Observation about the economy

First observation: Contrary to Sen. Saxby Chambliss (and anyone else who claims this), cutting taxes has not produced greater revenues “every time we’ve done this.” It didn’t produce greater revenue under Reagan and not under Bush, just as tax increases under Clinton did not cause revenue to drop (which the right wing predicted was inevitable).
Heck, when Bush was running for the White House, he stated that he wanted to cut taxes on the rich because the government had too big a surplus and this would reduce revenue (the Wall Street Journal, made the same argument a couple of years earlier).
Second observation: Obama’s deficit-cutting commission did not issue a recommendation that we cut Social Security benefits. It didn’t issue any recommendations because it was too divided. Two members of the commission then issued their recommendations which the media have embraced as the official commission position. Even though it isn’t.
A post from Hullaballoo dissects the recommendations here.
Third observation: Rep. Eric Cantor justifies cutting Medicare on the grounds that “We are in a situation where we have a safety net in place in this country for people who frankly don’t need one.”
On this I agree! Let’s let everyone in Congress—many of them, after all, are millionaires—do without their government health insurance and pensions. Think of the savings! To be sure they can do fine, we’ll allow them to buy insurance in any state they want, the kind of competition right-wingers assure us will guarantee great coverage.
Alternatively, let’s give them generous benefits with the understanding that once they leave office, they will never be allowed to lobby any part of the federal government or the government of the state they represent ever again.
Unfortunately, as Digby points out here, cutting taxes and aid to the needy is guaranteed to get thrilled media coverage about how “bold” and realistic you are. A comparably radical left-wing budget wouldn’t get anywhere near the starting gate.
Bonus observation: Obsidian Wings reveals that America is becoming the third-world nation that wealthy nations now use for cheap labor.