One way of looking at the cynicism of the Republican Party is to think about what would happen to them if they got what they say they want. They want a balanced budget amendment; they want to cut the budget by at least as much as they agree to raise the debt ceiling. Okay. Let’s say that we gave them both of those things. You know what would happen?
If we couldn’t borrow money to run cherished government programs, we wouldn’t cut them. If we did, the voters would throw that party out of power. What we would do is raise taxes. And we’d raise them on the rich. Oh sure, we’d try to turn everything into a lottery and raise fees on poor and middle class people. We’d squeeze every last bit of juice out of the lemon. But it wouldn’t be enough.
What Republicans apparently do not realize is that funding the government on debt is a tax break for them. All these years that we’ve raided the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for general expenditures have been nothing but a way for politicians to avoid taxing rich people. If you make it impossible for them to avoid taxing you, guess what is going to happen?
Morons.
