CAMPAIGN QUESTIONS

THE TRADE DEFICIT

deficit

Value in millions of dollars.

(SOURCE: Trading Economics, U.S. Census Bureau)

The United States has been running consistent trade deficits since 1976 due to high imports of oil and consumer products. In recent years, the biggest trade deficits were recorded with China, Japan, Germany and Mexico.

The United States currently has a Balance of Payments Deficit of approximaely $400 billion (World Bank).

What specifically are you going to do to bring the trade deficit to zero? If you can't bring it to zero, can you give us a specific figure that the trade deficit would be on December 31st 2020? Will this go on indefinitely? What are foreign countries going to buy from us to make this happen? What are we going to sell to China, Japan, Germany and Mexico to close the deficit?

Would you consider adding tariffs? Why or why not?

America's Balance of Payments Deficit (World Future Fund Report)


AMERICA'S LOW LEVEL OF SAVINGS

savings table

America is behind other nations around the globe in terms of saving and investing in its own future. Chinese savings rates are more than three times higher than American savings rates. Rising economic powers such as Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore also have higher savings rates than the United States.

Over half of China's Gross Domestic Product goes towards National Savings. Meanwhile in the U.S, that figure is only 15%. Under your presidency, by the year 2020, what percentage of the GDP will go towards Savings?

It is said that you get what you pay for. Do you think America's future is worth investing and saving for?

What will you do in the future to increase American savings? Specifically, what programs will you cut? What taxes will you increase?

International Savings and Investment (World Future Fund Report)  (Shows need to increase US savings.)

International Monetary Fund (IMF) official website


A VALUE ADDED TAX

consumption tax

The 'Value Added Tax' is a type of Consumption Tax that 70% of the world's population lives under, and it has been responsible for raising $18 trillion in revenues.

Would you consider introducing a Value Added Tax, like every other modern state? Why or why not?

If not, how do you plan to raise the money to pay for our budget deficit, or for America's failing infrastructure? What taxes will you increase? What areas of spending will you cut? If you would implement this plan, how much total tax revenue do you think this would generate?

Sources:

Consumption Tax: (World Future Fund Report)   

Collapse of International Savings and Investment (World Future Fund Report)   

American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card  An excellent study of America's decaying infrastructure.


A GAS TAX

International Gas Tax Rates (This is in liters, not gallons)

gas tax

Simply cutting spending and raising taxes across the board could make matters worse, not better. What we need to do is increase incentives for investments while raising taxes on consumption. One idea in particular that can help on this front is raising gas tax rates, especially since America has one of the lowest gas tax rates in the world.

Would you support this idea? Yes or no? Why or why not?

If not, how do you plan to raise the money to pay for our budget deficit and failing infrastructure? What taxes will you increase? What areas of spending will you cut?

Sources:

Energy Taxes (World Future Fund Report)

Collapse of International Savings and Investment (World Future Fund Report)   

American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card  Excellent study of America's decaying infrastructure.


MILITARY SPENDING

Today the U.S. military has a total of over 700 military bases in 130 countries around the world. Total military spending by the U.S. government (at a figure of $610 billion) is nearly equal to the combined military spending of the rest of the globe. Meanwhile, the federal government is literally drowning in debt.

So would you support cutting the military budget? Yes or no? Why or why not?

If not, how do you explain Obama spending more in constant dollars on military spending than the Reagan administration (TIME)?

Do you think America's allies should spend the same amount of their GDP on military spending?

If you do support cutting the military budget, what will the new figure look like on December 31st 2020?

NATO TROOPS IN EUROPE

When NATO was founded Europe was in ruins. A giant and dangerous Soviet empire threatened to take over the entire continent. American made a correct and absolutely vital decision to send troops and military aid to western Europe. However, this was never supposed to be a permanent arrangement. Once Europe got back on its feet, most American troops were supposed to return home, and Europe was supposed to make an equal commitment to its defense. Unfortunately, this never happened. Today this situation that is costing American tax payers tens of billions of dollars as fabulously rich nations, such as Germany, the third largest economy on earth, spend almost 50% less than America does on defense as a share of their GNP. In other words they are making 50% less of a sacrifice than U.S. citizens, while NATO Europe as whole spends 40% less.

So are you going to ask Germany to pay their fair share? Are you going to ask these other European nations to start paying their fair share?

