Our credit rating doesn't get downgraded because we might, someday, pose a risk, it gets downgraded because the risk is already present and the indicators point to the problem getting worse, not better. Interest rates on our borrowing don't go up because we might, someday, pose a risk, they go up because the risk is already present and the indicators point to the problem getting worse, not better.
Except of course the quote I was responding to: "do you believe a full all out war in the middle east will?..." - Pocket
A "full all out war in the middle east" was the context in which my remarks were made, context which you have ignored since the beginning.
You took my comment out of context to claim that "limited airstrikes" would not collapse the country and when I called you on that strawman you shifted to claiming that spending a couple trillion more wouldn't collapse the country, as if that spending would occur in a vacuum and that a "full all out war in the middle east" wouldn't have repercussions far beyond that of simply us spending more money.
As I have pointed out, and you have totally ignored, there is a great deal more to the issue than just that of additional spending.
My explanation: The cascade effect. We saw it with the housing crisis... Everything was "fine" until home prices began to drop, that was the catalyst which set off a cascade effect that crushed the entire system. My argument, invading Iran could be the catalyst for a collapse of the US. You remind me of those people who were wearing rose colored glasses during the housing bubble, ignoring all the warning signs as being trivial, insisting that everything is just fine, that nothing bad is on the horizon, that any problems will be seen long before it becomes an issue and that we will have ample time to avoid any kind of crisis.
Yes you have, and such an argument is entirely one dimensional. You're assuming many things, primarily that a ground war and occupation of Iran would not have any other side affects beyond spending... like a 30% rise in the cost of oil would not cause our fragile economy to slide back into recession, or worse, a depression... where have you factored in the fact that tax revenues decline in down economies while spending skyrockets for social welfare, bailouts, stimulus packages? Oh, and don't forget to factor in the role political unrest would play in a country angry about our government starting a third war of occupation in the middle east, higher gas prices, a failing economy, etc... The issue has always been about more than just that of additional spending but anyone listening to your argument on the subject would never know it.
It was always the chain reaction that would collapse us. I never claimed that our entire country would magically fall apart at the very moment we stepped foot onto Iranian soil.
Because it's not just about the debt...
I have backed up my assertions as best I can considering that I'm talking about a hypothetical scenario which does not lend itself to offering solid empirical facts. But let's also not pretend that you have offered more than "vague generalities" about how we can sustain huge amounts of additional spending while acting as though no other factors should even be considered because a war with Iran couldn't possibly have any other consequences.
When placed against your one dimensional view that considers only additional spending and nothing else, I can see why you believe I have not adequately defended my viewpoint.
The political reality isn't going to change... It hasn't changed for more than 100 years and there's nothing to suggest that it's going to change.
