So now the right wants direct democracy, with tax policy set by opinion polls?

Ohio Voter:

No, we don't want tax policy set by opinion polls, we just want YOU to pay all the taxes necessary to clean up the Left's mess. Let me know how that works for you.

Ok, I'll be happy to pay the taxes (although first we would need to agree on what qualifies as a "mess"), but you pay all the taxes for the current wars, okay? And while you're at it, why not actually take care of all the American veterans that are human wreckage (homeless, suicidal, etc.)?

I will pay for the War as that is something that the Federal Government is responsible, along with the U.S. Veterans - every day and twice on Sunday.

You pay for Education (which is more costly than the war), Welfare, Social Security, Medicare, Illegal Immigrants (no matter what state they reside in), the EPA, the stimulus package, the GM/Chrysler bailout, the Wall Street Bailout, the Bank Bailout, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, Obama's vacations, the Gulf Oil Spill and the salaries of all the people out of work as a result of it, the extended unemployment benefits, the bailouts that went to foreign countries and abortions (about 1 billion dollars a year).

Let me know when you want to sit down and write out the contract. I will be happy to sign it.

More evidence that liberals don't do nuance. There's an obvious difference between between saying that polls suggest an opinon might be popular, and, therefore, that politicians might want to make a particular point, and saying that opinion polls are all that should govern. Sometimes I suspect that many liberals don't want to understand what conservatives actually think. Perhaps they fear they might agree.

National debt as more than 100% of GDP qualifies as a mess.

https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20011546-503544.html

The "rightness" of taxes is a point of view. This from Daniel Henninger:

If voters ultimately feel more secure with a Barack Obama and the like designing a national itinerary for some 300 million people in 50 states, then certainly one should vote for letting taxes rise now on one class of Americans and imposing a VAT next year on everyone. They need a whole lot of money, so give it to them to the horizon. We work, they decide.

The alternative vision is that to compete for the next 50 years, the U.S. is going to need a tax structure that keeps more of the nation's decisions about using its wealth in the hands—and minds—of millions of intelligent citizens, from any economic class. They work, they decide.

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703940904575395263096865590.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

This has to be one of the most easily refutable things (and stupidest things) posted in a comment on this blog:

Education (which is more costly than the war)

I understand, cowgirl, that as an anti-elitist fundamentalist committed to tearing down anything that doesn't just ooze with right-wing talking points, it might be hard for you to admit that mathematics is, in fact, a valid way of approaching an argument about budgets. After all, what is math when you have Glenn Beck and Jesus on your side? But if you accept the premise that math might just prove you wrong (and I know I'm kind of going out on a limb here), you should google "education costs vs. war costs" and see all the crazy leftists with their crazy numbers.

I know what you're thinking: "How can so many people be so blind?!?!?! It's like global warming or reasonableness or evolution or smoking pot!" Well, cowgirl, if you wouldn't post such stupid nonsense on here all the time I wouldn't have to remind you of how out of touch you are with the real world.

Cowgirl's point is valid -- we spend lots more on social welfare than we do on the military. In the early 1960s, we spent about 10% of GDP on the military. Today it's half that. (Education makes up about 16% of spending at all levels of government; defense 14%). While few people are happy about the expense of the Afghani-Iraqi wars, the fact that the Left has used EVERY CONCEIVABLE excuse to de-legitimate those wars has destroyed their credibility in the eyes of many Americans.

And if my college experiences are any measure of our "bang for the buck," I'd say that education isn't any real bargain. And before you say something snarky about my inability to "do the math," I assure you that I can and do use numbers on a daily basis. And unlike you, my fingers and toes aren't involved.

I just can't stand liberal pseudo-intellectuals. Roll that forked tongue back up into your head and go away.

Someone who can do the Math - ROTFLOL. How's that koolaid working for you. I live in the bluest state in the United States, California the land of Nancy Peelosi, Barbara Bozer, and company. Liberal California is in the whole. Broke, down and over thanks to Lefties. Now Someone who can do the Math, hold your horses, HALF OF CALIFORNIA PATHETIC BUDGET is spent on EDUCATION. REPEAT EDUCATION. 80% of HALF THE BUDGET OF CALIFORNIA is spent on TEACHERS' SALARIES and BENEFITS. ONLY 20% goes to the actual schools. EDUCATION is another welfare hand out to lefty voters (teachers) who can't do their jobs. Just look at the drop out rate and failing schools in California alone. I haven't even touched on the school systems in New York, Illinois - home state of our Hopey Changey President and the worst Washington D.C. home of our corrupted lefty-controlled Congress. Oh by the way, none of the lefties in Congress or the White House for that matter, send their kids to the Washington D.C. Schools. Oh by the way, your hopey changey President took away the vouchers that President Bush gave to the minority kids in D.C.

You add all the money that the states and federal government spend on education and there is more money wasted than on any war we have ever fought Keep smoking the pot as it seems to be working well for you.