The GOP's turd of a tax bill

[Crossless2.0]

I think I read somewhere that the tax bill, if passed, will increase the USian deficit by something trillion dollars.  Aren't conservatives always the ones railing about deficit spending?

Boru

A Republican representative from Florida was on TV last night, trying to defend this. He talked about how Speaker Ryan had urged the caucus to vote for the cuts now and how they would look at spending reductions once the tax plan was accomplished. And so it goes.

We’ve seen this before. They’ll cut taxes for the wealthiest among us and then the spending cuts will fail to materialize. Or if spending cuts are made, they will be to federal programs that help the most vulnerable (with the usual talk about getting the government out of people’s lives and empowering the states to tackle the problems) or programs that further the public interest through research, etc. What won’t get touched will be military spending or corporate welfare.

Meanwhile we’ll be treated to yet another round of magical economic thinking whereby these cuts will lead to jobs (rather than dividends and ever more extravagant corporate bonuses) and eventually, somehow, more tax revenue through growth. They’ve been selling that since Reagan.

Yes, they don’t really like deficits but will tolerate them short term to avoid taking responsibility for tackling them. That wouldn’t be politically popular. Better to kick the can down the road.

The long game involves deficits (and debt) so bad that their dearest dream comes true: a dismantling of the core programs that constitute the social safety net.