Current Events > AOC on CNN asks why we have endless money for wars and corporate tax cuts but w

(+) Yeah! (+)

when was the last time we were at war
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SauI_Goodman posted...

when was the last time we were at war

Right now
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We're haven't had that many wars.

Seriously, it's like if there's a car for $1M and you keep searching for ways to raise $1M instead of asking why the hell that car is $1M.

That's the state of our social services budget.

I agree completely, and think it's the same thing for healthcare and education. Like why the fuck does a 10 min doctor's visit cost anyone $100+. Making the government pay for it is just going to offset that cost somewhere else as that shit continues to balloon.
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Squall28 posted...

Seriously, it's like if there's a car for $1M and you keep searching for ways to raise $1M instead of asking why the hell that car is $1M.

That's the state of our social services budget.

I agree completely, and think it's the same thing for healthcare and education. Like why the fuck does a 10 min doctor's visit cost anyone $100+. Making the government pay for it is just going to offset that cost somewhere else as that shit continues to balloon.

Insurance and medical industry fixing prices.
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Evening_Dragon posted...

This is definitely a misleading graph. It can easily be used to trick people who don't know what discretionary and mandatory spending are (or in other words how the federal budget works) into thinking the US spends most of its budget on defense.


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tennisdude818 posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

The problem is people who don't deserve SSI and food stamps are getting them. With so many people getting them those budgets are getting cut which hurt the people who actually need those services.

The problem is that actually helping people is far more complicated than indiscriminately throwing money at them, which is why the government sucks at helping the poor.

It does help the very needy. These programs are needed. The problem is I see folks with nice cars using food stamps at the grocery store. The programs need reform.
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DarkRoast posted...

Sort of a misleading graph as discretionary spending is a small part of the overall budget.

Defense is 20% of the federal budget

Conversely, almost 50% of the federal budget goes to social services.

Social Security isn't a social service. You have to earn SS.

DarkProto05 posted...

tennisdude818 posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

The problem is people who don't deserve SSI and food stamps are getting them. With so many people getting them those budgets are getting cut which hurt the people who actually need those services.

The problem is that actually helping people is far more complicated than indiscriminately throwing money at them, which is why the government sucks at helping the poor.

It does help the very needy. These programs are needed. The problem is I see folks with nice cars using food stamps at the grocery store. The programs need reform.

eyeroll.gif

First of all, you seriously have no idea what it takes to get onto food stamps.
Second, cutting every single dollar that is misappropriated (which isn't that much) would not fix ANY issues with welfare, education, or healthcare.

Squall28 posted...

Seriously, it's like if there's a car for $1M and you keep searching for ways to raise $1M instead of asking why the hell that car is $1M.

That's the state of our social services budget.

I agree completely, and think it's the same thing for healthcare and education. Like why the fuck does a 10 min doctor's visit cost anyone $100+. Making the government pay for it is just going to offset that cost somewhere else as that shit continues to balloon.

Going to a single payer system is going to give more bargaining power to the buyer. When the seller says, "Here's a $100 bill that you need to pay, or you'll die," one patient (or one insurance co) doesn't have much pull, but 1 million payers can say, "No, fuck that."
We live in an extremely inefficient healthcare system and need to move forwards to make OVERALL costs the priority. Preventative healthcare costs less than post-emergency healthcare, but isn't realistic for millions of Americans. That needs to be fixed.
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Slash the military budget by 10% and we have enough money tbh

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I don't think she is wrong here, that the US could definitely afford Medicare for All and even other social services, but she whines and complains way too much. The way she makes this about morality at the end (basically you are evil if you don't agree with me/are a Republican), it's obvious why she is so polarizing.
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ChocoboMog123 posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

tennisdude818 posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

The problem is people who don't deserve SSI and food stamps are getting them. With so many people getting them those budgets are getting cut which hurt the people who actually need those services.

The problem is that actually helping people is far more complicated than indiscriminately throwing money at them, which is why the government sucks at helping the poor.

It does help the very needy. These programs are needed. The problem is I see folks with nice cars using food stamps at the grocery store. The programs need reform.

eyeroll.gif

First of all, you seriously have no idea what it takes to get onto food stamps.
Second, cutting every single dollar that is misappropriated (which isn't that much) would not fix ANY issues with welfare, education, or healthcare.

I know people on food stamps. I also know people with family members who work within the system to get them food stamps (who obviously don't need food stamps based on their lifestyle). Very naive of you to think every person who gets food stamps is legitimate.

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DarkProto05 posted...

ChocoboMog123 posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

tennisdude818 posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

The problem is people who don't deserve SSI and food stamps are getting them. With so many people getting them those budgets are getting cut which hurt the people who actually need those services.

The problem is that actually helping people is far more complicated than indiscriminately throwing money at them, which is why the government sucks at helping the poor.

