Government Policy and Budget Discussion Thread (no politics)

[Mdot21]

At some point, if money floods the market, you'd expect to see inflation, too many dollars competing with limited goods.

I also marvel at the ability of the Fed to buy up T bonds.

Globalization + extreme concentration of wealth + Central banks around the world gaming the system leaves us in a weird world where inflation is like non-existent. You can't tell? Central banks around the world injected 14 TRILLION dollars worth of yuan, euro, usd, etc., last go around a decade ago and yet inflation was almost non-existent.

[Cincydawg]

If the injection is quickly paralleled with production of goods, it should be OK.  IF.

I don't truly understand macroeconomics.  Or micro.  Or midi.

[Mdot21]

Well, I did eat at Shake Shack once...

Shake Shack, LA Lakers, and Harvard all gave the millions of dollars they took back, but only after it became public knowledge they received any money and they all rightfully got roasted in the court of public opinion.

Problem is the loans are issued by who: the banks. The government gave banks access to a pile of money and said here you go make loans. Didn't give them very many guidelines. And of course banks are going to take care of their biggest, most important customers. Those small businesses like the LA Lakers and Harvard. Banks gonna bank.

Harvard by the way has a $42 Billion endowment fund. That's billion with a b.

[bayareabadger]

I think it pretty much is, in theory, but there a lot of judges out there who set ridiculously low bails for very dangerous people. One of their gang buddies comes, throws down $100, and the gang bangers are bang bangin' the next day.

I mean, as long as the number ties in to money, it'll get sent through the prism of wealth. What is a stern sum for some is a highly unreasonable one for others. 

It is a fascinating interplay of rights. After all, our "gang bangers" are innocent in the eyes of the law, but only stand accused. Yet we are quick to ask the government to decide it is time to abridge their rights. 

[bayareabadger]

A cop buddy of mine--a very good friend--has this to say: "of course they are guilty. Why else would they have been arrested?"

When i hear such a thing, it only seems to erode faith in his profession. A damn shame it is. 

[bayareabadger]

Won't get specific into politics, but is anybody else worried about someone with dementia winning the presidency?

A) how is a party even allowed to run someone that might have dementia.
B) how easily will this person be too heavily influenced or be over-ruled by the many advisors a President has.

How come you need to take tests to drive a car, become a lawyer or doctor- but to become leader of the free world- nada. You're good bro.

I really think there needs to be rounds of testing done on all politicians, not only presidents. They should have to take IQ tests, competency tests, and go through mental & physical evaluations- and this stuff needs to be made public knowledge. Just my two cents.

Party can run anyone who gets the votes. 

And I think I'm in a stage of post worry. I have thoughts. Lots of people didn't agree with me. Democracy happened. Is what it is. If the people by and large prefer a person with dementia, then who are the political power brokers to extend their power to prevent it. 

[Mdot21]

If the injection is quickly paralleled with production of goods, it should be OK.  IF.

I don't truly understand macroeconomics.  Or micro.  Or midi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i0eQzMRrrc

[bayareabadger]

Ok this isn’t political at all- more a critique of the useless, useful idiot,  hypocrites in mass mainstream media...

Disgusting to me to see they way they treated the sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh vs how they are treating this one against Joe Biden.

They go from one extreme “BELIEVE ALL WOMAN ALWAYS....HE’S A RAPIST” to “There’s no evidence of this! Joe Biden is a great guy!”.

It honestly scares me. The power these morons have to shape opinion and influence people’s minds. It’s scary.

Were the media as influential as many folks think it is and as slanted as many think it is, the world would not look the way it does.

Shoot, if the media were so influential, you'd assume the first order of business would be to influence people to stop treating them with such distain. Weirdly, all that mind-shaping skill can't even do that. 

[Mdot21]

Were the media as influential as many folks think it is and as slanted as many think it is, the world would not look the way it does.

Shoot, if the media were so influential, you'd assume the first order of business would be to influence people to stop treating them with such distain. Weirdly, all that mind-shaping skill can't even do that.

