"America is not broke. Not by a long shot... Wisconsin is not broke. It's one of the 3 biggest lies of the last decade." -Michael Moore, March 5, 2011, Madison, WI, Speaking at a pro-union rally.
Really? The words of this man never cease to annoy me. The people who believe him just because he is a big name never cease to annoy me. What ever happened to independent thought and verification?
Let's simplify this and break it down... as he would say...
Facts:
* The Federal government owes $14trillion in debt. That money will have to someday be paid back.
* As of March 2011, Congress is fighting over raising the $14trillion debt ceiling.
* As of 2011, www.census.gov shows 310million people in the USA.
* For 2011, Wisconsin is facing a $3.6billion state debt.
* Wikipedia shows 5,686,986 Wisconsin residents in the 2010 census.
So let's do some simplified math.
Federal: $14trillion / 310million people = around $45thousand per person.
This $45k includes every man, woman, and child, regardless of gender and race. Thanks to census corruption, it also probably includes some dead people, pets, and cartoon characters.
A family of 4 would owe around $180thousand towards the national debt using over simplified math.
I don't know about you, but I sure don't have that kind of money to pop off on a whim. If America isn't broke, it is in deep financial trouble.
Wisconsin: $3.6billion / 5,686,986 people = about $633 per person.
On first look, this number isn't so bad, but then again, I'd rather use that money on something more productive than taxes. I'm sure most of the people of Wisconsin feel similar.
A family of 4 would owe around $2,532 towards the state debt using over simplified math. This is a serious crimp in their wallets.
This starts hurting the people of Wisconsin a lot more. When people can't spend what they want to, an economic recession develops. This is simple macro economics. Government doesn't make jobs. It sucks the life out of the economic market to feed itself.
So Moore may be somewhat right about Wisconsin not being 100% broke, but it is in extreme financial difficulty. That really isn't much different from being broke. Wisconsin can't freely spend money on what it wants to because that money simply isn't there.
In that union statement, Moore also hints at his socialist tendencies. Yes, there may be plenty of money in private hands, but those private hands are the ones paying for the government and its debts through taxes. The money of the private people is already gone thanks to reckless government theft. Socialism doesn't make a market thrive and hand out good jobs, it sucks the life out of it.
So, once again I conclude that Michael Moore is an idiot. Maybe I should be politically correct and call him a "victim of the public education system". If one wants to argue a point, at least try to get the facts right. Mindless cheerleading to drive up emotional states isn't a form of argument.
I already know the next question. Yes, I've watched some of Moore's movies. I really felt the desperate need for a shower afterwards. His so called "documentaries" pull at the heart strings until you really look up the facts for yourself. He has a bad habbit of cherry picking his facts and point of views. This isn't documentary film. It's propaganda. I've probably pissed off a lot of people with that statement. Instead of jumping my case, look up the facts for yourself instead of believing a mindless ideolog. Try some independent thought for a change instead of mindless ranting slogans you are clueless about just to fit in with the crowd.
I sure as hell don't want you destroying my life from believing false arguments.
So, can you do simple math with big numbers?
Here's another question: Why is debt such a good thing? It's a deep thought for some.
For a bit more detail about government and large math, look for my "Liberals Failed High School Math" blog.
Maybe someday soon I'll write up a blog about the Wisconsin unions.