Paul Krugman explains why hysteria over the cost of health care reform is a tad misplaced. If you look at the impact on the budget of HCR compared to the two Bush tax cuts and the Iraq War, HCR is sweet. See more at Econobrowser.
The Mahablog
Politics. Society. Group Therapy.
Krugman uses the “My holding up a bank is okay, because that person shot and killed a guy which is a far worse act,” defense. What makes it worse is that he should be declaiming, “It’s a lie; I didn’t hold up the bank.” As a liberal myself, I am appalled that we are so fond of that and the “Bush did it too” defense for having done the right thing.
Confronted with the lie that the bill will worsen the deficit, Krugman starts talking about what Bush did, instead of declaiming, “That is a contemptable lie, it will do nothing of the sort.” He immediately starts talking about what Bush did, which is completely irrelevant.
Why are we so unable to stand up on our hind legs and say that we acted on principle, did what we believed to be right, and produced an outcome that will help people and benefit the nation? This bill has good features in it. When attacked for having passed it, we curl up in a ball and start talking about how “Bush was worse” instead of proudly shining a light on the good that we are doing with this bill.
Confronted with a post that needled media criticism of HCR, Bill H entirely misses the point.
A number of years ago Biden put it succinctly when he said that the Republicans were hell-bent on starving the federal government as a way of getting rid of all those ‘pesty’ regulatory etc. agencies and departments. An effective means of starvation is to lower taxes – Bush/Reagan tax cuts sucked $2 1/2 trillions out of the budget.
To Krugman’s point, however, (and once again, Maha, thanks for the thread) “among (conservatives) there is a haunting fear that someone somewhere may be getting social insurance” really nails to the wall all the sound and fury we’re hearing from the suddenly fiscally conservative conservatives.
Great chart (and argument) by Krugman. Something a GOP business type could understand. OT, check out Teabonics.
Also see Martin Luther King vs. Barack Obama–Watch PBS Wednesday Night To See The Difference.
“Confronted with a post that needled media criticism of HCR, Bill H entirely misses the point.”
You can come comment on my blog any time, and express any opinion. I make it a point not to insult people who comment on my blog, even when I disagree with what they say.
I make it a point not to insult people who comment on my blog
I was stating a fact. You missed the point of Krugman’s post (did you even read it?), which invalidated your criticism of it.
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Yes, ma’am.