David Stockman again hits the nail on the head with his “cut through the doctrinarian crap” editorial in the NY Times about the budget impasse in Washington. Yes, the David Stockman who headed the OMB under Reagan, a Republican President. He cogently points out the cynical aspects of Paul Ryan’s budget proposal which is essentially a great big transfer from the poor to the richest 1% that already control more than 35% of America’s wealth without balancing the budget. He also targets some of the faults in the Obama plan.
So let me get this straight – Paul Ryan wants to give health care vouchers to the poor and hopes they won’t visit a hospital which would result in a substantially higher cost of care? So let me get this straight – let’s cry for the 1% that controlled 21% of America’s wealth in 1979 that now control 35% because they have to pay more capital gains taxes? And the solution – the middle class should sock-it-to the poor, not the rich, that controls nothing? There is no doubt that the US middle class is suffering – but is this suffering caused by the 40 million under-privileged in America?
This is not about class-warfare – this is just about the facts and about the kind of society we want to be. Are we really ready to disband the New Deal and the Great Society? Are angry people directing their anger in the right place?
Posted by Joseph Newman on April 28, 2011 at 11:27 am
Yes, I saw this D. Stockman article and was going to send it to you. Also was very impressed. No nonsense. Thanks for keeping this debate alive.