Earlier quoted context omitted.
"i.e. Is it meaningful to loathe an increase in the size of government if the effort will reduce the net cost of government?" When has increasing the size of the government EVER reduced the net cost? "Suppose we could hire a thousand accounts at a hundred thousand dollars a year to go over the defense budget with a fine-toothed comb. If the effect of adding these accountants was a cost reduction of several billion do…
> "When has increasing the size of the government EVER reduced the net cost?" Isn't that exactly what the CBO has estimated as the result of health care reform? A reduction in the deficit despite the increase in scope (and thus surely number of desks) of government? > "The question is: If they hire these accountants and they don't reduce the overall cost by several billion dollars, can we fire them?" I was making a p…
I don't know if I believe it. I would have to see the numbers. For years, people have claimed how great France has been with it's many social programs. Now, after creating a society that is dependent on these programs, they can't even cut it a little bit (because they are running out of money) without violent riots in the streets.
Also, Even though the deficit is reduced, overall quality has also been reduced. I have many relatives in Canada and they all come over here for any major surgery because of the waiting lists.
Greece is very similar. I've heard from many Democrats that the reason it's doing so poorly is because they didn't get enough in taxes (not the ridiculous social programs that just don't work in the long-run). This is exactly what I am talking about.
"If you absorbed my point you would already know that my answer is an unqualified "absolutely"."
You say this now..and it does sound great. But reality shows that it never happens this way. Governments are generally very inefficient and bloated. They also have no incentive to save money since it all comes from the taxpayers. Running a successful government and a successful business aren't really that different.
If you get funding from the government and you spend less, guess what happens? You get less money the next year...so most will spend it all, even though they don't need to.
"I have to tell you, it's pretty difficult to talk to people who are so certain they know what the other party is thinking and how they will react."
The best way to predict someone's future actions is to look at what they've done in the past. This is because for the most part, people don't change. This logic also applies to future spouses, friends, and bosses. I would really like the Democratic party to prove me wrong.
It's not difficult to talk to me. You just don't have a very good convincing argument.