# Can someone tell me what this (probably right wing) photo means? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 5, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059 "2012-12-05T11:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/21 "2012-12-06T18:43:38Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > One point it is missing is that the Head is using the money to buy stuff for his Boss. Also, he doesn’t _demand_ more money. He asked “the boss”, and the boss decided that he should get some more. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/22 "2012-12-06T19:23:37Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > Also, he doesn’t _demand_ more money. He asked “the boss”, and the boss decided that he should get some more. Well, the Board of Directors voted earlier in the year to spend much more than the company was taking in, but also voted against issuing more bonds. Lowering dividends was strictly off the table because the board would be voted out if they did. So what should the CEO do? ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/23 "2012-12-07T03:41:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Well, the Board of Directors voted earlier in the year to spend much more than the company was taking in, but also voted against issuing more bonds. Lowering dividends was strictly off the table because the board would be voted out if they did. So what should the CEO do? The CEO is well aware of the cash flow problem and wants to do something about it without drastically gutting the company, but is getting blocked by an extremist minority on the board. _ **Now** _ what should he do? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/24 "2012-12-07T03:49:49Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > Determine my own credit limit=Congress setting the debt ceiling > > Demand more money from my boss=increasing taxes (boss is the voters) > > If he refuses, I’ll throw him in jail=prosecuting tax evaders. > > Doesn’t make any sense, but that’s what it means. This was exactly my take as well; although perhaps “boss” means the rich? The “job creators”? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/25 "2012-12-08T05:35:24Z")
The cartoon is referring to a proposal (originally proposed by Mitch McConnell during last year’s debt limit crisis) that would let the President raise the debt limit for any spending that has already been authorized by congress (having a debt limit is retarded btw, you can’t spend money congress doesn’t appropriate) and it would take a 2/3 vote of congress to stop him. So Obama sent that proposal to the senate a little while ago and the Republicans thought it was so ridiculous that they dared the Democrats to take a vote. When they did, they filibustered the vote. The cartoon wrap up some notions of extortionate taxation into the mix but its hard to figure out wtf these yahoos are thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Bremidon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Bremidon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bremidon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/26 "2012-12-08T13:25:54Z")
I didn’t find anything particularly mysterious about the analogy. The fact that it feels ridiculous is, in fact, the whole point of the poster. And of course Debt and Money(in this case Income) are two separate, but related things. If you do not believe this, then go to the bank and ask for a $20 Million loan. They might want to see if you are good for the cash. There’s your link. For that matter, having just gone through the process of getting a higher limit on my credit card, they definitely wanted to see what I had already for debt and how much money I bring in each month. So I’m not quite getting the incredulousness of some of the posts here. Should I go on? I’ve gone this far, I might as well go the whole way now :). I suppose that the analogy would be stronger if it was his wife (or same-sex partner, if you’re going to go all rabid on me) running up the charges and now he has to raise the limit to cover what she’s (or he’s) already bought. But this would make the poster busy and dilute the message that our government’s finances defy all common sense. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/27 "2012-12-08T14:57:31Z")
Google reveals a facebook page ([Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/stillevident)) with the original image and lots of tea-party-esque arglebargle and pictures of Obama as Caesar and a mugger. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/28 "2012-12-08T15:51:02Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > So Obama sent that proposal to the senate a little while ago and the Republicans thought it was so ridiculous that they dared the Democrats to take a vote. When they did, they filibustered the vote. You didn’t mention the best part. Mitch McConnell was again the Senator who introduced the proposal before the Senate. But then when it looked like it might actually pass, McConnell filibustered against it to prevent this. I don’t think there’s been an official ruling on this yet, but many people are saying this appears to be the first time in the history of the Senate where a Senator has filibustered against his own bill. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059/29 "2012-12-09T02:33:12Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The OP is making a valid point. Borrowing money and raising taxes are not the same thing, although some conservatives try to connect them together as if they were. > > To put it in terms of the linked sign, if somebody could really demand more money from their boss, they’d have no need to raise their credit limit. If you can get all the money you wanted, why would you need credit? > > In real world politics, raising taxes (“demanding more money”) would actually help lower the debt not raise it as the sign implies. What the sign is implying is that the government wants to raise the debt limit so more money can be borrowed and to do so it also wants to increase taxes to cover the additional debt. This is precisely what President Obama proposes to do. In the real world the government is [borrowing 46 cents for every dollar spent](http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/7/government-borrows-46-cents-every-dollar-it-spends/). There is absolutely no connection to taxes raised and money spent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-tell-me-what-this-probably-right-wing-photo-means/643059.md?page=1)