Starve The Beast

From Wikipedia:
"Starving the beast" is a fiscal-political strategy of some American conservatives[1][2] to cut taxes, depriving the government of revenue that enables spending on social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, in an effort to create a fiscal budget crisis that would then force the federal government to reduce spending. "

I don't know what causes me more grief: the dirty, underhanded and deceitful tactics of the right or the pathetic, bungling ineptitude of Democrats and the left.

In a previous post I explained how the right made fools of all of us during the healthcare reform debate.
But for the past thirty years they have been pulling a much bigger scam: the "Starve The Beast" strategy.

Conservatives hate Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. They opposed those programs from their inception and have been fighting furiously to destroy them ever since.
However, conservatives were unable to convince the American people that insuring themselves against financial and medical ruin was actually an assault on their liberty.
In 1961 "The Great Communicator," Ronald Reagan, produced a ten minute recording: "Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine."
On it he warned that subsidized medicine would curtail Americans' freedom and that "pretty soon your son won't decide when he's in school, where he will go or what he will do for a living. He will wait for the government to tell him."

Time has not only proven these scare tactics to be ridiculous nonsense but has also shown that these programs actually increased Americans' freedom by removing the threats posed by the absence of these programs. (Being unable to retire or pay your medical bills would put a crimp on your freedoms, don't you think?)
These programs also allowed an unprecedented era of prosperity and security with the largest expansion of the middle class in human history.

These programs also became enormously popular.
Except with certain conservatives. Like the number one "Starve The Beast" proponent, activist Grover Norquist who famously said "My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."
And Vice-President Dick Cheney.
Then-Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill warned about the future financial dangers presented by the deficits that the Bush tax cuts were creating.
But Cheney said "Reagan proved deficits don't matter." In other words, just cut taxes, no matter what that might do to the deficit.

You see, because of the enormous popularity of these programs, conservative politicians couldn't tell the voters that they were plotting to destroy them.
Hence the "Starve The Beast" strategy.
Conservatives would launch a campaign to villainize the very concept of taxes and government in order to get the voters to support tax cuts regardless of the consequences.
"the government has no right to take away your money"
"taxes are government theft"
"the government is stealing your money"
"the government taxes your money in order to give it to people who don't work"

The Reagan and Bush II administrations would drastically cut taxes while increasing spending tremendously.
The resulting deficits, which added greatly to the national debt, would then do what the Republicans couldn't do by being politically honest: end Social Security and Medicare.

What really makes me sick is the way the Dems and the left have allowed the right wingers to get away with this. I mean, "Starve The Beast" was an open secret. The right didn't talk much about it, or it wouldn't have worked, but it was known about. The left talked about it even less than conservatives did. Even now, with the budget talks and the Dems about to give the Republicans everything they want, it's hardly mentioned.

To add insult to injury, the Republicons recently defeated the Public Option (despite Democratic control of the Presidency, both houses and huge public support) by, among other false charges, accusing the Dems of wanting to cut Medicare. This is what gave rise to the "Get Your Government Hands Off My Medicare" signs at the anti-government Tea Party rallies.
Now with control of the House, the Republicons are about to use their anti-government hands to tear Medicare to pieces.

Somewhere, bastards like Grover Norquist, Dick Cheney and Rush Limbag must be laughing at how they put one over on the American people. Not only are the scumbag Republicans on the verge of destroying every government program that helps people who aren't rich, but with the help of the disgustingly weak Democrats, they are also about to cut their own top marginal income tax rates down to 24%, lower than it was during Reagan's second term (28%).
And it gets even better! Capital gains and estate taxes will drop down to zero!!
That means that the very richest people in the country will be paying next to nothing in taxes! Isn't that great?
Get ready for more medical rationing at higher cost!
These fucks will be lighting their victory cigars with hundred dollar bills.