Sources:

NATO: Time For a Shared Sacrifice (World Future Fund)

RIDICULOUS MILITARY SPENDING: 12 Facts That Show America Can't Afford To Police The World Anymore (Business Insider, 12-13-10)    

America’s staggering defense budget, in charts (Washington Post, 1-7-13)

Correcting The Pentagon's Distorted Budget History (TIME, 7-16-13)


FOREIGN POLICY

Since 9/11, America has bombed seven countries, staged interventions in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and has killed thousands in its drone war. What have been the results? The Islamic State has taken control of northern Iraq and Syria (this includes Iraq's second biggest city, Mosul). Almost a quarter of a million people have died in the Syrian war so far (Aljazeera), 30,000 in Libya (Necrometrics), more than 1,500 in Yemen (CNN), and anywhere between 1 million - 2.5 million in Iraq if you include American sanctions (Physicians for social responsibility).Yet even with all these deaths, there is more terrorist activity - not less. According to the Global Terrorism Index, the number of terrorist related fatalities has jumped five fold (Global Terrorism Index).Not only have these wars been a failure at establishing peace, but they have also been a bloated expense on the national budget: the war in Iraq alone has amounted to almost $2 trillion. Also, the regions of the world in which we have intervened are in chaos.

Do you think it is worth it to spend so much of America's budget on these wars when we are drowning in debt (such as the $2 trillion in Iraq)? If so, why?

Do you plan to expand these wars in the future? How long? Indefinitely? If so, what areas of the budget will you cut to pay for these wars?

IRAQ

Did you vote yes to a war in Iraq? If yes, why? How do you explain the fact that the region is now in chaos? In hindsight, do you think you made the right decision considering that their second largest city has been captured by the world's leading terrorist organization?

YEMEN

Did you initially support a drone war in Yemen? If yes, why? How do you explain the fact that the region is now in chaos? In hindsight, do you think you made the right decision? If yes, explain why. Do you support the Saudi intervention in Yemen?

LIBYA

Did you initially support America's intervention in Libya? If yes, why? How do you explain the fact that the region is now in chaos? In hindsight, do you think you made the right decision? If yes, explain why.

SYRIA

Did you initially support an American intervention in Syria? If yes, why? How do you explain the fact that the region is now in chaos? In hindsight, do you think you made the right decision?

Do you think we should continue to try arming rebels against Assad, considering that many of the rebels we're arming are defecting to the Islamic State, and that Assad has the support of the majority of the Syrian people?

Do you think it was worth it for the Pentagon to spend $500 million just to train 60 'moderate' rebels?

Sources:

Obama's 2011 Attack on Libya (World Future Fund)

Obama's Attack on Syria (World Future Fund)

Obama's Drone Attacks (World Future Fund)


HEALTH CARE

health care

The American government subsidizes several industries, but what about the right to life? We're not just talking about fetuses either. If we can subsidize the oil industry, why can't we pay for the lives of the 30 million people who currently lack health insurance?

America is one of the few nations in the world without Single Payer Health Care. Even with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the CBO projects that there will still be 30 million non elderly citizens without heath care by 2022. This is not to mention that Americans on average still spend much more on health care than anywhere else in the globe.

Do you support the idea of a single payer health care system? Why or why not? If so, what would you do to implement single payer health care insurance? Would you try to overturn the Affordable Health Care Act? If so, what are you going to replace it with - nothing?

Sources:

Need for Single Payer Health Insurance (World Future Fund)


CHILD POVERTY

America is number one in child poverty in developed nations around the globe. According to the Washington Post, poor children are now the majority in American public schools.

What will you do to decrease child poverty? Would you increase spending for food stamps? If so, by how much? What would the exact figure be by December 31st 2020? How would you pay for this? What spending cuts would you make? What taxes would you increase?

Would you increase welfare spending in order to deal with the issue of child poverty? If so, by how much? What would the exact figure be by December 31st 2020? How would you pay for this? What spending cuts would you make? What taxes would you increase?

Sources:

America: Number One in Child Poverty (World Future Fund)

Study: Poor Children are Now the Majority in American Public Schools in South, West (Washington Post, 10-16-13)


QUESTIONS FOR HILLARY

Why did the Clinton Foundation accept donations from 20 foreign governments who relied upon your role in the State Department for weapons approvals? (Salon) Do you think this is ethical?

Adding to that, what do you have to say about the transfer of half of U.S. Uranium output to the Russian government in 2010 after the Russian government's uranium company, Ian Telfer, made a secret $2.35 million dollar donation to the Clinton Foundation? Is there a connection? (New York Times)

At a time when income inequality is at an all time high, do you really think you can relate to the average American when you make $300K for every speaking engagement and fly around in a personal jet?

Why did you lie about being under sniper fire in Bosnia when this clearly didn't happen? (CBS)

Between 2007-2014 you earned $141 million in donations. How do you explain to the public that you haven't been influenced by this money? (CNN)