View From The Porch: Life's Great Mysteries, #452.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Life's Great Mysteries, #452.

How come when I put my AmEx bill on my Visa, it's stupid, but when the government does it, it's stimulus?

44 comments:

Brian said...: You have TWO credit cards? And at least one with a balance?

I hate to break this to you Tam, but I think you might be part of the problem.

Or the solution.

I just don't get it; 10:12 AM, March 18, 2009
Tam said...: This is a joke.

I don't actually have any cards at this time, and have been debt-free for nine years.; 10:15 AM, March 18, 2009
Brian said...: Joking too. I got it. I just don't get "it".

"It" being how things have gotten to the point where our government can spend itself into debt like a college freshman with a wallet full of new plastic.

The only reason I still have a credit card is Gunbroker.; 10:20 AM, March 18, 2009
Zendo Deb said...: Rationality is not rewarded in politics.

The only things missing from the Obama administration are stupid police uniforms and a small police car. Other than that they are acting like the Keystone Cops.; 10:51 AM, March 18, 2009
BobG said...: "The only things missing from the Obama administration are stupid police uniforms and a small police car. Other than that they are acting like the Keystone Cops."

At least the Keystone Cops were funny.; 11:19 AM, March 18, 2009
Drang said...: I was going to suggest that the answer is, you don't get it because you don't fart butterflies.

Anbd then I decided not to post anything.

Then I noticed the WV, and decided not to waste it: butslac

Sometimes, they write themselves...; 11:39 AM, March 18, 2009
NotClauswitz said...: The only thing we have to Fear is Congress itself - they're down at The Shore, gettin' likkered-up and tattoo'd.; 12:15 PM, March 18, 2009
Unknown said...: is this some of that "fuzzy math" they made fun of GW for?

Who's laughing now?

no one that's who.

Mr Fixit; 12:59 PM, March 18, 2009
Rob K said...: For the same reason Bernie Madoff's a criminal but FDR is a hero?; 1:22 PM, March 18, 2009
Anonymous said...: FDR sure isn't my hero!; 2:30 PM, March 18, 2009
Rob K said...: Maybe I should have put hero in quotes.; 2:36 PM, March 18, 2009
Unknown said...: The gov't can easily get itself out of debt by printing money until it's worth less than toilet paper. At which point I will advocate putting Obama's picture on the $20,000 bill.; 2:40 PM, March 18, 2009
John Hardin said...: To be fair, if you are carrying a balance transferring it to a different card may get you a reduced interest rate for the balance transfer. At least for a while.

I'm not sure how long you could run your balance around between various cards this way before they stopped offering the reduced rate to you.; 2:49 PM, March 18, 2009
Mike W. said...: "For the same reason Bernie Madoff's a criminal but FDR is a hero?"

Bingo. Madoff runs a ponsi scheme and steals from investors and he goes to jail. The government does exactly the same thing with Social Security and it's OK; 3:53 PM, March 18, 2009
laughingwolf said...: you KNOW the difference awreddy, tam... it's all about the great unwashed and the so-called elected/privileged

and cuz of the worldwide water crisis, we won;t get to shower any time soon :(; 5:17 PM, March 18, 2009
Heath J said...: It's funny..

You called it reason 452, and I instantly jumped to the conclusion it has something to do with CZ rimfire rifles...

I need an intervention.; 5:37 PM, March 18, 2009
Brian J. said...: Actually, if you can get points on it and keep the cycle going until death, it might not be a bad idea.; 5:57 PM, March 18, 2009
Tango Juliet said...: No mystery here. Private citizens are far too stupid to manage excessive/massive debt loads.

Only the annointed have the ridiculously huge brains necessary to pull off this feat.

Just pay your taxes like a good little citizen.; 6:17 PM, March 18, 2009
staghounds said...: Actually I know someone who did this, used a card for almost $10,000, then rolled it over to a new "No interest on balance transfers for 6 months!" card, repeat.

Did it for three and a half years, not a bad interest free car loan.; 7:19 PM, March 18, 2009
perlhaqr said...: staghounds: the hard part is finding one that doesn't charge a transfer fee.; 9:01 PM, March 18, 2009
Anonymous said...: Roger the debt-free feeling, Tam.

Just got there myself last week.

Feels weird.; 10:10 PM, March 18, 2009
Brian said...: Hey Tam - your line is the quote of the day over on survivalblog.

Nice.; 11:08 PM, March 18, 2009
Anonymous said...: My truck will be paid off in another 11 months. Then, I will buy more guns. And Ammo. And a new computer (ok, not all at the same time). But from here on out, except for emergencies, it's cash only.

And as for the reason the gov't can do it, it's "Because we are the government, and we're smarter".; 11:13 PM, March 18, 2009
Anonymous said...: Because they own more real estate than you do. : ); 11:35 PM, March 18, 2009
Anonymous said...: Hmmph. I don't have any debts, and they told me I couldn't vote. Nothing in common with the other subjects. Now I find out there's what, four of us?

Is it possible Our One's new ChinaCard had one of those no-fee transfer offers? Because, you know, that would explain just about everything.

