lupapilgrim, the problem with all the right of center parties in the democratic west chanting cut expenses is that 1) it is clear that this is an *international* movement, (which apparently meets and strategizes, not in public alliances, but in private-corporate cabals) 2) it / they always insist on also lowering taxes on the uber rich and uber corps. 3) And it tells the big lie that lower taxes will create jobs. Now, just look at employment levels, pay rates, etc., in the US economy and actual tax rates from the era of FDR thru reagan and to the present. Tax rates on uber rich uber corps have gone way way down, real living wage jobs have decreased, (you want fries with that?) and the disparity of wealth between the lower + working classes vs the uber wealthy has become so disparate that the US is on the verge of having a 3rd world society, it is becoming more extreme that the imbalance that created the first 'great depression.' The right has preached snake oil lies since the reagan era. And used fear of no jobs if the govt doesn't cave in to cutting whats left of social supports, along with cutting taxes on uber rich. Now they want to cut social security,, and basic medical care... for the non-uber rich.. lol.
It is pure fantasy that cutting government expenses (as opposed to cutting abuses of govt costs) will create new jobs for the bulk of citizens. The plain facts of history since the reagan economic cou show that.
On top of that... the right of center parties still want all the uber corp welfare from the government. Why is the 'shared sacrifice' we keep hearing about so unequally loaded upon the broken backs of the poor and middle class?
A big lie repeated often enough takes on the (false) cloak of 'truthfulness.' Lower taxes will not create new jobs for most people - neither will cutting social supports. The gov't doesnt tax uber corps and uber rich, so the govt borrows money from the uber rich. Who gets this interest? Its a con game, snake oil. What will increase living wage jobs? Government sponsored employment will. Want to jump start the economy? Do a New Deal kind of thing, and make the greedy uber rich / uber corporations return some of their ill gotten gains back to the people. One just has to decide if 'economic' purity supersedes human suffering.
BTW You have 'pilgrim' in your name. IF that means you are also an 'evangelical' or baptist oriented christian, ( a bible believer), or one who believes in Church dogma, canon law, and encyclicals) then I have a much graver concern for you: The texts that 'bible believing' Christians hold as accurate statements of the teachings of Jesus clearly present a jesus that sided with the poor, the powerless, and those who failed to get justice in the courts because they could not afford it against the rich. It does not bode well that these groups of Christians, in their sermons, their public documents, and in elections, side with the rich and powerful. Remember "... the least of these..." trumps any loyalty to a modern economic system. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." g-d or mammon, you can't serve two masters....
I would also suggest that the endless expansion you cautioned us about is not mainly govt, (nor Obama - who acts like a traditional Republican-) but uber corps and uber rich who love the economic system - its their machine to milk the people. Dems and GOP (Greedy ol Plutocrats) are twiddle dee and twiddle dum... different, but so close as to be almost the same. The fight over deficits, cutting gov't spending is all smoke and mirrors. What is really going on is a continued set up to have govt borrow money form the uber rich so the uber rich get even more money - and use the fear and a crisis atmosphere to frighten people into agreeing to cut whats left of social supports.
The real impetus to endless expansion is an economic system predicated and driven by the need to endlessly expand, consume, and transform the planet into human biomass. The so-called 'free market' (a rigged game) is the tool used by uber rich + uber corps to manipulate the 'free market' so they can raid the assets of pension funds, banks, etc. Raiding a corporation and leaving a shell to collapse is a time honored tactic of the robber barons of all ages. And the regular people are the ones who lose the most in assets and retirement, and medical. (is this a form of cannibalism mediated by a market?) People are so blinded by the rhetoric in Washington that they don't see the big picture. Iceland did the right thing. Obama and health care is not the endless expansion of govt. Uber corps and uber rich milking the govt is. And like the corporate shells that have been raided and sucked dry in the past, the gov't, too will be sucked dry, and than abandoned to collapse. Uber corporations are so big now,m that they can, and do treat governments as targets to raid, as prey. Given enough time, these uber corps, and the uber rich that own them will suck our bones dry, and then go for cocktails with their friends. And the masses of surviving people will be much more compliant, more amenable to serving whatever appetites the new ruling class wishes us to sate.