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shcrane71

(1,721 posts)
22. There's really not much austerity that the federal government can get out of Americans.
Sun Feb 19, 2012, 11:48 AM
Feb 2012

As the saying goes, you can't get blood out of turnip. What government services will be denied Americans under austerity measures? Will the number of incarcerated go down? Will Medicaid and Medicare payments decrease? Hell, Americans are used to having bake sales to pay for medicinal services. Most Americans do without preventative medicine. And Grandma and Grandpa have been being convinced that their "quality of life" isn't there any more, and have been dying in droves from morphine "complications" associated with pneumonia -- *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink*.

Maybe we'll have to retire later in order to get Social Security. Oh wait, they already raised it to 67 -- many Americans won't make it to this age -- WOOHOO! More money for the rest of us. Maybe we can privatize Social Security? Now there's an austerity measure that Wall Street can get behind! But those poor, poor souls on Wall Street sure have been getting some bad press because they've been a little greedy, and shifty. Pshaw... Greed is Good.

I guess Americans could implement austerity measures on government employees and contracts, but most of those are held by military contractors. The military is a sacred cow... can't touch that.

hmmmm... maybe America could do with spending less on her infrastructure. I mean Detroit and New Orleans have almost been completely decimated. If we just quit repairing bridges, roads, levees, then cities will crumble, burn, and flood, and that's less money we have to spend in trying to keep those cities up.

Maybe the government could cut the earned income tax credit? That should make us poor Americans pay for our upkeep. That'll help. What else could be done to poor Americans (besides NOT providing health care, social services, infrastructure while increasing incarceration rates) to enrich our government? Hell, we get so little from our tax dollars. I'm surprised more Americans aren't emigrating.

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Pretty much like the Greeks are responding Scootaloo Feb 2012 #1
we'll find out soon enough ProdigalJunkMail Feb 2012 #2
So True ... it's coming. nt BOHICA12 Feb 2012 #15
not sure, but the one thing I noticed Joe Shlabotnik Feb 2012 #3
not necessarily magical thyme Feb 2012 #8
We might find out before much longer. Lasher Feb 2012 #4
Well if we continue spending with no tax increses abowsh Feb 2012 #9
I agree. Lasher Feb 2012 #25
A few people would protest abelenkpe Feb 2012 #5
Re-runs of American Idol? Arctic Dave Feb 2012 #6
We'll have to wait and see. mmonk Feb 2012 #7
Economics Prof. Richard Wolff says there's a civil war brewing in Greece... truth2power Feb 2012 #10
There will be no civil war abowsh Feb 2012 #12
e) Remain willfully ignorant... izquierdista Feb 2012 #11
When my family was going through "Greek like" austerity most Americans took it pretty well NNN0LHI Feb 2012 #13
I suspect 'none of the above'. Americans (on the whole) are a bunch of pretentious posers. Edweird Feb 2012 #14
One thing is for sure.. sendero Feb 2012 #16
It will be here very soon. nt woo me with science Feb 2012 #17
None of the above ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2012 #18
OH LOOK! Snooki is pregnant! Justin Bieber in a Twitter pissing match! BIRTH CONTROL!! Zalatix Feb 2012 #19
Until America's military runs out of money, there's no hope of that here. saras Feb 2012 #20
Given that we have citizen soldiers, why are you so sure they with fire upon or nuke ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2012 #21
They've done it before. The 19th century labor strikes, Kent State, etc. Zalatix Feb 2012 #28
With nukes? ProgressiveProfessor Feb 2012 #29
nukes unlikely, but they will fire upon civilians, which was specifically mentioned Zalatix Feb 2012 #30
Especially if they finished developing the neutron bomb that was started in the late 50s. Kills jwirr Feb 2012 #34
There's really not much austerity that the federal government can get out of Americans. shcrane71 Feb 2012 #22
Some very good points there /nt Bragi Feb 2012 #24
I fear this reaction: Bragi Feb 2012 #23
We ARE isolated compared to Greeks Lydia Leftcoast Feb 2012 #26
Agreed: Isolation is HUGE obstacle to political action Bragi Feb 2012 #27
Suburban American Isolation The Genealogist Feb 2012 #31
Very good points here Lydia suffragette Feb 2012 #32
A, B, and if oppressed enough Cherchez la Femme Feb 2012 #33
There would have to be a collapse of the economy jeanpalmer Feb 2012 #35
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