The Other McCain

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The Constitutional Delusions of Sirota’s Mind

Posted on | February 8, 2010 | 7 Comments

by Smitty

David Sirota, emphasis mine:

Paige says Colorado Springs attracts new residents and economic growth “by actually putting America’s limited government ideals into practice.” In this, he asks us to forget that one of the city’s biggest employers is the defense industry – that is, an industry that has absolutely nothing to do with “limited government” and everything to do with the hugest of Huge Government. Whether you support this Huge Government or not – whether you think it is a good or bad thing – it’s size and centrality to the Colorado Springs economy is undeniable, as is it’s antithesis to the concept of “limited” or small government. You don’t have to trust me, the guy who Paige calls a “statist” (do people even use that red-baiting McCarthy-esque word anymore?). You can look at the $700 billion annual defense budget, or you can look to people John McCain and Don Rumsfeld who have repeatedly noted just how bloated the government’s defense budget really is (I wonder if Paige believes McCain and Rummy are “statists,” too?).

The Constitution delegates to the Federal government the whole “defense” thing. This is not to say that there isn’t copious room to reform the DoD budget, and Sirota veers in the direction of a point here.

However, just because the Constitutionally tenable graft of the DoD needs fixing, it is still relatively better founded than the awful entitlements that are eating ~2/3 of the Federal budget.

Sirota probably thinks the discretionary freeze is great:

While not nothing, this PuffingtonHost post represents the kind of non-analysis that seems to permeate Leftist thought.

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Category: Liberals

Comments

  • Chuck Cross

    If there is one part of the budget I can live with some of my tax money going to waste, it’s the defense budget, one of the few things I want the Fed Gov to do. Though I wish they’d work on securing our own borders as well as we secure South Korea’s borders.

  • Chuck Cross

    If there is one part of the budget I can live with some of my tax money going to waste, it’s the defense budget, one of the few things I want the Fed Gov to do. Though I wish they’d work on securing our own borders as well as we secure South Korea’s borders.

  • http://thecampofthesaints.wordpress.com Bob Belvedere

    …this PuffingtonHost post represents the kind of non-analysis that seems to permeate Leftist thought.

    ‘Permeates’! It is central to Leftist thinking that no real analysis occur because they know too well that it can’t hold up.

    Good one, Smitty.

  • http://thecampofthesaints.wordpress.com Bob Belvedere

    …this PuffingtonHost post represents the kind of non-analysis that seems to permeate Leftist thought.

    ‘Permeates’! It is central to Leftist thinking that no real analysis occur because they know too well that it can’t hold up.

    Good one, Smitty.

  • http://www.haemet.blogivists.com Roxeanne de Luca

    Where to start.

    The entire purpose of a federal government is to make sure that the states play nicely with each other, ensure that we are one nation, and to protect us from foreign enemies. Before a dime goes to entitlements, education, farm subsidies, or whatever else the federal government spends our money on, it goes to military defence. It’s sort of the point of a federal government.

    Now, as a practical matter, military technology is a much better use of federal funds than are any of the ridiculous things given out in the stimulus bill. Technology not only improves our military, but makes our economy stronger with respect to other countries. The things we develop in labs are routinely used in other applications, so as to make better electronics, better products, and better technology. That is a stimulus. That makes us more competitive globally.

    Furthermore, it’s easy to rip on the defence budget, but 9/11 should have taught us that we have no idea when we can be attacked and we ought to be prepared for it. If we’re attacked in 2030, we cannot suddenly develop technology that has been languishing for the past two decades; we would be stuck fighting a 2030 battle with 2010 technology. As far as brilliant plans go, it’s lacking.

    Done ranting, I think.

  • http://www.haemet.blogivists.com Roxeanne de Luca

    Where to start.

    The entire purpose of a federal government is to make sure that the states play nicely with each other, ensure that we are one nation, and to protect us from foreign enemies. Before a dime goes to entitlements, education, farm subsidies, or whatever else the federal government spends our money on, it goes to military defence. It’s sort of the point of a federal government.

    Now, as a practical matter, military technology is a much better use of federal funds than are any of the ridiculous things given out in the stimulus bill. Technology not only improves our military, but makes our economy stronger with respect to other countries. The things we develop in labs are routinely used in other applications, so as to make better electronics, better products, and better technology. That is a stimulus. That makes us more competitive globally.

    Furthermore, it’s easy to rip on the defence budget, but 9/11 should have taught us that we have no idea when we can be attacked and we ought to be prepared for it. If we’re attacked in 2030, we cannot suddenly develop technology that has been languishing for the past two decades; we would be stuck fighting a 2030 battle with 2010 technology. As far as brilliant plans go, it’s lacking.

    Done ranting, I think.

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