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George Will

Our decadent democracy

Still, December’s maneuverings taught three lessons.

First, there will be no significant spending restraint. Democrats — you know: the people respectful of evidence and science — even rejected a more accurate measurement of the cost of living that would slightly slow increases in myriad government benefits. Accuracy will be sacrificed to liberalism’s agenda of government growth.

Second, Barack Obama has (as Winston Churchill said of an adversary) “the gift of compressing the largest amount of words into the smallest amount of thought.” His incessant talking swaddles one wee idea — raising taxes on “millionaires and billionaires,” including people earning less than half a million. He has nothing pertinent to say about the steadily worsening fiscal imbalance that will make sluggish growth — less than 3 percent — normal.

Third, one December winner was George W. Bush because a large majority of Democrats favored making permanent a large majority of his tax cuts.

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This state cannot be funded by taxing “the rich.” Or even by higher income taxes on the middle class.

Just FYI – Russia has a 13% FLAT Tax.

Freaking RUSSIA !!!

jake-the-goose on January 3, 2013 at 12:38 PM

Our decadent democracy

Because we are no longer a Republic.

BigGator5 on January 3, 2013 at 12:40 PM

Just FYI – Russia has a 13% FLAT Tax.

Freaking RUSSIA !!!

This shouldn’t be a surprise at all… conservatives shouldn’t worship democracy…

http://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Economics-Politics-Monarchy-Natural/dp/0765808684

ninjapirate on January 3, 2013 at 12:49 PM

Because we are no longer a Republic.

BigGator5 on January 3, 2013 at 12:40 PM

We are not a republic or a democracy now.

We have lived through a soft fascist coup d’état of America, and hardly anyone has noticed it.

Rebar on January 3, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Much of that which is going wrong now is the DIRECT RESULT of us becoming more of a “democracy” and less of the Republic our Constitution guaranteed.

In a “democracy” 50%+1 vote can get anything they want. Even if it comes out of the wallet of someone who earned it to the pocket of someone who did nothing but vote amongst that 50%+1.

In a Republic, law stands between the “democratic” mob and the property of others, it puts OFF LIMITS certain acts. In the case of our Republic, it was supposed to put off limits all but about 8 enumerated powers to be influenced by the vote of a majority.

America is far too democratic these days. Pun intended.

wildcat72 on January 3, 2013 at 1:00 PM

I am starting to think that gubmint is so screwed up that it will never be unscrewed without using the reset button.

petefrt on January 3, 2013 at 1:13 PM

President Obama has given himself the powers to declare martial law – especially in the event of a war with Iran. It is a sweeping power grab that should worry every American.

On March 16, the White House released an executive order, “National Defense Resources Preparedness.” The document is stunning in its audacity and a flagrant violation of the Constitution. It states that, in case of a war or national emergency, the federal government has the authority to take over almost every aspect of American society. Food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, health care facilities, water resources, defense and construction – all of it could fall under the full control of Mr. Obama. The order empowers the president to dispense these vast resources as he sees fit during a national crisis.

In short, the order gives Mr. Obama the ability to impose martial law.

Rebar on January 3, 2013 at 1:15 PM

We are not a republic or a democracy now.
Rebar on January 3, 2013 at 1:00 PM

I think we are still a democracy. After all, we live in a state where the “idle, extravagent men” who “stand in the agora giving speeches” mobilize those who “do nothing and therefore have nothing” against those who “do something and therefore have something” by promising to spread the wealth. It’s all there in Plato’s Republic Bk 8, 2500 years ago.

mabryb1 on January 3, 2013 at 1:55 PM

mabryb1 on January 3, 2013 at 1:55 PM

It’s an illusion of democracy – progressives will use the republic when it advances their agenda, if not they’ll use democracy, if not they’ll use executive orders, if not they’ll just blatantly ignore any semblance to the law.

Rebar on January 3, 2013 at 1:58 PM

Let me be a little clearer: Democracy is when demagogues use the ignorant masses to despoil the entire society in order to gain power. That /is/ the real democracy. Democracy is the last step toward tyranny, it is the final stage of the complete corruption of society.

Every philosopher of the ancient world warned us about democracy. Democracy destroys societies and tears down laws. What’s happening now is a feature of democracy, not a bug.

mabryb1 on January 3, 2013 at 2:06 PM

The media, which often are the last to know things because their wishes father their thoughts, say the tea party impulse is exhausted. Scores of House Republicans and seven first-term Republican senators (Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Pat Toomey, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Marco Rubio and Tim Scott) will soon — hello, debt ceiling — prove otherwise.

Must invest in March corn (popcorn) futures!

Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on January 3, 2013 at 2:37 PM