It has a lot more influence than you think. I see it all the time in real life. A lot of people don't have the time or care to look into what they see someone say on the tv. They just believe it and regurgitate it.

And media is incredibly slanted. They pick a side and shill for that side no matter what. Saw it first hand with how they covered W. vs. Obama. Fox: W did nothing wrong. He's the best! MSNBC/CNN: W is an idiot and a criminal! Fox: Obama is a muslim from Kenya! MSNBC/CNN: Obama is the best president everrrr! Failing to mention he was basically the same as W. In some instances worse.

These assholes in the media just pick their sides and shill. Democrats seem to have more outlets, Republicans seem to have louder more over the top opinionated outlets.

And the world unfortunately looks the way it does, in large part because of media. We're more divided than ever before and you have the PC police, the "woke" social justice warriors, the fake outrage, cancel culture out there trying to cancel people and censor speech. And it's the media that gives these jackasses a voice and echo chamber.

I've never seen anything like it in my entire life. We are at the worst it has ever been. I blame the media and social media for this shit. And bad parenting.

[FearlessF]

Some folks think ESPN has too much influence over sports

I'm in the camp that think ESPN has some influence but not nearly as much as some believe and not nearly as much as ESPN would like.

same with CNN 

[FearlessF]

When i hear such a thing, it only seems to erode faith in his profession. A damn shame it is.

perhaps that Cop buddy is one of the "good" cops and has never arrested someone that wasn't guilty?

[bayareabadger]

perhaps that Cop buddy is one of the "good" cops and has never arrested someone that wasn't guilty?

Even if this cop was such a person, he still lives in the larger world. He still knows "bad" cops exist somewhere. 

Let's put it this way, you're talking about a government employee with the most ability to violate the rights/body of others and some pretty high insulation from consequences. And this employee believes in the infallibility of himself and those like him. 

That strikes me as a mighty fine recipe for some large blindspots. 

[bayareabadger]

It has a lot more influence than you think. I see it all the time in real life. A lot of people don't have the time or care to look into what they see someone say on the tv. They just believe it and regurgitate it.

And media is incredibly slanted. They pick a side and shill for that side no matter what. Saw it first hand with how they covered W. vs. Obama. Fox: W did nothing wrong. He's the best! MSNBC/CNN: W is an idiot and a criminal! Fox: Obama is a muslim from Kenya! MSNBC/CNN: Obama is the best president everrrr! Failing to mention he was basically the same as W. In some instances worse.

These assholes in the media just pick their sides and shill. Democrats seem to have more outlets, Republicans seem to have louder more over the top opinionated outlets.

And the world unfortunately looks the way it does, in large part because of media. We're more divided than ever before and you have the PC police, the "woke" social justice warriors, the fake outrage, cancel culture out there trying to cancel people and censor speech. And it's the media that gives these jackasses a voice and echo chamber.

I've never seen anything like it in my entire life. We are at the worst it has ever been. I blame the media and social media for this shit. And bad parenting.

So in the first post, they were a chorus in harmony, but now they're actually a cacophony of different views? Interesting. 

Anyway, I think there's a degree of marketization of it all. Lots of people like being loud and opinionated and like consuming things that make them mad or buttress them. People presented with just the facts oft chose the other path, and thus the noise and opinion becomes more dominant. 

Shoot, your own tone on this board is oft tipped toward the extreme. Is this because of media and social media and parenting? Or because people seem to like to bask in the extreme, and politics, a world already fraught with that, was ripe for such extremity?

[FearlessF]

Even if this cop was such a person, he still lives in the larger world. He still knows "bad" cops exist somewhere.

Let's put it this way, you're talking about a government employee with the most ability to violate the rights/body of others and some pretty high insulation from consequences. And this employee believes in the infallibility of himself and those like him.

That strikes me as a mighty fine recipe for some large blindspots.

don't get me started

just wear the derned body camera and be accountable