In the September 24 edition of the New York Times, Paul Krugman wrote
a very interesting and engaging analysis of the Republican Party’s
obstructionist tactics leading up to the midterm elections in
November. Krugman, the Nobel Prize winning economist has frequently
skewered Republican policies on a number of issues, such as Obama’s
stimulus package, health care reform, and the Bush tax cut extensions.
Krugman’s intended audience are the readers of the New York Times who
are generally considered to be more liberal than conservatives and
independent voters who are not wedded to the Republican Party’s flight
from realism. Krugman’s credibility is quite high, while he generally
writes articles critical of the Republican’s he has not spared the
Obama administration from his incisive analysis, and razor sharp wit.
He was quite critical of Obama’s stimulus package, arguing that it was
too small to have a quick impact on economic growth.
Krugman makes a convincing case in demolishing Republican posturing
and hypocrisy surrounding the Bush tax cuts. In their public speeches
and positions papers the Republicans go to great lengths to portray
themselves in favor of wanting to control the federal deficit, while
at and the same time proposing a permanent extension of the tax cuts
for all taxpayers, which will add 3.7 trillion to the deficit over the
next decade. Whereas, the Obama administration’s plan to leave the
tax cuts in place for those making under $250,000 a year and let the
tax rates for those making over $250,000 revert back to where they
were before the Bush tax plan came into effect, would save $700
billion over the Republican proposal. Using flawless logic, backed by
relevant facts and figures, Krugman characterizes the Republican
stance as a “war on arithmetic”.
Krugman then analyzes the real motives of the Republicans. He asserts
that the man goal of the GOP is to gain power and not be bothered
accounting deficiencies of government. This is the argument makes
eminent good sense, as why would the Republicans, supposed to be the
party of fiscal restraint, make such reckless and irresponsible
proposals to saddle the economy with huge deficits. The ultimate goal
is to eliminate Medicare and privatize social security and render the
Federal government ineffective and ungovernable, like a real banana
republic. Here, Krugman is being a bit charitable to the Republicans
as in the words of one of their ideologues, Grover Norquist, founder
of the Americans for Tax Reform, the the Republicans goal should be to
so hamstring the government with deficits, that there will be no
choice, but to shrink the government so much that it can be “flushed
it down the toilet”.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/opinion/24krugman.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB
a very interesting and engaging analysis of the Republican Party’s
obstructionist tactics leading up to the midterm elections in
November. Krugman, the Nobel Prize winning economist has frequently
skewered Republican policies on a number of issues, such as Obama’s
stimulus package, health care reform, and the Bush tax cut extensions.
Krugman’s intended audience are the readers of the New York Times who
are generally considered to be more liberal than conservatives and
independent voters who are not wedded to the Republican Party’s flight
from realism. Krugman’s credibility is quite high, while he generally
writes articles critical of the Republican’s he has not spared the
Obama administration from his incisive analysis, and razor sharp wit.
He was quite critical of Obama’s stimulus package, arguing that it was
too small to have a quick impact on economic growth.
Krugman makes a convincing case in demolishing Republican posturing
and hypocrisy surrounding the Bush tax cuts. In their public speeches
and positions papers the Republicans go to great lengths to portray
themselves in favor of wanting to control the federal deficit, while
at and the same time proposing a permanent extension of the tax cuts
for all taxpayers, which will add 3.7 trillion to the deficit over the
next decade. Whereas, the Obama administration’s plan to leave the
tax cuts in place for those making under $250,000 a year and let the
tax rates for those making over $250,000 revert back to where they
were before the Bush tax plan came into effect, would save $700
billion over the Republican proposal. Using flawless logic, backed by
relevant facts and figures, Krugman characterizes the Republican
stance as a “war on arithmetic”.
Krugman then analyzes the real motives of the Republicans. He asserts
that the man goal of the GOP is to gain power and not be bothered
accounting deficiencies of government. This is the argument makes
eminent good sense, as why would the Republicans, supposed to be the
party of fiscal restraint, make such reckless and irresponsible
proposals to saddle the economy with huge deficits. The ultimate goal
is to eliminate Medicare and privatize social security and render the
Federal government ineffective and ungovernable, like a real banana
republic. Here, Krugman is being a bit charitable to the Republicans
as in the words of one of their ideologues, Grover Norquist, founder
of the Americans for Tax Reform, the the Republicans goal should be to
so hamstring the government with deficits, that there will be no
choice, but to shrink the government so much that it can be “flushed
it down the toilet”.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/opinion/24krugman.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB
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