patrick.net

Obama: the only president that didn't grow the government:

Heraclitusstudent says

#1 direct democracy: All we need is Joe-6-pack making policy to reach a Nirvana of social harmony. That works great in CA!
#2 less taxes. But remember we want the same benefits!
#3 ... and we want to close the budget deficit. Just because #2 would be too easy otherwise.
#4 regional power: because it's well know that regions in France are always managed like clockwork.
#5 we want more buying power but less efficient food production.
#6 because we want to buy German products made in Germany. This will restore jobs in France. And remember we also want more buying power.
#7 withdrawals of public media subsidy: so private conglomerates can decide what news we watch.
#8 And no Europe. We are big enough to close the deficit and buy German crap without any help.

With respect to #1 and #4, Swiss have shown that it is feasible and works, even in their French part. #2 and #3 at the same time is lunacy of course, as is #5.

TwoScoopsOfSpaceForce says

Think you know the real France? Here are a few facts that may shock you:

• The French state has been bankrupt since 2004. A minister finally admitted it in 2013.
• French GDP hasn’t risen above 2% in 50 years. Yes - FIFTY. The average annual GDP growth rate between 1949-2018? 0.78%.
• In 2018, 14% of the population in France live below the poverty line (they earn less than 60% of the median income).
• Worse, more than 50% of French people have an annual income of less than €20,150 a year (about $1,900 US per month).
• The 'official' unemployment rate is 10% - about 3.5 million citizens (in reality, it's much higher).
• The youth unemployment rate is 22%. Yes, you did read that right.
• Astonishing but true: the French government employs 25% of the entire French workforce...and it's impossible to fire them.
• Because the citizens make such little money, they pay no tax. Less than 50% of French pay any in...

The French seem to survive on income from tourism, VAT, and wine.

Speaking of France, CNBC just reported a shooting in Strasbourg, France. Two killed, Shooter at large. It was near someChristmas celebrations.
As usual, if it's terrorism, it must be a Muslim who dunnit.
Does France do anything right?

Heraclitusstudent says

He created a private healthcare system

"Privatized"

All leftist arguments rely on mistruths and outright lies.

Hey, who lied about Obama being a big government leftist?

Heraclitusstudent says

Obama: the only president that didn't grow the government:

Yep, he didn't grow much of anything else positive either..

Not the economy

Not jobs

Not incomes

But, he did a bang up job DOUBLING the national debt.

Should we give him a cookie for that?

MrMagic says

But, he did a bang up job DOUBLING the national debt.

But somehow he's not "big government" according to lefties.

Heraclitusstudent says

Hey, who lied about Obama being a big government leftist?

Uh you did?

How does someone double the national debt without being big government? That's pretty much one of the definitions of being big government.

Then again, you think "ObamaCare" was a "privatized" solution to health care.

Goran_K says

How does someone double the national debt without being big government? That's pretty much one of the definitions of being big government.

Ok so Reagan had a very big government.
W Bush had a big government.
Obama mostly paid for the continuing war expenses and salvaged the financial system from the damage done under his predecessor.

He's the only pres who reduced the # of gov employees. Fact.

Heraclitusstudent says

Goran_K says

How does someone double the national debt without being big government? That's pretty much one of the definitions of being big government.

Ok so Reagan had a very big government.
W Bush had a big government.
Obama mostly paid for the continuing war expenses and salvaged the financial system from the damage done under his predecessor.

He's the only pres who reduced the # of gov employees. Fact.

Doesn’t matter if the number of employees goes down, what matters is the money and actual control granted to agencies. This is basic logic.

If Obama hires 10% less employees but gives the EPA wider ranges of power to enact his agenda, which grants more “governmental power”?

See why your logic is ridiculously flawed now?

Ah see.... we went from big gov as in big administration to big government as in big deficits, now Goran redefines "government" size one more time to fits his discussion needs.

So Bush adding way more government employees than Obama is not government fat?
So Trump "Strengthening the military" is not making the gov bigger?
Sending the army to the frontier or maintaining a fence on the frontier are not a new intrusions of the government?
Trump adding tariffs is not regulation? (and a tax?)

If we want to make up shit, how about the louder the president's mouth, the bigger the government? I'd say that would make Trump's gov pretty big.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES9091000001

So what happened from 1964 to 1969 or so? And 1950 -1952?

Sending the army to the frontier or maintaining a fence on the frontier are not a new intrusions of the government?

Actually, protecting the country from invasion is one of the legit purposes of government.

So is preventing private actors from destroying the shared environment.

Heraclitusstudent says

big administration to big government

Yeah lets pretend those aren't the same thing so you have a sliver of an argument left.

Booger says

Good. Spineless globalist were ready to hand over the EU to Sharia. I'm glad Europe grew some backbone otherwise we'd probably be forced to save them in some yet unseen war.

I heard the Macron vote was called for by a fringe party, and doesn't have the legs.

On another note, I wore a yellow vest to work today to support the French people. Viva la France!

https://www.infowars.com/french-generals-accuse-macron-of-treason-over-un-migration-pact/.

FRENCH GENERALS ACCUSE MACRON OF “TREASON” OVER UN MIGRATION PACT

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6504471/France-sick-man-Europe-says-Polish-minister.html

France is now the sick man of Europe': Polish minister says Yellow Vest movement and Christmas Market terror attack make the country 'a drag on Europe'

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1062382/portugal-protest-yellow-vest-france-macron-paris-riot

Yellow Vest protest spreads to Portugal

Booger says

This is exactly how CA feels about illegals. That's how government treats people here.

Who knew high taxes and open borders would make people angry?

Kudos to Macron for turning France into Venezuela in faster time than it took Venezuela to do it.

Wasn't France one of the Great Socialist Paradises that everybody pointed to as a shining icon of comradeship?