If the Republican Party were a normal party...

[Bfgrn]

The Mother of All No-Brainers

By DAVID BROOKS
Published: July 4, 2011

If the Republican Party were a normal party, it would take advantage of this amazing moment. It is being offered the deal of the century: trillions of dollars in spending cuts in exchange for a few hundred billion dollars of revenue increases.

A normal Republican Party would seize the opportunity to put a long-term limit on the growth of government. It would seize the opportunity to put the country on a sound fiscal footing. It would seize the opportunity to do these things without putting any real crimp in economic growth.

The party is not being asked to raise marginal tax rates in a way that might pervert incentives. On the contrary, Republicans are merely being asked to close loopholes and eliminate tax expenditures that are themselves distortionary.

This, as I say, is the mother of all no-brainers.

But we can have no confidence that the Republicans will seize this opportunity. That’s because the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party. Over the past few years, it has been infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative.

The members of this movement do not accept the logic of compromise, no matter how sweet the terms. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch in order to cut government by a foot, they will say no. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch to cut government by a yard, they will still say no.

The members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities. A thousand impartial experts may tell them that a default on the debt would have calamitous effects, far worse than raising tax revenues a bit. But the members of this movement refuse to believe it.

The members of this movement have no sense of moral decency. A nation makes a sacred pledge to pay the money back when it borrows money. But the members of this movement talk blandly of default and are willing to stain their nation’s honor.

The members of this movement have no economic theory worthy of the name. Economists have identified many factors that contribute to economic growth, ranging from the productivity of the work force to the share of private savings that is available for private investment. Tax levels matter, but they are far from the only or even the most important factor.

But to members of this movement, tax levels are everything. Members of this tendency have taken a small piece of economic policy and turned it into a sacred fixation. They are willing to cut education and research to preserve tax expenditures. Manufacturing employment is cratering even as output rises, but members of this movement somehow believe such problems can be addressed so long as they continue to worship their idol.

Over the past week, Democrats have stopped making concessions. They are coming to the conclusion that if the Republicans are fanatics then they better be fanatics, too.

Mere parsimony is not economy. Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy.
Edmund Burke

 

[Si modo]

David Brooks is a good neocon.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

You mean....."If the republican party was a conforming party"

 

[Bfgrn]

You mean....."If the republican party was a conforming party"

The GOP is the epitome of conformity, and if they don't conform, they will be ostracized, then exorcized.

The party that strongly considered a 'Purity Test' that Ronald Reagan would fail.

Educate yourself on Grover Norquist...a RADICAL, not a conservative.


Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.
Will Rogers

 

[kaz]

If the Republican Party were a normal party, it would take advantage of this amazing moment. It is being offered the deal of the century: trillions of dollars in spending cuts in exchange for a few hundred billion dollars of revenue increases

The deal is the suckers bet of the century. The only number in the deal that matters is $100 billion, which is the paltry portion of our $1.4 trillion deficit this year. The future cuts mean nothing because they will be in future budgets. Reagan was promised three for one spending cut to tax increases, it was a lie, all he got were the tax increases. Anyone who believes the future cuts will ever come isn't paying attention. This is how libs bait the trap, tax now, cut later. How's that working out for us? Then again I only really followed it since the 80s, this time's different, right Bfgrn?

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

You mean....."If the republican party was a conforming party"

The GOP is the epitome of conformity, and if they don't conform, they will be ostracized, then exorcized.

The party that strongly considered a 'Purity Test' that Ronald Reagan would fail.

Educate yourself on Grover Norquist...a RADICAL, not a conservative.


Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.
Will Rogers

Democrats never agree on anything? Except money and bribes buy votes, enter Ocare.

Republicans on the otherhand are holding their leaders feet to the fire rather than conforming to his deal with O.

 

[St.Blues]

Posted by Bfgrn:B]members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities[/B]

You need a drink...Those moronic scholars need therapy!

Blues

 

[Truthmatters]

The republican party created this mess themselves.

They were a party who could not win and so they desided to rewrite history, lie their asses off and cheat in elections.

In doing so they have created a base that is out of touch with reality.

Its their own monster.


Their base hates the government our founders left us and pretend its something other than it really is.


Uninformed and filled with lies is no way for a party to aid its country.

 

[Si modo]

The republican party created this mess themselves.

They were a party who could not win and so they desided to rewrite history, lie their asses off and cheat in elections.

In doing so they have created a base that is out of touch with reality.

Its their own monster.


Their base hates the government our founders left us and pretend its something other than it really is.


Uninformed and filled with lies is no way for a party to aid its country.

 

[NYcarbineer]

David Brooks is a good neocon.

And how would that be relevant?

 

[auditor0007]

The Mother of All No-Brainers

By DAVID BROOKS
Published: July 4, 2011

If the Republican Party were a normal party, it would take advantage of this amazing moment. It is being offered the deal of the century: trillions of dollars in spending cuts in exchange for a few hundred billion dollars of revenue increases.

A normal Republican Party would seize the opportunity to put a long-term limit on the growth of government. It would seize the opportunity to put the country on a sound fiscal footing. It would seize the opportunity to do these things without putting any real crimp in economic growth.

The party is not being asked to raise marginal tax rates in a way that might pervert incentives. On the contrary, Republicans are merely being asked to close loopholes and eliminate tax expenditures that are themselves distortionary.

This, as I say, is the mother of all no-brainers.

But we can have no confidence that the Republicans will seize this opportunity. That’s because the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party. Over the past few years, it has been infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative.

The members of this movement do not accept the logic of compromise, no matter how sweet the terms. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch in order to cut government by a foot, they will say no. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch to cut government by a yard, they will still say no.

