The US Debt Debate.

My letter published today in the National Post:
Obama is partly responsible since he has done little to resolve the debt problem, and some of his program will make it worse. I am therefore unhappy about the title above the letter, so please don't take that as indicative of the content.

The nonsense posturing of conservative commentators about how the Republicans are saving the nation from Armageddon are near insane rhetoric. The Republicans are most of the reason the U.S. have such a huge debt. The Republicans are planning to increase spending significantly with this bill, but they claim their proposal is cuts. This is a lie, nothing less. What they are doing is making tiny reductions in the rate of increase, and with the large spending items all not included of course this is tinkering at most anyway. This leaves the deficit in the 40% range. That the anger of many people against bigger government in the public has been diverted into supporting the Republicans has ensured that until a new party is formed the situation will get worse.

Indeed the Republicans hijacking of the desire for change (lets call it the Tea Party since at one time this may have been a force for change) I fear will set the movement to reduce government back for years. The resulting transparent nonsense is already being noticed by the public and once again the concept linking the idea of small government to a large government seeking party is there and people will (correctly) reject that, but the public will not have the energy to start a new party so they will just flip between the two large government seeking parties and the problem will get worse.

I was up watching one of the 'Tea Party' branded members of the Republicans talking last night on national TV about the vote last night on the debt ceiling. He was talking about how the debt will be increased to $25 million by this plan, so he voted against it. He used the word millions several times so not a simple slip of the tongue. Of course the correct number is $25 *trillion*. By voting against it he was doing the correct thing and I would have liked to have been able to say here is someone making a principled stand, but there he was and he had no clue on the scale. Even worse he had no problem with the lack of cuts to spending in the bill and indeed mentioned support for the military and social spending that is so much of the problem. He seemed oblivious that just maybe there being no cuts had something to do with why the debt goes up. I note the CNN interviewer did not seem to notice the fundamental inconsistency either. A good interviewer would have roasted the Republican, instead the chance was lost on some partisan nonsense supporting the senate bill (the Democratic offering that is virtually identical). Sigh politics as normal.

Here is a link to the chart I reference in the letter.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150254838807036&set=a.115888632035.101862.706437035&type=1&theater