"There is widespread agreement that the federal government faces two huge tasks. I would rank them in this order: First, encourage the sluggish economic recovery to gather steam, on the proven theory that solid growth makes our other problems much easier to solve. Second, take prudent steps to begin addressing our long-term debt problem and put entitlement programs on a sustainable course.
Some people would reverse those priorities and put debt reduction first. I think that would be a mistake. Let’s have that argument. But we should all be able to agree that “none of the above” is not the right answer."While Robinson and I would probably engage in an eye-gouging, hair-pulling slapfest over how to achieve these aims, I do see some common ground. He's correct that we must rejuvenate our spluttering economy, and we must get a firm handle on debt and entitlement spending.
Best of all, Robinson prefaced his article with this simple statement: "To say that Congress looked like a clown show this week is an insult to self-respecting clowns."
Mr. Robinson, I'd like to shake your hand. You've wrapped up my utter disgust with Washington in a few hundred well-written words. You can read Robinson's excoriation of the President and Congress here.
I agree with Robinson only to the extent that this 'deal' was a joke.
ReplyDeleteMost of his underlying beliefs are no more realistic than those of any other left-winger.
Government spending is NOT the answer for this economy (or pretty much any other, ever) but IS the reason for almost all the rest of the problems.
I know that in today's world that is an extremely radical position, but. . .
We've had decades of government spending, which increased under both parties only at incrementally different rates, and it has done not one good thing for the national economy.
Most of those who this largesse was squandered upon have made not only no progress under the programs that have driven us to the abyss, but have gone backwards or downhill (pick your metaphor).
The simple fact that there is a total of $1 in spending cuts for each $41 of (projected*) revenue increase shows that not only the Congress and Executive branches are essentially third-rate clown colleges, but that everyone who had breathed a sigh of relief at this debacle is simply awaiting admission to said colleges.
* Of course, since the wealthy generally have incredible flexibility in the management of their money, as well as legions of tax accountants and attorneys on retainer, EVERY CBO projection made always errs on the side of projecting more revenue than is actually raised.
If you want to know where the next big federal income boost will happen, check your W-2's when they come this year. I believe it is Block 12.
That is where, beginning this year, it is going to begin to show the amount your employer spends on your health care insurance.
For now, that is untaxed, and the amount listed there is for 'informational purposes' only. For now.
But how much would anyone care to bet, that long before the current regime is out of power, that insurance spending will be added to taxable income, which will cost anyone who has employer-provided insurance in two ways. First, by simply upping the taxable income, and second, in many cases, by raising the bracket of those who recieve it.
After all, it's only fair. We can't balance the budget on the backs of those who will not or can not work by denying them more government handouts, when all we greedy workers can obviously afford to send a little more to Washington to indulge their voracious need for more money and power, right?
The whole thing is a joke, and will continue to be a joke. I'm heartened that some on the far-left see it as a joke too. I hope Dems abandon the party in droves.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've been reading, many Repubs are jumping ship, after their catastrophic handling of the "fiscal cliff" nonsense and the reelection of Boehner The Crybaby.
Never again will I hold my nose and vote for a Republican. Ever. And I wish Reince Priebus would stop sending me emails asking for more money, because chances are he'll never see another cent from me. I'll donate to the candidates themselves, regardless of party.
I'm sure you're right about taxing insurance premiums, DWT. The agenda is to drive EVERYONE onto a Medicaid-like government program. At that point, they own us.
Spengler.
ReplyDeleteNo, not the Asia Times columnist... the real Spengler
Very interesting, Lewy, as well as disturbing and even frightening to some extent.
DeleteThe major thing that I must take issue with is the claim of imperialism on the part of the the US.
Imperialism, as I've always understood it, has been the enrichment of the imperial state by removal of wealth from the conquered.
But not only is that not happening with the US involvement in the world, it is exactly the opposite of what is happening.
American blood and treasure flows away from us, rather than foreign treasure enriching us.
Perhaps that is a minor point, and perhaps our actions in the world still are some sort of cultural imperialism, but it does not seem so, to me.
As for the rest, Spengler certainly seems to have hit some nails directly on the head in regard to our country moving ever farther from the ideals of our founding, in the sense of the shared values that made America, being undercut, at least, by the self-described intelligentsia in the cities and educational system.
It certainly seems to me, and many others, that we are on a downward slope, and most of that is based on the libertine, as opposed to libertarian 'ideals' expressed ever more blatantly by those who loathe America while claiming to hold the moral high-ground in our society.