In an economic downturn, cutting social safety net spending

[mmonk]

is crazy on its face. What is a social safety net for exactly? That is why this whole manufactured debt ceiling crisis thing is not only bad economics but a particularly cruel political game as well.

[Skink]

1. Not if you live in a Banana republic.

[StarsInHerHair]

2. it is Hooverism & you have Hoovervilles popping up all over the 1st world

nations, currently cutting themselves down to 3rd world nations; the good of the many is sacrificed for the good of the few.

[EFerrari]

3. Yes, let's take a little MORE money out of the economy, it's too strong!

[johnd83]

4. Starve the beast...

This is the best time to enact the endgame for "starve the beast". Actually it may be their only opportunity for an endgame.

[dkf]

5. If S&P downgrades us we will all pay higher interest rates.

That may hit those who are depending on credit cards hard too.

[mmonk]

8. What does that have to do with my op?

Just curious. Are you linking the two?

[PATRICK]

6. Tell me about it

The Post Office spends three decades restructuring for the future at the expense of workers and service and then folds like a handful of junk when the crisis hits. Our entire society has been urged to fail. In good times the benefits are wasted and given mostly to the top. In bad times what could have been improved is forced to ruin to complete the dominance of insanity and greed.

[JDPriestly]

7. That is why I protested so much.

It's a sort of economic racism.

You are poor, therefore, you deserve nothing.

I believe all people are created equal and deserve respect and our compassion and help.

Our first obligation is to make sure that the people in our families, communities and country are OK. And then we can take care of people further away from us.

Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are life lines for so many people.

And the money is fairly distributed. That is especially true with Social Security. The average recipient gets under $1200 per month.

You only receive Social Security benefits if you or a parent or spouse paid into the system (as opposed to welfare, SSI, food stamps, etc.).

Some receive Social Security who really don't "need" the money, but they pay taxes on any earnings over I think it is 1/2 of the Social Security.
People do not get rich on Social Security. And the fact that the program exists encourages people to work, not to avoid work.

The Social Security and Medicare programs also encourage working people to make sure they are paying other federal taxes. It's just a great program all the way around.

[woo me with science]

9. K&R

[ThomWV]

10. this is not an Economic Turn down, this is quickly becoming a Depression.

[mmonk]

11. We do have safeguards for people in place. That is why considering removing

the few left is folly.