope Romney doesn't think foreign countries are saying they believe he has a better plan than Obama's to turn things around. Then again, what is his plan?

obama started out in debt,quadrupled it,brought all his cronies in (tax evaders,big mouths(no clue biden)gun runner holder,pelosi(pass obamacare now read it later, democrats know what's good for americans because we are too stupid to know whats what we want or need.Bush had a dem. congress that passed most of what he is being blamed for .Just like CT.with our illustrious gov. blame rep for high taxes and then raises taxes puts taxes on everything.back to obama,puts bleeding heart judges on supreme court,keeping ginsburg on instead charging her with treason(US const. is outdated and no good) .He spends tax money like he gets it free( it's not his it's ours)swore to uphold the constitution and done nothing but try to dismantle it,makes deal with Russian diplomats to sell the US out if reelected.You still think he,s great for this country.If you or I did half of what him and his cronies did we would be in prison for a long time.

Apparently ewent forgets the 8 years of liberals bashing Bush. In fact liberals still bash Bush and republicans daily. But they ignore the fact that Bush is a principled man, who refuses to even comment on the job being done by Obama which he thinks can undermine a presidency.

I dont hate him, just his ideology. To tell you the truth, I find him more likeable than Romney.

Anyone who says things have failed and things are worse, when we go from losing 750,000 jobs a month to actually creating jobs, has no credibility whatsoever.

I see plenty of the right-wingers blaming everyone else for the problems we have. All the right-wingers do is preach doom and gloom and blame anyone without a job on our problems.

It may be one thing for them to look at America, and say that they are in decline, but they forget one thing, so are they. So join the party, and take each others hands as you go down at the same time, it always hurts a little less, when you fall together with a friend.

America is in decline because of our government’s incompetence and corruption.

Bickering and infighting will get us nowhere, while what little we have left will be taken from us, until we're left weakened and unable to fight back.

We need to collectively starve the beast by courageously taking back our power and stop paying taxes. Money is the only language the government understands and that's the language we can speak, too.

WHO WANTS SOME CAPITAL FLIGHT THIS MORNING?

There has been a lot of class-warfare talk from Barack Obama and his cohorts in the media (and Bane, in The Dark Knight Rises) that either intimates or baldly states that the rich are getting richer, the poor poorer, and the gap between them is ever-widening in America. In addition, talk has been bandied about that the rich pay less taxes than the rest of Americans. But according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office(CBO), neither of these leftist canards is true.

Between 2007 and 2009, (once the Democrats took over Congress and the recession started) the earnings accrued after taxes by the top 1% of wage earners fell 37%. And even before taxes their earnings fell 36%. Meanwhile, the lowest 20% of earners saw their income grow by 3%, while the middle class dropped a modest 2%. This means that the incomes of the top 1% fell 18 times more than middle class incomes. In 2007, the top 1% earned 16.7 percent of all after-tax income, but by 2009, it had shrunk to 11.5%.

So while the rich saw their fortunes plummet, the poor gained, and the middle class treaded water. So much for an ever-widening gap. And as far as the amount paid in taxes, the top 1% paid an average of 28.9%, while the middle class paid 11%.

But the New York Times had the gall to say in March, “New statistics show an ever-more-startling divergence between the fortunes of the wealthy and everybody else — and the desperate need to address this wrenching problem.” One problem; the Times didn’t get their statistics from the CBO.

As for Our Socialist Leader, he said in December 2011:

Now, this kind of inequality -- a level that we haven’t seen since the Great Depression -- hurts us all. Inequality also distorts our democracy … And yet, over the last few decades, the rungs on the ladder of opportunity have grown farther and farther apart, and the middle class has shrunk … This isn’t about class warfare … And we still believe, in the words of the man who called for a New Nationalism all those years ago, “The fundamental rule of our national life,” he said, “the rule which underlies all others -- is that, on the whole, and in the long run, we shall go up or down together.”

One problem; under Obama and the Democrats, the rich are already losing money by the bushel, so he is, as usual, making a specious argument. And for him to claim that he isn’t fomenting class warfare, a la Bane, is a bald-faced lie.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/22/CBO-Income-Inequality-Not-Getting-Worse

Read the CBO report further.

"Although the detailed data that form the basis of CBO’s estimates in this report are available only through 2009, other data can provide some insight into more-recent changes in the distribution of income. Those data suggest that income for households toward the higher end of the distribution increased more rapidly than income for households elsewhere in the income distribution in 2010."

And let's not forget that the top incomes increased about 400% from 2000 to 2008, while everyone else's flatlined.

Nothing like telling the whole-truth, Mr. Lemming.

The problem falls squarely on the GOP and their policies of Suffocation and Destruction through De-taxation. The GOP took control in the early 80s when the corporate tax rate was close to 80% now its down to about 35%.. And the country has fallen fast and hard over those times. All the while the Fn tax breaks the GOP claim create jobs, have actually made the fat cats even fatter and created a much wider divide... The GOP are out finish the job of total destruction of America if Willard is elected.

Of course the GOP and Willard will blame Obama for this and all that ills America.. The GOP are the problem and never a solution

The decline of America did not start to happen until the Republican party made the prevention of President Obama from serving more than one term its number one priority. The GOP then decided to destroy the United States, blame President Obama and gain control of what was left after its slash and burn strategy. This is on top of its goal to eliminate the middle class and let the poor die.

Like it or not, I am a Republican and have no intention whatsoever in doing the things you mention above. Apology will be accepted!

Of course America is in Decline... how can a nation do anything except decline when its "leader's" solution to everything is to spend, and his desperation for political power leads him to ignore U.S. law and import hordes of criminals from other countries?

