Critics Claim Obama Doubled the National Debt

A widely circulated email that began making the rounds in 2009 indirectly claims President Barack Obama tried to double the national debt in one year, presumably in his first budget proposal after taking office. The email invokes the name of Obamas predecessor, former President George W. Bush, in trying to make its point about the Democratic president and the growing national debt. Lets take a look at the email: If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt - which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate - in one year, would you have approved?If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved? The email concludes: So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Cant think of anything? Dont worry. Hes done all this in 6 months-so youll have three years and six months to come up with an answer! Doubling Down on the National Debt? Is there any truth to the claim Obama proposed to double the national debt in one year? Hardly. Even if Obama went on the most lavish spending spree imaginable, it would have been pretty difficult to double what had been the total publicly held debt, or national debt, of more than $6.3 trillion in January of 2009. It just didnt happen. What about the second question? Did Obama propose to double the national debt within 10 years? According to nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projections, Obamas first budget proposal was, in fact, expected to double the countrys publicly held debt over the course of a decade. Perhaps this is the source of confusion in the chain email. The CBO projected that Obamas proposed budget would increase the national debt from $7.5 trillion - about 53 percent of the nations Gross Domestic Product - at the end of 2009 to $20.3 trillion - or 90 percent of the GDP - by the end of 2020. The publicly held debt, also called the national debt, includes all monies owed by the United States government to persons and institutions outside the government. National Debt Nearly Doubled Under Bush If youre looking for other presidents who nearly doubled the national debt, perhaps Mr. Bush is also a culprit. According to the Treasury, the publicly held debt was $3.3 trillion when he took office in 2001, and more than $6.3 trillion when he left office in 2009. Thats an increase of nearly 91 percent. CBO Projects Debt to Almost Double by 2048 In June 2018, the CBO projected that without major changes in government spending, the national debt will nearly double as a share of the economy over the next 30 years. Currently (2018) equivalent to 78 percent of the GDP, the GBO projects it will hit 100 percent of GDP by 2030 and 152 percent by 2048. At this point, the debt as a share of the GDP would exceed the records set during World War II. While government spending on discretionary or optional programs is expected to remain steady or even decrease, the growth in the debt will continue to be driven by health care costs and increased spending on entitlement spending, like Medicare and Social Security as ever-more people reach retirement age. In addition, the CBO projects that President Trump’s tax cuts will add to the debt, especially if Congress makes them permanent. The tax cuts, currently in effect for 10 years, are expected to reduce the government’s revenue by $1.8 trillion through 2028, with even greater reductions in revenue if the tax cuts are made permanent. Large and growing federal debt over the coming decades would hurt the economy and constrain future budget policy, reported the CBO. The amount of debt that is projected under the extended baseline would reduce national saving and income in the long term; increase the governments interest costs, putting more pressure on the rest of the budget; limit lawmakers ability to respond to unforeseen events; and increase the likelihood of a fiscal crisis. Updated by Robert Longley

Antigone Hero Or Fool Essay - 842 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In Greek literature, a tragic hero is based upon an individual having several of the following qualities: having a high social position in society; not being overly good or bad; being persistant or stubborn in their actions; having a single flaw that brings about their own death and the death of others; and obtaining pity from the audience. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Antigone was a prime example of a Greek tragic hero. Antigone, being the daughter of Oedipus, obtained a high social standing in Thebes. Prior to his self-exile from Thebes, Oedipus was the citys king. Because of her high standing in society, Antigone was capable of great suffering, in that she had a reputation and a vast amount of respect†¦show more content†¦The first such display is her decision to take matters into her own hands and bury her brother Polyneices. Creon finds out about the burial and in order to have credibilty with the citizens of Thebes he must follow through with the punishment as set forth in his proclamation. Antigone and her sister Ismene are placed in a cave and heavily guarded. They faced quot;stoning to death in the public square.quot; (Prologue, line 25). Antigones second display of headstrong behavior is when she decides to kill herself in the cave, therefore robbing Creon of the satisfaction of completing this deed. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;All of Thebes sympathizes with Antigone because not only has she lost her mother, father, and two brothers, but also her one act, has sentenced her sister Ismene and herself to death. The king is made aware of the sympathy Antigone is receiving from his son Haemon. quot;And I have heard them muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl. They say no woman has ever so unreasonably, died so shameful a death for a generous act.quot; (Ode II, scene III, line 65-67). It is here that we must look back at the quality posessed by a tragic hero in Greek literature, the main one in this play being: having a single flaw that brings about their own death and the death of others. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Antigones decision to bury Polyneices isShow MoreRelated Antigone the Tragic Hero Essay929 Words   |  4 PagesA Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw, which combined with fate, results into a tragedy. The tragic hero must fall from good luck and well being to misery and misfortune. The tragic hero causes a sense of pity through the tragic downfall that weakens the character. In Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone follows her own beliefs by giving her brother a proper burial, even if she has to break the law of King Creon. Because of her innocentRead MoreEssay on Creon As The Tragic Hero In Antigone602 Words   |  3 PagesSophocles’ Antigone is, without a doubt, one of the greatest tragedies ever written. 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Censorship and the Internet Essay Example For Students

