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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cnyndwllr who wrote (118956)	8/20/2009 1:49:22 PM
From: Bearcatbob	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 542095

Well Ed there is a lot in your post to respond to. Let me restate a few of my positions. 1. I understand the need for large deficits in 2009 and 2010. I did not support the Bush deficits. Tax cuts without spending restraint was crazy. McCain was right on this. 2. The stimulus was supposed to targeted, timely and temporary. The huge deficits in the out years indicate it is not temporary. 3. I have said I support a broad based tax increase. I do not support a VAT because it is a hidden tax. I would support a gasoline tax or a national sales tax like Canada. 4. I support a radical reduction in defense spending and a withdrawl from the role of world's policeman. All nations that adopt the welfare state model have done this. We can be no different and we are not going to retreat from the welfare state model. 5. I am all for an end to corporate welfare - starting imo with the farm subsidies which I consider outrageous. I am equally opposed to unnecessary regulation that makes our ability to compete more difficult. Our corporations are the goose that has laid the golden egg. 6. I am in favor of radical reform to the health care system in the US. It is clear to me - as one who pays 3/4s of my own premiums - that most people can not afford a quality policy. 7. Because I believe the deficits are already way out of control - far bigger than under Bush - I firmly believe any health care plan - or other new spending plan - should be honestly defined, honestly priced and honestly paid for. If that is holding health care reform to deficits - I fully want to do that. It is not only annual deficits it is now getting to be paying interest on the debt. If interest rates rise the problem will be incrementally worse. 7. I did not and do not think Obama is a good leader or a good president. He is a good speech reader. I was intrigued by his promise to change the way government was conducted. I now see him as more of the same and believe firmly my initial readings were correct. His biggest fault todate is yielding control of his agenda to the Congress. Bush made the same mistake. 8. I do believe an honest approach to the issues would work far better than what is happening. Once the obvious deceit starts the game sinks to an ugly level - as it has. I see no way the populace will accept the real financial changes that are coming without an honest approach. For instance, someone has to tell seniors if they are well off they will not get SS (like me). It worked for Winston Churchill. The ability of the US to finance huge deficits is coming to an end. The era of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency is coming to an end. The only thing unknown is how painful the transition will be. We are currently on the road to a hugely painful transition that will make all the good we want to accomplish disappear. Then many will simply say their intentions were good and say they are sorry. Bob