And when did the decline begin? How about when the US decided to become the worlds policeman and wage wars that have cost us close to 7,000 lives and $4,000,000,000,000 with no positive results. The national debt clock is also fed by a military that takes 15% to 205 more each year to run. We are talking about almost half of our national debt folks.

obama started out in debt,quadrupled it,

Obama has increased the debt however when you tell an obvious lie like that people tend to just discard the rest of your post.

juanita dominguez Brenda: what "medical departments" are you talking about? and yes we do need "big military"...evidently you're not aware that a lot of people in this world really hate us and wish to kill us.

If you have been reading the news, you will know that the Republicans want to reduce the amount of emergency response teams from several important area's one being ambulance first responce team, another police, another firemen, and so on. If you read, you would know this. Also concerning big military, evidently you are not aware yourself that the Republicans are constantly bombarding their constituents with fear, hate, and discontent. Do a few hate and wish to kill us? Yes, but not like the Republican leaders would have you believe. Obama seems to be handling international issues without sending our troops over and getting them killed like his predecessor did. Regardless of the hate and fear republicans love to spout. Even Syria is being handled without spilling US serviceman's blood.

Hah. News for Romney. Every country in the world is in economic decline. Instead of criticizing, he should come up with ideas to fix it.

JimSpence

The European Union will collapse and, as such, so will we for all the same reasons.

Let's face it, the EU has become a rigid, unresponsive, slow-growing, ageing, over-regulated socio-economic experiment gone horribly wrong. Regardless of how you look at it Greece is in a "Great Depression. The IMF and Brussels have little desire to continue financing its government largesse as it repeatedly refuses any level of significant austerity. For the skeptics, all you have to do is look back historically. In the mid to late 80's the disintegration of the Soviet Union was unimaginable, but within 10 years it was inevitable. One of the world’s two superpowers collapsed without a war, invasion or other catastrophe.

It's austerity that is ruining Europe. Not only do they need a stronger union, but they are also cutting spending at the WORST possible time; during a recession. Raising taxes during a recession is as bad as cutting spending during a recession; they both take money out of the economy. And the Soviet Union collapsed because they monopolized EVERYTHING.

As we watch the histrionics unfold it's not only the European economies but also its politics that are in turmoil. The failure of the great social and economic justice experiment that has plagued the EU is finally being exposed for the farce many of us have warned about. As the dominos known as Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy gain momentum and fall, the results are obvious.

Are you kidding me??? This is bull@!$%#. Ireland was Europe's "free market experiment." It had a corporate tax rate of 12%. Ireland and Spain had surpluses and low debts before the Great Recession, while debt to GDP was decreasing in Italy. What's making the problem in Europe worse is that the European Central Bank won't enact any stimulative policies; they're too focused on nonexistent-runaway inflation.

Europe is in the midst of a fiscal crisis caused by too much government spending. In the face of this many of their politicians want the European Central Bank to keep buying the never-ending debt of these reckless welfare states. They persist despite the recent report by the ECB that shows government spending is unambiguously harmful to economic performance.

This is horse@!$%#!! Europe is only in the red because of the recession. We, on the other hand, have a $1.2 trillion deficit because instead of preparing for the next century and for the retirement of the Baby Boomers, we deluded ourselves by cutting taxes and starting two unnecessary wars, none of which were paid for. Government spending is not harmful to the economy; in some cases, government spending on things like education and infrastructure and R&D is beneficial to economic growth. And lastly, those welfare states in Europe is the reason why they live a helluva lot better than in here. At least in Europe people aren't in danger of going bankrupt because of medical bills or college tuition costs.

They analyzed a wide set of 108 countries composed of both developed and emerging and developing countries, using a long time span running from 1970-2008, and employing different proxies for government size. The results show a significant negative effect of the size of government on growth. Interestingly, government consumption is consistently detrimental to output growth irrespective of the country sample considered. This included OECD, emerging and developing countries.

I'd love to see this survey. And I'd also like to know whether it was a neutral survey or something conducted by a partisan organization like the Cato Institute.

As many have claimed, the problem is government spending, regardless if that spending is financed by increased taxes or borrowing. Unfortunately policy makers focus on the symptoms, deficit, rather than the problem, big government. This is a classic example of when one bad government policy is used to justify another bad government policy. Or, as Einsten defined insanity, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". As the fiscal crisis spirals out of control their solution is to promote inflationary monetary policy by the ECB.

Are you kidding??? The problem with the economy is that there is little DEMAND. Demand creates jobs, not tax cuts or spending cuts. Cutting spending is taking money out of the economy, essentially the same result if you raise taxes. And by the way, we have increased spending and used monetary policy to beat off recession for decades, and it worked. The last time we cut spending and raised taxes during a recession was in 1937, and we fell into a double-dip recession until 1938. Spending money CREATES jobs. Cutting spending LOSES jobs.

Sound familiar?

The study also shows that economic progress is limited when government is zero percent of the economy, absence of rule of law, property rights etc., but also when it is closer to 100 percent. The law of diminishing returns operates in addition to increased taxation needed to finance the growing burden of government’s size. This has harmful effects on economic behavior, namely consumption decisions. Basically what the study shows is that government is too big. In order for economies to be efficient government spending must be slowed down and maintained below that of the private sector. These spending cuts must be genuine rather than just reductions in the rate of growth as we see our politicians deceiving us with.

According to your statistics, government spending should be around 50% of GDP, as it is equidistant from the low of 0% and the high of 100%. You accuse the government of being too big; but spending is only at 24% of GDP, half of the implied optimal rate. I am not saying that spending 50% of GDP is probable, but the ONLY reason we are spending 24% of GDP is because of the RECESSION. Spending will probably drop down to 21-22% after the recession is over. And we just signed $2.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years; that is over 1% of GDP. I think cutting 1% of GDP constitutes as a real cut. And by the way, we don't need to send our spending back to 2008 levels; what we need to is subtract the artificial expansion of spending caused by the recession.

