Reagan and the Bushes expanded the federal debt significantly more than Carter and Clinton. This is mostly because they increased defense spending, lowered taxes (revenue), and refused to make corresponding cuts to entitlements (because, for example, seniors would punish them for cutting medicare and SS).
Moreover, when the GOP controlled all 3 branches for 6 years, they spent more than any party in modern memory.
[FYI: we know the Democrats are going to spend big -- they don't deny this fact, they are Keyneseans -- but the GOP's entire platform is deficit control (yet they never follow through). Don't take my word for it, Big Government conservatism's spending record is easily researched. Bush didn't veto any GOP pork because he needed support for an unpopular war. Worse: "Medicare Part D" was the greatest entitlement expansion in 50 years, and it didn't benefit tax payers because it locked in above-market costs for big pharma -- it was simply a big business give away.]
Given this abysmal 30 year deficit record, how is possible that we are once again listening to the GOP about their newfound respect for deficit reduction?
Everyone knows you can't address the deficit without either raising taxes or cutting the untouchables: SS, Medicare, and Defense. Clinton lowered the deficit by raising the highest tax bracket from 35% to 38% (and the economy boomed), but the GOP will not do this. And they won't cut Social Security or Medicare because they refuse to face the electoral consequences. As for Defense, the Republican party's money supply comes partly from awarding defense contracts. Therefore, the GOP is not going to cut the deficit. Like Reagan and the Bushes, they are going to explode it.
Here is my question. Sine the GOP never cuts spending (unless they are trying to obstruct a Democrat in the White House), why do so many voters believe in them?
Why doesn't the average talk radio listener understand that the GOP is merely demagoguing deficits in order to re-take Washington? And then, once they get Washington back, they will use "National Security" (e.g., Terrorism) to boost spending (and thus move money to their "machine") . . . = deficit explosion.
Why doesn't the Republican voter see this?
[My friend who teaches at a university in England says that over 50% of the American Right doesn't even know about the Reagan deficits, e.g., increasing defense spending, lowering taxes (revenue), combined with an unwillingness to cut entitlements. They still think Carter spent more than Reagan, despite the public record which has been around for 30 years. He says that this kind of information control means that the GOP can spend as much as they want because their spending record never reaches voters]
Why doesn't the Republican voter see the current deficit demagoguery for what it is? Republicans have been working this shell game for the past quarter century. They complain about deficits in order to gain power; then they explode the deficit beneath a carefully constructed "National Security" emergency (fighting evil Soviets or Islamo-Fadcists). It never fails. Does anyone even know the record of GOP pork under Reagan and the Bushes? It is unbelievable. Why don't Republican voters know about this stuff? Why do Republican Voters keep sending these big spenders to Washington? Don't they understand: America can no longer afford Big Government Conservatism. If we're going to spend, we have to re-capitalize the middle class, so they can start consuming again. Yet -- somehow -- we keep pumping taxpayer money into the same small cadre of special interests.
Why don't Republican voters see this?
Answers, please.
Moreover, when the GOP controlled all 3 branches for 6 years, they spent more than any party in modern memory.
[FYI: we know the Democrats are going to spend big -- they don't deny this fact, they are Keyneseans -- but the GOP's entire platform is deficit control (yet they never follow through). Don't take my word for it, Big Government conservatism's spending record is easily researched. Bush didn't veto any GOP pork because he needed support for an unpopular war. Worse: "Medicare Part D" was the greatest entitlement expansion in 50 years, and it didn't benefit tax payers because it locked in above-market costs for big pharma -- it was simply a big business give away.]
Given this abysmal 30 year deficit record, how is possible that we are once again listening to the GOP about their newfound respect for deficit reduction?
Everyone knows you can't address the deficit without either raising taxes or cutting the untouchables: SS, Medicare, and Defense. Clinton lowered the deficit by raising the highest tax bracket from 35% to 38% (and the economy boomed), but the GOP will not do this. And they won't cut Social Security or Medicare because they refuse to face the electoral consequences. As for Defense, the Republican party's money supply comes partly from awarding defense contracts. Therefore, the GOP is not going to cut the deficit. Like Reagan and the Bushes, they are going to explode it.
Here is my question. Sine the GOP never cuts spending (unless they are trying to obstruct a Democrat in the White House), why do so many voters believe in them?
Why doesn't the average talk radio listener understand that the GOP is merely demagoguing deficits in order to re-take Washington? And then, once they get Washington back, they will use "National Security" (e.g., Terrorism) to boost spending (and thus move money to their "machine") . . . = deficit explosion.
Why doesn't the Republican voter see this?
[My friend who teaches at a university in England says that over 50% of the American Right doesn't even know about the Reagan deficits, e.g., increasing defense spending, lowering taxes (revenue), combined with an unwillingness to cut entitlements. They still think Carter spent more than Reagan, despite the public record which has been around for 30 years. He says that this kind of information control means that the GOP can spend as much as they want because their spending record never reaches voters]
Why doesn't the Republican voter see the current deficit demagoguery for what it is? Republicans have been working this shell game for the past quarter century. They complain about deficits in order to gain power; then they explode the deficit beneath a carefully constructed "National Security" emergency (fighting evil Soviets or Islamo-Fadcists). It never fails. Does anyone even know the record of GOP pork under Reagan and the Bushes? It is unbelievable. Why don't Republican voters know about this stuff? Why do Republican Voters keep sending these big spenders to Washington? Don't they understand: America can no longer afford Big Government Conservatism. If we're going to spend, we have to re-capitalize the middle class, so they can start consuming again. Yet -- somehow -- we keep pumping taxpayer money into the same small cadre of special interests.
Why don't Republican voters see this?
Answers, please.
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