Fiscal issues... America's forgotten child...

November 19, 2007 5:51 AM

What do Robert Bixby, Stuart Butler, Douglas Elmendorf, and David Walker have in common other than the commonality of sharing no specific political leaning? Well, they are all experts in their fields and vastly concerned with the direction the US Economy is taking. They joined together nearly two years ago to start spreading the message that if the course does not change big problems lay ahead for the US Economy. With a federal deficit over 8 trillion dollars, the Senates approval in 06 to raise the Federal Debt Limit to 9 Trillion dollars and nothing that could be considered a "decrease" of spending since then, its clear America has some big issues on its plate. This "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour" as these men have dubbed their very serious lecture tour, has plans to ratchet up their efforts in the coming months. Their hope is that they will be able to help wedge in more economic and fiscal policy concerns into the general publics conscience as well as the upcoming election season. We all know this guy is listenging, but is anyone else?
posted by crewshell (17 comments total)

What was that about no specific political leaning? I couldn't hear you over the deafening shills at the end.
posted by DU at 5:57 AM on November 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

While I make no specific denials about my political views the "no specific political leaning" was directed squarely at the group of men I listed above. They vary from the left to the right and all share a very deep concern for our over spending.

Where is your concern placed?
posted by crewshell at 6:01 AM on November 19, 2007

My question is: Is this post about the budget and deficit or is the statement of the problem only so you can promote your favorite solution?
posted by DU at 6:03 AM on November 19, 2007

DU: That may or may not be crewshell's point, but I can say that as a person who thinks very little of Paul or modern American Libertarians in general, I found the post to have value.
posted by lodurr at 6:07 AM on November 19, 2007

The post is about the Budget, its also about a white house who ignores it, a guy who doesn't and wondering who else out there is taking notice... I asked specifically who else is taking notice of this issue and I would gladly read up and research anyone nominated as doing such.
posted by crewshell at 6:09 AM on November 19, 2007

Okay, so you don't like Ron Paul. Nor do I. Do you have anything meaningful to say about the point of the post?
posted by macmac at 6:17 AM on November 19, 2007

So it is a post about the budget that just happens to have four RP links.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:25 AM on November 19, 2007

Shill. Your own effing blog.
posted by ardgedee at 6:31 AM on November 19, 2007

Yup, thats MY BLOG with a direct message and my own opinion.

This the METAFILTERS BLOG with information for people to make their OWN opinion.

Got a problem with it?
posted by crewshell at 6:36 AM on November 19, 2007

Get your own blog. You can't have my blog!
posted by I Got My Own Blog at 6:42 AM on November 19, 2007

To be fair, it looks like it was posted here first.
posted by jedicus at 6:43 AM on November 19, 2007

What tickles me is the lengths to which people need to believe that there can be a hero, a single force of justice and rightness, that can somehow charge into the presidential race and make everything right again(tm).

So somehow they find Ron Paul, and hey, he's against the war! And hey, he's against big government! And hey, he's for less taxes!

And hey, he's practically a right wing extremist! Enjoys talk of secession now and then! Thinks multiculturalism is actually racism!

It's like they get so excited about their great white hope, they will blindly shout his praises and sing his virtues while essentially ignoring his rather, pardon my french, WAY THE FRACK OUT THERE, conservative leanings that he would also bring to the table.

Do I have to campaign against him? No! He has no god damned chance of winning, no matter how many bloggers like him. I just marvel at the intellectual dichotomy that must occur in y'alls minds when you prop this man up like a saint.
posted by cavalier at 6:48 AM on November 19, 2007

crewshell, although this is your first MeFi post, you've been a member since 2005, so you should have some idea of how things work around here. DU is trying to point out that your post would be perfectly fine - quite excellent, in fact - without the last line. But that last line gives the impression that your post is essentially a shill for Ron Paul, rather than a set of interesting links about an important issue. And personal opinions about presidential candidates are generally discouraged in FPPs.

Also, responding to every single comment in your own thread is usually considered bad form, too.
posted by googly at 6:50 AM on November 19, 2007

What tickles me is that instead of responding directly to the Economic conerns in this post you jump on a bandwagon of dismissal.

Could you all get back to the point of this post... the economic outlook for America and what America needs to do about it?
posted by crewshell at 6:52 AM on November 19, 2007

But that's not your point, dear. It's another ad for Ron Paul. Your last one was too obvious, so you tried to frame this post as about the fiscal "Crisis".... and then sold the line at the end with a big Ron Paul pitch. It didn't work, it was too obvious.
posted by cavalier at 6:54 AM on November 19, 2007

Could you all get back to the point of this post... the economic outlook for America and what America needs to do about it?

So then you agree that the last line is a distraction and irrelevant and would have no problem removing it?
posted by DU at 6:55 AM on November 19, 2007

so you should have some idea of how things work around here

I think it is clear that he does. It is very carefully camouflaged political ad.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:56 AM on November 19, 2007