They actually did it: US automatic spending cuts officially become law after lawmakers fail to avert - Polidicks

[img]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66155000/gif/_66155673_us_budget_cuts_2013.gif[/img] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21638727[/url] [QUOTE]US President Barack Obama has signed into effect a wave of steep spending cuts that he has warned could damage the US economy. Last-ditch talks at the White House to avert the reductions before Friday's deadline broke up without agreement. The BBC's Mark Mardell in Washington says the cuts were designed to be so brutally painful that politicians would be forced to agree on a better way of balancing the books.[/QUOTE]

Well, it's better than going into even more extreme debt.

I hope "non-defence discretionary" includes congressional pay

It wasn't a bluff, and they still didn't play it.. Got to love day care centres for grown ups.

In all honesty that's a lot less than I expected.

[quote]The BBC's Mark Mardell in Washington says the cuts were designed to be so brutally painful that politicians would be forced to agree on a better way of balancing the books.[/quote] This is why you don't do this shit at all. Riders are just as bad and we've got plenty of those on the books too.

[QUOTE=Tureis;39767192]In all honesty that's a lot less than I expected.[/QUOTE] It gradually ramps up over the course of 10 years. It'll hurt in the long run.

Damn, a whole 6% of the defense budget. No more wars ever guys your country is undefendable surrender now.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;39767187]I hope "non-defence discretionary" includes congressional pay[/QUOTE] Unfortunately the Twenty-Seventh amendment prevents that from happening unless there's something to it I'm not aware of. [quote]No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.[/quote]

Congress literally didn't give a shit. They walked out Thursday and ran down the stairs like children ready to get home from school. When media guys asked them what the fuck they where doing they all said "We are going home. If we are needed we will be called back in." If you ask me, I think they weren't planning on coming up with something for this, in the hopes that Obama would make something and call them in Friday for them to sign it. The reason why they would want this is so if it fails or isn't perfect they can blame him, instead of themselves. I dunno, maybe I am too cynical when it comes to our politicians..

And the world's most incompetent Congress award goes to...

Thank god they cut back from military spending; they don't need all that military power abroad anyway, just the means to defend themselves on the home front. However the $11bn cut to medicare does seem pretty painful, and could result in the comparative loss of many lives.

Hopefully all of the government workers that just got laid off will come to senate and congress and fucking pillage the whole place. Or all of those people just get fired and a large permament "DO NOT HIRE" stamped on their record.

So let me get this straight. You have 16 TRILLION in debt and you only cut 87 billion? That's like spending being $16,000 in debt and saying you'll cut back by $87.

Cause? Unwillingness of anybody and everybody to compromise on their views. To be honest, it takes the Democrats way too long to come up with compromise deals in a lot of cases, but the fact that this new wave of 'never falter, never compromise' Republicans actually has a say in the matter makes things way more fucked up. The fact that their personal 'integrity' or 'values' or whatever you want to call their political persuasions is more important than the greater good of the country is disturbing. You can all thank our broken primary system where the most radical candidates are the only ones who make it through. I'm looking primarily at the Republican party here, but the Democrats are guilty of it to a certain degree too. This shit is getting out-of-hand and the entire political spectrum of both parties has turned into 'Who can be the biggest poster-child for the party values?' 'Me, me!'

How long do they last?

I'm confused. Is this bad or good? I see people bitching about it and some people praising it. I thought it was a good thing?

[QUOTE=TonyP;39767431]I'm confused. Is this bad or good? I see people bitching about it and some people praising it. I thought it was a good thing?[/QUOTE] It's good in the sense they recognise it, bad because it's like cleaning out a hoarder's house by taking out the bin. and this: [QUOTE=Mike Tyson;39767441]Medicare cuts could kill thousands.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=TonyP;39767431]I'm confused. Is this bad or good? I see people bitching about it and some people praising it. I thought it was a good thing?[/QUOTE] Medicare cuts could kill thousands.

