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For all my conservative friends here... - 12/20/2011 3:44:52 PM

samboct

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David Brooks in the NY Times posted a reading list of conservative authors-

I read this piece here: http://breakthroughjournal.org/content/issues/issue-2/modernizing-conservatism.shtml

warning- it's several pages long

Well, this guy espoused a conservative viewpoint- i.e. one that's grounded in reality and pragmatism that while I might not fully agree with- at least I can respect. One of his major theses is that Reagan's "starve the beast" idea of how to shrink government failed- it's really been more of tightening the belt on a fat guy- one area gets squeezed but another area increases. He pushes the idea of "serve the check"- i.e. make sure that we're really paying for services that we're getting now, rather than deferring their costs. He also calls for increasing taxes, because, paradoxically according to most Republican pundits- that tends to shrink government.

Like I said- it's at least an interesting read...

Sam

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RE: For all my conservative friends here... - 12/20/2011 4:08:52 PM

willbeurdaddy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: samboct

He also calls for increasing taxes, because, paradoxically according to most Republican pundits- that tends to shrink government.

Sam

He didnt call for increasing taxes per se. He says that requiring current services to be paid for by current taxes can result in one of two things..higher taxes or lower spending, the latter being what shrinks government. He talks about shifting taxes and eliminating special preferences which would raise revenues, but get the government out of the social engineering business.

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RE: For all my conservative friends here... - 12/20/2011 5:07:13 PM

Real0ne

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how about abolishing quasigubafia corporations? That would shrink the alleged gubafia back down to the size it was in the beginning.

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RE: For all my conservative friends here... - 12/20/2011 7:01:54 PM

Theon38

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All raising taxes has ever done is raised spending faster.

Eventually you wind up with all the money, coincidentally, you wind up with all the power too, and our freedoms to boot.

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RE: For all my conservative friends here... - 12/21/2011 7:19:10 AM

samboct

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Theon

If you read the article, the author makes the point that paradoxically, raising taxes shrinks government because it costs more. Again, his main thesis is that we should set up our tax system so you get what you pay for- not load it off onto future generations. Also- if gov't is expensive- people use less. (my thoughts.)

Sam

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RE: For all my conservative friends here... - 12/21/2011 9:09:55 AM

Moonhead

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Theon38

All raising taxes has ever done is raised spending faster.

Eventually you wind up with all the money, coincidentally, you wind up with all the power too, and our freedoms to boot.

What, like the Eisenhower dystopia back in the '50s that was eventually abolished by the election of a tax and spend democrat?

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