I like the phrase “ownership society.” It sounds like something Tony Blair would say. I look forward to social security reform and tax law reform. They will do something to compensate for the prescription drug benefit added to Medicare and the recently signed corporate tax bill. On the costs of big government conservatism, Steve Hayward is right (it “is merely low budget liberalism, and not all that low-budget any more”). According to a study reported in the Economist, the George W. Bush administration is responsible for three of the six largest annual percentage increases in real discretionary spending over the last 40 years. The Johnson administration is responsible for the other three.
If you get choice by stealth in no child left behind, is it a worthy investment?
If you get medical savings accounts by stealth in addition for more spending on medicare, is it a worthy investment?
It’s fine for the think tank crowd that doesn’t actually have to win elections (and then govern while working to retain a majority) to decry "spending" in a generic manner.
Unfortunately for conservatives who obsess over spending, the American people have made it abundantly clear they want their social safety net. So advocating its elimination is a loser. The GOP can oppose that social safety net on the ivory tower principle "we’re tightwads, and principled ones!" and go back to the political wilderness, or they can attempt to bring choice and market principles to said social safety net (from owning a chunk of your own health care to retirement to education) -- ownership being useful to the promotion of liberty.
Bush is forever saying that democracies do not invade other countries and start wars. Well, he did just that. He invaded Iraq, started a war, and killed people. What do you think? Is killing thousands of innocent civilians okay when you are doing a little government makeover?
What happened to us, people? When did we become such lemmings?
We have lost friends and influenced no one. No wonder most of the world thinks we suck. Thanks to what george bush has done to our country during the past three years, we do!