Life, But Not As We Know It

Steyn Online ^ | 23 July 2019 | Mark Steyn

[Rummyfan]

President Trump announced Monday that the Republicans and Democrats had reached a "compromise" on hiking government spending by $320 billion and ignoring the debt ceiling for the next two years. Trump tweeted the agreement was "another big victory to our Great Military and Vets!"

Hardly seems much of a victory for the American taxpayers, though.

Per AFP:

The agreement raises the discretionary spending caps for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, pairing it with a suspension of the statutory debt ceiling until the end of July 2021, nearly nine months after the 2020 election.

Yet it's another reminder of what we've known for years, that the debt "ceiling" is about as sturdy and solid as those featured on those DIY home reno disaster shows. Here's a column Mark wrote around this time eight years ago, when the story (and some of the players) were eerily similar to what they are today.

[Rummyfan]

I missed this in all the Mueller hoopla....

[gunnyg]

Wtf, it’s only money...or is it???/!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Gunny G@PlanetWTF?/Fool’em alla da time!
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SemperTRUMP.45!The ONLY One!/AND! he showed up!
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[ChildOfThe60s]

When the levee breaks it is going to be much worse here than Venezuela.

[Lurkinanloomin]

I stopped worrying about the debt when I realized it wasn’t going to be our country for much longer.

[cctrout]

Unfortunately Nancy is right. Life as we know it is totally dependent on massive government spending funded by funny money & debt. Fiscal discipline isn't’t an option any more & if tried will crater the economy & result in a depression that would make the 1930’s look like a pleasant interlude. Something similar happened in Greece when Germany insisted on fiscal responsibility before lending more money. As they raised taxes & cut spending the economy fell off a cliff tax revenues dried up despite higher tax rates & they ended up chasing their tail. So we will continue spending borrowing & creating money out of the thin air until the wheels come off ie the dollar collapses.

[bgill]

Nancy and every other congresscritter should not receive a paycheck until every last dime of debt is paid. No more perks for them. Sheila can walk across the street to her office without a taxdollar paid limo ride. No more budget increases. Shutter half the government departments. Cut funding everywhere but the military and national security. Cut foreign aide. Cut welfare to US citizens to 6 months twice in a lifetime. End all perks to legal immigrants. End everything to illegals and make a law that anytime one shows up at a hospital or a job site (even if it’s the Home Depot parking lot) they better be reported and immediately deported alongside visa overstayers. No more H1B visas. Heck, no more long term visas period until we’re finished with all the deportations. And sell off government excesses such as all those weapons obamy supposedly furnished the Dept. of Education.

[jmacusa]

What you laid out is a political platform Trump should run on in 2020.