Baffling Conservative Economics

Dear Hank,

I am baffled by the stupidity of those who call themselves by various names all in the cause of trying to get our economy on track by what they call conservative principles.

These usually call for cuts to government spending.

And then the mantra goes the economy will magically get better.

What I always find in these arguments is that element of magic. 

An unconnected set of actions with a remarkable outcome unsupported by theory, history, fact, or anything else I can find except a magic phrase like: “The will of the people” or “unleashing American productivity.”

Typically, when confronted these folks say something like, “Well I can tell you my life hasn’t gotten better in this economy.” or something like that. So I ask how will cutting government spending help their economic life? What I get is some babble about putting our grandchildren in debt and we can’t go on this way and we have to cut back.

Then I ask, “Well, if we all cut back: you, me, the government, business, everyone - what will happen to our economy?”

I usually get no answer.

I think it is because they really don’t understand the concept of an economy much less what makes it work.

What is clear to me is that when these conservatives get into a position of power they do a bunch of things they never talked about in their campaigns (like attacking women’s rights) and then they lie about what they are doing and have done while in office. It’s the breadth of the lying that I find - unbelievable, and yet it seems to reinforce their base constituents, who never seem to compare facts with what is being said. In other words they never look at reality.

Gotta go, I think someone is here to buy that bridge I was selling on eBay.

Bryce