ChinaCard: It's everywhere He wants to be...; 12:19 AM, March 19, 2009
Anonymous said...: To all those complaining without facts about Obama, check out if you would run your house the way the Bush administration ran the country.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/attachments/2008-presidential-election/21040d1212792152-what-will-you-give-up-pay-national_debt.jpg

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/news_detail.asp?newsID=31
http://www.factcheck.org/defending_spending_bushs_blooper.html

http://divisionoflabour.com/archives/BushBigSpender.jpg

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NA-AW028_SPEND_NS_20090219195222.gif

I'm not remotely saying Obama's administration has all the answers, but the previous administration was markedly different from the way a lot of so-called Republicans seem to remember it.; 10:21 AM, March 19, 2009
Brian said...: Way to step up to the plate there Anon.

"It's not our fault" - The Obama Administration

I'll gladly concede that the previous administration easily contributed more than their share to this mess.

If you're going to post a bunch of random links (city-data...really?) At least have the courtesy to use a name so you may be mocked properly.

The Obama administration is making things worse with each passing day. This should be obvious to most people.; 10:29 AM, March 19, 2009
Anonymous said...: Anonymous, I'd never think of complaining without facts about Obama. Right in with you on that, brother.

Let's start with his birth certificate. Then his grades.

Tiberius Caesar was a harsh, harsh man. Do you suppose that excuses his successor? Look it up.

Folks, we can expect a great deal more of this. The Party has cried havoc, and unleashed its dogs.; 8:32 PM, March 19, 2009
Tam said...: "Tiberius Caesar was a harsh, harsh man. Do you suppose that excuses his successor?"

HA!

rofl; 10:21 PM, March 19, 2009
comatus said...: Gratias ago.; 9:49 AM, March 20, 2009
New Jovian Thunderbolt said...: Tiberius Caesar was a harsh harsh man...

Great opening line for a folk song.; 11:02 AM, March 20, 2009
Anonymous said...: "Juxtapose the above with a paragraph with this stunning assesment from Victor Davis Hanson….another smart bomb nails it’s target. "; 5:52 PM, March 20, 2009
Anonymous said...: "I'm not remotely saying Obama's administration has all the answers, but the previous administration was markedly different from the way a lot of so-called Republicans seem to remember it."

So what you're saying is that Obama is just like Bush, only more so.; 6:09 PM, March 20, 2009
Anonymous said...: Two reasons:

1) You can not increase your income under force of law.

2) You can not print money at will.; 6:39 PM, March 20, 2009
Anonymous said...: It sucks once you fill up your credit cards then the taxman puts the squeeze on… that really sucks; 7:16 PM, March 20, 2009
Tam said...: "So what you're saying is that Obama is just like Bush, only more so."

Ouch! :D; 7:41 PM, March 20, 2009
Andrew_M_Garland said...: Tam,
You are a patriot. According to Obama's economic team, each $100 spent produces $150 in wealth and employment, by spreading the money around.

Every time you pay one card with another, you multiply this country's wealth. You are saving us all.

Strangely, if you believe Obama (alas, I don't), then even counterfeiting would be productive, and it is so much easier than earning and spending money.

Let's Counterfeit Our Way to Wealth; 8:38 PM, March 20, 2009
The Monster said...: When Obama made that crack about how he belonged in the Special Olympics, it was an insult... to Special Olympians! I have known quite a few people at various levels of mental retardation, (The Bride of Monster is personnel manager at a sheltered workshop; most of her employees qualify).

I recall well an incident in high school. A "retarded" kid told me about the project he was working on in carpentry class. They were building a garage out in the shop's gravel parking lot, directly in contact with the gravel. At the end of the semester, it would be auctioned off to recover the cost of materials, which would fund the next class' project. He couldn't believe the teacher didn't have them building in on top of cinder blocks to keep it out of contact with any ground moisture, and he was of the considered opinion that by the end of the semester, the bottom of the garage would already be rotten. He may have been "special", but he had more sense than the college-graduate teacher. That taught me an excellent lesson in humility; since then I've learned many things from people with IQs lower than mine, because I was receptive to the idea they might just know something I don't.

I don't think any Special Olympian would be able to explain how the cure for too much debt is more debt. No, they aren't anywhere near "smart" enough. You need an Ivy League education to get so far out of touch with reality as to believe that crap.; 10:35 PM, March 20, 2009
Anonymous said...: Time for term limits. 4 years in the house , 1 term for senate and president.; 11:21 PM, March 20, 2009
Brian said...: Quoted on Instapundit today.

Also nice.

What's the record for comments over here Tam?; 12:13 AM, March 21, 2009
Tam said...: Hunnert-n-sumpin, when a discussion got going really good.; 6:14 AM, March 21, 2009
Anonymous said...: What do you call it when Barney Frank fills up his cards?; 8:24 AM, March 21, 2009
Bruce said...: How come when I steal my neighbor's Visa card number and use it to pay my AmEx bill, it's a criminal offense, but when the government does it, it's "progressive"?

There, fixed it for ya.; 4:01 PM, March 21, 2009
sharpshiny said...: Tam, I love your profile. Are you for real?; 10:14 PM, March 22, 2009