Much smaller countries meaning what? The economies of scale work better with larger system if anything they should have less power to bargain with big pharmas not more. As for taxes, the corporate profits in the last 30 years went up 50% yet their tax obligations went down significantly. No need for VAT, just bring the tax structure we had 40 years ago where corporations paid their fair share.
That would be a Libtard's wet dream come true. Secretly, that's what they really want... for us Thralls to "send in everything we make" and for them to dole out just enough to us to keep us alive and working. That way they would have ALL the money and be in complete control. Would THAT be OK so long as there was "free ice cream"?
Bush "loaned" GM and Chrysler $17.4 BILLION last December in order to get them into the Spring of this year without having to declare BK; which as we all know they wound up doing anyway. He gave them 3-months to restructure and said that allowing the Big Three to fail, "is not a responsible course" in the midst of a recession. I wonder where ALL of these fiscally conservative and free-market ET members were back then? And now they are upset over ONE billion for a program that actually stimulates auto sales at local dealerships and takes largely unsafe vehicles off the road? Please.
The only way to stimulate the auto manufacturers is to allow them to fail and have competent owners purchase the assets at reduced valuations and create a new business model. Chrystler's bailout in the 70s shows what a failure the current plan is. I hated the Bush Bailout as much as I hated this one. The new administration's main focus is A) get its hands on a piece of the health care pie and B) unionize every thing. It doesn't matter what the process is to the gov't rdirecting funds, it creates artificial demand and just sinks us further into the quick sand.
The gov't makes promises to the people renegs and doesn't put up the funds and forces the dealerships to ultimately py the bill. Middle America doesn't need new cars, they need to save and get the forces of compound interest on their side.
You must have missed the GDP report earlier this morning . . . The savings rate by the consumer jumped sharply - - - to 5.2% in Q2, the highest since 1998!
Few glitches eh. Web servers crashing and hardly anyone can log in to process stuff. Phone lines jammed and busy and nobody can get through. Paperwork processing so backlogged it'll take probably weeks now to get through. Angry customers calling YOU (the salesman) demanding where their rebate is...and then wanting to return their car if they don't get it which will possibly cost you commission and the dealership more money. Yep. Just a few glitches.
You're making my point - the powers that be wanted the scheme to continue, so they came out pronto with a full media blitz assuring they're going to save the program. Somebody yesterday was trying to send a message with an "anonymous source" leak, and it apparently worked. As far as legislative protocols and niceties like passing bills, come on -- that is pre-obama nostalgia. That stuff is background noise to these people. A handful of guys met in a Fed back room on the weekend and handed out blank checks to save the IBs; when the unions pressured them, they just ignored bankruptcy law; God only knows what deals they struck to backstop all that toxic debt; the list goes on -- they have a crisis license, and can fund whatever they want.