If any group should be wary of huge crowds chanting mindlessly and in unison, it’s Cuban refugees.
PJ O’Rourke once wrote that when he found everyone around him enthusiastically agreeing on something–he got nervous.
Please, amigos: I speak as a Tea-Party activist,(of sorts) a Beck fan and as one who wished he coulda attended Beck’s rally this week-end (and, of course, “chanting mindlessly” is an inaccurate description of what they did)…but still…
BUT STILL!–here’s food for thought, from relentless “thinker-outside-the-box” Pat Buchanan:
“Consider the issue that unites all on the Mall on Saturday — the need for the U.S. government to cut spending, to balance its budget and not to shove an immense burden of debt on our children.
Like last year, we are running a deficit of $1.4 trillion, almost 10 percent of the entire economy. But where are the victorious tea party Republicans going to cut?
According to USA Today, 50 million Americans are on Medicaid, and perhaps an equal number on Medicare and Social Security. Which of these three will tea party Republicans cut, when Republicans are already denying Democratic charges that they plan to raise the retirement age for Social Security?
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has a 600-page plan to reform Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the tax code, the work of a conscientious conservative. But only one in 16 House Republicans has signed on as co-sponsor.
Are Republicans going to go after other entitlements — veterans benefits, earned income tax credits, food stamps — which now go to 41 million Americans, or unemployment benefits that run for 99 weeks?”
Entire Buchanan intransigence here.
It’s the “dirty little secret,” the “800 lb gorilla in the living room,” the…you name it: sure, certainly there’s places to trim–but Middle-Class entitlements make up the overwhelming share of Federal spending.
Unreal
You’re right. And Buchanan sounds downright pessimistic. As he concludes, “Republicans and tea partiers are going to have a glorious fall. But is this one of the last hurrahs?” He does not sound optimistic that Republicans will cut spending, or entitlements. So then what?
I’ve always liked Buchanan’s mind, even when I disagreed with him. I fear that on this issue he may be more right than we want to realize.
We need to remember that Obama was the result of Bush losing his Conservative way, and the medicare prescription drug give away he signed was nearly FDR like. I fear that the Fed’s have created a monster of entitlements that nobody can slay in a democractic republic because it is electoral suicide to even attempt to do so.
We officially might have the first govt ever where the majority can vote themselves in entitlements …. basically ~ two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
It’s an old and mournful story, actually–“when 51% realize they can vote themselves a living off the backs of the remaining 49 per cent, all republics crumble.”
We’re getting there.
But the difference is this time the Republicans that have won primaries are the conservative ones. The rinos lost most of their primaries. Now we must get them elected.
I believe that the reason the Republicans stayed together in not supporting Obama-Pelosi-Reid plans is that the Club for Growth congressmen kept them in line. If The Club for Growth can keep winning seats, and they have been successful even in liberal years, we should have a big block of conservatives in both houses and perhaps there will be a sea change.
The first thing is repeal of Obamacare. The next is privatization of Social Security. Then we fix health care and have a balanced budget amendment to the constitution.
Then we cut taxes and regulation.
That’ll do for openers.