One of the reasons I became a conservative way back when is because conservatives lived in a world where one’s actions are defined by their consequences, not one’s motives. Conservatives also prided themselves on being reality-based and fact-based in their analyses, while liberals often seemed to live in a dream world disconnected from history, institutions and ideology, among other things.
I agree completely. I miss that brand of conservatism. What happened to it?
Today, however, conservatives have largely adopted the liberal operating assumption and now also define themselves by the righteousness of their motives. This fact became very obvious to me this week when I examined the knowledge that tea party demonstrators on Capitol Hill had on the subject of taxation.
Granted, Bartlett's polling isn't a very large sample but the results are interesting nonetheless.
Tea party goers also seem to have a very distorted view of the direction of federal taxes. They were asked whether they are higher, lower or the same as when Barack Obama was inaugurated last year. More than two-thirds thought that taxes are higher today and only 4% thought they were lower; the rest said they are the same.
Federal taxes are very considerably lower by every measure since Obama became president. And given the economic circumstances, it's hard to imagine that a tax increase would have been enacted last year. In fact, 40% of Obama's stimulus package involved tax cuts. These include the Making Work Pay Credit, which reduces federal taxes for all taxpayers with incomes below $75,000 by between $400 and $800.
And yet they won't accept these facts. Why? Because they "live in a dream world, disconnected from history, institutions, ideology among other things."
According to the JCT, last year's $787 billion stimulus bill, enacted with no Republican support, reduced federal taxes by almost $100 billion in 2009 and another $222 billion this year. The Tax Policy Center, a private research group, estimates that close to 90% of all taxpayers got a tax cut last year and almost 100% of those in the $50,000 income range. For those making between $40,000 and $50,000, the average tax cut was $472; for those making between $50,000 and $75,000, the tax cut averaged $522. No taxpayer anywhere in the country had his or her taxes increased as a consequence of Obama's policies.
It's hard to explain this divergence between perception and reality.
Actually, it's quite easy, Mr. Bartlett. They are in a fucking Cult. But, please, continue to be polite.
Tea parties just represent unfocused anger at current economic conditions...In this sense, the tea parties are simply the latest manifestation of populism, which has arisen periodically throughout American history...Unfortunately for the tea party populists, there is no evidence in American history that populism has ever had a meaningful effect on policy.
Well, that's a relief that someone thinks so. I'm not so sure, though, with all the new media. I think they are going to be around for awhile.
Whatever the future of the tea party movement in American politics, it's a bad idea for so many participants to operate on the basis of false notions about the burden of federal taxation. It only takes a little bit of time to look at one's tax return to see what one is actually paying the Treasury, calculate the percentage of one's income that goes to taxes, and compare it to what was paid last year and the year before. People may then discover that their anger is misplaced and channel it into areas where it is more likely to bring about positive change.
That's just it. They don't want to take the time. They believe what they believe and they certainly aren't going to let facts about taxes get in the way. In fact, the Tea Partiers that I have talked to seemed more concerned about what other people pay in taxes (howls of unfairness) than what they themselves pay.
I wonder why that is...
9 comments:
"One of the reasons I became a conservative way back when is because conservatives lived in a world where one’s actions are defined by their consequences, not one’s motives. Conservatives also prided themselves on being reality-based and fact-based in their analyses, while liberals often seemed to live in a dream world disconnected from history, institutions and ideology, among other things."
He's being rather generous to conservative "reality-based" thinking. Reagan's whole "trickle down" economics theory was wishful thinking (Bush I rightly called it Voodoo Economics), W's entire administration was eight years of pipedreams: WMDs in Iraq, "welcomed as liberators," "Iraq war paying for itself," tax cuts for the wealthy, real estate bubble, bank crash, etc.
Bush's presidency was a sorry time of lies, torture, corruption, needless war, self-enrichment, naked greed, and utter incompetence. The Republicans who now want to block Obama now are the same people who enabled Bush to screw things up so badly.
We need to stop screwing around and work on coming up with real solutions to real problems, not just trying to torpedo the other guy's plans. For example, Republicans have been united against Democratic energy proposals. Cheney famously sneered that conservation is personal virtue, but not an energy policy. Republicans oppose cap and trade, tax breaks for alternative energy, etc. Instead they push for more nuclear (though they ignore the problems with nuclear waste), more oil-drilling (though this inevitably causes environmental problems and pollution), fight fuel economy standards (even our endless thirst for more oil enriches countries such as Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Russia), etc.
In a reasonable country we would just do all of the above: more wind, more solar, more conservation, more efficient cars, more drilling where it doesn't destroy the environment, significantly more R&D for new technologies that could make all of our other arguments moot if they pan out (and make the US an economic powerhouse again).
It's good to see that some conservatives recognize that the current crop of Republicans are missing the boat and have the courage to say so. There's hope for this country yet.
