Republicans say (and do) lots of stupid things, but the current fiscal debate has me focused on two specific statements. Both get me very agitated. Indeed, I’m so irritated that all Republican politicians should be fitted with shock collars and then zapped when they utter either one of these statements.
Dumb Remark #1: “We shouldn’t raise taxes in a recession.”
This statement, or variations of that statement, gets me agitated because it implies that it’s okay to raise taxes when the economy is doing better. If we want to restrain the size of government, we should never increase the flow of revenue to Washington. Not now, not ever.
I can understand that GOPers want to make the strongest possible argument against tax hikes, so it does make sense to exploit unease about a weak economy. But there’s a better way to do it.
Smart Remark #1: “It’s always a bad idea to raise taxes, but raising taxes in a recession is especially foolish.”
Sure, it adds an extra clause to the sentence, and politicians sometimes have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time, but I don’t think this is asking too much.
Dumb Remark #2: “We need to solve America’s debt crisis.”
This sentence (or its inbred cousin: “we need to solve America’s deficit crisis”) is like a cheese grater against my skin. It implies that big government is okay so long as we have an onerous tax system that collects lots of money.
Once again, I understand the desire of GOPers to make some reference to government borrowing. The establishment press endlessly refers to debt and deficits, and many Americans views red ink as symptoms of something amiss in Washington, but why not seize the opportunity to highlight the real problem?
Smart Remark #2: “We need to address Washington’s spending problem to avoid a Greek-style debt crisis.”
Yes, I’m asking politicians to put together a sentence that contains more words, but maybe this video will help them understand that spending is the disease and deficits are a symptom.