One of the main takeaways here is that economists should not be trusted too much. Given their track record since the 70’s it’s difficult to trust them at all. Only a handful of them--such as Peter Schiff, Nouriel Roubini and others—saw the housing and illiquidity collapse evolving, the other “economists” ridiculed them. Now, after the damage has been done many believe these same authorities magically have the solutions.

While I agree that we need to increase our savings rate, Peter Schiff has also warned us of hyperinflation, along with other Austrian School adherents. Where the @!$%# is the inflation??? We haven't gone over 4% inflation, which we had during Reagan. Hyperinflation is when inflation is at more than 50% a month.

This weekend the AP reported that our poverty rate will climb to civil rights era levels. The levels are expected to reach 15.7%, yet our government’s response will be the same nonsensical increase in spending on failed government social programs.

That was only the result of a survey of economists of numerous political backgrounds. The primary reason (according to Indiana University) is because old jobs are being replaced by lower-paying ones and due to the destruction of jobs by numerous factors that many long-term unemployed people were trained for.

Now before any of you begin to label me as a heartless Republican who wants dirty air and water, nuclear waste in your bedroom and only care about the rich, let me ask you a question. How much government intervention is enough before you agree it’s not working? In 1965 the poverty rate was 14% today it stands at 14.3% (15.1% when including the recession effect). Over that period of time, according to the Cato Institute, we have spent over $17 TRILLION on the war on poverty. Not only has this massive redistribution of wealth not helped, it’s gotten worse and continues to worsen. The wars on poverty, drugs, crime and illiteracy have been abysmal failures. The government’s response is to just keep pouring good money over bad in the hopes that these problems will magically improve.

No offense, but the CATO institute is well-known as a libertarian-leaning organization. In actuality, poverty fell during the decade after the Economic Opportunity Act was put into effect from 17.3% to 11.1% in 1973. Poverty fell in all age groups; it fell dramatically for those under 18 and those over 65. The only evidence to the assumption that the "War on Poverty" failed is the fact that poverty has only decreased marginally for those between ages 18 and 64. The case could be made that the deregulatory policies that pervaded American politics after the 1970s could have reversed the initial gains made by the "War on Poverty." While I do see the failure of the "War on Drugs," not every such war has failed. I don't necessarily believe that more spending will fix every problem; for instance, I advocate for merit-based teacher pay and a bigger reliance on technology along with increased funding for education. And what wealth redistribution??? Over the past 30 years, wealth has been flowing up the income scale, not down. The top 1% controlled roughly 8% of national income in 1976; in 2008, they controlled around 21% of national income. That is an increase of nearly 163% over the past 36 years. How the hell is that wealth redistribution in favor of the poor???

As the ECB report shows, the solution is NOT more government, yet we continue to spend hoping something will change. The only thing that keeps changing is massive debt and unfunded liabilities that will take decades to repay. The Obama administration continues its nonsense about taxing those mean, nasty, rich people to redistribute more wealth in the name of social and economic justice. This has never and will never work.

If you want to get out the recession, more government spending (instead of regulations and bureaucracy, as you would say) for things like infrastructure and aid to states will help the economy by increasing demand. And we have been redistributing wealth to the rich for 30 years; check the facts. The top tax rate for the wealthiest Americans in the 1970s was around 70%; right now, it's half of that. And by the way, we redistributed wealth from the 1940s to the 1970s; and we had the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. Redistributing wealth to the top of the income scale doesn't work.

America is in decline because of our government’s incompetence and corruption. Fiscal malinvestment, monetary malfeasance, entitlements and social programs that continue to fail are the cause. Massive waste, fraud, abuse and corruption consumes between 20%-30% of our GDP yet our government demands more and more of our hard earned money.

I hope you are including about waste in the private sector as well. Total government spending in the United States (including local, state, and federal expenditures) is about 40%; how the hell could waste fraud, and abuse suck up between 50% and 75% of government spending??? America has declined because we have focused on spending money on stupid foreign wars and tax cuts instead of on things like education, infrastructure, and research and development. The vast majority of our deficits are because of the recession and the Bush tax cuts; our deficits would be a helluva lot smaller if you take those out. And tax rates are the LOWEST in 50 years.

The worst thing is, the bobble-heads agree. Obama’s pathetic tax the rich platform will generate about $85 BILLION annually. Our government spends $10 BILLION every day, so this will cover about 8.5 days. What do we do about the other 356.5 days? Remember, this is ONLY if our government actually uses this increased revenue to pay down our debts. If you believe that your naiveté has consumed your common sense. I guarantee you that nowhere in the legislation will it be written that this money be used for debt repayment. It will be redistributed in the name of “investment” (read spending) and our debt will just continue to skyrocket.

First of all, most of the savings in the Clinton deficit reduction package (if not all) were used to balance the budget. I think with deficits over $1 trillion, we can expect that at least half of the savings will go to lowering the deficit. Secondly, instead of calculating the annual effects of repealing the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000, I advise taking a look at the cumulative effects. With our deficits estimated to be at around $7 trillion, repealing the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% of Americans would reduce our cumulative deficits by about 12%, which is a large sum. I prefer repealing the tax cuts across the board, knocking off between $3.5 and $4 trillion and reducing deficits by around 50% to 56%. Finally, you don't technically have to pay off the debt; countries won't demand the principal to be repaid if they believe that the dollar is sound (and reducing the deficit would strengthen the dollar) and if the debtor is able to pay the interest without any economic or budgetary troubles. If you pay off enough interest to keep the debt level in absolute values roughly constant, the debt will go down automatically when compared to GDP. And most economists tend to look at debt to GDP then the total amount of debt in absolute numbers. If you want to make America a creditor nation again, my proposal is to enact an aggressive trade position to protect our industries from unfair trade practices and to invest heavily in education reform, infrastructure repairs, and research and development.

