BijanBlog: bijansabet.com | a tumblelog by Bijan Sabet | Fiscally conservative types are aghast at the...
escuccim
· 6 months ago
I think that's what most people want... I know that's what I want. Fiscal conservative and socially liberal. I don't know why the politicians don't get that.
Larry Samberg
· 6 months ago
I have always considered myself a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. But I believe that overall people (or maybe just the pundits) are being unreasonable on both fronts.
On the social front I agree that obama isn't changing all the things that I would like to see changed but in general he is trending in the right direction. I refuse to believe that even the president can change a bunch of things wholesale and just alienate 30 or 40 or 50% of the population just because he thinks it is right. The world doesn't work like that... and I really do want to see a Dem in the whitehouse in 2012.
On the fiscal front.... its tough. I hate deficits. I have been complaining about them for years. But we are in a severe downward spiral and there is broad agreement that stimulus was needed. So what form does that take? We could cut taxes. But I view that as a negative form of stimulus. It generates just as much deficit but doesn't produce any infrastructure benefit and tends to benefit the wealthy more than the poor.
We talk about the debt that we are leaving our children. I am not happy about that. Actually I hate it. But on the other hand, it is possible (yet to be proven) that as a result of the (positive) stimulus we might be leaving them better schools, better transportation, and a better energy infrastructure. So maybe they will get something for the money.
George W. quadrupled the national debt and all we got out of it was a war in Iraq and a continued crumbling of our infrastructure.
bijan
· 6 months ago
Those are very good points Larry.
And I generally would agree with all of them.
willcole
· 6 months ago
I agree with the "fiscal conservative and social liberal" stance to an extent. On issues such as abortion, gay rights etc... these views can work in harmony. However when it comes to other "social liberal" issues concerning government welfare,government run healthcare etc... the ideologies collide, and one has to win over the other.
bijan
· 6 months ago
Maybe.
We would been able to fund a lot of "social liberal/progressive" items if we didn't waste money on unnecessary wars, pork, bailouts etc.
Couldn't agree more. Unnecessary wars, pork and bailouts are directly in conflict with what fiscal conservatism should be about. They're all a waste and not what we elected politicians to spend money on.
Steven Kane
· 6 months ago
wars pork bailouts etc are costly to be sure, but that kind of admonition is a red herring, at best
the money spent on all such things combined is dwarfed by spending on entitlement programs like social security as well as medicare and medicaid
are those programs liberal or conservative?
the most expensive social program in history, medicare "part D" (prescription drug benefit program) was championed by president george w bush and senator ted kennedy
old labels like "socially liberal" and fiscally conservative" are tired and obsolete and counterproductive. personally, i am a little anxious over some of president obama's policies (or lack thereof) but overall i am very impressed and excited by his largely post-partisan approach.
Dan Buell
· 6 months ago
Bijan, your comments are so well put, it is EXACTLY how I feel and have not been able to fully articulate for a while...
All Comments
On the social front I agree that obama isn't changing all the things that I would like to see changed but in general he is trending in the right direction. I refuse to believe that even the president can change a bunch of things wholesale and just alienate 30 or 40 or 50% of the population just because he thinks it is right. The world doesn't work like that... and I really do want to see a Dem in the whitehouse in 2012.
On the fiscal front.... its tough. I hate deficits. I have been complaining about them for years. But we are in a severe downward spiral and there is broad agreement that stimulus was needed. So what form does that take? We could cut taxes. But I view that as a negative form of stimulus. It generates just as much deficit but doesn't produce any infrastructure benefit and tends to benefit the wealthy more than the poor.
We talk about the debt that we are leaving our children. I am not happy about that. Actually I hate it. But on the other hand, it is possible (yet to be proven) that as a result of the (positive) stimulus we might be leaving them better schools, better transportation, and a better energy infrastructure. So maybe they will get something for the money.
George W. quadrupled the national debt and all we got out of it was a war in Iraq and a continued crumbling of our infrastructure.
And I generally would agree with all of them.
We would been able to fund a lot of "social liberal/progressive" items
if we didn't waste money on unnecessary wars, pork, bailouts etc.
-bijan
---
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the money spent on all such things combined is dwarfed by spending on entitlement programs like social security as well as medicare and medicaid
are those programs liberal or conservative?
the most expensive social program in history, medicare "part D" (prescription drug benefit program) was championed by president george w bush and senator ted kennedy
old labels like "socially liberal" and fiscally conservative" are tired and obsolete and counterproductive. personally, i am a little anxious over some of president obama's policies (or lack thereof) but overall i am very impressed and excited by his largely post-partisan approach.