Posted by
voice_of_reason on Saturday, August 14, 2010 8:32:43 AM
"When the only tool that you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."
Politicians of the Leftist persuasion (and columnists who are similarly inclined) think that the problem of unemployment can be solved by 'silver bullet' Government programs. Therefore, one hears calls for programs such as ________ {insert favorite Leftist-icon boondoggle here, either high speed trains (that couldn't compete profitably against airlines), or green jobs (that lose money while producing expensive energy)}.
The common theme is as follows: 'those free market bozos and their greedy, profit-seeking ways are bad, but we enlightened & well-intentioned central-planners will find better use for capital'.
This is hogwash on a gargantuan scale. Trillions of dollars have been extracted from the private economy (via borrowing and taxation) and spent on feel-good programs.
How to cut Govt spending? In a word: P R I V A T I Z E. Get the Govt out of areas that it should never have been allowed to take over.
* begin with education. Our disastrous 60 year experiment with Public Education has succeeded - in lowering quality, increasing costs - all in the name of equal access.
* next stop, healthcare. Yes, Medicare is the third rail of politics. But it is also the root cause behind our exploding health care costs.
Which brings me to the topic of this post: "If Republicans were Conservatives ..."
1) they would not be so tepid in their defense of the 'Bush era' tax cuts. In the ongoing debate, there is a ridiculous equivalence that is being drawn between tax cuts and spending increases. Yes, deficits matter. But, a small dip in the economy will cause tax revenues to plummet - even with all the tax cuts repealed! And, a tax hike will cause the economy to dip.
2) They would name names - of Govt programs, that is. Programs that are gobbling up borrowed money. However, most Republicans are playing 'safe', because they know that behind every Govt program is a voting bloc.
3) Enter the word 'privatization' in the American lexicon again - but as a good word, not as a pejorative. Just like Newsweek was sold for $1 (and $700M in debt), many Govt entities can also be sold. This does not mean that millions of Govt workers will suddenly be unemployed. After all, not all workers are fired when there is an acquisition in the private sector. Just that they would be subjected to the same profit/loss decisions that drive most enterprises - with good results.