"the only reason China et al has been able to buy our bonds is because of their trade surplus, which also enables them to buy our land."

Gee, if only Republicans hadn't reset our fiscal sights from surpluses to deficits, we wouldn't have that problem, would we?

"Either the tariff, or make them in America."

That's an easy choice for them: they'll take the tariff.

Now remind me: who pays the tariff, Copernicus?

" I don't remember that."

Tell us you only watch news outlets willing to lie to you, without using those specific words.

" Flag: *abusive + *hilarious"

Awww, look at the Big Man, making fun of the stroke victim.

SOOOO funny!

" If you had to choose, on which side would you live?"

As a longtime negotiator, I wouldn't be picked for that jury.

" One penny a week per American taxpayer for Israel is too much"

I wasn't referring to the recipients, I was referring to the scale.

I've stated repeatedly there are no heroes in the conflict, just two sides both guilty of war crimes.

" Adjusting for inflation, US aid to Israel from 1951 to 2022 totaled $317.9 billion"

So ... .what's that breakdown: $2/mo per American? That's almost fifty cents a week!!!

" Sounds like the author has been drinking the Haterade."

Sounds more like you missed the event.

Vance absolutely beclowned himself trying to pretend it wasn't a set-up.

"There's plenty of places to get information."

Then why were you asking the question?

And who TF posts a thread without reading the article???

" I found myself the blessed recipient of answered prayers"

Huh?

You gave up a chance to be with the love of your life.

Were you actually praying for THAT???

"I can't read it."

The poster of the thread couldn't, either.

" That will trigger as much as $500 billion in Medicare cuts starting as soon as 2026."

Some folks want to pretend Republicans don't know that fact.

Frankly, if they wanted something else in this bill, they would've put it in. This is either based on cold calculations, or gross ignorance.

I'll be a gentleman and let our resident water carriers tell us which it is.

" How, exactly, is Medicare going to be cut according to this bill?"

Increased barriers, increased thresholds, and schlepping responsibilities to the states, knowing states will be forced to do Congress's dirty work.

It's probably all in the article we can't access.

" Apparently you have nothing to say."

I'm tired of explaining large math to people with no intention of self-education. Apparently you have nothing to learn.

"I opened this thread because of the headline."

Without reading the article.

"Major concessions on both sides will have to be given"

The 1% want 80+% of the tax cuts. How about we just return to the prior record of 27% under Dubya II?

Frankly, I don't even see a minor concession the 1% is being asked to make.

"$8.4 trillion during Biden's four years in office"

What a riot.

Every single Republican will speak out against Biden's increasing the debt by trillions. But when asked if that means they're AGAINST the SAME DEFICITS, just racked up by Trump...

...they go dead silent.

The Tax Policy Center stated ~83% of the cost of Trump's tax cut would be going to the world's wealthiest 1%. There's no reason to believe 2.0 won't have the same ratios.

The 1% certainly don't pay 80% of the taxes; why are they getting over 80% of the tax breaks???

"$8.4 trillion during Biden's four years in office, largely driven by COVID-19 relief measures"

So Biden is charged with cleaning up Trump's mess.

He's also charged for interest on the debt engineered by Dubya and the Republicans, and exacerbated by Trump and the Republicans.

Republican Math is a dangerous thing. Stay in school, kids!!!

"You deflected and didn't answer my question."

I told you WHY folks are upset with Trump.

So are you FOR or AGAINST the new borrowing for tax cuts?

" are people just putting the blame on Trump for not reversing it"

No, people are putting the blame on Trump for slashing programs which help average and poor people, so American can borrow trillions and trillions for the sole purpose of giving it away in tax cuts, mostly to the world's wealthiest 1%. Especially since ALL the slashing won't even pay for 1/10th of the new borrowing.

Or you FOR borrowing trillions to give away in new or expiring tax cuts, or AGAINST borrowing trillions for tax cuts?

As I pointed out yesterday on another thread, the waitress making $23K will see about $20 a week. Meanwhile, the average billionaire will save over $1 million a week.

For, or Against?

" the narrative about Trump's first assassination attempt."

You mean the one where an ear magically grew back, doctors never had a press conference, and the secret service violated safety protocols?

Nah, nothing strange about that ... .

" Major concessions on both sides will have to be given"

So much for bringing prices down on day one.

Why do you allow a politician to punk you EVERY DAY?

"have not affected sales."

Ok. So you were wrong.

Worse than that: he purposely left out the salient word ... the one that BELIES HIS POINT.

It's intellectual dishonesty., bordering on gaslighting.

"There is definitively no way to satisfy the current crop of leftists."

Then go on record, dude.

This tax bill borrows trillions and trillions, mostly to give away to the world's wealthiest 1%. Are you FOR that, or AGAINST it?

You were against Biden increasing the debt; are you against this as well? Or is this borrowing okay, because of the letter after the name?

Speak up now; no future bitching about deficits.

"Gift taxes kick in over $18,000"

That's SO 2024!

For 25, it's $19K. A couple could give a couple $76,000.

"Does that have a cap? What if the amount of the gift check is more than $10,000?"

Gift taxes kick in over $18,000. But that's per person to person. A married couple could give another couple $72,000 without incurring gift taxes.

But gift taxes are due from the giver, not the recipient ... unless the IRS can't find the giver, or the giver died and the taxes either can't or won't be paid. Then the bill is YOURS.

Same deal with payroll taxes: they're due from the employer, but the liability is yours; if the employers don't or can't pay, you'll get a bill.

That said, all of this is for the plebeians: the wealthy have GRATs, where UNLIMITED amounts can be given, inheritance-tax-free. Sheldon Adleson gifted $8 BILLION to his kids, avoiding about $3 Billion in taxes.