Posted on 03/10/2019 1:36:30 PM PDT by Kaslin
It feels like Backward Day in the mainstream media this week. Case in point: The editorial board of the Washington Post published an opinion on deficit spending. The short version is that they believe there’s too much of it going on and the Trump administration, abetted by the GOP in Congress, has been burning through cash like a sailor on shore leave. In their opinion, the projected $900B deficit we’re looking at for 2019 is a sign of an unhealthy democracy.
For our part, we dont think the deficit per se is likely to cause short-term economic harm, or that theres a case for immediately adopting a zero-deficit budget. And we dont know anyone who does think those things notwithstanding the pummeling that straw man sometimes takes from the deficit doves. What we do believe is that fiscal prudence counsels against accelerated debt accumulation during a time of full employment, as opposed to trimming deficits and preserving fiscal space to deal with the next recession among other priorities, foreseeable and otherwise, with which the country will be faced…
In a healthy democracy, the budgeting process reflects a reasonable balance between the resources available and policy priorities, both present and future. Leaders persuade voters to accept trade-offs in the public interest. In an unhealthy democracy, leaders pretend that resources are unlimited and compete for voter favor by promising the moon. They engage in magical thinking. They opportunistically abandon their partys supposed fiscal principles, as the Republicans have done under Mr. Trump. Judged by these criteria, alas, democracy in the United States is not healthy.
The irritating part of this editorial (at least from my perspective) is that they actually make several important points, despite the hypocrisy of largely ignoring the problem while Obama was in office. But you’ll note that in the excerpted portion above, the editors build in an insurance policy against charges of employing a double standard. They state that times of full employment and robust economic growth are the ideal periods to pay down debt and set aside some cap space for the inevitable next economic downturn. (Which should be an obvious truth.) But they preface that by implying that such concerns can be safely ignored during a collapse such as we saw in 2007 and a sluggish, stumbling recover such as was seen for the next eight years.
Borrowing a reasonable amount of money to spur the nation’s economy back toward health with functional programs could indeed be excused if the stated (and enforceable) premise was that the money was only to be used for that and replaced when the goal was achieved. That’s never been how the government has operated in my lifetime, however, and certainly wasn’t under the Obama administration. Too much of the stimulus money was frittered away to little effect and they never had any intention of cutting our debt after the economy was back on its feet.
If you look past those inconsistencies, however, the WaPo board is pretty much spot on. The current situation is unsustainable and everyone knows it but nobody wants to talk about it. It’s not a question of if this ballon is going to burst, but only when. They are also right when they note that neither party is serious about paying down the debt or even significantly reducing annual deficits. Both parties talk about it when they are out of power, but once they get hold of the steering wheel it’s back to giving away “other people’s money” as fast as possible to win over the shifting loyalty of the voters.
The ‘teacher’s pet’ is democrats - when a democrat gets in office the Washington Post will sing the democrat song again.
Analysis: Illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $116 billion annually
I think that’s just federal dollars, not including state and local and the burden on school systems.
Obama added more to the national debt than all previous presidents combined.
But that was ok, because, well just because, the anointed Barack can do no wrong.
Well, they should be worried about deficits. They’re about to be hit with a 250 million dollar deficit when the Covington lawsuit is settled.
Wait until they have to pay that suit.
He was "The Light Worker."
I agree with them, on this.
America is (badly) out of whack. We can not continue as we are now.
For real. We really, really, really need to control spending. Big time.
They have no shame. Nakedly partisan.
......WaPo should worry about where they stand on the Covington kids lawyers list after CNN’s 250 million
was announced...
A big part of the problem is that NOBODY has put forward realistic proposals to reduce medical spending. Medicare alone is going to devour the federal budget by the mid-2020’s. Something has to break here - either medical costs will have to go down, or the Medicare program will have to be cut way back.
You said almost exactly what I was going to say. Per Lin Wood, CNN gets their lawsuit this week .... heh, heh. It will likely be higher than $250 million.
Nick Sandmann’s attorney reveals lawsuit against CNN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_VBaAppFfM
Note: interview with Mark Levin on “Life, Liberty & Levin”.
[ The Washington Post is now very worried about budget deficits ]
Where were they during 8 years of Barack?
Oh, nevermind.
[But that was ok, because, well just because, the anointed Barack can do no wrong.
He was “The Light Worker.”]
Appropriate.
2 Corinthians 11:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Of course they are worried about deficits.
As it looks more and more likely they cannot deal with the upcoming Mueller report
Probably. More than likely. They need a new distraction.
Ive never even given the WaPo a hit on its website. The one sided reporting on Watergate did it for me.
Lose the currency and it’s time to ask the unpleasant question - - who will be the American Kulaks?
The Republicans only worry about the deficit when a Democrat is in the White House and the Democrats only worry about the deficit when a Republican is in the White House.
This is easy—if everyone had to pay for their own Medical insurance and/or care (no government subsidy or payment allowed) those costs would go _way_ down in a hurry.
No politician would touch this proposal with a ten foot pole—so it looks like a planet destroying asteroid strike is the only way this issue will be addressed. :-(
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