If Ronald Reagan Is Your Hero, Then Shut the Hell Up About Deficits and Debt

There is currently a movement to replace Ulysses S. Grant's image on the $50 with Ronald Reagan. The GOP trots out the Gipper every time it wants to drum up nostalgic support for its neo-conservative agenda. Ironically, all we hear from these so-called fiscal conservatives today is how our future generations are going to be crushed by our national debt. And it is ironic.

When Ronny ran the White House, he ran the national debt up from $908 billion up to $2.6 trillion, an increase of 186%. This increase in debt-to-GDP ratio surpassed FDR's new deal and WWII. Where do these Reaganites get off criticizing ANYONE for deficits and debt?

And where were these debt hawks when W and the GOP started 2 wars with no money to pay for them. No effort was even made to pay for them. They just spent, spent, spent, with no regard or objection from any part of the party (except Ron Paul).

The last time our nation saw sustained economic growth paired with reduction in national debt was the Clinton Administration. Yup. The philandering bumpkin and the so-called "tax-and-spend liberals" know more about economics that Reagan, W, Cheney, basically the entire GOP. So please just shut the fuck up. You have no credibility when it comes to this issue.

Trying to canonize Reagan as the patron saint of conservatism would is like trying to canonize Dick Cheney as the patron saint of charm, or Sarah Palin as the patron saint of moderately intelligent. It just doesn't pass the straight face test.

Making Fun of Sister Sarah - The International Language

One technique for ending adversarial relationships is finding common ground. We may have found common ground with the middle east - at least Saudi Arabia. Apparently, Saudis like to make fun of Sarah Palin too.

When Hillary Clinton recently held a town meeting in the Arab country, the following transpired: "Does the prospect of Sarah Palin one day becoming president maybe terrify you?" the student asked. "And if so, would you consider emigrating to Canada or possibly even Russia?"

She laughed heartily at the question and said no, she would not emigrate from the US, but she would visit a lot.

Do you know what terrifies me? This student in Saudi Arabia knows that Sister Sarah is an ignorant tool, but large numbers of Americans think she should be our next President. To quote Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does." Well, supporting Palin in any election - and I mean any - is STUPID. And anyone who does it is, IMO, STUPID.

I will grant one except to the sweeping judgment of stupidity: it is possible that someone could vote for Palin because he or she simply hates this country. That could be. Though aside from malice and stupidity, I see no rational basis to ever take her seriously. And this bright young man from Saudi Arabia agrees with me.

So with this common ground, I hope that our Secretary of State can forge a better relationship with the Arab world. After all, if enemy of my enemy is my friend, then surely the other people who mock the redneck wolf-shooting moron are my friends as well.