January 25, 2009

Conservative ju-jitsu

If we are required to look at the stimulus package as a fait accomplis then what could we do as a political movement to mitigate the dollar allocation? Firstly, there's the question of how would it be possible to make an impact. In short, if you know the money is gone and a filibuster is either not in the cards and/or of no consequence, then jump in with both feet on the details. Agree to the stimulus package and offer bi-partisan support in the spirit of co-operation and new found newness of the new political conviviality. You've played along with the change portion of the program. See, everybody wants change, even Republicans. We aren't obstructionist, now let's get to work, and work hard on the specifics.

That's where, having bought some goodwill we can make some suggestions that are more constructive (literally) than those of say Robert Reich. He doesn't want bailout money going to white male construction workers. As an aside does that mean all the infrastructure money going to roads would result in highway improvements being completed by women and/or ethnic minorities? I'm just asking, Robert.

So the infrastructure that needs to be built, might that not include the uncompleted 700 mile border fence project? It was only in the $10's of billions. Now that we are going to spend like drunken sailors, or rather, concerned paternalistic federal sponsors of America, let's just up the penny ante on that and build a full fledged 2100 mile wall big enough to secure America's southern border. Or don't we care about illegal immigration and the rule of law?

Speaking of law, what about spending some of it on law enforcement? Officers on the streets is jobs right away rather than in 24 months typical of infrastructure. What about spending some of it on the sciences that have supposedly withered under Bush, but in immediate payoff areas relative to jobs - the Center For Disease Control, NASA. Not wind farm subsidies. How about putting a bunch of that infrastructure money into nuclear power? Energy independence is not going to go away as an issue just because the price of oil has retreated. Or how about subsidizing off-shore drilling or ANWAR drilling? That one won't fly because it's ridiculous to Democrats, but it might be fun to throw out there to make a point about how ludicrous some of their ideas seem to be to us. And we might get another sore winner "I won" moment out of someone on the left, and get some good negative exposure of their better-than-you attitude.

Holistically, this would at least help minimize wasted spending in areas counter productive to conservatives and America. These aren't the ideal conservative solutions to the economy and government but they are legitimate alternatives to worse uses of the super-deficit Americans are all about to swallow. Of course of of this depends on Republicans not being shut out completely.

3 comments:

  1. Here's the flaw in your reasoning (unless you are speaking totally tongue-in-cheek here). You depend on logic. Those in charge care not for your logic. & another faulty assumption is that they have the country's best interests at heart --they may have others goals. I do believe that much can be accomplished by being obstructionist. Especially with important matters. How else does on exert one's will - or perhaps you think we can have we no will? Appeasement to those with wrong ideas just helps them implement their vision. Must their vision be our vision? It is not mine!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well it is a place to start.
    The ultimate result would I hope be to tie Congress up so much that the whole stmulus bill would never get off the ground?
    So,where"s the list we should be sending to our reps?(you"ve got a good start!)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just read this at contentions. Read comment #3

    R

    http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/51972

    ReplyDelete

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