相传美国人民对巨额债务和赤字很忧虑，奥巴马总统信以为真。在参众两院不能达成共识的情况下，小奥在年初发布行政命令，成立了国家财政责任和改革委员会（National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform），负责对如何解决这个让全国人民忧心忡忡夜不能寐的大问题提供建议。委员会还没组成的时候，大家已经吵起来了。自由派嫌保守派占的人员比例大，保守派嫌自由派太多，不少人还从某些利益集团拿着工资呢。
虽然政治和经济不是俺的本行，但平时也爱看点这方面的文章什么的，就是缺乏系统的学习。也听说过laffer curve，好象是个有争议的东西啊。时代不同，真的很难比较。因为没有时间机器，我们又无法比较克林顿要是不增税，情况会怎么样；或者小布什不减税，情况又如何；小奥不刺激经济，今天我们是不是会很惨很惨。一切都是未知 ...我们知道的是，国家不能把税率搞到100%，那样它就一个子儿也拿不到了。事实上二战时美国的最高所得税率到过９２％。不是因为它能刺激经济发展，而是国家需要钱，需要国民为国家作牺牲。而现在也面料两场战争，小布什却大张旗鼓地降低税率，尤其是capital gain and dividend, 只收15%。我不是专家，但我自认还有些common sense，总觉得那样是不行的。
你说“美国政府印钱是联储的事，而且印钱成本极低，主要是通过买TREASURY BILLS, NOTES and BONDS。”那以后还用还吗？如果要还，债务还在那；如果不用还，那为什么不直接把钱打到财政部的户头上，非得去买什么“TREASURY BILLS, NOTES and BONDS”呢？别笑话俺哦。
增税短期会增加税收，长期会伤害经济反而使税收增长缓慢甚至停滞。小布什减税，离任时的税收反而比克林顿离任时的税收高25%。历史上20、60、80年代初的减税, 美国政府税收不但没有减少，反倒有实质性的增长(IN REAL TERM)。
克林顿的BALANCED BUDGET当然与增税不无关系，但也得益于他大刀阔斧的福利政策改革。96年，克林顿签署了"Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act"，结束了长达六十年的联邦政府对穷人的现金补助并促使依靠政府福利的妇女们参加工作。另一个重要的福利改革是以TANF(Temporaty Assistance for Needy Families)取代AFDC(Aid to Families with Dependent Children)，避免全国吃大锅饭，而是依人口比例给各州拨款。FEDERAL只对困难家庭提供免税作为补 助，而且不再是无限期的，一个人一生最多只能领取五年的补助。克林顿的这些政策得到了许多共和党议员和民主党议员们的支持，而有些极端的LIBERAL们则愤怒抗议，克林顿政府中三个民主党官员甚至以辞职抗议。此外，BALANCED BUDGET还有另外一个trick，就是把payroll tax用于与social security无关的事项。
# 1993-02-05 - The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 # 1993-08-10 - Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993: Raised income tax rates; income tax, top rate: 39.6%; corporate tax: 35% # 1993-09-21 - creation of the AmeriCorps volunteer program # 1993-11-30 - Brady Bill # 1994-09-13 - Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act: Part of an omnibus crime bill, the federal death penalty was expanded to some 60 different offenses (see Federal assault weapons ban) # 1996-02-01 - Communications Decency Act # 1996-02-08 - Telecom Reform Act: Eliminated major ownership restrictions for radio and television groups. # 1996-03-14 - Authorized $100 million counter-terrorism agreement with Israel to track down and root out terrorists. # 1996-04-09 - Line Item Veto Act (Later declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in Clinton v. City of New York). # 1996-04-24 - Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act # 1996-08-20 - Minimum wage Increase Act # 1996-09-21 - Defense of Marriage Act: Allowed states to refuse recognition of certain same-sex marriages, and defined marriage as between a male and female for purposes of federal law
1993年克林顿大幅增税的法案 (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993)于1993年8月6日在参议院以51：50过关。Bob Kerrey在投下第50票前，在参院有长篇演说，声明不支持法案，但是不愿意“sink the Clinton Presidency",所以才投赞成票，尔后Gore作为副总统投下第51票。 在众议院的情形也颇为戏剧化，票数为218：216，其中217为民主党议员，一位为独立议员。
You do not, right? Actually, even Chinese PingPong team has its highs and lows.
US economy is like ChinesePingPong team. It has its highs and lows. Every time it goes thru a low point, it emerges even stronger due to its incredible productivity, innovation and hard working people, especially immigrates like us.
Let us start to worry about Chinese economy. It is running on a bubble. The actual GDP growth rate is actually only 5-6%, if the true inflation is factored in.
Fareed Zakaria's recipe for restoring American Dream is far too rational and requires too much sacrifice. Instead, this country will increasingly rely upon intimidation and military force to preserve its consumptive way of life.
US national debt is less than 100% of GDP. It is a big problem. But easy to solve.
One example, China now has money supply, M2, of 60 Trillon Yuan, 180% of Chinese GDP, US has only M2 of 10 trillon dollar, 60% of US GDP. If US prints as much money as China does, US can repay its debt with extra to spare.
That is why US government is poor, while US is such a rich country. On the other side, Chinese government is so rich, while China is so poor.
The drawback of this approach, every time, government prints money, the wealth is transferred from people to teh government. And the inflation becomes sky high.
What is wrong with high inflation? With high inflation, no one in private section wants to work on real economy. If youcan run a business with 10% profit and the inflaction is 10%, you end up with nothing. Where does the money go? It goes to goevrnment. DO you still want to run such a business?
