Why do americans hate government spending?

[Dovahkiin]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

You don't understand anything about how or why government spends money. Much of it is waste, fraud, abuse of power by deal making, spending against people's interests, funding social wet dreams over infrastructure, military and police (which are the primary reasons government exists) and on and on.

It's a bizarre question, how can one live long enough to learn how to type on a computer, register on a forum and ask a question so out of touch with reality?

I understand why a government spends money. For the public purpose. Ok.. all government spending ends up as income for someone in the private/foreign sector, even if it's considered "wasteful." Assume the government deficit spends 1 billion on building a test site in the middle of the desert. Some would call this wasteful. Ok, so people are employed to build this and paid the dollars, and the businesses that provide the real resources are also paid dollars, which they use to pay their employees. This all boosts demand. Now, should this happen? No, of course not, but in an economy with depressed demand, plenty of real resources, and unemployed people, what's the real harm? And the "wasteful spending" is only a small amount of overall government spending.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Why do Americans hate government spending?

They do not.

They are merely reluctant for their government to spend any more money than is necessary.

Why?

Because they have to pay for it.

Next question, please.

Because they have to pay for it.

A government that spends past tax receipts, and that is also a currency issuer, doesn't need taxes to fund spending.

 

[Dovahkiin]

I favor lower taxes. When the economy is experiencing depressed demand, the government needs to spend to help the private sector deleverage/have more dollars to spend.

Funniest thing I read all day!!

Were you in a coma next to Rip Van Winkle this past decade? Japan, China the EU and the USA ran up $4 in debt for every dollar in GDP. It was the biggest spending orgy in history.

How much of that spending ended up in the hands of americans?

Wait. You were asking without knowing the answer? Are you Paul Krugman?

The GDP in 09 was about $14T and today you let's call it $18T, thats a $4T increase.

We added $9T in US debt PLUS the Fed added $4T to there balance sheet so we took out 13T in debt to fund 4T in GDP.

Is that your version of a good deal

Yes. The debt is no real burden.

Then why are we paying billions of dollars in interest on "no real burden?"

Keystrokes. Debit one account when the time comes to pay interest, and credit another account. It's a political choice to cut other spending ventures. No real resources are wasted.

 

[whitehall]

It's their money? They have to balance a budget so why doesn't the government? A lot of government spending is deemed frivolous and unnecessary or even contrary to Constitutional law? Projects funded by taxpayer money remain unchanged or get worse with time? Once a social expenditure is in place it is never removed no matter what the circumstance. Foreign aid is often nothing but an extortion racket paid by a weak administration. ....Enough reasons?

 

[Fishlore]

Look at it historically. The issue first came up in the early days of the 19th century when there was growing political pressure for the federal government to fund "internal improvements" roads, canals, bridges, river ports etc. which would increase the economic viability of the rapidly expanding economy west of the Appalachians. The taxes were, naturally, resisted by the eastern establishment, who felt they were getting stuck with a bill that would pay for their competition. They were wrong, of course, the expansion of farms, businesses and towns in areas like the Ohio Valley boosted economic growth that made everyone richer.

Fast forward two hundred years and the same opposing forces appear, although in different geographic and economic form. But the principle is the same. "I've got mine!" feels a lot safer than "a rising tide raises all boats." The thing conservatives what to conserve above all is the status quo.

 

[Stephanie]

For starters it wasn't their money to spend. they take from the people trying to support their families who works their fingers to the bone. so why shouldn't we be concerned what they spend it on? We are still a Government for the people BY the people. well not according these this Progressive party with the likes of Obama and Hillary.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Nobody "hates" spending, that's like saying we hate government.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out. Saying we hate government or hate spending is the liberal narrative that basically says it's all or nothing. If you're not all in on everything at any level, then you hate everything at any level.

It isn't the most intelligent response.

 

[guno]

For starters it wasn't their money to spend. they take from us people and their families who works their fingers to the bone. so why shouldn't we be concerned what they spend it on? We are still a Government for the people BY the people

And just where do you think all that gob'ment cheese, SSI and medicaid comes from?

 

[Dovahkiin]

It's their money? They have to balance a budget so why doesn't the government? A lot of government spending is deemed frivolous and unnecessary or even contrary to Constitutional law? Projects funded by taxpayer money remain unchanged or get worse with time? Once a social expenditure is in place it is never removed no matter what the circumstance. Foreign aid is often nothing but an extortion racket paid by a weak administration. ....Enough reasons?

It's their money?

The government is the currency issuer, and has to spend before it can tax, so I'd say so.

They have to balance a budget so why doesn't the government?

This is where americans need to stop being so dumb. The government is not a household. Think of it this way. Have you ever played monopoly? Well, the players aren't going to be able to start playing the game unless the MONEY ISSUER decides to give each player a certain amount of monopoly money. If that money issuer decided to balance his budget, which in turn means never spending more then tax revenue for a government, how would the players get any monopoly money? They wouldn't. Now, in the real world, the players would be able to turn to banks, endogenous money, bank loans which create deposits, but even then, the private sector can't live off of bank loans. Why? Because everyone would be swamped in debt. Banks also have to have assets, and loans come with a liability. Exogenous money (Government spending past tax receipts) is essential. It's really not complicated.

