Comments on: Second Thoughts http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/06/second-thoughts/ Politics and Culture from a Catholic perspective. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:37:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DarwinCatholic http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/06/second-thoughts/#comment-1485 DarwinCatholic Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:05:54 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=5482#comment-1485 The Brooks and Buckley self deceptions and revelations strike me as fulfilling the dictum that, "You have to be terribly smart to be this stupid." Reading Brooks' latest piece, I noted especially, "The White House folks didn’t say this, but I got the impression they’d be willing to raise taxes on the bottom 95 percent." It strikes me, actually, that their very reassurances give credence to Ross Douthat's suggestion that the Obama budget consists of a sort of reverse "starve the beast" approach -- in which Obama hopes to get people hooked on a higher baseline of government services before the great fiscal reckoning when we realize we need to either cut spending or raise taxes. The idea being: If he can get people hooked on broad programs now without figuring out how to pay for them, he can then push through the "necessary" tax increases to pay for them later. The Brooks and Buckley self deceptions and revelations strike me as fulfilling the dictum that, “You have to be terribly smart to be this stupid.”

Reading Brooks’ latest piece, I noted especially, “The White House folks didn’t say this, but I got the impression they’d be willing to raise taxes on the bottom 95 percent.” It strikes me, actually, that their very reassurances give credence to Ross Douthat’s suggestion that the Obama budget consists of a sort of reverse “starve the beast” approach — in which Obama hopes to get people hooked on a higher baseline of government services before the great fiscal reckoning when we realize we need to either cut spending or raise taxes. The idea being: If he can get people hooked on broad programs now without figuring out how to pay for them, he can then push through the “necessary” tax increases to pay for them later.

]]> By: Ryan Harkins http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/03/06/second-thoughts/#comment-1484 Ryan Harkins Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:54:54 +0000 http://the-american-catholic.com/?p=5482#comment-1484 As for the third thoughts, I'd be highly comforted, too, if I just went by those assuring statements from the administration. However, I don't think it is overly cynical to doubt both the effectiveness of those statements, if they are made honestly, or even the honesty of those statements. I lean towards doubt on effectiveness; I think that Obama and his ilk mean well, but that's hardly soothing. As for the third thoughts, I’d be highly comforted, too, if I just went by those assuring statements from the administration. However, I don’t think it is overly cynical to doubt both the effectiveness of those statements, if they are made honestly, or even the honesty of those statements. I lean towards doubt on effectiveness; I think that Obama and his ilk mean well, but that’s hardly soothing.

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