Those patriotic Tax-Cutting Conservative Republicans Vs. those darned liberal Tax & Spend Democrats!

We are continuously confronted with the dichotomy of ‘Tax & Spend’ Democrats and ‘Conservative’ Republicans. If you subscribe to labels, sound bites, and doctrinal hype it seems very obvious who does what. Who spends the country into the ground, and who are the fiscally conservative bunch out to rescue the Republic.

Why, you ask, are Democrats always demonized as liberals who would spend every cent you have and then some, and who would burden our succeeding generations for centuries to come? And why do Republicans always portray themselves as fiscal conservatives who only want to cut taxes and needless spending?

But, are these the realities? It's pretty mind-boggling what we discover when we take a good long, sober look at the actual truth of ‘what really is’.

Let’s cut to the chase. What is the actual, literal truth about the so-called ‘Conservatism’ of the Republican Party and the ‘Tax & Spend’ proclivities of the Democrats? If you have bought into all the partisan hype, you will be totally surprised and blown away. But, if you like to turn over rocks to look for yourself to see what is underneath, you may already have a pretty good notion of the truth.

Turns out, the only real mystery is how the myths of ‘Conservative Republicans’ and ‘Tax & Spend Democrats’ ever came to be in the first place!

The fact is that fiscally ‘Conservative Republicans’ are nothing of the sort, and that ‘Tax & Spend Democrats are actually far more fiscally responsible. Hard to believe? Consider *this:

1. Every Republican administration IN HISTORY has increased the national debt;

2. Since 1946, Democratic presidents increased the national debt an average of 3.2% per year. The Republican presidents increased at an average of 9.2% per year. Republican Presidents out borrowed and spent Democratic presidents by a three to one ratio, proving Republicans are the real ‘borrow and spend’ party;

3. At no time since 1945 when Republicans have been in total charge of both elected branches of government have they ever reduced spending;

4. That ‘Great Communicator' and hero to the Republican right, President Ronald Reagan entered office in 1981 calling for a balanced budget, but never submitted a balanced budget. In truth, he was an award winning, record setting liberal spender and grower of an ever expanding government;

5. Each and every time the Republicans practiced their ‘Trickle Down Economic Theory’ has led to dismal failure. The first time under Hoover and led to the ‘Great Depression’. Reagan then tried in and the rich got richer, the poor got poorer and the economy declined - leading eventually to Clinton’s ‘It ‘s the Economy, Stupid’ election victory. Now unfortunately, we are all witness to the results of the third time under Bush II;

6. Clinton inherited the Republican deficit spending problem and - and fixed it. He got the growth of the debt down to one third of one percent his last year in office. Contrary to the myth fostered by so-called ‘conservative’ Republicans, revenue increased and spending decreased. So, Clinton was actually the conservative the Republicans claimed to be - but were not and are not;

(And to distract everyone, the Republican right focused on Clinton's admittedly 'liberal' sexual activites - which had very little to do with governance as a whole - but it sure made good lurid copy!)

7. ALL Democratic administrations from Lyndon Johnson’s to date increased the rate of revenue increase, while reducing the rate of spending increase;

8. ALL Republican administrations from Nixon’s to date increased the rate of spending increase while reducing the rate of revenue increase;

9. Under Republican leadership the national debt has doubled in size relative to the GDP;

10. In the last 60 years whenever Republicans held all the power, they never used it to reduce the debt; In fact they have ALWAYS increased it!

So, laying all the partisan doctrine aside, who are the REAL conservatives? Any open minded person not blinded by partisan dogma can easily judge for themselves simply by checking the facts, and having a close look at this * in depth analysis of the US NATIONAL DEBT.

So, why are Republicans so eager to misinform and mislead the public about their true record? It should be very obvious to all. Republicans do truthfully claim to be the ‘party of business’. As a result, their dogma is largely dictated by business, business ‘capitalism’ (Corporatism), and monetary interests.

Corporate capitalism has zero conscience and could care less about the public interests, whether they be in America or some other place. National interests are of concern only to the degree they may affect corporate profits. But, they, quite naturally do not want the public to know the real extent of their criminal assault on the wealth and welfare of the public or our descendants, possibly down to several generations and beyond. So, administrations, particularly Republican administrations often resort to various subterfuges to hide their transgressions. (Click on chart at left for a great example of this phenomenon)

And, why don’t Democrats rightly claim their mantle of ‘fiscally conservative? That too is obvious to me. Democrats too, are largely the party of business and business interests - just not to the same extreme degree as Republicans. There is merely enough of the leavening effect of ‘public interest’ with Democrats to ameliorate and temper the resulting policies.

And those, gentle reader, are the realities!


* http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm