Corrrecting Conservative Crazy Talk

IN THE EVENT that your judgment is sufficiently poor that you have often, rather than infrequently paid serous attention to the mindless blather of conservative pundits, there are certain bromides with which you have regrettably been redundantly bombarded. here's one, just for starters: people know best how to spend their own money. they know better than government how to spend it, and therefore it is best to keep taxes low, to allow people to keep more of their own money, because government will only confiscate it and waste it, and the folks who earned it by hard work will spend it wisely. Ever heard that one? yes, you have. And, to be quite blunt, its a load of crap, pure, unadulterated nonsense, like most right wing blather. And, just like most other right wing tripe, it sounds deceptively alluring, logical, compellingly true. that is, until you look into the matter a little deeper. Then, the falsehood is exposed. Here's how. think of the way people spend their own money. Yes, on food, clothing, and shelter. and that's about the end of it, as far as wise spending is concerned. After that, we get to the beer, cigarettes, huge cable TV packages with hundreds of redundant and trashy channels, fattening, diabetic inducing food, expensive mindless entertainment, and on, and on...A close examination of the spending patterns of the average American reveals incredible waste and folly. We could all have happier, healthier, longer lives, more financially fit lives, if we would only save more, spend less on harmful and nonsensical goods and services, and live just a wee bit more modestly. We Americans are notorious for living above our means. Now consider government. the first thing people will mention is the huge national debt, and the annual budget deficit. The simple fact is, it would not take much of an adjustment to correct all that, despite the billions and trillions of dollars involved. A little bit more taxing of the wealthy, a little budget cutting of the bloated, excessive military budget, requiring the wealthy to pay more into social security , and a few cosmetic changes to social spending programs would do the trick. the overspending by government isn't nearly as dire a problem, or needn't be, as we are led to believe. Government spends money on highways, roads, military defense, health care, programs to support the elderly, education; all the things we say we so badly want, but seem so unwilling to pay for. contrary to popular mass hysteria opinion, America's public schools are a beacon of hope and success, despite their obvious shortcomings. there are no problems in our public schools that a little bit more attention to poor neighborhoods wouldn't cure. while the American individual is spending hard earned cash watching Labron James go to the hole, and paying people like him ridiculous salaries with their free market discretionary spending by choice, out government, at all levels, is providing all the essential services which we cringe to pay for, but without which we would pitch a fit. We the american people throw away our income on escape entertainment, the government sustains uswith necessary spending. Even the famous supposed "wastes" of money on projects like government studies of Burmese python babies and minnows in Minnesota yield scientific results and knowledge, and the american people never tire of ridiculing science and learning. why not? they have more important things to do, like watch Labron James shoot hoops and Luke Skywalker cut Darth Vader to ribbons with laser pointers, or whatever.