Wishful Thinking 101: Can We Talk About the Deficit Now?

[Vladimir]

Mandatory in that it is political suicide to alter them in any significant fashion = yes -- I discussed that above.

The only real means of reducing the deficit is, therefore, to reduce the budget for the military.

To accomplish this, withdrawal from Iraq and turning over most of the responsibilities in Afghanistan to the UN will be necessary. Pressure is already being applied to effect the former and the denial of Bolton's confirmation will clear the way for a less "The UN is useless" ambassador to be emplaced. Fully shifting responsibilities in Afghanistan will have to wait for a new administration, probably, but with the logistics involved in a draw-down in Iraq, that's probably a wise course anyway.

This is, by the way, the will of the people of the USA -- at least those who got off their duffs and voted. Fighting them "over there" has been evaluated as too costly in lives and treasure without producing a quick enough/decisive enough measure of success.

Ok, I just spent the last 5 minutes looking "above" and couldn't see your other post.

I disagree with your assessment about Bolton: He's much less "The UN is useless" and more "The UN needs reform" which is nigh impossible to argue against.

As far as a reduction in military spending being the only "real" solution? Politically feasible is a more correct term, but not very practical. What’s total military spending per annum? Half trillion? My God, what’s the national debt up to? Doesn’t payment on the interest alone cost about two thirds as much as the entire military?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Sorry Vlad. The post must have been in another thread, or one of those I failed to hit submit on.

I agree with you about Bolton, but he's gonna go down. The exiting liberal Republican from Connecticut is going to vote with the Dems on this and he will be rejected -- for precisely the reason I listed (valid or not).

The Democrats, when it comes to spending reductions, very much have the Clinton model in mind. He did balance the budget, using a combination of small tax increases (mostly of the hidden kind), substantial military spending reductions, and a solid economy. This (if any) is the model for fiscal responsibility that we'll see coming out of Congress and the one with which Bush will have to contend.

I don't like it, and think it stupid, but that's the way I read the tea leaves.

[Lemur]

Best quote I've yet read on the subject:

Are ever-growing entitlement and military expenditures really consistent with a free country? Do these expenditures, and the resulting deficits, make us more free or less free? Should the government or the marketplace provide medical care? Should younger taxpayers be expected to provide retirement security and health care even for affluent retirees? Should the U.S. military be used to remake whole nations? Are the programs, agencies, and departments funded by Congress each year constitutional? Are they effective? Could they operate with a smaller budget? Would the public even notice if certain programs were eliminated altogether? These are the kinds of questions the American people must ask, even though Congress lacks the courage to do so.

Required reading: Our Nation's Fiscal Outlook: The Federal Government's Long-Term Budget Imbalance.

[Aenlic]

Best quote I've yet read on the subject:

Are ever-growing entitlement and military expenditures really consistent with a free country? Do these expenditures, and the resulting deficits, make us more free or less free? Should the government or the marketplace provide medical care? Should younger taxpayers be expected to provide retirement security and health care even for affluent retirees? Should the U.S. military be used to remake whole nations? Are the programs, agencies, and departments funded by Congress each year constitutional? Are they effective? Could they operate with a smaller budget? Would the public even notice if certain programs were eliminated altogether? These are the kinds of questions the American people must ask, even though Congress lacks the courage to do so.

Required reading: Our Nation's Fiscal Outlook: The Federal Government's Long-Term Budget Imbalance.

Good ol' Ron Paul. A dedicated Libertarian. Are you turning into a Libertarian on us, Lemur?

How much you trust corporations and corporate capitalism might determine where you end up. I'll welcome you with open arms to the libertarian socialist (aka anarchist) side of the big tent which is utter distrust of government.