"We want to do guns, butter and homeland security all at once"
G. William Hoagland
Keep It Simple Stupid,
seems to be the only language that the nation is able to handle anymore. Yes, they want the security to remain dumb and to
be protected from their own ignorance. That’s the American way, no matter what the cost. So when we look at the latest
U.S. Federal budget, we aren’t astounded with its size, nor the lack of public unrest or even its waste. No; what amazes
is that the laws of reality, suspended in a permanent suspension, didn’t get a cabinet level designation and a budget
to complete the perfection process.
Forget all partisan distinctions and blame, this is the post 911 world and
all the rules have changed. Right? If you listen to the high priests of the political class, they have no choice - the people
demand it! Good citizenship is now defined as securing the public good, as only the Beltway crowd knows and can administer.
At any rate, isn’t it all for the children, even if fewer and fewer folks can afford to have any?
OK, don’t believe me, you can trust the Washington Post to set the record straight. Don’t you think? “President Bush
will sign legislation this week setting a 2003 budget that raises federal spending by 7.8 percent over last year, capping
a remarkable two years in which the federal budget increased by 22 percent.” Well, that doesn’t sound to be too
much to spend in protecting the homeland. And we know that a dollar goes a long way in a no inflation economy. Doesn’t
it? “What's more, Congress appears to be locking in future spending that may prove impossible to avoid. The 2003 budget
authorizes discretionary expenditures totaling $763 billion, $14 billion more than Bush sought. Government agencies may take
several years to write the checks to cover such authorized expenditures.”
Just look at all the effective uses for that money. From another source you
can believe, MSNBC. “Citing Israel’s war-battered economy and mounting security costs,
the visiting delegation asked for a whopping $4 billion in extra military assistance, plus $8 billion in commercial-loan guarantees.
This sum would be added to nearly $3 billion that Israel already receives each year, the biggest U.S. aid package provided
to any country in the world.” Don’t forget that Egypt gets that same yearly stipend, too. Now what about that
other friend and NATO ally Turkey. Surely you can rely on ABC, reporting off the Reuters wire, when it reports: “Washington, frustrated
by the Turkish tactics, said its latest offer -- of $6 billion in grants and up to $20 billion in loans -- was final and said
it must have a decision soon.” Seems that’s not enough for Ankara. Maybe their demand for thirty billion or more
can come out of next years budget!
Now you know the NY Times, that old “Gray Lady”, is the paper of record, and doesn’t
lie. “The White House now projects a deficit of more than $300 billion this year and next, as well as deficits
for at least the next decade.” Seems like a mild price to pay when we are doing so well at home, using our duct tape
to affix that plastic protection. Anyway, what’s to fear about deficits, the US Dollar will always be king. How could
it be any different? But let’s not blame it all on the military. Back from the Washington Post: “Defense spending
over the past two years rose 23 percent, barely more than the rise in total spending. Homeland security spending outside of
the Defense Department surged from $10 billion in 2001 to $27 billion this year, but in sheer dollars that is hardly what
is driving overall federal spending increases.”
Not to be outdone, the Education Department receives the largest increase of any domestic cabinet agency in President Bush’s
budget request. And right from the horses mouth, the Agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2003 HR 2003, spreads the fertilizer around for hometown consumption. Add in the burden for
every individual state because of unfunded federal mandates and you might start to get the picture. Tax increases in your
own state will balloon as their budgets sink under the weight of elevated services and diminishing revenue. This is the world
that we are told we must accept.
KISS me if you must, but don’t tell me you love me
in the morning. Is it simple enough for you to get it yet? Any connection between this run away train and the Internationalist
policies that are at the root of this ‘Giant Government’ monster? Can we really afford to win this war on terror?
The consequences from this outline of unbridled STATE expansion should be apparent, but most people still believe their date,
when they are told “I love you”. Interventionism engenders molestation. Doling out pork barrel bribes produces
distorted digestion. And presuming that security is attainable with central planning and bigger bureaucracy is suicidal. Promise
me your affection, but don’t rape me to achieve it. Sweet talk may woo the vulnerable, but all those illicit relationships
are the cause of our perennial-venereal social diseases.
Is this conclusion wrong, then explain why your family budget did not increase
at that same 22% federal rate? If a sympathetic media spin still insulates the systemic scam, isn’t the groupie public
acting stupid in accepting a dupery proposal? The government never courts consent, but always demands compliance. It’s
your money, but you are not allowed to keep it. The excuse for this latest escalation into poverty is one war we can’t
bear to win. Surely, Americans, can’t be that stupid, or can they ????
SARTRE - February 21, 2003
