October 14, 2011
The Washington Post likes to tell readers that politics is not really about interest groups fighting to use the government to advance their ends, but rather reflects a difference in philosophy. It did so again today, telling readers that we can’t get a jobs plan because:
“each side’s philosophy holds that the other’s is essentially bunk.”
The piece continues:
“For the GOP, the big idea is that government is the main problem.
Republicans have proposed to stop new environmental and financial regulations, and lower corporate taxes. Then, the logic goes, a liberated private sector will pull itself off the mat.
For the Democrats, the idea is that government can be the main solution.
Democrats have also called for increases in government spending on roads and bridges, teachers and firefighters. This money, the logic goes, will spark the private sector to begin hiring workers again.”
This is a cute exercise in pushing stereotypes, but now let’s step back to reality for a second. The vast majority of the money in President Obama’s job plan is in the form of tax cuts, mostly cuts in the payroll tax for workers and employers. How exactly does this fit with “government can be the main solution?”
As far as the Republican side, how many Republicans called for ending federal deposit insurance and other supports for the banking system? Republicans have no problem with all sorts of government regulations (e.g. patent and copyright protection) that impose enormous costs on the economy, but disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Their objection is not to government, their objection is to government doing anything to help the poor and middle class.
The Post should stick to reporting the news and stop trying to pass off its fairy tales about politics in the United States.
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