It’s time we get someone in the White House who can change our course of self-destruction so our economy can become prosperous again.

And Mitt Romney will do the opposite. At least Obama won't increase our deficits to more than $10 trillion over the next decade or increase the flow of wealth to the wealthiest Americans.

OBAMA BIDEN 2012

And Mitt Romney will do the opposite. At least Obama won't increase our deficits to more than $10 trillion over the next decade or increase the flow of wealth to the wealthiest Americans.

Care to explain how Romney will spend 10 trillion more than the government takes in within the next decade?

For the record, The wealthy will always make more than the rest--thats why they are wealthy. Accept social mobility and make your own damn money. Go play poker with a card shark and lose all your money, then say he beat you because he had more money. You dunce, he beat you because he plays the game better than you.

Thank you for sharing your devotion to Keynesian theory till your fingers hurt. Sorry, but we don't accept mediocracy in the US.

elliot-3020456

And Mitt Romney will do the opposite. At least Obama won't increase our deficits to more than $10 trillion over the next decade or increase the flow of wealth to the wealthiest Americans.

Care to explain how Romney will spend 10 trillion more than the government takes in within the next decade?

Simple. Take Romney's $3.4 trillion tax cut, add that to current cumulative deficits of around $7 trillion (if the Bush tax cuts are extended and sequester cuts rescinded), and you get $10.4 trillion. I refrained from adding anything for defense increases as there are no complete numbers.

For the record, The wealthy will always make more than the rest--thats why they are wealthy. Accept social mobility and make your own damn money. Go play poker with a card shark and lose all your money, then say he beat you because he had more money. You dunce, he beat you because he plays the game better than you.

I never said that everyone ought to make the same amount. Of course some people will make more than others; that is inevitable. I'm talking about the growing share of collective income controlled by the top 1%; which is around 21%. It used to be around 10% in the 1960s and 70s. Social mobility is not as common as you think it is; we as a nation are the number one believers in social mobility, yet it is not as common as we think. Have you not noticed how productivity in the U.S. has soared to record levels while wages have stagnated??? Is that fair??? And tell me this; do you really think that the 1% slacked off in the 1950s and 60s and then took off in productivity in the 80s and 90s while everyone else was lazy??? That is insane.

Thank you for sharing your devotion to Keynesian theory till your fingers hurt. Sorry, but we don't accept mediocracy in the US.

It's a shame that you're deluding yourself. Keynesian economics works; check the Great Depression. If we didn't accept mediocracy in the U.S., Dubya would have lost in 2000 and trickle-down economics would have been debunked a while ago. Check your facts, Jack.

OBAMA BIDEN 2012

I always laugh at the GOP whining about how the deficit keeps growing. It keeps growing because they won't increase taxes to lower it.

I also keep hearing how the top 10% pay 94% of the federal taxes. Wow that sure sounds unfair. Until you include the fact that over 50% of earners earn less than $34,000 a year. HALF THE COUNTRY MAKES LESS THAN 34K a year. How much in taxes are you going to get from those people? Impose a flat tax on all income, and cut out deductions, that's the only way.

Bill, you smert nough ta vote fer da democrits?

Throwing a slew of insults at the other candidate, and all who support him...

1) does not make you look smarter

2) does not make your invalid point any more valid

3) ultimately shows how you have no real argument left, and are only desperately lashing out

4) Is a common tactic of the lefties...

Unfortunately Obama isn't much better. They've really blown it by not nominating Ron Paul...

The mass majority of voters are dumb. We could have elected Ron Paul but gee he's too old and senile.

Bill and John Doe you are a the reason American is in decline because you can't get past your own party rhetoric

Interesting you mention Republicans in that light.

You want to vote Democrat, the party that: wanted to keep slavery alive in the mid 19th century, pushed Jim Crowe laws after the Civil War, demanded segregation in the South until the 1960s, started this really neat group called the KKK.........................

It truly is amazing how many people don't have any recollection of history.

John Doe -- all your points would be valid IF I had not spoken the truth.

Modern Democrats aren't even directly descended from 19th century Democrats. In fact, neither party even remotely resembles the 19th century parties, despite having the same name.

foreign leaders see "America in decline,"

...and Russia and China are the two biggest countries that are anxiously waiting in the wings to finish the job our neighborhood organizer, Obama has started! Both of them would love to replace the USA as the world economic leader.

Actually, they started this process a couple years ago when they jointly agreed to stop trading oil in dollars and agreed to switch to a blend of their own currencies!

Complaining about insults and asking for apologies, makes Romney look like the Girly-man he is

@liars in politics, before the Civil War there were 2 democratic parties, 1 was antislavery and the other was proslavery. The latter disappeared after the War. The KKK is a seperate group of southerners that grew on their own. The Democratic Party of today is the Antislavery group. If your going to bring up History I suggest you do some reasearch first. You make yourself sound like Romney here, don't know anything.

"Liarsinpolitics=Duh"

You are correct in your facts but leave a key point out... The democratic party in the south in the 19th century consisted of mainly white voters who as you say were pro-slavery. It was basically the same type of voters in the Democratic party up until the 60's and the civil rights movement. These same southern men switched sides in droves because the democratic movement of the north was becoming more liberal and socially tolerant. This racist crowd of southerners flip-flopped thier voting to go against the liberal north and made what is today's Republican party. The party remains mostly the same today in it's "dislike" of social systems for those not exactly like them or less well-off.

