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Taxes increase as the tax base grows, of course. Lower ones would be nice. Lower tax rates still bring higher revenue because they release additional economic growth. Highways are getting a lot more use obviously than 30 years ago, and we spend more on them than we ever have. Who can possibly care? Crime is decreasing, the crime rate is as low as it has been since the mid 1960s. More people go to college than ever before, where liberals stuff their heads full of mush.

You change the subject from economics to areas liberals control and socialists advocate, and pretend it means we aren't richer than ever before or that jobs are disappearing or that ferrners is atakin over, and it is all utter nonsense. Now if you want to abolish tenure, cut taxes, privatize public schools, and keep the good news on crime rates coming with tougher parole and sentencing, every conservative will agree. Without thinking any of it has anything to do with the slightest smidgen of gloom or of doom.

And if you want to worry about something because worry is your life, then worry about Iran getting nuclear weapons and the Europeans appeasing them and Russia helping. Worry about liberals who would sell their grandmother for political power undercutting our brave men in the field. Fine issues where conservatives agree with you and substantial things are actually wrong.

But the economy is fine. It should not be a political issue at all. It has been fine for a generation and it is going to go on being fine for another generation. The last time we had any real economic management issue in this country worthy of political debate was the 1970s, when we needed to regain control of the money supply and end excessively easy Keynsian inspired inflationism. That was all played out in the real economy by the bottom of the 1982 recession, and won in politics with Reagan's tax cuts instead of more monetary juice, plus his re-election in 1984.

The last time before that we had a serious economic issue in this country was under Nixon with the floating of the dollar, related to the aforementioned errors in monetary policy. And before that, there was a real issue with 91% top marginal tax rates, which Kennedy cut. Before that we had a real political issues with economics in designing the post WW II trade regime, and before that with the great depression and responses to it.

But most of the time, the economy has not need whatever for the slightest political intervention or meddling. It does just fine. It has done just fine for over 200 years, transforming a backwater of 3 million poor farmers and fishermen into the world richest and mightest industrial power, and it will go on doing so long after you and I are fertilizing the daisies. In utter contempt of politicians and ideology.

Socialist ideology insanely politicized all economic questions in the late 19th and throughout the 20th century. That is over. It was all nonsense. Politicians seeking to pit class against class, stoke fear and resentment, and win votes by pretending they can change economic outcomes, refuse to give up their hobbyhorse. That is all. There is no burning political issue or fight about anything economic today. Nor should there be, because the economy is fine and we are the richest and most pampered people in world history. We just whine like collosal crybabies all the time, too.