The "Small Ball" Proposed Budget

[unhappycamper]

http://www.opednews.com/Diary/The-Small-Ball-Proposed-by-Larry-Dorshkind-Budget_Corporations_Debt_Debt-131213-464.html

The "Small Ball" Proposed Budget
December 13, 2013 at 09:43:01
By Larry Dorshkind

Yes, the bipartisan budget committee devised a plan to cut government spending and leave the social security program intact, and, miracle of miracles, this was acceptable to both political parties. However, there were insufficient funds (and agreement) to continue unemployment insurance for the 1.3 million long-term unemployed, and also there were insufficient funds to fully restore programs reduced by Sequestration. Altogether, this proposed budget is considered "small ball."

However, there was an overlooked opportunity because of the differing ideologies of the two political parties. The result of not engaging in this opportunity, sadly, is a strong slap in the face of the average American.

The issue is the U.S. national debt. And the reason the national debt was not addressed is because the solution to this problem is too painful for certain special interests. The first part of the solution would be to markedly scale back the U.S. military empire (the U.S. has no credible enemy) and save hundreds of billions of dollars yearly. Who could be against this except for the Neocons (who believe it is American destiny to rule the world) and the military-industrial complex (who love the money-laundering aspect of war)?

The second part of the solution is to terminate subsidies and deductions to those corporations and the ultra-rich who feed off the government (meaning other taxpayers). This would require these two groups to suffer the loss of their out-of-scale tax deductions and tax breaks, and, in addition, they would have to give up their tax avoidance schemes and offshore tax havens.

[djean111]

1. In other words, never gonna happen. n/t