Bill...I so agree...Look at who the GOP puts out there...CEOs...Cheney, Bush, Bush '41 and now RoMONEY...What is this? A country with a government? Or a Corporation with a country? This is the BS the right wingers want to try and ram down our throats. They spritz their misguided ideology with a ton of religious righteousness most of us are fed up to the teeth with. Then, when we won't do what they want and tag along like mindless robots, they start a Civil War in their own country refusing to cooperate with the duly elected officials who are not members of their wayward, irresponsible, reckless party.

I've sat through enough GOP meetings to know that something has gone so very seriously wrong with the GOP...it's as bad as the Roman Curia and just as bullying and mindbending..when and if they can get away with it. I was a Republican until Bush started his swaggering and booming for 8 years...and now he's right back at it, trying to recap his loser years as president.

The only thing we'll get from Mitt RoMONEY is more Wall Street/DC coochie cooing.

Yes - Vote Democrat - We know most of their votes come from highly educated, productive members of society.

In fact, let's have a history test (or any test) before you are allowed to vote. Oh wait, that might show who has the most dumb voters after all!

Oh yeah we have real brain power in the White House these days. Only liberals can look past the hypocrisy of Obama calling Romney the leader of outsourcing when his jobs czar outsources more then half of his 300K employee's and pays no federal tax on billions in profit. So much for liberals paying their fair share. So much for liberals remembering that it was Bill Clinton that signed NAFTA into law which cost the US millions of jobs.

Liars in politics. The roles of the parties have reversed since then, check it out. So you now are supporting the right?

What a hoot to read ewent, she don't have any of her facts straight. It's Republican and Bush hate up front and personal. Very well done! Your White House check is in the mail!!

John Doe, you must not be reading the same blog as us lefties I guess because insults are for the dumb people and that's the right. Oh my mistake the right are the ones that collapse all the comments that they can't anwer.

Anyone who thinks DemoCrips are preferable to RepubliBloods, or vice versa, is probably the one responsible for our decline, and probably too dumb to be voting.

Both gangs are full of habitual liars, sociopaths, and idiots who want to do all kinds of things based on intuition, not deductive logic. Both sides are control freaks, just on different issues. Both sides = tyranny.

Laborum, Aparently Robert Byird didn't get the switch sids memo.

That Klansman died a Democrat A few years ago.

The same Democrat who Filibustered the 1964 civil rights act.

The same Democrat who Bill Clinton eulogized as being a good old boy.

The Democrats are as racist as ever and still keep the plantation filled with people dependent on government for their survival.

The only thing that has changed is the reporting.

seek help,Eddiot. That wasn't even a good spin.

elliot-3020456: Remember that Southern Democrats, a Branch of Democrats, fled to the Republican Party both in the late 1950's and after Civil Rights passed Congress. Included in the this were Evangelicals, members of the KKK, the Neo-Nazi Organizations, the Neo-Facist Organizations, and the White Supremacists, and those of the Libertarian Party. The Republican Party embraced them and became what it is today in most aspects while their defection has led to the new Democratic Party. This is a part of History IGNORED by most people.

Your comment about Democrats being as racist as ever, you need to re-look at the Republican Party. For an example, my neighbor, a resolute Republican, is about as racist as you could get. And I am not alone. Add to that, the fact that I am an Independent politically and NEVER vote a "straight ticket" but votes for the "lesser evil" regardless of one's Party and RESEARCHES facts before voting, both NEGATIVES in today's politics.

Good point pall. France is doing wonderful right?

Take the crepes out your ears, frenchie.

You hear that sucking sound. thats your economy going down the drain.

Hey idiot I'm French! (anything that follows has no credibility in the eyes of Americans). Good on Psttt. As though yelling your French improves your credibility.

I wish "psttttttttt" had not started his post with "Hey idiot", because if he hadn't done that, I'd endorse what he said and add a little rebuke for elliot's intemperate reply

I think a clear-minded approach begins with questioning not just Bush2, but the economic policies which, in my lifetime, began in 1980.

And this worship at the altar of the "free market" is something that deserves some questioning as well.

On a more contemporary note, I truly wonder why hurling insults over the internet is something which still gives people satisfaction.

John Doe and elliot, go on attack pstttt with your bigotry show your GOP for what it really is the party of hate and fear.

Because hate and fear is manifest in rational statements. While rational thinkers react with insults and raging (view psstttt and Bill's comments for examples). Good point biker. I'll let go of my bigotry now, thanks for the advice.

I think what bikerdan is trying to express is "Ponies for President!"

Sorry, that Psttt... whatever- is French. Some people are just born unfortunate.

Our leaders set the tone for the nation, and right now civility has no place in our society. Obama has been the most divisive president in modern history with the daily blame game and endless parade of excuses for his failure. When the country was in desperate need of a leader, the Democrats gave us Obama instead. True leaders inspire, they overcome the obstacles, unfortunately Obama is no leader.

When the country needed a leader, they voted Bush Jr., TWICE, who lied to go invade a country and finish a war his daddy started that didn't involve ANY terrorists from IRAQ, though many were Saudi, which his family's close friends, the Saudi Royal family (which by coincidence he got OUT certain Saudis of the U.S. after 9/11, no explanation given), quit going after the top terrorist in the world; Bin Laden, less than one year after 9/11, because 'he didn't know where he was, and didn't care,' reversed regulations on toxins companies were dumping into the air and water, and tanked the economy. To think the GOP wants to GO BACK to those same Bush Era policies with Romney/Bush Era advisors and Carl Rove, the master Machevellian theocrat, himself. Yep, THAT was/is leadership?

You have to wonder if 9/11 ever even happens if Clinton had taken Bin Laden when he was offered? Oh I know liberals are only interested in the history specifically during the Bush years. That was the time everything was actually the president's fault, unlike today when problems are the fault of the Republicans in the House. But then again it would seem that blame and excuses are the only safe way to live in a glass house.

