It is the 'never will happen in a zillion years way'.
Even if that's true, its still the only way. So if your statement is true, its the equivilent of saying "its not going to happen period".
It is putting you faith into the idea that some new bunch of 'fearless noble leaders' will happen along and miraculously save us all.
No its nothing of the sort. I have no such faith.
Ignoble, fearful, bastards of leaders will still support spending reduction if its in their best interest to do so. If a sufficient portion of the population cares strongly enough about the issue for long enough, than it will be in their interests to do something about it.
Getting such a powerful coalition behind the idea will be very hard, but if we can't get a powerful coalition behind the idea we will never get the structural changes you want, and if we can't maintain such a coalition than the structural changes will at best be speed bumps on the path to higher spending and deficits.
even if MIRACLES DID HAPPEN in this regard... there would be ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN PLACE that would PREVENT the very next bunch from OVER-TURNING it all and deficit spending again.
And even if we pass the changes you want there will, over the long run at least, be nothing to prevent the next bunch from over-turning (or working around, or ignoring, or using loopholes, or having some judge declare it invalid or mean something other than what its supposed to mean) it all and deficit spending again.
If you get the coalition, than the structural changes can be a very useful supplement, slowing down counter-moves (and as long as you have general support behind more limited government and sounder fiscal management slowing down such counter moves can amount to preventing them as the counter-moves peter out before achieving their objective). But their neither necessary (Sound fiscal practices and limited government have existed without them), nor sufficient (if you don't have broad durable support behind the idea, structural barriers will not be effective for the long haul).
Which doesn't mean I oppose them (I'd probably oppose some, the devil is in the details), after all something can be neither necessary nor sufficient, but still be useful. |
