The Fools Of April

So, the eagerly anticipated House Republican budget was released today, and as expected it's completely insane bordering on disastrous as Steve Benen reports:

To be sure, the roll-out for the alternative budget has been a rather humiliating fiasco, as evidenced by the Republican decision to unveil a budget with no numbers in it. And we won't really be able to scrutinize the proposal until the caucus decides to release some, you know, data.

Today, however, Ryan sketches out at least some additional thoughts about the GOP vision.

Our plan halts the borrow-and-spend philosophy that brought about today's economic problems, and puts a stop to heaping ever-growing debt on future generations -- and it does so by controlling spending, not by raising taxes.

In reality, the "borrow-and-spend philosophy" did not create the crisis, so Ryan's prescription is automatically based on a misdiagnosis. But even if we put that aside, the alternative budget reflects a political party that embraced a breathtakingly radical worldview.

In a nutshell, Ryan proposes a massive tax cut, totaling, by some estimates, around $4 trillion -- on top of the Bush/Cheney cuts, which would remain place. The Republicans plan would voucherize Medicare, and, best of all, impose a five-year spending freeze on non-defense discretionary spending (which is, of course, completely insane).

Are you serious? A FIVE YEAR SPENDING FREEZE that would eliminate the stimulus on top of a FOUR TRILLION DOLLAR TAX CUT FOR THE RICH? And turning Medicare into a PRIVATIZED VOUCHER PROGRAM? Not only would that actually increase the deficit over and above Obama's plan, it would completely destroy the economy, Herbert Hoover style. It's ridiculous both on its face and in the deeper analysis.

No sane, educated human being can look at this plan and come to any reasonable conclusion other than the GOP is trying to completely eradicate the American worker and finish the transfer of all wealth in the country to Wall Street oligarchs. This is the cruelest April Fool's joke I've seen in a long, long time. It wouldn't just burden the middle class -- it would eliminate it through inflation, removal of social safety nets, and a crushing tax burden on those who can afford taxes the least.

The Republican party simply cannot be allowed back in power on a national scale ever again. Make $300,000 a year? You get $20,000 a year in tax savings! Make $30,000 a year? You get a 20-pound sledgehammer in the genitals, plus the knowledge that inflation will probably cut a good 20% off the value of your $30,000 in five years! Gotta love the GOP!

TAXEN CUTTEN UBER ALLES!