Rick...remember when Clinton shot an ICBM at OBL? Remember how he warned us via Newsweek about OBL being "the most dangerous man alive"? Remember how he warned Boy George and his "advisors" about OBL but they didn't listen because they were too busy trumping up charges about Clinton's people looting the WH-charges that the GAO later discounted? No? That's right, you probably don't because your hyenas were too busy trying to impeach Clinton for unauthorized sex rather than trying to protect our country from a terrorist attack. You guys like to accuse Obama of playing the blame game. Who's pointing fingers now?

WE knew this was the case when he was 'running' for the office. Yet because of 'white fright' , Bush hatred, affirmative action and a series of lies promoting this mulatto the Caucasians voted him into office.

Now they must vote him out.

Pretty sure we want this experiment called The United States of America to return to the front and move on as it has in the past.

We are aware that this 'lab experiment' called Obama (if that is his name was failure.

Vote for him.....why?

Neither of the "Real Men of Genius" running for President have a clue what to do.

There is no workable plan, only a bunch of "feel good" ideas to offer to the political base in exchange for campaign donations. One sides plan can't pass the House, the other sides plan can't pass the Senate, and neither plan can pass the American people.

This is clearly a propaganda piece for Romney. The fact that NBC prints it is as a news item is (beside appalling) more evidence how insidious and corrupting crony capitalism is to the media, democracy and "news". What's worse is so many people buy it, but the public always prefer big steaming piles of BS over the truth, don't they?

The more I see of people, the more that Fleetwood Mac song plays in my head: "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.." Come on! Sing along!

Taxpayer - You are absolutely right about the lie Willard just said

Prime Minister Carr has released a statement saying he "never said the United States is in decline".

So Willard lies and lies and lies - so what else is new?

first step to getting any of the above done is to kick out both the democratic and repulblican pary out of office!

So true, eric. But it will never happen. Good news? We will all be dead before USA is even #2.

We can easily fix the budget by stopping those silly dabbles in Afghanistan and Iraq. We've done what we could and even some things we couldn't; if they hurl some bombs our way then better to block 'em at home. Then we can tell those silly contractors to take retail prices (as opposed to the usual hyper-marked-up contractor prices) for their goods.

The immigration system can be cleaned by streamlining naturalization. Build a bigger wall and we'll get bigger holes in it; build a faster entry queue and we'll get more of those coveted Taxpayers™. ("But game kid," the guy and lady in the back row say, "why would we want to put MORE smelly furriners in our country when we can't Create Jobs™ for the ones here!?" I reply "Well my friend, first of all they don't necessarily smell...unlike you...*sniffs from front row toward the pair* ick...and second because the sales and even income taxes they'll pay for the privilege of being a good citizen will help the US and its states pay for the parts and labor for much-needed bridge and building repair projects all over the country. They'll need experienced hands for those frail structures, and that means they'll call more of us to start working on them. Whee.")

With those done, the "entitlement programs" would not be an issue because we (well, the Federal gov) would lose far less or even leap snugly out of the red.

Nice to think it would be that simple, isn't it? But until you actually look at all the minute details, you can just keep thinking it's that easy.

Game Kid. Stop believing everything your told. Start looking at situations logically, cut out the BS people have been force feeding you, and maybe, just maybe, you'll come upon a real conclusion.

Balance the budget......Congress can't even pass a budget, let alone balance it, without piling on steaming heapins of pork, sauteed with earmarks.

Stop the wars......The only reason to stop the wars is because the troops are needed for the next one.

Clean the immigration system......Those illegals are doing jobs Americans won't do, like manufacturing for "under the table cash" with no benefits. Think of it as having Chinese labor rates while manufacturing here in America.

Fix the entitled programs that need to be fixed.......Corporate America will never go along with that, oh, wait, those will be the ones that don't need to be fixed.....cut those darn senior citizens "high life" social security and medicare benefits. They should get a job! How dare grandma and grandpa think their entitled?

How about another one, like "grow the economy"? Get Americans back to work by leveling the playing field so that American made products don't face the hurdles they currently do for export to certain foreign countries? "Free Trade" should be free to all players, not just certain players.

And John Doe, rather than just telling Kid to stop believing everything he's told, why not impress us with your logic and feed us some of your own BS? What would be a "real" conclusion?

Stupid idea 1: The President wants to stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Outstanding. We never should have started those wars in the first place. However, I have several times seen the video where Obama states that he wants to take half the money we save by stopping the wars and pay down the debt and use half the money for infrastructure projects. He does realize that we are BORROWING the money for the wars, right?? He's going to borrow money to pay down the debt?!?!!? How does that work?

Stupid idea 2: The opposition of the republicans to higher taxes on the rich. What we are talking about is letting tax cuts implemented by President Bush expire. If these rich are the employed CEO's that everyone hates, raise their taxes. Paying a little more won't break them and won't negatively affect the creation of jobs. The republicans say that eliminating these tax breaks for the rich will hurt small business owners because the revenue from their business is treated as ordinary income. While I think that much of the effect of this is offset by business deductions, this particular area may need some attention. Keeping the tax breaks for those making less than $250K makes sense in the current economy. The middle class has much more power to stimulate the economy through spending because there are so many more of the middle class than anyone else. Letting the middle class keep more of their money is the right economic choice.

Stupid idea 3: Class warfare. Like it or not, the president is engaged in trying to provoke class warfare. His continual use of provocative language is designed to do just that. "The Rich", "not paying their fair share", "corporate welfare"; "common folk", "working people"; all of these phrases are designed with no other purpose in mind than the divide us. Presidents are supposed to unite the country in times of crisis, not divide it.

The democratic party and the republican party have both moved outrageously to the outer fringes of their respective ideologies. This is good for none of us. We are all yelling so loudly that we cannot hear what anyone else is saying and there is no better proof of this than the vast majority of post here on Newsvine.

