Must Read from Joe Conason: Show Us the Money

[flpoljunkie]

Show Us the Money
By Joe Conason
July 6, 2010

So often are the certitudes and pronouncements of the chattering class simply mistaken that they must always be treated with deep skepticism. That is especially true when anything important is at stake-from the arguments for invading Iraq several years ago to today's economic stagnation. Whatever the conventional wisdom tells you must be true is almost certainly false.

The choral complaint emanating from every mainstream-media outlet-and the mouth of nearly every mainstream pundit-is that the federal government is spending too much and that the public will not stand for it anymore. "We must bring deficits under control!" they tell us. "The American people distrust government because spending is out of control!" they cry. Rick Santelli, the loudest mouth on the CNBC business cable channel and a revered figure in the Tea Party movement, put it most succinctly the other day when he screamed: "Stop spending!"

Cutting spending is not just bad economics; it’s bad politics, too.

Demands for the government to stop spending usually come with an asterisk and a footnote: stop spending on everyone except me. A self-styled conservative in Congress who supposedly hates spending will vote against extending unemployment benefits, then turn around and protect federal subsidies to wealthy corporate farmers. Another conservative will fight against increased spending on mass transit, new schools or infrastructure, while promoting bloated weapons programs that the Pentagon doesn't even want-because the contractor has donated to their campaign or operates a manufacturing plant in their districts. Cut spending, but don't cut spending on my priorities, no matter how wasteful.

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http://www.observer.com/2010/opinion/show-us-money

[senseandsensibility]

1. k and r

Great writing. Great points.