Monday, June 28, 2010

Will Anybody be Able to Stop the Economic and Social Bulldozer we know as Paul Ryan?


Rep. Paul Ryan is making a killing selling something the public can't get enough of; victimhood. Under his plan, it is YOUR fault for failure, and not your inability to stand-up against the already powerful controlling force of big business. Tea party and Rand/Freidman free marketers have fallen for the line "you didn't try hard enough," when these "libertarians" find ouselves unemployed, sick or bankrupt. Even though the Bush tax cuts expire this year, four years after the Democrats took congress, the damage they have brought to the nation is now being blamed on the Dems.

It's the two Santa Claus's theory. Jude Wanniski argued that Republicans must become the tax-cutting Santa Claus to the Democrats' spending Santa Claus. Republicans make everyone happy with cut taxes. Which in turn creates huge deficits and turns congress over to the Democrats. The Republicans then promise balanced budgets and tax cuts, again, because the party in power typically gets the blame at election time. Can Ryan's plan be called the two Scrooge's theory. "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

Ryan's attempt to shift the group buying power of the government to each and every single American for the sake of "balancing the budget" is shockingly short sighted. We saw the results of this philosophy historically during the Robber Baron and Dickensian periods.

Congressman Paul Ryan: “Republicans on the budget committee have already identified $1.3 trillion in specific spending cuts we would implement right now to make Washington do more with less and help small businesses put people back to work.”

Ryan suggested "These are specific, common-sense ideas," … like canceling unspent TARP bailout funds and stimulus money, "that would HELP US FOCUS on creating more jobs, not more debt." … "We also propose reducing federal employment and freezing government pay."
Oh, did Ryan mention that that would dramatically increase our current unemployment numbers, and even draw more money from the already drained unemployment fund pool. And of course, Ryan never has the time to bring up his other "tough love" cuts to our social safety nets. In fact, Ryan contradicts his free market, sink or swim philosophy by suggesting there is an inferred "promise" of prosperity and national exceptionalism.

"Of course, this is just a starting point … Let’s make the tough, forward-looking choices that will restore the PROMISE and prosperity of this exceptional nation, and let’s do it together."
Like "entitlements," what liberals refer to as safety nets, Ryan doth "promise" too much.

Ryan's economic quackery, part two:

"I would replace the current tax system with a modified flat tax. It's a boon to progressivity, meaning 10% on the first 100,000 dollars for couples 25% above that. No other tax on capital or saving. Meaning no dividends, capital gains or death tax. Those are taxes that are double taxes on capital, they retard economic growth and innovation," he said.
Deja vu! We saw a dramatic reduction in the capital gains tax, two huge Bush tax cuts, along with a similar reduction and complete elimination of the estate tax, and look where its taken us. The Great Recession. Ryan would make permanent, in fact, wipe out any all of those taxes as a way to kick start growth and innovation. What an interesting way to pay off the nations debt.

"This unprecedented budget collapse also sends a clear signal to American families struggling to meet their own budgets that Washington still doesn't recognize the severity of its spending problem."
Families don't cut their incomes in half to make ends meet either. Typical families are in debt to the tune of hundreds of thousand of dollars via their 30 year home mortgage, but you don't see anyone calling these Americans reckless spenders? Plus, debt isn't bad when you're trying to prevent another great recession.

And finally, the ultimate contradictory comment that really pissed me off:

"Leaders should make the tough choices they promised they would, put MORAL OBLIGATION before political expedience and focus on what's in the best interests of the next generation, not the next election," Ryan said.
Which is exactly what Ryan and the GOBP are doing; using their own recession for what is politically expedient, in time for the next election. The moral obligation would be to save and enhance the social safety nets he and his fellow Republicans have taken for granted for years. Without them, stranded entrepreneurs would have been smashed like ants, and discouraged from ever trying to obtain the American dream.

No comments:

Post a Comment