Wikibudgeteering

[scythe]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... nd_debates

Wikipedia's articles on the federal budget are cool.

Where our money goes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._ ... Y_2007.png

Where it comes from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._ ... Y_2007.png

The US does not have the lowest taxes in the civilized world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incom ... ountry.svg

but we do get less out of it overall:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... age_of_GDP -- Ireland clocks in at 30%, New Zealand at 34%, US at 27%.

Social Security taxes are regressive:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_In ... ns_Act_tax

Contrary to popular belief, you don't "pay in" to Social Security and "get it back" when you get old -- you have no right to accrued benefits of any sort:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemming_v._Nestor

Also, while I support gutting the military as much as anyone, even eliminating the military budget would barely fix half of the current budget shortfall.

[otters~1]

EDIT: it's all rather self-evident. Only thing I have to say is re: Flemming v. Nestor -- we know this to be true currently more than ever as Congress is considering (as well it should be) moving the required age for benefits collection back.

This is roughly equivalent to withholding a Communist's Social Security payments, it seems to me. Both decisions are entirely arbitrary.

[scythe]

Military data time?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_b ... ted_States

The last time military expenditures dropped was under Clinton:

http://www.google.com/publicdata/explor ... y+spending

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Infla ... ending.PNG

That yellow "interest" swath just gets wider and wider, even per capita:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PerCa ... ending.PNG

Is it just me or are most of these totally silly?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_b ... .5_billion