Censorship and the Internet: Essay Freedom of speech has been one of the most important and fought over freedoms that this country has ever known. Since its commercial inception in 1992, the Internet, has been a topic of debate for the past six years. The wide spread argument has to do with the content that the Internet provides. So, when congress began its hellish quest of censoring one of the worlds fastest growing sources of information it was no wonder that an anti-censor campaign would begin. This bitter argument has been debated, legislated, and written about very extensively over the last couple of years. Although most people agree that the internet contains some content that children should not view, censoring the entire internet will cause more of a problem because it will infringe on the First Amendment and other civil liberties that Americans have fought and bled over for the past 200 years. Almost three years ago, Congress approved the Communications Decency Act, (CDA) which was designed to protect children by prohibiting indecent speech or images from being sent through cyberspace.(Quittner) This law seems somewhat harmless at a first glance until you begin to read some of its clauses. One of the biggest groups that combated this issue was the CIEC, or Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition. The CIEC soon began to find problems with this bill as the so maticulously stated on their web site It is also important to note that the CDA is not about child pornography, obscenity, or using the Internet to stalk children. These are already illegal under current law.(CIEC) The article then states instead, the CDA prohibits posting indecent or patently offensive materials in a public forum on the Internet including web pages, newsgroups, chat rooms, or online discussion lists.(CIEC) This law would prohibit texts of classic fiction such as the Catcher in the Rye, Ulysees, and th e 7 dirty words, and other materials which, although offensive to some, enjoy the full protection of the First Amendment if published in a newspaper, magazine, or a book, or in the public square.(CIEC) A very heated topic indeed for the CIEC and the rest of the Internet community who where baffled by the contradictoriness of congresss new law. One of the most concerned online and also published magazines in the world that has anything to do with the Internet is Hot-Wired magazine. This publication has been one of the most informative, if not the most informative, magazine published online and off. Hot-Wired, has received numerous industry awards such as Best Online Publication, Computer Press Award and Top Web Sites of 96, Time Magazine. It is also now attars more monthly readers than the Wall Street Journal Interactive, and ABCNews.com. Hot-Wired, now famous for rallying one of the most infamous protest against Internet censorship published an article describing the protest. Within minutes of last Tuesdays news that a House committee had voted to incorporate an indecency clause into the proposed telecom bill, a collective panic spread through San Franciscos Multimedia Gulch.(Irwin) The author of the article then stated Informed by word of mouth, a handful of pamphlets, and, most efficiently, the Internet, more than 500 protester gathered on the 14th of December in the heart of San Franciscos Internet community SOMAs South Park to collectively oppose indecency standards that could jail or substantially fine anyone who chooses to use certain profane words on the Net.(Irwin) One of the Internets most prolific advocates for freedom of speech in Cyberspace is Mike Goodwin. Mr. Goodwin is the founder of the EFF, (Electronic Frontier Foundation) a non-profit organization that deals with the protections of civil liberties in the information age. He was one of the many honored guests that attended the protest rally in San Francisco and was quoted as saying Take a mo ment now and listen. Goodwin ripped a copy of the First Amendment in half. Thats the sound of what the United States Congress has been doing to the Constitution in the last few months.(Irwin) Similar protests occurred in Seattle and New York on Thursday, following the December 12th Internet Day of Protest which flooded Congressional switchboards with thousands of pleas to halt Internet censorship.(Irwin)The many people who placed those calls to congress have now been working for a variety of Internet civil right organizations. Their goals are to stop congress from completely outlawing First Amendment rights over the Internet. Such non-profit groups as the CDT (Center for Democracy and Technology) mission statement states The Center for Democracy and Technology is a leading advocate for democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age. It goes on to say Backed by staff expertise in relevant law and technology, CDT seeks practical solutions to problems and is dedicate d to building broad consensus among all parties interested in the future of the Internet and other new communications media.(CDT) We are at the cusp of a new age-an age that holds out the promise for reinvigorating democracy and civil liberties, at home and around the globe.(CDT) What we decide today will ultimately effect the digital age in the future, whats at steak is nothing less than the future rights and responsibilities of individuals.(CDT) To understand the complexity of the problem you must begin to understand the number aspect as to how many people use the Internet. One Internet user described it best when he said Cyberspace, a common name for the Net, has been defined by one author as being made up of millions of people who communicate with one another through computers. It is not just people that make up cyberspace. It is also information stored on millions of computers worldwide, accessible to others through telephone lines and other communication channels that make up what is known as cyberspace. The same author went on to say The term itself is elusive, since it is not so much a physical entity as a description of an intangible.