It does help the very needy. These programs are needed. The problem is I see folks with nice cars using food stamps at the grocery store. The programs need reform.

eyeroll.gif

First of all, you seriously have no idea what it takes to get onto food stamps.
Second, cutting every single dollar that is misappropriated (which isn't that much) would not fix ANY issues with welfare, education, or healthcare.

I know people on food stamps. I also know people with family members who work within the system to get them food stamps (who obviously don't need food stamps based on their lifestyle). Very naive of you to think every person who gets food stamps is legitimate.

It's strange that you cut out the part where he addresses misappropriation.
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No it's right there in the quote.
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DarkProto05 posted...

No it's right there in the quote.

Oops.
You still ignored it..
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No need to address it since we won't agree on whether it makes a big difference. I believe the scumbags who abuse welfare are taking something away from people who really need it. This is why Trump is making cuts to welfare. It affects my family and makes me angry. I know quite a bit about welfare than that user thinks.
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SauI_Goodman posted...

when was the last time we were at war

Just from Obama's administration,

Libya
Yemen
Syria

Are we out of Syria and Yemen yet?
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Damn_Underscore posted...

I don't think she is wrong here, that the US could definitely afford Medicare for All and even other social services, but she whines and complains way too much. The way she makes this about morality at the end (basically you are evil if you don't agree with me/are a Republican), it's obvious why she is so polarizing.

I get what youre saying but at the same time people who seek to progress human suffering really dont deserve a soft hand.
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Because war funds the people who prop up politicians
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DarkProto05 posted...

No need to address it since we won't agree on whether it makes a big difference. I believe the scumbags who abuse welfare are taking something away from people who really need it. This is why Trump is making cuts to welfare. It affects my family and makes me angry. I know quite a bit about welfare than that user thinks.

What about Trump using loopholes to save money? Why is it savvy when he games they system, but not when lower class do?
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DarkProto05 posted...

I know people on food stamps. I also know people with family members who work within the system to get them food stamps (who obviously don't need food stamps based on their lifestyle). Very naive of you to think every person who gets food stamps is legitimate.

Oh the same anecdotal bullshit or most likely lies that CEman spew with nothing backing it up.

FrankGoreHOF posted...

Because war funds the people who prop up politicians

yop
BaiusGaltar posted...

DarkProto05 posted...

No need to address it since we won't agree on whether it makes a big difference. I believe the scumbags who abuse welfare are taking something away from people who really need it. This is why Trump is making cuts to welfare. It affects my family and makes me angry. I know quite a bit about welfare than that user thinks.

What about Trump using loopholes to save money? Why is it savvy when he games they system, but not when lower class do?

yop
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DarkProto05 posted...

She's right. This nation is willing to spend countless dollars protecting the rich from foreign threats by buffing our military. But helping everyone else is a stigmatized no no.

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So long as Russia and China are #2 and #3 the U.S. will probably never significantly lower military spending.

Were long overdue for a spanking and the military is the only thing that keeps us on top. Especially if shit hits the fan on a global scale.

It's spooky how much of an empty vessel Chris Cuomo is. Guy just repeats the same 3-4 over-rehearsed lines with the eyes of a dead fish in every interview.
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gamer167 posted...

So long as Russia and China are #2 and #3 the U.S. will probably never significantly lower military spending.

Were long overdue for a spanking and the military is the only thing that keeps us on top. Especially if shit hits the fan on a global scale.

We're not spending enough to stop a MAD scenario and we're spending too much for anything beatable.

The fact that theyre spending $66,000,000,000 on Medicare while I cant apply for coverage is a joke.
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Deadpool_18 posted...

The fact that theyre spending $66,000,000,000 on Medicare while I cant apply for coverage is a joke.

You're a retiree?

ButteryMales posted...

Social Security isn't a social service. You have to earn SS.

Not if you live off a crazy check
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yemmy posted...

ButteryMales posted...

Social Security isn't a social service. You have to earn SS.

Not if you live off a crazy check

https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go

Here SSI is listed as part of safety net programs and not as part of Social Security.

Maybe Roasts chart is thowing SSI in there but it really shouldn't. It's not the same thing because the social security income tax is dedicated to paying for social security and isn't used to pay for SSI.

https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes)

Evening_Dragon posted...

WOE IS US WE CAN'T SPEND ANOTHER 30 BILLION ON SYSTEMS THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T USE

Republicans are so full of shit.

Here's the non-BS version of that pie chart...
https://media.nationalpriorities.org/uploads/total_spending_pie%2C__2015_enacted.png

(Defense spending is in yellow this time)

CADE FOSTER posted...

Slash the military budget by 10% and we have enough money tbh

Congrats, you raised the social services budget by 4%.

Everything is now paid for.

Hell, cutting the military budget in half would only increase social services by 20%.

When social services are already 50+% of the federal budget, you start running out of scapegoats.

Showing the discretionary spending budget and pretending it's the federal budget is a good way to get a few votes, though.
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gamer167 posted...

