Political Rantlette

Political mid-term campaigns are (hopefully) winding down.  So, in a few weeks i won't have to be bombarded by campaigns (especially) Democratic where the candidate is touting some counter-productive ideal that is disastrous in the real world (the rising tide of liberal fascism).  Should a democrat add make the republican candidate look better? 

The democrats always use stuff like social security as a canard.  Candidate x wants to cut social security.  That would be a plus for me.  You are talking about a pyramid scheme (like most pensions) that is more dependent on a rising population (a bad thing) than any kind of tangible investment scheme.  People tend to overstate the returns (conveniently overlooking the penalty for employment the employer is hit with).  There is 13% of potential earnings the worker will never see.  Social security is a tax, plain and simple, and not a promise.  People in my generation would be better served just taking the money they would have spent on social security and buying lottery tickets with the money.

Another lie is the "middle class" tax.  The middle class is actually one of the most under-taxed groups there is.  The amount they get off for mortgages and children is insanely high).  For some people they are complaining about a 4-5% real tax rate.  Of course, the "progressive" tax scheme is off base anyway.  Nobody should get a free tax ride (or benefit from taxes like many people currently do).  It is basically like Robin Brain: steal from the rich and give to themselves.  The tax burden is put squarely on the shoulders of the successful.  What kind of message does that send: make more money so the government can take it and spend it on useless programs that foster dependence on the government?  Do the congress people really have your interests in mind when they have a pension plan (should be eliminated) and constantly vote themselves raises.  There is a major conflict of interest going on.

i hate it when a candidate brags about pork they brought home.  Pork project don't help anyone, but they hurt everyone.  There is no such thing as a free lunch.  Somebody has to pay for it.  That is just the unconscionable wasting of tax payer resources.  Government: they money you spend is not yours.  It is a betrayal of the country to spend it how the government has.   

If you haven't figured it out by now, i am a fiscal conservative.  i think the views on fiscal responsibility of the two parties can be generalized as such...
* Liberals: raise taxes on the people who won't vote for you anyway (soak the rich) and use the funds to try and buy votes.  You can't cut spending, you have to raise taxes to balance the budget (though they don't have an incentive to do so, especially those who want the government to flame out in a barrage of bad debt and inflation).  If the budget is ever actually balanced - it is a fluke. 
* Conservatives:  cut spending (now if they would actually do it.  i know it is easier done than said).  The current revenue base is sufficient (it is), but spending is out of control.  Much of what the federal government does is overreaching and counterproductive (especially from a financial view).    

Original Post Date: who knows, blogger post date 10/23/10