Balance the budget by putting the WHOLE OF MEXICO on our welfare budget,free food stamps for all, just vote for me and I will get you a job in the new CMC=Gmc plants in china. Bush lowered taxes and Obama has put an end to the SS system then by cutting the amount of money you had to pay. The bridges projects is a good idea so they will hire the Chinese to do that too just like in California, oh by the way that was not Bush. I know let us spend money on solar panel power LOL not in California where the cost of living is high as hell, so your product will not sell.

Give everyone free stuff that we as a country MUST pay so it ain't free is it?? every one points fingers but forgets that there is one pointing in one way BUT there are three pointing back. We have let our government do as they wish for TOO long. Ask your self this why can't I retire after 4 years on the job with full benefits like they can and do. Why don't I get a free ride to work like they do?? Why is my health care far better than anyone's for life and we will give you LOL a good deal. RIGHT ??

As long as we the people do nothing we the people will get what they want us to get and that is F***ed. We the people whom are not the 1% are not even on the right track. We blame the rich and they control the leaders of this country to include Obama by letting have a free ride on our bill. You want change well DO NOT TAKE MINE.

Our Major Decline started way back in the 70's when Trade became an obstacle to Corporations who insisted that NAFTA and other Trade Agreements be written into Law because they wanted cheap, cheap labor abundant when they moved their operations to into Foreign Countries. Now about every Foreign Nation is on the PREFERRED LIST (for Importing their Products) except Iran and North Korea. Even Communist China is on that Preferred List.

But this is not the only problem. Many of the large Corporations have moved to foreign soil so that they can make more and more money by paying wages that amount to pennies, use child labor, etc. Their move has cost countless jobs here, yet we are charged far more for their products than in other Countries. If one were to look at where products are actually made, most would come from Japan, Taiwan, Nigeria, or from Communist China, not the U.S. The U.S. has become a Nation of Assemblers at most since components are produced overseas. The term "Made in the USA" is now passe.

The sad fact is that both Parties(Political) have contributed to the problem and Political Bickering doesn't help.

Fear mongering? Puleeze...

Just look at how strong china is coming on as a world economy. They are number 2 and they are trying to become a more consumer oriented economy rather than an export economy. When they do that, can you say #1? India also wants to come on strong. Between the two of them what is their current population compared to the US? 10x?

Look at the facts within our country alone. A gridlocked congress and a president who can't unite the country or even congress. Heck, obama can't even get congress to come up with a budgetary plan and he creates commissions to recommend budgetary actions and job creation and then essentially ignores them.

We already know that obama likes lots of rhetoric with very little action and you think the republicans would be worse?

One and done is all obama has earned and if romney can't perform as POTUS it will be one and done for him as well. Regardless, obama has already set the wheels in motion for another recession before 2016 because he fails to maintain any focus on the economy.

Spicy, you are right. It's just simple fear mongering. A true leader has the capability to address problems and offer concrete solutions that inspire people to act. If Willard's 'doom meeting' amounts to a dire warning without solutions then he is no leader. He's just playing tunes for the jelly-brained Faux news idiots.

He's just playing tunes for the jelly-brained Faux news idiots.

He does it because it works. The GOP base will believe anything coming out on Fox, no matter how whacky it sounds to the rest of us. Crazy isn't it?

an old college friend - "Bibbi" Netanyahu be welcoming him on his great overseas adventure to Isreal and will offer Romney the Jewish vote if he accepts their peace plan - which might not be equal to all involved parties.

Other then some horse competition - in London - he has no actual foreign policy - except occupying as a tourist...

Not only does Romney want to cut taxes on the rich, after he does he will lower everyone's wages so the rich get an even bigger piece of the pie at a lower tax rate.

I supported paul during the iowa primaries, however I don't support his attitudes towards the FED. Just look at all that is happenning with the EU debt crises and their inability to establish a unified monetary policy. Right or wrong, the FED doesn't have to get 17 sovereign nations to agree on a unified monetary policy.

It's impractical to look for a politician that agrees with you on everything. The point is to find one that agrees with you on most issues, especially those that matter to you the most. And so I choose Ron Paul.

I'm no Ron Paul supporter, but he is right about the Fed Reserve, Medicaid/Medicare, entitlements, Gold Standard, etc etc...

The fed is something we desparately needed back in the day; and in principle, we still do. But it needs MAJOR overhaul.

(Agree, one of the only RP ideas I agree with - I just hope the rest of the GOP can see it too and will do something about it..))

The fed is something we desparately needed back in the day; and in principle, we still do. But it needs MAJOR overhaul.

I'd research the business cycle before central banking if I were you...the business cycle is predictable based on the expansion of credit by a central bank or other government programs. The FED was never needed, provided the govt didn't create a disease it then "needed" to cure.

Man!! -- Rmoney has PO'd the Australians - taking the foreign minister's remark OUT of context - twisting them to appear negative about the Obama administration!

The same way Rmoney twisted Obama's remark about "you didn't make that"!!

Rmoney LIES and DISTORTS -- and can't be trusted!!

Riiiight...and your guy, the one killing woman and children overseas in countries not any threat to us whatsoever, just to keep oil prices unsustainably low for us, is any better?

Both are morons...both are sociopathic habitual liars.

Obama Lies

Our S&P rating was downgraded.

Yes it was and you can thank John Boehner for that. All you have to do is Google WHY S&P downgraded it.

But who's there to replace him? Put in Mitt Romney and things won't get any better. If only everyone can get behind Ron Paul...

Ron Paul would fare no better without a like minded congress to back him up. The problem with checks and balances is one branch can by itself screw everything up if the other 2 are even remotely divided, but it takes all 3 to fix @!$%#.