So long as Russia and China are #2 and #3 the U.S. will probably never significantly lower military spending.

Were long overdue for a spanking and the military is the only thing that keeps us on top. Especially if shit hits the fan on a global scale.

Not really

This isn't 1940

a big military doesn't mean much anymore
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iPhone_7 posted...

Even when it came to paying for the 9/11 first responders fund the Republicans were pulling that where is the money was gonna come from crap and asking why they should get anything more than first responders to natural disasters.

One guy is apparently "the republicans"
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DarkRoast posted...

Gotta hand it to AOC, she's really good at misrepresenting information in a way that sounds better (or worse) than it really is.

"WHY DON'T WE SPEND MORE ON SOCIAL SERVICES AND LESS ON DEFENSE?"

-shows irrelevant discretionary spending graph instead of federal budget graph-

The federal budget clearly shows that we spend way, way too much money on social services for very little results.



The solution to this problem isn't more money. The real question we should be asking is how we're spending half our budget on social services and somehow have everyone convinced it's underfunded.

We spend more federal dollars per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world, despite not having UHC. The solution isn't more money. The solution is actually looking at what we're actually buying.

Disrespector posted...

and the usual suspects are suspiciously silent lmao

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social services in this country are stifled with needless bureaucracy, strict and often punitive red tape and restrictions, and parasitic contracting to for-profit management entities

the quality of care you receive, as well as the requirements, vary wildly depending on the state

it's a fucking mess by design, sabotaged under the guise of states' rights and personal responsibility (aka bootstraps)

Medicare and social security aren't redistributed from the rich to the poor. They're financed by broad based payroll taxes and given back to you more or less in proportion to what you've paid in. They are about allowing old people not to die in miserable poverty or work themselves to dearth, not about addressing poverty more broadly.

So what are we doing to 'throw money' at the problem of poverty? That 7% on medicaid that finances basically half of all births in this nation and is a major source of child health coverage along with CHIP, an even smaller budget item?

Y'all are crazy
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"We got money for war but can't feed the poor"
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For example, one reason we spend so much on health care is because were so stingy with other social services, like housing. That is why housing first models to address homelessness are cost effective - because managing health without a safe, clean shelter is hard. Who would have thunk. Someone show me the share of our budget spent on housing assistance
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Balrog0 posted...

For example, one reason we spend so much on health care is because were so stingy with other social services, like housing. That is why housing first models to address homelessness are cost effective - because managing health without a safe, clean shelter is hard. Who would have thunk. Someone show me the share of our budget spent on housing assistance

This some of that "ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure" stuff I keep hearing about?
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darkjedilink posted...

sktgamer_13dude posted...

darkjedilink posted...

We don't?

Then why did we pass a bunch of permanent corporate tax cuts? Especially when the lower tiers of cuts arent permanent, like the corporate cuts.

You know that 'tax cuts' aren't 'spending,' right?

We have a spending problem. If AOC wants to spend money on shit, she should take that money from something else - namely Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, all of which equate to 70% of Federal spending.

It wont happen, everyone will lose their s*** and never vote or support any politician willing to take away their benefits. Theyd be viewed as nothing sort of the devil trying to throw the poor under the bus.

With is why the military is used as a scapegoat instead.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_an_Economic_Hit_Man
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The fed spends double the military budget on social services, wtf is she smoking?
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voldothegr8 posted...

The fed spends double the military budget on social services, wtf is she smoking?

More than double, actually. At least 2.5x, or about 50% of the total budget.
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DarkRoast posted...

voldothegr8 posted...

The fed spends double the military budget on social services, wtf is she smoking?

More than double, actually. At least 2.5x, or about 50% of the total budget.

Depends on how you want to count it. Veterans benefits largely are paid for in other areas of the budget than defense, both in the discretionary and non-discretionary portions of the budget.
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DarkRoast posted...

voldothegr8 posted...

The fed spends double the military budget on social services, wtf is she smoking?

More than double, actually. At least 2.5x, or about 50% of the total budget.

You're missing the point, which is why do we question how to pay to help our citizens, yet we don't question how to pay for an increased military budget or tax cuts?

Just because we spend a large amount of our budget on social services doesn't mean we're not spending too much on defense. We spent over twice as much last year on military as the entire rest of the world combined. That's ridiculous.
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Kavatar posted...

You're missing the point, which is why do we question how to pay to help our citizens, yet we don't question how to pay for an increased military budget or tax cuts?

Just because we spend a large amount of our budget on social services doesn't mean we're not spending too much on defense. We spent over twice as much last year on military as the entire rest of the world combined. That's ridiculous.

besides, we DO in practice answer how we pay for the lion's share of the 'social services' we provide.

medicare and especially SS have their own trust fund which is largely financed by the same people who will later benefit from it. the trust fund actually subsidizes the rest of the budget because we purchase debt from ourselves with it, which is why you may remember the whole 'lock box' conversation in the early 2000s about how we should stop doing that kind of thing for various reasons
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