What sacrifice would you be willing to make?

On Sports & News, someone mentioned that office-holders, like the President, are in a tight spot because it's tough to make deep cuts that may be necessary during a rough economic time when people don't want things cut. This has been talked about before, plenty - how Americans want spending cut, but they don't want to make any sacrifices themselves. And so the beat goes on.

What would you be willing to sacrifice for the good of the country? Pay more for gas? WWII-style rationing? What kind of sacrifices could people make that would have an impact on the greater good, be it through cutting the deficit, starting jobs programs, etc., etc., etc.

If you are a hardcore libertarian or fiscal conservative and think that individuals shouldn't sacrifice and that an unfettered market will take care of everything, I'm interested in hearing that, too. I won't agree with it, but I'm interested in hearing it.

 

I think we should cut the military budget.

 

Aw hell, education and the arts are used to taking it in the ass, why not just sacrifice them again.[/blue]

Getting us out of Iraq is a savings of billions right there.

 

Bring all the troops home. I'm not saying there are jobs for any of them, but it would still save us a shitload of money.

 

The first stimulus bill cost 9 times the cost of the Iraq War

I would give up the ATF - bunch of fucking troublemakers. Ruby Ridge, Waco, and now Gun Walker? A new President would be crazy not to get rid of them

 

Link?

 

Not even close. The ARRA was $787 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2007 that the war would cost about $2 trillion.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/10/24/us-iraq-usa-funding-idUSN2450753720071024

 

If we invade Switzerland (because that's where the money is), I would be willing to hold my nose and eat some of the cheese.

 

Facts! Damnable facts and lies!

 

As long as the extractors/rapists continue to whistle past the graveyard and pretend they're not largely responsible, this goes nowhere . . . though the latest news flash out of Goldman Sachs was encouraging, if hardly voluntary.

 

It's difficult to compare ARRA and the Iraq war.
ARRA is estimated to be 40 percent of the cost of the Iraq war, bu the Iraq war is an a nine-year endeavor.

The issue of sacrifice is an easy one: Are you willing to sacrifice your political office in order to make cuts?

 

The OMB estimates for the Iraq War are unreliable because they don't deduct for all the weapons the ATF sold to Mexican drug lords to help finance the war in Iraq. It's about a break even proposition after that last shipment of grenades.