The members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities. A thousand impartial experts may tell them that a default on the debt would have calamitous effects, far worse than raising tax revenues a bit. But the members of this movement refuse to believe it.

The members of this movement have no sense of moral decency. A nation makes a sacred pledge to pay the money back when it borrows money. But the members of this movement talk blandly of default and are willing to stain their nation’s honor.

The members of this movement have no economic theory worthy of the name. Economists have identified many factors that contribute to economic growth, ranging from the productivity of the work force to the share of private savings that is available for private investment. Tax levels matter, but they are far from the only or even the most important factor.

But to members of this movement, tax levels are everything. Members of this tendency have taken a small piece of economic policy and turned it into a sacred fixation. They are willing to cut education and research to preserve tax expenditures. Manufacturing employment is cratering even as output rises, but members of this movement somehow believe such problems can be addressed so long as they continue to worship their idol.

Over the past week, Democrats have stopped making concessions. They are coming to the conclusion that if the Republicans are fanatics then they better be fanatics, too.

Mere parsimony is not economy. Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy.
Edmund Burke

And this is why I left the Republican Party. It is now run by a bunch of ideological nutjobs who are clueless.

 

[Si modo]

David Brooks is a good neocon.

And how would that be relevant?

It's good to see neocons getting respect from the rabid partisan sect.

 

[Dot Com]

You mean....."If the republican party was a conforming party"

The GOP is the epitome of conformity, and if they don't conform, they will be ostracized, then exorcized.

The party that strongly considered a 'Purity Test' that Ronald Reagan would fail.

Educate yourself on Grover Norquist...a RADICAL, not a conservative.


Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.
Will Rogers

That article made me think of him and his anti- gov't pronouncements and dopey pledges he floats @ every year

 

[Wry Catcher]

You mean....."If the republican party was a conforming party"

The GOP is the epitome of conformity, and if they don't conform, they will be ostracized, then exorcized.

The party that strongly considered a 'Purity Test' that Ronald Reagan would fail.

Educate yourself on Grover Norquist...a RADICAL, not a conservative.


Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.
Will Rogers

Democrats never agree on anything? Except money and bribes buy votes, enter Ocare.

Republicans on the otherhand are holding their leaders feet to the fire rather than conforming to his deal with O.

It is very frustrating to read comments such as you post. There is a reason for "Ocare" which was an effort to reform a broken healthcare system. Not broken in the sense actual care was poor, broken in the sense that is was too expensive & in too many cases cost familes everything they worked for over a lifetime; it also failed to cover all Americans.

The arguments you seem to accept and the opinions you hold are bought and paid for by the special interests which profit from the current system, at the expense of our fellow citizens.

Democrats argue about process and expediency, they agree on one immutable truth: The Golden Rule.

Callous conservatives which dominate the GOP today reject this rule and as we have seen put profit over people as a matter of principle.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

If the Republican Party were a normal party, it would take advantage of this amazing moment. It is being offered the deal of the century: trillions of dollars in spending cuts in exchange for a few hundred billion dollars of revenue increases

The deal is the suckers bet of the century. The only number in the deal that matters is $100 billion, which is the paltry portion of our $1.4 trillion deficit this year. The future cuts mean nothing because they will be in future budgets. Reagan was promised three for one spending cut to tax increases, it was a lie, all he got were the tax increases. Anyone who believes the future cuts will ever come isn't paying attention. This is how libs bait the trap, tax now, cut later. How's that working out for us? Then again I only really followed it since the 80s, this time's different, right Bfgrn?

^^ THIS!!

Speaks da troof ta pawah!!

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

The GOP is the epitome of conformity, and if they don't conform, they will be ostracized, then exorcized.

The party that strongly considered a 'Purity Test' that Ronald Reagan would fail.

Educate yourself on Grover Norquist...a RADICAL, not a conservative.


Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.
Will Rogers

Democrats never agree on anything? Except money and bribes buy votes, enter Ocare.

Republicans on the otherhand are holding their leaders feet to the fire rather than conforming to his deal with O.

It is very frustrating to read comments such as you post. There is a reason for "Ocare" which was an effort to reform a broken healthcare system. Not broken in the sense actual care was poor, broken in the sense that is was too expensive & in too many cases cost familes everything they worked for over a lifetime; it also failed to cover all Americans.

The arguments you seem to accept and the opinions you hold are bought and paid for by the special interests which profit from the current system, at the expense of our fellow citizens.

Democrats argue about process and expediency, they agree on one immutable truth: The Golden Rule.

Callous conservatives which dominate the GOP today reject this rule and as we have seen put profit over people as a matter of principle.

Nice long drivel. Democrats WERE BRIBED TO VOTE FOR IT.
Facts are tricky to elude huh....

 

[CrusaderFrank]

You mean....."If the republican party was a conforming party"

The GOP is the epitome of conformity, and if they don't conform, they will be ostracized, then exorcized.

The party that strongly considered a 'Purity Test' that Ronald Reagan would fail.

Educate yourself on Grover Norquist...a RADICAL, not a conservative.


Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.
Will Rogers

 

[Neotrotsky]

Release
The RINO Kraken!

The Left hides in fear!
(too bad only the Left, RINO's and the MSM care what Brooks has to say)

The RNC taking advice from Brooks would be like them letting Papa Obama
run the party

 

[Truthmatters]

I love to see the right trying to out tea party each other.


Its great for the country

 

[driveby]

The republican party created this mess themselves.

They were a party who could not win and so they desided to rewrite history, lie their asses off and cheat in elections.

In doing so they have created a base that is out of touch with reality.

Its their own monster.


Their base hates the government our founders left us and pretend its something other than it really is.


Uninformed and filled with lies is no way for a party to aid its country.

They won the last election, dope.

Why do you hate your fellow americans so much that you lie about such simple things?......