It's funny, but the immediate assumption that all Tea Partiers are Republicans doesn't quite jibe - particularly since many Tea Partiers are fed up with the growth of the federal govt the last 10 years (or more). I know, it bugs you that anyone criticizes the One, but that just doesn't automatically make them a stupid Republican.
blk said..
"Bush's presidency was a sorry time of lies, torture, corruption, needless war, self-enrichment, naked greed, and utter incompetence."
You just described Obama's administration perfectly - this after only one year and at a magnitude that towers over the Bush administration (or any other in history). Even his fanboys are noticing.
"The Republicans who now want to block Obama now are the same people who enabled Bush to screw things up so badly."
Yes, us Americans saw poor decisions made by the last administration and see this administration amplifying and expanding poor decisions beyond belief. That is why all efforts are out by not just the right, but now the middle of the country. Supporters of this administration and its stupidity are dropping every day and really only his core ass kissers are still defending him.
"We need to stop screwing around and work on coming up with real solutions to real problems, not just trying to torpedo the other guy's plans."
I would agree with this statement EXCEPT in this case, Obama's "plans" are proven failures historically. You and I should be torpedoing everything that we already know doesn't work, was rushed, wastes money, or whatever. Congress is not doing their job when they are passing poor legislation that doesn't solve the problem but only addresses the symptoms. We voters aren't helping anything by putting the same idiots back in charge who are running this country into the ground. You want change, don't vote in people who have been proven to be crooks, liars, and incompetent. In fact, if America did this, the Democratic Party would cease to exist.
"In a reasonable country we would just do all of the above: more wind, more solar, more conservation, more efficient cars, more drilling where it doesn't destroy the environment, significantly more R&D for new technologies that could make all of our other arguments moot if they pan out (and make the US an economic powerhouse again)."
Geez, well if you are going to delve into fantasy land and put out a simpleton statement like that, fine - I would agree with these points. In reality there are serious trade offs with all of these ideas and the real challenge is what is the best approach while not bankrupting the entire country or industries. One exception may be conservation which is always a good idea but not a good government enforced POLICY.
"It's good to see that some conservatives recognize that the current crop of Republicans are missing the boat and have the courage to say so"
Most conservatives recognize this. What you and others fail to realize is that almost all conservatives recognize that democrats and their policies are far more destructive to this country and when having to choose between getting hit by a train or hit by a scooter, they pick the scooter even though they don't want to get hit by either.
"Obama's "plans" are proven failures historically."
What "failures" would those be, 6Kings? His center-right ones? Check your barometer, dude, it's Cult issued.
Democrats and their policies have been around for quite some time and our country is still here. In fact, during the time our nation came closest to socialism we defeated the greatest army this world has ever seen. Please describe in detail how FDR's policies "destroyed" our country.
Holy dogshit...Mark commented on the stimulus bill (well, he regurgitated someone elses words on the stimulus bill).
I'd like to know if Mark and blk consider the stimulus bill to be a success. Do you think it stimulated the economy? It's been 1 year since it passed. I already put many of the details of the bill on this blog - go back to the archives of Feb 2009 in the comment section of the Feb 9 entry called The Sad Return of a Monster.
Instead of the word Consequences Bartlett used, I would have used the word Results. What do you Obama voters think the Results of the stimulus bill have been? You all asked us all kinds of questions and asked us to defend all kinds of stuff during the Bush years - let's see if any of you can answer a few questions about Obamas policies or defend the results.
Another thing I would like clarification on - are tax cuts now a good thing in light of the increase in deficits that we are heading to? So if I go back into the archives of this blog, I won't find any criticism of tax cuts when our country is running deficits?
blk says "We need to stop screwing around and work on coming up with real solutions to real problems". Uum, the people you voted for are in charge now. It's kind of like Obama, in his SOTU speech, talking about "the way things are done in Washington". He's in charge of Washington right now and so is his party. You all must really think people don't notice things like that.
Damn right I oppose cap and trade and I've said why several times on this blog.
We need to stop screwing around and work on coming up with real solutions to real problems, not just trying to torpedo the other guy's plans.
If your "solution" has potentially catastrophic consequences that you blithely ignore, I have every right to try to torpedo it.
Nor, does the mere existence of a problem mean that a) you understand it well enough to propose a meaningful solution, b) that it warrants the govt's attention, and c) the govt is capable of actually fixing said problem. That is the number one ERROR of liberal/progressive thinking - see a problem, craft a govt solution (and only look for alternatives later, if at all).
"Democrats and their policies have been around for quite some time and our country is still here."
Yep, and their policies are still alive in Cuba, Venezuela, and elsewhere and they are still around. You really have no clue.
So, you are saying that President Obama's policies are the same as that of Cuba and Venezuela? How so, exactly?
(posted 1.5 weeks since entry made) Thanks for posting the results of the stimulus bill. One of the largest bills in history and nary a word from the loyal followers on here....says a lot.
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