The Mother of All No-Brainers (David Brooks Massive Barf Alert)

New York Times ^ | July 4, 2011 | David Brooks

[PJ-Comix]

The Republicans have changed American politics since they took control of the House of Representatives. They have put spending restraint and debt reduction at the top of the national agenda. They have sparked a discussion on entitlement reform. They have turned a bill to raise the debt limit into an opportunity to put the U.S. on a stable fiscal course.

Republican leaders have also proved to be effective negotiators. They have been tough and inflexible and forced the Democrats to come to them. The Democrats have agreed to tie budget cuts to the debt ceiling bill. They have agreed not to raise tax rates. They have agreed to a roughly 3-to-1 rate of spending cuts to revenue increases, an astonishing concession.

[driftless2]

Democrats are dragging the country down into the raging volcano. According to Brooks, Republicans should stop resisting the Dems efforts and agree to let the Dems drag us closer to the rim. Just to show we can compromise. What a load.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“The Democrats have agreed to tie budget cuts to the debt ceiling bill. They have agreed not to raise tax rates. They have agreed to a roughly 3-to-1 rate of spending cuts to revenue increases, an astonishing concession.”

And how are they going to increase revenues? And more importantly, for what?

If we cut spending, we do not need additional revenues, except if we are paying down debt. In which case, you haven’t cut enough.

[PJ-Comix]

Has Brooks even offered a reason as to why the Democrats have offered NO budget for the past two years?

[DManA]

Problem is we are dealing with a cult who worships taxes. They will sacrifice anything, even our children for another 5% in taxes.

[Happy Rain]

Much has been discovered of Chamber's life and mind since his death.
His ideological duality his love/hate relationship with communism wasn't all that obvious in that he,like Brooks,affected to be a good anti-communist while trying not to reveal his opposition to some of the most popular and effective anti-communists of the day.
For instance,Joe McCarthy and William F Buckley 2 were his friends but he strongly objected to their methods. At National Review,his pinko notions were forgiven because he was both a skilled writer and interesting to be around. He was a noble patriot who got the evil Hiss yet he constantly struggled with the Marxist ghosts of his early indoctrinations.
I would suggest reading,”Whittaker Chambers” by Sam Tanenhaus-published in 1997. It is well researched and has previously unreleased revelations—heck,it has 85 pages of notes!

[DManA]

Their minds are so twisted that they think tax deductions is a form of spending. In the fever dream they consider reality, the fact that the Federal Government “only” spends $4 1/2 trillion out of our $14 trillion GDP means that tax loopholes “cost us” $9 1/2 trillion last year

[driftless2]

I’ll be honest... I can’t take anything Brooks writes seriously after his infamous “crease in his pants” comment which supposedly qualifed Obama to be president. In fact, who can take Brooks seriously after such an egregiously stupid statement? That alone should invalidate him from ever again being taken seriously about anything.

[PJ-Comix]

I read that Tannenhaus bio about Chambers but still don't see your reasoning. Keep in mind that Chambers was EXCORIATED by the Left for his revelations about Hiss in particular and communist espionage in general. One big reason why some on the right dislike Chambers (maybe the main reason) is that he excoriated Ayn Rand in a National Book Review of "Atlas Shrugged." Actually the book was really nothing more than a novel built around an overlong speech. The characters were completely one-dimensional. Thus the lingering dislike for Chambers by some on the right. But, remember this, he put himself at extreme risk when he made his revelations about Hiss and communist espionage.

Easy to sit here in the web world of 2011 and cast aspersions upon Chambers but when it COUNTED, he stood up and took the heat for his revelations.

[darkangel82]

He thinks he’s 50 times smarter than he really is.

[Aevery_Freeman]

Compromise has been consecrated in political discourse to the level of a sacrament as if the act of compromise itself sanctifies the most hideous of abuses. As Reagan noted, politics and prostitution have much in common and just as the assignation in prostitution, a compromise between morals and money, perpetuates an evil, compromise in politics usually perpetuates an evil.

If the compromise is between good and evil, an evil, however diluted, remains. One such political compromise, Roe v. Wade, left us with at least one trimester of evil. Another compromise, largely misunderstood, left us with 3/5 of an evil. This compromise between Abolitionists and slave-holders, left slaves counted as 3/5 of a person for the slave state but without a vote to represent himself – a clear evil.

Compromises over important matters, life, slavery, freedom never result in good, just evil; diluted yet perpetuated and codified by law. Politics, as prostitution, is the art of the compromise and the result is the same except it is we, the taxpayers that are on the receiving end of the transaction.

If you are weary of compromising away your civil liberties, demand that your representatives stand on principle for compromise only postpones the day of reckoning. The 3/5 compromise was settled only by bloody civil war; the fate of the unborn is still not settled. Any compromise over the debt ceiling will leave us on the path to financial ruin, the failure of our nation and likely civil unrest.

Let us hope we do not compromise with evil again.

[Travis McGee]

Is Brooks still playing footsie and leg groping with men under the table at his A-list Manhattan dinner parties?

[sickoflibs]

Items # 4+5 at : #16 were pretty popular in 2003 but now almost no Republican running for office will appear to show interest in them. I remember months back Kristol on Fox News Sunday panel said the US should bomb Iran and the other Republican establishment panelists all said he was nuts. Talking about such things now would be a death wish for any candidate running for office.

REFERENCE 4+5:

(4) endless think-tank pontificating on how nice it is to goad the US military into invading foreign countries of the pukes choosing,

(5) cheerleading amnesty, National Greatness, America as Empire, endless war, and John McCain,

[sickoflibs]

'... political death wish...' of course.

[achilles2000]

We accept the authority of legitimate scholars and intellectual authorities. I hope that clears it up for Dave.

[moonhawk]

You seem to fit category number three rather nicely...

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Like Newt, Brooks has been around too long. “

How old is Brooks? That is how long he’s been around too long.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Is “neocons are sucking up bigtime b/c Repub party regulars kicked them out on their filthy behinds” too strong an observation? “

Once a pukeneo...................

[stephenjohnbanker]

” “Sob.” “

Wrong, but close....

S O B

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Is Brooks still playing footsie and leg groping with men under the table at his A-list Manhattan dinner parties? “

His “A” list is our “F” list.

[longtermmemmory]

for democrats, taxes are not about revenue, taxes are about consolodation of power.

Democrats are no different than the thug who demands protection money.