It's Not Your Grandfather's GOP

I read an interesting op-ed peice:

One of the most negative things to have happened to the increasingly dysfunctional political system in the United States has been the transformation of the Republican Party over the last generation into the party of fiscal deficits. At one time, the bastion of balanced budgets and no free lunches, 70% of gross public debt through the last fiscal year was accumulated under the last three Republican presidents who ran deficits twenty out of twenty years averaging 3.9% of GDP.

This is one of the reasons I will not vote for an eestablishment candidate, as the writter points out they are not credible:

Republicans pontificate about the dangerous levels of gross public debt (now at 101.1% of GDP) and last summer set about playing chicken with a possible default on our financial obligations. In now trumpeting national debt as a paramount evil, the Republicans approach the debate by taking tax increases and defense spending off the table – which is somewhat like resolving to set about losing weight by eschewing dieting and exercise.

If it was your Grandfather's GOP, we would have had balanced budgets. If it was your Grandfather's GOP, we would not have troops scattered around the world. If this was your Grandfather's GOP, we would not be headed for a crisis in a few short years. 

The situation is not normal, we can not continue our current trajectory, we do not have the money. 

Ron Paul On Face the Nation

As a follow up to yesterday's blog post, here is Ron Paul on Face the Nation. While I would not cut defense as much as Paul, I am in general agreement. We have little choice in the matter. We do not have the money. Letting the Bush tax cuts expire will enable us to not cut as much, but these cuts will happen as current trends can not continue. The cuts can happen now in a fair and rational manner, or they can happen latter in a crisis in an unfair and irrational manner. There is no third option. 

You Do The Math

Vox Day said this recently in his collumn:

As for those Republicans who believe Rep. Paul is sound on domestic policy but too naïve with regard to foreign policy, I suggest they consider the following question: Do you believe the United States is going to be in any position to project global military power when it is completely bankrupt? Even – no, especially – if you believe in the supreme importance of American maintaining the most powerful military in the world, Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate you can rationally support.

This is the basic problem no one is talking about, the "elephant in the room." Like the gorrilla video I posted a few days ago, we do not see the obvious. We are blind to it.

It really does not matter if our military expenditures are "needed" or not. We can not afford them. We need to cut spending right now by 40%. This includes Medicare and Social Security. If we exempt any portion of the budget from cuts, then the cuts have to be more severe on the rest of the budget. If we do not cut defense, then we need to cut all other spending by 55%. If we exempt Defense, Social Security and medical benefits from the cuts, then we need to cut the rest of the budget 120%. 

You do the math. 

Isn't it Awful About Syria?

Simon Black, of the sovereignman.com blog, recently had this to say: 

Did you hear about the latest civil unrest in Syria?  Police in full riot gear swarmed peaceful students who were staging a completely non-violent, human-chain sit-in at a university campus. 

The Syrian police came up at point-blank range and hosed these kids down with pepper spray. If you've never been assaulted with pepper spray before, let me assure you that it is easily one of the most uncomfortable experiences you could ever go through in your entire life. 

It was a truly disgusting display-- meeting peace with violence and brutality. Just the sort of thing you would expect from an oppressive regime like Syria. 

Except... it wasn't in Syria. It was in California... right here in the land of the free. 

I had this exact same thought. I do not understand the thought processes that condemn the Syrian government for what the American government would do in the same situation. If you think I exaggerate I suggest you remember Ruby Ridge, Waco, and Wounded Knee. 

I do not think we realize that modern society is a fragile thing. If we let the police act like stereotypical storm troopers from Star Wars, then we will inevitably have to live with the words of Princess Leia: "The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip away from you." 

While Occupy people see the same problems I see, yet they, at least in some of the unofficial proposals I have read, are economically ignorant. 

I wonder how they are going to react when they see the austerity measures that America will have to enact soon. These austerity measures are the exact opposite of what the Occupy movement seems to want. It will not be pretty. 

US Military Bases

I do not see how anyone can look at this map and not conclude that America is overextended and is an empire. Of course, some of these light red countries have a very small number of troops to guard embassies. Even though we are "leaving" Iraq, we will maintain 16,000 "ambassadorial" staff there.