Why dont we place the blame on the real jackass, it was 2 wars that were put on our credit card, and not to mention the tax cuts to the top 1% that were to create all of these jobs, and wall street were able to run wild with no regulation. I know no one wants to here this, but as JESUS said look where I have brought from. Anyone with common sense knows we are headed in the right direction, and to go back with tax cuts to the top 2% is not going to do nothing but take us to a place we have been before, and most of us has seen that movie before, ,so why do we want see again. buy a vowel and get a clue.

Don't confuse them with facts

And he's added 5 armed conflicts (with better lies to justify them) to the 3 he inherited. So what was your point again?

I'm not convinced that Obama will fix anything, but there's no question that Romney's there for his corporate buddies.

And Obama is there for Soros.

Romney: Do you mind if I start attributing comments to you in order to boost my appearance back home and look more credible?

Carr: Well, I'm not sure if you sh...

Romney: The Foreign Minister of Australia says America is in decline! And we need a balanced budget! And leave tax rates alone to increase investment by entrepreneurs! And not to touch the military defense budget!

Carr: Now, hold on just a sec...

Romney: (It's cool, my bud Trump will get you 2 free tickets to the next Miss USA Pageant. *wink*)

Carr: ....

But we'd leave in my tax deductions for my expenses on horse dressage, right? Right?? :(

Countries that actually do some damn work. China. Japan. India.

3rdpartyadvocate...

I am 56. I have been an adult and voted since the Carter years. I have seen good and bad from both parties. What I have never seen before is the absolute refusal of the GOP to compromise on anything since Obama was elected on 2008 and the Tea Party effectively took control of the GOP in 2010.

This country has always moved forward by compromise. Without it, we devolve into an oligarchy.

God has not a thing to do with the situation.

One OfTheSane, you should look again at the compromise issue. In the beginning of the Obama administration the democrats controlled the presidency, the senate, and the house. You should be able to find several news clips and articles stating that Obama refused to even listen to republican input. He essentially told them that they lost and to shut up. He started the "no compromise" problem and he is paying for it.

Does the statement "We won, you can come along for the ride. But you have to sit in the back of the bus" mean anything to you?

Any American dumb enough to fall for the Doom and Gloom death mentalities on the right believes "America is in decline." NO America is NOT in decline...not unless this "decline" is imposed on the entire country by men in power on the right and on Wall Street who use big bucks to make sure America IS in decline. All the ritzy titzies with big money want anyone else in office but a president who won't pander to their greed. Sorry...this isn't a corporation run by a CEO nor will it ever be. Get those tax subsidy addicts off the backs of the Middle Class and watch how fast our economy rebounds. How many more billions does the GOP plan to take from the Middle Class taxes and hand it over to the ritzy titzies?

that's right, just keep on handing money out.

ewent: it is not in the best interests of Wall Street to have America in decline. You absolutely have no idea what you are talking about. Please do yourself a favor and try and learn something about economies before you embarrass yourself further with your ignorance.

I would think that ewent is really the fiesty redhead, but her posts present better english and less made up words,....but her trolling for the democratic party is the same delusional horse manure.

When 8-15% of Americans are out of work and 10-50 million illegals are draining all public money systems

the country IS in decline because of the actions and inactions of all our greedy on-the-take politicians and bankers. This is made far worse by the lack of leadership in the whitehouse.

Leaders are not anointed, appointed, or elected. Leaders only become such when the majority of people follow. Right now the only obama followers are the one's with their hands in our pockets.

We do not have a tax problem ..we have a spending problem. The government on all levels spends too much...and the people of this nation aren't working enough to have money to spend.

The entire congress is to blame for where we are today. Presidents can be leaders, but they're figureheads and poster boys for things that sound good.

it is far past time to vote out all incumbents...if you know a politician is in office, vote for the other guy.

Want to get Washington's attention? Opt out of payroll deductions, then don't pay quarterly. MOney is the only thing they understand and we keep giving it to them and MORE whenever they feel like it.

Cut em off, they WILL start listening

I seemed to misplace my wallet, can you take a check?

-Obama

lets see when Clinton left office we had a surplus- last time so lets put the blame entirely where it belongs and that is on congress not Bush not Obama but the 535 a holes from both sides of the aisle that need to be voted out

The less Congress does the better...where do you think that debt came from? Spending is doing something. To spend less they need to do less. Our Founders designed this govt to be in deadlock constantly...they believed a do-nothing govt was better than a do-something tyranny.

They have been saying that since 2000 there Mittsy and you can thank your Party for the decline of the world economy

Big Al-

If you truly care about the debt, there is no way in hades you're voting for Romney correct?! The Ryan/Romney budget adds almost 11 trillion in debt over the next decade while simultaneously cutting things like education and medicare. How? By giving billions in tax breaks to people like bank executives who have been caught cheating us out of our money. That makes sense...cheat us out of our money and we'll give you more money to do it. (sarcasm)

I don't care if you don't like Obama...if you vote for Romney with his type of fiscal outlook, you're nuts.

Plus, you folks need to get off of this "earning your way through life" b.s.. Wall Street sucked trillions out of the world economy causing millions of businesses to go belly-up; all of a sudden those who WERE earning their way through life could not any longer. To try and put that on Obama is flatly put, idiotic.

What freedoms were taken away? I still have all of mine. Did some people wake up and exclaim: "uh...where did some of my freedoms go?" I don't get it. Please explain.

you need to change your name from history to fables

History,,

Yah, who needs regulations when you have seen how well the private sector regulates it's self, do you live under a rock ? and don't blame the 60's people who protested all the worthless and winnable wars

do you need to be reminded which one's they were are are? and from a cultural standpoint the hippie fashion,music , and art still stand today as a unique and enduring style known around the world...you now want to blame the 60's people whom were not listened to. what planets history did you study?