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What socialists do when the government reaches its credit limit: a multiple choice quiz

a. cut spending by downsizing existing programs
b. begin paying down the service on the debt
c. take back more of their money from the unfunded pensions they pretended belonged to individuals, but which in point of fact they assert really belongs “to the people” (whose aggregate interests are represented by the government).
d. toga party

(key: c. take back more of their money from the unfunded pensions they pretended belonged to individuals, but which in point of fact they assert really belongs “to the people” (whose aggregate interests are represented by the government).)

h/t newrouter

26 Replies to “What socialists do when the government reaches its credit limit: a multiple choice quiz”

  1. Mikey NTH says:

    (d) is part of the answer. What, you thought government officials would be well-behaved?

  2. Joe says:

    Our 401k and IRAs are next.

  3. cranky-d says:

    Joe beat me to it. I was about to write that, but refreshed first.

  4. LTC John says:

    e) blame Republicans?

  5. dicentra says:

    OT: Twitpic of the year: an airplane passenger catches the shuttle as it breaks through the clouds.

  6. Slartibartfast says:

    f) Say “as far as I’m concerned, it’s fixed”, and do nothing.

  7. geoffb says:

    First [C]. Then [D] as there will then be plenty of funding for the festivities.

  8. Slartibartfast says:

    Twitpic of the year

    That was just about the only way you were going to see the Shuttle at that altitude; pretty solid cloud-cover today.

  9. dicentra says:

    Is Ace being sarcastic? I can’t tell. Because I had heard in several places that the pension funds and other stuff would be next. OTOH, Ace is often way behind on some things, such as the meaning of “shibboleth” and about half the videos he posts.

    America Hits Debt Ceiling; Treasury Raids Federal Pensions Funds
    —Ace

    Hoh boy. We should have seen this coming. I didn’t. I didn’t read anyone predicting it.

    The best solution, for conservatives and America, is to just spend less, of course.

    But Democrats will never, ever do that.

    So the first thing they do is raid the pension funds, because that’s not current spending, and they figure that will be replaced.

    Should have seen it coming. It’s so liberal. Just keep borrowing and spending and taking money from one federal account to spend it for other purposes.

  10. SDN says:

    Our 401k and IRAs are next.

    At which point, it will be time for that “Million Rifle March” on DC.

  11. Bob Reed says:

    Try for [a] first, then [d] if successful.

    Awesome photo link di!

  12. Bob Reed says:

    At which point, it will be time for that “Million Rifle March” on DC.

    Don’t forget your crankycudgels™ and squid brand™ pitchforks!

    PW INCITING VIOLENCE AGAIN!

  13. Squid says:

    I was just on the National Mall on Saturday, trying to get the Lovely Bride to help me identify the best places to set up stalls.

    She wasn’t much help, though. Too distracted by something called “American History.” Whatevs.

  14. bh says:

    From that link, I found this:

    Now, administration officials have expressed interest in raising the amount that employees contribute to their pensions — though probably not as high as the GOP proposal, definitely not as fast and possibly not for all workers, according to people in both parties familiar with the discussions.

    If adopted as part of a compromise plan to control federal borrowing, the proposal promises to test the resolve of local lawmakers — particularly Democrats — by forcing them to choose between the lofty goal of debt reduction and the interests of public-sector workers, who have come under fire from Republicans in Washington and several state capitals.

    That’s just delicious. There are 837 comments in that thread.

  15. bh says:

    And this:

    Still, the pension proposal is hardly partisan. Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank, promoted it in a September brief, arguing that federal workers “enjoy one of the most generous retirement plans in the country.”

    Created in 1986, the system features a thrift savings program similar to a 401(k) retirement account and a traditional, defined-benefit pension, which is fast disappearing at private companies. The system provides benefits that are slightly “more generous than what most other middle-class families receive in retirement,” the brief says, but federal employees contribute strikingly little. Just $1 of every $15 paid into the pension plan, known as the Federal Employment Retirement System or FERS, comes from workers’ paychecks.

    Overall, Third Way calculates that federal taxpayers are far more generous to their employees than private-sector companies, contributing 12.7 percent of payroll to retirement accounts vs. 5.3 percent in the private sector.

