Topic: Government Thinks About Making A "Debt Reducing Game", I'm Officaily Confused

LOL so our government has now spent themselves into complete obliteration that they are now going to try to make games for us to buy to bring down the debt. How about quite blowing all our damn money on BS and illegal immigrants free healthcare? Sounds like a Change we can Believe in! lol.

Then I guess said someone would receive the limited Deluxe edition, with bonuses.

Only half?

@The Fox Nope, I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion on what would work or not work in fixing the government and the economy as long as they really believe it. Without that it will never be fixed and the way the Bozo's in Washington have done since '88, we need all the ideas we can get.

@Rowdy:
Everyone should have an opinion on something like this. We don't need to get the thread locked is my point.

This is ridiculous and stupid, the government should fix the economy and not be lazy by making a game and telling citizens to fix the economy. But then again, our government is run by morons, so no surprise there.

@The Fox... but you do realize that just in the profits they would make for this they prob wouldnt even scratch how much money they spent on all the dang "Reminder" letters that nobody even needed for the Census. I got 3 "Reminder" letters and 2 Copies of the Census. Figure that over the entire population of the US and well, a game wouldnt even fix the deficit on the Census alone. It seriously is just another lamebrain idea from another politician in power.

I have to leave myself something to do during the other 90% of the game!

I have to leave myself something to do during the other 90% of the game!

[/quote]That's true.

Welfare fraud has only a miniscule impact on the deficit at best. The image of poor single women pumping out babies for welfare checks is primarily a right-wing fantasy. There is some fraud and abuse, as in any program, but it isn't anywhere near the level some would like to believe. Compared to the losses the economy has incurred due to fraud in various private financial firms, it's only a drop in the bucket.

1. I believe you're referring in essence to the idea of the Laffer Curve, which is the loosely articulated belief that lowering taxes will actually bring in more revenue_ due to increased motivation or investment. That's simply not borne out by the facts over the years. The tax burden has been significantly decreased over the years time and time again, yet the revenue has never seen an uptick in response. Better targeted taxation can help, by properly incentivizing investment of various sorts, but it's a myth that a merely lower tax burden will somehow inspire enough new productivity to pay for itself. It has never payed for itself, which is why recent measures like Bush's tax cuts have put visible holes in the budget that were never refilled.

2. The first two you list are a fraction of a percent of the budget at best, and properly shifting incentives towards newer energy technologies and away from the status quo can actually be a boon for the economy. I won't even get into the science here.

3. The idea of those that pay "nothing at all" is generally exaggerated via a bizarre distortion of the tax burden, focusing only on federal income taxes, where the lower-income people in question often pay quite a bit of taxes in other forms (state income / property taxes, sales taxes, etc). Beyond that, though, the tax credits like the EITC (which do, in fact, require that you be employed) are actually fairly conservative measures to avoid raising the minimum wage, which is unlivable on its own for families. It encourages employment, and helps to supplement minimum wage to at least a barely sufficient level, without raising the minimum wage directly, which many economists would see as potentially decreasing jobs. It's pretty sound economic theory, and well established as a middle ground.

"BS" is a fairly broad term, so I can't comment there, but no one is giving immigrants free healthcare. Like the myth of the single mother having babies just to get a welfare check, it might be nice if it were true -- because we'd know who those lazy villains are, stealing our hard-earned money -- but it simply isn't, all right-wing fantasies notwithstanding.

The census is not a superfluous exercise, nor is it a case of "big government." In order for our basic democracy to function, we have a little thing called proportionate representation, which requires that our population figures remain up-to-date. It's not easy counting people, unfortunately, but if you'd prefer to skip out on it, your state can simply receive lowered representation and benefits.

I agree with pretty much everything WariosWoods has said here, but I'm hoping this doesn't spiral into a thread locking argument.
(I can't believe I'm advocating avoiding a political argument here. Must be more tired than I thought).

stock agent Mario?

/me is bored with the idea

@wario... dude I was being sarcastic. I don't come here to discuss politics. Politicians have been about personal/party gains for hundreds of years and nothing has or will change ever. No matter how much you can hope or believe to your hearts desire. Every country in this world is indebt wich tells you just how great governments are run. The US is over a Trillion and rising, we all live on money that pretty much has no substance. You can argue politics until you die, people waste their entire lives on it for nothing. I have one life to live and I do just that, not wasting my time on politics and their party feuds. I'd much rather play Sim City lol.

@slapshot82

Now, Sim City is something we can agree on. I played that game for so many hours as a kid, and it was probably the best education you can get from a video game: trying to balance city planning, taxes and revenue, crime, commercial appeal, transportation, and other issues within a changing and expanding city. Good stuff! There should be a new game of that sort to educate kids on the complexities of governance, while still keeping it fun.

@wario... yeah I agree and maybe the game in plan is something like that. I all honesty I will buy a game made by the government if its actually fun and not full of government propaganda, such as Y2K, Global Warming, Swine Flu Epidemic, etc. Whatever beliefs you have are fine but not everyone agrees the same and that is OK, that is or was the reason governemts were set up with two parties to have agreements on both sides so the peoples voice can be heard and needs met on both sides. I think the chances of a government game that doesnt have some sort of political agenda or propaganda sway in it is highly unlikely.

You know really man, before educating kids on government though, how about teaching children how to respect again, maybe how to actually have manners again, responsibilities in their own lives, etc. My wife holds a Masters in Special Education and Im very familiar with what is going on in the schools in the US, and I actually spend time with some of the kids in the inner cities where I live, and people who think they have and idea of what its like to grow up in poverty or a ghetto, well they really have no idea until you step into one and see it from the inside. You might be amazed.

Nintendo Games are already one of the few reaches to children these days that is clean and not full of the usual everyday mess that we see each and everyday. You see a child or teenager playing Mario Galaxy/ Mario Kart usually just having fun and happy, and not from the experience of the normal world we live in today. So if the government want a model to go by..... they already have it..... Nintendo!

I really got into politics hard. For some people its for them, but after years of following it everday as the Independent that I am, it was literally driving me crazy with the opposite media we have in the US. I do my research that I need to vote the way I feel I need to and then keep up with whats going a good bit still, I just dont get emotionally involved with it anymore and dont let it ruin/rule my life. I do pick around a good bit though, as Im am well educated in politics lol. Sorry, I like to laugh

They'd better make it interesting because I smell a rather boring game.