[QUOTE=Gnomical;39767359]Congress literally didn't give a shit. They walked out Thursday and ran down the stairs like children ready to get home from school. When media guys asked them what the fuck they where doing they all said "We are going home. If we are needed we will be called back in." If you ask me, I think they weren't planning on coming up with something for this, in the hopes that Obama would make something and call them in Friday for them to sign it. The reason why they would want this is so if it fails or isn't perfect they can blame him, instead of themselves. I dunno, maybe I am too cynical when it comes to our politicians..[/QUOTE] Well much of the work Congressmen do is on their campaign to get elected into Congress. Is it any surprise?

Not good enough, there is still a $1 trillion budget deficit. The US will still just keep on going into more and more debt.

[QUOTE=TonyP;39767431]I'm confused. Is this bad or good? I see people bitching about it and some people praising it. I thought it was a good thing?[/QUOTE] A lot of good things that do need to be cut are coming out of this, but it has the potential to affect a lot of federal workers, like post workers (my uncle is a post master :( ), teachers, in addition to budget cuts for infrastructure like bridge repair and road maintenance. More information can be found here: [url]http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3910[/url]

[QUOTE]The deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf has also been cancelled.[/QUOTE] Obama Iranian spy.

This is how fucking stupid the US Congress is. They dream up a nightmare scenario that's bad for everybody and guaranteed to throw us back into a recession so they will be forced to come up with a better solution. Then, THEY GO WITH THAT PLAN. At this point I would fully support lining them all up and shooting them. Congress is incompetent and incapable of properly running this country.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;39767453]Well much of the work Congressmen do is on their campaign to get elected into Congress. Is it any surprise?[/QUOTE] Lets tie the pay to all of congress to that of the median income in the US too. Make it a constitutional amendment, of the people, by the people and for the people motherfuckers. Let em see how they like finding ways to live off less than $50,000 a year thanks to their shenanigans. Want to pad your bed with cash again? Better start doing your job.

[QUOTE=RR_Raptor65;39767493]Lets tie the pay to all of congress to that of the median income in the US too. Make it a constitutional amendment, of the people, by the people and for the people motherfuckers. Let em see how they like finding ways to live off less than $50,000 a year thanks to their shenanigans. Want to pad your bed with cash again? Better start doing your job.[/QUOTE] But then people who actually want to do better for their land would get in power, this is unacceptable. This cannot happen.

Raptor I love you

[QUOTE=RR_Raptor65;39767493]Lets tie the pay to all of congress to that of the median income in the US too. Make it a constitutional amendment, of the people, by the people and for the people motherfuckers. Let em see how they like finding ways to live off less than $50,000 a year thanks to their shenanigans. Want to pad your bed with cash again? Better start doing your job.[/QUOTE] The problem with this is #1 I can imagine it can be harder for poorer people who get elected to office as most current politicians were already rich prior to being elected and won't be that badly affected by a reduced salary, and #2 the high salaries act as a form of anti-corruption. Who do you think is going to be more easily corrupted, the man who earns less than $50,000 a year or the man who has a comfortable salary above $100,000?

[QUOTE=RR_Raptor65;39767493]Lets tie the pay to all of congress to that of the median income in the US too. Make it a constitutional amendment, of the people, by the people and for the people motherfuckers. Let em see how they like finding ways to live off less than $50,000 a year thanks to their shenanigans. Want to pad your bed with cash again? Better start doing your job.[/QUOTE] Why would they act to change something that negatively affects them?

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;39767483]This is how fucking stupid the US Congress is. They dream up a nightmare scenario that's bad for everybody and guaranteed to throw us back into a recession so they will be forced to come up with a better solution. Then, THEY GO WITH THAT PLAN. At this point I would fully support lining them all up and shooting them. Congress is incompetent and incapable of properly running this country.[/QUOTE] They don't govern, that's the problem. They're lazy fucks that put all their work into campaigning for reelection so they can continue campaigning for the next election. They only do work if it's easy or they absolutely have to, and even then they wait until the last possible second.