comment: >
  
  And all of them should be hanged for treason. You didn't just automatically assume 70 million registered Republica voters supported these 200 idiots, did you? You wouldn't make generalizations about people based on their group identities, would you? Because that's your entire progressive narrative. Every person is an individual separate from their group, and should be treated as such. Does that suddenly change for your political opposition? Hang them all in a public forum. 
  Back to the point: Jan 6th was a joke. It's incredible that people perceive 200 morons rioting in the Capital and smearing poop on walls as a serious threat. Just 21 years ago, Islamic extremists hijacked 4 planes, put them into buildings, and killed over 2,000 Americans. All in a couple hours.
  But youre trying to convince me that 200 people unsupported by any serious organization, is the "biggest threat America faces" 😐 I think the biggest threat America faces is willful ignorance, like we see with you right here. 
  I bet more people die in a weekend from black on black violence in inner cities, than murders by white supremacists ANNUALLY. Guaranteed. In fact, I'll be back with that data.
context: They are going to try and cut Medicaid and SNAP (Food Stamps). Why?
  
  
  Medicaid and SNAP are means-tested programs designed for the needy. They are, in traditional terms, welfare. Medicare and Social Security are not seen as welfare because recipients (with exceptions) pay into these programs all of their lives and then retire. 
  
  
  Recipients of Medicare/Social Security tend to be older and vote more often. Any political party would probably be fearful of their votes.
  
  
  So, the Republicans will so after these programs. They want to scale back the social welfare state and they see this as their chance. >
  
  They have been gunning for Social Security for years.  They're just really careful of how they market it. >
  
  For anyone who's been paying attention over the past couple decades, it's obvious that there has never been a plan. They just say stuff because it sounds good then figure out details later. >
  
  This is basically true.
  It's also true that in trying to figure out the details, we can guess at what they're going to try to cut.
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  They aren't going to want to touch defense, or medicare or social security.
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  Medicaide will probably end up on the chopping block. Also SNAP and other benefits for the poor like section 8 and TANF. I would also expect them to take aim at the department of education, which is probably going to mostly manifest as cuts for disability programs since those tend to be relatively more expensive. School lunch assistance is also a likely target.
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  And of course, the big one is going to be cutting or eliminating the Affordable Care Act.
  ​
  I expect Biden and Senate Dems to oppose basically all of this. The mostly likely outcomes are that they make some kind of "compromise" on a toothless committee that studies the deficit or something. Other likely outcomes are that McCarthy ends up just knuckling under or getting outmaneuvered, or that he totally shits the bed and causes a major recession. >
  
  
  he totally shits the bed and causes a major recession.
  
  im willing to bet money this is what happens. the GOP has nothing to lose by doing this, their voters are so ignorant of what goes on, they'll blame democrats. 
  corporations and the wealthy want a recession because it means consolidation at low prices. >
  
  TBH I think Biden is gonna mint the coin, or just say "I'm unilaterally raising the debt ceiling because the constitution says we are required to pay the debt, come and sue me." before that happens. >
  
  
  or just say "I'm unilaterally raising the debt ceiling because the constitution says we are required to pay the debt
  
  The president can't do that, all the executive can do is propose a budget. All spending has to either originate or pass the house as a matter of the constitution: Article 1 Section 8.
  It's important to point out this only became an issue in 1982 under Reagan because prior to him the nation had the 1884 Antideficiency Act which automatically passed the previous year's budget if a new budget couldn't be agreed on. Yes, republicans created government shutdowns in order to fuck the country just for short-term gains in the polls. >
  
  …But… the spending has already been approved. That’s what the budget did: it approved the spending.
  We just didn’t raise the debt ceiling when we approved the budget. >
  
  And the law says the President has to spend the money. The President can't just not spend money because he feels like it or doesn't like where the money is going.
  Given the choice between "you must legally spend money", and "you legally mustn't spend more money" (and cause a huge financial disaster in the process), the choice is obvious. >
  
  The money has already been spent, not just approved. The debt limit has no bearing on this at all, just whether the US Treasury can fulfill the obligations for things it's already spent money on. The mere threat of not fulfilling these obligations has severe reverberations as the US Treasury will not be seen as a bedrock financial institution anymore and investors may not be as keen to buy things like US T-Bonds. >
  
  Congress controls the budgetary process. Republicans are forcing an artificial crisis to try and get concessions to they can't win via a vote. Rather than this gimmick the House should do its job and pass a budget. There is already a process in place to negotiate spending. McCarthy & crew should abide by that process. 
  As for what Republicans want.....who knows? Republicans haven't made it clear. Republicans are comparing about the top line number but haven't addressed any real changes they'd  like to make. Vague references to "foreign aid" and "woke-ism"  have been made but everyone who actually follows this stuff knows there isn't actually any money there. Least not money that changes anything. >
  
  Similar to "domestic terrorism" and "white supremacy". At least we can agree that vague weightless statements are the worst.