The Sunshine Empire

In the controverted world of wing-nut conservatives, all good things are due to the actions of Reagan, and all bad things are the fault of Democrats. I’ve had some argue with me that the economic status of the United States in 1997 was solely the the work of Ronald Reagan in 1982. Yet the recession in early 2002 was purely the work of Bill Clinton. Despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, as in mountains of debt, conservatives continue to pray at the alter of supply-side economics. In the early part of this decade, it was argued that massive tax cuts for the wealthy where needed to move the country out of a mild recession. It was argued that the influx of revenue minutes afterward would pay for the budget busting tax cuts and pay for many other programs like the total of $50 billion that the Iraq war was going to cost. The political doublespeak was fantastic. The debate was reduced to the level of a sales pitch for an Herbalife representative.

The recession, which was of course blamed on Clinton, ended shortly afterward. What followed was tepid growth, and job growth that did not come around to the plus side until 2004. Meanwhile the Administration let the dollar become as worthless as the paper with the Queen on it they use up in Canada. The former oil man also managed to allow gas to skyrocket, all while giving badly needed tax breaks to oil companies. All the while only giving the average taxpayer around $240 dollars in tax relief. The administration states that it is $1800 in relief, but that is only when you bust the average with the hundreds of thousands of dollars given to the top one half of one percent of earners.

Now this is the point when my friends will say that I am waging class warfare. This goes to the Republican hero worship of the rich. Never has anyone stated that taxes should be increased from 2000 levels, yet putting them back there is branded a tax increase. Republicans cry foul while Americans have the second lowest tax burden in the industrialized world. They state that their tax policies generate jobs, yet during 8 years of Clinton rule there where 22 million jobs created, and with the rich unburdened during 8 years of Bush rule only 8.3 million have been created. They say that Bush inherited the “Clinton recession” yet Clinton inherited the H.W. Bush recession and the next president will inherit the Dubya depression.

When the Congress allows the Bush tax cuts to expire, we can expect two reactions from wing-nuts. If the economy stays stagnant it will be blamed on the “tax increases,” and if it improves, it will probably be due to Ronald Reagan.

Related posts:

1. Obama Didn’t Inherit Problems Because He Didn’t Succeed Bill Clinton
2. The Debt Limit, Reluctant Reagan, And The Beatification Of Bill Clinton
3. Clinton goes dirty and loses the debate
4. Clinton looks to change the rules, after the game
5. Debt Crisis Reaches Clinton Campaign