    “Everyone should have a decent retirement system, but the match there is out of line,” said Jim Kessler, a Third Way co-founder who said he has been interested in the issue since his days as an aide to Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).

    “A tiny amount was taken out of my paycheck. And when I left, I kept wondering how the amount I put in could” generate such handsome benefits, he said.

    House Republicans picked up Third Way’s proposal to require workers to contribute 6 percent of salary to FERS, equalizing payments with the federal government. Because workers currently contribute 0.8 percent, the change would amount to more than a 5 percent pay cut.

    Oh my.

  16. Spiny Norman says:

    TO-GA! TO-GA! TO-GA!

    /treasury dept

  17. mojo says:

    DO THE ALLIGATOR!!

  18. mojo says:

    Waiting for the line, Part I:

    “Oh yeah? Well then, I guess I’ll just have to take it OUT OF YOUR ASS!”

  19. Sarah Rolph says:

    Definitely d). We fucked up. We trusted them.

  20. Spiny Norman says:

    Hey! They can’t do that to our members’ pensions! Only WE can do that to our members’ pensions!

    /union leaders

  21. zino3 says:

    “House Republicans picked up Third Way’s proposal to require workers to contribute 6 percent of salary to FERS, equalizing payments with the federal government. Because workers currently contribute 0.8 percent, the change would amount to more than a 5 percent pay cut.”

    To whatever idiot believes this. Are you feeling bad for the poor, stressed “Government workers”? At least they have a fucking job and some “pay” to cut five per cent. Not true for at least twenty percent of wanting to work Americans, who can’t contriute ANYTHING to their pensions, because they want to work in the private sector, and DON’T HAVE AND CAN’T FIND A FUCKING JOB! And those illegals? They only do jobs Americans don’t want? Then who the fuck drove my wages down by $50/Hr? Why am i working at Home Depot part time for ten stupid God damned dollars an hour? Why does it cost me more than a days wages to pay for my Obama Gas just to get to work.? (That’s like “Obama Cash” right?)

    and as far as “some money” goes?

    “SOME?”

    Excuse me. They make a lot of dough. I don’t hate anyone who works for the governmennt, because I have many friends who do. What I hate are the politicians and unions that make these people think they are lucky and deserve to be paid at the ruination of those who pay them.. The gravy train is headed off the track, and some pretty cool people are about to have a pretty cruel come-uppance. If America is out of cash and can’t pay their taxes, just who is going to pay these people? Let’s see. Twenty percent of nothing is – TA DA! – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

    Amazing, isn’t it?

    progg math, guys…

  22. newrouter says:

    herman cain the pjtv interview:

    “i want a moat with alligators” – cain

    link

  23. Danger says:

    Herman Cain; the Anti-Obama:

    “To be clear, I want to be out of Afghanistan and all war-torn countries as much as the next person. But I am not going to propose a half-baked plan based on half the information I would need to make the right decision, just to pretend I know everything.

    On the other hand, I do know enough about our solid relationship with Israel from decades of observations that I would make it even stronger, which isn’t just about dollars. And, I would not be hesitant to let the rest of the world know that we will stand by and with our friends.”

    link

    Read the rest people!!!

  24. newrouter says:

    “I do know enough about our solid relationship with Israel from decades of observations that I would make it even stronger, which isn’t just about dollars”

    beck’s jerusalem thing? stuff is going to happen.

  25. motionview says:

    They like this game. Let’s say that you are facing a $15B deficit on a $40B budget, and your teachers just had their Days of Rage to demand that taxes be increased and their salaries and benefits left completely untouched. And let’s say you decide to renege on your campaign pledge to not raise taxes without a statewide vote. And then let’s say that the tax people tell you that it looks like you will be bringing in about $6.6B more than you thought this year.
    a. Apply the $6.6B to the deficit, leaving just $8.4B to be cut from spending
    b. Immediately spend $3B, and then demand that taxes be raised without a statewide referendum to cover the remaining $11.4B in overspending.

    And please note the sub-head, State revenue has rocketed far beyond projections, providing a $6.6 billion windfall. Money falling from the sky, right into Obama’s Brown’s stash.

  26. Sinner says:

    You forgot “run the dam printing presses! Dam the inflation, full speed ahead!”

Comments are closed.