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Haven't republicans been campaigning on reducing govt spending for like 50 years? Aren't other countries adversarial enough? I think these are made up concern

by stfp 2y ago

Haven't republicans been campaigning on reducing govt spending for like 50 years? Aren't other countries adversarial enough? I think these are made up concerns. By and large the US is dominant in the real world, and always will be given its size, location and cultural foundations. And that translates to being able to print and spent a large amount of money, which could be used to solve real world problems, such as: - climate change and the need to transition energy, transportation over time with some urgency - chronic housing shortage - education costs Instead they're focusing on fake problems and solutions that will make the real problems worse.

AdieuToLogic 2y ago
> Haven't republicans been campaigning on reducing govt spending for like 50 years? Not really. There is a political strategy Republicans have engaged during this time known as "Two Santas" which can explain it: First, the Two Santas strategy dictates, when Republicans control the White House they must spend money like a drunken Santa and cut taxes to run up the U.S. debt as far and as fast as possible. This produces three results: it stimulates the economy thus making people think that the GOP can produce a good economy; it raises the debt dramatically; and it makes people think that Republicans are the “tax-cut Santa Clauses.” Second, when a Democrat is in the White House, Republicans must scream about the national debt as loudly and frantically as possible, freaking out about how “our children will have to pay for it!” and “we have to cut spending to solve the crisis!” Shut down the government, crash the stock market, and damage US credibility around the world if necessary to stop Democrats from spending money. This will force the Democrats in power to cut their own social safety net programs and even Social Security, thus shooting their welfare-of-the-American-people Santa Claus right in the face.[0] 0 - http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/two-santas-strategy-gop-used-economic-scam-manipulate-americans-40-years/ http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/two-santas...
- rukuu001 2y ago
  Ha! That's great. The opposite of that play is: Voted-in Conservatives: we are the party of fiscal responsibility. We shall reduce govt spending by running services into the ground. Voted-in Libs: We were voted in to undo all this f*kery... gotta spend those $$$ Conservatives: Didn't we say you can't trust those libs with the $$$? For the record - I think society needs both parties alternating in power to function properly. Either one in power forever is a mistake
  - AdieuToLogic 2y ago
    What you describe is the insidious effect of repetitive use of the "Two Santas" strategy: > Voted-in Conservatives: we are the party of fiscal responsibility. Conservatives are provably not. See[0]. > Voted-in Libs: We were voted in to undo all this f*kery... gotta spend those $$$ This is a common misperception, fostered in large part by the effectivity of the "Two Santas" political strategy. 0 - https://www.investopedia.com/us-national-debt-by-year-7499291 https://www.investopedia.com/us-national-debt-by-year-749929...
    - rukuu001 2y ago
      Oh I very much agree the cons are bad at money. Just talking about what they say.
  - dgb23 2y ago
    Except that is inaccurate. With the exception of the Biden admin, Republicans have been increasing the national debt at a _much_ higher rate. Both private and public dept have been rising rapidly since the 70/80's and the introduction of neoliberal policies. Real wages have stagnated, so Americans go into debt. Tax cuts for the rich, so the US has to borrow.
    - rukuu001 2y ago
      Yes I agree with that. I’m just talking about what they say rather than reality. I’d have edited for clarity but I missed the window.
    - blitzar 2y ago
      > With the exception of the Biden admin The last year in office Trump was spending $8 trillion a year and Biden left office spending $6.7 trillion.
      - dgb23 2y ago
        Yes, but it would be dishonest to claim that only Republican admins drastically increased the deficit. Biden is an exception. I’m not comparing him to Trump either.

by stfp 2y ago

AdieuToLogic 2y ago

> Haven't republicans been campaigning on reducing govt spending for like 50 years? Not really. There is a political strategy Republicans have engaged during this time known as "Two Santas" which can explain it: First, the Two Santas strategy dictates, when Republicans control the White House they must spend money like a drunken Santa and cut taxes to run up the U.S. debt as far and as fast as possible. This produces three results: it stimulates the economy thus making people think that the GOP can produce a good economy; it raises the debt dramatically; and it makes people think that Republicans are the “tax-cut Santa Clauses.” Second, when a Democrat is in the White House, Republicans must scream about the national debt as loudly and frantically as possible, freaking out about how “our children will have to pay for it!” and “we have to cut spending to solve the crisis!” Shut down the government, crash the stock market, and damage US credibility around the world if necessary to stop Democrats from spending money. This will force the Democrats in power to cut their own social safety net programs and even Social Security, thus shooting their welfare-of-the-American-people Santa Claus right in the face.[0] 0 - http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/two-santas-strategy-gop-used-economic-scam-manipulate-americans-40-years/ http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/thom-hartmann/two-santas...

rukuu001 2y ago
Ha! That's great. The opposite of that play is: Voted-in Conservatives: we are the party of fiscal responsibility. We shall reduce govt spending by running services into the ground. Voted-in Libs: We were voted in to undo all this f*kery... gotta spend those $$$ Conservatives: Didn't we say you can't trust those libs with the $$$? For the record - I think society needs both parties alternating in power to function properly. Either one in power forever is a mistake
- AdieuToLogic 2y ago
  What you describe is the insidious effect of repetitive use of the "Two Santas" strategy: > Voted-in Conservatives: we are the party of fiscal responsibility. Conservatives are provably not. See[0]. > Voted-in Libs: We were voted in to undo all this f*kery... gotta spend those $$$ This is a common misperception, fostered in large part by the effectivity of the "Two Santas" political strategy. 0 - https://www.investopedia.com/us-national-debt-by-year-7499291 https://www.investopedia.com/us-national-debt-by-year-749929...
  - rukuu001 2y ago
    Oh I very much agree the cons are bad at money. Just talking about what they say.
- dgb23 2y ago
  Except that is inaccurate. With the exception of the Biden admin, Republicans have been increasing the national debt at a _much_ higher rate. Both private and public dept have been rising rapidly since the 70/80's and the introduction of neoliberal policies. Real wages have stagnated, so Americans go into debt. Tax cuts for the rich, so the US has to borrow.
  - rukuu001 2y ago
    Yes I agree with that. I’m just talking about what they say rather than reality. I’d have edited for clarity but I missed the window.
  - blitzar 2y ago
    > With the exception of the Biden admin The last year in office Trump was spending $8 trillion a year and Biden left office spending $6.7 trillion.
    - dgb23 2y ago
      Yes, but it would be dishonest to claim that only Republican admins drastically increased the deficit. Biden is an exception. I’m not comparing him to Trump either.