(Toball) Many people have this preconceived notion that the Internet is just a web browser pointing you to your favorite site. This is a completely incorrect thought. Toball continues to state The complexity of the Internet is demonstrated through its many components. The most readily identifiable part is the World Wide Web (WWW). This consists of web pages that can be accessed through the use of a web browser. Web pages are created using a basic programming language. Another easily identified section of the Internet is e-mail. Once again it is a relatively user-friendly communication device. Some other less publicized sections of the Internet include: Internet Relay Chat (IRC), which allows real time chatting to occur among thousands of people, Gopher, which works similarly to the WWW but for a more academic purpose, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP), which allows the transfer of files from one computer to another. Another service that is not Internet but is carried along with it in many instances is Usenet or News. In Usenet there are many newsgroups which center their conversations on many varied topics. For example, alt.music.beatles would focus the discussion on the Beatles. This would be done through posts or articles almost like letters sent into a large pot where everyone can read and reply. Many controversial newsgroups exist and they are created easily. It is possible to transfer obscene and pornographic material through these newsgroups. This is exactly what parents and congress feel is the heart of the problem. Yes, it is true that you can receive, view, down load, and listen to a variety of pornography, but on the same token you can also do the same with most other topics. There are many answers to the problem of Internet censorship; the only problem is that the answers require most peop le to become more computer literate. As one author stated While this theme might push some buttons for the many parents who recognize that their children are more computer literate than themselves and who fear their own ignorance.(Steele)There is a lot of commercial software such as Searchlight, and Surf Watcher that are available to parents so that they can restrict access to sites that they deem to be inappropriate for their children. Howard Rheingold is a journalist, editor and internationally recognized expert on emerging technologies. As a high-tech social historian and futurist, he has established himself as an effective translator of the long-term impacts of technology, computing and telecommunications. He also was one of the honored guests at the now infamous, San Francisco protests where he stated We can protect our own children. I can determine what is decent for my daughter to know. It is not for my neighbors to impose their standards on her.(Irwin) If we are to make the Internet a powerful resource for learning, we must give parents and teachers the tools they need to make the Internet safe for children.(President, Bill Clinton)Another solution that has been proposed is for pornographic related sites to impose a (. XX) Suffix. The debate on this choice has to do with it being unconstitutional, because it would force a business to one sector of the Internet thereby infringing on their rights to do commerce without being classified to a certain category. The opposite side of this debate is the fact that most things are separated by various suffixes such as, (. EDU), (. GOV), and (. COM) help the user know where he/she is going. By implementing such a standard would be a great victory for those who do not want their children visiting inappropriate sites because they would be able to restrict the end suffixes in the web browser. A Raisin In The Sun Essay American DreamBecause of the First Amendment, I am able to safely criticize our government about their tactics and doings. We elected these people to office to speak for us; we had better make sure that they are doing their job. I think that Justice, John Paul Stevens, said it best when he stated The interest in encouraging freedom of expression in a democratic society outweighs any theoretical but unproven benefit of censorship.In conclusion I would just like to add, the Internet is a powerful tool that can help a variety of people and citizens of this country and world. There is no doubt in my mind that the Internet is a valuable research and educational sources that can help students achieve what they wish. Parents must teach their children to filter out what they consider to be immoral and offensive, for this is the job of a parent not the government. As with all-powerful tools, we must learn to harness it and use it to better further our society as a whole. Taking away one of the United States most valued rights will never be the answer, but hopefully with the help and support of the Internet community and congress, we will be able to achieve a common goal. A goal that Im sure will help us achieve greatness in the Super Information Age.Works CitedBradford, Bryan and Mark Krumholz. Telecommunications and Decency: Big Brother goes Digital. Business Today Spring 1996 : 12-16. Gates, Bill. Searching for middle ground in online censorshiphttp://www.microsoft.com/corpinfo/bill-g/column/1996essay/censorship.htm. 27 Mar. 1996. Irwin, Heather. Geeks Take to the Streets http://www.hotwired.com/special/indecent/rally.html. Jefferson, Thomas. Bill Of Rights. The Constitution of the United States. http://Constitution.by.net/uSA/BillOfRights.html. 21 Apr. 1996. McCullagh, Declan. PLAGUE OF FREEDOM Internet Underground Aug 96 Issue 09 http://www.eff.org/~declan/global/reports/plague.073196.txt. 31 July 1996. Silberman, Steve. Defending the First Amendment. http://www.hotwired.com/special/lawsuit. Silencing the NetThe Threat to Freedom of Expression Online. Human Rights Watch May 1996, Vol. 8, No. 2 (G). Steele, Shari. Taking a Byte Out of the First Amendment. How Free Is Speech in Cyberspace? Human Rights Vol. 23, No.2. http://www.eff.org/pub/Censorship/human_rights_960420.article. Spring 1996. Sterling, Bruce. Short History of the Internet. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction Feb1993. gopher://gopher.isoc.org:70/00/internet/history/short.history.of.internet. 17 Apr. 1996. http://www.eff.org/pub/Censorship/human_rights_960420.articleSteelehttp://www.hotwired.com/special/indecent/rally.htmlIrwinhttp://www.ciec.org/victory.shtmlCIEChttp://www.microsoft.com/billgates/columns/1996essay/essay960327.htmBill Gateshttp://www.cdt.org/mission.htmlCenter for Democracy and Technologyhttp://www.ciec.org/SC_appeal/970626_Clinton.htmlBill Clintonhttp://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1997/dom/970707/nation.unshackling_n.htmlTime Magazine Joshua Quinttner