“… a Republic, if you can keep it.”
Such is the legend of what Benjamin Franklin told an inquirer of what kind of government the Constitutional Convention created for America.
But we can’t keep it – and it’s not because of Democrats. It’s because of Republicans. The problem is conservatives and Republican voters refuse to accept this. Everything is blamed on Democrats, and they rush to vote for anyone with an “R” next to their name, regardless of record.
No matter how incompetent, or how dishonest. Because “at least they’re not Democrats.”
Not good enough, as a recent Financial Times article reminded me. You see, Utah Republicans are upset with DOGE.
Sure, the debt is over $36 trillion. Sure, our deficit is over $2 trillion. The interest on the debt will be at least $1 trillion next year.
But none of this matters in a democracy.
Despite agreeing that cuts must happen – literally for national survival at this point – everyone has their own special interest, and this is the dark secret that ensures the doom of every democracy.
You see, even though 85% of Republicans support DOGE’s efforts to make cuts, 100% of federal largesse recipients are opposed to cutting their parochial interest. Everyone agrees there is literally trillions of waste… but that’s someone else’s waste. Spending that benefits me is righteous and must never be cut.
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So what are Utah Republicans whining about? IRS cuts. Which for some reason is the largest employer in Ogden.
The unmitigated gall. I only wish TPI had a more liberal policy for cursing.
The institutional problem of democratic spending has no solution. Everyone uses political power to expropriate taxpayers for their special interest. Eventually this spirals into what we see now, and it collapses.
The Constitution has not stopped any of this. It can’t. It’s a piece of parchment that requires men to enforce it. Unfortunately, as Hayek pointed out, the type of people who rise to the top in democracy tend to be scumbags. But they can only get there thanks to voters.
There is a solution to this problem, but it is politically impossible: limiting the franchise, for example to taxpayers.
The notion that you can give 300 million people the “right” to demand other people’s money and they will behave reasonably and honorably is absurd. It’s just a free-for-all.
If you need proof, you have it above. Republicans agree that there’s enormous waste, but don’t you dare cut… the IRS.
We can’t even cut the most hated government agency? Then obviously you shouldn’t expect support for cuts to sensitive programs.
This only changes when Republican voters are held accountable. And unfortunately, the time for that was many decades ago.
Time’s up.