 

[Dovahkiin]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Nobody "hates" spending, that's like saying we hate government.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out. Saying we hate government or hate spending is the liberal narrative that basically says it's all or nothing. If you're not all in on everything at any level, then you hate everything at any level.

It isn't the most intelligent response.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out.

Explain what's irresponsible. The only real issue is we're not spending enough.

 

[Iceweasel]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

You don't understand anything about how or why government spends money. Much of it is waste, fraud, abuse of power by deal making, spending against people's interests, funding social wet dreams over infrastructure, military and police (which are the primary reasons government exists) and on and on.

It's a bizarre question, how can one live long enough to learn how to type on a computer, register on a forum and ask a question so out of touch with reality?

I understand why a government spends money. For the public purpose. Ok.. all government spending ends up as income for someone in the private/foreign sector, even if it's considered "wasteful." Assume the government deficit spends 1 billion on building a test site in the middle of the desert. Some would call this wasteful. Ok, so people are employed to build this and paid the dollars, and the businesses that provide the real resources are also paid dollars, which they use to pay their employees. This all boosts demand. Now, should this happen? No, of course not, but in an economy with depressed demand, plenty of real resources, and unemployed people, what's the real harm? And the "wasteful spending" is only a small amount of overall government spending.

Wasteful spending is a huge part of government spending and no, it doesn't all benefit the private sector.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Nobody "hates" spending, that's like saying we hate government.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out. Saying we hate government or hate spending is the liberal narrative that basically says it's all or nothing. If you're not all in on everything at any level, then you hate everything at any level.

It isn't the most intelligent response.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out.

Explain what's irresponsible. The only real issue is we're not spending enough.

If you have to ask, you'll never know.

 

[Dovahkiin]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

You don't understand anything about how or why government spends money. Much of it is waste, fraud, abuse of power by deal making, spending against people's interests, funding social wet dreams over infrastructure, military and police (which are the primary reasons government exists) and on and on.

It's a bizarre question, how can one live long enough to learn how to type on a computer, register on a forum and ask a question so out of touch with reality?

I understand why a government spends money. For the public purpose. Ok.. all government spending ends up as income for someone in the private/foreign sector, even if it's considered "wasteful." Assume the government deficit spends 1 billion on building a test site in the middle of the desert. Some would call this wasteful. Ok, so people are employed to build this and paid the dollars, and the businesses that provide the real resources are also paid dollars, which they use to pay their employees. This all boosts demand. Now, should this happen? No, of course not, but in an economy with depressed demand, plenty of real resources, and unemployed people, what's the real harm? And the "wasteful spending" is only a small amount of overall government spending.

Wasteful spending is a huge part of government spending and no, it doesn't all benefit the private sector.

When there's plenty of real resources, and when businesses are just waiting for people to start producing sales, what is the harm?

 

[Dovahkiin]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Nobody "hates" spending, that's like saying we hate government.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out. Saying we hate government or hate spending is the liberal narrative that basically says it's all or nothing. If you're not all in on everything at any level, then you hate everything at any level.

It isn't the most intelligent response.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out.

Explain what's irresponsible. The only real issue is we're not spending enough.

If you have to ask, you'll never know.

This is the stupid shit I get tired of. You don't even know why you believe it's "irresponsible."

 

[boedicca]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies...and then they use the regulatory bureaucracy to force us to accept a social agenda that violates our values.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Let me see, you right wing idiots must hate driving on paved high ways, bridges, public schools and any and all air, water or food standards. Honestly, most government spending is good and beneficial.


Corporate America doesn't give a flying fuck about any of these things. In fact, they have sold this country out as they're the ones outsourcing!!!! America needs government spendin and regulations.

 

[Dovahkiin]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies...and then they use the regulatory bureaucracy to force us to accept a social agenda that violates our values.

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies.

Government deficit spending add new financial assets to the private sector.

 

[boedicca]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies...and then they use the regulatory bureaucracy to force us to accept a social agenda that violates our values.

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies.

Government deficit spending add new financial assets to the private sector.

Not really. On a net worth basis, the debt more than cancels out the assets.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Nobody "hates" spending, that's like saying we hate government.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out. Saying we hate government or hate spending is the liberal narrative that basically says it's all or nothing. If you're not all in on everything at any level, then you hate everything at any level.

It isn't the most intelligent response.

We just don't like the irresponsible manner in which either are carried out.

Explain what's irresponsible. The only real issue is we're not spending enough.

If you have to ask, you'll never know.

This is the stupid shit I get tired of. You don't even know why you believe it's "irresponsible."

Sure I do.... but if you think we're not spending enough, you'll never get it. Why should I, or anyone for that matter, waste our time? You think we got to $20,000,000,000,000 in debt and $120,000,000,000,000 in unfunded liabilities by under-spending?

You're either being silly or are really not that bright. That's like having $20,000 in credit card debt and saying "i just haven't borrowed enough".

 

[Dovahkiin]

I seriously want to understand this. Any ideas?

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies...and then they use the regulatory bureaucracy to force us to accept a social agenda that violates our values.

Because most government spending is used to transfer money from those who earned it to government cronies.

Government deficit spending add new financial assets to the private sector.

Not really. On a net worth basis, the debt more than cancels out the assets.

Government bonds are a liability for the government, A CURRENCY ISSUER, and an asset for the holder, usually someone in the private sector. My post is correct.